Skip to main content

Posts

Showing posts with the label Raipur

Featured Post

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 ...
1 comment
Read more

My Sirpur Experience

I was in Gangtok when I received an invite to the Sirpur Music and Dance Festival from the Chhattisgarh Tourism Board . I wasn’t sure if I would be able to go, but asked for some time, so I could get back to Mumbai and check if I could manage to get away for the three days. Eventually, things worked out, and I set off, happy to be visiting a new state, wondering what the experience would be like.
4 comments
Read more

Sirpur - Heritage Unearthed

Long, long ago , there was a city on the banks of a river. The builders planned it well. They built on the right side of the river, allowing for the natural slopes, which ensured that when the river swelled during the monsoons, the extra flow would be to its left, leaving the city dry. The main walls of the town were built in a direction along the river, so that in case there ever was a flood, it would do the least damage. They built massive temples for their deities, towering over the city, so everyone could see the spires, and hear the bells from their houses. Surang Tila
14 comments
Read more

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. 
Post a Comment
Read more

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 .
12 comments
Read more

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….
8 comments
Read more