A Wandering Mind

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Showing posts with the label history

Paintings at the Pundrikji-ki-Haveli, Jaipur

I first read about Pundrikji-ki-Haveli on the ASI Jaipur circle website. It is said to be the home of Pandit Ratnakar Bhatt, the royal purohit (priest and advisor) at the court of Maharaj Sawai Jai Singh II, the founder of Jaipur. As the story goes, the pandit, originally from Maharashtra, was studying Astrology and Tantra Vidya at Kashi, where he met the King of Jaipur. Impressed with his knowledge, the king brought him back to Jaipur, making him the royal purohit . He was also given the title of “Pundrik”, probably an association with the town of Pandharpur (where he might have hailed from). The king, it is said, built him a Haveli, which came to be known as Pundrikji-ki-Haveli. The Haveli has some excellent examples of paintings, of the Jaipur style, prevalent during the 18 th century. Our visit to the Haveli is a long story.

The Royal Legacy of Bikaner

The story of Bikaner often starts with the disagreement between Rao Jodha of Jodhpur and his sixth son, Rao Bika. A stray comment by his father led him to the wild land ruled by the Jats, overcome them, and set up a new kingdom. The story is filled with emotions, replete with drama, politics and intrigue. However, there is another story as well – the story of Bikaner, seen over 500 years, through its art and architecture.

Kanheri - Stories in Stone

The caves at Kanheri are awe-inspiring . To begin with, there are over a hundred, spread over three hills! Then, there is the fact that they were in use for over a millennium! Add to this the wonderful art in the caves which still remains, after centuries of neglect. Taken together, Kanheri is a fascinating place, one that makes us want to delve further into its history and its stories. An inscription from Cave 3, Kanheri

The Art of Kanheri

The stories of Kanheri are spread over time and space. They begin somewhere in the 1 st century B.C.E., when the first monks passed by, and stayed in caverns hidden in these hills. Then came others, who excavated these caves, to live in, to study, and to promote their religion, to discuss their beliefs. Time passed, and as the social and political scene changed, Kanheri changed too. The caves spread over three hills, then satellite settlements began, and patrons came from far and wide. Inscriptions talk of donors who came all the way from Central Asia, the North East Frontier region and Eastern India. Along them came their influences, which are seen in the art of Kanheri. A Stupa in Cave 36, with remnants of paintings on the ceiling

Kanheri - First Impressions

I stood at the foot of the steps , looking up at the mountain. The caves carved into it centuries ago were just visible, and, for the umpteenth time that morning, I reflected on the irony, that I had grown up almost right under the shadow of these mountains, yet it had taken me so many years to actually come here. My mother’s refrain “There’s a time for everything” constantly echoed in my head, as I followed the others up the flight of steps which would lead us to the Kanheri Caves. I was glad, at least, that though delayed, I was visiting the caves to attend a three day site seminar by Dr. Suraj Pandit, one of the foremost experts on Kanheri.

Lonar - The Crater Lake : Meteor, Myth, Monuments

So many shades of green – from the bright green of the leaves to the dull green mixed with brown of the mountains. Even the lake was green, though it was difficult to decide if it was the colour of the water, or simply the reflection. As the setting sun cast its last light of the day on the water, the lake appeared to be a jewel, hidden away in the mountains. We were at Lonar, the site of India’s only meteoric crater lake, and from my vantage point on the balcony of the MTDC resort, as I watched the shades of green grow dark and disappear into the darkness, I wondered if I would be able to climb down the crater and discover some of the mysteries it held.

The Vibrant Art of Orchha

At first glance, Orchha is all about the grand monuments that tower over the town, and present magnificent views across the Betwa river. Then, we listen to its stories, and are swayed by the twists in its history, its association with so many interesting personages, who have left their footprints behind. There are, however, even more stories waiting to be heard, but which can only be seen, when you look closer, at the art of Orccha.

Around Gwalior - The Chausath Yogini Temple at Mitavali

We caught our first glimpse of the temple when Samhith stopped to play in a canal cutting across the road.

Gwalior Part 3 : The Other Monuments of Gwalior Fort

The Man Mandir was a revelation, in terms of architecture, design, as well as ornamentation. No wonder it was the place everyone flocked to. But there was more to Gwalior fort, monuments built by the other rulers. They might not match the grandeur of Man Mandir, but they were reminders of others who left their imprints on the city. They were worth a glimpse, and short of time, we rushed through them.

Gwalior Part 2 : The Fort - Man Mandir Palace

Gwalior . The name, it is said in legends, comes from the sage Gwalipa, who lived here in the 8 th century.

Tharangambadi - Land of the singing waves

Our train dropped us , early in the morning, at the rain washed station of Mayiladudurai. The rains were unexpected, and we had no umbrellas. We rushed for cover within the station premises, and leaving my son to take care of our luggage, I hurried to find a car to take us to our destination. The drivers outside were huddling inside their vehicles, reluctant to step out. Eventually, one of them agreed, and we made our way through the wet streets of the city to the small fishing village that was our destination – Tharangambadi, on the Tamilnadu coast.

Discovering heritage in ruins - the Nurpur Fort

“Amma, you missed a fort!” cried Samhith. We were on our way from Pathankot to Dharamsala, and I had somehow fallen into a deep sleep. I was still groggy, but the word ‘fort’ was enough to wake me up. Or maybe it was the enthusiasm in his voice. He went on, describing how big it looked, and how it stood atop a hill, and all I thought was – I didn’t know there was a fort here! “Had you heard of the Nurpur Fort?” added Shankar, intruding into my thoughts, and I shook my head. For the first time, I kicked myself mentally for not being prepared enough, and decided we would stop on our way back.

The Kangra Fort

The steep walls of the fort tower over us, and we strain our necks to get a better view. The car winds its way steadily upwards, and we walk into the imposing gates. Our stop at the Kangra Fort is meant to be a short one, tired as we are. As it turns out, the fort and its stories have us enthralled, and we lose track of time! The Kangra Fort, as seen from the road, with a temple on the hill behind

The Rock Cut Temples of Masroor

“Kehte hain, Pandavon ne yeh mandir banaya tha” (They say, that it was the Pandavas who built these temples), says the ASI guide, at the Rock Cut Cave Temples of Masroor. I look at him, askance, expecting a bit more information than that. “But some other king would have rebuilt the temples” I insist, trying not to override his mythological beliefs, hoping to get some historical information. He shrugs, clearly knowing nothing more, and turns instead to show us some of the depictions of deities he does know. My questions continue, and his confusion increases. “Are you studying these temples?” he asks, flicking looks between me and my son. “No, I just write about them” I reply, and he is satisfied. “Lots of people come here to study these temples and write about them. We are applying for UNESCO World Heritage Status” he adds proudly.

Heritage in the Wilderness

Nestled within a copse of towering Deodar trees , the Church of St. John in the wilderness stays true to its name. As we walk into the gates and approach the church from the busy road leading to McLeod Ganj, the silence is marked – a much needed respite from the honking of cars stuck in a traffic jam outside. The church comes into view, shadowed by the trees, lit by a few rays of light escaping the green canopy.

Pemayangtse Monastery - of art, faith and spirituality

The Pemayangtse Monastery is the second stop on our tour of Pelling. It is one of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim, as well as one of the most important ones. From the outside, it looks colourful, but we have no clue about what awaits us inside!

Rabdentse Palace - home of the Sikkim Kings

Three stone structures stand at the edge of the mountain. Behind them is the valley, and beyond it, the mountains stretch as far as our eyes can see. It is an impressive sight, and I can finally understand why the erstwhile rulers of Sikkim chose this as the location of their palace. We are at Rabdentse, the second capital of the Sikkim kings, and the three structures are chortens , where the royal family offered prayers and incense to their deities.

Indian Museum, Kolkata

When I first announced my intention of going to Kolkata, Sudha said, “ Whatever you do, don’t miss the Indian Museum! ” I must confess that, till then, I hadn’t heard of the Indian Museum. I knew there were many museums in Kolkata, and I had every intention of seeing as many as I could, but why specifically the Indian Museum? “ Because it was the first museum in India ” she replied, “ and this is the museum where all discoveries from various excavations were first brought, and later on, given to other museums. ” That settled it. I didn’t need any more reasons to be convinced.

Kochi and Around... A Compilation of my posts

Our trip to Kochi last May was all about firsts – the first church established in India, the first European church built in India, the first European Fort built in India, the first Jewish Synagogue to be built in India, and the first mosque built in India. The place also has a lot of ancient temples, certainly older than all these monuments, but we couldn’t visit the temples on the trip due to various reasons. Those are for another trip. However, now that I have finished writing all about the places we visited, it is time to wind up the series, putting it together in one post for your easy reference, if you are planning a trip to Kochi…

St. Thomas in Kochi

The landmark for our homestay in Fort Kochi was the Marthoma Church. In spite of multiple visits to Kerala, this was the first time I had heard the name, and on asking, was told that the word Marthoma referred to a sect of Christians, the followers of St. Thomas. Over the next few days, as we explored Kochi and its heritage, St.Thomas seemed to pop up everywhere. He had arrived in India, bringing the word of Christ, eager to spread the gospel, in Muziris, present day Kodungallur. St. Thomas arriving in India, depicted as a mural in the St. Thomas Pontifical Shrine