Meandering through the Devaraja Market in Mysore, I was struck by the infinite number of smells, colors and sounds. As I walked past the various stalls, I noticed coconuts, colored powders, essential oils, bananas, and every other kind of fruit and vegetable imaginable. The market is only a small section of Mysore, but once you enter through the gate it is like discovering a different, hidden India. Behind the shopping malls and the nice cars you can find the soul of this country, in its people. The market is a veritable gem, tucked away from the traffic of Mysore--and hidden here is the India I've been looking for.
Leaving the walls of the market, I am back in the noisier reality of Mysore. The city is itself rather small and old. Dominated by the Mysore Palace and other sights, the city is steeped in tradition. As I wandered the halls of a palace where royalty once lived, I felt a palpable sense of bygone days. Coming from Pune, a city where "new" India prevails, it was nice to see its polar opposite.
Going deeper into India, I traveled by bus to a town called Madikeri, in the region of Coorg in Karnataka. A two-hour journey along dusty roads led to winding forested paths where elephants are said to roam freely. Leaving Madikeri, I went trekking in the even more remote forests of Coorg. I stayed at an estate, a 20-minute jeep ride up a hill, where the water was fresh from a spring and the food was all organically grown. The scent of flowers were welcoming, and the sound of birds singing woke me in the morning. It was a rural idyll.
After spending two weeks traveling through Karnataka--seeing Bangalore, Mysore, Madikeri, Hassan and Hampi--I feel a bit closer to discovering the "real" India. Whatever that might be.
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