Posts Tagged ‘Mysore’

I was in Baroda recently, I just couldnt help but notice how similar this city is to our very own Mysuru ! with so many connections it could just surprise you !!

The Mahrajas

Sayaji Rao Road, the main thoroughfare in Mysore is named after the Maharaja of Baroda, Sayaji Rao Gaekwad, The legendary Maharaja is said to have been adopted by the Royal family. The story goes that as a young boy he was asked by the queen as to why he was called to the Palace and the boy grandly announced with confidence , ‘I have come here to rule !!’ Mighty impressed he was appointed the heir apparent. He did a greatly reformed the kingdom of Baroda. When Dr BR Ambedkar did not have the money to study further, It was this Maharaja who sponsored his education in Britain of this brilliant student from the backward classes of the society which was unthinkable back then, Who would later on go on to write our constitution ! In a smiliar fashion it was the Mahraja of Mysore, Chamarajendra Wodeyer who would partly sponsor the trip of Swami Vivekananda to America to attend the first international religion parliament in Chicago in 1893, where he gave his famous speech on Hindu Religion which is still remembered to this day ! Infact one the main thoroughfares in Baroda was named after Chamarajendra Wodeyar which is now popularly known as Palace Road ! Chamarajendra Wodeyar was an adopted Maharaja too !! And as per one of the stories on the origins of the Wodeyar Dynasty, The very first King Yaduraya is said to have come from Dwarka in Gujarat.

Maharajas of Mysore and Baroda

Ramchandra Guha, the famous historian says, Most Maharajas of India were useless expect for two of them, Maharaja Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda and Majaraja Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV of Mysore for their great contribution to their respective Kingdoms !

Raja Ravi Verma

The famous Fateh Singh Museum of Baroda boasts of good collections of painting of Raja Ravi Verma’s painting,  And it sure is a very good collection indeed. It was this famous painter who introduced water colours to India and some of his great works adorn the walls here and his studio was set up right next to the Museum, which is now in shambles. But this Museum is surely one of the best kept ones in India with a great collection of painting and sculptures from across the globe. The Jagan Mohan Art Gallery in Mysore too has some priceless collection of Raja Ravi Verma and the other place which has a significant Raja Ravi Verma collection is the Sree Chitra Art Gallery in Trivandrum. They say time stops when one begins to admire Raja Ravi Verma’s paintings. This gifted artist with the strokes of his paint brushes created magic more than a 100 years back and even today it looks as if its brand new ! One needs to see it to believe it and be sure you’ll be drawn in.

The Musicians

Ustad Faiyaz Khan, the court musician of the Baroda Kingdom was an exponent in Hindustani classical music. In 1908, a grand competition was arranged in Mysore where he sang so splendidly that he eventually won the top spot for which the Maharaja of Mysore awarded him the title “Aftab-e-Mousiqui.” meaning the ‘the sun of music’. Veene Sheshanna,the famous veene mastter in the Royal Court of Mysore when on a visit to Boroda, It is said that the Gayakwad Maharaja was so pleased with his recital that he took a procession of Veene Sheshanna in a palanquin in the city of Baroda.

The Sights

In the heart of Baroda you have a bustling and colourful marketplace called the Khande Rao Market, In an old stately building selling fresh flowers, colour and vegetables, Built by Maharja Sayaji Rao in 1906 to commemorate the silver jubliee celebration of his rule and gifted it to the Baroda Muncipality. Its resemblance to our very own and vibrant century old Devaraja is striking.

Khande Rao Market

You even find quite a few clock towers in Baroda just like how you find them in Mysore, Generously erected in the city by the Royalty back then for the benefit of their subjects. You find a very promineint one very close to the Baroda city Railway Station.

Laxmi Vilas palace,Baroda

The stately Laxmi Vilas Palace sits pretty in the heart of the City. Intricately carved this majestic structure has more than 3000 beautiful stained glass windows, The highest used in any structure all imported from Belgium. The architect of the Laxmi Vilas Palace was a Englishman named Major Charles Mant who committed suicide in the 1890s for fear he had got his calculations wrong and that the palace would fall down !! How said because it still stands strong even today !! Unfortunately this Palace is very poorly maintained which is still the private property of the Royal family of Baroda ! Infact the central Arch of the Amba Vilas Palace in Mysore is modeled after the Laxmi Vilas Palace !

You also have a Oriental Library in Boroda which was inspired from the Oriental Research Library in Mysore which in Mysore is housed a grand structure which was built in 1887, to commemorate the jubilee year of Queen Victoria reign.

The century old central library is Baroda is sure not a place to be missed with some great collection of rare books,the entire flooring is made of Belgium glass and when you walk on it in the first and second floors, it sure makes you jittery The central Library of Mysore might not be housed in similar setting but set up in the Chamarajendra Technical Institute building, once up on a time it sure was a treasure for book lovers !

Glass flooring in the Baroda Central Library

Baroda is house to the famous Maharaja Sayaji Rao University,Initially started off as Baroda collage and later on acquired the status of a University !  The Mysore University set up in 1916 was the first among the Princely States in India, For which Krishna Raja Wodeyar IV sent study teams to great universities around the world to come up with what is the best model for Mysore. Both are housed in beautiful Heritage Buildings !

One could go on with more such familiar sites in Boroda like the imposing Nyay Mandir, the Law Courts, The old city and its town planning, The beautiful man made lakes. Sprawing gardens, Crickets grounds and lush green golf courses so much like how it is in Mysore ! Infact a popular sweet in Baroda is called Maisur,which is also made from gram flour !

Like they say, in the Tale of town cities there are so many many stories that are common ! and it all stands out pretty for us to notice and compare. And as this lady from Baroda now settled in Bangalore  put it, Yes Baroda and Mysore are so similar, its just that Mysore is a little more classier. Couldn’t agree with her more !

It occurred to me that I hadn’t got anything for my mom since I ventured into my own business. She deserved something special, apart from being understanding and supportive she has always made sure that I’m so comfortable at home because of which I could focus better on work. And dont they say that behind every man’s success there is woman !! okay now you do not have to go and disect the word success and come after me, this is about Sarees and Moms so coming back to it I dint have to think too hard as to what I wanted to get her. It had to be a Mysore Silk Saree !! after all what else can the founder of Royal Mysore Walks think of !! apart from a Mysore Special So off went the mom and son one afternoon to the Mysore Silk factory !!

The Mysore Silk story has always fascinated me.  This factory was started in 1912, almost a 100 yrs back by the Maharaja of Mysore to provide Silk Sarees just for the women of the Mysore Palace. These days husbands have a problem taking their better halves out shopping and back then you had a king starting an entire factory to fulfill their need  chivalry at its best i would say !! Mysore Silk Saree is the only 100% pure silk saree in the whole world and they use pure gold and silver for the zari (the border). Did you know that women sometimes get old Mysore Silk sarees melted and get ornaments made from the precious metal that is obtained !! And any woman who has worn Mysore Silk will vouch for its super lightness unlike the other Silks.

The entire process, right from the silk yarn to the complete Saree  is done in their factory in Mysore and one can witness it. I have been taking a lot of my guests on this tour, and this time I was busy explaining my mom how the entire process is done, which is quite fascinating. But what really impresses me is that fact that just about 4 yrs back it was decided that this heritage industry should be shut down as it was a loss making one. Since then it has been restructured, the workers have gone from 3 shifts have to just one shift. The productivity has increased drastically and so has the quality. Now KSIC is a 400 Cr profit making industry !! People can just log on to their website and order the Saree of their choice and their are unable to meet the market demand. You talk to weavers there who so proudly showoff their handiwork and most of their kids are studying engineering across the street in the same college that the Infosys founder Mr Narayana Murthy went to !!

After the tour mom visibly impressed decided to buy not one but two Mysore Silk Sarees !! And I wasnt complaining Guys now that you know what to buy your mom, but then what are you gonna buy your girlfriend ??

Raju has been on my mind since morning. After finishing my Walking Tour I was riding back home. This school going kid asked for a drop so I stopped over to pick him up. He said he had missed his bus and looked so lost. He was studying in class 8 in one of the schools in the locality. I have a soft corner of kids these days for the truck load they carry on their back called ‘School Bag’ plus the disgust I have developed for our education system seems to add to it.

I asked Raju why did he miss the bus.Did he wake up late ?  He said No Uncle (yeah I know kids these days just cant tell my age right ; ) He was up at 5:30am to go to tuition classes which was delayed today so he got back home much later than the usual which is 8:30 am. He quickly grabbed breakfast and was on his way to school. Asked him how was school, he said it was okay, without much interest. Which started at 9:30 am everyday and the drama went on until 4:00 pm. So I asked him what he did once back home? He said he had tuitions in the evening as well. I asked ‘Tuitions Again !!’ He said yes, from 4:30 pm to 6:30 pm. It was a little hard for me to digest. Because after tuitions classes he got back home did his homework for the next coupla hours had dinner and went to sleep. And this was his routine everyday. I asked him if he understood what was thought in school. He said ‘Yes’. Then go for tuition classes I asked. He said so that he understood better coz the school thought at a fast pace.

The whole thing sounded like a military regime to me. I asked,So when do you get to play? He said “On weekends” Ola !! I thought it was only the working folks looking forward to the weekends and now you had school kids joining the bandwagon too !! Looking back at my childhood, what I cherish the most the time spent with friends playing and doing all the crazy things that one wanted to. So I asked Raju don’t you miss playing for a couple of hours everyday. He said like he was talking to an idiot ‘Uncle, I am in class 8, two more years before the all important class 10. How could I afford to play’ . I was shocked. These were not words of school kid but that of his parents and teachers who had succeeded in drilling such non sense into his head that Playtime sounded like a crime !! He said hoping to put some sense into my head ‘ Now was the time to study and not play’

Wonder what kids are taught these days in the name of education. There seemed to be no joy, no interest neither the innocence the came along with childhood. It seemed like we were all getting one step close to whats described in Aldus Huxley’s ‘Brave New World’ producing machines and all set to run the rat race. Like somebody said, The problem with the rat race is that even if you manage to win it you still remain a rat !!

As I stopped in front of his school, Raju thanked me and jumped off the bike and ran inside coz he was already late for his ’special class’ which his principal was taking coz their class was lagging behind in Math !!

I wondered when Raju grows up and realizes that his childhood was robbed. Who would he blame. His School, his teachers, his folks, his peers or just himself ?? I dint have an answer. Do you ?

It all started when my x-roomie from Bangalore,Googie called me one evening to say that Jon, an acquaintance was on his way to Mysore and he had passed him my contact. Googie said “Meet him he is Fun !! ”

And a coupla hours later, Jon and myself were sipping Beer in Mysore, He was in India for the first time and seemed to have gotten used to the madness here. Having traveled 60 countries he had loads of interesting stories to tell. But was most striking about Jon was that he was travelling with out a Bag. Thats right all he carries with him is what he wears. thats it.

Jonathan Yevin is an landscape artist in New York who designs roof top gardens. He works from March to September each year and the rest of the months is off travelling, off course without a bag.He also doubles up as a travel writer, Having authored the Rough’s guide for Ecuador and many more. When I asked him if he doesn’t ever feel the need to have  atleast a small backpack. He said “No, I Never found it necessary.” Jon said that he was appalled when he would see backpackers carrying donkey loads on their back and he wanted to redefine the way people travel. He says “People carry so much unwanted stuff.”  Apart from what he wears all he carries is his passport, his tooth brush , a cellphone, a camera and some general medicine. thats it !! It all fits into his pockets. I know you are wondering about his change of clothes. Well he says that he washes them whenever he gets a chance and if it really gets dirty he throws them off and buys a new pair !!

The man without baggage !!

And if you think he smells well absolutely not. He dint when he stayed over at my place that night. Like every mom even mine is after hygiene so I asked him whether during all his travels if hes ever faced this problem. He laughed and said “Never !!”  When he was leaving the next day my mom asked him where his bag was ? and he said it was in the luggage room in the railway station As Jon would admit that my mom would never invite him to come home again which she did, if she got to know the truth

As Jon left. His way of travelling got me thinking. To think of our lives as a journey. It amazes me the amount of baggage we all carry and how much of it is unwanted.May be there is something for us to pick up from Jon.

Isnt it what they say Travel Light, I’m sure it can’t get lighter.. or well.. can it ?? Its all in the imagination

Cast my vote y’day.. Its not my first time at it.. done it a couple of times before..The responsible citizen i am but thats not the point here..It that black indelible mark on every voter’s index finget that catches my attention..

The sole supplier of indelible ink to the Election Commission of India is situated in Mysore. This 72-year-old Mysore Paints & Varnish Ltd (MVPL)  is one of the many industries started by the Maharaja of Mysore..

And looks like its just not the indian voter who has the Mysore ink on the fore finger but citizens from a list of other countries too..   Just another of Mysore’s contributions making its mark.. this time literally  :)