Mysore’s Royal Palace is vast, oppulent, somewhat over the top, yet rather gorgeous, combining Hindu and Islamic architectural elements, running the gamut from Indo-Saracenic to Edwardian Raj.  This  is perhaps not so surprising when one realises that after the original palace burned down in 1897, it was rebuilt in 1912 to the design of a British architect.   The interior cannot be photographed, but with its public and private Durbar Halls, a Marriage Pavilion that combines Hindu, Islamic and Christian elements, exquisite mosaics, rare woodwork and priceless collections of sculptures and ceremonial objects, it is an extraordinary place to visit.

The surrounding large public garden was filled with local people visiting the palace and the several temples.  Some, including ourselves, went to see the elephants used for moving heavy items, such as the stone columns which were being worked by stonemasons using techniques virtually unchanged since antiquity.

On feast days and Sunday evenings, when 100,000 lightbulbs are switched on to outline the main buildings, the temples, walls and gateways, it is truly an Oriental fairyland – try imagining Harrods at night expanded several times.  We were lucky to experience this, as it was just before Christmas, which seems to be happily celebrated even though most people are Hindu, many are Muslim and relatively few are Christian.

Having visited during the day, on the advice of a friendly tuk tuk driver, we had returned along with a couple of thousand people to see the lights.

Visiting the Spice Bazaar and watching joss-sticks being made was a deliciously scented experience and even more so, discovering the innumerable fragrant oils made from the plants and spices of the region.