Skip to main content

Featured Post

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
Post a Comment

Faces in the Crowd: The Innocence of Childhood

'The Innocence of childhood' is a much used and cliched phrase, which barely seems to apply these days when kids seem to grow up faster than we can think... in every way. And then, to see a child, completely immersed in herself, enjoying herself to the hilt, totally unaware of those around her... is a sight that warms the heart! 


A few days back, I attended a dance programme at the temple in our complex. The performance was one among many, held as part of the temple's Shivaratri celebrations, spread over 10 days. My sister was one of the performers, which is why I was there, and as usual, I clicked away, having no eyes for anyone but her. You can see her photos on my Facebook page. I was waiting for her, later, when I noticed this kid in the first row, happily dancing by herself, trying to imitate the movements of the dancers on stage. 



Her mother and grandmother tried their best to get her to sit down. She did listen to them, but she was up again, dancing away, while the others in the audience looked on, indulgently. 



I have tried to capture the scene as it struck me.... the silhouette of the girl against the colorful background of the dancers. I don't know how well I have managed, but I hope these photos have brought a smile to your faces!



Labels:

Comments

  1. MridulaMarch 13, 2013 at 7:27 PM

    I loved it! Beautiful captures.

    ReplyDelete
  2. R Niranjan DasMarch 13, 2013 at 8:06 PM

    Interesting clicks!

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/03/river-narmada.html

    ReplyDelete
  3. KcalpeshMarch 13, 2013 at 11:08 PM

    Kids know no boundaries. They just do what they feel like :-)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 14, 2013 at 9:53 AM

      Absolutely, Kalpesh.... but they are growing up so fast, its scary!

      Delete
  4. TCPCMarch 14, 2013 at 9:49 AM

    oh wonderful!!! and that u were perhaps, the only admiring witness to it really is nothing short of bliss!! :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 14, 2013 at 9:54 AM

      Thanks so much Akila! It was bliss indeed! I couldnt help click the girl and ignore the dancers!

      Delete
  5. NishaMarch 21, 2013 at 12:31 AM

    This is an awesome post Anu ! So beautiful candid shots. :)

    I think we can see a dancer in her.

    ReplyDelete
  6. SudhageeMarch 29, 2013 at 4:31 PM

    What beautiful captures, Anu.

    This child must have "dance" in her blood. And for such children, nothing can stop them. How lovely to be at this age and dance without abandon, a care and only let the sound, rhythm and music speak to you. Alas, a day will come when the indulgence will turn to irritation and she will be shushed and forced to feel conscious. I know it sounds horrible, but I hope that child never grows up.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarApril 1, 2013 at 8:37 AM

      Thanks Sudha! you are so right!!! this is why i sometimes wish kids would remain kids and never grow up! even though it does sound horrible :D

      Delete

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

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
6 comments
Read more

Ladakh - Planning The Trip

Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out!  Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, though we
11 comments
Read more

Bhedaghat - Home of the 81 Yoginis

The Narmada flows down the mountains , carving out a path for herself as she makes her way down to the plains of Central India. She cascades from the rocks, her fine spray making it appear as if billows of smoke (dhuan) arise from the flowing streams of water (dhaar), giving it the name Dhuandhar. Dhuandhar Falls The force of her flow creates a gorge , smoothening and carving out the rocks into fantastic shapes, the pure white of the rocks standing starkly against the shades of the water. It is a joy to cruise down the river in a boat, seeing the natural contours created by the river, now famous as the Marble Rocks. We are at Bhedaghat, located on the banks of the Narmada near Jabalpur, where thousands of visitors turn up to see these natural landscapes, creations of the sacred Narmada, and pay obeisance to her. However, to me, the most interesting thing about Bhedaghat, isn’t the falls or the rocks, or even the river. What makes Bhedaghat special is t
40 comments
Read more