august 12: bonus behind-the-scenes tours of palaces, giant swords, and men holding cobras

Above picture: Mysore Palace

I went to Mysore the "City of Palaces" this weekend and saw all the big sights. Mysore Palace was one of the highlights. It had great architecture, inside and out.

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While walking around the Palace's exterior, I ran into some young Indian boys. They explained that they lived on the Palace's premises because their mother made incense for Palace burning.

They then proceeded to take me on a behind-the-scenes tour. The tour included an elephant stable, a quick stop at the incense shop and views of the Palace most paying tourists don't get.

Above picture: Not the best way to hold a cobra.

The man holding the sword is like twenty-feet high. He guards the entrance of the Chamundi Hills temple against tourists and worshippers.

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I really wanted to climb him.

Above picture: Doing his thing.

I got off the tour bus and was making my way to the Chamundi Hills temple when I came across this visual.

I stared at it for a long time trying to make sense of what it was trying to tell me. I gave up and asked a group of young men to explain it to me. They did.

I will leave you to your own interpretation.

Lesson of the day: Indians are very helpful in explaining their culture. Seriously.