GET GOING Learning Holiday Mysore

Schools like Mysore Mandala are geared toward providing yogis from around the world “the Head and complete India experience”. They can learn classical dance or music, or even SHoulderS dabble in Ayurveda. A JOURNEY THROUGH MYSORE’S SUBCULTURE BY HEMA RAMAPRASAD | PHOTOGRAPHS BY VIVEK MUTHURAMALINGAM

okulam is a quiet, upper middle class residential neigh- This is the Harvard of yoga schools. This is where “Guruji”— bourhood in Mysore. It doesn’t get more ordinary than K. Pattabhi Jois—taught yoga and lived towards the end of his days. that. It has a Main Road with clusters of shops, tidy Jois, famously teacher to Madonna, Sting, Gwyneth Paltrow, and tree-lined streets, powdery rangoli designs outside af- among others, passed away in 2009. His grandson Gfluent Kannada homes, mango-leaf toranas strung above doorways, R. Sharath Jois now carries on his legacy, aided by his mother, Saras- everyday sounds of brass bells, pressure cookers, school kids, two- wathi. A soft-spoken, wiry man in his forties, Sharath, too, is firmly wheelers and soft-spoken residents. on his way to yoga stardom barely five years after the demise of his But slash through the air and you enter a parallel universe—one world-renowned grandfather. The young guru’s schedule is decided made up of celebrated Ashtanga yoga shalas, vegetarian breakfast and published on the shala’s website months in advance. For six cafés, holistic healers, a celebrity coconut vendor, and a community of months each year, he accepts 200 international students and con- nomads who travel across the world each year to immerse themselves ducts gruelling classes between 4.30 a.m. and 11.30 a.m. every day, in rigorous yoga practice with a world-famous, jet-setting guru. barring Saturdays, new moon and full moon days. (Yoga lore has it that he is up at 2 a.m. to complete his own practice.) For the rest of the year—between April and September—Sharath is on a break. He uses this time to dash around the world, to mentor Ashtanga schools, and to participate in yoga workshops, retreats, and conferences. The gates of the three-storey house are still firmly shut. But when they’re unlocked minutes later by Prakash, the shala’s Nepali minder, there’s a sudden scramble to get in for the coveted “led class” with Sharath. Space is at a premium in the yoga halls and early birds get the best spots. Latecomers, pushovers, and wallflowers have to make do with cramped spaces at the back or get relegated to the changing rooms. As the students synchronise breath and body and slide efortlessly into their flawless adhomukha shwanasanas, they shut the world out, and with it, middle-class Mysore.

6.30 A.M. GURU’S COCONUT STAND

Mysore is sleepy at the best of times. The city rarely stirs before 9 a.m., but even at 6.30 in the morning, Guru’s coconut stand is doing brisk business. As Ashtangis fresh from their morning class queue up to replenish electrolytes and compare notes on their back- Women yogis generally outnumber men in Mysore. Recognising this, bends, headstands, and “hip openers”, Guru doesn’t have a moment Gokulam’s police patrol the town in the wee hours to ensure the safety between repeat orders for tender coconuts. The old-timers know of students. exactly how they want their drink and are nonchalant as they place 4 A.M. THE SHAALA orders. The Mysore newbies struggle with the nuances—just neer, paper ganji, or kai—words for the thickness of the fruit pulp, which It’s 3.30 a.m. on a Friday and Mysore city is fast asleep. The trees afects taste and texture. cast long shadows on deserted streets bathed in pools of yellow light Located strategically at the corner of Contour and Gokulam from sodium-vapour street lamps. There’s a chill in the October air Main Roads, Guru Murthy, the veteran coconut vendor, is an and the sun won’t be out for another three hours, at the very least. institution and his stall is a landmark for yoga students struggling to (XXXXXXXXX) The neighbourhood of Gokulam though is stirring awake—a large get their bearings in a new city. Photographed and written about by group of people, yoga mats tucked under their arms and shawls scores of yoga bloggers, he has his own logo, branded T-shirts, and pulled close to their bodies are walking towards the gates of Shri K. a Facebook page.

Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute—known simply as The Shala. On an average day in the yoga season, Guru gets over 400 XXXXXXXXXXXX

2 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | NOVEMBER 2013 NOVEMBER 2013 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 3 GET GOING Learning Holiday Mysore

is a haven for hundreds of international travellers who turn up in Mysore between October and March every year. Anokhi is five years old, but the house it is set in is no stranger to yogis and has changed hands three times in the last couple of decades. It was once known as Om Café, and then as Shakti Café. Anokhi is its third incarnation. “Coming to Mysore and taking over this café, I would describe it as a journey of love and friendship— a deep love for India and an abiding friendship between Flora and I,” says Marie. Vanita, the 11-year-old brown dog, slowly stretches in the sun, and like a yogini, languidly walks away, oblivious to the buzz around her. “She belongs to no one. She’s her own master. She belongs to this house,” Flora says, springing up to greet a bunch of breakfasters who have just arrived.

1.30 P.M. SANDHYA’S HOUSE

Lunch is served at Sandhya’s House. Fifteen grateful yogis, from five diferent continents, are congregated around the wooden table, in the cool dining room of a modest house in Krishnamurthy Puram. The banter revolves around a lawyer-turned-sanyasi, who lives in a Sheila Baker (in black) is a yoga teacher in the U.K. who brings a group cave halfway up Chamundi Hill. The menu is wholesome Kannada of British travellers to Mysore each year for a two-week long yoga fare with a yogic twist—rice and chapatis with sides of huli, saaru, holiday. The group stays at the Green Hotel, a former palace in Mysore, practising yoga by day and exploring the city by evening. palya, kosambari, gojju (sambar, rasam, sabzi, grated salad with soaked lentils, a sweet-sour chutney with jaggery and tamarind)— customers. At `15 a pop, his revenue is considerable. For someone the sort of home-style food that money can’t buy. This is the food who lived in a small town and barely managed to make ends meet lovingly cooked in kitchens across south Karnataka. In restaurants a decade ago, he considers his move to Mysore fortuitous. “God has Prasad and Jeevanand, the sons of coconut vendor Guru Murthy (top), are set to open a café of their own. Murthy remains loyal to been kind,” he says simply. “I’m very comfortably of.” his trade and continues to cater to yogis as well as locals, selling coconuts, bananas and other essentials; Menus at breakfast cafés But all the adulation hasn’t made Guru complacent. If anything, LOOKING FOR MORINGA in Mysore (bottom) include spirulina teas, ragi pancakes, beet breads, nut butter and soy milk shakes. it keeps him going—even in the face of competition from canny A friend and I are out hunting for moringa, which, my friend fellow coconut vendors, who have even set up a mobile stall right informs me, is the newest superfood on the international health outside the shala gates. Across the street from Guru’s make-shift stall, scene. She heard it in Rishikesh from a Japanese tourist—who his sons, Prasad and Jeevanand, now own a permanent food stall, bought some in Mysore. I’m told it is a silver bullet for good health where they sell freshly baked banana bread, tahini, and nut butter, and longevity, and it is also believed to prevent several scary among other things. illnesses. What’s more, it is native to India. But the name itself is apparently hilarious, as it makes Mysorean shopkeepers snigger. 8.30 A.M. ANOKHI The kinder ones give us blank looks and say they’ve never heard of the stuf. But my friend is undeterred; she thinks we should Orders for ragi crêpes, Flora’s fruit salad (with mint or basil), and change tack and look past regular Ayurveda pharmacies. So Anokhi shake are flying fast and thick. Hungry yogis with exacting we decide to ring Arun Pillai, the owner of Santosha Café, for leads. Arun gallantly invites us over to his café and asks us to dietary needs troop in for their morning protein and spirulina fix look for “a corner house with a small laminated sign nailed to a and settle down at any cane chair or low-seater that they can find. coconut tree”. The house is bursting with yogis and a pinboard Flora Brajot and Marie Lovato are in their element. They are eve- overflows with ads for an impressive range of Mysore-based rywhere at once—supervising their Kannadiga kitchen staf, taking yoga entrepreneurs—healers, artists, photographers specialising orders, keeping track of bills, hugging and bissouing an old-timer in yoga portraits, masseuses, chocolatiers, Sanskrit teachers, here, pacifying a harried newbie there, handing out a Mysore 101 sellers of “wheatgrass shots”, even martial art classes based on resource booklet to anyone who asks. Thousands of miles away Vedic principles. Over a breakfast of kombucha tea and porridge, from their hometown of Bordeaux, the two he asks us to try our luck at Silvernest, a silver jewellery store best friends (and former colleagues at a located up the road from the shala. The “store”, it turns out, is a house—a large, upper middle class bungalow. When we walk French clothing retail chain) jointly run in, a couple of European girls, Ashtanga students no doubt, are Anokhi—a breakfast café and guest- buying Ganesha idols and small mounds of silver jewellery; I try house set inside a house with a shad- to pretend that looking for herbal dietary supplements in a home- ed backyard, a sun-dappled garden jewellery store is utterly normal. But, the owner of the store, out front, and five guest rooms in Meena Gupta, doesn’t miss a beat. “Oh, I’m all out of Supergreens between. From the outside, it’s a (a health food supplement made from cereal grass and algae), regular house—one among several but I have one last box of moringa left,” she says brightly and on the upmarket Contour Road. disappears to fetch it. I later learn that moringa is in fact derived Apart from a row of rented Honda from muringa, Tamil for drumstick leaves, commonly cooked in and TVS scooters parked outside by the kitchens across south India. yogis, nothing betrays the fact that this

4 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | NOVEMBER 2013 NOVEMBER 2013 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 5 GET GOING Learning Holiday Mysore evethough, a good Kannada meal is hard to come by; the generic calling through Guruji himself, when he suggested it as a possible THE GUIDE south Indian thali often gets passed of as the real deal. But Sandhya livelihood at a time when yogis had few sattvic choices in the city. WHAT IS ASHTANGA YOGA Bharath Shetty, a former student of B.K.S. Cost The schools have diferent fee Vasudeva knows better. She has been cooking for generations of Today, she ofers lessons, has a cookbook to her credit (Mysore Style Iyengar. His method has veered away from structures, depending on the programme, yogis, since 1996. Though she’s virtually unknown outside the yoga Cooking; www.mysorestylecooking.com), and also lets out a couple , or just Ashtanga the classical Iyengar style (144E, 7th Main, duration, and intensity. If you are urbane and community in Mysore, within the Ashtanga circuit, lunch at Sand- of rooms to boarders. Yoga, is a style founded by K. Pattabhi Jois, 3rd Stage Gokulam; 0821-2416779, info@ English-speaking, you may be charged the hya’s is a much-loved rite of passage. It allows yogis a chance to eat The lunch crowd has eaten, lingered long, and left. Sandhya sits aka Guruji, the veteran yoga teacher who yoga-india.net, [email protected]). same fee as foreign nationals and receive like the locals. Besides, it’s pocket friendly for long-term travellers: in her veranda, stringing parijatha flowers, soaking in the early passed away in 2009. In the later 1940s, Patanjala Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga was the same level of attention. Fee structures for many, a meal here costs as much as a cup of cofee back home. evening calm. “Cooking for the yogis brings me joy,” she says. Jois established an institute for teaching founded by V. Sheshadri, a former teacher for Kannada-speaking “locals” can be classical yoga, which he called Ashtanga, “They’ve given me so much love and respect. My neighbours and at the Mysore Mandala. It provides limited considerably diferent. (Costs about `7,500 after the eight limbs of yoga mentioned in the relatives might not get it, but I love doing what I do.” accommodation (1317, 3rd Cross Krishna per month for the foundation course and Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. The style involves Murthy Puram; 93421 12936; www.sheshadri. `55,000 for six weeks of teacher training.) synchronisation of movement and breath, com; [email protected]; 4 P.M. POOLSIDE, HOTEL REGAALIS turning static into a dynamic flow. [email protected]). WHEN TO GO The original way to teach Ashtanga Yoga is Sri Patanjala Yogashala (R) Vinyasa October to March is high season for yoga Beautiful people, glowing with good health and the confidence that “Mysore Style”; these classes are self-led Asthanga Yoga Research Institute was in Mysore. Though most schools stay open comes with perfect yoga bodies strike a pose on deck chairs part (with the exception of a weekly teacher-led founded by octogenarian B.K.S. Iyengar and for the remainder of the year, the turnout is shaded by ornamental palms. Hotel Regaalis is an old-fashioned class), with students practising their own follows the classic method prescribed by thin. Sharath Jois, the star guru, only teaches five-star hotel, afrmed by the five satin flags flying out front. It’s routine, with periodic inputs from the teacher. Tirumalai Krishnamacharya, who was Jois’ during the high season. KPJAI remains closed all boxy grey on the outside, but the interiors feature staples of ’70s Though countless variations are practised guru (#490 Devamba Agrahara, K.R. Mohalla; worldwide, the method popularised by Jois is when he’s on tour (Apr-Sept). chic—gilt, marble, Rexene and potted plants. Once called Southern 0821-2430721; [email protected]) considered the real deal. Star, it was the accommodation of choice for international travellers WHERE TO STAY who wanted a spot of luxury in Mysore. Author Lucy Edge writes STUDYING AT KPJAI about it in her book Yoga School Dropout: “Ashtanga students were Shaalas help new students find a place to stay. And Ashtanga forums online ofer always the winners of the unofcial but daily ‘Best Body Competi- Getting admission to the K. Pattabhi Jois Ashtanga Yoga Institute (KPJAI) isn’t easy— options for short-term rentals of everything tion’ held poolside at the Southern Star Quality Inn... Poolside was the process is rigorous and student intake is from accommodation to scooters. Real estate also an ideal place to practice a new yoga pose; it ofered a flat sur- restricted to 250 a year. Apply at least two agents in Gokulam also specialise in finding face for balancing on tiptoe in half-bound lotus pose or looking bliss- months in advance. Although the website places for yoga students. For temporary ful in one-legged king pigeon pose.” does not explicitly state that beginners accommodation head to one of the following: Almost a decade later, nothing has changed. On most sunny days are unwelcome, it is an unspoken rule that between October and March, the hotel still plays host to yogis who aspirants should not apply unless they have BASIC pay day charges and throng the poolside for some much needed a fair degree of proficiency. The typical Anokhi Garden Café and Guesthouse is R&R. “Bah! They just come to see and be seen,” says a former regu- Ashtanga student is fighting fit and driven. a homely guesthouse and café set inside a lar dismissively. “The pool is just a prop. To really swim, I go across Most students seek to get certified by the garden. It has charming French hosts (0821- 428 8923, 95913 47647; www.anokhigarden. town, to the pool at the University. But these newbies...” institute, so they can become teachers in their home countries. The study programmes com; doubles from `1,800). are classified as level 1 and 2, and students Hotel Dasaprakash Paradise is a 7 P.M. GREEN HOTEL return to Mysore for several seasons before 1970s-style hotel in need of a facelift. It they can pass muster. has a quirky, retro vibe, good service, and October is Dassera season and the Green Hotel’s gardens are in full (8th Cross Road, Vani Vilas Mohalla; 98801 excellent breakfasts (0821-400 8400; bloom. Rows and rows of potted flowering plants shiver in the even- 85500, [email protected]). www.mysoredasaprakashgroup.com; ing chill. Though there’s a nip in the air, the rains have retreated and Duration: A minimum of one month and a doubles from `1,500). the skies are clear most nights. To make good, the hotel has set out maximum of three months, each season (a candlelit tables on the lawns and placed candles everywhere. The six-month gap between cycles is mandatory). COMFORT heritage wing of the hotel, once part of the Mysore Royal family’s Cost: `29,000 for the first month and The Green Hotel is a heritage property Sthalam 8 is a school run by Ajay Kumar, a run by a U.K. charity. It has a Raj-era vibe private estate, is glowing in the moonlight. It’s early for most Indian `19,000 for subsequent months. young yoga teacher with an easy presence. and friendly service (0821-425 5000; www. diners, but yogis eat dinner early and head to bed before 9 p.m., to STUDYING AT OTHER SCHOOLS He was a student of B.K.S. Iyengar (#1099, greenhotelindia.com; doubles from `3,250). make sure they are on time for the early morning class with Sharath. Panduranga Sadana, Devaparthiva Road, Mango Hotel is a business hotel with The hotel staf is geared up—they know this is the best time of the Mysore has spawned a host of other yoga Chamarajapuram; 98450 59838; www. modern conveniences, low on character but year. The hotel runs full during Dassera, which also coincides with schools that cater to students who are not sthalam8.com; [email protected]) high on sanitised comforts (1800-266 2646; the start of the yoga season. brand fixated and have varying abilities. Atma Vikasa is run by a husband-wife couple, www.staymango.com; doubles from `2,800). The yogis are light eaters and the hotel’s kitchen gets repeat orders Online resources about Mysore’s yoga shalas Hema and Venkatesh. Popular among those and teachers are aplenty—there is extensive Santosha Café owner Arun Pillai (top) speaks more than five languages. for salads, soups, tandoor dishes and “naan breads”. Compared to who seek a relatively casual school (18, 80ft LUXURY This Mumbaikar worked as a bartender, taught at a high school, and information available on yoga websites, road, Near Andolana Circle, Vasu Layout, Hotel Regaalis Mysore is a centrally located played the drums for a rock band before opening the eatery in Mysore; many restaurants in the city, the Green Hotel is pricier. But given Ashtanga forums, Facebook pages, and blogs. Ramakrishna Nagar I Block; 0821-2341978; hotel that has seen better days. The pool is Apart from serving lunch on order (bottom), Sandhya also ofers the setting and the discreet service, most international travellers see Some reputed schools include: 98454 50091; www.atmavikasayoga.com; the highlight (0821-242 6426, 0821-242 7427; cooking classes to interested travellers. this as a place to kick back and splurge a bit. Even though most Ash- Mysore Mandala is set in an old, traditional [email protected]). www.ushalexushotels.com/mysore; doubles For her part, Vasudeva keeps things low-key—there’s no signboard, tangis wouldn’t dream of it during their training stint, the irreverent house with cavernous interiors. The school from `7,000). no website and no reviews on burrp! and Zomato. Unless a yogi in- ones even order a beer on occasion. “The Ashtanga community is also ofers classes in meditation, classical Duration Though week-long yoga classes are Royal Orchid Metropole Mysore was troduces you to the delights of the book-one-night-in-advance meal, mostly made up of Type-A personalities,” declares a shala old-timer, dance, Ayurveda and astrology (897/1, possible, better schools insist on a month- originally a residence for the Mysore D there’s no way to find the place. on condition of anonymity. “No one will admit it, but most of us are Narayan Shastry Road, Lakshmipuram; long foundation course. Advanced courses Maharaja’s guests. The heritage structure Vasudeva’s family has lived in Mysore for over a century now, eve- incredibly competitive, driven, and result-oriented. We are obsessed 0821-425 6277). and Teachers Training Courses often run from has elegant decor (99020 00141; www. AMAPRASA ry since her father took up a position at the Mysore Mahararaja’s with our practice, with our bodies, with the yogic lifestyle. But even Yoga India is a fast-growing shala led by six weeks to three months. royalorchidhotels.com; doubles from `5,525). R EMA durbar. The ardent disciple of Pattabhi Jois says she found her we need a break on some days.” n H

6 NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | NOVEMBER 2013 NOVEMBER 2013 | NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA 7