Merry Dasara

Two weekends ago, I took my first Saturday off since being in India to get together with several other fellows (Sumit, Diana, Vanitha, Menaka, and Nafessa) to go to Mysore and take part in the Dasara festivities. The non-Bangalorians arrived via overnight train early on Friday morning and enjoyed the day taking part in all of the conveniences that a city has to offer (mainly shopping). After work I jetted off to meet them for some dinner at “The Only Place,” a nice outdoor restaurant that serves purely western food. I had a chicken sandwich, fries, and a salad (that’s right, a salad), plus mac-n-cheese and garlic bread was shared for starters. IT WAS FANTASTIC! (As a side note, my roommate and I have placed an order for a 20lb. turkey from The Only Place, to be delivered November 21. We are planning a full Thanksgiving feast.) After dinner we had some wine and desserts to celebrate Vanitha’s birthday, and headed out for a few drinks before the bars close at a pathetic 11:30pm.

Early Saturday morning we made our way to the bus station and hopped on the first coach headed to Mysore. Three hours later we arrived and were picked up by Menaka’s cousin Padma, who we would be spending the weekend with. Padma lives with her father and two children in a beautiful and comfortable home. Their sense of hospitality was unlike any I’ve experienced before. It was fantastic, but also different than I was used to, which led to some minor faux pas. In general, it seems that being a good guest in India means really just allowing the host to treat you like royalty. They generally cant do enough to make you feel comfortable, well fed, at home, happy, etc.—and as a guest you have to just sit back and enjoy all they offer. One small example is when it comes to eating. Typically I would assume that clearing my plate is a sign that I’ve enjoyed the meal and am completely satisfied and happy. I learned from the uncle, that in fact, a host wants their guest to leave some food on the plate, to show that you are full and satisfied with the meal.

As far as the Dassara festivities go, it was really a unique experience that reminded me of a combination of Times Square on New Years Eve and Disney World. Mysore’s most famous attraction is a palace that once belonged to the King of the state of Mysore. For Dassara, every inch of the castle is lit up when it gets dark. It’s beautiful, and draws a crowd of hundreds of thousands.

The final day of dassara (there are 10), there is a huge parade of elephants and floats that begins at the palace and goes through town. We thought we were being smart and avoiding the crowd, by watching it towards the end of the route from a side street. We were about as smart as half a million other people, who also decided to watch from the same spot. The elephants and parade were impressive, but I was much more fascinated by the immense crowd and everything that was going on around me.

We also had a chance to stop in at a local temple. I had no idea what I was doing, but just tried to follow the actions of the people around me. Hopefully I wasn’t too offensive.

All in all the weekend provided some much needed time with friends, a healthy dose of family life, and sites that will stick with me for a life