Of People and Places

Silver Jubilee Clock Tower, Mysore Sketchbook It's a delight to walk around Mysore Palace.   The palace itself is of course beautiful (I love it in the night) but you stumble on other interesting monuments like the Dodda Gadiyara or the Silver Jubilee Clock tower when you amble leisurely in the many streets that join the Town hall road.   Built in 1927 to commemorate the silver jubilee of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV 's reign, its simplicity and elegance draws me to it.   It can be seen for miles around, but if you step closer, you begin to see that it's a great example of Indo-Saracenic architecture ( A combination of Indo-Islamic and Colonial British architecture) particularly in the beautiful dome. A sign-board tells me that this is a Rajputana style dome. Come to think of it, a lot can go wrong when you combine different styles, but this tower just works :-)  My only regret is that I did not hear the Clock chime! I am a big fan of Clocks that chime ( I...

A sketch of CSI Wesley Cathedral, Mysore We stumbled on The CSI Wesley Cathedral on one of our long rambles around B N Road in Mysore . It looked a pretty sight, framed with overcast clouds. The weather made it an absolute joy to be outdoors.  The cathedral is over 140 years old and is one of the oldest churches in South India attached to the Church of South India (CSI). Rev. John Hachian of the Wesleyan Mission sought support in England and collected funds to build this church.  One of the best things about having a sketchbook around at all times, is it lets me cherish moments like this one. And when I revisit the sketch later, it transports me back to the time I was at the place :)