Mysore, a medium-sized city in southern Karnataka state, is sometimes called the cultural capital of southern India, for its magnificent palace, colonial buildings, and famous crafts (Mysore silk, sandalwood, essential oils and spices). Being relatively close to Bangalore, India's leading tech city, Mysore receives some spillover tech development and is one of the most prosperous seeming places I visited in India.

 Mysore's leading sight in Mysore Palace, the former seat of the Wodeyar maharajas and one of India's grandest royal buildings, at least as spectacular when illuminated for a few hours in the evening as during the day . We took an audio guide tour of the palace's fantastic interiors, but this was another place where no photography was allowed and I don't have any pictures of the palace insides. Also interesting are the city's central Devaraja market and Saint Philomena's Catholic Cathedral.

 Our tuk-tuk driver to the evening light show at the palace insisted there was going to be a festival at the Sri Chamundeswari Temple on top of Chamundi Hill outside of town early the next morning. I and two others in my group eagerly employed him to drive us to the top early in the morning in time to be back for our planned palace tour. It appeared that we arrived a bit early for the main festivities but did manage to make it into the temple's inner sanctuary after paying a small amount for VIP entry instead of waiting in the long line.

Overall I was quite impressed with Mysore. I was also impressed with our hotel. the Parklane Hotel, possibly the nicest we stayed in on the whole three-month India loop tour.