Saradhas dance and dandia

One of the girls I was traveling with, Regina, arranged for us to attend a community dance in celebration of Saradhas. The women all wore beautiful saris:







There were lots of cute kids at the dance:







It was especially fun when the dandia sticks came out:

Mysore

We arrived in Bangalore and went for brunch at the posh Leela Hotel. Notice the bowl filled with rose petals and the beautiful courtyard behind me:



After brunch, we drove 3 hours to Mysore. Mysore is famous for its silk and sandalwood. If you're not familiar with sandalwood, it's extremely fragrant and very expensive to buy. A tiny carving will set you back $10 (less if you're an amazing haggler). We visited a State-owned sandalwood factory where they also make inlaid tables. There are craftsmen there who can cut tiny, intricate birds and flowers out of different colored woods in a matter of seconds using hand saws:



It takes almost a year to make just one table. The little wooden carvings are inlaid, then the table is sanded down and polished:



Afterwards, we went to Mysore palace:







Later that night, we went back because the palace was all lit up for the festival of Saradhas, which is a Hindu festival in which offerings are made for dead relatives:





These festival was especially exciting for children:





Joanne and I bought some rosewood jewelry boxes from a vendor at the festival. We've been told that we overpaid ($5 each), but we were satisfied customers. We didn't notice Matt lurking in the background of this picture.