More Temples at Pattadakal

A little bit of context before you begin reading this book review. I have recently enrolled for an MA in Philosophy at the University of Mumbai. Philosophy is something I have been getting interested in, over the past few years, as those of you who have been reading my blogs and Instagram posts would know. During the pandemic, I thought long and hard about what I wanted to do next, and this is what I eventually came up with. It has been a challenge, getting back into academics as a student at this age, especially in a subject I have no academic background in. However, it has also been very exciting, especially thanks to my wonderful classmates (who, surprisingly, are of all age-groups, including some quite near my own) and my teachers, who have been very supportive and understanding. How well I will do is something that remains to be seen, but so far, I am enjoying this new journey and look forward to where it leads. Now that you know the background , you probably get an idea of how

More Temples at Pattadakal

The World Heritage Site of Pattadakal deserves more than just a cursory glance. There is so much to see and appreciate, and even during our short visit to the place, I clicked so many photos that I found it impossible to put all of them together in one post! Here are my first two posts on the temple complex at Pattadakal -

Continuing with our walk through the temple complex, we next arrived at the Chandrashekhara Temple. The plain and simple structure is the one which attracts least number of visitors, and consequently, is empty and easy to photograph!

The next temple is a striking one, the first here with the dravida vimana, the southern type of temple spire.

This is the Sangameshwara Temple, originally known as the Vijayeshwara temple, since it was built by the Chalukya king, Vijayaditya.

Look at the intricate lattices on the walls! No pattern is repeated! Some of the niches are empty, while some have figures of different forms of Shiva as well as Vishnu.Unfortunately, some of the niches are also empty, and some of the figures are incomplete.

Detail of the vimana

The saga of incomplete work is evident all over this temple. Such as these on the base platform. It shows us how the artisans would have begun their work, and also tells us that the work was abandoned due to some reason.

Another incomplete set of work

Outside this temple was a broken pillar, set at a lower level, in a depression. I wondered if it was a dhwajasthambam or temple pillar, but our guide wasn't able to shed much light on it.

Samhith standing next to the broken pillar...
he is about 4 ft tall, so that depression is at least 3 ft in depth!

Detail at the bottom of the pillar

Considering the rate at which I am going, I wonder when I am going to finish this series, but I can't help wanting to post almost every single photo I have taken!

Coming up next: Some of the most beautiful temples at Pattadakal!

Pattadakal Quick Facts

Getting there:

Nearest Airport: Hubli (about 120 Km )

Nearest Railway Station: Badami (29 Km)

Pattadakal is well connected by road to Badami (29 Km) and Aihole (24 Km).

Where to stay: There is practically no accommodation available at Pattadakal. The nearest city is Badami, where the KSRTC Mayura Chalukya is the best option. There are also other hotels and lodges in Badami.

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. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavantesh

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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