Mysore for Dummies - By Rowena Warren

I have been to Mysore numerous times over the last 10 years and every time i have been, i have always at some point in my stay said to myself, "wow i wish had known about this".

It can be bewildering, frustraing and downright bizarre for the uniniatited so i have decided to write the Mysore for Dummies page on my website. Here i will detail all the 'Yogi spot's' and provide as much useful, and practical information as i can and if you feel there is anything i should add please just let me know...

Please note, i am building this page as i go.. so there are many gaps at the moment

Om Shanti

Ro x

Arriving at the Airport

As you leave the air-conditioned, sterile capsule of the plane, it becomes suddenly and inescapably apparent that you have arrived in India. If the impact of strange sights and sounds does not alert you to this fact then the assault on your nostrils certainly will!

Welcome to Bangalore International Airport - your mission should you wish to accept it is to secure safe passage to Mysore.

At this point you really have two choices:

Get a taxi or catch a train. I will deal with the former first.

The taxi ride from Bangalore to Mysore:

There are many people at Bangalore Airport who will offer you a taxi, prices range wildly and so does the reliability of the service they provide. Most questions of enquiry that you ask will be met with a resolute "Yes" or "No problem". My advice is to seek out a government approved taxi which can be booked at a few of the obvious taxi offices before you leave the airport. The cost is currently 3,000 rp (approx £30.00).

You will be offered an a/c or non a/c taxi and unless you are traveling in the middle of the day in the height of summer, I would elect for non a/c. The taxi journey takes approximately 4 hours. It is common for the driver to stop at a roadside chai stand and this can be a welcome break. The driving could never be described as sedate, though the local drivers are accustomed to these conditions so try not to be too alarmed.

It is a good idea to have the name of the residence in Mysore written down so that you can hand this to the driver, many things can and do become lost in translation and you may end up spending an additional hour or so careering around Mysore looking for your hotel.

The train ride from Bangalore to Mysore:

Bangalore Airport moved its terminal to an area 35 k north of Bangalore in 2008, so you have to get a taxi to Bangalore city and take a train to Mysore from there. Most of the planes arrive in the wee small hours, so you may have a bit of a wait for the first train out of Bangalore city. From here, the train takes 2 hours.

Accommodation

They are a wide range of hotels in Mysore. If you intend on staying for longer than a few weeks, I would advise that you seek out an apartment (see below for info on long-term rentals). For shorter stays, there are a plethora of hotels ranging from the luxurious to the down-right flea ridden and filthy! If you wish to stay near to Pattabhi Jois’ yoga Shala in Gokulum, the Green Hotel is a good option. It is clean and functional and has a wonderful garden to dine in and the staff are very friendly.

The other options in that area are limited. If you don’t mind a short rickshaw journey (or a hair raising bike ride!), then the Hotel Southern Star is a good choice. This is also a good place to catch a few rays by the pool. They do a non-residential day pass as which is worth buying if you wish to escape the madness of the streets of Mysore and wish to join the ‘posers’ by the pool.

Long term rentals

A good place to start when looking for an apartment or house to rent is ‘Swami’ at the Little Tailors across the road from the Shala, or ‘Krishna’ who lives in a house directly opposite the Shala. They are both very helpful and for a commission will find you suitable accommodation for your stay. I warn you not to go for the first option! There is a huge variety of houses to rent, so do not plump for the first place that you come across fearing that you will not find anywhere else.

Some useful contacts:

• Shiva: 9844226082
• Murthy: 9880265622, tskittymurthy@yahoo.co.in

Places to eat

Breakfast

The Om Café:

This is by far my favorite eatery for breakfast. They do fantastic omelets and chai.

Tinas house

Large portions and wonderful, friendly service. Tina also has a café and runs Indian cookery classes (see ‘activities section’).

Lunch

Anus’ is excellent for an ‘eat as much as you like’ buffet. The food is nourishing and healthy and they do a mean Dahl. It can get rather busy during the high season, so arrive early if you want to get a decent portion before the hungry Yogis descend!

Tinas’ café is one of my favorite spots to eat. It is extremely cheap and her cooking is flavorsome and healthy.

There are also a number of Indian women who cook from their home and open their kitchens to the Yoga community. Some of them have been doing this for many years. I would recommend :

Aunties ( address?) and Nagaratna. For both of these you need to book in advance. 

Dinner

The Green Hotel is a great place for a night out. The garden is magical in the evening, glittering with fairy lights. The food is a little more pricey but it is still a fraction of what you would pay for a meal in the UK (approx £10 for 3 course and drinks). 

Some useful Contacts:

Nagaratnas contact: 
http://www.mrvinay.com/  
She also offers a taxi service and her son will assist you in finding an apartment for a small fee. 

Dinner: 
The green leaf - 08216550857. Traditional Indian food. Very friendly service, clean and cheap. 

Park lane hotel- www.parklanemysore.com. Traditional (and slightly more up-market) Indian food. Mouth watering dahl and the best roti in mysore. 

There is also a Pizza hut if you are feeling homesick or indeed sick! It is immaculately clean and the risk of getting sick here is slim.Thankfully, at the time of going to press there was no Macdonalds in Mysore. Updates welcome on this one! 

Yoga in Mysore: 
Ashtanga 
I have returned to study Ashtanga with Sharath every year since 1999 and I feel that he is the best that Mysore has to offer. The Yoga studio is rather large now, so don't expect one-to-one tuition. The classes seem to get fuller every year. You will need to book in advance. The web address is: www.ayri.com.

Sheshadri Teaches at the Mysore Mandala, 581 Dewans Road, Off Dble tank road, Tel +91-821-5256277, http://mandala.ashtanga.org

Vankatesh is an excellant teacher and though his classes are quieter than Sharaths, he is growing in popularity day by day. He teaches his own style of yoga which is dynamic and includes a course in back bending. This is not for the faint hearted! He will certainly work you. www.atmavikasayoga.com

Ajay Kumar is a young lad who has been doing yoga since he was 12! He can be contacted at Sthalam8, Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Shala, +91-9845059838. 

Other activities:

Indian Cooking 
Tina Sasson teaches North and South Indian cookery from her home, located in Gokulam, a few minutes walk from the new shala. You choose the menu, assist Tina with the cooking, and feast on the fruits of your labours.

Tina has lived in various regions of India, and speaks perfect English. She also does breakfast in her garden. Aside from her cooking classes and delicious breakfast, she is a mine of information about life in Mysore and in India. Her address: 1,7,main, 3, stage. Gokulam, phone: 2416668, tsasson@lycos.com 

Drawing and painting 
M.S Anand, 646/1 1st floor, 1st cross, Kumbarageri, N.S. Roard, a local photographer and artist who teaches traditional Mysore painting from his home. I created a 'masterpiece' with him last time I was in Mysore and I very much enjoyed my time with him.. Contact Art_By_Anand@hotmail.com or phone 9448246694.(mobile).

Sanskrit, Chanting & Philosophy 
Hema, Venkatesh's wife, runs Sanskrit chanting classes and you will pick up a bit of Sanskrit in the process. Hema also teaches yoga philosophy and yoga sutras classes. www.atmavikasayoga.com