Mysore: This Dusshehra, the natives of Mysore are all set to give a new nuance to the Sanskrit phrase - atithi devo bhavah \
With around 10 lakh tourists expected to visit Mysore for Dusshehra, the 4000-5000 hotel rooms in Mysore have all been booked out. Visitors need not repine, however; cashing in on the tourist rush are the city's many home-stays.
There are 35 such home-stays - approved and promoted by the Karnataka tourism department since last year - which cater to tourists throughout the year, all of which are fully booked for the festival season.
The home-owners themselves look forward to welcoming tourists as their guests.
Geetha Sugunan, who owns the Hill View Farm home-stay, says, "The guests are happy and we are happy. We have an interaction with each one of them and try to make them comfortable.
As with hotels and guest houses, home-stays have variable prices, with options ranging from a simple Rs 400 room to a luxurious Rs 5000 one.
Some home-stay owners even maintain that home-stays are becoming the preferred accommodations for tourists, providing a taste of a slice of local life with added comforts that can range from a yoga class to a swimming pool.
"It's getting to be successful. People are seeing it as an alternative to staying in hotels," says P K Suraj, Director, PRS Calm Homestay.
The potential for this concept's growth is clearly promising - atithi devo bhavah is, indeed, a runaway hit.
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