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Temples of Kashi - The Kardameshwar temple

The absence of ancient Hindu structures in Kashi is something I have always lamented about. The shrines are certainly ancient, and that is something that has always attracted me to the city. However, I miss the beauty of the ancient structures that we see at other sites. This feeling is intensified when I see marble and concrete and tiles in temples that once would have been beautifully adorned with evocative sculptures, and worn by the passage of time, touched by the hands of seekers who came before. This time , this desire to see some remnants of an ancient Hindu structure in Kashi came true when I managed to visit the Kardameshwar Temple. The Kardameshwar temple is not one of the main temples in the city. It is part of the temples on the Pancha Kroshi yatra, a pilgrimage which takes one on a circumambulatory tour of the whole city. The temple is located on the outskirts of the city, on the western bank of a tank called the Kardama Kund. The Kardameshwar temple is one of the...
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Rufous Treepie

Here is another bird we have seen before, but never managed a decent shot - the Rufous Treepie.



It is quite a conspicuous bird, with its distinctive colour and tail. It was rather a surprise to learn that it belongs to the crow family!


We saw this bird at Chittorgarh.I was busy photographing the monuments, when a sudden movement caught my eye. I turned, and having the camera in my hand, started clicking away. This seemed to surprise our driver, because he called out to me, "Madam, aap kahan photo nikal rahe ho? Tower toh wahan pe hai!" (Madam, what are you photographing? the tower is there!) The sound was enough to scare the bird away, but thankfully I had enough shots to keep me happy!




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