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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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Faces in the Crowd - The perfume man

At most temples, we only see vendors selling items for the Lord. At the Govind Dev ji Temple in Jaipur, this lone man sat by a pillar, adding a touch of fragrance...


He happily obliged with his wares to whoever wanted to try them out, neither calling out nor encouraging them, selling to only those who asked him for some. Most people regarded him as just one of the other priests, and his perfume, another blessing of the Lord, so maybe it was so. In a time when even priests are pushy and adept salesmen, this man stood out for his silence, which is what made me click him. 

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Location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India

Comments

  1. P.N. SubramanianOctober 19, 2013 at 10:15 AM

    The perfume bottles are unique.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarOctober 19, 2013 at 10:24 AM

      Not really, PNS. These are the local perfumes, or attar. I have seen them often. They look pretty, but unfortunately, didnt get a better pic of them.

      Delete
  2. RenukaOctober 19, 2013 at 12:12 PM

    Interesting! Never heard or seen something like this before!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MridulaOctober 21, 2013 at 12:21 PM

    I wonder what was he thinking? He looks so serious and lost!

    ReplyDelete

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