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Temples of Kashi - The Kardameshwar temple

The absence of ancient Hindu structures in Kashi is something I have always lamented about. The shrines are certainly ancient, and that is something that has always attracted me to the city. However, I miss the beauty of the ancient structures that we see at other sites. This feeling is intensified when I see marble and concrete and tiles in temples that once would have been beautifully adorned with evocative sculptures, and worn by the passage of time, touched by the hands of seekers who came before. This time , this desire to see some remnants of an ancient Hindu structure in Kashi came true when I managed to visit the Kardameshwar Temple. The Kardameshwar temple is not one of the main temples in the city. It is part of the temples on the Pancha Kroshi yatra, a pilgrimage which takes one on a circumambulatory tour of the whole city. The temple is located on the outskirts of the city, on the western bank of a tank called the Kardama Kund. The Kardameshwar temple is one of the...
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Starfish in Goa

Partly buried in the sand, it wouldn't have attracted attention, but for the fact, that we were searching for shells. 




Ardent shell collectors that we are, we were looking for something different, and a sudden movement caught our eye. We first thought it was a crab... and there was one nearby, one that Samhith saw, but one sight of this starfish, and shells were all forgotten! 



We first thought this was the only one around, but we soon saw many others. It appeared that they had been washed ashore, and we soon realized that there were plenty of them scattered around, and we were able to take a closer look. 


I had only seen dead starfish in all these years, so seeing a live one for the very first time is a sight I can not forget. The quivering 'feet' if I can them that, and the ease with which they buried themselves into the sand fascinated us for quite a while, and we stood there for a while, simply watching more of them appear and disappear. 



It was only later, walking around the beach, that the realization dawned, that many of these were destined to go the same way as the shells we were collecting. Washed too far ashore to be able to get back to the safety of the sea, or even to burrow under the wet sand, there were so many left behind by the ebbing tide. 


It was a sad sight to see all those dead starfish, but we also realized that this was almost the same as all the shells scattered on the beach. That is how they came to be here too. However, try as we might, we weren't able to pick it up to bring it along with us. After all, we had seen them as they are meant to be seen - alive! 

P.S. If any of you are wondering, we saw these starfish at Varca Beach in Goa. 
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Location: Varca, Goa, India

Comments

  1. Anu @ CountryHoppingCoupleNovember 28, 2013 at 5:58 AM

    Interesting Anu! I haven't seen a starfish at all be it dead or alive. Lovely pictures!

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarNovember 28, 2013 at 8:17 AM

      Thanks, Anu. This was our first too, so keep your eyes open! you never know what you might spot!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousJuly 29, 2014 at 2:27 PM

      Hi Anu, Great pics... was just wandering out in the net for surviving Goa in the monsoons as me and my wife are going there on Aug 13th (midst of monsoon I guess)! So was skeptical. However, your blogs gave a new angle to the monsoon... am more inquisitive now.. thanks...

      Delete
    3. Anuradha ShankarJuly 29, 2014 at 2:57 PM

      Glad to have encouraged you!!! Have a great time in Goa!!!

      Delete
  2. AnonymousDecember 20, 2013 at 5:04 PM

    Wow nice picture Anuradha. I am from Goa but i have never seen a star fish in my life. I have seen a little octopus once but not star fish.

    ReplyDelete
  3. SudheeshOctober 27, 2016 at 5:56 PM

    Hi Anuradha ,

    We visited goa last week ... Gone to Varca beach also ... Righly said there are lots of small starfish in and around .. Luckily i got 4 starfishes alive !!! I put it in a small plastic container with sea water and bring them home at Kerala ( It was a road trip ) .. I am so happy to say that they are alive still and i am looking for a good aquarium habitat for them .. :-)

    ReplyDelete

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