mysore and brindavan gardens

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the nice road takes you to mysore from bangalore, it does have some nice stretches on it. the mandya crossing gets a bit crowded and one can see various roads that branch out for various sightseeing spots like srirangapatna, coorg etc. the mysore palace all lit up usually on weekends and dussehra is a sight to behold and one can visit the palace museum during the day. the coronation room is fabulous and its a huge palace. at one time kingdom of mysore was entitled to a sixteen gun salute. the royal family still lives in one part of the palace. the royal orchid metropole offers very comfortable rooms at what was then reasonable rates. the food is good and modest. the fresh south indian food for breakfast is a must have at all these locales for one really doesnt get to cook south indian at home. the hotel has a nice outdoor cafe and on valentines day it was lit with candles. we were staying at the rooms at the back and i think the rooms out front would be a better option if you had no budgetary constraints. there was some loud party at the back which created an awful lot of noise. i do remember the biryani to be very good.

the st philomenas church is an imposing structure and one must mention all the architecture of mysore, there are palatial bungalows and they all have well laid grounds around them. it was once a seat of power, business and culture now a bit shadowed by its silicon valley cousin bangalore. the chamundeswari hill houses the temple on top and a devi visit for the devout could be on the cards. one must buy the vip ticket and try and get right into the centre of the temple. the car park is a walk away and its hot on the hilltop allright.

the lalitha mahal palace was constructed by the mysore maharaja for his most important guest the viceroy. it has now been converted into a hotel and offers a buffet spread for those driving to the place for a day. its an imposing palace and a tour of the rooms will let you see the kind of curios one had at that point of time. from the first floor balcony one can get a view of the palace and its gardens.

an hours drive from mysore and you will reach the brindavan gardens and dam. the gardens and guest house were again built by the maharaja. in the evening the garden is lit and one should really stay atop the hotel and take it all in instead of trying to dribble past crowds. the rooms at the palace are tastefully furbished and it is now run by the Royal Orchid group. the view of the gardens from the balcony and the dining room makes staying at the brindavan garden resort very pleasing. the lobby and sit out is grand and a tour of the palace on the first floor will give you an aerial view of the gardens.

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