One of my non-Mysorean friend who lives in Mysore now said, " Mysoreans have a laziness gene in them". Obviously he picked the wrong person to tell that to and ended up getting dirty stares and a long lecture from me. Dude, I've been sticking around here since the time my umbilical cord was clamped and cut!! I love Mysore!. He being from a Metro had a complaint that, Mysore goes to sleep early and there is nothing to do here at night.

Well, I guess Mysoreans think otherwise. They believe in 'Rise and Shine'. They seem to have a competition on between themselves and the Sun, as to who wakes up earlier!!

I can bet that you would get examples for this in every house here. At my place, as soon as I put my alarm on snooze for the umpteenth time and finally manage to open my eyes, my mom appears in front of me saying, 'Good morning dear'!. She always makes me wonder as to how somebody can have that radiant a smile so early in the morning??

The sight of the clock when it strikes 5.00 a.m. gives Mysoreans a high I guess. Try getting up at 5 and go out of your house and you shall be welcomed by the clear fresh breeze brushing against you. Look around and you shall find many uncles and aunties smiling away on their morning stroll; a bunch of retired-from-work uncles playing badminton and gambling money over it; another bunch of uncles doing 'exercises' at Cheluvamba Park which look like gymnastics from some alien planet; a group of aunties clad in salwar kameez and sweaters with jogging shoes on,laughing their way off at the laughter club while discussing what to cook for breakfast; and people going round and round the lake at Kukkarahalli and Karanji. Do we need prove more that our elders are energetic and health conscious?.

Oh yeah, you can too spot a young athletic guy jogging his way with earphones on and a pretty damsel walking her dog. And if lucky, the 'kanninalli kannanittu' between them that follows. Cars and bikes fill the parking lot in front of Gyms like Talkwalkars as people head for their work-outs and energy drinks.

As the mist still blinds the view of the road, the headlights of scooties and bikes shine away to clear it, as a lot of high school and P.U.C. students, packed in sweaters, stoles and helmets head off to the umpteen tuitions they got to attend. Kids with their keyboards and guitars or even just their karate or cricket practice uniform are escorted by their parents to the respective classes.No sooner than you see the milkmen and newspaper boys at work, flower stalls at Valmiki Road and roadside Idli shops appear.

Pass by the University Oval Ground, and you see our very own athletes and sportsmen perfecting their skills. Go a bit further onto the road leading to Law Courts from Crawford Hall, and you can see a bunch of kids going skating. The best part there, is the way their parents block the road from traffic by parking their vehicles across the end of the road. If you are at the other side of the city, a walk by the Lalith Mahal is enough to make you feel special I guess. And if you get to hear the renowned Police Band rehearse at Karanji or near the Commissioner's office, nothing better for the ears and soul.

Be it the Palace Ganapathi temple or the Vontikoppal LakshmiVenkateshwara temple or the Yoganarasimha Swamy temple or even the Ramakrishna Ashrama, they all have spiritual souls thronging to render their prayers for the day. The peaks of Jumia Masjid and St.Philomenas' Church pierce through the dew and stay high as masses take place. Another sect of souls, who rise early are sure the Foreigners who make it religiously to their Yoga and Music classes- their sole purpose for making Mysore their abode for a while.

A walk through the Manasa Gangotri Campus makes it appear more serene than later during the day. The Heritage buildings of Mysore give you more than an explanation as to why Mysore is called the Cultural Capital. If you manage to carry a few bucks with you, don't forget to try the herbal drinks being sold there. And if its the rainy season and the mud smells amazingly of the rain, the filter coffee at our regular coffee houses is all that you need. Nobody needs Barista or Coffee day so early during the day. People still prefer Indra Bhavan and the like.

Who amongst Mysoreans wouldn't have grabbed an early morning Dosa at Gayathri Tiffin Rooms or Mylari ? The non-veggies wouldn't mind waiting in front of Thegu mess pretty early though! How can we forget our ladies combining geometry and art at Rangolis in front of their houses? Who would not know of the shopping spree at the Vegetable market behind Exhibition grounds or the flower vendors near J.K.Grounds or Devaraja Market? For generations to come, the association with Mysore Mallige and Mysore Villedhele would still remain.

Who amongst you wouldn't have rushed to the Railway station to catch an early morning train to Bangalore? Come Mondays and the number increases with our techie friends heading off to the Capital after spending a blissful weekend at home.

Now how can I not mention our very own 'Chamundi Betta' when speaking of Mysore? Come Sundays, and you find both youngsters and oldies trekking all the way up the stairs at the Betta. That still remains my favourite start to a Sunday.

If you're riding pillion at Betta and it starts to rain, wouldn't it be amazing to have your arms wide open, eyes closed, face up and welcome the rain? And to go with it, what a beautiful view of Mysore with the mist and clouds forming a veil over it! The Amba Vilas Palace emerging out of the mist looks all the more Royal. After our Graduation night, my friends and I had a night-out. We chatted at a Coffee shop, went for a long drive and discussed all the nostalgia. And then, a friend promised us something special. At 5.15 a.m., we drove to Betta. That was a sight I had never seen before. Speechless I was, I couldn't have asked for a better ending to my college life!.

Well, Mysore has so much in itself, that how much ever we experience, there still remains a lot more to explore. I'm off to do that again as soon as it dawns tomorrow.

Now if you've missed any of this or need more, fix your alarm, wake up soon and head off!. When you get back, I can assure you, there shall be a broad smile on your face.

After all, its 'Namma Mysooru'. :)

By - Dr. Chandana Shekar.