the Royal Enfield ride home after a cycle tour in Srirangapatanam
available as a Rickshaw tour!
paddy
Tag: Mysore
A BIG THANKYOU to Cary.
I couldn’t have managed without you
Cary has been my key supporter and lifeline to help set up here in Mysore. Whether its renting the house seven years ago, ‘owning’ my scooter and motorbike, crazy adventures to investigate raising sheep or looking at land to buy, a listening ear for my frustrations, to help me understand this wonderful crazy country, introducing me to the ‘club’, early morning swims and being a part of his lovely family.
We originally met horse riding together (well he can ride and I can just hang on) with the Mounted Police. (yes the Mysore riding school was with the mounted police). I can’t find any photos of the cowboys!
Cary has been a real friend. It just wouldn’t have been possible without his help and support.
Cary, is rightfully proud of his heritage as a Coorgy. He and his wife Ganga, originate from Coorg or Kodagu and they have a son Gagan and daughter Sunaina It is a distinctive and separate community or race of people who live in the western Ghats a few hours west from Mysore. They have a traditional dress and culture, are known for being tall, proud and dependable, many join the army and they know how to live (and party!!). Cary is an active businessman and farmer but the pub he ran, where I used to hang out is no more. Probably better for my belly!
He lives close by here in Siddarthanager.
So thank you Cary on the anniversary of me being here SEVEN years!
is this a little too soon?
Mysore is a wonderful city, feels like a Town as its human scale and hasn’t YET been irrepairably damaged by over-development. Its a great place to cycle and our many MyCycle tour guests are a testament to this. However, I worry that there is the risk that half-baked projects might do more harm than good.
We already have the first dedicated cycle lane that I’ve ever seen in India. We also have cycle lines on main roads formed by a white line. (no, its not a joke, its real. Yes, in a country where no one takes any notice of lines on roads!)
In my view they do no harm and are a great asset but on their own withough being part of wider infrastructure changes, effective measures to educate other road users and promotions for people to take up cycling, it has limited value.
Here are yesterday’s guests on our Mysore tour on the cycle lane.
I’ve lost count of the number of times I’ve been consulted on the viability of a cycle share scheme on the lines of the one first developed in Paris and subsequently copied by cities such as London. In places they’ve been a great success, in others an abject failure. This morning on my (occasional ) cycle back down Chamundi Hill I saw this…
It looks like its the installation of shelters for a cycle hire scheme. In principle that’s fantastic, the more measures to promote cycling, the merrier, but might it just be a little too soon, particualrly if its not part of a wider programme to support cycling?
My worry is that currently cycling is seen as a traditional activity of the poor villager or something for the crazy foreigners. Admittedly we’re seeing a dramatic increase in cycling as a leisure activity and the fact is we get a fair number of enquiries for cycle hire at MyCycle BUT many are the early adopters, the young people who are particualrly interested in high end cycles and going out on races! The question is will the mass, the people in the middle of the ‘market’ buy into cycling in Mysore and use the cycle hire scheme. I’m not sure that they will and it might be a bit early.
I hope I’m wrong and a good friend of ours may take on a role helping research take-up and help develp the initiatve. I worry that if it fails it will set back the progress of cycling in Mysore. You know the sort of thing… “promoting cycling? we tried that with a scheme, in 2017 but it didn’t work so no point promoting cycling again”. I reckon it will only work if its part of a wider programme to educate other road users, infrastructure development, promote safe cycling in schools and encourage young people (and especially women) to continue cycling as they get older.
I’ve developed lots of projects over the years and in my view its critical to understand the patterns of behaviours in a particular community (interest or locality) and build on that and not to blindly parachute in ideas from elsewhere, which might have worked in one place but need significant amendment and careful timing to work in another.
Many people worry about cycling in the city but are nicely surprised once they join a properly guided tour and they gain the confidence to go out on their own. Its no accident that our most popular tours by a very long way are in the low traffic routes on Srirangapatnam.
A better idea might have been cycle hire shop(s) in places where there are a network of potential cycle routes. That’s not a big capital scheme that reflects well on the powers that be so it would not be favoured. I know of such a place. It’s where our most popular cycle tour is held 😉 I’d wait to introduce automated cycle hire schemes to a time when there is more of a critical mass of cycle users, tamed traffic and more dedicated cycle lanes in the traffic intensive built up areas.
Manjula’s Crazy Year
we’re looking back on what has been a momentous year for Manjula.
If only for the lots of holidays in India: Kerala three times (twice to Kannur Beach House), Hampi and lots of local day trips. Sorting out her inconsistent IDs, getting her Passport, submitting tax returns, obtaining a visa for the UK and the BIGGY her first trip outside the country.
Now she’s just signed the documents to become a Director of MyCycle Tours and Travels Private Limited.
She reckons that coming to work for me (yes she did actually work for me, originally) and this house has been really lucky
So what next? watch this space.
Manjula’s Background
Manjula is from a poor background. Her poverty, family instability and her experience as a woman in a patriarchal society is not atypical. She has shown great determination, fortitude, even stoicism. It’s a common story in India. Women (and men) managing to survive through very challenging backgrounds and life circumstances.
Manjula’s story helps illuminate what life is like for so many people living in contemporary India. There may be explosive growth of the economy and the middle classes – we can see the evidence in many ways – higher disposable income, rising prices, spare money sloshing around, building-building-building, the glorification of ‘development’, leisure holidays, flash cars, waste everywhere, traffic jams, disposable nappies (diapers), house dogs… you name it, we’ve got it!
But as with everywhere else and even more so in India, the rich and poor whilst living cheek by jowl are far far away from each other. People are left out and behind, there is the risk their story is not told or realised, their needs forgotten, a myopia of the modern age.
Happy Ganesha Chaturthi
Happy Ganesha Chaturthi
Vakra-Tunndda Maha-Kaaya Suurya–Kotti Samaprabha
Nirvighnam Kuru Me Deva Sarva-Kaaryessu Sarvadaa
O Lord Ganesha, of the curved trunk, large body and with the brilliance of a million suns please make all my works free of obstacles, always.
So the big event has arrived. Today is the day. Boys in groups of ever increasing size have been touring the area, for what seems to be weeks, knocking on doors asking for donations to build their shrines.
The traditional potters street in Mysore (see below) sell the many varieties of the terracotta Ganesha. Others sell them on street corners throughout the city.
Our good friend Rob Thomas has taken some great photos of them for sale in Mumbai. I must say that the one’s in Mumbai look great, (maybe its Rob’s photography) they are beautifully painted.
The older boys and men build temporary shelters, with completely over the top decorations, lights leading up the road, colourful Ganeshas and music blasting out of speakers. Its great fun.
It’s not a particularly ancient festival in its current form as it was popularised by a chap called Lokamanya Tilak (there’s a back story there about fighting the British colonials and the development of Hinduvstan) in Mumbai in the late 19th Century.
So here at home Ganesh is installed in our Pooja Room. We choose to have the simple version with no or natural paints NOT the Plaster of Paris version with paints that damages the environment.
There are a set series of days, with a few different options (this is India) we’re supposed to keep him at home and then immerse him in water. We usually go the ‘whole hog’ and immerse him in the river Kaveri on Srirangaptnam at Paschimavahini (featured on our world famous cycle tours) in five days. This year we’ll delay the immersion to coincide with the arrival of Alex , my niece from the UK and on her second day we’ll give her a ‘right-old’ introduction to India 😉
Our Pooja Room also has a much larger Ganesh, bought cheaply after the festival had ended a few years ago. He was bought to go in the roof garden but he just hangs out here! that’s cool!
It’s all action
It’s happening at Moksha (meaning salvation) Manor.
They have a saying here in India that there are seven days in a week but eight religious days. Well, I reckon it might be true.
Today is Gowri Habba or Gowri Ganesh or Swarna Gowri Vratam! (Remember in India there is NEVER just one way of doing or saying or understanding things.) It’s the festival day dedicated to Goddess Gowri a form of Goddess Parvati (aka Ganesh’s mother) who on this day visits her devotees. It’s especially important for the ladies. Married women will wish for a happy and peaceful married life, the unmarried will look to get a good husband.
Manjula and I wish you all a Happy Gowri Ganesha
Lucy is objecting to being on the chain, the girls are really active, Manjula is doing Pooja with Ganesh but really Gowri and if you look closely you can just see her in the bottom left. I’ve enlarged it above. The silver containers are posh and new and hold the Sindoor (red vermillion) and Haldi (Tumeric yellow)
It’s the day before one of our most important festivals in Mysore (it’s REALLY REALLY big in Mumbai and pretty big here) Ganesh Chaturthi. Ganesh arrives tomorrow. He’s actually already here but maybe that’s just the English way.
More later…..
Smile!
My … what big teeth you have Grandma…/pa
( and a ginormous head)
so we’ve been to the dentist
and there’s no prize for guessing who’s got the best and straightest teeth, no fillings, healthier (who listens to the dentist and massages the) gums and is an all round good girl.
Well done Manjula!
I reckon it’s a con. It’s her skin colour that makes them look whiter. I must admit though, it’s no wonder that amongst the western economies (well the Americans anyway) we’re perceived as the bad teeth Brits.
Farrel Factoid
cost:
Check up: 100 Rs per person
thorough clean: 400 Rs pp
remake a shattered tooth (only back and filling remaining) with a sort of white cement 600 Rs
Why a blog?
the journal, our bloglet is an experiment. Is there a story to tell? can it be told competently and ultimately, will it be engaging?
Only you and time will tell.
Our guests at the BnB are always asking for our story and often suggest we share it to a wider audience. So here is our humble attempt, to relay our story of life in India. Manjula as a ‘young’ Indian woman and me as a much much older English guy. (the age gap isn’t a big as it looks…. he said defensively!)
We intend to introduce ourselves and our life here in India, local characters and the wonderful guests, from around the world, who come to Mysore to join our Mycycle tours and stay in our Mysore Bed and Breakfast. Its already a bit of a mad mix. On the way we hope to share insights into this amazing, crazy, challenging, annoying, ‘consistently inconsistent’ beautiful place and it’s people.
Please do regularly check into meandmycycle.com
If it’s of interest do share and pass on to others.
We value your opinion.
Do you want more of the same or something different? what shall we post? insights into Manjula’s life as a poor woman in modern India? an understanding of what its like for me as an English guy adjusting to life in this ‘differently organised’ world? our personal story of coming together from different cultures and backgrounds, the fun we have and the challenges we face? a better understanding of India (is that possible?) from our own limited experience.
Do let us know.
our very best wishes,
Manjula and Stephen
Oh, and exactly on cue I hear Lucy calling from downstairs. We haven’t forgotten she is of course the third and, dearly loved, part of our family here in India.
and Lucy, of course…
She’s sprung a leak!
Lucy is a mainstay of Mysore Bed and Breakfast: she’s critical in welcoming new guests, licking toes and generally helping people feel ‘at home.’ With such a wonderful temperament many of our guests fall in love with her. We even have Indian guests who bring their children to help them get used to friendly dogs.
Six years ago she was dumped along with her brother and sister at just a few weeks old. Well, we sort of adopted them and our neighbour downstairs (at that time we just lived upstairs) was seriously unimpressed, as the little puppies soon realised where I lived, obviously, and then were forever pestering for food and play.
We found homes for the other two and kept Lucy.
She’s now a fully fledged house dog who has the tendency to roam the streets and hang out at another 4-5 house (and that’s the ones we know about). We’ve had her spayed/neutered or as the vets say desexed (yuk what an awful term) and recently has developed an unfortunate tendency to leak on the carpets so we’ve called in supervet: Michael from Australia for his opinion.
Michael Heath is one of the vets behind Vets Beyond Borders (VBB) and was instrumental in setting up the local project and much much more. He does so much it leaves me breathless. With his own vet practice in Australia, regular travelling holidays around the world and especially in India, fundraising back at home and regular stints on volunteering, often as a teacher to pass on his skills to others.
VBB, is an Australian NGO that places volunteer vets on projects around the world. We’ve had many come and stay with us here. Michael has helped establish the project to vaccinate and spay dogs in the nearby Tibetan Settlement. He’s visited us many times and continues to be our online vet, with solid helpful advice available at the ‘drop of a hat.’
His advice was Stilboestrol as its a problem which arises in bitches who have been spayed. It’s a hormone thing girls! For you doggy fiends who wish to know more about it, here it is….
Me and MYCycle 