Mysuru and Coorg - A Travel Diary

Mathangi S V, Saveetha L, III B A English,

with inputs from Ms. Anna Mathew

The excitement in the air was unmistakable – this was THE college trip, our last one together as third years, a final shared adventure before we went our different ways at the end of this academic year. The destination was even more exciting - the lush, scenic delights of Mysore and Coorg awaited us.

The idea of travelling not just with close friends but with our entire class, along with two of our faculty, made it feel like a mix of both a vacation and a farewell. Classrooms turned into buzzing hubs of planning - packing lists were discussed more than assignments, with everyone asking, “Are you carrying a power bank? How many jackets do we need?” Group discussions were mainly on checklists, snacks to carry, and last-minute outfit choices. The days leading up to the trip were filled with rushed shopping sprees, borrowing bags from cousins, and sneaking snacks into overstuffed backpacks. Every moment felt charged with anticipation because we knew this wasn't just a trip, it was a memory in the making.

The train, which would kickstart our journey and take us to the place we’d been dreaming about, arrived. We all rushed in, carrying our bags and looking for our berths. Some parents accompanied us into the train, while others stood near the windows constantly telling us to be careful and to enjoy the trip thoroughly. Friends became guardians to each other; friends’ parents became emergency contacts. The journey finally started, and the breeze rushed in through the windows. The air was coloured with the melancholy of leaving home yet held the greater excitement of what awaited us at journey’s end. The lights were turned off but our whispers and hushed laughter did not die down until our professors came on rounds. The night went by in a haze: half asleep and half awake.

Exiting Mysuru Railway Station

Next morning, we arrived at “The Cultural Capital of Karnataka - Mysuru”. The morning haze embraced us and the city welcomed us with its beautiful clock tower and warm smiles from passersby. The clock tower attracted everybody’s attention and many of us took snaps in front  of it to mark our arrival.

The first destination on our itinerary was St. Philomena Cathedral. One of the grandest Catholic churches in the country, and one of the tallest in Asia, with its magnificent twin spires, high vault ceiling, stained glass windows, cross-shaped floor plan and saint’s crypt, it filled us with awe from the moment we set foot there. The mesmerising gothic architecture of the church will always remain a cherished memory in our minds. The towering spires extended into the sky and seemed like they reached heaven’s door. The interior was as awe-inspiring as the exterior. I think all of us while seeing the church, thought of the architects and designers who built this amazing structure. Walking down the long corridors of underground crypts with thousands of names etched on the walls was a unique experience too. We took hundreds of pictures from all angles around the photogenic church, and new profile pictures on our social media were updated right after this visit.

Our Next Stop: Twenty five pairs of students walked in line to the entrance of the oldest zoo in India, the Mysore Zoo. Excited chatter could be heard about our previous encounters with animals and visits to such places in the past. A weird thought crossed my mind: would animals be equally excited if humans were captured and put in enclosures? I let the thought slide and joined my group of friends.

Our tour guide hushed us every now and then, reminding us that we needed to save our energy for the 2-hour long walk ahead. We were in no mood to pay heed to conserving energy; instead we were all bubbles of energy waiting to explode from the day the trip was mentioned in the class! 

The Zoo was a wildlife haven, with a great layout, plenty of greenery and an amazing collection of animals, birds and reptiles, including all the big names that excite any animal lover. Their calls made us feel that some of them were trying to break free from the enclosures and desperately needed help from us!

Some of us eagerly ran ahead to spot lions, tigers and leopards, while others stood fixed at the sight of elephants trumpeting or rhinos feeding. A few were busy capturing every moment on their phones, while others groaned about the long walk, occasionally stopping to rest under the trees. Between the awe of seeing exotic animals, the laughter over tired legs, and the constant mix of fear, wonder, and fun, the zoo gave us memories that will stay with us long after the trip.

Entering the Royal Zone: Our trip to the Mysore Palace was nothing short of magical, each step filling us with wonder and respect. The moment we entered, the vastness and elegance of the palace left us in awe, its grand architecture standing tall like a page from history. Everywhere around us, there was a rush of tourists, yet the palace held a richness in its air that transported us to the era of kings and queens. While the multiple mirrors in some of the halls created mind-boggling illusions, the intricate carvings and enormous doors, with their stunning textures, drew constant “oohs” and “aahs” from our group, and the miniatures and paintings of the rulers and their courtiers whispered silent tales of bravery, wealth and royal life.

We were also enchanted by the ancient relics of the palace - ornaments, weapons, and royal costumes that conveyed the grandeur of a time gone by. But what truly captured our hearts were the fascinating mirrors, in front of which the fun began. While one friend posed with a

perfect smile, another tried a pout, and someone else pulled a silly face, the rest of us giggled and clicked away to our heart’s delight. The palace lights added to the amazement, creating reflections and glimmers that made our photos even more memorable. Each detail seemed to echo with history while inviting us to live in the joy of the present. The pillars, strong and brave, held history high on their shoulders and welcomed us from every corner.

By the time we walked through the last of the numerous halls, the Palace had given us an experience of elegance, beauty, and youthful joy. The enthusiasm of our group, blended with the grandeur of the place, made it unforgettable. The Mysore Palace, in all its enormous glory, stood not just as a monument but as a living memory of richness and culture, and for us, it became the perfect backdrop for laughter, bonding, and endless photographs, including a grand group shot.

Room of Sand: We made a last minute visit to the sand museum the same evening after getting slightly delayed at the palace. The museum was a little bit of everything: beautiful sand sculptures, various shops selling things like chocolates, kurtas and sandals, manicures, pedicures, small statues of Gods, accessories and stationery. The place filled up with our class. We admired the versatile sand sculptures, then ran from shop to shop, with someone recommending one shop or the other after buying a particular souvenir. Opinions about earrings and other things were constantly shared with friends, and some brainstorming also took place about buying something for our family and friends back home. The never-ending shopping chaos at all the tourist destinations we visited made the trip a little more memorable.

The Second Day dawns bright: On our way to Coorg, we visited the Tibetan Buddhist Namdroling Monastery Golden Temple. The place was lush with greenery, landscaped gardens and hedges on pathways. The temple stood tall in the middle. The place seemed like it did not belong here; it felt like we had entered a Buddhist temple in Japan!

The temple was vibrant with bright colours, a high ceiling and three giant gold-plated Buddha statues adorning the altar. The walls had elaborate murals depicting stories from different periods of Buddha’s life. The ceilings were filled with intricate mandala art, a symbol of Tibetan Buddhism. The place was serene, and tranquility filled us both inside the temple and in the gardens. Outside we saw hundreds of lamps burning brightly, competing with the hundreds of monks quietly going about their daily routines in resplendent maroon and yellow robes.                                    

We arrived at Coorg after a short and gentle uphill journey. We were apprehensive about the hairpin bends which could cause motion sickness but fortunately the journey was comfortable and hassle free. It was a scenic hill station of low elevation, and the roads leading up to it were fairly straight.

The two highlights of Coorg were the magnificent Raja’s Seat and the heavenly Abbey Falls. Raja’s Seat made us feel like a king sitting on a throne, surveying the land below with the assurance that all of it belonged to him! The view was a treat to our eyes. As the sun set, the sky became an unusual shade of navy blue mixed with light purple. The little towns down the hill lit up and we could see them from this vantage point. We sat on the benches and took in the view. The purples and greys of the sky on that day still remain etched in our memories.

Trudging to Abbey Falls

Abbey Falls was another beautiful treat for all the senses. Though the winding pathway to the falls did tire many of us, it was worth it. The fairly large falls fell not from a great height, yet looked majestic. The water from the falls sprayed on our faces and the tiny droplets looked like snow from where we stood.

The stream rushed noisily beneath the platform we were standing on - a reminder of how powerful nature can be. We watched the cascade for a while and then walked back the thickly forested path to the entrance of the falls for some hot evening snacks. Then we started climbing the long hilly road back to where our bus was parked. Some girls found the ascent more tiresome than the others and that’s when a small gang would gather around just to encourage them. We learnt to be there for each other out of necessity in a land far from home and family. The beauty of our friendships shone bright in those moments.

Our Stay: The first place we stayed in was Hotel JK Golden Embassy, Mysore. The place was really comfortable and cosy. We got to stay with our friends and almost all of us stayed on the same floor; which meant randomly knocking at our friend’s doors and then running away. This game went on for a while that night. This simple game took us back to our childhoods. In the morning, we were busy borrowing each other’s stuff, applying make-up for each other and being our friend’s personal stylist.

That night, we let our hair down and lost ourselves in the music of the DJ. We used up our last ounce of energy dancing to the catchy tunes. Almost everyone danced, including the girls who don’t usually do. That was what made it even more memorable; how we went and grabbed everybody and pulled them to the dancefloor. Everybody let loose, and everybody felt at home.

The second halt was at Hotel Le Coorg, Coorg. The hospitality of this hotel was amazing. The service was excellent and the food was delicious to say the least. The rooms were designed to keep warm even in the cold climate of Coorg. Here, we couldn’t have much fun together since our rooms were spread across three floors. So we could have fun only with our roommates. We played UNO, charades, and lots of other games. Sleep soon took over some of us, and for some, it was an endless night of laughter like a souvenir for life.

GenZ Culture - taking pictures of anything and everything! We probably left our professors feeling fed up with our behavior, when it comes to taking pictures. We are the generation who clicks pictures of the most mundane things, sometimes it doesn’t even make sense why we are taking pictures of things like a sand sculpture, a random flower on a Mysuru street, or a broken window at the palace. However, as someone said, “GenZ are afraid of losing things with time rushing past them so they are trying to capture everything.” We try to capture everything so that it stays a little longer, and we get to hold on to it for more time. We try to slow down time through pictures. Especially on occasions like these, the trip went by so fast but we got to cherish it again and again through the pictures we took. Each picture is a souvenir, a remembrance of the little yet wonderful part of our lives shared with our classmates, which we’ll never get again.