Recently, my colleague Kavyashree brought some sweets from her hometown, Mysore. It was Mysore Pak, but it tasted different from the usual Mysore Pak we get. She explained that this special treat was from Guru Sweets, which is the origin of Mysore Pak.
The history of Mysore Pak dates back to the reign of Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV, one of the erstwhile rulers of Mysore. In the royal kitchen, the palace chief cook, Kakasura Madappa, accidentally created this delightful sweet by combining gram flour, ghee, and sugar. This accidental discovery turned out to be a lip-smacking delicacy.
There are varying accounts of how Mysore Pak got its name. Some sources suggest that when the king asked Madappa for the name of the sweet, he spontaneously said 'Mysore Pak.' Others believe that King Krishnaraja Wadiyar IV himself named the sweet 'Mysore Pak,' with 'Pak' meaning 'sweet' in Kannada. Thus, the name Mysore Pak was born. Another story says that the name came from the "Nala Pakam" to Mysore Pak as the perfect taste for the sweet.
The connection between Guru Sweets and the history of Mysore Pak is significant. Kakasura Madappa, the royal chef, was the ancestor of the current owners of Guru Sweets in Mysore. According to the forefathers of the present shop owners, the king wanted the sweet to be available to the public. He encouraged Madappa to open a shop outside the palace premises, allowing everyone to enjoy this delicious treat. This marked the beginning of Guru Sweets in Mysore.
