Of People and Places

Sittilingi is a valley in Dharmapuri, Tamil Nadu.Everywhere you turn, you see  green-blue mountains and the valley is a vast bamboo grove. There are peacocks in the fields and trees and many birds, especially the small ones that make the most noise. It is lovely to be outdoors in the morning and late evening. Daytime is sweltering hot. The night sky is spectacular. I had the privilege of seeing the blood moon ( Total Lunar Eclipse) there and it was breathtaking. I hear from my friend that it was cut off from the outside world for a long time. It is a small hamlet with Malayalee / Malayvasi ( adivasi), Lambadi  and Dalit families.Twenty six years ago, two doctors -Regi and Lalitha started the Tribal Health Initiative in a small hut in Sittilingi and now it has turned into a full - fledged hospital. Its team  includes trained nurses who come from the local community and a world wide community of volunteers and well -wishers. The THI has also led initiatives such as the Sitt

Maheshwar is an understated place. Maybe, I prefer it that way. After a disappointing visit to Ujjain, being pushed and pulled by people to have a quick glance ( barely) at the deity in the Mahakaleshwar temple, Maheshwar felt like an oasis, because there was space to explore at my pace. The whole Ahilya fort is charming to visit. Very peaceful and quaint. I especially liked Rani Ahilyabai Holkar's residence - one of the most elegant, simple, no-frills palaces I have ever visited. This was a sight that we saw in the courtyard of the Rajwada - A local woman had stepped out of her house in a beautiful yellow and green sari that made it a perfect composition for a painting. I find Maheshwar breathtaking - Definitely worth another visit ( or many more visits!). 

Inside the Thanjavur Maratha Royal complex, in the Royal Palace museum, you will get to see graceful figures in Bronze.  The way they capture the beauty of the human figure with its contours and posture is a treat to see. All the bronze sculptures that are part of the collection have exquisite details.  I especially love the gestures of the hands, every finger elegantly poised, much like they do in stylized theatre or in Classical dance. This sculpture was found in Mayiladuthurai in Tamil nadu. It is named as Thirupurantagar, One of the many names of Lord Shiva. I was amazed to hear of how these sculptures were made. They went through an elaborate process where an intricate wax model was first carved, after which it was covered with clay to form a mould. This was then fired to harden it. The wax melted in the heat leaving only the baked clay intact. The bronze was then melted and poured into this mould. Once it had hardened, the outer clay shell would be shattered. Only to lea

My favourite place to visit in Hoshangabad is Bandrabhan. It is the confluence of  Narmada and Tawa rivers. From Hoshangabad twenty of us would go there on a sketching trip and have a gala time drawing, sketching or just plain wool-gathering. I couldn't believe such a gem existed when I first set my eyes on the place. You need to walk a little way downhill to get there and cross a vast expanse of sand that leads into the river and the wind roars past you, billowing your clothes and hair. Try turning and walking backwards and suddenly everything is calm and quiet just as it was noisy and chaotic a few moments ago! ( I hope nobody was watching me. I must look eccentric doing that!) Across the river there is a temple with a structure in the shape of a  trishool glinting in the sunlight, surrounded by shrubs and bushes. It looks so tranquil in the evening.  Once, when we went in the monsoons, our feet sank down in the sand and slowed us down as it stuck to our footwear. This