The King of Mysore looks like a K-Pop star. Or he did when I saw him on Chamundi Hill. Dark glasses, possibly hiding a hangover? I mean he is after all an american educated twenty-something King of Mysore and it was quite early on a Sunday morning.
His Royal Highness was involved in some kind of ritual bathing involving the Nandi bull figure half way up the hill. I’m not entirely sure if the correct terminology but I’ve only ever seen it in tv, essentially important people and/or priests give religious statues a sacred bath… The figure is adorned in flowers and then buckets of various liquids are poured on top. It’s pretty intense and quite an exciting moment to stumble on, the King’s presence just added to the number of people watching. Me and H stuck out like sore thumbs, my blonde hair is even brighter thanks to the sun and she’s a proud strawberry blonde. Plus being both over 5’5 we’e giants compared to everyone else; sometimes this is a positive – mostly in Mysore it was dangerously terrifying. However when we smiled and fluttered our eyelashes at the King of Mysore (have you seen his palace??!?) he smiled back. Definitely. 100%.
As well as distance flirting with minor royalty it was also a chance to see the bathing up close. As well as soiree happening above the Nandi; there was also alot going on at the bottom; priests were there to make sure the situation didn’t turn to absolute chaos; and also to wash the Nandi with what appeared to be water from below. I’m not entirely sure why it was so necessary to wash the Nandi that quickly… but hey it’s India.
NB: Pictures coming soon… the wifi can’t handle the King’s coolness.
