At the Temple of the Tooth Relic, Kandy

-


 A sketch of an ornate entrance at the temple of the sacred tooth relic, Kandy. 

Location: Kandy, Sri Lanka

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Brihadisvara temple at Thanjavur

-
Image
Brihadisvara temple illustration, Thanjavur ( UNESCO World heritage site) In the Kaveri river valley, a powerful kingdom arose, known far and wide for its military prowess, feats of architecture, patronage to art, music and dance.  They spread out into Sri Lanka, the Maldives, Lakshadweep and even far out Bali and Sumatra across the Indian ocean. Their most illustrious emperor - Raja Raja Chola the great. The Cholas owed their glory to the gods and in honor of this, built several fantastic temples all over South India. The most magnificent of them all is in their former capital, Thanjavur - The Brihadeeswara temple, dedicated to Shiva.  Its massive gopuram is the cynosure of all eyes, visible from miles ahead.It is built entirely from granite and is well restored, thanks to a very good job of conservation by the ASI. It is still a place of worship, perhaps that is the reason it managed to survive intact.   The most popular icon in India...
Read more

Pandharpur

-
Image
On a recent trip to Maharashtra, I saw this kaka and kaki at the Pune Railway station. They must have been on their way to Pandharpur. I have seen devotees making their way to Pandharpur in hordes singing beautiful abhangs, taking their entire family with them. The Varkaris generally make this annual pilgrimage by foot.   Elders and little children walk too, and there is scarcely a break in the singing and music. There is something divine, whether you are a believer of god or not, in voices raised to a common tune, in exaltation of something outside the self. I would like to go with them once. In the month of Ashadh Ekadashi, trains in Maharashtra are filled with pilgrims on their way to Pandharpur. Maybe I will join them. Who knows, I may meet this old couple I saw at the Pune railway station.
Read more

The stone chariot shrine in Hampi

-
Image
Stone Chariot illustration, Vitthala temple, Hampi, Karnataka Look closely from atop the Anjanadri hill. The Tungabhadra river gleams in the sun and green paddy fields take on a glow. The strange boulders, so characteristic of the Deccan plateau are everywhere. You shall be transported to an ancient time in history, when travellers from faraway Portugal, Persia and Italy came to trade and behold this wondrous city - The city of  Hampi. Though a few ruins and well preserved structures still remain behind, I reckon it is only a shadow of what had once been the capital of the powerful and wealthy Vijayanagara empire. Nevertheless, you can still imagine how lush and prosperous the place must have been. It is an ancient land. Even before the Vijayanagara empire sprung up, its proximity to the Tungabhadra river made it an important area for many other civilizations. In fact, it is believed to be Kishkindha, the kingdom of the Vanaras of Ramayana. I remember the coracle ride t...
Read more

Society for Children's book Writers & Illustrators, India