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The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan
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Navaratri 2010 - Day 9 - Durga Puja

We have been celebrating Navaratri the southern way for the past 8 days, and it is time for a change... Today, I have no more Golus for you, but I would love to take you along with me to the nearest Durga Puja Celebrations. The last 3 days of Navaratri are eagerly awaited by the Bengalis in my colony (and the entire neighbourhood), and they rush towards the only Bengali Durga Puja Celebration in the vicinity. Of course, this mass movement of humanity does lead to colossal traffic jams, but then again, we are used to them anyway, and who cares, when we get to celebrate just for 3 days! Anyone agree with me???

I am writing this post close to midnight, hoping to be done before then, and thus keeping up my resolution of a-post-a-day-during-navaratri! So, let me get straight to the point and take you along with me through my photographs!

Here is the decoration this year.... Any guesses?


The theme this time is the Mysore Palace, commemorating the 400th year of Dasara Celebrations there.


Here are some closer looks at the outside......






And here is a first view of the Devi.....

Now, lets enter.........
This huge and beautiful chandelier is a permanent fixture...


There are paintings everywhere, in an attempt to make it look like the Mysore Palace.




Now, I haven't yet been there, but this looks just too simple to even give an idea of the place to the masses.. What do you say, those of you who have been there?????

And here's a closer look at the Devi, taken with me straining to take a shot over the heads of all those tall people standing in front of me!



And here are a few more decorations outside.....


Samhith loved them....See how he posed in front of one!


Samhith loved the whole experience. I had taken him last year too, but he doesn't remember that one. This time, we were there during the Aarti, and he just loved the way the priest twirled the Aarti plate round and round! If you are wondering how I didn't manage to get a pic of that wonderful sight, thats because I didn't get to see it! The crowd was so huge that I just about managed to catch a glimpse of the Devi. Samhith got a better view because I made him stand on a stack of chairs, giving him an 'aerial view'!


Well, that's not all..... We also another Durga... One at a Maharashtrian/Gujarati Pandal..... Here she is....


Now that's called a merger of the East and the West. Wouldn't you agree?
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Comments

  1. Meena VenkataramanOctober 17, 2010 at 3:32 AM

    Beautiful!...Have never really been part of a Durga Puja event..
    Would love to someday

    ReplyDelete
  2. UshaOctober 17, 2010 at 1:21 PM

    lol Samhtih one a stack of chairs seems so familiar. I love the pose, btw

    ReplyDelete
  3. Sankara Subramanian COctober 17, 2010 at 8:11 PM

    Nice! Durga puja brings back so many of my childhood memories. The bhog everyday was my favourite :-)

    ReplyDelete
  4. ECOctober 17, 2010 at 9:43 PM

    Nice to see the celebrations in different parts of the country....We Indians enjoy festivals to the fullest

    ReplyDelete
  5. SoulSpaceOctober 17, 2010 at 11:54 PM

    Your Enthu is amazing

    I will catch up on the rest of yr posts too...

    What a great Pandal too...
    thanks

    ReplyDelete
  6. Meghana HassanOctober 12, 2012 at 4:16 PM

    really gud to see Mysore Palace theme in Bengali Durga Puja...

    ReplyDelete

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