Monsoons are always magical. Rains make you feel nice, great, ecstatic. The shift in the air due to the smell of sand when it rains , is a kind which every soul would love. All it did to me today while I was sipping my cuppa all by myself was make memories dance along on my mind like waves at sea. And all those waves seem to have come from Mysore, the place I proudly call ‘Home’.
Apart from the playing with hailstones and catching a cold when we were kids and associating rain with romance when in college, there was one memory in particular which got a smile on the face which stayed on for quite some time. It was of a place which is invariably a part of the definition of Mysore. A place which is one of the reasons for Mysore to get famous. A place which in a way that we don’t understand, guards Mysore. A place where every single Mysorean would have gone a zillion times, maybe for a drive, or for an early morning jog along the steps, or for an evening with friends, or for a late-night star-gazing, or to actually seek the blessings of the Almighty. Well, no prizes for guessing, I am talking about Chamundi Betta for sure.
Be it the spiritual oldies or the fun loving us, I’m sure Chamundi Betta is the favourite adda of every single Mysorean. And rain just adds to its beauty. Its a pleasure to watch betta disappear into the rain and then reappear all the more beautiful. And to watch this from your very own terrace, which other city would have such an advantage? A drive or a ride to Betta when it rains is the best thing to lift anybody’s spirits. If you’re riding pillion at Betta and it starts to rain, isn’t it the best feeling to have your arms wide open, eyes closed, face up and welcome the rain? And to go with it, what a beautiful view of Mysore with the mist and clouds forming a veil over it! The Amba Vilas Palace emerging out of the mist looks all the more Royal.
Betta was a beautiful view from the hospital I studied at too. And there were times when it looked so serene that we friends missed the afternoon class to drive to betta in the faint, soft drizzle and feel the gentle,lazy breeze brush through our hair. That was the best replacement we could ask for a boring afternoon lecture. The times spent there and the snaps clicked are a treasure for sure. Clicking snaps at the view point, with Mysore supposedly in the backgraound, when it rained and mist covered the city, all we could get as the background was the white mist. And then, after a while, the mist would disappear slowly and there you go, such an breath-taking view. And the camera used to go ‘click’ ‘click’ again. Many friends shifted under one umbrella for a snap, then looked at Mysore and said ,’Mysore eshtu chenna alla?’. Going up the hill further for a cup of hot steaming coffee, those were the moments that were really candid. Sitting and chatting for hours at Barista or going dancing at The Road ain’t gonna replace such times for sure.
Lifes changing. Friends parted ways. They went miles away to make their career. I too bid adieu to this beautiful city which has been my abode since the time the surfactant acted on my lungs and breath happened for the first time. We depart to arrive and arrive to depart. Have to move on for the bigger and better things in life. But deep down, there is a voice that says, Mysore is home, and home is where the heart is. Whatever may happen in life, whereever we are, this is the place we are gonna head back when we need to ‘relax’. The city we would head to might not treat us well or ask too much of us. But come what may, however low we fall and feel, we know for sure, Mysore is gonna be there for us. We are always welcome here.
Rains have seen all our emotions-blissful smiles to walking aimlessly with slower than the snail footsteps to hiding tears amidst the raindrops. Rains sure touch our soul, deep.When we get drenched in whatever city we are, the rains make us miss the ones we had in Mysore. Maybe a tear would take a peek then. Hope the rains of that city would help us hide it..
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An Article by Chandana who blogs at The World Around Me
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