I’ve just finished reading.
Brian Selznick combines art and words to provide a surprising and insightful story. Strongly recommended
Some might consider them children’s books. If so, this child loves them. we have all his books at Manjula’s Library at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
I liked it!
Update and clarification
Manjula’s Mysore continues to provide accommodation by sharing our home to guests visiting Mysore, together with our guided cycle tours.
We’re also experimenting with how we can support the learning of young people through reflective space events at Mysore Bed and Breakfast.
As all good businesses should, we also find ways to help the wider community, as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility.
To this end we have supported, in the name of MAnjula, the education of a young girl and boy, gifted bicycles, arranged holidays, provided meals, and more.
We continue to keep our eyes and ears tuned into future opportunities to do good in Manjula’s name.
We are not affiliated with any other organisations but have collaborated with others to find and serve our local communities. This has included Polar Bear Ice Creams, Aroma Bakery, CAVA, and community organisations.
We thank them for their invaluable help in reaching out to our communities.
A statement from the Directors
Sarvesh and Stephen.
You’d be correct in assuming it’s to celebrate MAnjula and help more people meet her.
It’s also ..
.. because it’s life affirming and fun.
… meeting new lovely lively people,
what’s not to like?
Thank you to our latest new friends from near Barcelona (one of my favourite cities) for spending time here and we getting to know you….
… that’s Martina, Jana, Marta and Angel
We celebrated Manjula’s birth anniversary, on the 21st August 2022 with a day crammed full of activity of cycling, games, music, storytelling, singing, drinks, cakes and cookies for the forty visually impaired young women who live at Divya Jyothi Charitable Trust.
Our day was a rich mix of sounds and fun: laughter, singing, clapping, some hesitancy — then enthusiasm, excitement, care, trust and beaming smiles.
Organised by Manjula’s Mysore with our partners: Mysore Storytellers Network, Vishnu Sharma Company, in memory of Manjula.
The young women especially liked the game ‘What’s in the box’ identifying objects through touch and smell, organised by Gauri Nadig. Then we all shared songs with Poornima singing and Vishnu Sharma playing guitar, Sridevi teaching songs, accompanied by Sarvesh on his Cajon clap box
Shahana told stories
Aditya Swarup and his group filled the room with unusual music by playing singing bowl, Handpan drum, Didgeridoo, and tweeting clay bird
Cycling was a big hit with Tusharr and Megha, volunteers from MyCycle tours giving rides on a tandem (cycle for two people). For all the blind women this was their first time on a bicycle. LINK
Sowbaghya and staff from the centre looked after us all day. Satish presented Manjula’s Mysore and Sarvesh was event organiser.
Stephen, Manjula’s husband, smiled throughout and enjoyed it all.
We ended the day with cookies and cake, after listening to Manjula sharing her own stories from recordings made in the last years of her life. “Hearing Manjula speak.” “Learning about Manjula.” “Finding out she was like us.” “Her love story” were some of the comments we overheard from the young women.
We all learned a lot from our day together. We found out about and better understand, what life is like for young women who are visually impaired. Realising how resilient they are to face their daily challenges. The confidence and trust they quickly develop to get the most out of a situation. Their positive joyful attitude from which we can all benefit.
This was also a celebration of Manjula who would have been 49 on the day. This strong woman created Mysore Bed and Breakfast and is now known throughout the world for welcoming international tourists to Mysore until her untimely death three years ago.
…
Our thanks to each of our partners and the support of local bakers SAPA and Aroma.
Observations from behind the scenes.
“We could tell they loved taking part.”
“There was a buzz throughout the day amongst the young women and our team of organisers and entertainers.”
“Waves of smiles and chatter passed through group who sat crosslegged on the mat as each entertainer began”
“The enthusiasm hit the roof with the games and sing-a-long.”
“Once they felt comfortable and confident. They oohed and aahed with beaming smiles on their faces as we cycled around the area.”
…
Manjula’s Mysore will continues to do good, reflecting Manjula’s kindness, through partnerships of NGOs, business and with our team of community volunteers.
Manjula seized the opportunity to set up Mysore Bed and Breakfast with an English guy Stephen and they fell in love. On getting engaged it was her wish to give gifts to people rather than receive them herself. Kindness from the very beginning.They began by gifting bicycles to organisation working in the community a total which has now almost reached 50.
Her business has now evolved to become “Manjula’s Mysore’ providing accommodation to tourists through Mysore Bed and Breakfast and MyCycle tours, which has been available for the past ten years. But now with the added extra of working with young people, to help them grow, develop and thrive.
two recent visitors were overcome, loving our house, its vibe and the rich mix of art so I thought I’d share a bit more with you of Manjula and my creation in these videos
We’re famous for our coffee here in South India.
As someone who is neither a coffee or whisky drinker I was intrigued to discover Classic’s Whisky barrel-aged Coffee from Harley’s Coffee Estate.
What an interesting idea. I needn’t have worried. It’s an intriguing taste and aroma which I immediately liked.
Once we’ve reopened Mysore Bed and Breakfast after the pandemic we’ll introduce this great innovation to our guests from around the world.
We know they’ll love it combined with our range of teas and coffees to enhance our reputation for great breakfasts.
our Hindu house has a Pooja room, set up by MAnjula it’s still used for certain festivals. Other households would use it everyday. Our next festival is likely to be for the big rotund guy, my favourite: Ganesh.
No two houses are the same which might be due to the specific Gods, they worship, their caste or maybe just because India is incredibly consistently inconsistent.
In memory of MAnjula as with many households a photo, is placed in the hall (lounge/living room) when people die. For the first year we’d place flowers around her every month, with a special Pooja on her annual death anniversary. This all part of a series of rituals to help her soul spirit find another body and be reincarnated into her next life.
In our house there’s a main photo of MAnjula in each of our two lounges. Fact is there are photos of her everywhere. My son thinks The whole house is becoming a shrine.
Now after two years I’ve decorated her like a Christmas tree with lights all around her.
Sometimes she’ll get a little extra treatment with red or yellow dots and we’ll do a little Pooja. It’s essentially a prayer with a request to god.
We’re flexi here.
For me it’s especially important to acknowledge our being together and celebrate Manjula as many didn’t know about our relationship.
Why?
That will feature in our story.
two strangers appear at the house with offerings
who brought a wonderful tasty meal
and such kind considerate friends Tom and Amy (seen here on the right with Manj and I from the big photo album) who arranged the whole thing from the south coast of England. How lucky am I?
As part of the deal Lucie and I have found two lovely new friends. We’ll be hearing more about Sahana and Tapan…
Absolutely super, thank you Tom and Amy, I look forward to seeing you soon.
It’s the one day of the year when we wash our cars, cycles, motorbikes and tools, to then ask the Gods to bless them. Originally a Pooja for our weapons!
It’s the penultimate day of our big annual festival (Dasra or Dusshera). Commemorating the goddess Chamundeshwari (lives on the hill behind our house), killing the demon, after which Mysore is named.
Sowbhagyhya has already instructed me to wash my Enfield, Ambassador and Specialized. She’s now done the full on Pooja.
we say Happy Ayudhapuja!
Me and MYCycle 