Karnataka - Mysore   

Entertaining tourists is this magician's forte

Staff Correspondent

Babu's eyes sparkle as he shows a report on him in a newspaper

CHARMING THE FOREIGNERS: `Magic' Babu regaling tourists with his tricks in Mysore. — PHOTO: M.A. SRIRAM

MYSORE: Many touring foreign dignitaries have applauded his magical tricks. Deftly displaying his skills with commentary partially in French, German and Italian, this illiterate magician has gained the acceptance of tourists. A third generation magician, Babu, popularly known as Magic Babu of Lalit Mahal, has regaled tourists coming from far and wide with simple but entertaining methods. Hollywood actor Steven Seagal and playback singer Hariharan and film artistes and foreign dignitaries, who come to stay at this palace hotel, have appreciated his tricks.

Babu, a former snake charmer, has been given permission by the ITDC-run Hotel Lalit Mahal Palace to display magical skills to interesting tourists and guests at the hotel, and on his part, he has been entertaining them at the Lalit Mahal for the last 22 years. He learnt the tricks from his father, Syed Hussein, who entertained tourists in Hassan.

While Babu earns his livelihood at Lalit Mahal in Mysore, three of his siblings display their skills in star hotels in Mysore, Hassan and Chikmagalur. Babu's eyes sparkle when he opens his bag to show an article written on him in a leading newspaper in Britain. He says, "I learnt a bit of French, German, Italian from tourists, which has helped me explain my tricks to curious tourists. Though I am an illiterate, I can manage a conversation with my functional knowledge of English." Besides his magical tricks, Babu is an expert in playing his own kind of a violin. Made out of a coconut shell, sheep hide and two strings, he plays favourite numbers.

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