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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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Khajuraho - The Unexpected

Khajuraho. The very name conjures up exotic images of erotic art on temple walls. However, there is so much more to Khajuraho than just the erotic, or even just temples. Last December, Samhith and I spent three days at Khajuraho, exploring as much of the ancient town as we could, and over the next few weeks, I shall try to show you the Khajuraho that we saw, beginning with this photo clicked at the Kandariya Mahadev Temple.



The Kandariya Mahadev is one of the most impressive temples at Khajuraho, and it’s the details which make it so impressive. This particular figure is of Agni, the God of Fire. Here, though, he is one of the Ashta-Dikpalas, the guardians of the 8 directions. Agni guards the South-East, and it’s his placement on the South East wall of the temple, which allows us to identify him here. Notice the finer details, such as his beard….



These photos are among my favourites; among the hundreds I clicked at Khajuraho, thanks to this female Plum-Headed Parakeet which chose Agni to be her perch!

Her mate was nearby, perched on one of the smaller Shikaras….




And they patiently posed for me as I went click-happy; thrilled by the sight of birds on a temple, a combination I am always thrilled to see!

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Location: Khajuraho, Madhya Pradesh 471606, India

Comments

  1. BIGBIGBANGOctober 14, 2016 at 7:21 PM

    Lovely pics.

    ReplyDelete
  2. SudhageeNovember 23, 2016 at 10:29 AM

    I usually wait for the birds to fly away before taking pictures. :P

    But this time at the Rani ji ki Baori in Bundi there was a flock of pigeons who refused to fly away and all my pictures of the Baori are with them in the frame.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarNovember 23, 2016 at 10:41 AM

      And I look for birds to photograph! no matter where they are!

      looking forward to your pics of the Bundi! esp with the pigeons now!

      Delete
  3. Anuradha ShankarNovember 23, 2016 at 10:40 AM

    Thank you!

    ReplyDelete

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