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Temples of Kashi - The Tilbhandeshwar Temple

The city of Kashi is filled with temples, big and small, old and new. There are temples at every corner, and you never know where you will stumble upon a small shrine. There are idols beneath what remains of trees (there are hardly any trees any more within the core area of the city), there are saffron covered forms resembling deities which seem attached to walls, an especially incongruous sight when the idol itself appears to be old, while the wall is evidently new…. And there are surprisingly large temples rising from what appear to be a bunch of houses. The city is sometimes colloquially said to be as old as time, and some of the shrines and temples are said to date back to times unknown, at least the deity itself, if not the structure. Not much remains of the ancient structures anyway. The city has seen more than its fair share of good and bad times. It has seen the heights of grandeur, and the lows brought about by destruction. The city that exists today has grown so haphaza...
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Ganpati Bappa Morya

It's that time of the year when the Lord turns up, at almost every house in the vicinity - small and big alike. He may be tiny or huge, pot bellied or traditional, or in a modern avatar, but his presence is visible at every corner. Since the past few years, we have made our own clay idol of Lord Ganesha at home, a task I really missed this year. However, my mother gave me the opportunity today, and here is the idol I made for her....


He is a tiny chap, small and cute (I think!!), and he would have been a simple Lord, had it not been for my aunt, who brought out these tiny little pieces of jewelry, which we then used to decorate Him. Tonight, he sits peacefully on a betel leaf, waiting for the prayers to begin tomorrow.

He is the Lord of new beginnings, the remover of obstacles. Technically, we aren't supposed to celebrate any festivals in a house of mourning, but it is in times like these that we need Him the most. I pray to Him to bestow His grace upon us all.....

Ganpati Bappa Morya!!!! 
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Comments

  1. LocomenteSeptember 9, 2013 at 1:34 PM

    Aww...
    He looks so chweeet!!!

    ReplyDelete
  2. ErcotravelsSeptember 11, 2013 at 4:18 PM

    He is cute and on the first glance, appears to be made-up of sweets
    Regards :)
    Our new post is
    http://india-wildlife-tour.blogspot.in/2013/09/an-insight-inside-dudhwa-national-park.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarSeptember 13, 2013 at 4:21 PM

      Thank you!!! that was the response I recd from many people. the dark brown colour probably reminds u of chocolate!!!

      Delete
  3. SowmyaSeptember 13, 2013 at 3:47 PM

    Very cute Ganapathi. Do u have Navaratri this year ? Am waiting to see ur preparations n celebrations .. Even we keep gombe/dolls for Navaratri n need some tips from u as we r still beginners .. Ur blog is just wonderful n we enjoy going through it. Its Awesome

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarSeptember 13, 2013 at 4:22 PM

      Thanks Sowmya. no, we dont have navaratri this year, but i will be happy to help you out!

      Delete

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