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Odisha Part 2 - Puri: The Experience of Jagannath

The temple of Jagannath at Puri is one of the four most important temples across India. Sometimes called the Char Dham – Badrinath in the north, Rameswaram in the South, Dwarka in the west, and Puri in the east – these temples mark four corners of our country, and each of these temples has a connection to Adi Shankara. He is said to have travelled to each of them, thus marking a sacred geography of India, long before the country actually existed. Among these 4 temples, 3 are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, while only Rameswaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva, though the lingam there is said to have been installed by Rama. Further, Shankara set up Mutts at 3 of these sites (or very close to these sites, like at Badrinath, where the mutt is at Joshimutt), while the mutt in the south is at Sringeri in Karnataka, quite a distance away from Rameswaram. Coming back to the topic, I have visited Rameswaram most often, Badrinath during my childhood, and Dwaraka a few times, but Puri had stayed out of re...
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Skywatch Friday - Tree and Light

In a forest filled with trees, this one stood out. Its girth, its height, in every way, it loomed over the others, clearly a patriarch towering over the rest.





The forest canopy was thick enough to shade us from the harsh glare of the sun, though the rays sometimes managed to find their way between the leaves. I have seen beautiful images of sunburst taken by other photographers, but I have rarely tried to click one myself. Here are my maiden efforts.....





I clicked these photos on my recent trip to Wayanad, when we ventured into the forest for a brush with the wilderness. As to how 'wild' it was, you have to wait to find out! Meanwhile, this post is part of Skywatch Friday. For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page. 
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Location: Wayanad, Kerala, India

Comments

  1. AnonymousMay 31, 2013 at 3:52 PM

    Beautiful sparkles!

    ReplyDelete
  2. From The HeartMay 31, 2013 at 4:13 PM

    Great shots. Love the big trees!

    ReplyDelete
  3. IndraniMay 31, 2013 at 5:32 PM

    Nice capture of light.
    Wyanad is a beautiful place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. JoyfulJune 1, 2013 at 3:31 AM

    Beautiful photos. I do love your first shot :-)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Sankara Subramanian CJune 1, 2013 at 9:27 AM

    Nice shots! Looks like the teak forests of Wayanad. Some of these trees grow really wide and tall.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:34 PM

      Thanks Sankara! they are indeed the teak forests of Wayanad. and so nice to see u here after so long!!

      Delete
  6. AnonymousJune 1, 2013 at 10:33 AM

    Beautiful. Always refreshing to see forest-pics on my desktop.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 4, 2013 at 1:35 PM

      Thanks bnomadic!!! they always brighten up our day, dont they!

      Delete
  7. R Niranjan DasJune 2, 2013 at 3:13 PM

    Nice captures.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.in

    ReplyDelete
  8. TeamgsquareJune 3, 2013 at 11:08 AM

    Wonderful captures.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anil YadavJune 5, 2013 at 11:53 AM

    Anuradha, your post has brought the temple alive from the ruins!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Pranav ChandraJanuary 20, 2014 at 1:04 PM

    Wayanad is definitely on my my bucket list of places to visit! Great pictures, I absolutely love trees!!!

    ReplyDelete

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