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Navaratri Kolu at Home

For the last three years, the focal point of our Navaratri Kolu has been Samhith's train set. Our entire decoration is arranged around the track, and o0ur tunnel last year was a huge hit with all the kids! It was no surprise therefore that Samhith wanted a tunnel this year too! With the idea of giving you all something different to look forward to, we have set up a village this year around the Kolu steps. Without more ado, let me invite you into our home for our kolu....
This is what you see as soon as you step in...

Navaratri 2010 - Day 8 - The Best Golu I have seen so far!

This certainly has to be the best Golu I have seen so far this year... It has been kept at the house of a friend of Shankar's uncle, and it takes the prize for creativity as well as hard, hard work!

First, let us get the usual steps out of the way...... Here they are, with the usual dolls...

Yes, I know we have seen enough dolls over the last week, but these are the only ones here which need to be highlighted - some representations of famous personalities as well as tribals...

Now for the most interesting thing...

Heres a first look.... Can you guess what all is there? and how it is arranged?

Before I get to the individual pieces, let me tell you what this is - The Golu is a two tier one, the upper one representing an American town, and the lower one, an Indian village.. talk about contrasts!!!
The person who makes all this retired from his government job quite a few years ago. This is his hobby, something he spends more than half the year on! To see his attention to detail, and his i…

Kabini Part 3 - After the Rains

Visiting Kabini in peak summer, we hadn’t bargained for the rains, which dominated our three days at the Lodge. While animal sightings were understandably lesser than usual, seeing the forest in the rain was an interesting experience in its own way. However, as we headed back into the forest for our second and third safaris, we hoped the rains would let up, and allow us to see more animals!

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow, twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis.

SaptaShrungi Devi Temple, Vani

The Saptashrungi Devi temple is located at Vani near Nashik in Maharashtra. This temple is one among the 51 Shakti peethas located on the Indian subcontinent. The Devi is said be swayambhu (self-manifested) on a rock on the sheer face of a mountain. She is surrounded by seven (sapta-in Sanskrit) peaks (shrunga-in Sanskrit), hence the name- Sapta Shrungi Mata (mother of the seven peaks). The image of the Devi is huge-about 10 feet tall with 18 hands, holding various weapons. The idol is always coated with Sindoor, which is considered auspicious in this region.

She is believed to be Mahishasur Mardini, the slayer of the demon Mahishasur, who took the form of a buffalo. Hence, at the foot of the hill, from where one starts climbing the steps, there is the head of a buffalo, made is stone, and believed to be that of the demon. It is believed that the Devi Mahatmya, a sacred book which extols the greatness of Devi and her exploits was composed at this place by the sage Markandeya, who per…

An Incredibly Detailed Golu

One of the Golus we look forward to seeing every year is the one at an uncle's place in Garodia Nagar, Ghatkopar. A retired engineer, we admire him for his patience and attention for detail which make his golu among the best we have ever seen.

Mahakaleshwar Temple, Ujjain

All roads in Ujjain seem to lead to the temple of Mahakaleshwar, which is the focal point of the city. Mahakal, as Shiva is known here, is not only the guardian and patron deity of this holy city, he is also regarded as the ruler of this city.

Our car driver regaled us with tales of Vikramaditya, the legendary king of Ujjain, tales which were more of myths, interspersed with history. One such was the tale of how after Vikramaditya, no king was deemed great enough to rule this city, and the baton was handed over to Mahakal. According to the legend, since then, no human king of the area has ever spent the night in the city, and those who did, did not live to tell the tale. I wonder how much of this story is true, but I must admit that hearing the story from a person who instinctively believes in the story was an interesting experience!

The Mahakaleshwar Mandir has its roots in ancient times, and the legends of the temple are plentiful, and also quite confusing. The most popularly accepte…

Kabini Part 2 - A Boat Ride

The river Kabini is the heart of the Nagarhole National park, and a boat ride on the river is an integral part of the stay at the Kabini River Lodge. The incessant, unseasonal rainfall had marked our stay so far, and heading to the jetty for our boat ride on our second evening at the lodge, we kept our fingers crossed, hoping for clear skies.

The Temples of Kiradu

A flock of peacocks flew into the bushes as we alighted from our car. Samhith grabbed my camera and followed, trying to capture them on film, while I followed a little more slowly. As the narrow path widened, I caught my first glimpse of the temples of Kiradu.

On a visit to the Border at Jaisalmer

Miles and miles of scrub land loomed ahead, interspersed with glimpses of sand dunes. A narrow path led us deeper into this expanse, and not a soul was to be seen anywhere. We had been driving for what seemed like hours, and I began to wonder just how much farther we were, from our destination. Soon, a tower made its appearance on the horizon, and we were able to see the barbed wire fences, which we had expected to see. It fitted perfectly with our idea of what a border should be like. What we hadn’t expected, was the young woman who waited for us at the fence.

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