Mysore Palace

Dussehra is a Hindu celebration of the triumph of good over evil and is dedicated to the goddess Durga, who, legend has it, beheaded a demon and freed the people. Durga was the patron goddess of the former Maharajah in Mysore, and thus Dussehra is celebrated with vibrant zeal in the city.

Mysore is an historic city, home of royalty and a former seat of power. The Maharajah's palace and it's sprawling grounds are the centerpiece to Mysore's cultural beauty. During the Dussehra Festival the palace is illuminated in the evening with 97,000 lights, and it is a spectacular sight!

I think it is safe for me to say, without exaggeration, that there were tens of thousands of people who came out to see the palace. I could not believe the crowds in and around the palace grounds. It was an overwhelming carnival atmosphere with the lights and the hawkers and the popcorn and candy floss. It was a wild scene!

After weaving through the crowds and taking our pictures we began the arduous task of trying to find our driver amongst the chaos in the streets. It was literally like trying to find a needle in a haystack. If there is one thing about India that still amazes me, it is the sheer volumes of people everywhere we go. Tonight, more than ever, the crowds were overwhelming, but as usual we were far from being anonymous. As we tried to find our driver I got tired of the attention and the constant touching of the boys, so for the first time I put up a wall. I used my body to put a physical barrier between the crowds and my children. I ignored requests for pictures and turned away when people reached out to touch Eli. I felt rude, guilty even, but justified - there is only so much attention and touching we can bear.