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Pandharpur Yatra 2023

The first time I visited Pandharpur was back in 2007 . The names Vitthal and Pandharpur, were just names to me. I had heard of them, but that was about it. Seeing the lord standing on the brick, hands on his hips, was memorable, but more memorable was the sight that greeted us as we walked out of the main sanctum of the temple. In the mandap just outside were a group of devotees singing abhangs , and dancing. This was the first time I had heard abhangs , and even almost 15 years later, I can remember the welling of feeling within me, listening to the songs, and how fascinated I was by the sight of the devotees dancing, lost in their love of the Lord. Over the years, as I have read more about Vitthal, and participated in Ashadi Ekadashi programmes at Puttaparthi, that first experience has stayed clear in my mind and heart. Every time I tell my Balvikas students of the saints who sang of Vitthala, it is that experience that I re-live. I visited Pandharpur again, in 2010, but that experie
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Birds of Tadoba - Changeable Hawk Eagle

We first saw a Changeable Hawk Eagle while driving to Mysore from Wayanad. Since then, we have seen the bird often, but never managed to get as good a click as the first time. Then, at Tadoba, as we criss-crossed our way across the forest in search of the tiger, we saw these birds often, either near ponds or just by the side of the road.





It was easy to identify them, thanks to their trademark crest, but each sighting was just as fascinating as the first. It was even more so, to see how the bird sat perfectly still, yet moved its head and eyes, almost like a dancer, taking in its surroundings, keeping watch, for dangers as well as prey.












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Location: Tadoba National Park, Chandrapur, Maharashtra 442401, India

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 5, 2015 at 1:48 PM

    These pictures are amazing! Beautiful framing and great shot!

    ReplyDelete
  2. R Niranjan DasOctober 5, 2015 at 3:04 PM

    Nice captures.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Saachi AgarwalOctober 23, 2015 at 2:11 PM

    Spellbound! Great pictures depicting the minutest details of the bird. Thanks to your beautiful capture that I got an opportunity to see how a hawk eagle looks like. I hope if I ever get a chance to visit Tadoba, I can also get a glimpse of this beautiful bird.

    ReplyDelete

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