Skip to main content

Featured Post

The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.

Sunrise and Sunset for Skywatch Friday

Considering that Samhith's school is extremely miserly about holidays, we had completely forgotten that Guru Nanak Jayanti would bring us a day off. By the time we realised it, it was too late to plan something properly. But some frantic googling and lots of phone calls later, we finally headed out, before sunrise, on our unplanned, last-minute-holiday to Bhimshankar! The trip was special because it had been a long time since we had headed out of town on an impulse, but even more because, Bhimshankar, home to one of the 12 Jyotirlingams (of which I have now seen 10) had been on my radar for a long long time, but it had eluded me for so many years! The Lord seemed to want to make up for all the times my trip had been postponed, because the trip was memorable, not just because of the temple, but because of so many other experiences... You will have to wait to read about them, though, till I manage to sit down long enough to write all of them down.... Meanwhile, here are some photos for you to enjoy, as my contribution to Sky Watch Friday....

The sun rises over a small, sleepy town on the road to Bhimashankar


Peeping from behind the only tree I can see standing tall in the area!

The view from the hills on the way to Bhimashankar... 


The sun prepares to set behind the mountains as we wind our way back home on the expressway



For more beautiful skies from around the world, go to Sky Watch Friday!

Comments

  1. Such gorgeous skies! Unplanned trips are often the best kind.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks, Lady Fi! Unplanned trips are always the best! probably because we start out with such low expectations!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Nice shots.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  4. Wow, such lovely shots. I like the one where the sun is peeping from behind the tree.

    ReplyDelete
  5. beautifully captured!

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks Pradeepa! thats one of my favourites too... and it was completely a chance shot.. taken from the moving car!

    ReplyDelete
  7. beautiful series of skywatch shots. the last one is my favorite. Happy skywatching!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nice pics. The view from hilltop is fantastic. 

    ReplyDelete
  9. I came here from Zephyr's Cybernag and your pictures are very nice.  Looking forward to the post on the Jyotirlingam itself...

    ReplyDelete
  10. I cant imagine you not having visited Bhimashankar till now!! Its really a very beautiful place, especially in the rainy season...
    Lovely captures.

    ReplyDelete
  11. THanks a lot, A-kay! the write up will come soon.. as soon as i can get down to the serious business of writing :D

    ReplyDelete
  12. While we were in pune ,we visited Bheemashankar twice-once in rainy season another in winters and experienced two entirely different moods of the place,nature display wise.now I am eagerly waiting for your subsequent posts to feel it once more.

    lovely pics.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Got to sit down and write, Namita! lots and lots to write!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

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. Gunavanteshw

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

The Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.