...And site-seeing we did. The difference was that what we saw was not what we intended to.

My in-laws, minus the bride-to-be, were visiting us and we got out with full enthu to go to Chamundi Hill. Only to be greeted by a deluge of vehicles diverted onto this otherwise deserted road. All because of the Dasara festivities - the Jamboo Savari (elephant procession), which was happening after a gap of three years. Conservative estimates put the number of visitors during this season at over a million. Ain't that good for a normally sleeping town of a few lakh residents?! Chamundi Hill didn't happen finally ...

The sad part though is that the visitors, as usual and just like the rain Gods, are least bothered about maintaining the beauty of the city. A week later, when I visited Mysore, the city had gone back to its state of peaceful slumber, but this time it was in the midst of a pile of dirt - remnants of the festivities. The concerned are still cleaning up the city (cleaning up their act??).

Nevertheless, I'm still in love with this city. It is far behind it's elder sister Bangalore in terms of population, pollution, garbage, sewage, industrialization. And far ahead in terms of culture, values, people (and not population!). I sincerely hope that the Infys and Wipros do not come here (ain't I late?). I have nothing against them. But they invariably bring with them pseudo-development, urbanization, higher prices of everything from house rent to vegetables, and potholes on the roads. We'd rather live in our peaceful state of slumber than be woken up to a rude shock. The Nilekanis and Premjis, do you hear?