Why Mysore?
With its manageable size and comparatively low levels of pollution, Mysore in Karnataka is a more relaxing destination after bustling Bangalore. Mysore is a worldwide yoga hub, being the birthplace of the late Pattabhi Jois, the founder of modern ashtanga yoga. His grandson Sharath Jois, the most advanced ashtangi in the world, now runs the yoga school following the traditional methods. But it’s not all about yoga. The city has plenty to see and do, with an impressive palace, huge university, two lakes, a zoo, a sand museum, beautiful gardens and temples, plenty of shopping and a maze of traditional village-like streets.
A comfortable bed
The opulent Lalitha Mahal Palace Hotel (www.lalithamahalpalace.in; 0091 821 252 6100) was built in the 1930s for guests of the Maharaja of Mysore at the time and sits amid landscaped gardens affording spectacular views of Chamundi Hill. The hotel has a pool, tennis courts, billiards room and health club and offers numerous dining and conference options, including a restaurant in the magnificent ballroom. Rooms from 4,050 rupees to 40,220 rupees (Dh238 to Dh2,370) per night. The more centrally located 4-star Royal Orchid Metropole Hotel (www.royalorchidhotels.com; 0091 821 425 5566) was also built by the maharaja. Full of old-world charm, this luxury heritage hotel offers three standards of accommodation and a beautiful outdoor restaurant and glitzy bar. Staff are attentive and all major sights are close by. Rooms (some with balconies) from 5,925 rupees (Dh348) per night, including breakfast.
To the north of the city centre, another former palace, the Green Hotel (www.greenhotelindia.com; 0091 821 425 5000), exudes colonial style. The individually appointed rooms have a homely charm. With beautiful gardens, where you can dine under the stars, an in-house bakery and coffee shop, a traditional crafts shop and library, this quality budget hotel has it all. It also has a host of green credentials and donates all profit to charity. Rooms range from 3,110 rupees to 7,485 rupees (Dh183 to Dh440) per night.
Find your feet
The main yoga neighbourhoods are Gokulam and Lakshmipuram, where a host of western-style cafes, restaurants and organic shops have popped up. The Kukkarahalli and Karanji lakes provide time out from the city and Brindavan Gardens and Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary are havens for nature lovers. There are many temples to explore just outside the city, as well as Bylakuppe, a Tibetan refugee settlement. Take a taxi or rickshaw or book through GoMowgli (www.gomowgli.in).
Meet the locals
The best way to experience the local culture is to get involved with one of the many Hindu festivals. The most popular ones are: Pongal, the harvest festival, in January; Maha Shivatri, the Night of Shiva, in February; Holi, the festival of colours, in March; and Diwali, the festival of lights, in November. If the city gets too intense, a two-and-a-half-hour drive will take you to Coorg, a picturesque hill station known for its rice and coffee plantations, waterfalls and jungle homestays.
Book a table
As is customary in the south of India most of the restaurants are "pure veg", ie vegetarian, but some offer non-veg options, too. For a traditional lunchtime thali, try Hotel Dasaprakash (www.mysoredasaprakashgroup.com). Popular among locals, and set in what feels like a school canteen, it offers great north and south Indian thalis for less than 100 rupees (Dh6). Reputedly the home of the original Mysore dosa, Hotel Mylari provides an authentic Indian breakfast experience. The buttery dosas melt in your mouth and are served with a fresh and mild coconut chutney. Further afield in Vani Vilas Mohalla, the trendsetting Dhatu (www.rasadhatu.com) offers the ultimate in organic cuisine, with a stylish decor and friendly staff. Try the spinach paneer pakora or the sprouted moong dal curry.
Shopper’s paradise
Devaraja Market is a must, as much for the experience as for the shopping. Fruits, vegetables, incense, perfume oils, coloured powders, kitchenware, arts and crafts all provide a fantastic assault on the senses, but the flower market is a particular gem. The Cauvery Emporium (www.cauverycrafts.com) is the only government-run arts and crafts outlet, selling everything from jewellery and incense to handicrafts and silks. The quality is guaranteed and the fixed prices mean there's no need to haggle. A second branch is housed within the palace complex, but beware of impostors who claim to be licensed.
What to avoid
As always in India, don’t drink the tap water and beware of being cheated or overcharged, especially by rickshaw drivers and touts. Monsoon season is from June to September when you can expect at least one downpour a day.
Don’t miss
Mysore Palace (www.mysorepalace.gov.in) has magnificent architecture and Sunday evenings make for the perfect romantic setting as the palace is lit up by nearly 100,000 lights from 7pm to 7.45pm.
To the south-east lies the sacred Chamundi Hill, providing panoramic views of the city. The Chamundeshwari temple at the top is worth a visit, as is the friendly swami who lives in a cave halfway up the hill behind a huge granite statue of Nandi, Lord Shiva’s bull. A taxi or rickshaw will drive you to the top, or keen hikers can take the 1,008 steps. The less energetic can be dropped at the Nandi statue and walk the remaining 200 steps.
Go there
Etihad Airways (www.etihad.com) flies direct from Abu Dhabi to Bangalore from around Dh2,000 return. From there take the 4-hour Flybus (www.ksrtc.in/site/flybus) to Mysore for Rs790 (Dh47) each way.
weekend@thenational.ae
The biog
Simon Nadim has completed 7,000 dives.
The hardest dive in the UAE is the German U-boat 110m down off the Fujairah coast.
As a child, he loved the documentaries of Jacques Cousteau
He also led a team that discovered the long-lost portion of the Ines oil tanker.
If you are interested in diving, he runs the XR Hub Dive Centre in Fujairah
Green ambitions
- Trees: 1,500 to be planted, replacing 300 felled ones, with veteran oaks protected
- Lake: Brown's centrepiece to be cleaned of silt that makes it as shallow as 2.5cm
- Biodiversity: Bat cave to be added and habitats designed for kingfishers and little grebes
- Flood risk: Longer grass, deeper lake, restored ponds and absorbent paths all meant to siphon off water
The five pillars of Islam
Coffee: black death or elixir of life?
It is among the greatest health debates of our time; splashed across newspapers with contradicting headlines - is coffee good for you or not?
Depending on what you read, it is either a cancer-causing, sleep-depriving, stomach ulcer-inducing black death or the secret to long life, cutting the chance of stroke, diabetes and cancer.
The latest research - a study of 8,412 people across the UK who each underwent an MRI heart scan - is intended to put to bed (caffeine allowing) conflicting reports of the pros and cons of consumption.
The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, contradicted previous findings that it stiffens arteries, putting pressure on the heart and increasing the likelihood of a heart attack or stroke, leading to warnings to cut down.
Numerous studies have recognised the benefits of coffee in cutting oral and esophageal cancer, the risk of a stroke and cirrhosis of the liver.
The benefits are often linked to biologically active compounds including caffeine, flavonoids, lignans, and other polyphenols, which benefit the body. These and othetr coffee compounds regulate genes involved in DNA repair, have anti-inflammatory properties and are associated with lower risk of insulin resistance, which is linked to type-2 diabetes.
But as doctors warn, too much of anything is inadvisable. The British Heart Foundation found the heaviest coffee drinkers in the study were most likely to be men who smoked and drank alcohol regularly.
Excessive amounts of coffee also unsettle the stomach causing or contributing to stomach ulcers. It also stains the teeth over time, hampers absorption of minerals and vitamins like zinc and iron.
It also raises blood pressure, which is largely problematic for people with existing conditions.
So the heaviest drinkers of the black stuff - some in the study had up to 25 cups per day - may want to rein it in.
Rory Reynolds
Farage on Muslim Brotherhood
Nigel Farage told Reform's annual conference that the party will proscribe the Muslim Brotherhood if he becomes Prime Minister.
"We will stop dangerous organisations with links to terrorism operating in our country," he said. "Quite why we've been so gutless about this – both Labour and Conservative – I don't know.
“All across the Middle East, countries have banned and proscribed the Muslim Brotherhood as a dangerous organisation. We will do the very same.”
It is 10 years since a ground-breaking report into the Muslim Brotherhood by Sir John Jenkins.
Among the former diplomat's findings was an assessment that “the use of extreme violence in the pursuit of the perfect Islamic society” has “never been institutionally disowned” by the movement.
The prime minister at the time, David Cameron, who commissioned the report, said membership or association with the Muslim Brotherhood was a "possible indicator of extremism" but it would not be banned.
Teachers' pay - what you need to know
Pay varies significantly depending on the school, its rating and the curriculum. Here's a rough guide as of January 2021:
- top end schools tend to pay Dh16,000-17,000 a month - plus a monthly housing allowance of up to Dh6,000. These tend to be British curriculum schools rated 'outstanding' or 'very good', followed by American schools
- average salary across curriculums and skill levels is about Dh10,000, recruiters say
- it is becoming more common for schools to provide accommodation, sometimes in an apartment block with other teachers, rather than hand teachers a cash housing allowance
- some strong performing schools have cut back on salaries since the pandemic began, sometimes offering Dh16,000 including the housing allowance, which reflects the slump in rental costs, and sheer demand for jobs
- maths and science teachers are most in demand and some schools will pay up to Dh3,000 more than other teachers in recognition of their technical skills
- at the other end of the market, teachers in some Indian schools, where fees are lower and competition among applicants is intense, can be paid as low as Dh3,000 per month
- in Indian schools, it has also become common for teachers to share residential accommodation, living in a block with colleagues
Closing the loophole on sugary drinks
As The National reported last year, non-fizzy sugared drinks were not covered when the original tax was introduced in 2017. Sports drinks sold in supermarkets were found to contain, on average, 20 grams of sugar per 500ml bottle.
The non-fizzy drink AriZona Iced Tea contains 65 grams of sugar – about 16 teaspoons – per 680ml can. The average can costs about Dh6, which would rise to Dh9.
Drinks such as Starbucks Bottled Mocha Frappuccino contain 31g of sugar in 270ml, while Nescafe Mocha in a can contains 15.6g of sugar in a 240ml can.
Flavoured water, long-life fruit juice concentrates, pre-packaged sweetened coffee drinks fall under the ‘sweetened drink’ category
Not taxed:
Freshly squeezed fruit juices, ground coffee beans, tea leaves and pre-prepared flavoured milkshakes do not come under the ‘sweetened drink’ band.
Red flags
- Promises of high, fixed or 'guaranteed' returns.
- Unregulated structured products or complex investments often used to bypass traditional safeguards.
- Lack of clear information, vague language, no access to audited financials.
- Overseas companies targeting investors in other jurisdictions - this can make legal recovery difficult.
- Hard-selling tactics - creating urgency, offering 'exclusive' deals.
Courtesy: Carol Glynn, founder of Conscious Finance Coaching
Director: Laxman Utekar
Cast: Vicky Kaushal, Akshaye Khanna, Diana Penty, Vineet Kumar Singh, Rashmika Mandanna
Rating: 1/5
The specs
AT4 Ultimate, as tested
Engine: 6.2-litre V8
Power: 420hp
Torque: 623Nm
Transmission: 10-speed automatic
Price: From Dh330,800 (Elevation: Dh236,400; AT4: Dh286,800; Denali: Dh345,800)
On sale: Now
The specs
Engine: 3.0-litre six-cylinder turbo
Power: 398hp from 5,250rpm
Torque: 580Nm at 1,900-4,800rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed auto
Fuel economy, combined: 6.5L/100km
On sale: December
Price: From Dh330,000 (estimate)
Ten tax points to be aware of in 2026
1. Domestic VAT refund amendments: request your refund within five years
If a business does not apply for the refund on time, they lose their credit.
2. E-invoicing in the UAE
Businesses should continue preparing for the implementation of e-invoicing in the UAE, with 2026 a preparation and transition period ahead of phased mandatory adoption.
3. More tax audits
Tax authorities are increasingly using data already available across multiple filings to identify audit risks.
4. More beneficial VAT and excise tax penalty regime
Tax disputes are expected to become more frequent and more structured, with clearer administrative objection and appeal processes. The UAE has adopted a new penalty regime for VAT and excise disputes, which now mirrors the penalty regime for corporate tax.
5. Greater emphasis on statutory audit
There is a greater need for the accuracy of financial statements. The International Financial Reporting Standards standards need to be strictly adhered to and, as a result, the quality of the audits will need to increase.
6. Further transfer pricing enforcement
Transfer pricing enforcement, which refers to the practice of establishing prices for internal transactions between related entities, is expected to broaden in scope. The UAE will shortly open the possibility to negotiate advance pricing agreements, or essentially rulings for transfer pricing purposes.
7. Limited time periods for audits
Recent amendments also introduce a default five-year limitation period for tax audits and assessments, subject to specific statutory exceptions. While the standard audit and assessment period is five years, this may be extended to up to 15 years in cases involving fraud or tax evasion.
8. Pillar 2 implementation
Many multinational groups will begin to feel the practical effect of the Domestic Minimum Top-Up Tax (DMTT), the UAE's implementation of the OECD’s global minimum tax under Pillar 2. While the rules apply for financial years starting on or after January 1, 2025, it is 2026 that marks the transition to an operational phase.
9. Reduced compliance obligations for imported goods and services
Businesses that apply the reverse-charge mechanism for VAT purposes in the UAE may benefit from reduced compliance obligations.
10. Substance and CbC reporting focus
Tax authorities are expected to continue strengthening the enforcement of economic substance and Country-by-Country (CbC) reporting frameworks. In the UAE, these regimes are increasingly being used as risk-assessment tools, providing tax authorities with a comprehensive view of multinational groups’ global footprints and enabling them to assess whether profits are aligned with real economic activity.
Contributed by Thomas Vanhee and Hend Rashwan, Aurifer
THE SIXTH SENSE
Starring: Bruce Willis, Toni Collette, Hayley Joel Osment
Director: M. Night Shyamalan
Rating: 5/5
