A Quick visit to the Krishnaraja Sagar Dam

I had been to Mysore last week for my cousin's marriage and inspite of the busy schedule, I took some time off to pay a quick visit to the Krishnaraja sagar (KRS) dam. 12 years had passed since my last visit (in 1997). In fact, during my last visit also, I had come to attend a wedding in Mysore. Invariably, I end up visiting the KRS only when I attend marriages in Mysore.. ;-)

The road that leads to KRS from Mysore is not one of the best, with many craters throughout. Some of 'em looked like they have been imported from the moon (who said only b'lore roads have potholes), but the journey was quite pleasant due to the weather, company, etc amongst other reasons.. ;-)..

As soon as we crossed the Mysore City Border, we were greeted by a whiff of fresh air and lush green fields on either side of the road. It appeared as if, green blankets had been spread all the way through. Apparently, the fields in and around the region are green throughout the year since the leakage water from the reservoir keeps the region wet all the time. The ride was quite nice. On the way, the view on either sides was magnificient. We stopped at two separate view points from where we could see the water gushing out of the crest gates. Especially, while travelling on one particular stretch (which happened to be a bridge) the view was quite spectacular. One could see the water flowing out of crest gates, the lush green fields and the Krishnaraja sagara lake. It was a deadly combo and quite a scene, so much so that I slowed my josh machine on the bridge to enjoy the ambiance/backdrop and allowed the less powerful automobiles to zoom past me..

We reached the destination and were dejected to hear that the authorities prohibited people to visit the top of the dam due to security measures in the wake of terrorist attacks at various places in the country. Such a step had been taken to ensure safety and security of the structure.

However, we came to know from the localites that one could enter the reservoir through the old entrance and chances are that the authorities might allow us inside. We took the chance and were able to get a glimpse of the reservoir from the top. The water at Krishnaraja Sagar Dam was almost 124 ft (Maximum 124.80 ft). The monsoon's been quite good in southern karnataka this season and as a result the dam was almost full. This would definitely bring cheer to the people of Mysore, Mandya and Bangalore, since the amount of water in the dam would address our water woes for the coming few months. Moreover, there is enough water even to meet the commitments required to be fulfilled to Tamil Nadu. So, hopefully there won't be a Kaveri crisis this time around.

The entire episode was an exhilarating experience. I have shared few snaps that I was able to click at the KRS (Courtesy: My cell phone camera)

Traffic sense of the Mysoreans

With great disgust I am posting this article.

Last week I had been to Mysore. Its always a great feeling to visit one's native place and I enjoyed every moment of my stay there. The people are friendly and cordial. They make you feel comfortable and their hospitality is exceptional.

But, there's one thing which I would like to comment about the the Mysoreans.. their traffic sense. People here are absolute idiots when it comes to obeying the traffic rules. Being a mysorean, I feel aggrieved to say this, but it is a fact. Probably, less than 1% of the people follow the rules of the road. Rest of the lot have their own set of rules, which varies as per their needs. Traffic rules are Bullshit for the people here. There is so much chaos on the streets that, if you are obeying the road rules in Mysore city, you will certainly end up with an accident.

In fact, one could forgive if an illiterate who doesn't drive much on city streets or in traffic commits an offence. But, the educated class of Mysore breaking the rules is something unforgivable. The illeterates are better-off in some cases, they follow some rules out of fear atleast.

I encountered a situation, where in the traffic cop was asking people to go in a road @ the heart of the city, that was marked one-way, in the reverse direction. Guys, you are supposed to force people to follow the rules, for godssake.

Its perhaps time for Mysoreans to wake up, get off their lazy ass and learn to follow some rules.

PS: Its not that I had some unpleasant experience and out of frustration I am writing this article. I have never been involved in any traffic brawls till date.