Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog

Entries in this series:

1. Leg 1: Srirangapatna and Mysore
2. Leg 2: Bandipur, Mudumalai, Masinagudi and Ooty
3. Leg 3: Ooty
4. Leg 4: Ooty to Bangalore
5. The Ooty Trip: A Retrospect in Pictures

Cindy (a journalist and photographer) and her daughter Ashleigh.

Srirangapatna (also spelt Srirangapattana; anglicized to Seringapatam during the British Raj) is a town in the Mandya district of the Indian state of Karnataka. It is located near the city of Mysore and is of great religious, cultural and historic importance.

Mysore, renamed to Mysuru is the second largest city in the state of Karnataka, India. It is the headquarters of the Mysore district and the Mysore division and lies about 146 km (91 mi) southwest of Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka.

Bandipur National Park is one of India’s best known sanctuaries, and is an important Project Tiger reserve. It is located in the Chamarajanagar district of southern Karnataka in South India, and is contiguous with the Mudumalai National Park in the neighbouring state of Tamil Nadu, the Wynad Wildlife Sanctuary in Kerala, and the Nagarhole National Park to the northwest. It is home to around seventy tigers and over three thousand Asian elephants (as per the 1997 census), along with leopards, dholes, gaur and sloth bears. Bandipur is part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bandipur_National_Park

The Mudumalai National Park (currently, Mudumalai Tiger Reserve) lies on the northwestern side of the Nilgiri Hills (Blue Mountains), in Nilgiri District, about 80 km north-west of Coimbatore in the westernmost part of Tamil Nadu, on the interstate boundaries with Karnataka and Kerala states in South India.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mudumalai_National_Park

A village on the border of the Mudumalai National Park.

Ooty, short for Ootacamund (officially, Udhagamandalam, sometimes abbreviated to Udhagai), is a town, a municipality and the district capital of the Nilgiris district in the South Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

It is a popular hill station located in the Nilgiri Hills and stands at an approximate height of 9,080 feet (2,767 m) above sea level.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ooty

Maddur is a town in Mandya district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It lies on the banks of the river Shimsha and is an attractive stop for travellers for savoring the famed Maddur Vadas.

The Masjid-e-Ala or Jama Masjid is located near the Bangalore Gate of Tipu’s Fort. Tipu Sultan built this masjid (mosque) in 1784 CE after he ascended the throne of Mysore. It is said that he performed the first imamath himself. The mosque has lofty minarets that touch the sky. These minarets, a gift from Tipu, stand on a high platform and are double storied and octagonal in shape with pigeonholes surmounted by domes that adds to the grandeur of the entire structure. There is a flight of about 200 steps leading to the top of the minarets from where one can have a splendid view of the surrounding area. The minarets were a favorite subject matter for many contemporary European artists in their depictions of the British campaigns against the capital of Mysore.

There is a huge prayer hall, the Mihrab on the western side, which has an inscription that mentions all the ninety-nine names of Allah. Persian scriptures done in fine calligraphy and intricate ornamentation decorate the walls and ceilings of the Jama Masjid.

Named after Colonel Bailey who died here in 1780 A.D., this dungeon was used to imprison Captain Baird, Colonel Brithwite, Captain Rulay, Frazer, Samson and Lindsay by Tipu Sultan. The dungeon measures 30.5 metres width 12.2 metres height and is built of brick and mortar.

Prisoners were chained to stone slabs fixed on its walls. During the siege of Srirangapatnam, one of the cannons rolled back, pierced the ceiling and fell into the dungeon. One can see it still lying there.

Temple of Lord Vishnu in the sleeping posture on the Great Snake Anantha, is one of the largest temples in Karnataka. It is a beautiful example for both Vijayanagara and Hoysala styles of Architecture.

Chai is simply the word for “tea” in much of South Asia, as in many other parts of the world. Although coffee is a more popular beverage in some southern parts of India, chai is ubiquitous throughout South Asia, where street vendors called “chai wallahs” (sometimes spelled “chaiwalas”) are a common sight. The traditional chai-brewing process actively boils the tea leaves over sustained heat. Chai prepared in this manner has a caffeine level comparable to coffee, as the prolonged boiling produces a more robust beverage than quiescently steeping the tea leaves in hot (but not boiling) water.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chai

The Palace of Mysore is a palace situated in the city of Mysore, southern India. It was the official residence of the former royal family of Mysore, and also housed the durbar (ceremonial meeting hall of the royal court).

Mysore has a number of historic palaces, and is commonly described as the City of Palaces. However, the term “Palace of Mysore” specifically refers to one of these palaces, Amba Vilas. The palace was commissioned in 1897, and its construction was completed in 1912. It is now one of the most famous tourist attractions in Mysore.

Mysore palace was initially built during the Muslim Dynasty of Haider and Tipu. After their downfall, the Wodeyars rebuilt and refurnished the architectural style of the Mysore Palace from the Muslim way to that of Hindu. Temples were created and idols of Hindu dieties were carved onto the structure.

The architectural style of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, and blends together Hindu, Muslim, Rajput, and Gothic styles of architecture. It is a three-storied stone structure, with marble domes and a 145 ft five-storied tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden.

The three storied stone building of fine gray granite with deep pink marble domes was designed by Henry Irwin. The facade has seven expansive arches and two smaller ones flanking the central arch, which is supported by tall pillars. Above the central arch is an impressive sculpture of Gajalakshmi, the goddess of wealth, prosperity, good luck, and abundance with her elephants.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mysore_Palace

St. Philomena’s church is a church built in the honour of St. Philomena in the Diocese of Mysore, India. It was constructed in 1936 using a Neo Gothic style and its architecture was inspired by the Cologne Cathedral in Germany.

A church at the same location was built in 1843 by the then Maharaja Mummadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar. An inscription which was there at the time of laying the foundation of the present church n 1933 states: “In the name of that only God – the universal Lord who creates, protects, and reigns over the universe of Light, the mundane world and the assemblage of all created lives – this church is built 1843 years after the incarnation of Jesus Christ, the Enlightenment of the World, as man”. In 1926, Thamboo Chetty who was a secretary to the Maharaja of Mysore, Nalvadi Krishnaraja Wodeyar obtained a relic of the saint from Peter Pisani, Apostolic Delegate of the East Indies. This relic was handed over to Father Cochet who approached the king to assist him in constructing a church in honour of St. Philomena. The Maharaja of Mysore laid the foundation stone of the church on October 28, 1933. In his speech on the day of the inauguration, the Maharaja is quoted to have said: The new church will be strongly and securely built upon a double foundation — Divine compassion and the eager gratitude of men. The relic of Saint Philomena is preserved in a catacomb below the main altar.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Philomena’s_Church,_Mysore

Nanjangud is a town in Mysore district in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is a temple town and is on the banks of the river Kapila (a.k.a Kabini). It is at a distance of 23 km from the city of Mysore.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nanjangud

Gundlupet is a town in Chamarajanagar district in the Indian state of Karnataka. This small town is about 56 km from the Mysore-Ooty / Mysore-Calicut(NH 212) road and about 200 km from Bangalore. It is the last town in Karnataka enroute to Ooty or Calicut.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gundlupet

Mandya is a city in Mandya District in Karnataka state of India. It is 40 km from Mysore and 100 km from Bangalore.

Ramanagaram (known as Closepet, after Sir Barry Close (1756–1813 CE), in pre-Independence times) is a town and a city municipal council in the Indian state of Karnataka. It is also the headquarters of Ramanagaram district.

Channapatna is a small city located 60 km south-west of Bangalore, India on Bangalore-Mysore state highway. The city is famous for its wooden toys and lacquerware.