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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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Sky Watch Friday - Qutub Minar

The whole of last year, I complained that I was unable to travel, and thus couldn't think of anything to write. Someone up there seems to have heard my complaint, because this year, the situation has reversed. I am travelling almost every month, sometimes even twice a month, and have tons to write, but no time at all to sit down and pen down my thoughts. Those of you who are wondering where I disappeared to, I was at Delhi, attending a family celebration, meeting relatives aged between 6 months and 97 years! It was a wonderful experience, besides which, it was a wonderful trip also because I managed to get in a bit of sightseeing with all the catching up with my cousins! Here is one of the images from my trip - the Qutub Minar.



We visited the place in the afternoon, in the searing heat, and wandered about for an hour, realizing that I remembered practically nothing of the place from my earlier visit, which was sometime when I was at school. One thing was certain, though - attaining World Heritage Status sure cleans up a place. Probably we should try to bestow this status on some of our dirtiest places, and see if it works then too!

For more skies from around the world, visit Sky Watch Friday.
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