Traveler From MNL

My trip in Bangalore wasn’t exactly planned as I just booked my flight on whim so I had no detailed itinerary. Being a little afraid to hail a rickshaw, especially after non-stop news of assault on women, I decided to call the concierge to book me a city tour instead. It was a sunny but breezy Wednesday afternoon when Balaji, my driver & tour guide took me to the residence of the current Maharaja, the Bangalore Palace. With half of the castle walls covered by the properly-trimmed vines & brownish bricks on the top side, & complemented by horse-drawn carriages parked outside, it look like one of those from the fairy tales. At the entrance was the old lady who collects the fee, and serious-looking man, sporting a thick mustache that could be mistaken as one of the Movember crusaders. As we were about to step the decorated staircase, the man shouted at the old woman whilst pointing at us. He was fuming mad because the woman didn’t charge me extra for my camera. I didn’t want to pay so they I left it at the counter. At the first floor is the elaborate Durbar Hall where the royals entertain their visitors. With the yellow-colored walls, it was beautifully decorated with elegant furniture, wood carvings, & sprawling hall where the king used to address the assembly. I marveled at its lavished interiors. From the painted ceiling, to the shining chandeliers, to the collection paintings, and to photographs of the past monarchs & Hindu gods, it is indeed a display of royal grandeur. I’m sure no visitor would have missed the sight of stool chairs with real elephant feet. As we got lost in this labyrinth of rich Maharaja History found in every room and hallways, we found ourselves an area with some lights installed. I realized that there was a movie being filmed. It’s Kollywood! We were permitted to go inside where the men dressed in priest’s robes seated around a long table are being filmed. Not far from there, I discovered a hallway overlooking another beautiful courtyard with a fountain and mini pool filled with flower petals of different hues. It was so beautiful I wished I had my camera. We explored a few more rooms before heading downstairs and claimed my DLSR. As we walked to the front yard, I took the chance to take some closer shots of the palace, its garden before we left. As we drove away from palace grounds, I was still in awe about what I have just experienced– the history of rich and famous living there, and the Kollywood movie set that I just witnessed.