Southern India - 16 February 2012 (2)

Sightseeing Around Mysore

 

Mosaic of Paddy Fields

People Weeding Paddy Field

Women Planting Rice

Eventually, we all got back on the bus where we were treated to more scenes of rural life.  We stopped to watch women planting rice in flooded paddy fields and then stopped again for a wonderful view over a patchwork of paddy fields at different stages of the growing cycle. 

Fisherman in River

Drongo Watching Action in Paddy Fields

To the right, a pair of buffalo was ploughing a very muddy field.  To the left, women were planting the rice.  Elsewhere, the paddies were green, and being weeded or just left to grow.  Drongos watched all the action from the telegraph wires above.  There was a lake on the other side of the road, so we crossed over and saw fishermen wading in with their nets.

Bullocks Bring the Sugar Cane

Machine to Grind Sugar Cane

Next stop was a sugar cane processing plant.  It was all done on a very small scale and further processing was done elsewhere.  The sugar cane was brought on a buffalo cart.  It was crushed and the juice passed into a huge pan where it was heated.  The man stirring it had a very hot job.  When all their juice had been extracted, the stalks were taken on a “head” basket to where they were stacked on a huge “haystack”.

Rick of Sugar Cane Stalks

Heating the Molasses

Lukose explained the process inside the covered area where the pan was, but I spotted a huge spider, making its way towards Pat’s shoe before Lukose stamped on it.  Trying to get inside to hear what Lukose was saying, I noticed huge red ants on the bundles of cane which blocked the way, so I gave up.  Instead, I took photos of three children who were sitting around outside.  They probably belonged to one of the workers, but they should have been at school now that it is free for everyone.  They asked for pens, so I dashed back to the bus and gave them some.

Children of Sugar Worker

Big Sister and Daughter of Sugar Worker

Next stop was Tipu Sultan’s Summer Palace, the Daria Daulat Bagh at Srirangapatnam.  I remembered reading about Tipu Sultan in a Blue Peter annual.  Perhaps Val, Pete or John had visited this site when they went to India.  I remember the mechanical tiger which “ate” a British soldier.  Tipu Sultan was no friend of the British and fought in four conflicts against them – the Anglo-Mysore Wars.  He won two, assisted by the French.  With no French support, he lost the third and had to make considerable reparations.  He then lost the fourth and was killed and his winter palace destroyed.

Dovecote for Carrier Pigeons

Ancient Mahogany Tree

Once again we had a guide for the palace, a Mr C Kumar.  We met him beside a large, ornate structure, which he said was a dovecote to house the carrier pigeons which were used extensively at the time.  He pointed out a mahogany tree, which he said was very old.  He warned us not to go near it because it was full of bees' nests. The gardens leading up to the palace reminded me of the approach to the Taj Mahal, though not nearly as grand.  There was a long central waterway, with fountains built in, flanked by a two lines of trees and some flower beds.

Palace Gardens

Palace Gardens

The palace itself was not at all photogenic because it was covered by green screens to keep it cool inside and to protect the murals from the sun.  The murals depicted scenes of Tipu Sultan’s victories against the British.  With the exception of some furnishings in the rear room, most of the items on display were photos and paintings.  There was a model of the site of a battle when the British entered the supposedly impregnable fortress on an island in the River Kauveri.  The columns and walls were well decorated, but pigeons had found a way in and were causing a lot of damage.