Europeans with its exciting café culture and
upmarket restaurants. Propelled to fame in
film The Life of Pi, ‘Pondy’ is a picturesque
pocket of pastel alleyways, crumbling colonial buildings, art galleries and ashrams. But
nothing beats the manic maze of local markets;
a sensory overload of tangible tastes, smells
and sights.
One heck of a journey, this is not for the feinthearted. But for those yearning to traverse
intrepid lands steeped in ancient heritage,
South India will ensnare you.
1
Take an Indian
train journey
Indian trains embody all that’s grand and olden
of India’s heritage whilst being a typically
traditional and authentic experience. The
journey begins in Chennai, an international
gateway to south India with a brand new
snazzy airport. My itinerary whisks me to
Mysore, the city of palaces and sandalwood
and home to the stunning Chamundi Hill with
a 2,000-year-old temple. The train journey
takes 7 hours from 5am, embracing a majestic
sunrise through valleys, verdant fields and
rural countryside. Colourful towns, villages
and shanty huts of railside- dwellers, weave
in and out of view. The long journey is most
comfortable in the first class carriage, where
I spot a pair of backpackers and another
well-heeled older foreign couple, map in
hand. First-class in India shames some first
class carriages in Europe. Food and drinks are
served, large comfortable seats feature angled
recline and each is equipped with charging
points. The journey feels a privilege and is a
marvellous mode of transport to appreciate
South India from the start, with a window on
the true reflections of India, otherwise missed
on highway car journeys.
2
Visit India’s 2nd
most visited sight –
Mysore Palace
After the Taj Mahal, Mysore, the relatively
unknown Mysore Palace is the second most
visited sight in India. This fine grey granite
residence of the Royal family, the Wodeyar
dynasty, features ceremonial halls, courtyards
and a treasury of artwork and sculptures.
Navigate narrow corridors and manoeuvre
winding staircases to get an insider’s perspective on royal life. Be sure to admire ceilings
capped by elegant deep-pink marble domes;
an architectural marvel.
Sunday evenings are a wonderful time as
the palace is spectacularly illuminated in a
45-minute light show. Festooned in 96,000
lights, this really is one show worth seeing.
For the best sunsets, head high above the
city to 3000-ft at Chamundi Hill. Take the
gentle drive or an enduring walk up a flight
of 1000 steps. At the summit I’m greeted by a
2,000-year-old temple dedicated to Chamundi,
the Hindu goddess of strength, believed to
have been built by the Hoysala rulers in the
12th century. Grabbing instant attention is the
tall light golden-coloured temple entrance or
‘Gopuram.’ Stacked high above the temple, an
inverted pyramid of columns plummets into
the sky, embellished in intricate hand-carved
mythological and religious characters. Seen
from afar, this signals the presence of a temple.
A short walk on the ‘roof of Mysore’ along
panoramic city views leads to a gigantic monolithic bull statue, estimated to be 350 years old.
The omnipresent bull or ‘Nandi’ is intimately
entwined with Hinduism belief. If time spares,
head to the multiple art galleries of the city
and purchase Sandalwood, which originates
from Mysore.
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