Skip to main content

Featured Post

Odisha Part 7: The Rajarani Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Rajarani Temple in Bhubaneshwar gets its name from the stone used to build it - the red and yellow sandstone used here is locally called Rajarani. This temple was once known as the Indreshwara temple, which is mentioned in the Ekamra Purana, which tells us about the temples of Bhubaneshwar, which was then known as Ekamra Kshetra. Today, the temple stands in a well-maintained lawn, and is the only ticketed monument within the city. The temple is built in the typical Kalinga style, with the tall curvilinear shikara over the garbagruha , and a jagamohana connected to it. The temple is believed to date back to the 11 th century, and is most well known for its sculptures. The entrance to the temple has two pillars with a Naga couple protecting the sanctum, holding garlands in their hands. The base of the pillar shows 3 lions standing over 3 elephants, a typical motif in temples of this region during this period. On the other side of the pillar is a horse and rider, and the two mo...
Post a Comment

Faces in the Crowd: The Innocence of Childhood

'The Innocence of childhood' is a much used and cliched phrase, which barely seems to apply these days when kids seem to grow up faster than we can think... in every way. And then, to see a child, completely immersed in herself, enjoying herself to the hilt, totally unaware of those around her... is a sight that warms the heart! 


A few days back, I attended a dance programme at the temple in our complex. The performance was one among many, held as part of the temple's Shivaratri celebrations, spread over 10 days. My sister was one of the performers, which is why I was there, and as usual, I clicked away, having no eyes for anyone but her. You can see her photos on my Facebook page. I was waiting for her, later, when I noticed this kid in the first row, happily dancing by herself, trying to imitate the movements of the dancers on stage. 



Her mother and grandmother tried their best to get her to sit down. She did listen to them, but she was up again, dancing away, while the others in the audience looked on, indulgently. 



I have tried to capture the scene as it struck me.... the silhouette of the girl against the colorful background of the dancers. I don't know how well I have managed, but I hope these photos have brought a smile to your faces!



Labels:

Comments

  1. MridulaMarch 13, 2013 at 7:27 PM

    I loved it! Beautiful captures.

    ReplyDelete
  2. R Niranjan DasMarch 13, 2013 at 8:06 PM

    Interesting clicks!

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/03/river-narmada.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. KcalpeshMarch 13, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    Kids know no boundaries. They just do what they feel like :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 14, 2013 at 9:53 AM

      Absolutely, Kalpesh.... but they are growing up so fast, its scary!

      Delete
  4. TCPCMarch 14, 2013 at 9:49 AM

    oh wonderful!!! and that u were perhaps, the only admiring witness to it really is nothing short of bliss!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 14, 2013 at 9:54 AM

      Thanks so much Akila! It was bliss indeed! I couldnt help click the girl and ignore the dancers!

      Delete
  5. NishaMarch 21, 2013 at 12:31 AM

    This is an awesome post Anu ! So beautiful candid shots. :)

    I think we can see a dancer in her.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SudhageeMarch 29, 2013 at 4:31 PM

    What beautiful captures, Anu.

    This child must have "dance" in her blood. And for such children, nothing can stop them. How lovely to be at this age and dance without abandon, a care and only let the sound, rhythm and music speak to you. Alas, a day will come when the indulgence will turn to irritation and she will be shushed and forced to feel conscious. I know it sounds horrible, but I hope that child never grows up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 1, 2013 at 8:37 AM

      Thanks Sudha! you are so right!!! this is why i sometimes wish kids would remain kids and never grow up! even though it does sound horrible :D

      Delete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...
10 comments
Read more

Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
9 comments
Read more

Review of Executive Lounges at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS)

During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport.  That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’...
2 comments
Read more