Karnataka is Awesome

Hello everyone! Sorry (as usual) for the long delay. After Karnataka I immediately dove into my IS project and this weekend was Diwali, the Hindu holiday (that I heard Obama celebrated at the White House??).

Before I tell you all about how great my tour in Karnataka was let me get one thing off my chest: I turn 21 tomorrow! In one of the most sober countries in the world! And I really could not be happier about it. :)

My time in Karnatake can be broken into three main segments: Mysore, Hospet/Hampi, and finally Bangalore. In each city I had a completely unique experience. The one unifying thing for all the different areas was how open and friendly I found the people to be. My host father had mentioned that Karnatakans are "so nice," and he was right!

Mysore- This thriving city is one of my favorite metropolises that I've visited. Central to the tourism/city pride is the Mysore Palace. Touring the palace made me feel like I was in Versailles all over again; it's a very European and regal. We got to take a private tour of the weapons room and the hunting hall- a very creepy place. I spent 5 minutes being stared down by the stuffed tigers, elephants, rhinos, bears, giraffe, crocodiles, etc. until I took my leave... I also visited a great outdoor market in spent a whole lot of money at one of the Mysore Arts Emporiums. Let it be noted: I love Karnataka and Karnataka loves my wallet. The other highlight of Mysore was hiking to the top of a Jain mountain, where a 30-foot high monolothic statue of a Tirathankara. Tirathankaras are Jain devotees who are released from the cycle of miserable life by committing suicide. It was bizarre to see such a beautiful temple devoted to suicide worship! I have included a picture of the statue.

Hampi/Hospet- There is no way to convey how awe-inspiring Hampi is! There are three of the largest archeological sites in the world: Macchu Picchu, a place in Cambodia, and Hampi. Hampi is a hilly region strewn with boulders caused by a huge volcanic explosion centuries ago. Around the 14th century (I think!) the Vijayanagara Empire came to dominate the region, naming Hampi it's capital. The entire city is covered in the ruins of temples, marketplaces, palaces and more; everywhere you look is an ancient edifice! We rented bicycles and spent the day wandering the ruins and laughing with the locals. I have included a picture of my friends and I lunching in a temple ruin (by the way, Hampi had excellent food! We packed hummus and chappathi to-go). I spent 3 days in this fashion: wandering and shopping, hiking and eating. People, you have to see it for yourself!

Bangalore- Where East meets West! We only had 12 hours here so we went to the local mall, full of Western shops like Zara, the Body Shop, and tech stores. We watched a movie (The Surrogate, a bad Bruce Willis sci-fi that was perfect for the occasion!) and ate at Subway. It was nice to spend a day in America but even better to exit and return to India. I'm not quite ready to come home...

I'd also like to talk a little bit more about the chaos that is Diwali. Everyone I ask gives me a different story on the holiday; apparently it has distinct regional variations. In Madurai it is mostly celebrated by businessmen worhsipping Lakshmi, the Goddess of Wealth. Yet it's also called "The Festival of Lights." And, wow, there are lights. Everyone buys atrocious amounts of "crackers" (fireworks) and lights them non-stop for the entire 24 hours. I woke at 5:30 to the sounds of them! During the day only sound crackers are lit; I felt like I was in Baghdad what with all the explosions and smoke and noise. There are no restrictions on firework sizes so anyone with enough rupees can buy the massive 4th of July-size fireworks. These went off all around us as we stood on the roof to ooh-and-aah. Really, I stood there with my knees shaking.

In the coming weeks I will focus entirely on my IS Project. However, we are travelling to Pondicherry this weekend for a short vacation. I look forward to laying on the beach and eating French pastries!


Cheers!
Emily