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...
I have just got through my most hectic weekend ever! What did I do? Well, I attended the Landmark Forum . Never heard of it? I hadn’t too, till last month, when my husband attended it, and convinced me to try it out too….. It is too difficult to express in words exactly what the Forum is, or what it does, and I can only say what they tell us in their brochures – that they help us ‘transform’ our lives. Yes, ‘transform’, not ‘change’. They also assure us that we can open up infinite possibilities for ourselves. So I am sure your next question is: “Did they live up to their promise?” Well, I am not hedging when I say that I am not quite sure as of now. What they have managed to do, is make me think – about myself, my family, my perceptions… everything that is part of my life. They have made me rethink my image of myself, and have certainly opened up new avenues of thought. As to the actual transformation, it is something I have to do myself, obviously. Whether I am able to hold ...