Skip to main content

Featured Post

Odisha Part 11: Discovering the Jaina Heritage of Odisha at the caves of Udaygiri and Khandgiri

The Hindu and Buddhist history of Odisha , or rather, ancient Kalinga, is rather well known to everyone. Who hasn’t heard of the grand temples of Odisha – Puri, Lingaraj and Konark, or the great war of Kalinga which inspired Ashoka to convert to Buddhism? In contrast, very few know of the Jaina heritage of this region. This is quite a pity, since, just around 7 km from the city, is one of India’s most ancient inscriptions, which throws light on the Jaina heritage of Odisha. This inscription is the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela, in the hills of Udaygiri. Udaygiri and Khandgiri are two hills located opposite each other, and both are testaments to the rich Jaina heritage of Odisha. The caves at Udaygiri are older, while Khandgiri is relatively newer, but has lasted much longer, and continues to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains even today. These hills, from inscriptions and excavations of caves, shrines and rock beds, appear to have been a haven for Jaina monks, right from the ...
Post a Comment

Skywatch Friday - On the riverside

For Skywatch today, is a scene that could be from anywhere in rural India..... a riverside scene....


A cowherd brings his cows and buffaloes to the river... they drink and they bathe... and so does he. I clicked this somewhere in interior Maharashtra, while on our way to the Lonar Crater, but, as I said before, it could be from any part of the country.

Labels:

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 9:39 AM

    Nice Calm and soothing pic ! :D

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 15, 2013 at 10:45 AM

      Thanks nd60! it was indeed a serene and peaceful place..

      Delete
  2. MridulaMarch 15, 2013 at 9:43 AM

    I agree it could be from any part of the country! Well captured.

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousMarch 15, 2013 at 10:22 AM

    Fabulous shot - so tranquil.

    ReplyDelete
  4. desi TravelerMarch 15, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    Like they say.. it happens only in India... beautiful shot of everyday rural India...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 15, 2013 at 12:52 PM

      Absolutely!!!! where else can you see cows and men bathing together?

      Delete
  5. Gail DixonMarch 15, 2013 at 11:39 PM

    It's a beautiful place and photo. Thanks so much for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. D.NambiarMarch 16, 2013 at 6:34 AM

    So right. That could be anywhere in India.
    Such a feel-good photo. :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 16, 2013 at 11:50 AM

      Thanks!!! but never thought of it as a feel good photo.. but i guess a river with water is certainly something to rejoice about!

      Delete
  7. Nishant PatelMarch 16, 2013 at 12:30 PM

    This pic made me remember of my hometown. Great click loved it.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 21, 2013 at 9:21 AM

      Thanks Nishant! glad to have brought back your memories!

      Delete
  8. Posting Load and TruckMarch 16, 2013 at 1:15 PM

    Thanks for the great post.

    ReplyDelete
  9. IndraniMarch 16, 2013 at 3:33 PM

    Typical Indian ambiance there!

    ReplyDelete
  10. UnknownMarch 19, 2013 at 5:07 AM

    Amazing vibe this place gives me. Thanks for documenting it so well! Hope you check out my budget travel blog soon :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 21, 2013 at 10:14 AM

      You are welcome, Tyler... and its so good to hear that it gives you good vibes!

      Delete
  11. R Niranjan DasMarch 19, 2013 at 6:25 PM

    Serene setting.

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete

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

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.
7 comments
Read more