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Showing posts from January, 2015

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Odisha Part 11: Discovering the Jaina Heritage of Odisha at the caves of Udaygiri and Khandgiri

The Hindu and Buddhist history of Odisha , or rather, ancient Kalinga, is rather well known to everyone. Who hasn’t heard of the grand temples of Odisha – Puri, Lingaraj and Konark, or the great war of Kalinga which inspired Ashoka to convert to Buddhism? In contrast, very few know of the Jaina heritage of this region. This is quite a pity, since, just around 7 km from the city, is one of India’s most ancient inscriptions, which throws light on the Jaina heritage of Odisha. This inscription is the Hathigumpha inscription of Kharavela, in the hills of Udaygiri. Udaygiri and Khandgiri are two hills located opposite each other, and both are testaments to the rich Jaina heritage of Odisha. The caves at Udaygiri are older, while Khandgiri is relatively newer, but has lasted much longer, and continues to be a place of pilgrimage for Jains even today. These hills, from inscriptions and excavations of caves, shrines and rock beds, appear to have been a haven for Jaina monks, right from the ...
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Sleepy Felines of the Himalayan Zoological Park, Gangtok

Spread over 230 Hectares , the Himalayan Zoological Park in Gangtok is surely one of the biggest zoos in India. I am not a big fan of zoos, but when one is as huge, well planned, and well maintained as this one, I have to appreciate it. We visited the zoo on an especially clear December afternoon, and found most of the animals busy having their siesta! I shall write more about the zoo later, but for now, let me share some of my images of the sleepy felines, which surely resented our intrusion....
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Skywatch Friday : The Western Ghats, from the skies

Here is Skywatch today, with a difference. Instead of posting images of the sky, here are some images from the sky! I clicked these from the plane, as our flight from Raipur hovered over the Western Ghats, approaching Mumbai....
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Mahant Ghasidas Sangrahalaya - The Raipur Museum

“Sangrahalaya? Woh kya hota hai?” (“Museum, whats that?”) asked a bewildered gentleman, when I asked him directions to the museum at Raipur. 
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The Winged Beauties of Satpura

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Faces in the Crowd - the girl drawing a rangoli

It has been a long time since I posted anything in this series, so reviving it with this pic from the Sirpur Village. We were wandering around Sirpur village, when I noticed her. I am always drawn towards Rangoli, and hers was the only one in the village! When I asked, she said that they rarely drew Rangolis, unless it was a festival. "Why now?" I asked, and she replied "Because we cleaned our front porch and I felt like!" P.S. I recently visited Sirpur to attend the Music and Dance Festival on invitation from Chhattisgarh Tourism . Read my other posts on the trip for more details and information,
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Encounters with the Common Kingfisher

The Common Kingfisher is, in my opinion, anything but common! I see its cousin, the White Throated Kingfisher, almost all the time, at home, as well as on my travels, but it took me a trip to the Satpura National Park to see the Common Kingfisher for the very first time! And then again, we didnt see it in the sanctuary, but spotted it while waiting for a boat to take us there! 
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Memorable Moments from the Satpura National Park

“Will we see a tiger?” was the first question Samhith asked, when I told him we were going to the Satpura National Park in Madhya Pradesh. “No”, I replied. “We might not see a tiger, and in fact, we aren’t looking for one. We are going to see the forest, and experience what this particular one is like.” It was quite a lecture, and I don’t think he really got it, but he did come along, I am sure, hoping secretly that we would indeed see one! Well, to cut a long story short, the tiger stayed well hidden, but the forest left us with enough memories to last a while… Let me share with you, some special moments…
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Skywatch Friday - Sunset at Sirpur

It's been a while since I have posted anything for Skywatch Friday , so here is something from my most recent trip, to Sirpur, in Chhattisgarh . We were walking over the remnants of one of the oldest marketplaces in the world, when the sun began to go down. We had to cut short our exploration of the other ancient monuments of Sirpur, and head back. The light was already failing, and I was ready to put my camera inside... and then I glimpsed this... the sun setting over one of the many temples in Sirpur...
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Sirpur Music and Dance Festival 2015

Music, they say , is a feast for the soul. When music and dance come together across genres, language and region, that too in a place steeped in history, the result is something even greater – a feeling I can only describe as Divine! I had an opportunity to experience such bliss at the recently concluded Sirpur Music and Dance Festival, thanks to an invite from the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board .
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A Sculpture like none other!

He is over 8 feet tall , and simply seems to take up all the space! We were, to be honest, rather startled, when we first set eyes on him. The reason though, was not his size, but the fact that he seemed to be made up of faces! Wondering what I am talking about? Here, let me show you….
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40 Hours in Kolkata

This was a trip I had long looked forward to – my first visit to the eastern parts of India, beginning with Kolkata! It was also one of the most difficult of trips to plan – there was so much I wanted to see, and yet, I had so little time to pack it all in… oh, and yes, I wanted it to be a relaxed trip, not one where I ran from one place to another. Eventually, I spent just 2 days in the city, arriving early in the morning, and leaving the next evening. How much could I pack into the two paltry days? Quite a bit, apparently. So, here then, are my experiences, in the city of joy!
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Beginning the New Year with a smile...

10 days into the new year, 2015 promises to be just as hectic as the last one. 2014 was a mixed bag, taking us on a roller coaster ride of emotions.I hope 2015 brings us all a lot more peace in our lives, and gives us more reasons to smile. Sharing with you all a pic clicked from my recent trip to Kolkata... This is the head of a Bodhisattva , 2nd century C.E, from Sankisa in UP, now at the Indian Museum, Kolkata. The sculptor has so beautifully captured the inner peace and contentment behind that serene smile. May we all be blessed with the same peace and contentment this year....
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