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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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Sleepy Felines of the Himalayan Zoological Park, Gangtok

Spread over 230 Hectares, the Himalayan Zoological Park in Gangtok is surely one of the biggest zoos in India. I am not a big fan of zoos, but when one is as huge, well planned, and well maintained as this one, I have to appreciate it. We visited the zoo on an especially clear December afternoon, and found most of the animals busy having their siesta! I shall write more about the zoo later, but for now, let me share some of my images of the sleepy felines, which surely resented our intrusion....








The first and the last images are my personal favourites, and the reason for this post. Which ones do you like? 

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Location: Sikkim Himalayan Zoological Park, National Highway 310, Gangtok, Sikkim 737103, India

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