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...
We stayed at the Mizka Homestay in Leh , a small, simple place, an old house extended to accommodate guests. It is located on one of the inner roads off the market, so was peaceful and quiet. There were 4 rooms on the first floor, for guests. One of these is actually a kitchen which doubles up as a guest room when there are extra visitors. All the rooms were occupied, since this was the peak tourist season, but we met only one other guest, a Brazilian from Copenhagen on a long tour of South-East Asia. Our room at the Mizka Homestay What I loved was the seating arrangement in the common/ dining area, which had these low seats, reminding me of the low palagas we sit on, in south India. The dining room at the homestay It was also interesting to learn that rice was the staple for most people in the region. I have no notes of the food we ate, in my diary… not surprising, since I barely notice what I eat, and am not very happy to experiment. But I do remember that we asked our hoste...