Skip to main content

Featured Post

Odisha Part 8: The Parasurameshwara Temple, Bhubaneshwar

The Parasurameshwara temple is one of the oldest temples in Bhubaneshwar, dating back to the early 8 th century CE. It is also one of the more intriguing temples, with a wide variety of very interesting sculptures. This temple has been attributed to the Shailodbhavas , who were Shaivites. The dynasty is named for their founder, Shailodbhava, who is said to have emerged from a rock, by the grace of Lord Shiva, in response to a prayer by a man from Kalinga, to create a man capable of ruling the earth. That this temple is dedicated to Shiva is clear, not only from the Shaiva dwarapalas who guard the entrance, but also from the numerous sculptures depicting Shiva in his many forms. However, what makes this temple very interesting is the presence of multiple images of the goddesses, especially the Saptamatrikas. The presence of different forms of the goddess, a panel depicting the marriage of Shiva and Parvati, as well as an image of Ardhanareeshwara suggest a strong Shakta influence o...

Skywatch Friday - Sunrise in the Forest

Now that I have written about Rishikesh, it is time for me to take a break... and write about random stuff for a while, before getting back to my #summertrip. To begin with, let me share with you, as part of Skywatch Friday, a beautiful sunrise at Tadoba....

We were awaiting our turn to enter the buffer zone of Tadoba, when the sun appeared, over the rim of the trees.





It was as if the sun was covered by a thin veil of branches, which it shrugged off, as it rose over the forest.... Here are a few captures, to give you a glimpse of that wonderful sight....





For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the SkyWatch page.

Comments

  1. Stunning captures Anu! Love how the sun obscures the sun...

    ReplyDelete
  2. This is it. Great!

    Your dedicated photography and travelogue endeavours are such..
    at times they leave me spellbound ;)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you so much, Reetesh! and good to see you here!

      Delete
  3. Right moment, right camera, right mood, right intention and perfect luck, combination of all those factors made this wonderful picture of our nature. Thanks for giving us something great picture to talk about!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Absolutely, pkshome! It was the perfect combination! we were lucky to see this sight!

      Delete
  4. Beautiful shot! I love the moon peeking through the trees!
    Please come link up at this week's Wordless Wednesday (on Tuesday):
    http://image-in-ing.blogspot.com/2015/09/allium-glorious.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Sue! I would love to, but that implies a wordless post, so let me see if something clicks.

      Delete
  5. Replies
    1. Thank you Freda! Nice to see you here after a long while!

      Delete
  6. Great idea capturing the sunrise in amongst the branches. Beautiful result.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Yogi! It was just an accident that we happened to be there as the sun rose from behind the trees, and I just had to capture it! lucky us!

      Delete
  7. Wonderful shots!! Looks like the sun is fighting off the clutches of multiple branches!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Spare parts and pics! That was a wonderfully interesting way of putting it. never thought of it like that!

      Delete
  8. Great shots ! Thanks for sharing !

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Thank you, Namaki! It was entirely my pleasure! am glad you liked it!

      Delete
  9. The sunset pictuers are so beautiful ... thanks for sharing with us.. well i am also a amture photographer and i also love seeing sunset... :D
    Resorts near Gurgaon

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...

Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.