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Temples of Kashi - The Tilbhandeshwar Temple

The city of Kashi is filled with temples, big and small, old and new. There are temples at every corner, and you never know where you will stumble upon a small shrine. There are idols beneath what remains of trees (there are hardly any trees any more within the core area of the city), there are saffron covered forms resembling deities which seem attached to walls, an especially incongruous sight when the idol itself appears to be old, while the wall is evidently new…. And there are surprisingly large temples rising from what appear to be a bunch of houses. The city is sometimes colloquially said to be as old as time, and some of the shrines and temples are said to date back to times unknown, at least the deity itself, if not the structure. Not much remains of the ancient structures anyway. The city has seen more than its fair share of good and bad times. It has seen the heights of grandeur, and the lows brought about by destruction. The city that exists today has grown so haphaza...
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Birds from my window - Oriental Magpie Robin

It has been a while since I posted photos of birds, so here is one I see the most these days - the Oriental Magpie Robin.




There are three of these birds in our garden, and I see them frequently flying around, and can hear their distinctive, melodious call even before I see them! Capturing them on camera, however, has been another matter entirely, and I managed these only because the birds were nice enough to sit on the window ledge near my house, and also pose for a while on the tree right opposite my window!



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  1. Shalu SharmaMarch 6, 2013 at 2:39 PM

    Nice little birds. Nice photos, well taken..

    ReplyDelete
  2. MridulaMarch 6, 2013 at 2:49 PM

    Such womderful captures, extra special as they are birds and that means a lot of patience :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 6, 2013 at 3:46 PM

      Thanks Mridula! for such reasonably big birds, they are hard to capture! am unsuccessfully trying now for the purple sunbird. its flitting around, but cant get an image!

      Delete
  3. Julia DuttaMarch 6, 2013 at 3:01 PM

    My God! I can't believe it! In Mumbai? What lovely luck, Anu :))

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 6, 2013 at 3:46 PM

      We are lucky to live in an area which is covered with greenery, Julia! tho it comes with its share of problems! and this one is a regular visitor...

      Delete
  4. IndraniMarch 6, 2013 at 7:35 PM

    Lucky you to get visitors like them. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 7, 2013 at 8:31 AM

      Yes, Indrani! we are indeed lucky to see such beauties!

      Delete
  5. MadhukarMarch 6, 2013 at 11:16 PM

    Beautiful bird.. I think ot is cached in Dandeli Jungle.
    Thank you for sharing with us.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 7, 2013 at 8:32 AM

      Thank you, Madhukar... this is quite a common bird, seen everywhere in India.

      Delete
  6. NeerajMarch 9, 2013 at 6:56 AM

    Nice... I miss the sounds of birds chirping (even crow)! You must be hearing that all the time, no?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 9, 2013 at 9:19 AM

      oh yes, Neeraj! birds chirp here all the time , as for crows, they are here all day long!

      Delete
  7. D.NambiarMarch 16, 2013 at 6:35 AM

    So pretty!!

    ReplyDelete

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