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Showing posts from November, 2009

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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 ...
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An unusual sight

We recently saw a sight in our building, which is common in Kerala, but rather unusual for this city. Shankar was the first to spot the man atop our coconut tree, and suggested that it was a good opportunity for some photos.... So here they are...... shots of a guy at ease atop a coconut tree, and his descent... without any aids except his hands and feet............
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The God takes a tour - of the area He lives in!

Living as close to the eastern express highway as we do, it comes as a surprise to see the many birds and the peace that pervades through our colony. For all practical purposes, it is like a small village, a parallel highlighted by the state of the roads inside, a permanent bone of contention between the residents and the BMC (the Municipal Corporation). However, yesterday, our colony literally took on the atmosphere of a village in celebration, when the Subramanya Mutt in our complex conducted its annual Kanda Shashti Mahotsavam. To give a small introduction , Kanda Shashti is an auspicious day for Muruga, the son of Shiva and Parvati, also known as Skanda. This is the day the young warrior lord is said to have defeated the arch enemy of the Devas – Surapadman, the lord of the demons. The story of Karthikeya According to the legend , the demon lord Surapadman along with his brothers Tarakasuran and Simhamukhan defeated the Devas and ruled heaven. The Gods rushed to Brahma as...
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Its time to Celebrate!!!!!

Yes, it's celebration time for me, and for more reasons than one! First, last week, I received the first payment for an article I had written! Check out my article, The Fort of Kumbhalgarh ,  published on W.Ruth Kozak's travel E-Zine, Travel Thru History . Next, my dream of seeing my name in print came true when my article on Omkareshwar was published in the Sunday Herald! I am yet to receive my copy of the newspaper, so meanwhile you can check out the article on their site here . Last, but not the least, I just received a mail informing me that my blog had been nominated for the Best Travel Indiblog of the Year, 2008. Yes, it is a bit late for the year, but as they say, better late than never! As soon as the voting starts, I shall put up more details, so meanwhile, get ready to vote for me!!!!!
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Update on Birds in my neighbourhood.

November has been an interesting month so far, bringing with it not just some un-seasonal, but welcome, rainfall, but also a variety of birds. The first indication we had, of the change in weather, was the presence of a small bird hovering over our building. Usha was the first to spot it, and she wondered if it was a swift or just a magpie robin. I very confidently assured her that there were no swifts around, and that she must have just seen a robin flying high up! Imagine my surprise, when, the very next day, I opened my window to see a whole flock of swifts flying round and round over our building! There were at least 25-30 of them! I immediately called her, and both of us rushed to the terrace with binoculars and camera, hoping for at least one good shot! We had ample time to observe the birds, for they stayed there the whole morning, seemingly enjoying the sudden November chill as much as we were. Unfortunately, we were unlucky with the camera, and it was woefully clear to me that...
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