India 2

   Traveling back to Mysore

 To get back to Mysore we went on a train. We went on bunker berths(bunker beds.) Our train left at 12:30   am. The train ride was over-night. I slept in the middle bunker bed. I had a lot of fun sleeping on a train. In the morning we were close to Mysore. My grandparents picked us up at the train station. I had a lot of fun going  on a train.

 In and Around  Mysore

We went on a tour of places in and around Mysore. First we went to a temple on a hill called Chamundi Hill.  

The temple is dedicated to the goddess Chamundi. The story of Chamundi was that there was a demon by the name of Mahishasura. The gods could not defeat him, so they took a woman and gave her special powers. She beat the demon and is worshiped since. Chamundi has many different names - Chamundi, Chamundeshwari, Durga, and Shyla. Originally Mysore was called Mahishasura ooru(town of Mahishasura) but when the British came they made it to Mysore. 

On Chamundi Hill there is a sculpture of a bull called Nandi. There are seven such sculptures in India. This is the third largest one. It is 24 feet long and 15 feet high. It was made from one stone.    

We went to the bank of the river Cauvery(Kaveri.) Cauvery is the source of water for a lot of people. On the road, I saw lush green paddy fields and coconut trees. 

The waters of Cauvery is also used to generate hydro-electricity. Hydro-electricity is generating electricity from water. I saw the falls at Shiva Samudra. There was not a lot of water there because there was no rain this year.

After that we went to Brindavan Gardens. First we went to an aquarium. We got to see a tiger shark.Then we went to see some fountains. We toured and played in the gardens till 6:00 pm. At 6:00 colorful lights came on. Then we went to see a musical fountain or dancing fountain. The gardens was started in 1927 and finished in 1932. It is a terraced garden and it is in the backyard of a dam.

After that we went back home. I had a wonderful time taking a tour of places in and around Mysore .

Food

Grayson wanted to know about food so I am writing this paragraph.

Masala dosa

Masala dosa is a special food in South India. It is served for breakfast,snacks,or dinner. It is a crispy pancake served with curry and chutney   

Pani Puri

Pani Puri are small, puffed, fried tortillas (known as puris) served with a side dish, made from boiled potatoes, and a sauce, made from tamarind and mint. The way to eat it is, first you make a hole in the puri, then you fill the puri with the potato filling and the tamarind sauce, then you put the whole thing in your mouth and eat it.

Samosa 

Samosa is my favorite Indian food.  It is made from a pastry sheet with a potato filling, which is then fried in oil. It is served as a snack

For everyday meals, people in India eat rice and sauce or wheat tortillas (known as chapati) with a vegetable curry.

P.S    I shall be posting my last blog this weekend.