From Mysore's palace to Varkala's cliffside to Amma's ashram...

After visiting Anantapur, I decided to visit Mysore, the city of palaces and the cultural capital of Karnataka. Mysore has a glorious past as the host to the Kingdom of Mysore ruled by the Wodeyar dynasty and thus, it was where the Maharajah used to live.

The city is renowned for three main things: silk, sandalwood and its palaces. Although I didn't do any activities or shopping related to the two first items, I did visit the main palace, where the Maharajah lived, and it was absolutely stunning, over the top, but really beautiful. Every corner, ceilings, wall, door, is adorned in beauty and detail. From stained glass domed ceilings with peacock designs, to flowered mosaic floors, to carved doors made of ivory and teak, to halls with majestic paintings, the palace is seeping in art and beauty.
Unfortunately, taking pictures inside the palace is prohibited; therefore I have no evidence of this splendor to share with you.

Other than that Mysore is a really interesting bustling town with small streets full of life and a fantastic market. Taking a stroll through the market is a perfect way to spend a few hours as you can browse (and smell your way) through stalls of fruits, essential oils, incense, masala powder and flowers used mostly for devotional purposes.

After Mysore I took an overnight bus (which ended up being not as terrible as I thought it would be) to Varkala, a developed beachside town in the state of Kerala. After two nights there I decided that the beach (and all the tourists that come with it) just isn't for me right now. It was nice for a day, to chill out and get some sun, but I decided that I needed something different.

I headed straight for Amma's ashram, one of Kerala’s most important ashrams that was founded by a female guru! A rare thing in India!

Since I just arrived a few days ago, I'd rather write about the ashram and my experience here at the end of my stay, once I've gotten into the groove and have a better understanding of it all. I will be here until March 23rd, so until then…om, shanti, shanti, shanti!