tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35509336500926466672024-03-18T15:41:45.309+05:30A Wandering MindMy Travels Across IndiaAnuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.comBlogger1087125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-70031773304465629442023-12-12T13:04:00.004+05:302023-12-12T13:05:41.748+05:302023 - The Year That Was<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Places
impact you</b></i> for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different
people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual
experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally,
every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply
spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has
emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this
year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited
recently. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind7D3c5MNhFhF9NtiraahwfG0X52gkYOIy8Ex8199xfyazoCEqjaYXIlkUGzt-hiXMNy35Tej6HDIyNY78AZqnfQ2U0YwmRG68saGEhgX2GKbLM5rWMpYMZ4mCOhRKxQ5S5z6OXYpymo4E-Fq0AQ_b1f1vEMEXhYj6NBY68hhFhkAfWF_xjmDYZaUujGe/s1080/Picsart_23-12-12_12-36-18-250.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEind7D3c5MNhFhF9NtiraahwfG0X52gkYOIy8Ex8199xfyazoCEqjaYXIlkUGzt-hiXMNy35Tej6HDIyNY78AZqnfQ2U0YwmRG68saGEhgX2GKbLM5rWMpYMZ4mCOhRKxQ5S5z6OXYpymo4E-Fq0AQ_b1f1vEMEXhYj6NBY68hhFhkAfWF_xjmDYZaUujGe/w640-h640/Picsart_23-12-12_12-36-18-250.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I began
this year </i></b>with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a
relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt,
but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh.
It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few
hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There
was an indefinable connect with the sculptures which brought the temple alive. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85kSt3F2IB8CDTgLl-zRuvm7vt50YTFe5XX5pTgR8kDMSqIjz9MhNE-ZuVNygR--zcnrObMPU6sXs-8i6SwXE9MpjGRA40bBoV-7L3IkfZmKyubSldOVJse3Ya6e3ft7mjEFnlJ-6xQr4Nhu2uroqLsrNgqVV9VHKZ63iBVOag2DceEYyN8TJ__NgHMBrOAxtFvPF1qi314JJZ2zDzHcihCZ_FF0j8zQj9gm1QLHP0avdsIFadWPrIoBR9g1HLbIT-8MMnym2VfFmtqHEewohCgLE8z3qcJ-7QFSxmNu2mR09g7vC7ybZH9sc0lMbi58OvHEa1Kv7jR_G-CLCkB4AxjUIJLiEbtTYHLJfVYmsDjjs_kWH43t9wc-uB4Ut85fjDj8cJaKqLPvU4EfGSzYelAFXdqkAO2HCQTiMK2EiFZn5xe_UvMBBLR6_1GDrOzepxpGdOveMKDkoGH6Nc2nEahcQzcj1g1qIwSK3Uk0x1_DR4NPrpGkeU3dTPq5E71yc2rrGHM5kw8j3fauKmZRNeoOiBldM5BY8obUy0YSzUt_PZ3Bxb7X9tind3HHEFDiWsigQwvjutlI_cXyl9da4_m2nuHWn4lzbAUW0ecYNh6HjmTl3WLK6c33BRKtQ3CS0pQP1UgS4S4Kek48NEpjld613Xognfuamgpfo90ZGiswBv_4EPZs_n2h6tpIuAqSUvO070Be6EV-Xytvm-RSk4pTufBuLQ0HUj1MKiJyvELuDzfpZ0cjRDiaVzwegJtICn_VXR5RJHPaQjNDLOupx_mh1_OWwxof1l2iuKFZ7RRl4VV7MGGvb7YA2TjIhlb9xsh5lVlMWCT0tXZBSv407P0pmR5DlaEfiF1esR8_hY3TpJ2ak2uMDxfAC0oW-G_QDyKVkJNEAU50_XDQl2CJM60rMrvp-nXIG_7W5QkC2uRelUTNqnk05SGlADj1H3J7U7JXl90L_h0z5YlsxJsn7NuH4EAKCZARqD86k9CRS6-d4zbcXIq4F5K5kKWp3ftKCBYzdAi2kFWce4GuN3vPA=s868-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="868" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85kSt3F2IB8CDTgLl-zRuvm7vt50YTFe5XX5pTgR8kDMSqIjz9MhNE-ZuVNygR--zcnrObMPU6sXs-8i6SwXE9MpjGRA40bBoV-7L3IkfZmKyubSldOVJse3Ya6e3ft7mjEFnlJ-6xQr4Nhu2uroqLsrNgqVV9VHKZ63iBVOag2DceEYyN8TJ__NgHMBrOAxtFvPF1qi314JJZ2zDzHcihCZ_FF0j8zQj9gm1QLHP0avdsIFadWPrIoBR9g1HLbIT-8MMnym2VfFmtqHEewohCgLE8z3qcJ-7QFSxmNu2mR09g7vC7ybZH9sc0lMbi58OvHEa1Kv7jR_G-CLCkB4AxjUIJLiEbtTYHLJfVYmsDjjs_kWH43t9wc-uB4Ut85fjDj8cJaKqLPvU4EfGSzYelAFXdqkAO2HCQTiMK2EiFZn5xe_UvMBBLR6_1GDrOzepxpGdOveMKDkoGH6Nc2nEahcQzcj1g1qIwSK3Uk0x1_DR4NPrpGkeU3dTPq5E71yc2rrGHM5kw8j3fauKmZRNeoOiBldM5BY8obUy0YSzUt_PZ3Bxb7X9tind3HHEFDiWsigQwvjutlI_cXyl9da4_m2nuHWn4lzbAUW0ecYNh6HjmTl3WLK6c33BRKtQ3CS0pQP1UgS4S4Kek48NEpjld613Xognfuamgpfo90ZGiswBv_4EPZs_n2h6tpIuAqSUvO070Be6EV-Xytvm-RSk4pTufBuLQ0HUj1MKiJyvELuDzfpZ0cjRDiaVzwegJtICn_VXR5RJHPaQjNDLOupx_mh1_OWwxof1l2iuKFZ7RRl4VV7MGGvb7YA2TjIhlb9xsh5lVlMWCT0tXZBSv407P0pmR5DlaEfiF1esR8_hY3TpJ2ak2uMDxfAC0oW-G_QDyKVkJNEAU50_XDQl2CJM60rMrvp-nXIG_7W5QkC2uRelUTNqnk05SGlADj1H3J7U7JXl90L_h0z5YlsxJsn7NuH4EAKCZARqD86k9CRS6-d4zbcXIq4F5K5kKWp3ftKCBYzdAi2kFWce4GuN3vPA=w640-h480?authuser=2" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In February,</i></b>
I visited our <i>kula deivam</i> or family temple, at Nainar Koil in
Ramanathapuram district of Tamilnadu. I attended the Shivaratri programme at
the temple, staying awake through the night as abhishekam was performed to Lord
Shiva. The night is divided into four quarters and the second quarter’s
abhishekam is traditionally performed by our extended family. Some more family
members had gathered for this auspicious occasion, and as I sat awake, watching
the abhishekam being performed, chanting the Rudram, there was another kind of spiritual
connect I experienced. This one was very different. There was a sense of belonging,
as well as a sense of responsibility, of keeping this tradition alive.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In March</i></b>, I
had another kind of spiritual experience, one where I went with a group of
friends to Pandharpur where we sat in the mandap in front of the Lord and sang
songs in his praise. I have written about that experience on the blog <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2023/03/pandharpur-yatra-2023.html">here</a>. This
was a totally new experience for me, and I was deeply moved by the act of
singing in the hall where many great saints had sung, and where the Lord had appeared
in front of them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In April</i></b>, I
went to my father’s ancestral home town of Kadathur near Palani, also in
Tamilnadu. The occasion was the inauguration of a new temple to house an
ancient bronze sculpture of Nataraja. This experience was once again unique,
because this is a temple and a village we had completely lost connect with, since
my great-grandfather had moved out when he was young, and no one ever went back.
I have been visiting the village and the temple since 2002 and have experienced
a deep sense of coming home every time. This time, the feeling was stronger,
since, for the very first time, we stayed back for the night in the village, at
a distant relative’s home. I was deeply conscious that I was the first person
from my family to have stayed at the village in over probably 150 years. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV87ry87P8RP0bkL7IzbfIgdfu7q4l3ZmLUmd4fDm5MjNGaG1gj0J5k9QAr1vFg5OcmzhIDr7SULNyby33SwxETzKBTzqZZ3gvaQc1VjIDCh4XLo560Zf6qCxkLI_DyBCqEEbRNdTGssKKKnOK2vFKFw0Gt-Qp_Q0EP1bhY3OJcBdwL2ga_PApKGZFOp5PIfbdf7inK1OI1kFgim-WVwnFPpLGW_s6Qn6A0CKuHN9jgcIe7clar6ktaET5WKYx8hfPOIBNs2K4AQIFqu8SilYxEZUkd8OKFw0gicps7BaZeyiEE793wQ6FOHmwNO4i3Lp8i8SbzvpA4fJ_Ps7346yYX9UaP_hGv_KyErIeAaQ04mED4WB8Nw7699QqDvx1y4QbsuepsJOiZDsdpdn-mv4psxI5ptevPFt5dNWRO_EkaVv4Z8LqGmaL3VGFptYY8K7WaxT8QcD-XqPNCBdtNxiILjdHptcDeaYwLFLkMyeHtaET6v7oxylUlGnXg4hz4US5LMEQzn-GgU-B1IvK-aMh1XVDpcZO9-Jt11F_qZmHyxvJ5bOmkzHlvcnRUgMmqx_TLlzaiRL6miCtXkK0iB6YeiKtbCnPzd1ikalbsacV2bvoYr9bUkUdewkK9kSfGpy0tqOGihhtt8G-XOwEYrB3rJtVI_lZktBrv5BB7GYCHFGrLYI4ZFM0r2KX4jsAFYBIiRUOSpBHm8jSHCT6pz-7H69Yc5zTsPcfm2-ohHcA2EmyciyMrJXom4jxRDrWfAxTbJpWrGcX3ksMCTS20Cmb5W56MaIMh4AN_L7PONh1Ft5N2XmGYQXFh_IyERX5t3jJPKgRkiJMsAqxDdrvWBWU3qUF2TjVxjZDd1oS_5Dy75AegnbjIY75UYEW08mMpCXodG7jfScLPQNiqUK-N2niFAFR9XunEyvMv5y60Os5PkJv3q8P1sKXtPAvXrEL-YTrGO2oRp92w-kmMIAg3D3LVPl7TDFYgmyxWMGa4HqFOQxJm-eicvFYVd7MRXyp-9aT-6CEpE87lh3w4YjNMwKWQ=s651-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="597" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV87ry87P8RP0bkL7IzbfIgdfu7q4l3ZmLUmd4fDm5MjNGaG1gj0J5k9QAr1vFg5OcmzhIDr7SULNyby33SwxETzKBTzqZZ3gvaQc1VjIDCh4XLo560Zf6qCxkLI_DyBCqEEbRNdTGssKKKnOK2vFKFw0Gt-Qp_Q0EP1bhY3OJcBdwL2ga_PApKGZFOp5PIfbdf7inK1OI1kFgim-WVwnFPpLGW_s6Qn6A0CKuHN9jgcIe7clar6ktaET5WKYx8hfPOIBNs2K4AQIFqu8SilYxEZUkd8OKFw0gicps7BaZeyiEE793wQ6FOHmwNO4i3Lp8i8SbzvpA4fJ_Ps7346yYX9UaP_hGv_KyErIeAaQ04mED4WB8Nw7699QqDvx1y4QbsuepsJOiZDsdpdn-mv4psxI5ptevPFt5dNWRO_EkaVv4Z8LqGmaL3VGFptYY8K7WaxT8QcD-XqPNCBdtNxiILjdHptcDeaYwLFLkMyeHtaET6v7oxylUlGnXg4hz4US5LMEQzn-GgU-B1IvK-aMh1XVDpcZO9-Jt11F_qZmHyxvJ5bOmkzHlvcnRUgMmqx_TLlzaiRL6miCtXkK0iB6YeiKtbCnPzd1ikalbsacV2bvoYr9bUkUdewkK9kSfGpy0tqOGihhtt8G-XOwEYrB3rJtVI_lZktBrv5BB7GYCHFGrLYI4ZFM0r2KX4jsAFYBIiRUOSpBHm8jSHCT6pz-7H69Yc5zTsPcfm2-ohHcA2EmyciyMrJXom4jxRDrWfAxTbJpWrGcX3ksMCTS20Cmb5W56MaIMh4AN_L7PONh1Ft5N2XmGYQXFh_IyERX5t3jJPKgRkiJMsAqxDdrvWBWU3qUF2TjVxjZDd1oS_5Dy75AegnbjIY75UYEW08mMpCXodG7jfScLPQNiqUK-N2niFAFR9XunEyvMv5y60Os5PkJv3q8P1sKXtPAvXrEL-YTrGO2oRp92w-kmMIAg3D3LVPl7TDFYgmyxWMGa4HqFOQxJm-eicvFYVd7MRXyp-9aT-6CEpE87lh3w4YjNMwKWQ=w586-h640?authuser=2" width="586" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In May,</i></b> we
travelled to Binsar. This was our annual family holiday, and the aim was to
relax. While there were many highlights of this trip, the spiritual connect
happened at Jageshwar. We had visited the temple on an earlier visit more than
a decade back, so Samhith and Shankar decided to stay back in the resort, while
I decided to go to the temple again, mostly to see the museum which I had
missed on our earlier visit. The museum was of course outstanding, and I loved
every minute I spent there. Visiting the temple was a very standard temple
experience, nothing to talk about. However, it was as I was walking around the
temple, clicking pictures, that the spiritual connect happened, through a
random stranger who was chanting Rudram. I joined him in chanting as I continued
to click photos, and suddenly, there was a deep sense of connection that
happened in the midst of the chanting. I simply sat down and continued to chant
for the next half an hour or so, simply basking in the experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ADCreHdlkIjA9uIOsECbo_UVtuIaJrAZnyGDZio9O5WTk_0GLxWXu_14-zTSXyinZ63jcapGEW4i5u5zTt_qOv8Ep1yoThyVlMgTI-k1v5kdiK6zaIxonQ4xmeb6GYMo02k45oKb-jCeqx-wBxR6Yxu-M_5TcR0FYIAet0hpkkDm4AjjJizZFbOe6qQQ9I9vU6xWxwByi4tKzOFGw6Ni2GLpI1-9QNQxaxZUH_-DGq8lEQnE9FcHyT-7yaOe8YLAHDguLB56vl8_HkGD0kcA7Xjytbjo2wshRu1bW_pywOhLputMjVMgk4dWNECgE3vvb2NByOzkVKKwfGUceFTmZUa9x--KqZ_4Muh-BQEsB8A_xpSXQThhBEaLOVpLrEjs1LlRr93WpbQyDc-0EjO8nq7_LPJiHSPa2TJ7khRi9nsvT1LgHVMKvkfkUwziYoVP9qiQ2JC4pb4g4TYD-i3IZo7h-_Gc5jO4H57mXmdL-YCVngzKWXaxb6T1F6qyq76GjxnVxg8e-BAoi5Qf_Lpf9VRs_2TqWysftVd1T4J8gNiVrv-kDIqHIEaWZa17Aaj6KXicUBzVIhVlrva-MN8imw6_28ZfCfBhydm2LXx9eV3WOgfvQlMqtZh4coaFj_N1upKtNXWDKwNOi21rkSzJox0A3C89rtpgpiMLOe1D5A2H9mgm965R6-CkKqSy8onDumxWlZSYBOLEKZduEcyVSm4sOj1Zu8Fxwf9fbUMfaby6Jz6THv-ZnfthBgs8zeeVWx67Vp_ZZ-6jy9za8KZ0hmw_-dOGr7ohFbSh_76-l3t5Wrndk3sn6ZwiOOIKBCvecHBmg7YxMQf66ItlCFl01eF_g939A8P8tJnvyOF_RtEP5boGEDqGO9dMthqmUrMNZRHVFuec39h8g5bZrPvhzpdCa7cgk2fYuj_4eu0NXmRyQmqCfqdaqXHwFZmXBkO9NFnnlUQdGG171SKTpzkHTezhrTqoEeZlC1WxS9PN1UR_EmiNrQ0hf-1-sumUFD94pIPHz9pDCTDaThv04iPLaN01pg=s651-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="488" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ADCreHdlkIjA9uIOsECbo_UVtuIaJrAZnyGDZio9O5WTk_0GLxWXu_14-zTSXyinZ63jcapGEW4i5u5zTt_qOv8Ep1yoThyVlMgTI-k1v5kdiK6zaIxonQ4xmeb6GYMo02k45oKb-jCeqx-wBxR6Yxu-M_5TcR0FYIAet0hpkkDm4AjjJizZFbOe6qQQ9I9vU6xWxwByi4tKzOFGw6Ni2GLpI1-9QNQxaxZUH_-DGq8lEQnE9FcHyT-7yaOe8YLAHDguLB56vl8_HkGD0kcA7Xjytbjo2wshRu1bW_pywOhLputMjVMgk4dWNECgE3vvb2NByOzkVKKwfGUceFTmZUa9x--KqZ_4Muh-BQEsB8A_xpSXQThhBEaLOVpLrEjs1LlRr93WpbQyDc-0EjO8nq7_LPJiHSPa2TJ7khRi9nsvT1LgHVMKvkfkUwziYoVP9qiQ2JC4pb4g4TYD-i3IZo7h-_Gc5jO4H57mXmdL-YCVngzKWXaxb6T1F6qyq76GjxnVxg8e-BAoi5Qf_Lpf9VRs_2TqWysftVd1T4J8gNiVrv-kDIqHIEaWZa17Aaj6KXicUBzVIhVlrva-MN8imw6_28ZfCfBhydm2LXx9eV3WOgfvQlMqtZh4coaFj_N1upKtNXWDKwNOi21rkSzJox0A3C89rtpgpiMLOe1D5A2H9mgm965R6-CkKqSy8onDumxWlZSYBOLEKZduEcyVSm4sOj1Zu8Fxwf9fbUMfaby6Jz6THv-ZnfthBgs8zeeVWx67Vp_ZZ-6jy9za8KZ0hmw_-dOGr7ohFbSh_76-l3t5Wrndk3sn6ZwiOOIKBCvecHBmg7YxMQf66ItlCFl01eF_g939A8P8tJnvyOF_RtEP5boGEDqGO9dMthqmUrMNZRHVFuec39h8g5bZrPvhzpdCa7cgk2fYuj_4eu0NXmRyQmqCfqdaqXHwFZmXBkO9NFnnlUQdGG171SKTpzkHTezhrTqoEeZlC1WxS9PN1UR_EmiNrQ0hf-1-sumUFD94pIPHz9pDCTDaThv04iPLaN01pg=w480-h640?authuser=2" width="480" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In June</i></b> came
our trip to Vaishnodevi, and the connect there was completely different, which
happened on the walk to the temple and standing outside the entrance to the
original cave. I have written about that experience in detail <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2023/06/the-vaishnodevi-experience-2023.html">here</a>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV86zP8Y6utuqdt3WS-2W4u3YrSCvcvHkm7l7xBWPYU9JMHOfzuhvD8hhXw70EInphLiD2_JsxSMuNyBmYetzR2Klc_JBq1KLdFsMGQYtvqf6hoITyDCvMBiE81oFp3bU6Z_EhqnY6neJgoTVeiixjgOY0bg4C3zQkBn3WZIV-27JxObZgt77ylr6aUmHghrBFMcKjo8CRSoFAl_mtwmhqfORFZPhgvQC2qiTskGGosZ54_S2JgBJdw3toodOODwHt0mMfUy3QqWTw86VKbkfdx2WoV8Z5Li1etBO_pJNpCLAcT9Cmblc4PkEmxPy_cn0KEGAmzVinFWha6R4oKx3cKS920665LMwxA1Gp5tAR8nJdXcJpmVDefhiJQg7Nfemn_AJJRMyZx6maeGv4CnRdOZv2omHnzF8te918YwbcQPxcDMtCtN6lBSvpORQwJOhrnWIM8X8F7yoSni0RgxBWJE-PoPMnj8Ij-UOq8PdEJxVJW3ebBEtVL8o09oIy15jV9gcvRHQni2rUc_GkyYqVpvQR8quTNc-DDkyanHDWECNh68F8hqLKIVFXtPziCcZkjrpMVlht_X8FpSxFtJNsrlm6pLX128Aa4E4vvQ98nycP8G84RzoWxOwKpeeqZCEjXUx_aurUN8ihSHlNf25ezPcyr81e2qGcFJUq_n4QdyY-xv1MbelzqerNl-l_cxvn_PygfRGAYyF6Rokq9BtGF-_sTKIewUjGryNFnwxQadp7Nq2QEQ8IhykfC98RL1gx_pLtTU56EhTBfLSPZSgTdoxztfRMZabIJy9j8Lbcx9HSPZJ7jnZkYnFrzU4qRfSUCEKb4D3-xiefaE0lAKsnCnjRSL8mZDXpWhRkgVCP872t2lALKSMouQWyey3OBSRrKTzk9-R5v7AU3M6mn06QBsqBC2EImXZw8zvVq7R0zhzENqnduXp45xK5bdyBj16Eb7bUyX7wB2W6lCy8ybWZcBcS-Yt4SqhTIeHRIPdEv3fwfcF5QoTUSHRZjOyG8pu5sUQgEZjA-rqu6mVYu0Cwg=s1366-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="626" data-original-width="1366" height="294" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV86zP8Y6utuqdt3WS-2W4u3YrSCvcvHkm7l7xBWPYU9JMHOfzuhvD8hhXw70EInphLiD2_JsxSMuNyBmYetzR2Klc_JBq1KLdFsMGQYtvqf6hoITyDCvMBiE81oFp3bU6Z_EhqnY6neJgoTVeiixjgOY0bg4C3zQkBn3WZIV-27JxObZgt77ylr6aUmHghrBFMcKjo8CRSoFAl_mtwmhqfORFZPhgvQC2qiTskGGosZ54_S2JgBJdw3toodOODwHt0mMfUy3QqWTw86VKbkfdx2WoV8Z5Li1etBO_pJNpCLAcT9Cmblc4PkEmxPy_cn0KEGAmzVinFWha6R4oKx3cKS920665LMwxA1Gp5tAR8nJdXcJpmVDefhiJQg7Nfemn_AJJRMyZx6maeGv4CnRdOZv2omHnzF8te918YwbcQPxcDMtCtN6lBSvpORQwJOhrnWIM8X8F7yoSni0RgxBWJE-PoPMnj8Ij-UOq8PdEJxVJW3ebBEtVL8o09oIy15jV9gcvRHQni2rUc_GkyYqVpvQR8quTNc-DDkyanHDWECNh68F8hqLKIVFXtPziCcZkjrpMVlht_X8FpSxFtJNsrlm6pLX128Aa4E4vvQ98nycP8G84RzoWxOwKpeeqZCEjXUx_aurUN8ihSHlNf25ezPcyr81e2qGcFJUq_n4QdyY-xv1MbelzqerNl-l_cxvn_PygfRGAYyF6Rokq9BtGF-_sTKIewUjGryNFnwxQadp7Nq2QEQ8IhykfC98RL1gx_pLtTU56EhTBfLSPZSgTdoxztfRMZabIJy9j8Lbcx9HSPZJ7jnZkYnFrzU4qRfSUCEKb4D3-xiefaE0lAKsnCnjRSL8mZDXpWhRkgVCP872t2lALKSMouQWyey3OBSRrKTzk9-R5v7AU3M6mn06QBsqBC2EImXZw8zvVq7R0zhzENqnduXp45xK5bdyBj16Eb7bUyX7wB2W6lCy8ybWZcBcS-Yt4SqhTIeHRIPdEv3fwfcF5QoTUSHRZjOyG8pu5sUQgEZjA-rqu6mVYu0Cwg=w640-h294?authuser=2" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>From July to
October</i></b>, I was busy with studies (for those who don’t know, I am doing an MA in
philosophy) and other things, and travel took a backseat. However, the spiritual
connection happened through the books I was reading, especially the Viveka
Chudamani by Adi Shankara, which is part of one of my papers. Shankara’s verses
are not only beautifully composed, they are also deep and thought provoking,
though he makes it sound so simple to connect with Brahman. This period was
also marked with festivals, which kept the spiritual connection alive and busy!
<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85Gwz7UXJitnKETcgLPKRqPNgbO52mmynbWGVUYGj9dqmUyLhAX3w2jM1txrdxfowYc50TVizpdpHaRezecviD93_5EkZs65Tjeh2XuT2L32OuauuaZ-bWdYBWGnciOBYEdpIdTCXxFLyou6twz0nCnjfiltEpiwBqEZcEwsTlk5xEMQpFOhGxPcCYGiKECJ0lQ_oGMORtEZIdechlXaudCZcn5Nk621PDBTi0ivQ7e88A4-RYGCSA9g1EnEt4oMGYMeB1XlRkFOMJ_WLrGnad9Gf8E72x724A0e9SgVU-zJseZGcINjUgG8YheVIRAjVlw06J06ZVQtOj6wjnesDWjfTNq_Pa_s4NKUXXcJIcmLhVn71FJ96xHfXNtzsHRWonOa0Doper3tnI8irL0ceqRvK0hOwWlsaeERsIjNT5XUeY007tW9n96MeKQNR4ODHfvEhEAZsIxbKZtKkLpc0LI2lCS01Gas3K54hPtWcseHNHXSz4y8GrjNtQYyXw13pEbzlP89AHk78qrk8EntORiqNTRkv6fFvR2xqJsuGCQcHVnVT6xKYiXRs4Q1gBhBmjPNpXJ3-DhSufmEEyBbXHct1gjywgTgF8kPpN63uCy4b_d_om2sJ9T_P7mJ6AZ8sMX7Qgh1iQNgqEioLWggpHnmswLf02L9awO-dIoaCJwDTW1smNJ2NoBptLFjvkQvqfdc3DxeJIoKeCK3ipymQ-CULKGPs-v-X99VpQpK74pbsEDW9cI7pJlRq6BrYJOwfCcWIcW0n1lq8g-6jhoI2ymcTEeMTSJ7OJGQ20k0MHFUd02vJMbQlSEJdiEvYQw_jqwbxeRLtmPypkOkNWszzr6_UyqLqtiReBGeePs5ebWM7PVdVTUqOBZ6-5RwqyCweJmkHOETWDxMccavUAVJ9qActeXRgm7tXf-L6ONXJ04n9D-ukq3tdqxP_ol1uRYGpjGLnxZcBhO9yTVuOF6nW3Vzis8ZRRcQqaiOdafju3zx4g_Hihhc3nN3nmcD8SMwXCNyxen8RbR7keqgfqlow=s651-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="490" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85Gwz7UXJitnKETcgLPKRqPNgbO52mmynbWGVUYGj9dqmUyLhAX3w2jM1txrdxfowYc50TVizpdpHaRezecviD93_5EkZs65Tjeh2XuT2L32OuauuaZ-bWdYBWGnciOBYEdpIdTCXxFLyou6twz0nCnjfiltEpiwBqEZcEwsTlk5xEMQpFOhGxPcCYGiKECJ0lQ_oGMORtEZIdechlXaudCZcn5Nk621PDBTi0ivQ7e88A4-RYGCSA9g1EnEt4oMGYMeB1XlRkFOMJ_WLrGnad9Gf8E72x724A0e9SgVU-zJseZGcINjUgG8YheVIRAjVlw06J06ZVQtOj6wjnesDWjfTNq_Pa_s4NKUXXcJIcmLhVn71FJ96xHfXNtzsHRWonOa0Doper3tnI8irL0ceqRvK0hOwWlsaeERsIjNT5XUeY007tW9n96MeKQNR4ODHfvEhEAZsIxbKZtKkLpc0LI2lCS01Gas3K54hPtWcseHNHXSz4y8GrjNtQYyXw13pEbzlP89AHk78qrk8EntORiqNTRkv6fFvR2xqJsuGCQcHVnVT6xKYiXRs4Q1gBhBmjPNpXJ3-DhSufmEEyBbXHct1gjywgTgF8kPpN63uCy4b_d_om2sJ9T_P7mJ6AZ8sMX7Qgh1iQNgqEioLWggpHnmswLf02L9awO-dIoaCJwDTW1smNJ2NoBptLFjvkQvqfdc3DxeJIoKeCK3ipymQ-CULKGPs-v-X99VpQpK74pbsEDW9cI7pJlRq6BrYJOwfCcWIcW0n1lq8g-6jhoI2ymcTEeMTSJ7OJGQ20k0MHFUd02vJMbQlSEJdiEvYQw_jqwbxeRLtmPypkOkNWszzr6_UyqLqtiReBGeePs5ebWM7PVdVTUqOBZ6-5RwqyCweJmkHOETWDxMccavUAVJ9qActeXRgm7tXf-L6ONXJ04n9D-ukq3tdqxP_ol1uRYGpjGLnxZcBhO9yTVuOF6nW3Vzis8ZRRcQqaiOdafju3zx4g_Hihhc3nN3nmcD8SMwXCNyxen8RbR7keqgfqlow=w482-h640?authuser=2" width="482" /></a></div><i><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></p>In November,</b></i>
I made a trip to Puttaparthi, in Andhra Pradesh, the abode of Sathya Sai Baba, my
spiritual mentor. I attended the <i>akhand bhajan</i> for his birthday, during
which people sang bhajans for 24 hours continuously. While I didn’t have the
energy to sit for the entire stretch, I managed to sit for quite long stretches
during the day and parts of the night. This was another beautiful experience of
namasmarana, singing the name of the Lord. Here, the bhakti of the singers was
palpable, and made my connect with Swami all the more effortless.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Also in
November</i></b>, Shankar and I visited Bidar, in Karnataka. Our main destination was
the Jungle Lodges resort, and seeing Blackbucks. We also visited Solapur, Tujapur
and the Naldurg fort. However, the highlight turned out to be a tiny temple
which wasn’t even on the plan. We heard of this temple at the resort when they
screened a video about Bidar and its surroundings. It was en route to Solapur,
so we decided to stop along the way. A temple built during the Kalyani Chalukya
period, it seemed to be a precursor to the more elaborate temples of the Hoysalas.
It is a temple dedicated to Lord Siva, at a place called Jalasangvi, and once
again, I connected with the sculptures here, which made my day! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85IXFLLcjB0iv24Mm5emxSp8sH7Vq0sJkKuLtnvbaZMgqW6jFbl7yNcqz-bV_UrAcISZlRFdFpV1IATmM3a99vztG08BxTVJXgo0tb5_XsbpGij05Kk_3A6cy_oQfZzKUJrARvfuQYE2Bgy_uxQDcXO4ibrFUaMFSEcIwK6lac325pXPqDOrXnuhgqYufojV_pynQl6ZPl68h7P7cr9hKDvpprC6Kvq2lj0W7LzusLECSxDYPRTaiqSUnbn29BkF7XVb_A35weDm_srL7BLcXJpn-55kHqaSPj4U3aKeQmFoERbwH9svO-s4FjJWgobA4VxzTZ-UrrzFRxyGm9X15e3cVGCxcnRe8sqpsS3tzqvjOUfAxyuKEndxYvPJUtU8ZmCAjFG7k1fDouJemiOii9_cb7h4OUPlqWMzoVCTFT1Nl-ucga37OY2gzuP-0C9OUQScjWIdJD1r6HsnKJYer1-goOH5yEU13eXro7-nvOlPu2uaWEM4miZ24Y398PM_TtyrEpue3fr1TSDWj-71h2fHcHUhHz_x0aFIcGv_JBdc-cgLzW_X5UjUJqjCDVfmJnnRVqk5NJx-LuoB_t_RYvvGsXTBOyI_sfrJxmTDkX7nHv8Pzt3bUk-IS6RUzGBnlqbJwoVoAYFFT6d5KxqX5MRrOydwMgXDa0yyLN-14Nbj-r6x0SzJ3TB7Im9y7xVobc3AiUIFeOiv80mOwM_WJPFbwshbwoDA2HhB6nglw-ZFAdtT1G5TleoOMyo2SfuaL32-B8QsZq0_JqQRemVJAXwiLuG4OzJbbnVsuTfCLkbT_MfWpla8LmTXzDfjcbxlYIAqz_ysUTF-REESyn8JCosmWqn3RPNVpf7ZvUHFoWV7peU7lO1MnIMLGgqHZtcCTAwRkm1peZMuQhj8qFMRZLV33-oOdw4T5XjTHtjLId1W-0PKPA0DfVHhqV2KNhlGtZ6HN7I86bYzMNZzvr4_EjLxDBWES725gd9_Zl46GlspSBuVP2p1nsypAmXhvYvKwFNqvJT3mXDEFWF0p_-Zg=s865-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="865" height="482" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ABLVV85IXFLLcjB0iv24Mm5emxSp8sH7Vq0sJkKuLtnvbaZMgqW6jFbl7yNcqz-bV_UrAcISZlRFdFpV1IATmM3a99vztG08BxTVJXgo0tb5_XsbpGij05Kk_3A6cy_oQfZzKUJrARvfuQYE2Bgy_uxQDcXO4ibrFUaMFSEcIwK6lac325pXPqDOrXnuhgqYufojV_pynQl6ZPl68h7P7cr9hKDvpprC6Kvq2lj0W7LzusLECSxDYPRTaiqSUnbn29BkF7XVb_A35weDm_srL7BLcXJpn-55kHqaSPj4U3aKeQmFoERbwH9svO-s4FjJWgobA4VxzTZ-UrrzFRxyGm9X15e3cVGCxcnRe8sqpsS3tzqvjOUfAxyuKEndxYvPJUtU8ZmCAjFG7k1fDouJemiOii9_cb7h4OUPlqWMzoVCTFT1Nl-ucga37OY2gzuP-0C9OUQScjWIdJD1r6HsnKJYer1-goOH5yEU13eXro7-nvOlPu2uaWEM4miZ24Y398PM_TtyrEpue3fr1TSDWj-71h2fHcHUhHz_x0aFIcGv_JBdc-cgLzW_X5UjUJqjCDVfmJnnRVqk5NJx-LuoB_t_RYvvGsXTBOyI_sfrJxmTDkX7nHv8Pzt3bUk-IS6RUzGBnlqbJwoVoAYFFT6d5KxqX5MRrOydwMgXDa0yyLN-14Nbj-r6x0SzJ3TB7Im9y7xVobc3AiUIFeOiv80mOwM_WJPFbwshbwoDA2HhB6nglw-ZFAdtT1G5TleoOMyo2SfuaL32-B8QsZq0_JqQRemVJAXwiLuG4OzJbbnVsuTfCLkbT_MfWpla8LmTXzDfjcbxlYIAqz_ysUTF-REESyn8JCosmWqn3RPNVpf7ZvUHFoWV7peU7lO1MnIMLGgqHZtcCTAwRkm1peZMuQhj8qFMRZLV33-oOdw4T5XjTHtjLId1W-0PKPA0DfVHhqV2KNhlGtZ6HN7I86bYzMNZzvr4_EjLxDBWES725gd9_Zl46GlspSBuVP2p1nsypAmXhvYvKwFNqvJT3mXDEFWF0p_-Zg=w640-h482?authuser=2" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This brings
me to December,</i></b> and the trip I have just returned from, to Dharampur. Dharampur
is in Gujarat, near Valsad, and is home to the Srimad Rajchandra Mission,
founded by Pujya Gurudev Sri Rakeshji. I had heard of them since some time, and
appreciated the work they are doing, so I joined my husband and a group of his
friends to visit the ashram. There is a beautiful temple to Mahavir, and to
Rajchandraji, at the highest point of the ashram. While the temple is built in
the traditional style, the other buildings in the ashram are absolutely modern,
with a cuboid theme. Both, the modern and traditional architecture are
excellent, and worth a second, and third, and fourth look. However, while I loved
the architecture, it wasn’t the temple I connected with, but the massive seva activities
the organisation does. We visited the 250 bed hospital, which is not only up to
date with the latest technology, but built with the idea of serving everyone. Built
in an area where access to good medical care is difficult, the hospital treats the
locals for free, or at the most, a minimal charge. They have outreach
programmes wherein they visit the villages and treat people, and bring those who
need further attention to the hospital. From the design of the hospital, to the
way it functions, it an example of compassion shining through seva. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ADCreHebTacrDEKHDJeSIXoiGs5owYncFHd5biiFMgHJYPXQ28ZzuS7c5lzjTvAk8NeJGHQfz1sEw8HHC5Bs0_xoxbxbNSaHFdldjLdQoaQB5rK8K4AQz9lFqlpOiHxyXyGrB6WOWDqcqifx9sBAQ_JzMS6BtnESeVQK3wJYzcTBV9CrCCt9A2-DxP2pLaRH6t4mmkrjlNs325PhX-KQsJtX6eMQlFIg3XLrZp6H_LelJZZ2Jn_x5okwN-Bdt1Iz9ffteZIqxXKm_YEvuk39-FBeOdwf5T5oel-q9OE2UTsPIDDGZZzpGfoMjfHRmdT2vPwroOmw5bNutdZesECdmvjg51t5of9y_sw0sHW578CUYE4jWPLZrpd2W15AH8_qcs2Wdi8cqspXEMFhkNYv8xn24ZsMeyObolvtvGBczhUrzw6exP1J173fuVDIno2Ikb_VDe0s5698sbBm9R_Xma63uLeXzXUSiBVVNly6_Q5V2VtFbX8fABiYuf3o5SwrDTKcTyEUYQfTMuP7sBKy6QjFes-iq5Fs8ZQn9wdPljo1_cHLGux3HJMjFVfbxWI9wjytq_UYQ-xTsOyoPNVwW82zT2Zc9eK4yta_YNgCN-xrb9EDQFoJwmkitNAiX9eeED32j5SotO-IrCkXB5ONTqFnrSFCtvvsWLWg3tXON7A60k497W6x-7nDEs7Hghvd9V4---dAGaiO3SK1krE8nCWeaANXzp5baTaWvW5a-OjP-rfcApystRYNDy_sNRgCE9DJXqzml0MAKQRsdDfL83VRXEMaqWGK9ezdHu4MOWALujGfuMA6m-2Q1VgvVWb9C80XYYB1X0q3GDdZhA2mfPHafl9bv4jS-wget1etJWj5Rhg45nt7vqIGtxqOj1HEzYsVYyhBT1TbPNhfArKXwIhxRdNGwm4KY9c8MvUep-5-6T0mcl8tH-7mtxc9bt5MwQVhz5R9V4EHIHrxEoGboqamX8Bv7aDFrNon29q6iErmcYaFGPgQs8Jw_dEKOC905cDQWaohulyD_HeLAtnZ1KYx5g=s1209-s-no-gm?authuser=2" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="651" data-original-width="1209" height="344" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pw/ADCreHebTacrDEKHDJeSIXoiGs5owYncFHd5biiFMgHJYPXQ28ZzuS7c5lzjTvAk8NeJGHQfz1sEw8HHC5Bs0_xoxbxbNSaHFdldjLdQoaQB5rK8K4AQz9lFqlpOiHxyXyGrB6WOWDqcqifx9sBAQ_JzMS6BtnESeVQK3wJYzcTBV9CrCCt9A2-DxP2pLaRH6t4mmkrjlNs325PhX-KQsJtX6eMQlFIg3XLrZp6H_LelJZZ2Jn_x5okwN-Bdt1Iz9ffteZIqxXKm_YEvuk39-FBeOdwf5T5oel-q9OE2UTsPIDDGZZzpGfoMjfHRmdT2vPwroOmw5bNutdZesECdmvjg51t5of9y_sw0sHW578CUYE4jWPLZrpd2W15AH8_qcs2Wdi8cqspXEMFhkNYv8xn24ZsMeyObolvtvGBczhUrzw6exP1J173fuVDIno2Ikb_VDe0s5698sbBm9R_Xma63uLeXzXUSiBVVNly6_Q5V2VtFbX8fABiYuf3o5SwrDTKcTyEUYQfTMuP7sBKy6QjFes-iq5Fs8ZQn9wdPljo1_cHLGux3HJMjFVfbxWI9wjytq_UYQ-xTsOyoPNVwW82zT2Zc9eK4yta_YNgCN-xrb9EDQFoJwmkitNAiX9eeED32j5SotO-IrCkXB5ONTqFnrSFCtvvsWLWg3tXON7A60k497W6x-7nDEs7Hghvd9V4---dAGaiO3SK1krE8nCWeaANXzp5baTaWvW5a-OjP-rfcApystRYNDy_sNRgCE9DJXqzml0MAKQRsdDfL83VRXEMaqWGK9ezdHu4MOWALujGfuMA6m-2Q1VgvVWb9C80XYYB1X0q3GDdZhA2mfPHafl9bv4jS-wget1etJWj5Rhg45nt7vqIGtxqOj1HEzYsVYyhBT1TbPNhfArKXwIhxRdNGwm4KY9c8MvUep-5-6T0mcl8tH-7mtxc9bt5MwQVhz5R9V4EHIHrxEoGboqamX8Bv7aDFrNon29q6iErmcYaFGPgQs8Jw_dEKOC905cDQWaohulyD_HeLAtnZ1KYx5g=w640-h344?authuser=2" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><i><b>If this was
impressive,</b></i> even more impressive is their upcoming animal hospital, which can
treat 150 large and small animals at once. They already have a functioning
hospital, albeit a small one, and an outreach programme where they visit farmers
and treat their animals at home. The new hospital will make medical care for
animals more accessible and affordable for everyone in the area. They not only
take in pets, but also strays, and arrangements are being made in the hospital to
house abandoned animals. Compassion for humans is seen in a lot of places, but
to see it for animals is truly touching.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Compassion and
love</i></b> is seen in every aspect of the mission and the ashram – from the visionary
thoughts to the planning and execution.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This was
another kind of spiritual connect</i></b>, one that took me back to twenty years back,
when I first became aware of the service projects of the Sathya Sai Seva
organisations. Then, my father-in-law and husband were part of the water projects
happening around Karjat, and I was simply tagging along. As I saw the
activities and their impacts, the first spiritual connect happened, and my love
for Swami grew, and I became more and more connected with him and his
activities. This last weekend, seeing the activities at Dharampur, once again I
enjoyed that experience of a spiritual connect through seva. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>My hands
have been itching</i></b> since I returned from Dharampur, wanting to write about my experience,
but I wasn’t sure what I wanted to write about. Most of my thoughts are too
personal to share at the moment, and I am not in the mood to simply write about
the place like an informative post. I spent most of yesterday mulling about thoughts
I wanted to share, and not getting anywhere. Then, last night, I had a conversation
with my sister, and the topic of spiritual connect came up. We spoke about how
this connection can happen in the most unexpected ways at unexpected places. Then,
this morning, I woke up, and knew just what I wanted to write about. It seemed
an appropriate end-of-the-year post, to reflect over the year that it has been
for me, through my travels. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Besides, in
November</i></b>, the blog completed 16 years. It has been quite a journey, and I wanted
to write a post to commemorate it. I have
come a long way since then. What I wrote about then is not necessarily what I want
to write about now, and I certainly don’t write as often as I used to. But then,
this space is for me to share my thoughts as they come up, and that has not
changed. At this point, all I hope and pray for, is that I continue to travel
and write and share the thoughts of my wandering mind with all of you.</span></p></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-27850294899521179242023-06-24T13:37:00.003+05:302023-06-24T13:39:11.765+05:30The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>My first
trip to Vaishnodevi</i></b> was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to
highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so
much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t
be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at
certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far
easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the
mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction
of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about.
So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about,
something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2012/07/vaishnodevi.html" target="_blank">blog post I wrote then.</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg0brNzhaM9rzFGH50wQUIbzkAKiWN0jyBfbWqVoe9X7vHjV4gHstD7rsEccdVNtnxon1kuZ3VZguQjMUJ_jzXcV7cUDiZx6GU1I_hZoT7PXmp8w2paYa3__AxPKgp3trlyPKD89kbJYINWdtTTXPQUhsLlqKamNFikx71lujneOBARpHE105a5mE6hx5C" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="486" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjg0brNzhaM9rzFGH50wQUIbzkAKiWN0jyBfbWqVoe9X7vHjV4gHstD7rsEccdVNtnxon1kuZ3VZguQjMUJ_jzXcV7cUDiZx6GU1I_hZoT7PXmp8w2paYa3__AxPKgp3trlyPKD89kbJYINWdtTTXPQUhsLlqKamNFikx71lujneOBARpHE105a5mE6hx5C=w517-h640" width="517" /></a></div><br /><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Hence, when
the group I went to Pandharpur with</i></b>, planned to go to Vaishnodevi, I wasn’t too
excited. But Shankar hadn’t visited Vaishnodevi, and he was keen to go, and in
some corner of my mind, the idea of singing bhajans with the group at the
sacred site was an exciting idea, one that could possibly redeem my experience
of the shrine. But I was uncertain. My 2<sup>nd</sup> semester exam dates had
yet to be declared, and I couldn’t possibly risk it. But then, the university
didn’t seem to be in a hurry to declare the dates anyway, so we decided to go
ahead and book tickets, with the only provision that they be refundable, so
that I could cancel, if necessary, at the last moment. So, it was planned –
that we would head to Amritsar first and then to Katra, and the group would
sing, either at Katra or at Vaishnodevi, depending on the permissions, on the 4<sup>th</sup>
of June. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Our tickets
to Amritsar</b></i> had just been booked, when the university declared that our exams
would begin on the 6<sup>th</sup> of June. Once again, I was in a dilemma.
Should I still go ahead, or should I simply cancel the tickets and focus on
studying? My risk-averse nature (as Shankar calls it) was all for cancelling
the tickets. But somewhere deep within me, I knew that this trip could be
something special. It would have its challenges (I didn’t realize just how
challenging it would be!), but it would be memorable. Besides, I had a full day
with me to return back to Mumbai in time for my exams. In any case, there was
little chance of me learning anything in the last minute. I knew from past
experience that the university would come up with the time table less than a
week before the exams, and the hall ticket would probably be ready only the day
before. Instead of sitting at home and fretting about it, I might as well go on
the trip and enjoy myself. And so, it was decided. I booked my return by flight
from Delhi, and resigned myself to doing what studying I could before I left. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
challenges turned out to be far more</i></b> than I imagined. First, my son insisted on
a family holiday before he came back home, so off we went for a week to Binsar.
Returning home from that trip, we had about a week before we had to leave again
for Delhi. In the middle of all this, the Go First fiasco happened, and our
flight to Amritsar was cancelled. We had to rebook by train since the available
flights didn’t work for us. Thankfully, we had quite a lot of our group with
us, and the journey to Delhi by train was an enjoyable one. At Delhi, while the
others went to rest, I decided to take Shankar to a Ganesha temple at Connaught
place built by his grand uncle, Shankar Iyer, which he hadn’t visited so far.
This is one of the temples I have been going to since I was a kid, while he had
never visited, so we spent our time in Delhi at the temple, and making a quick
visit to the National Museum. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCS8jN9YUwnfst7JhiaBfl7Xe400xtTfx5rVblDxULBNWgSFquhzzla6BYYCTPDm24wK6gTGOfCLUWqonm-wULbTcg2pOB1jX4giR4dup9PGnCD9XrwoQK4rlO-NdUmSoku3DITytpevuPve8NgEILnOcOhoZzLtohzNOgbvKUl4CsrUib9arfSEJk7b_7" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="447" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCS8jN9YUwnfst7JhiaBfl7Xe400xtTfx5rVblDxULBNWgSFquhzzla6BYYCTPDm24wK6gTGOfCLUWqonm-wULbTcg2pOB1jX4giR4dup9PGnCD9XrwoQK4rlO-NdUmSoku3DITytpevuPve8NgEILnOcOhoZzLtohzNOgbvKUl4CsrUib9arfSEJk7b_7=w477-h640" width="477" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The second
half of our journey</b></i> turned out to be way more adventurous. We had been booked in
the Garib Rath to Amritsar. What we hadn’t realized, because this was a last-minute
booking, based on availability, that this train was coming from Saharsa in
Bihar. It turned out to the worst train I have ever been in…. and I have been
travelling by train for the last 48 years, and have had some not-so-great
experiences! The train was filthy – looked and smelt like a pigsty. There was a
mix-up of the seats allotted to us, and there was a whole lot of confusion
before the issues were resolved. Finally, about an hour into the journey, we
managed to settle down, more than 4 to a seat, which apparently, is the norm
for the Garib Rath. Added to this crowded confusion were RAC and waitlisted
passengers, so you can imagine just how packed the train was. To add to the
misery, in our adjoining compartment (where some of our friends were), a window
was actually broken, the AC didn’t work, and the breeze wasn’t enough. I
shudder to think how they managed! And to top it all, the train had arrived
late, and continued to move at a snail’s pace. We eventually arrived at
Amritsar close to midnight, the train almost 3 hours late. For the first time
in my life, I was glad I was travelling with a group. If it hadn’t been for my
wonderful companions, this journey would have been absolute hell, and I
probably wouldn’t have lasted through it. Had I been alone, I would have given
up somewhere midway, got off, and probably returned back to Delhi! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Only when
we alighted at Amritsar</i></b> did we realize that those among our group who had flown
in, had their share of troubles. The hotel we had been booked in was a
disappointment, and they had spent much of the evening trying to find a better
place for us all. We all checked into our rooms way past midnight, and there
was little chance of us getting to the Golden Temple by 4 AM as originally
planned. We decided to grab a couple of hours extra sleep, and leave for the
temple around 6 AM. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIhg9hjvLzJ-_TfbWjFTSuZDXuc5zzJPhfIvxhS_0E5eGNIQRDda_UYzzkbNk5pjp6wHppHUsTFFsMZm2quAjjQ1hn3_WSlDI5LA7c3hqSl97XudUxRBckFVikUbr1rqLiY7xUldNmQYHOYz53_NpGl4yfHp2vfzwws5-PYIpp8fEBnJFLJdfDcbyI6ZR" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="612" height="627" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEgCIhg9hjvLzJ-_TfbWjFTSuZDXuc5zzJPhfIvxhS_0E5eGNIQRDda_UYzzkbNk5pjp6wHppHUsTFFsMZm2quAjjQ1hn3_WSlDI5LA7c3hqSl97XudUxRBckFVikUbr1rqLiY7xUldNmQYHOYz53_NpGl4yfHp2vfzwws5-PYIpp8fEBnJFLJdfDcbyI6ZR=w640-h627" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>I have
visited the Golden Temple</b></i> at Amritsar a number of times, but never had I seen
it so crowded. Besides, there was so much security at every corner because of
the approaching anniversary of Operation Blue Star, that half the approach roads
to the temple were closed, and autos weren’t easily available. A friend had visited
just a couple of weeks earlier, and she had taken over 3 hours for darshan. We
counted ourselves lucky that we managed in around 1.5 hours! Then it was time
for langar, and head on to our main destination, Katra. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We trooped
into a bus arranged for us</i></b>, and proceeded to try to catch up on some sleep. We
stopped <i>en route</i> for a late lunch and a short bhajan session somewhere
near Pathankot. In the middle of all this, I developed a raging headache which
refused to go away. I heaved a sigh of relief when we finally arrived at Katra
and found our way to our rooms. I barely had energy to put my phone for
charging before I crashed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>A few hours
of sleep</b></i>, and it was time for the big day. Shankar was going to walk both ways.
I was taking the helicopter up, and planned to walk down with him. He left
early with the others who had decided to walk, while I took some more time to
rest, and have breakfast before heading to the helipad. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggmHLk5Hn2cDE-er7rulE2pVO8MuyXjpvGbyQhDfF1YkSZBDC2OilSvG7aGsNT14QP_yxEjfKGMWN-eRTFBiv7QY6OU8JTzr9XKUmnZvQFA7H7HNNT_czAEkHKUgpYLcs8DKKfbbezGKXX2fGOp7c31Woooy9jJSuxe3KZygZhLgzhYVnGuH5OQbUlGBdi" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1310" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEggmHLk5Hn2cDE-er7rulE2pVO8MuyXjpvGbyQhDfF1YkSZBDC2OilSvG7aGsNT14QP_yxEjfKGMWN-eRTFBiv7QY6OU8JTzr9XKUmnZvQFA7H7HNNT_czAEkHKUgpYLcs8DKKfbbezGKXX2fGOp7c31Woooy9jJSuxe3KZygZhLgzhYVnGuH5OQbUlGBdi=w640-h294" width="640" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I was both,
excited, and nervous</i></b> about the helicopter ride. This would be my first time,
and I don’t do too well with heights and sudden lift offs. But it was way
better than the alternative, and so, I was all set to deal with it. My flight
was among the earliest in our group, so I arrived at the helipad early, and
found it extremely well organized, which lifted my spirits. First, we had to
make our RFIDs, which was a quick process, then verify our tickets, get our
boarding passes, and head to the waiting area in the helipad van. As I awaited
my turn, my hands itched to click photos, but the huge No Photography signs
were an effective deterrent, and I held myself back, choosing to enjoying the
moment instead. Watching the helicopters land and take off was terribly
exciting, and I loved the efficiency of the whole process. The rotors of the
copter hardly stopped! They slowed down, while the existing passengers got out
and the new ones got in, and the copter took off within minutes! I loved how
they managed the weight, arranging people and bags, and I was hugely amused, as
well as impressed, that they confiscated all our phones! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>I had been
worried about the lift-off</b></i>, but it was so quick, that I hardly even realized
it. As we gained altitude, my attention was immediately captured by the snow-clad
mountains in the distance, and all my fears, as well as the nagging headache,
simply disappeared! I couldn’t take my eyes off the snow-clad mountains for the
entire duration of the flight, which, as it turned out, only lasted a few short
minutes. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiojBPUQLgUQ-AdtaCRTHvWCP5VMVDCa4W-quXJpI-FVK0lqjiSdXHmHCK8qNLgSDsBvWucKzLmW-lmv99G1WfkeOnUx3WSgBHNRR1r_KKBqnv2YIi9bJpbCQWzGBC1lbrlSg_sccNGzt3PyslKfCj_GAhLnKD6hC6rhrSoHgcKjwfF07NdPTNl_DMC1aXB" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1310" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiojBPUQLgUQ-AdtaCRTHvWCP5VMVDCa4W-quXJpI-FVK0lqjiSdXHmHCK8qNLgSDsBvWucKzLmW-lmv99G1WfkeOnUx3WSgBHNRR1r_KKBqnv2YIi9bJpbCQWzGBC1lbrlSg_sccNGzt3PyslKfCj_GAhLnKD6hC6rhrSoHgcKjwfF07NdPTNl_DMC1aXB=w640-h294" width="640" /></a></div><br /><b><i>The
temperature when we alighted</i></b> was clearly far below that at Katra, and the
bracing air only helped dissipate my headache further. I chose to ignore the
dolis and horses, and decided to walk the 2 or 3 km to Bhawan from Sanji Chhat,
which is where the helipad is located. To my delight, the path was empty, and I
caught glimpses of the snow-clad mountains as I walked.<p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBlUb-kwOtJ0ZnOjU_aAEVrrF-vLWR76KW9RXWEqiZQXMd15vvopAxwNrtGrAfWU-3E3a18ZsK7L-m1BUz2EFGEdZ4wEdcOEPJANQvgsbB6Ogd1Ns6kXwQJ90nQuNxDDp914RP3nD6yGDrZMbqTRwR65RuT6chthmcKMQIOmA3PvJ5urbdjMa27TtwhFr2" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="275" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjBlUb-kwOtJ0ZnOjU_aAEVrrF-vLWR76KW9RXWEqiZQXMd15vvopAxwNrtGrAfWU-3E3a18ZsK7L-m1BUz2EFGEdZ4wEdcOEPJANQvgsbB6Ogd1Ns6kXwQJ90nQuNxDDp914RP3nD6yGDrZMbqTRwR65RuT6chthmcKMQIOmA3PvJ5urbdjMa27TtwhFr2=w293-h640" width="293" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>My spirits
had been lifted</b></i> by the helicopter ride, and they continued to be elevated as I
walked alone along the path. I found it extremely ironical, that here I was,
travelling along with a group, yet, once again, I found myself alone, something
which I enjoy…. Even as the thought crossed my mind, over the loudspeakers came
the sound of chanting of slokas, beginning with Aumkaaram Bindu Samyuktam, and
a few others, followed by chanting of Vedic mantras, starting with the Rudram,
and then many more suktams. This doesn’t seem especially significant, does it?
But it does, because my connection with Swami is through Balvikas, where we
begin our class with the Aumkaaram sloka. Similarly, my knowledge of Vedam
comes entirely from my connection with Him. While my association with the group
is through my husband who has a far closer connection to Swami, as one of his
students, my personal connect to Swami is through Balvikas, and Vedam is
something I enjoyed learning, the very notion of his, of women learning and
chanting Vedam being a liberating idea which I love. As I walked down that
path, chanting along with the loudspeaker, there was only one thought in my
mind – that I was not alone. Never have I felt closer to Swami as I did then! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2BIm0PVvHLCP1tTmzxkvl0UDQ62i0OrANs7rHbhMXW5JEmSzg1w8CDzYVTT3Z4z5f0SzJlIwHgEgs9AT4qZ-5b7NPky4dX2vgfJCCBh-l7a7mlzocNTyUJgk9WywrbgnR3fdDHk94CUHpNEmC6JXHwKce84_fO2btwaRsZ8cDFR5hGQUvHHqD_oJQvN0Z" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="803" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEj2BIm0PVvHLCP1tTmzxkvl0UDQ62i0OrANs7rHbhMXW5JEmSzg1w8CDzYVTT3Z4z5f0SzJlIwHgEgs9AT4qZ-5b7NPky4dX2vgfJCCBh-l7a7mlzocNTyUJgk9WywrbgnR3fdDHk94CUHpNEmC6JXHwKce84_fO2btwaRsZ8cDFR5hGQUvHHqD_oJQvN0Z=w640-h478" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The chanting
ceased</i></b> as I walked into Bhawan, and I tried to find my bearings, figuring out
where exactly to go, the queues of devotees being a daunting sight. Eventually
I found my way to a locker, which took me almost an hour to get to, and deposit
my belongings. Now I was faced with the dilemma of how to get into the never-ending
queue before me. Eventually, I walked up to one of the CRPF officers and
explained my situation. He probably took pity on me, seeing the state I was in,
huffing and puffing from my long walk, and told me to come along. He led me
along the path, and handed me over to someone else. This officer led me to
another, and then another, until finally he opened a gate and allowed me to
join the queue just before the climb up to the cave began. Thanking the gods,
and the officers for their help, I joined the queue, but it still took me
almost an hour more to reach the shrine. Meanwhile, I began talking to another
fellow devotee in the queue, and both of us rued the fact that we would not be able
to enter the main cave. Suddenly, the line that till then had been steadily
moving, stopped as we turned a corner, and there, right in front of us, was the
original cave entrance, covered in gold, and barricaded. As we stood there,
someone was brought in, and allowed to enter the cave, evidently a VIP of some
stature. For the next 20 minutes, we stood there, right in front of this cave.
We might not have been allowed inside, but standing there, singing what devi
bhajans I knew, chanting the slokas I knew, my heart was full. I was in the
presence of the goddess in her original shrine, something I had craved for, as
I had weighed my options about visiting the temple. Yes, I might have not been
allowed inside the cave shrine itself, to see the goddess in all her glory, but
this was the closest I could come to, as a member of the general public. And
for the moment, this was enough. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Later, as I
mulled over my experience</b></i>, I wondered why I was so fascinated by the cave
itself rather than the goddess, and realized that for me, it is her presence in
the narrow, difficult to approach cave, hidden deep within the mountain, that
fascinated me. Her presence was
signified, not by the stone idol in the shrine, but by her presence in the cave
itself. Difficult though it might have been to access, experiencing that
difficulty by itself represented the experience of the goddess. I had heard
stories of how difficult it once was, to climb the mountain. Today, that has
become far easier, with horses/ dolis/ helicopters. The cave itself was the only
challenging portion, and that too has become easier. It is the effort that we
put into going to see her, that defines our experience with her, and somehow,
the new tunnel has only reduced that experience further for me. Standing in
front of the original cave entrance, I put all my energy and thought into focusing
on the goddess inside, and somehow, there was a connect far deeper than I felt later,
during my momentary glimpse of her in the shrine. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>As our
queue began to move once again</i></b>, I spotted a couple of people from our group
ahead of me. They had been on a later flight, but had made it earlier because
they had taken a doli, and had bypassed the locker queue by having someone wait
with their belongings. As we walked into the tunnel, I caught up with them, and
we had darshan of the goddess together. It was extremely satisfying to think
that, alone though I might have been for most of the journey, at the
culmination, I was with my group, with someone I had interacted with closely.
We parted ways once again after darshan, since they were flying back, while I
was still intent on trying to see how far I could walk down. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Meanwhile,
I realized </i></b>that my husband and his friends were way behind me, and waiting for
them would be no use, especially since they had left their phones behind in the
lockers. And so, I decided to start walking down by myself, hoping that someone
would catch up with me. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>My walk
down was memorable </b></i>in other ways than the walk from the helipad. For one, the
route was way more crowded, and it was far more tiring, even though it was
downhill. I had to take frequent rests, but even then, I was drained by the
time I reached Ardh Kunwari. The experience was enlivened by multiple conversations
I had with people along the way, especially when I had taken breaks. I was most
amused at the curiosity people showed about me walking alone, without a group
or even family members! Meanwhile, our bhajan had been scheduled at the Shrine
Board office auditorium at Katra, and I realized that I had no way of reaching
on time, if I decided to test my walking capabilities further. And so, I decided
to splurge and hired a doli to get me back to Katra in time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I remember
taking a horse</i></b> on the way down during my first visit to Vaishnodevi, and that
was an experience I shall not forget. I almost wished I had continued to walk!
My back and my hips ached for days, and the road felt like a perilous sight
from atop a horse. Hence, the choice of a doli this time. But I underestimated
how guilty it made me feel, to have four people carry me. I ended up paying
extra to them, to cover my guilt, and made a mental note to book the helicopter
both ways, in case I ever decided to do this again! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Despite the
choice of doli, </b></i>I didn’t have time to go to the hotel and freshen up. I headed
straight to the shrine board office, where a few others were waiting. The only
people who had arrived in time were those who had chosen to fly both ways, or
some who left early and took horses/dolis and returned by air. The rest were
still somewhere <i>en route</i>, at different stages of the journey back to Katra.
As we exchanged experiences, people trickled in, and eventually we were able to
start the bhajan. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
auditorium had a stage</i></b>, which was the natural focal point, but far more
attractive was the view from the windows, of the mountain and the Ardh Kunwari
temple. There was also a photograph of the goddess, but the view trumped even
the photograph. It was decided that we would face the mountain as we sang, and
I couldn’t take my eyes off, for the hour and half that we sang along. While it
was the mountain in front of my eyes, what I could actually see was the
entrance of the cave, which was etched in my memory, from the 20 minutes of
standing in front of it. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUYUlh-L9NQ-WHmKnxprlWhk9pKzKoGKFI8qqtNNsP8IMYBDkLFmcBFsDyVpNF1mRSaj1J6UAG-hqbepGfP9H7ncZ5UkEQsao_rVrDWt5GEzna9QRTD65uebsnQPmlOM7DP5c2N5nw80i480VVbeLJslDAwTvXk1hvV6BuiwVsnLlSrhVucj0pmp_lMGy9" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="1310" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjUYUlh-L9NQ-WHmKnxprlWhk9pKzKoGKFI8qqtNNsP8IMYBDkLFmcBFsDyVpNF1mRSaj1J6UAG-hqbepGfP9H7ncZ5UkEQsao_rVrDWt5GEzna9QRTD65uebsnQPmlOM7DP5c2N5nw80i480VVbeLJslDAwTvXk1hvV6BuiwVsnLlSrhVucj0pmp_lMGy9=w640-h294" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>When it was
time for the aarti</b></i>, it was decided that we all would take the aarti, and that
too, on the balcony, directly to the mountain. There could be no better
conclusion to the trip! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>As we
finished dinner</i></b>, headed to the railway station, and made our way back to Delhi,
all conversations revolved around our experiences, which was as varied as the
people. Someone had almost crashed along the way, and hadn’t even been able to
make it to the bhajan, thankfully, they managed to reach the room, and the
train, safe. Someone had tried to return by air despite no booking, and
succeeded. Some had a hard time bargaining with horses / dolis for the official
rates. A few had actually managed to walk both ways as planned, and remained
energetic enough to sing at the end of it! And it turned out Shankar was the
only one who managed to make it to Bhairav Ghati, completely by chance
(according to him!) <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Meanwhile,
my worries had returned.</b></i> The university had come up with the time table just
the day before. My exams indeed were starting on the 6<sup>th</sup> as planned,
and, as I had anticipated, my hall ticket would only be available on the 5<sup>th</sup>.
What I hadn’t anticipated was that – a) I required a photograph, and b) I would
only reach the university by around 4 PM, based on my flight timing (provided
that it was on time and I managed to board, of course). The first thing I did
on boarding the train was rummage frantically in my purse for a photograph, and
thankfully, found an old one forgotten in some corner. Heaving a sigh of
relief, I turned my attention to praying for everything else to go well. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The train
reached NDLS </i></b>just about 15 minutes late, and both Shankar and I rushed to find
an auto, without even bidding our companions goodbye. Most of them knew by now
that I had an exam, and they hopefully understood! A rushed auto ride later, we
arrived at the airport, and checked in, and even had time for a quick breakfast
before boarding our flight. I even had time to call up the department and
request them to keep my hall ticket ready for me, and to hang on till I
arrived. While Shankar headed straight for office, I headed to the university,
picked up my hall ticket, and only then headed home. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>And thus
ended the non-stop adventure</b></i> that was my Vaishnodevi Yatra. I managed to get
through my exams, despite the return of the nagging headache, which seems to be
the fallout from the trip. However, it was worth every minute of the adventure.
This is one trip I would surely have regretted missing, had I decided to stay
safe and risk-averse, as is my usual nature.
The people I met this time, including those I met again after the
Pandharpur Yatra, every single one of them made this trip memorable in some way
or the other. There are so many conversations that I shall remember, so many
shared experiences that I shall treasure. This surely goes down as one of the
most memorable trips of all time. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com4Bhavan, Katra, 18230133.0308295 74.94904164.7205956638211575 39.7927916 61.341063336178848 110.1052916tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-10167911139912366732023-05-22T19:01:00.000+05:302023-05-22T19:01:11.149+05:30Review of Executive Lounges at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS)<div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>During my recent trip to Uttarakhand</i></b>, I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>That’s when we remembered</b></i> reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’t just one, but that there were two lounges at New Delhi Railway station – one on platform number 1 and another on platform no16. So, we decided to experiment, and booked one lounge one way and the other for our return. So, here are my thoughts about the two lounges. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn0BKjUvhd2mA80Eizyq97XVOOC-qWQNx5MxPcuG1QLcYIY8ZCaYiVmUUueXOJcX0Rpaf4rwmB4_mUUD96k5DV75iw55LCK6aGznyMFFTe434QfkISAHuR_kc8CdC_W7F8sq8dRR_FzQI5du9Aw3xfTEn3xPRNDUPVFGZKrkPrN-TiKbUycvpwpvioMQ" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="657" data-original-width="657" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjn0BKjUvhd2mA80Eizyq97XVOOC-qWQNx5MxPcuG1QLcYIY8ZCaYiVmUUueXOJcX0Rpaf4rwmB4_mUUD96k5DV75iw55LCK6aGznyMFFTe434QfkISAHuR_kc8CdC_W7F8sq8dRR_FzQI5du9Aw3xfTEn3xPRNDUPVFGZKrkPrN-TiKbUycvpwpvioMQ=w400-h400" width="400" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><span><a name='more'></a></span><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Executive Lounge on Platform No. 1 </i></b></h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>This lounge is located on platform no 1, the Paharganj side, on the first floor</i></b>, near the retiring rooms and the offices of railway personnel. The entry is hidden near the entrance, though there are boards pointing the way. There are two lifts leading there, but the one which is visible doesn’t work, and the other is hidden, unobtrusively, and not visible to those who aren’t aware of its existence. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>However, once you get there, the lounge is superb</i></b>. It can be compared to any airport lounge, and has more amenities than most airport lounges. There are comfortable single sofas with charging points with each one; there are clean washrooms and changing rooms, there are recliners and beds available at extra cost, and there is also food available at a charge. There is breakfast, lunch and dinner available at particular times, from 5 AM to midnight, and there is tea and coffee available round the clock. We had dinner there, and the food quality was excellent. Most importantly, there’s Wi-Fi. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyWngBGinxwyZ9skJuKxcldzWQ_pgqon21LVyYMA5GjosCQ0eRpg6Y9K7K4dL1Yj09n2XY4JdOSQMvcgMf5c4LMdUecqa_lA5yv0CGgUKP-3BB_3lSCdZDVoTYSlI1eJkC9DTFpniQdP6j6m1oaM8pedQwEQMAZO-VyJzTseymJ7qSxWUoZzlRCCtnRg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img data-original-height="576" data-original-width="1024" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhyWngBGinxwyZ9skJuKxcldzWQ_pgqon21LVyYMA5GjosCQ0eRpg6Y9K7K4dL1Yj09n2XY4JdOSQMvcgMf5c4LMdUecqa_lA5yv0CGgUKP-3BB_3lSCdZDVoTYSlI1eJkC9DTFpniQdP6j6m1oaM8pedQwEQMAZO-VyJzTseymJ7qSxWUoZzlRCCtnRg=w400-h225" title="https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1439270256141160458/photo/2" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Pic from Railway minister's twitter feed https://twitter.com/AshwiniVaishnaw/status/1439270256141160458/photo/2</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>We underestimated the demand for beds</i></b>, which are limited in number, and ended up missing on booking them. They cannot be booked online, only in person. When we arrived at the lounge around 10 PM, the lounge was fairly empty, but within about an hour, all beds were gone, and in another hour, the lounge itself was completely packed. It is not a great feeling to spend the night sitting on sofas, even if they are large enough for a short person like me to curl up in, but this is a far, far, better option than either sitting in the uncomfortable waiting room, or taking a cab to a hotel for a few short hours. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Indeed, the best part</i></b> about staying at the lounge was the easy accessibility to the metro. We used the metro both ways, between the airport and the station, and it was really convenient. There were only a few places where the escalators / lifts were not available or not working, and we had to climb stairs with our luggage.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><h2 style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Executive Lounge on Platform No. 16</i></b> </h2><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>This lounge is located on platform no. 16</i></b>, with the entrance on the ground floor, right at the entry point to the railway station on the Ajmeri Gate side. This lounge is far more easily visible to passengers as they enter the station. Besides, one can simply walk in, and we don’t need to climb any steps. On the ground floor are the sofas and the dining area, on the first floor there are beds and another area filled with chairs and sofas. There are washrooms and changing rooms on both floors. This is also more easily accessible, with its proximity to the metro station. It barely took us five minutes to get to the metro from here, even with all our luggage. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The most striking difference between the two lounges</i></b> are that they are managed by two different corporate groups. Besides, the one on platform no. 16 is the one which sees more passengers, which is evinced by the state of the sofas. Most inconvenient however, was the fact that there are only a few charging points on one wall. The beds though, have charging points next to them. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>This time around,</i></b> we learnt from our mistake earlier, and booked the beds as soon as we arrived, and managed to get a few hours of good sleep before we had to rush to the airport for our flight. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Both lounges are comfortable, but my vote goes to the one on platform no. 1</i></b> for its impeccable maintenance. As for convenience, the most important thing is that both are safe, especially for women like me who travel alone, and also for the ease of access to the metro station. It is more economically viable for single travellers or small groups. For larger groups, and for longer time periods, the charges multiply, and come on par with good hotels. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The basic charge</i></b> is Rs. 150 per hour, for a minimum of 2 hours, and additional hours cost Rs. 99 per hour. This includes free wifi and tea/coffee. Breakfast, lunch, or dinner is extra, and so are beds. Beds / recliners cost around 250 for 2 hours, and this is adjusted against the basic charge paid. The beds are clean and neat, and the sheets are changed regularly, and also on request. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>According to the IRCTC website</i></b>, there are similar executive lounges at Madurai, Varanasi, Ahmedabad, Agra Cantt, Jaipur and Sealdah. These can all be booked from IRCTC’s tourism site <a href="https://www.irctctourism.com/accommodation">https://www.irctctourism.com/accommodation</a> . All of them require a confirmed train ticket, since they are meant only for passengers of Indian Railways, so PNR is required for bookings. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i>Photography is not allowed inside the lounges, and I was specifically asked not to, when I took out my camera. Hence, the photo in this post is from the net. The photo is from 2001, but it represents the lounge (on platform no. 1) as I saw it, in May 2023. Credit has been given in the caption. </i></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com1New Delhi Railway Station, Bhavbhuti Marg, Ratan Lal Market, Kamla Market, Ajmeri Gate, New Delhi, Delhi 110006, India28.6428915 77.21908940.33265766382115558 42.0628394 56.953125336178843 112.3753394tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-21070622435674249342023-03-21T22:01:00.001+05:302023-03-22T10:46:12.138+05:30Pandharpur Yatra 2023<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The first
time I visited Pandharpur was back in 2007</i></b>. The names Vitthal and Pandharpur,
were just names to me. I had heard of them, but that was about it. Seeing the
lord standing on the brick, hands on his hips, was memorable, but more
memorable was the sight that greeted us as we walked out of the main sanctum of
the temple. In the mandap just outside were a group of devotees singing <i>abhangs</i>,
and dancing. This was the first time I had heard <i>abhangs</i>, and even almost
15 years later, I can remember the welling of feeling within me, listening to the
songs, and how fascinated I was by the sight of the devotees dancing, lost in
their love of the Lord. Over the years, as I have read more about Vitthal, and
participated in Ashadi Ekadashi programmes at Puttaparthi, that first
experience has stayed clear in my mind and heart. Every time I tell my Balvikas
students of the saints who sang of Vitthala, it is that experience that I re-live.
I visited Pandharpur again, in 2010, but that experience was a different one, and
I have written about it <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2010/06/pandharpur.html" target="_blank"><i>here</i></a>. Memorable as that second experience was, the
first one is something I have treasured, as my first encounter with Bhakti.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfYj1wsr4Zo-4NpXpfiWeVbAzr1UK3Mwk3AAQ6jH9eSd_k_S_Wj5OatEnLCzrPOZMHVoK4bwxvVREeRW0-27hwZtxRU9-EvOS61L4F5Z9Myl6ycFJbpARUzPuYRP92DQeYLwtAA2LYptLTUdXI15HkkItkoSq4N4Yb0rS1TmaMuPMhrF_CckMrjUBXA/s2268/CamScanner%2003-21-2023%2021.47.58.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2268" data-original-width="1564" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNfYj1wsr4Zo-4NpXpfiWeVbAzr1UK3Mwk3AAQ6jH9eSd_k_S_Wj5OatEnLCzrPOZMHVoK4bwxvVREeRW0-27hwZtxRU9-EvOS61L4F5Z9Myl6ycFJbpARUzPuYRP92DQeYLwtAA2LYptLTUdXI15HkkItkoSq4N4Yb0rS1TmaMuPMhrF_CckMrjUBXA/w276-h400/CamScanner%2003-21-2023%2021.47.58.jpg" width="276" /></a></div><br /><span><a name='more'></a></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>A few days
back, that memory came back</i></b>, stronger than ever, as I was at Pandharpur again,
this time in a completely different context. That first time, I was with my entire
family. This time, I was the only one from my family, but with a group, with more
unfamiliar faces than known ones, but another family of sorts – our Sai family,
visiting Pandharpur to sing bhajans in front of the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>From the
very beginning</i></b>, there were many things I was unsure of, regarding this trip. I am
not great at travelling with groups, and I usually want to visit many more
places than just one. There were just a handful of people I knew, and the
prospect of travelling with so many strangers was daunting…. The list went on. But
there was something that made me want to go…. Especially the week before, when I
heard the group sing at Chembur, and the desire to be part of this trip overshadowed
all the hesitation. And then, Shankar had to drop out, and the doubts
reappeared with a vengeance. I was resigned to missing this experience, but as
it turned out, the Lord had other plans. Spurred on by his friends, Shankar
insisted that I join the group, despite my hesitations. And, unwilling to let
all the efforts made by the organizers go to waste, and since we had already
paid our share, I decided to go on, without him. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I knew I would
miss Shankar</i></b> on this journey, but I did not anticipate the wave of nostalgia
that came over me, as we waited to enter the temple. Nostalgia, not only for my
two earlier trips, but also for all the stories of Vitthala and Pandharpur that
I have heard, read and re-told over the years. Standing at the Namdev Payari, I
remembered the story of Namdev as a young boy, convinced that the Lord would
come to eat the prasad he offered, seeing the samadhi of Choka Mela, I remembered
his vivid poetry that I had read recently. As we walked into the mandap, I was
overcome by the thought that we were standing in the same spot that these
saints had stood at, that we would be singing where these great souls had poured
their hearts out to the Lord. I am not a singer, and yet, here I was, with some
of the best bhajan singers I knew, and had an opportunity to accompany them in <i>Namasmarana</i>
– singing the name of the Lord, at the same spot where the best of the Bhakti
saints had sung. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>As the
bhajans began,</i></b> I sang along, grateful to the Lord for this opportunity. However,
the mind, especially mine, is one that wanders all the time (as the name of my
blog suggests), and soon I was filled with thoughts. We had gone earlier for <i>Mukha</i>
<i>darshan</i> – darshan from the mandap, where we can see the face of the
Lord, and as we sang, I wished that there weren’t so many people between us and
the Lord. There we were, singing right in front of the Lord, but we couldn’t see
Him. Even as I strained my memory to imagine the Lord as I had seen him,
ignoring the crowds milling around, the sun began to set, and as it passed
behind the temple spire, the light fell straight into my eyes, blinding me. The
masses of people disappeared, and suddenly it was so much easier to imagine Him standing in that brightness which obliterated everything. The light stayed
there for about half an hour, falling on the entire group, as if the Lord was
shining a natural spotlight on all of us, as if He was the one who wanted to
see us clearly. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In the
middle of all this,</i></b> as the haze of sunlight cleared and our eyes focused, one
of the kids in our group who had been running around, appeared right at the
centre, in front of the mandap. As he pranced around, oblivious to his
surroundings, I was reminded that the Lord might be called Vitthal here, but he
was Krishna, the young, mischievous boy who stole everyone’s heart. And here he
was, reminding all of us once again that he was not only within the stone, but we
had to learn to see him everywhere, in everyone. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The bhajans
continued</i></b>, as did my waves of nostalgia. More than Shankar, I missed my
father-in-law. I remembered that very first visit, when he stopped to listen to
the abhangs being sung right here, and refused to move till the group was done.
With a smile, I thought that the only difference between then and now was that
the group then was of <i>varkaris</i> who danced as they sang, while we were
singing bhajans sitting down. Even as that thought crossed my mind, an elderly <i>varkari</i>
gentleman walked in, and began dancing! As he swayed along to the music, lost
in his own world, my eyes welled with tears. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Later, as
we stood in the queue</i></b> to have a closer darshan of the Lord, my thoughts were of
a different kind – of my own devotion and faith. Faith, from what I have seen,
is unique for each one of us, and so is devotion. We each interpret our
experiences in our own way, and each experience gives different results to each
one of us. In the group that I was part of, faith and devotion was strong for
most people, but each expressed it in different ways. We all had the same experiences
at the temple, but I am sure each one of us felt the touch of the Lord in
different ways. As I read the different experiences posted by the different
people in the group, this feeling has strengthened further. While the central
reaction to the sunlight falling on us, and the <i>varkari</i> dancing was the
same for all of us, it touched us all in different ways.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our journey
continued</i></b> beyond Pandharpur to Chakur in Latur district, where Swami had visited
back in 2001. We had an opportunity to sing there again, and as we walked among
mango-laden trees, breathing in the fresh air, my thoughts were still about bhakti.
A friend of mine often says that mine is the path of Jnana - the path that
leads to the Lord through the search for knowledge, and not of Bhakti, which is
unflinching, unquestioning faith towards the Lord. At Pandharpur, which is at the centre of the Bhakti tradition in Maharashtra, these lines blurred for me. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com7Pandharpur, Maharashtra 413304, India17.6805816 75.315503499999991-14.201033725031795 40.159253499999991 49.5621969250318 110.47175349999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-40671657958084889192022-10-21T20:53:00.000+05:302022-10-21T20:53:26.000+05:30Book Review: On Philosophising, Philosophers, Philosophy and New Vistas in Applied Philosophy, by Dr. Sharmila Jayant Virkar<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>A little
bit of context</i></b> before you begin reading this book review. I have recently enrolled
for an MA in Philosophy at the University of Mumbai. Philosophy is something I have
been getting interested in, over the past few years, as those of you who have
been reading my blogs and Instagram posts would know. During the pandemic, I thought
long and hard about what I wanted to do next, and this is what I eventually
came up with. It has been a challenge, getting back into academics as a student
at this age, especially in a subject I have no academic background in. However,
it has also been very exciting, especially thanks to my wonderful classmates
(who, surprisingly, are of all age-groups, including some quite near my own)
and my teachers, who have been very supportive and understanding. How well I
will do is something that remains to be seen, but so far, I am enjoying this
new journey and look forward to where it leads. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>Now that
you know the background</i></b>, you probably get an idea of how and why I am reviewing
a book which is obviously on Philosophy. However, before you think that this is
going to be a post filled with philosophy jargon, let me reassure you…. This is
not going to be a technical review, and the only reason it appears here on the
blog is because it relates to what I have been writing about for all these
years. So do read on, and I would love to hear what you think of it.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF-pSwfeAoliw2BHWAp2MHuLeXiCoV_lEf7jEcrnfNKwmB3Uy-jRTDQljBJyDZwqxfRxnj9NzZcjw5-dqH_VJR3wwCZjUJy_0F7z9PNd0i3kPeQU2ibareDpyhK2tKONyx3_pv9xwRxjVe4TFPErHHeWdRoXoVkYIe5JUJq1lVNlM8QHjNyflXpLWww/s2955/IMG_20221021_204555.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2955" data-original-width="2112" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaF-pSwfeAoliw2BHWAp2MHuLeXiCoV_lEf7jEcrnfNKwmB3Uy-jRTDQljBJyDZwqxfRxnj9NzZcjw5-dqH_VJR3wwCZjUJy_0F7z9PNd0i3kPeQU2ibareDpyhK2tKONyx3_pv9xwRxjVe4TFPErHHeWdRoXoVkYIe5JUJq1lVNlM8QHjNyflXpLWww/w286-h400/IMG_20221021_204555.jpg" width="286" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><span></span></span></p><a name='more'></a> <p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The story
of this review </i></b>begins last week. It was our last day of class before the Diwali
vacation (yes, I have Diwali vacations now!!) and Sharmila ma’am, who teaches
us Contemporary Indian Philosophy (which involves the philosophy of Lokmanya
Tilak, G.G. Agarkar and R.D Ranade among others), walked in with a book. She usually
brings books related to the philosopher she is teaching, but this time, she said
it was her new book, which had just been published. Now, those of you who know
me, know that I can’t ever keep my hands off books, especially new ones, so I was
among the first to stretch my hand out for it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>And what a
surprise it was</i></b>. I expected a philosophical tome, considering the title. Instead,
the first page I turned to, had ten points (yes, bullet points) explaining what
is philosophy. I flipped through some more pages, and found more points… and questions….
And more questions. We obviously did not have time to read the book in the
class, so I requested her permission to borrow the book to read, and she graciously
agreed. Over the next few days, I found myself going over the book every now
and then, flipping through the pages, reading at random. It’s a small book, and
can be read at one go, but it isn’t the kind of book you read at one go. Its one
which is meant to be read slowly, critically. It is meant to provoke thought. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>So, what is
the book about?</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Sharmila ma’am
says</i></b> she was inspired to write this book during the lockdown, a period when she
found herself unable to interact with students as she has been used to. The situation
made her think of philosophy in a different way, or rather in a manner
different from what is usually taught in class, philosophy which we encounter
in our everyday life, but from the point of someone who has spent her entire
life immersed in philosophy. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The book attempts</i></b>
to answer the kinds of questions those of us who take up philosophy face – Why
philosophy? What is philosophy exactly? And so on… and in trying to answer
these questions, Dr. Virkar talks of philosophy in various contexts, all of
which concern our regular, day to day lives. She speaks of such varied topics
such as the Philosophy of Archaeology, of Traffic Management, of Heritage, of Vacations,
of Relationships, of Food, of Fun Philosophy and the philosophical analysis of
home. She writes about the Philosophy of Tourism and Philosophical Tourism, of the
Philosophy of Photography and Philosophical Photography… the list goes on. And
she talks of these, not just as topics, by trying to expound on them, but posing
questions which can be raised in each of these fields. These questions are by
no means complete, they are her questions, but considering her background, they
are quite comprehensive. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It is
interesting</i></b> to think of answering a few basic questions with many more, but
that is exactly what Dr. Virkar does in the book. Through her topics and questions,
she tries to bring out the fact that philosophy is not something that exists
outside the world we live in, but it is very much a part of our lives, whether
we study it or not, and whether we are aware of it or not. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>These questions</i></b>
are meant to provoke thought, which is what philosophy essentially is about.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The book
has other,</i></b> heavier, topics as well, such as Humanity and Humanitarianism, Corporate
Yoga, Business Epistemology, Philosophy of Management and Existence at Four
Levels. However, each of these topics are dealt in a very simple manner, touching
upon topics in an easy language, without going in too deep. Each of these topics
is an excellent read, whether you know anything about them or not. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>So that’s
what the book about. But why did I like it so much? </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I was hooked</i></b>,
as soon as I read this from the introduction – <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US"></span></i></p><blockquote><i>Philosophy
is nothing but conceptual geography elucidating interconnections among seemingly
unrelated concepts or highlighting the known connections in radically different
ways. </i></blockquote><i><o:p></o:p></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I could not
have put it better,</i></b> but this quote summarizes perfectly, my journey from
physics to travel writing to aesthetics and heritage to philosophy. Making connections
requires asking questions, whether the questions are articulated or not. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>My internal
questions</i></b> from my travel experiences, and visiting temples, led me, first to
Jnanapravaha Mumbai, where I began to make the connections between what I knew and
what I was seeing, through all that I was learning. That led me to the Asiatic,
which is where I developed an interest in philosophy, and began to read more
about it, which is what has led me to where I am today, and what I am doing
now. Where it will lead me next, remains to be seen! But there is no doubt that
questions like these are the crux of everything we are, everything we do,
whether we are aware of it or not. This only highlights the importance of
asking these questions in the first place, of being conscious of these
questions, and acting in accordance with them. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>There is
another aspect </i></b>of this that I must mention. Samhith, as a student of the IB
board, had, as one of his subjects, the Theory of Knowledge (TOK). As part of
this, they were encouraged to ask radical questions about how they know what
they know. This, I know now, is the essence of Epistemology, but it was taught
not as a philosophy, but as critical thinking. During the pandemic, one of the
things I enjoyed most, were those discussions with him related to TOK, though I
think I learnt more from him than he did from me! Reading this book reminded me
of many of those discussions, and made me wish once again, that philosophy was
taught to us at school as it was to him! Books like this, and questions like
these, will go a long way in bridging that gap. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i>P.S. The book was launched today at the University. It will be available online for sale.</i> </p></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-83208645192236926582022-05-20T20:59:00.005+05:302022-05-20T20:59:52.762+05:30The Elephanta Caves<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
Elephanta Caves</i></b>, located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the
coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A
visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6<sup>th</sup> century CE, is
awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdO9amW5DYgejZwpfAjiIJxwlsHd932diV34ci6CBebbEi_v60XJrU44ef2te94zWt_87vS2Z-OLvzBQ9DRu67nFG9dJa0YFa__OcAKv_-od80fnU1Ibv4K8mrfESZj7OLK3QM__UDbx_Ax82A_wTPM6DmhaolmacGRlbbwS6Dv4J6XFAAPFaRDw04Q/s1800/Collage%202022-05-20%2018_44_13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1285" data-original-width="1800" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgrdO9amW5DYgejZwpfAjiIJxwlsHd932diV34ci6CBebbEi_v60XJrU44ef2te94zWt_87vS2Z-OLvzBQ9DRu67nFG9dJa0YFa__OcAKv_-od80fnU1Ibv4K8mrfESZj7OLK3QM__UDbx_Ax82A_wTPM6DmhaolmacGRlbbwS6Dv4J6XFAAPFaRDw04Q/w640-h456/Collage%202022-05-20%2018_44_13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Over the
years,</i></b> I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number
of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves.
Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they
were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk,
every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the
island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about
the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my
understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved.
Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the
caves of Elephanta Island. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Let us start
our journey to Elephanta island</i></b> at the beginning – on the Jetty at the Gateway
of India, Mumbai. As the boat pulls away from the shore, and ships come into
better view, we realize that the journey is taking us on a route parallel to
the way we came – along the Eastern Freeway. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ_yRhVy9wgBZGiveQlc84Wnb29NUArLTX1M6bRx1Z_BNr1UUhaTCYPbaCOnzaKsqvPHy9x9DG4uiB4Tj2Pn7IG9lEYMEGwfYzaenTmKPPXrC8vUVERSLDPInoUrppPfqY4jplZ09bdHElct3Lkd4PF_OCbgJ94ruSzLV1W1gYajr0NTrTMYIQTEL1g/s4608/DSCN0696.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3456" data-original-width="4608" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWJ_yRhVy9wgBZGiveQlc84Wnb29NUArLTX1M6bRx1Z_BNr1UUhaTCYPbaCOnzaKsqvPHy9x9DG4uiB4Tj2Pn7IG9lEYMEGwfYzaenTmKPPXrC8vUVERSLDPInoUrppPfqY4jplZ09bdHElct3Lkd4PF_OCbgJ94ruSzLV1W1gYajr0NTrTMYIQTEL1g/w640-h480/DSCN0696.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><i><b><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i><b><br /></b></i></p>The skyline</b></i> is still uniquely
Mumbai, but the high rises of South Mumbai are now replaced by those of Sewri
and Wadala. Ships dot the sea, amidst oil rigs and in the distance are the big
oil corporations of BPCL and HPCL. As we approach the island, the Bhabha Atomic
Research Centre seems closer than ever, and the two huge nuclear reactors are
clearly visible (this is probably the best view a layman can ever get of them,
though only a few actually recognize them for what they are!) On the other side
of the island is the JNPT(Jawaharlal Nehru Port Trust), a busy hub of activity.<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Surrounded
by this hustle and bustle</i></b> of maritime and industrial activity, is the lush
green island of Elephanta, or Gharapuri. The local name for the island,
Gharapuri, comes from the local names for the caves as well as the fort atop
the hill. However, it is believed that this is the city of Agraharapuri, of the
Konkan Mauryas. This is also believed to be Puri or Sripuri, mentioned in the
Aihole inscription as the “fortune of the western sea”. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The history
of the island</b></i> goes way back, with numerous remains of habitation from the 2<sup>nd</sup>/1<sup>st</sup>
century BCE. These include potsherds, coins, remains of a structural brick
stupa, water tanks as well as Buddhist caves. The main attraction of the island
however, are the Shaiva caves, among which Cave 1 is the most impressive, with
some of the most stunning sculptures of different forms of Lord Shiva. These
caves are believed to have been created by the Kalachuri Dynasty, in the mid-6<sup>th</sup>
century CE. There are also later structures on the island, including the fort
atop the hill and the canons which are a popular tourist attraction. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>While the
island has been occupied</i></b>, and known, since the early days of the common era, we
know of it mostly because of the Portuguese, who arrived in the 15<sup>th</sup>
century, to find the caves abandoned. They gave the island the name we know it
by today, because of a stone elephant they found at the landing point. This
elephant, once destroyed, has been put together, and stands sentinel today at
the Dr. Bhau Daji Lad Museum at Byculla. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The caves,
even today,</b></i> are well hidden by the dense foliage of the island. A rather long
walk leads from the landing dock to the base of the hill followed by 120 steps
to the caves. A toy train is a major attraction to reach the base of the hill,
and a few chairs are available to carry those who cannot walk up the ancient
steps to the caves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>There are a
number of caves</i></b> scattered over the hill, but the main cave, Cave 1 is the only
one with sculptures that make it stand out. This cave has three sections, a
central section, flanked by two wings, on the east and west. The entrance to
this cave today is from the north, though the plan of the cave suggests that
the original entry might have been from the east. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>There are
nine sculptural panels</b></i> in the central section of the main cave, among which
eight depict Leela-murtis, or different forms of Lord Shiva showing his various
sports. The ninth image is the spectacular bust of the three-faced Lord Shiva
as Sadashiva or Maheshamurti, who was earlier erroneously described as
Trimurti. Slightly off-center is a <i>sarvatobhadra</i> shrine (open in all
four directions) with a Shiva Lingam.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Local
guides</i></b> love telling stories of how the sculptures were used for target practice
by the Portuguese to explain their mutilated condition. However, according to
scholars, while much of the destruction might have been deliberate, a lot of it
can also be attributed to water damage and sheer neglect, and use of the caves
for purposes other than they were built for. Nevertheless, despite their
mutilated condition, the sculptures retain enough details to stand out and
impress visitors, centuries after they were carved. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Let us
begin our tour of the cave</b></i> from the east entrance. To our left is the panel of
Shiva and Parvati playing dice, and on the right is Ravana lifting Kailas.
While the two stories are very different, artistically, the two panels are very
similar. Both panels have Shiva and Parvati seated. In the Ravana panel, they
are seated on Mount Kailas, with the demon king shown below trying to lift it.
In the other panel, they seem to be seated on a raised panel, which could well
be their mountain home, and below is seen Nandi, their vehicle. In both panels,
they are seen surrounded by their attendants, rishis and other deities.
However, both panels are too mutilated to see many of the details. The themes
of the panels are very different, despite their apparent artistic similarity.
The Ravana panel, depicting the story of Ravana’s ego being crushed by the Lord
(click here to read the story), highlights the humility required for a true
devotee. The other panel shows Parvati turning away from her Lord in anger,
having lost the game of dice, where she has realized that the Lord has been
cheating. This panel shows the interaction between Shiva and Shakti, who, in
the next panel are shown as one. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH_jmWYu4mC42xcBwiosFXolElgC-K_smJbA97J5zZ4qDe-X9OMaRMnrO_JIB7itnxdjhYCL0e95Szq9OIHG4KPrJwPWUxkLExcUivz1XwW9fC4kFTzWFPvCvulzQ9hn9qFVmH7FQAhBcGB0zhZGGEGij-4qIImSZGvEYoHdjViTDf9E96LUYbi5iSw/s2933/IMG_20220430_120726.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2933" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaH_jmWYu4mC42xcBwiosFXolElgC-K_smJbA97J5zZ4qDe-X9OMaRMnrO_JIB7itnxdjhYCL0e95Szq9OIHG4KPrJwPWUxkLExcUivz1XwW9fC4kFTzWFPvCvulzQ9hn9qFVmH7FQAhBcGB0zhZGGEGij-4qIImSZGvEYoHdjViTDf9E96LUYbi5iSw/w461-h640/IMG_20220430_120726.jpg" width="461" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Shiva and Parvati playing dice</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The next
panel is that of Ardhanareeshwara,</i></b> where Shiva and Parvati are seen as one,
Shiva on the right side and Parvati on the left. This is an exquisite
sculpture, despite the lower half being destroyed. Shiva on the right leans
against Nandi, one hand resting lightly on its flank, while his other hand
holds a snake. He has long ears, and wears his hair in a jata. Parvati on the
left, has a mirror in one hand, and the other probably holds her lower garment.
They are surrounded by their attendants as well as numerous deities, including
Vishnu on Garuda, Brahma on a swan, Indra on Airavata and Kartikeya holding a
spear. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM2dwoxoamUJJI3UT166aCJOZXeecnzdHEeVoPpzclQX-JT2aDBy7ZI47ibky17sdxSivbsAjaJNPMaeQMePQdlsPaX5bg42n-Qgqp3m8yfBJfD6Gyw7c4sFkQemKV3zrgelYWfzMBToimPPedzqvcc1PROJgoTzYwEAjVe6MZK1UkPsWd6aKWkJ02Q/s2629/IMG_20220430_120432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2629" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheM2dwoxoamUJJI3UT166aCJOZXeecnzdHEeVoPpzclQX-JT2aDBy7ZI47ibky17sdxSivbsAjaJNPMaeQMePQdlsPaX5bg42n-Qgqp3m8yfBJfD6Gyw7c4sFkQemKV3zrgelYWfzMBToimPPedzqvcc1PROJgoTzYwEAjVe6MZK1UkPsWd6aKWkJ02Q/w514-h640/IMG_20220430_120432.jpg" width="514" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ardhanareeshwara</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The next
panel is the most imposing</b></i> among all the sculptures at Elephanta – Sadashiva or
Maheshamurti. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK4vzdDKAGSVVWNm5TpQHB-cBNY8NIgBvetRhk8-L14JR4XqYmXrX6SHJL4I085rjGmFgI34AtXBnm9efLK1HwL5MS4uLeL9Lz3mO-ZnwvjoHcPqtMXPORVDcm3JrU90Zwzk36JfIUnSYLj2t5ZU1my5jESUa7e1QLxO-wO7_cdpwohIcNFz2pM9KTA/s3668/IMG_20220430_120458.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2102" data-original-width="3668" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoK4vzdDKAGSVVWNm5TpQHB-cBNY8NIgBvetRhk8-L14JR4XqYmXrX6SHJL4I085rjGmFgI34AtXBnm9efLK1HwL5MS4uLeL9Lz3mO-ZnwvjoHcPqtMXPORVDcm3JrU90Zwzk36JfIUnSYLj2t5ZU1my5jESUa7e1QLxO-wO7_cdpwohIcNFz2pM9KTA/w640-h366/IMG_20220430_120458.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sadashiva / Maheshamurti</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>This colossal, three headed bust </b></i>of Lord Shiva is one of the
primary points of focus in the cave. It represents three different aspects of
Lord Shiva. In the Pasupata Shaivism system of philosophy, Sadashiva is the
cosmic form of Lord Shiva, where he has five heads – Tatpurusha, Aghora,
Sadyojata, Vamadeva and Ishana. The first four heads face the four cardinal
directions, and Ishana faces upwards. They represent different aspects of the
Lord. Tatpurusha is the central face, the main aspect of Shiva. Here, he is
shown as calm and peaceful, a serene expression on his face. He wears a
jata-makuta (hair tied up in a jata), with a crest in front, and wears </span>jewelled<span lang="EN-US"> necklaces, and <i>makara-kundala</i>.
He holds a fruit in one of his hands, and the other hand is broken. The right
face represents Aghora or the fierce aspect of Lord Shiva, sometimes called
Bhairava. This fierce and gruesome aspect is marked by fleshy lips, curled
moustache and beard. This aspect is further highlighted by the skull in his
headdress and the serpent in his hand. The left head, in sharp contrast, is
blissful and handsome. This is the Vamadeva aspect of Lord Shiva, also
sometimes linked to the feminine aspect, or Uma. This face is the least
destroyed among the three and also appears to be the most beautiful. This head
wears a bejeweled headdress which is very elaborate, and also heavy ornaments.
The left hand also holds a lotus, emphasizing this benign aspect. While only
three heads are carved into the rock, the fourth head, or Sadyojata, can be
imagined to be present, at the back. Similarly, the fifth head, Ishana, is also
not shown since he faces upwards. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>That this
sculpture</i></b> is not merely a panel, but an important focus in the cave is evident
from the way it is carved in a recess on the back wall, flanked by pilasters
which hold Dwarapalas or guardians. Both dwarapalas have their hair in a jata,
with crests, their hands resting on dwarves. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Moving on
from Sadashiva</b></i>, the next panel we encounter is that of Gangadhara Shiva,
narrating the story of the descent of the Ganga. Shiva and Parvati both stand
in the Tribhanga posture, their bodies curved thrice. However, Parvati’s
posture shows her bent away from Shiva, as if she’s moving away from him. It is
believed that this is intentional, due to the presence of the other woman –
Ganga, in Shiva’s locks. Ganga is seen atop Shiva’s head, with three heads,
representing the three streams flowing through the heavens, earth and the
underworld. Between Shiva and Parvati is seen a <i>gana</i>, one of Shiva’s
attendants. Near Shiva’s right foot is seen a seated figure who might be
Bhagiratha, praying for Ganga’s descent on earth. Around them are deities,
including Brahma and Vishnu. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F8jiuN20eZQVgxFcO8iY3cQi_1XnEz_17TXJGO6MFQdC6fczPKAidJ7j0JRF9KD--Bi5j0ome8y8i8YQT2cslyD5V3QUSI3M3A_oWG4HdGv8qAJJwXMe6ooX_1A5R9EhPyc8I2cWTLC5GZ0IjhRYrHvlAGP1oEb78KzQdhVe-XVvRySNKiXCdj6P7w/s2465/IMG_20220430_115428.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2465" data-original-width="2013" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4F8jiuN20eZQVgxFcO8iY3cQi_1XnEz_17TXJGO6MFQdC6fczPKAidJ7j0JRF9KD--Bi5j0ome8y8i8YQT2cslyD5V3QUSI3M3A_oWG4HdGv8qAJJwXMe6ooX_1A5R9EhPyc8I2cWTLC5GZ0IjhRYrHvlAGP1oEb78KzQdhVe-XVvRySNKiXCdj6P7w/w522-h640/IMG_20220430_115428.jpg" width="522" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Gangadhara Shiva</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnkGc9_q_YL--L1t-1nFzaHJRQKbD2zx_gl4AWaQfwI550mYt25AoyoPho4K6Rzq6KkEnn0pc6NUrAAjcqOZJbUYi9NBr3IQ-z_4SJa84e_wlHTFp3BjvWpSLsEnC2lUG38cbXHjzdjyRbQfR3yUDMkFoA1W1_3zGpSBQikUf-_Jkpzx4l3s-27Azkg/s2988/IMG_20220430_115455.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2988" data-original-width="2095" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlnkGc9_q_YL--L1t-1nFzaHJRQKbD2zx_gl4AWaQfwI550mYt25AoyoPho4K6Rzq6KkEnn0pc6NUrAAjcqOZJbUYi9NBr3IQ-z_4SJa84e_wlHTFp3BjvWpSLsEnC2lUG38cbXHjzdjyRbQfR3yUDMkFoA1W1_3zGpSBQikUf-_Jkpzx4l3s-27Azkg/w448-h640/IMG_20220430_115455.jpg" width="448" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Close up of Gangadhara with 3-headed Ganga</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The next
panel is that of Kalyanasundara-murti</i></b>, the marriage of Shiva and Parvati. Shiva
faces in front, holding Parvati’s hand, and she faces him, looking down shyly.
Brahma is seen seated to the left of Shiva, officiating at the marriage, and
behind Parvati, holding her elbow, is a male figure, probably her father,
Himavan, the lord of the mountains, giving her away in marriage. They are
surrounded by divinities and flying celestials.</span></p>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR3bENgYt8lBVbbKc00UG31QW-rp6GF_HHpPMUFAgBm4I2pxXzwX8_84m4SnxaviPetZ-hyEec2c9inxkPgYpFPnCrgGjIrYoWA8ySiQW75Sn8pTUo0E2SkKB_y_kJn1t4jD5ABtBbEirn5BbvhNOOXZ7cpg2-V8lZVx4x1Njx0mgh-oJmsdlhV3ceKA" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><img alt="" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiR3bENgYt8lBVbbKc00UG31QW-rp6GF_HHpPMUFAgBm4I2pxXzwX8_84m4SnxaviPetZ-hyEec2c9inxkPgYpFPnCrgGjIrYoWA8ySiQW75Sn8pTUo0E2SkKB_y_kJn1t4jD5ABtBbEirn5BbvhNOOXZ7cpg2-V8lZVx4x1Njx0mgh-oJmsdlhV3ceKA=w480-h640" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kalyanasundara-murti</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Opposite
the Kalyanasundara-murti panel is that of Andhakasura-vadha-murti,</i></b> Shiva
slaying the demon, Andhaka. The huge central figure of Shiva is fierce, shown
with bulging eyes, partly open mouth with projecting teeth. He wears a
jata-makuta with a skull in the headdress. The diagonal thrust of the body
emphasizes movement. In one hand he holds a sword, in another, the skin of the
elephant he has killed, stretched above. Another hand holds a <i>trishul</i>,
which is thrust into the demon, while yet another hand holds a bowl for
collecting the blood dripping from him. Had this sculpture been intact, it
would have been spectacular, but even in its mutilated state, it retains enough
to highlight the gruesomeness of the scene in a most aesthetic manner. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqC-Ze1tUyDFMoIzO5HwU4hMXD4R_NdZblgN0swUWzmbhdGZGP2TX7s6PX5guSfHaII58S_-uKIKFYtgjDgPSdjOaCQ4x8TXmX-M3w-QBfZRZuRi-8RkWO7ovbKnqdAyKicLpH4kq2-pW5-h5-9PnFHHJcplN4_EWZLhUyjxxA65xvn3slLYYDOaafg/s3680/IMG_20220430_112649.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3680" data-original-width="2097" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKqC-Ze1tUyDFMoIzO5HwU4hMXD4R_NdZblgN0swUWzmbhdGZGP2TX7s6PX5guSfHaII58S_-uKIKFYtgjDgPSdjOaCQ4x8TXmX-M3w-QBfZRZuRi-8RkWO7ovbKnqdAyKicLpH4kq2-pW5-h5-9PnFHHJcplN4_EWZLhUyjxxA65xvn3slLYYDOaafg/w364-h640/IMG_20220430_112649.jpg" width="364" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Andhakasura-vadha-murti</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The next
panel is that of the dancing Shiva, Nataraja</b></i>, on the right side of the northern
entrance to the cave. The lower half of Lord Shiva is completely destroyed, but
the upper part shows him in a Tribhanga posture, dancing. He has eight hands,
almost all of them broken. He is surrounded by attendants, ascetics and
deities. His sons Ganesha and Kartikeya are clearly visible, as is Brahma. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPl_R5KDgVkeIza0Rj7plmzgdjGHOF6slanLwdReEXlNR1ZF7xOcSoiaygz-hCaS11YqucBKgdXFUmqIN_Jr_8WshWPU-ozufFcVjlgeNClPtT7j62DE1hY3kJe6YEdopM1NDY7wndQJQzMA6_kqwC-1wqp5q1tGEgjdIFaThXppmz3A0gg_zYSMNng/s2980/IMG_20220430_112252.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="2980" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuPl_R5KDgVkeIza0Rj7plmzgdjGHOF6slanLwdReEXlNR1ZF7xOcSoiaygz-hCaS11YqucBKgdXFUmqIN_Jr_8WshWPU-ozufFcVjlgeNClPtT7j62DE1hY3kJe6YEdopM1NDY7wndQJQzMA6_kqwC-1wqp5q1tGEgjdIFaThXppmz3A0gg_zYSMNng/w640-h454/IMG_20220430_112252.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nataraja</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The final
sculpture,</i></b> on the left side of the northern entrance is sometimes called
Yogishwara Shiva, since it seems to depict a figure in meditation. However,
comparison with similar sculptures at Ellora have led scholars to conclude that
this figure is that of Lakulisha, the founder of the Pasupata sect of Shaivism.
He is seated on a lotus, whose stalk is held by two Naga figures. He would have
held a club in his hand, which seems to have been destroyed. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHM4p-yKmfKZFDnnHN1LMlVRHSfEz-XZUf89XIokJnFGnizL3zLqfO8GOdmD2bO5v0DP5XUrQruHTPzNH9xys7-sU1k2LVSdIjmB25WppUXOyGUXhHUctt23prA7SwPXlV9ZHWQMktEBcNG6Pm3KjxOxc3d0kV4c2fISIjedOiZPpf28vpLbQ1pioSA/s2782/IMG_20220430_122149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2782" data-original-width="2111" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHM4p-yKmfKZFDnnHN1LMlVRHSfEz-XZUf89XIokJnFGnizL3zLqfO8GOdmD2bO5v0DP5XUrQruHTPzNH9xys7-sU1k2LVSdIjmB25WppUXOyGUXhHUctt23prA7SwPXlV9ZHWQMktEBcNG6Pm3KjxOxc3d0kV4c2fISIjedOiZPpf28vpLbQ1pioSA/w486-h640/IMG_20220430_122149.jpg" width="486" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Lakulisha</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The
identification of this figure as Lakulisha</b></i> ties up well with the Sadashiva
figure to identify this as a cave belonging to the Pasupata sect. This also
ties up well with epigraphic evidence which links the Kalachuris who are
believed to have excavated these caves, to the Pasupata sect. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The final
element </i></b>in the main hall of the cave is the <i>sarvatobhadra</i> shrine, with
the massive lingam. Each entrance to this shrine is flanked by colossal
dwarapalas, making this a most impressive sight. Together, this shrine with the
lingam and the Sadashiva image, represent the idea of Shiva in the Pasupata
philosophy – the one with no form (lingam) and the cosmic one (Sadashiva).
Shiva thus is everything, the one who requires no form, is formless, and yet
pervades everything, in his cosmic form. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7nRLwsgLMZbrrS7n7WtG9_Qjh83FWYCURvkkGm6UANYwwsA7Lppk3z9O4APikRqSMJ7NuqmvE7OO4I5H1AsLbFQmwTAVtXs2mjsCJ5FRe-C5xPMlcPS_hfRJD3NCgvR2WIPTyT1k5lDbrDgOED3Bcc5V1LAKV3PYhJ4mV7rQZhh1MD9R9OHTfOHo4w/s2946/IMG_20220430_112624.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1985" data-original-width="2946" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM7nRLwsgLMZbrrS7n7WtG9_Qjh83FWYCURvkkGm6UANYwwsA7Lppk3z9O4APikRqSMJ7NuqmvE7OO4I5H1AsLbFQmwTAVtXs2mjsCJ5FRe-C5xPMlcPS_hfRJD3NCgvR2WIPTyT1k5lDbrDgOED3Bcc5V1LAKV3PYhJ4mV7rQZhh1MD9R9OHTfOHo4w/w640-h432/IMG_20220430_112624.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>These two
foci of attention</b></i> – the shrine with the lingam, and the Maheshamurti / Sadashiva
are what make this cave so interesting. The east entrance has a low circular platform
in the front, which is believed once held the Nandi, and thus appears to be the
main entrance. Entering from here, one is guided by the rows of pillars
straight to the shrine with the lingam. On the other hand, if we enter from the
north entrance, the Maheshamurti / Sadashiva image is the primary focus of
attention. It is fascinating to think of what must have prompted the patrons of
the cave to make such a provision. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The western
wing</i></b> has a squarish shrine with a lingam, and two sculptures, of Nataraja and
Lakulisha, both badly destroyed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The eastern
wing</b></i> has a squarish sanctum with a hall in front. There are two huge
dwarapalas, among which one is very badly mutilated. The other is relatively
intact, and is seen with four arms, which is unusual, and is accompanied by a
gana. A portico on the right has sculptural panels, of Ganesha, the Matrikas
and Kartikeya. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FdXeKLsNfND84BMyO1B6JbtnP4n1Bc7g8LhkUmHR-_bbzUdp7Ot5DcSQ12Ndtswnj488lc3xH-hEqbyCOA16ZD-glEkGmvX7jem_8b3G-CNaqQEKPJwqfYrZMuBhOn9snLDLMcINwLETfNyegHrdk5dcsaY7xJABZjUGPLE-sV5ZhcSbpQO4KsXNFQ/s4352/IMG_20220430_121641.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4352" data-original-width="3264" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FdXeKLsNfND84BMyO1B6JbtnP4n1Bc7g8LhkUmHR-_bbzUdp7Ot5DcSQ12Ndtswnj488lc3xH-hEqbyCOA16ZD-glEkGmvX7jem_8b3G-CNaqQEKPJwqfYrZMuBhOn9snLDLMcINwLETfNyegHrdk5dcsaY7xJABZjUGPLE-sV5ZhcSbpQO4KsXNFQ/w480-h640/IMG_20220430_121641.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>There’s
lots more to see at Elephanta.</i></b> There are caves which are empty, ruins of a
brick stupa, and two canons atop the hill. There’s a clearing converted into a
garden for the tourists. There’s a small village too, most of whose residents
make a living through the tourism industry. However, walking out of the main
cave, I always feel overwhelmed, and disinclined to explore further. Maybe it’s
simply the lack of stamina, but I prefer to think it’s the cave itself. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Carved into
the mountain</b></i>, the cave looks simple from the outside – just four pillars
welcoming us inside. Once inside, however, its another story. The sheer size of
the sculptures is one thing. Then there is the level of detail contained in the
size. Even the dwarapalas, the guardians and the simplest among the sculptures,
tower over us, making us remember just how small and insignificant we are. And
then there are the lingam and Sadashiva. One is simple – just the rock hewn
into a smooth shape, the other an elaborate, detailed carving of the lord in
all his aspects. They could not be more different. Yet, they represent the same
concept – the concept of the Lord who is formless, yet who takes every possible
form. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Every time
I visit Elephanta,</b></i> I am consumed by an overwhelming feeling of awe. Awe at the
concept of the aniconic and the cosmic. Awe for those who created these
masterpieces. Awe at the thought that someone ideated these concepts and
translated them to reality. If this is what I feel today, when the sculptures
are badly mutilated, when the caves are filled with tourists who are more
interested in having a picnic or clicking selfies, than admiring the sculptures
or thinking of their significance, I can’t help but wonder what it would have
felt like to visit when these caves were built, when the sculptures were not
just whole, but probably also painted over, when the cave resounded with chants
of the devout. This is what makes Elephanta so special, and draws me, over and
over again.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><span style="text-align: left;"><i><b>References
and further reading</b></i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><span style="text-align: left; text-indent: -0.25in;">Elephanta. The World Heritage
Series, published by the Archaeological Survey of India</span></li><li>Elephanta – The Cave of Shiva. Essays
by Carmel Berkson, Wendy Doniger O’Flaherty and George Michell.</li><li>The Iconography and Ritual of Siva
at Elephanta by Charles Dillard Collins.</li><li>The Great Cave temple of Siva on the Island of Elephanta, by Stella
Kramrisch, in “The Presence of Siva.”<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 12pt; text-align: left;"> </span></li></ol><p></p></div>
<div><div style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; margin-left: .25in; margin-right: 0in; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-element: para-border-div; padding: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt;">
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="border: none; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Information</i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="border: none; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">Timing:
9 AM to 5 PM, Mondays closed. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="border: none; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">How
to get there: Ferries are available from the Gateway of India. The first ferry
leaves at 8 AM from the Gateway and the last ferry from the island leaves at 5
PM. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="border: none; margin-left: .25in; mso-add-space: auto; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; mso-padding-alt: 1.0pt 4.0pt 1.0pt 4.0pt; padding: 0in; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: Symbol; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;">·<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span><!--[endif]--><span lang="EN-US">A
miniature train is available to the foot of the hill. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
</div>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span></p></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com12Elephanta Island, Navi Mumbai, Maharashtra18.9608385 72.9312921-9.3493953361788442 37.775042099999993 47.271072336178847 108.0875421tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-80406844512581233272022-04-15T12:24:00.003+05:302022-04-15T12:25:36.234+05:30Tanjore and Mysore Paintings at the CSMVS Mumbai<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITZDxpUFyaVCCW2L1NaZN8M4o6nRndYkxI-YWXe94FfjsjxyP3jhnMm8VwFIwTOX6lM2xQLvZL75IFwzefx6QqLcOAsNyexFr2lEgIa1YpXTd9FNMYP909TBLfnj8mzTLYe9Use-hdi6iREht6Vw-XMEeMioJkKw9_3HtY4ytGhaNZXQCh7TQNSnuCg/s4018/Tanjore%20paintings%20blog%20post%20cover.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="857" data-original-width="4018" height="137" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITZDxpUFyaVCCW2L1NaZN8M4o6nRndYkxI-YWXe94FfjsjxyP3jhnMm8VwFIwTOX6lM2xQLvZL75IFwzefx6QqLcOAsNyexFr2lEgIa1YpXTd9FNMYP909TBLfnj8mzTLYe9Use-hdi6iREht6Vw-XMEeMioJkKw9_3HtY4ytGhaNZXQCh7TQNSnuCg/w640-h137/Tanjore%20paintings%20blog%20post%20cover.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>A chubby,
naked, fair Krishna</i></b>, holding a butter ball, covered in golden ornaments,
Yashoda by his side, an indulgent smile on her face, even as her finger is
raised in admonition. <b><i>Rama and Sita</i></b> seated on the throne, Lakshmana on one
side, Bharata and Shatrughna on the other, surrounded by sages and kings; Rama
a distinctive green in colour. These are both popular themes in Tanjore Art. I
first saw both these in temples, the Navaneetha Krishna in many homes as well,
if not original, at least a recent replica or just a copy. The Ramar
Pattabhishekam I have better memories of, having seen it often at the Matunga
Bhajan Samaj in Mumbai, as well as at my mother-in-law’s ancestral house in
Thanjavur. The latter especially is close to our family’s heart, and it’s an
exquisite piece of work, the expressions on Rama and Sita’s faces as
intricately done as the gold work that surrounds them.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OZs1Rx0c4Uz4P3DQj-iyma_NJ9iFtJVT9bKe0SjC3bzqLBu1yJ-jhZDw0gZbSR_Dmab-8A_1XWLDPFO0qfd1FlR1KAYo8XA8cYhY0mc4TloD3-PR6hyKC6Zfq31B1F-uIZoyNTf-Quea-FFmo26HYI3c6Pav4nRAXHIDxZrYtoeAdI5XaG_00mfDlA/s2553/navaneetha%20krishna.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2553" data-original-width="2010" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_OZs1Rx0c4Uz4P3DQj-iyma_NJ9iFtJVT9bKe0SjC3bzqLBu1yJ-jhZDw0gZbSR_Dmab-8A_1XWLDPFO0qfd1FlR1KAYo8XA8cYhY0mc4TloD3-PR6hyKC6Zfq31B1F-uIZoyNTf-Quea-FFmo26HYI3c6Pav4nRAXHIDxZrYtoeAdI5XaG_00mfDlA/w504-h640/navaneetha%20krishna.jpg" width="504" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Navaneetha Krishna</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Beautiful
as they are</i></b>, to me, they are associated with divinity more than just works of
art. Maybe it has something to do with me seeing them at temples (and the
family shrine), but I rarely think of them as Tanjore paintings. Which is why I
relished the opportunity to feast my eyes on Tanjore paintings at the CSMVS. <o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Iu7Z9XFS17anYAfin7Q_bInfh1W20DTsI-MNwhb_799nk3uCZpaYQJWf-zS39KEex4TSIGhU-1tY2LSSQwQioidfSjXFatSqW6ZWgnLlTtSNJm4wSvoNh3rlISO_J5_Jcnuxz-FBkR3lLzwvGOgoWTAscH3BRDCD3MCzq2p-wDZhc8K79vHJRixkA/s3114/Rama%20pattabhishekam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="3114" height="434" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh66Iu7Z9XFS17anYAfin7Q_bInfh1W20DTsI-MNwhb_799nk3uCZpaYQJWf-zS39KEex4TSIGhU-1tY2LSSQwQioidfSjXFatSqW6ZWgnLlTtSNJm4wSvoNh3rlISO_J5_Jcnuxz-FBkR3lLzwvGOgoWTAscH3BRDCD3MCzq2p-wDZhc8K79vHJRixkA/w640-h434/Rama%20pattabhishekam.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ramar Pattabhishekam</i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Three
Dimensions Of Divinity: Thanjavur Art Revealed,</b></i> is a special exhibition at the
museum, to showcase their new collection of Tanjore and Mysore Paintings. This
collection is part of a set of 350 paintings bequeathed to the museum by the
late Kuldip Singh, an ardent collector. The museum has showcased about 50 of
the paintings as part of this exhibition. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNuOEiLB0G3bCIwFzbUQ4ph8OlqdbTgY-Rr_tofOXiVpsgbkKTIFdOopWQuFesTwdyOjC8zdqDDy9RBaXfCB2vFOmk809pnn-_AvVE-m1Gz5-d7JTtOmcOYcGTghv_Na1weRxTk9-KEQP2F3AU2ChdIQ8ojjvnOAzW5_GYtb3MNazYBCcGSj92NX1dQ/s2818/hayagriva.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2818" data-original-width="2022" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMNuOEiLB0G3bCIwFzbUQ4ph8OlqdbTgY-Rr_tofOXiVpsgbkKTIFdOopWQuFesTwdyOjC8zdqDDy9RBaXfCB2vFOmk809pnn-_AvVE-m1Gz5-d7JTtOmcOYcGTghv_Na1weRxTk9-KEQP2F3AU2ChdIQ8ojjvnOAzW5_GYtb3MNazYBCcGSj92NX1dQ/w460-h640/hayagriva.jpg" width="460" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hayagriva</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><b><i>The paintings cover a variety of topics </i></b>– from <i><b>deities</b></i>, such the Navaneetha Krishna and Ramar Pattabhishekam , Hayagriva, Vitthala, Muruga, Ayyanar and Madurai Veeran. <br /><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSh-UeqdJztyFpY4TOaaAI7HCSL1tF4BYrwpwv_vHx-KjxytkzpYhdeUmk_DTvDvimC9o8ZxIEAfPtOvC47x433waTCYGN08nSmISXY28dKxVUUSTKI3FD54edyIYdXaP_d53Jf9Wyuzx4175-owg24mrDv1VquOo72-Un8KtZQhVsYaa5V6D9vpRqg/s2686/vitthala.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2686" data-original-width="2112" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCSh-UeqdJztyFpY4TOaaAI7HCSL1tF4BYrwpwv_vHx-KjxytkzpYhdeUmk_DTvDvimC9o8ZxIEAfPtOvC47x433waTCYGN08nSmISXY28dKxVUUSTKI3FD54edyIYdXaP_d53Jf9Wyuzx4175-owg24mrDv1VquOo72-Un8KtZQhVsYaa5V6D9vpRqg/w315-h400/vitthala.jpg" width="315" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vitthala</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABqijzXIHtSyA6aoNr--UuZ-MQD8OEswaFVQLdet74JJ0GiJW79tdraWBlY_AT19-oNMBWvVpsVEZ5vj7FEiYIpCYhk-DIl8Ig1O3kTGeMnPLZ20pGkt1mZCnxvkhGm2_ThALpM0FPtbvN8bMVWzoJPndjFuapmYm3s2zo_v4naU078Um_S-TcnhMlw/s2744/karthikeya.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2744" data-original-width="2034" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABqijzXIHtSyA6aoNr--UuZ-MQD8OEswaFVQLdet74JJ0GiJW79tdraWBlY_AT19-oNMBWvVpsVEZ5vj7FEiYIpCYhk-DIl8Ig1O3kTGeMnPLZ20pGkt1mZCnxvkhGm2_ThALpM0FPtbvN8bMVWzoJPndjFuapmYm3s2zo_v4naU078Um_S-TcnhMlw/w474-h640/karthikeya.jpg" width="474" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Karthikeya</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Narratives
</i></b>such as the marriage of Krishna to Satyabhama, the naming ceremony of Rama and
his brothers, the story of Markandeya<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUzTpgQ3UEHk8LFjLjkJDS7Uf9yfu1GtCMgBBAoThX6XGi83F0Enwx6gba1pYa_IUSHeNgiONU8SaNMrdPFUDVLbRnMMGBpIue28XReMR0XmMpTU9iNcScdDfzcEy5xgNJGs9FMlXn8uXePo08iSyyiTyLu5ygX_uuqTMs0KR9-XWIXSEsRA0B1Rm_w/s2560/sathyabhama%20wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2560" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRUzTpgQ3UEHk8LFjLjkJDS7Uf9yfu1GtCMgBBAoThX6XGi83F0Enwx6gba1pYa_IUSHeNgiONU8SaNMrdPFUDVLbRnMMGBpIue28XReMR0XmMpTU9iNcScdDfzcEy5xgNJGs9FMlXn8uXePo08iSyyiTyLu5ygX_uuqTMs0KR9-XWIXSEsRA0B1Rm_w/w528-h640/sathyabhama%20wedding.jpg" width="528" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Wedding of Satyabhama</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><br /><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcMdYQ_nSvXc6qm3hVeGZVtF8RPzc7azAsEDVFM6mpDI-srGVm5vRGPJw7x1MZSRgCHl9BiPihaWP_qt4NzAwIR2sVDffDX8Z4Y0I8jfkdYDhdU62P2BhtJLgEi9OyNOsEvGGlMTylxi0fS2ARfQCUIDpsimTEKEu-jgKezP-NHtWligEpmnbXuoz-A/s4608/detail%20sathyabhama%20wedding.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="4608" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCcMdYQ_nSvXc6qm3hVeGZVtF8RPzc7azAsEDVFM6mpDI-srGVm5vRGPJw7x1MZSRgCHl9BiPihaWP_qt4NzAwIR2sVDffDX8Z4Y0I8jfkdYDhdU62P2BhtJLgEi9OyNOsEvGGlMTylxi0fS2ARfQCUIDpsimTEKEu-jgKezP-NHtWligEpmnbXuoz-A/w640-h294/detail%20sathyabhama%20wedding.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail of Satyabhama (left) and Krishna from Wedding of Satyabhama</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br />
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wtsy0XLfBp5ksmrex-HZ4Z4MXTMVsJ7R73BgifvyT6KjJucdKYcAHSnEKamDk3aOHpx19EXniCgQ_sSwmbyXB-ji9Ufu-NS73tGjFWrdZSMjMeTJ_dN9R-c-GMiwAoQW75zwBjUzuMYE-h_5R8m5ytayuIu1nJcsSsMj99FuXUnl0s0tVOA9OoywRg/s3399/detail%20shiva%20markandeya.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3399" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9wtsy0XLfBp5ksmrex-HZ4Z4MXTMVsJ7R73BgifvyT6KjJucdKYcAHSnEKamDk3aOHpx19EXniCgQ_sSwmbyXB-ji9Ufu-NS73tGjFWrdZSMjMeTJ_dN9R-c-GMiwAoQW75zwBjUzuMYE-h_5R8m5ytayuIu1nJcsSsMj99FuXUnl0s0tVOA9OoywRg/w398-h640/detail%20shiva%20markandeya.jpg" width="398" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Story of Markandeya (detail)</i></td></tr></tbody></table><span lang="EN-US"><b><i><br /></i></b></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Temples</i></b>,
such as the Srirangam temple. I was especially fascinated by the fact that this
painting of a Vaishnava temple included the figure of a Shaiva sanyasi. It turns
out that the painting was probably commissioned by the mutt or the sanyasiat the
opening of a new choultry (dharmshala or place for pilgrims to stay) at one of
the Shaiva mutts at Srirangam. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOAhjYEt4SqPPiFDUTxMgMzMhiXXYMnYc_PC2RcUMD5Lt7I2_l7qgJu_gmDwwuoXtfdQl04_0ssgIAPs5nvOXWwtjcP1lCIK3wbFx3oFBED25mSwof_S9SvWIEDIR3uRk4QXEkC-4BKgAuKKrmsTBzEqT-2kLEliIKAHChtcDVmCdRw3XJFLeitSjVg/s3085/srirangam%20temple.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="3085" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvOAhjYEt4SqPPiFDUTxMgMzMhiXXYMnYc_PC2RcUMD5Lt7I2_l7qgJu_gmDwwuoXtfdQl04_0ssgIAPs5nvOXWwtjcP1lCIK3wbFx3oFBED25mSwof_S9SvWIEDIR3uRk4QXEkC-4BKgAuKKrmsTBzEqT-2kLEliIKAHChtcDVmCdRw3XJFLeitSjVg/w438-h640/srirangam%20temple.jpg" width="438" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Srirangam Temple <br />showing the entire temple complex including the smaller shrines</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X3OHdeuNYL7IPSpNkViSa1tDDTDSOXsGuhIPw-oZjjQafU7w9ZUDFvFUewY6QeAKy0G3peNRNtKZG6Qu1Qob2pSVflJlEQXItyjGOxWxoZgqfp_RqMt18PcgEYs3yyb3r-U9ca4yqrSlsBy316aVm4stYmRiwB_hPCqQGsEnKkNqJshLFbWDmmbbfw/s4608/sriranganatha%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6X3OHdeuNYL7IPSpNkViSa1tDDTDSOXsGuhIPw-oZjjQafU7w9ZUDFvFUewY6QeAKy0G3peNRNtKZG6Qu1Qob2pSVflJlEQXItyjGOxWxoZgqfp_RqMt18PcgEYs3yyb3r-U9ca4yqrSlsBy316aVm4stYmRiwB_hPCqQGsEnKkNqJshLFbWDmmbbfw/w294-h640/sriranganatha%20detail.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail of Srirangam Temple - Ranganatha in the sanctum</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8Vpvm8IgFEbTy_qkfO7I2k5hIIQDgkDqDjyw6qwxIYhCaS7Jj-OlbukhBKSaTWvwpQ_yZ8zlqDq8umWmulVbKOvhs1yFfx67frgtDHXDgFGaf105e6UPkcR8GR7cIqpZotiF1_W3kfMve9-qUL-VNjTbwfNheVpbIKWMGNgg8djqCqPWCsKZb01_Kg/s4608/shaiva%20sanyasi%20along%20with%20other%20shrines%20at%20srirangam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="4608" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhb8Vpvm8IgFEbTy_qkfO7I2k5hIIQDgkDqDjyw6qwxIYhCaS7Jj-OlbukhBKSaTWvwpQ_yZ8zlqDq8umWmulVbKOvhs1yFfx67frgtDHXDgFGaf105e6UPkcR8GR7cIqpZotiF1_W3kfMve9-qUL-VNjTbwfNheVpbIKWMGNgg8djqCqPWCsKZb01_Kg/w294-h640/shaiva%20sanyasi%20along%20with%20other%20shrines%20at%20srirangam.jpg" width="294" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail of Srirangam temple - The Shaiva Sanyasi</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA77jCQAcBk3Wi2-PXPcCpMYN9mS4_rFWJ-Hp4UNUvClPvJXqrahp8NSJ953OpidbA8DwkLNe5oIBDbXGy34kfWAhHsxLVIrMnq9dgA5WFi2wOcF3Q7V0JfJn7YLAgdrtO8sdnpmMD7J6mG7Oly1RNl1FEjxG2xZai8_7D4RxkLQuV5JjomsOzNfHLyA/s4150/108%20divyadesam.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="4150" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgA77jCQAcBk3Wi2-PXPcCpMYN9mS4_rFWJ-Hp4UNUvClPvJXqrahp8NSJ953OpidbA8DwkLNe5oIBDbXGy34kfWAhHsxLVIrMnq9dgA5WFi2wOcF3Q7V0JfJn7YLAgdrtO8sdnpmMD7J6mG7Oly1RNl1FEjxG2xZai8_7D4RxkLQuV5JjomsOzNfHLyA/w640-h326/108%20divyadesam.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><i>The 108 Divya Desams</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i> Saints </i></b>such
as Nammalvar, a</span>nd the 63
Nayanmars</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2RaMenofo9toGyY3_qE5CTiZd7OKFPM5016qWyi3gpdVn3vmIBAz8u1bpcgwwp-k-WwV5B6ahSmvg6rpSApeDFYyEmx51wzS2BoKJdH-9ZlfgF4mXvjcjeWT23zVWhT8VPPvuwCm86DPqq201FyU9FZqeCn3eAx7YwsZrlL826GNsa9CqqyjMBlpAw/s4608/nammalvar%20detail.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2112" data-original-width="4608" height="294" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjh2RaMenofo9toGyY3_qE5CTiZd7OKFPM5016qWyi3gpdVn3vmIBAz8u1bpcgwwp-k-WwV5B6ahSmvg6rpSApeDFYyEmx51wzS2BoKJdH-9ZlfgF4mXvjcjeWT23zVWhT8VPPvuwCm86DPqq201FyU9FZqeCn3eAx7YwsZrlL826GNsa9CqqyjMBlpAw/w640-h294/nammalvar%20detail.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Detail from painting of Nammalvar</i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnqn6MgbSzHqwNkN4__MY7qPfSAJQxmfwQLxtq6q9eBW225Rb769QpIKip6a-JT02xwjHexUudWpXXKEfOm6wJJwmGb0mVVx-NSS0Wsza09DzoAFHATC9fgD0joe_RMLlCK42Y7kRkj8EXGq-Me_512966dcaWqGZeg1FT35Dzank55LZ_Le9hzw6nA/s2727/nayanmars.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2727" data-original-width="2112" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnnqn6MgbSzHqwNkN4__MY7qPfSAJQxmfwQLxtq6q9eBW225Rb769QpIKip6a-JT02xwjHexUudWpXXKEfOm6wJJwmGb0mVVx-NSS0Wsza09DzoAFHATC9fgD0joe_RMLlCK42Y7kRkj8EXGq-Me_512966dcaWqGZeg1FT35Dzank55LZ_Le9hzw6nA/w496-h640/nayanmars.jpg" width="496" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The 63 Nayanmars</i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>There are
also non-Hindu themes</i></b>, such as these Jain paintings, as well as a portrait of
Guru Nanak. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The gallery</i></b>
also has a series of paintings depicting the process of creation of these
paintings, as well as an AV presentation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The
exhibition is on till the end of June, so if you haven’t already been to see
it, don’t miss it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><span lang="EN-US"> </span><p></p></div><br /><br />
<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com6159-161, Mahatma Gandhi Road, Lion Gate, Fort, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400023, India18.9269015 72.83269159999999-9.3833323361788459 37.67644159999999 47.237135336178845 107.98894159999999tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-89188729440661388572022-02-25T13:03:00.002+05:302022-02-25T13:03:38.996+05:30Book Review: Warlord of Ayodhya - Rebellion , by Shatrujeet Nath<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Ayodhya is
synonymous with Rama</b></i>, which is why it is a pleasure to read a book about Ayodhya,
where there is no Ram. The events of “Warlord of Ayodhya” occur in the city,
when Rama is in exile. It is Bharat who is at the centre of this story, an unwilling
character forced to play the lead. While he rules the kingdom with his brother’s
sandals on the throne’s footrest, and remembers his brother’s words of advice
to him, it is his father he seeks to emulate as king. After all, it is his
father who has ruled the kingdom all those years. While Rama is the prince, the
rightful heir, it is still Dashrath who is the ideal king in Bharat’s eyes. It is
these subtleties that make Shatrujeet Nath’s newest book a riveting read. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Xz0TQyAtL.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="518" height="800" src="https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/71Xz0TQyAtL.jpg" width="518" /></a></div><br /><span></span><span><a name='more'></a></span><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>While centered
around Ayodhya</i></b>, the book does not limit itself to the city. The author
skillfully puts Ayodhya in the context of the larger subcontinent – of the River
Kingdoms and Gandhara, of Madhupura and the trade routes, and the much farther
Lanka looming ominously in the shadows. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
narrative also follows</i></b> not only the kings, but also the servants in and out of
the palace, the traders, the soldiers, those with and without power. There is
intrigue, and the author skillfully holds a lot of separate threads in his hands
as he weaves the story together. If his previous books are any indication, we
can look forward to all the separate threads coming together to form an
intricate story that holds together beautifully as the series progresses.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>As with his
Vikramaditya Veergatha series</i></b>, the story brings together mythology and fantasy.
While there are no superheroes in this series, there is magic. And the author’s
conception of magic is just as intriguing as his conception of the superpowers
of his heroes in the previous series. As with his other books, this one too is
fast paced. The characters are all conceptualized in great detail, and each one
begins to take shape in our mind as we read about them. however, that’s where
the similarities end. There are no gods here so far, though the <i>rakshashas </i>have
already made their appearance. And the story revolves as much around the internal
problems faced by the city as the external threats. Above all, so far it feels like
the coming-of-age story of a king. How the author takes Bharat’s story forward
and how he handles the hand-over of the throne to Rama eventually already
intrigues me, and makes me wait impatiently for the next books in the series. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The only
thing I’m not a fan of</i></b>, in the book, is its cover. I much preferred the cover
art of the Vikramaditya Veergatha series, especially the first three books. However,
as they say, “Never judge a book by its cover”, so that hardly matters.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Please
note</i></b>: <i>The book was sent to me for review by the author. However, the views expressed
are all my own. </i><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-15924492049476953762021-08-20T17:31:00.002+05:302021-08-20T17:31:45.293+05:30Ladakh - Planning The Trip<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b style="font-style: italic;">Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days.</b> Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out! </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CdY2S7B50DxSfwoWpUUsmthmbld5r5MkCzPk8JFj42dUkjKMguLmaCjFgt0sVO8RaCznckSRkTLmlbgyCrQirmybfPzBQLs4b_yHWvg5IL-Y3pi4cKRXppu_dSsaXLRYF33FTHmY2edX/s1620/0ab11d3c-0d7e-40cf-a35a-4191b960362c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj7CdY2S7B50DxSfwoWpUUsmthmbld5r5MkCzPk8JFj42dUkjKMguLmaCjFgt0sVO8RaCznckSRkTLmlbgyCrQirmybfPzBQLs4b_yHWvg5IL-Y3pi4cKRXppu_dSsaXLRYF33FTHmY2edX/w640-h426/0ab11d3c-0d7e-40cf-a35a-4191b960362c.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Leh, the
capital of Ladakh</b></i>, is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the
easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but
with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes
in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for
just one reason – altitude sickness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Altitude
sickness</i></b> was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness.
Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years,
have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in
Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes
that we would encounter in Ladakh. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This was
the reason</i></b> we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, though we could
have spent a few days more, and explored more. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>All the
reading</i></b> I did told me that altitude sickness was all about acclimatization,
which would be easier if we did a road trip, making frequent halts along the
way. The biggest issue with flying into Ladakh is the sudden change in
altitude, and by driving, we would avoid that. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The second
advice</b></i> I got, from friends who had visited Ladakh, was to take things easy, and
slow, and not to try to do too much. That was valuable advice for me, someone
who likes to pack every day of travel with activities! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The third
and most valuable advice</b></i> was to stay hydrated, and to ensure we ate regularly,
avoiding long gaps. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Two other
things helped</i></b> – our choice of car (an Innova) and keeping the window open
through the entire journey. Keeping the window open is something I always find
helpful. The AC doesn’t work for me, and I feel better feeling the wind on my
face. In Ladakh, the air was particularly fresh, and this made all the
difference. The choice of car also helped. Apparently, as I learnt post-facto,
seats in an SUV are higher, and there is also more space. These two factors
apparently help with motion-sickness, and also with altitude sickness. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We were on
the mountainous roads</i></b> from the 5<sup>th</sup> to the 15<sup>th</sup> of August.
Not once in those 10 days did I even feel a tinge of motion or altitude
sickness. (To truly appreciate this, you should know that I still throw up in
the car every time I visit Tirupati, or Ooty, or any hill-station for that
matter!)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>So, that
explains our choice of transport. Now for the planning itself. </i></b><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>If you’ve
been reading my blog</b></i> for a while, you would know that I plan all my trips
myself, down to the last detail, and make all the bookings myself. I was
tempted to do the same for Ladakh, but this was a completely new region to me,
one where I knew no one, and where I was more afraid of falling sick than
getting lost. I didn’t want to go with a group. That, I’ve learnt, doesn’t work
for me. Thus, I looked towards someone who could customize an itinerary for us,
and handle all the bookings, including the transport. After quite a bit of
research, and still unable to fix anything, I turned to friends for help. And
Sudha suggested <i><b><a href="http://ladakhcalling.com/" target="_blank">Ladakh Calling</a>.</b></i> Multiple conversations and emails later, I
finally decided to go with them. Siddharth, the owner was extremely helpful,
and we went back and forth till we finalized our plan. He arranged everything,
from picking us up at Chandigarh airport, to dropping us at Srinagar, the
homestays, the different vehicles we used along the way, the permits,
everything. I didn’t have to lift a finger, which helped settle my qualms. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>My instinct</i></b>
in going with them was validated when we had no issues all through the ten days
of our trip, and he even accommodated us when we made sudden changes to our
plan – like compressing the sightseeing in Leh to half a day because we wanted
to meet Shankar’s friend, or adding Turtuk to our itinerary without any notice.
Further, though our last driver was evidently worried about driving into
Srinagar on 15<sup>th</sup> of August, the fact that he did, shows the
professionalism. (Again, to give some context, on my earlier visit to Srinagar,
we had been dropped unceremoniously at a crossroad in the city, because the
driver refused to enter the main city where we had booked our accommodation). <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Most of the
places</i></b> we visited were at Siddharth’s suggestion, and they worked perfectly, to
give us a glimpse of Ladakh, which is what we wanted. If I planned the trip
today, there would be additions/ changes I would make, but that comes from my
first experience, which was entirely thanks to him and his company. I would
recommend them to any of you planning a trip. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I have
written in detail</i></b> about our trip, but to help you plan, here is our itinerary,
along with links to the blog posts…<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 1 –
<a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank"><i>Chandigarh to Manali</i></a> (Around 300 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 2 –
<a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html"><i>Manali to Jispa</i></a> (Around 100 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 3 –
<a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html" target="_blank"><i>Jispa to Leh</i></a> (Around 335 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 4 – <i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Lehsightseeing – Leh Palace, Shanti Stupa</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 5 –
<i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Around Leh – Stok Palace, Hemis Monastery, Thiksey Monastery, Shey Palace</a></i><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 6 – <i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html" target="_blank">Leh to Nubra</a></i> (Around 120 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 7 –
<a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-6-turtuk.html"><i>Nubra to Turtuk, Turtuk to Leh</i></a> (Around 280 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 8 – <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-7-pangong-lake.html"><i>Leh to Pangong Lake</i></a> (Around 225 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 9 –
<i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-7-pangong-lake.html" target="_blank">Pangong Lake to Leh</a></i> (Around 225 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 10 –
Leh to Mulbek (along the way – <a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-8-pathar-sahib-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Pathar Sahib, Magnetic Hill, Saspol Caves</i></a>, <i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-9-lamayuru.html">LamayuruMonastery</a></i>) (Around 200 Km)<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">Day 11 –
<a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/08/ladakh-part-10-last-stretch-mulbek-to.html" target="_blank"><i>Mulbek to Srinagar.</i></a> (Around 240 Km)</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>All the
homestays and camps</i></b> we stayed at were arranged by Siddharth. Which is why I
haven’t given their details. We chose mid-range stays, and all the ones we
stayed at worked perfectly for us. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>One other
thing I should mention</i></b>. This was the first trip where we went completely <b><i>plastic
free</i></b>. Siddharth suggested we bring our own water bottles, and we did. We had no
trouble refilling them, wherever we went. There were water filters everywhere
and we were encouraged in our quest to remain plastic free over the two weeks
we spent in the region. Mementos were wrapped in paper, and we avoided packing food
that would require plastics. We carried our own garbage bags (as we anyways do)
and we hardly had to use them. Since then, we have tried doing the same on
other trips too, and though we have faced some issues, it does work, when we
make the effort to. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>All in, </i></b>the
trip cost us about 50,000 per head, around 1Lakh in all, that included all the
permits, the accommodation, and the transport. That was, of course, 4 years
back. The costs work out way better when there are more people. It would have
cost just a little more for a group of 5 or 6 people, which would have reduced
per head costs. That explains why most people prefer to visit Ladakh as a
group, or as a family. However, we enjoyed travelling together, without anyone
else, so it was absolutely worth it. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>And that
concludes </i></b>this long series of unbelievably delayed posts on my trip to Ladakh.
I only hope I will be able to go again someday, and add to this series. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com16tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-19594128876167532702021-08-05T11:05:00.001+05:302021-08-05T11:05:43.267+05:30Ladakh Part 10: The Last Stretch - Mulbek to Srinagar<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
spectacular landscapes of Ladakh</i></b> continued to astound us as we continued on our
way past Lamayuru. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAJOm09yeMl4lqSzLkDDOZdOXX24aA_YDZLsZVjQ3aNs702ciAznUm4nrx-P4MAMPof_Vo9mGyRi6DKOfoD1AiSN0Szstu31jVFL78T4rlpe7Nm_GvPt6p5uE38nvIBxoKMKvhP13qLcs/s1620/b8e00da7-605f-4d56-8ac5-99310809e310.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfAJOm09yeMl4lqSzLkDDOZdOXX24aA_YDZLsZVjQ3aNs702ciAznUm4nrx-P4MAMPof_Vo9mGyRi6DKOfoD1AiSN0Szstu31jVFL78T4rlpe7Nm_GvPt6p5uE38nvIBxoKMKvhP13qLcs/w640-h426/b8e00da7-605f-4d56-8ac5-99310809e310.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx-eye8-kDGmHQSY9ZuHkYfnkhLsm-G4SXnXC3URUWxYZIKXWxM_X9PBYr6F9DoewA_B5wROWbBpdHzODfL_ck9eOv8bAf5fbSTPjByM0qKir2osPmVDTi8yOG6j4mW8eI6T_iBtOt6od/s2048/IMG_20170814_133513-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHx-eye8-kDGmHQSY9ZuHkYfnkhLsm-G4SXnXC3URUWxYZIKXWxM_X9PBYr6F9DoewA_B5wROWbBpdHzODfL_ck9eOv8bAf5fbSTPjByM0qKir2osPmVDTi8yOG6j4mW8eI6T_iBtOt6od/w640-h640/IMG_20170814_133513-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Somewhere along the route,</i></b> the Wakha river joined us, and
along her canyon were stunning natural rock formations, which reminded me of
the ancient temples of central India. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5R2oGcc3uUPAXbFeSCmMhGfJpCXJUI0TbqmKyjJBQKqdvtNmhT8EH33CSEkUKnDK_FZyUUcNtPrhnydIVbsvD21I7_aWLBUC0bRAnxtt60g9QGdp5tQycJ6mjBr-9anCNTWJfdmN5Omn/s2048/IMG_20170814_135516.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1308" data-original-width="2048" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEil5R2oGcc3uUPAXbFeSCmMhGfJpCXJUI0TbqmKyjJBQKqdvtNmhT8EH33CSEkUKnDK_FZyUUcNtPrhnydIVbsvD21I7_aWLBUC0bRAnxtt60g9QGdp5tQycJ6mjBr-9anCNTWJfdmN5Omn/w640-h408/IMG_20170814_135516.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmGUwWRKEGpr5R11xp2J7OCnB43EoLyXyxm6azt_AynOzqHgnRidmmqldyl5S4XR0y91GbTg1HH7o9toWQKvNujwCdKg2En4mwG4yCWLkXorZUPCMl_hDOJD15ukFDFURbfFrpLNtxsOM/s2048/IMG_20170814_144456.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="2048" height="450" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvmGUwWRKEGpr5R11xp2J7OCnB43EoLyXyxm6azt_AynOzqHgnRidmmqldyl5S4XR0y91GbTg1HH7o9toWQKvNujwCdKg2En4mwG4yCWLkXorZUPCMl_hDOJD15ukFDFURbfFrpLNtxsOM/w640-h450/IMG_20170814_144456.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZv1gntr9pxm0N4F9iMKE9pcGvy8sWLg9TCJuRj3fXxMeSAVbesbrE3buxKfh4be9NFEEoSTwgAxONHUnwXtm4MVrGL8qlGFHBTAgNK4lYbrzdt1cuDyfOpp92QGwdQqNSWis6itagI1V/s2048/IMG_20170814_144510.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="2048" height="334" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuZv1gntr9pxm0N4F9iMKE9pcGvy8sWLg9TCJuRj3fXxMeSAVbesbrE3buxKfh4be9NFEEoSTwgAxONHUnwXtm4MVrGL8qlGFHBTAgNK4lYbrzdt1cuDyfOpp92QGwdQqNSWis6itagI1V/w640-h334/IMG_20170814_144510.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>This
continued all the way to Mulbek</b></i>, where we stopped to see the colossal Maitreya
Buddha carved into the rock. We had seen many colossal statues of Maitreya in
Ladakh. But this one is different. Those are made of clay and stucco. This one
is carved into the rock, and is dated to the 9<sup>th</sup> century CE. It is
considered one of the finest such figures seen in the region. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABB3AB0-r0lWJ6cmlNw6wN2VuRk66a1bvEzirCJfrlsFPr4QdRUuD4BZsjWvcYheaT-YVAgUwrmSnKr412hsEWLzuzCkd6fjLo9AKDCpTvMUoXfxyI4n5V5yF5nKR_s6IHzb8-2czIw-0/s2048/IMG_20170814_145408.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1669" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiABB3AB0-r0lWJ6cmlNw6wN2VuRk66a1bvEzirCJfrlsFPr4QdRUuD4BZsjWvcYheaT-YVAgUwrmSnKr412hsEWLzuzCkd6fjLo9AKDCpTvMUoXfxyI4n5V5yF5nKR_s6IHzb8-2czIw-0/w522-h640/IMG_20170814_145408.jpg" width="522" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The figure of
Maitreya</i></b> is carved on a huge boulder, standing in the middle of the village,
right by the side of the road. He is shown with 4 hands, and richly adorned,
holding a lotus stalk and rosary in his upper hands, the lower hands in varada
mudra, and holding a kamandalu. There has been a lot of speculation regarding
his identity, but the stupa seen on his forehead marks him out as Maitreya. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrRYnVZ5mlR1-CqWhqxPUvqMHOx60-SBz63XyOsRAJa6etVkP4-_hE6QgMsHjzGSCMeImzajravwVHiQFPaWRmZZRYy3Y-PLQ-I5ahlseo0x7l4a3ui_BBbJyNw9WwVLhIgLlP5oetfZ6/s2560/P1090329.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRrRYnVZ5mlR1-CqWhqxPUvqMHOx60-SBz63XyOsRAJa6etVkP4-_hE6QgMsHjzGSCMeImzajravwVHiQFPaWRmZZRYy3Y-PLQ-I5ahlseo0x7l4a3ui_BBbJyNw9WwVLhIgLlP5oetfZ6/w640-h480/P1090329.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Around him
is built a small shrine</i></b>, with the eleven-headed Avalokiteshwara on the altar.
The rock relief rises over the structure, open to the elements. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrSUeHT4nvAaXqDDwvh2shOZnFiRV5_ztlFl6JJCtLnBzEbqqeNqTjSrO90cDjb7VnY5hJTVzM20Ew8DKJb1mOP7fbWdphx4K4gd4VzFH975cH-MipX15_-WD2JVV4cDf9TxzHGO0dvIs/s2048/IMG_20170814_145148_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1454" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrSUeHT4nvAaXqDDwvh2shOZnFiRV5_ztlFl6JJCtLnBzEbqqeNqTjSrO90cDjb7VnY5hJTVzM20Ew8DKJb1mOP7fbWdphx4K4gd4VzFH975cH-MipX15_-WD2JVV4cDf9TxzHGO0dvIs/w454-h640/IMG_20170814_145148_1.jpg" width="454" /></a></div><b><i>We halted
for the night</i></b> at a homestay barely a km from the statue. Staying here was a
memorable experience, and this was the last place on the journey where I sat
down to write in my diary. Here is my last entry…<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote><span lang="EN-US">Our host
says, that this house is over 50 years old. He lives here with four generations
of his family – from his grandparents to his sons, 14 members in all. The house
took Shankar back down memory lane, to the old house at Karugudi near
Thiruvaiyaru (Thanjavur dist.) where he was born. He noticed many similarities
between the two houses, and appreciated our host for preserving it as it is.</span></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X3ZYGTUnqpuNJulPtELSPGLo1ZOeHarR0UeAbcHrJolunxwCSMTjGGyL_7aTnEsm6BFNkKIDbCnarGXfMccvIxF_HDhus211UIDRjK7cGFDyJPmAE1Oy3mwBO2aHgpe_rB2EAX64fTig/s2048/IMG_20170815_052726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1239" data-original-width="2048" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1X3ZYGTUnqpuNJulPtELSPGLo1ZOeHarR0UeAbcHrJolunxwCSMTjGGyL_7aTnEsm6BFNkKIDbCnarGXfMccvIxF_HDhus211UIDRjK7cGFDyJPmAE1Oy3mwBO2aHgpe_rB2EAX64fTig/w640-h388/IMG_20170815_052726.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">We had
originally been allotted a room in a newer structure built right next door, but
because we like this one so much, he allowed us to stay in one of the guest
rooms in the old house itself. Since we had missed Alchi, we had arrived early,
and thought of walking around, exploring Mulbek. However, my legs are still
wobbly, after that steep ascent and descent at Saspol, and I have no energy to
walk any more. I am happy to sit here by the window, the light streaming in,
looking at the photos I have clicked today, and writing in my diary. We have to
leave early tomorrow, by 5 AM, since its Independence Day, and our driver says
it is prudent to cross Kargil before the roads are hogged by VIPs. He seems to
be in a hurry to drop us off at Srinagar by noon. I never imagined being here
on 15<sup>th</sup> August would be an issue. Hope things go off well.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JV_5HFOs6gPh_1wkx5TV8wVSWdQEbahaqocoiYAn63tVmsBKVpHtbiHXrOqBKeRdTznTSdB_3Tw3C8yroQ57rhjIRvIbv4N23vSdmPCSqXug8qCC-VCzKxABKPf363GwmsKShNrmWCU9/s2048/IMG_20170814_175701-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2045" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-JV_5HFOs6gPh_1wkx5TV8wVSWdQEbahaqocoiYAn63tVmsBKVpHtbiHXrOqBKeRdTznTSdB_3Tw3C8yroQ57rhjIRvIbv4N23vSdmPCSqXug8qCC-VCzKxABKPf363GwmsKShNrmWCU9/w639-h640/IMG_20170814_175701-01.jpeg" width="639" /></a></b></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I never
managed</i></b> to pick up the pen after this, and complete my thoughts of the journey
from Mulbek to Srinagar. However, the memory is still quite fresh, despite the
passage of years. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We started
off early</i></b>, as planned, and stopped for tea at Drass, said to be the
second-coldest inhabited place in the world. Our driver sped past Kargil, as if
we were on fire, so scared was he, of being stopped. Since everything was
closed anyways, on account of the national holiday, we didn’t complain or
protest. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzl-J3HAmFx5xYZLKUvgOqaPKf0xEIN-l61uOsU4ztsVe8HwJr9wUjF-oKmYYXcsYO0EBKnpZ877QFpOYZWKY6gqadMMjrCFMS_jX3WQoeoBloyeQg2oiRui7jS9ggrASfwq6bnVG-tDi/s2048/IMG_20170815_080150.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKzl-J3HAmFx5xYZLKUvgOqaPKf0xEIN-l61uOsU4ztsVe8HwJr9wUjF-oKmYYXcsYO0EBKnpZ877QFpOYZWKY6gqadMMjrCFMS_jX3WQoeoBloyeQg2oiRui7jS9ggrASfwq6bnVG-tDi/w640-h480/IMG_20170815_080150.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The
landscape began changing</b></i> soon after we left Drass and Kargil. As I mentioned
before, in one of my earlier posts, this is the one region where the landscape
seems to change across the border. At the time we visited, this was all Jammu
and Kashmir, but the landscape was markedly different as we left Ladakh and
entered Kashmir. The mountains changed, as did the land, greenery began to
appear, and most importantly, we began to see cattle along the road! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAPz4Zn-hx9b4z_YrvjX3LtuCyLLkTqtSS1DwrdR_2zoS7kkbE7ju5_9UDrNIvxhHUlxkkHoUW0tO0hFjjKNKMc9-vQSR0gA0nwdD_hXq4wpdKtZsnJiUrcUGcMMUW9M9L6QJd2_SZqsY/s2048/IMG_20170815_084750.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1290" data-original-width="2048" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsAPz4Zn-hx9b4z_YrvjX3LtuCyLLkTqtSS1DwrdR_2zoS7kkbE7ju5_9UDrNIvxhHUlxkkHoUW0tO0hFjjKNKMc9-vQSR0gA0nwdD_hXq4wpdKtZsnJiUrcUGcMMUW9M9L6QJd2_SZqsY/w640-h404/IMG_20170815_084750.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our driver
pointed out</i></b> various landmarks as we passed them – many of them related to the
Kargil war, and also camps on the Amarnath Yatra route. As we approached
Srinagar, the landscape changed yet again, forests of pine trees covering the
mountain slopes. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd8_ny7GYflkPNaI6jMcFZrOHdnJvkgtcK-g-Q4i0rF3yOPByBp-jXDN-V-neq-bPGGPDoTXjeKG0I5kOK6bopgyO13szKhnthKN0NSskMCByxTrXq4gR_MsfswPcm0t6Aobyk1QB_-OH/s2048/IMG_20170815_095610.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1376" data-original-width="2048" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmd8_ny7GYflkPNaI6jMcFZrOHdnJvkgtcK-g-Q4i0rF3yOPByBp-jXDN-V-neq-bPGGPDoTXjeKG0I5kOK6bopgyO13szKhnthKN0NSskMCByxTrXq4gR_MsfswPcm0t6Aobyk1QB_-OH/w640-h430/IMG_20170815_095610.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGMfTe6c3oBbAEFqmQ0vp0Bk4sZ1aFiqbOVEmvbvALTHBF9DBwRBaan1VmhV20_qkmZh_loKviAUgdpT0WmZ-yzRxg1JbdAo7HTJ75pYBTpv9YLqZ4sLZiVNrlDxQJswpVrjr-cDZ6ivd/s2048/IMG_20170815_091356.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="2048" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZGMfTe6c3oBbAEFqmQ0vp0Bk4sZ1aFiqbOVEmvbvALTHBF9DBwRBaan1VmhV20_qkmZh_loKviAUgdpT0WmZ-yzRxg1JbdAo7HTJ75pYBTpv9YLqZ4sLZiVNrlDxQJswpVrjr-cDZ6ivd/w640-h378/IMG_20170815_091356.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>While we appreciated</i></b> the landscape, our driver’s tension was
on the rise. This was not the first time I was made aware of the fear that
anyone outside Srinagar (or Kashmir for that matter) had, of the city and its
constant tensions. It was apparent he couldn’t wait to drop us off and leave.
This did cast a certain gloom over the end of our trip. While we didn’t really
want this experience to end, he was of the exactly opposite opinion. We reached
Srinagar as planned, before mid-day, and our driver barely waited for us to
collect our luggage before he rushed off, eager to get back home. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn9H2LBzPEafpj2m2LMYS-f6AU3HlEPtMv1NgCeqyiXC4pDq793XeWcenBK1gTysT3Ik30XOqtoFFzY08791LOktnYY9Km8NFKvn8WrQ2z_8E7t8LvywIn4GO_bZrrP4NJnaJC0-wNQXD/s2048/IMG_20170815_100658.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1868" data-original-width="2048" height="584" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOn9H2LBzPEafpj2m2LMYS-f6AU3HlEPtMv1NgCeqyiXC4pDq793XeWcenBK1gTysT3Ik30XOqtoFFzY08791LOktnYY9Km8NFKvn8WrQ2z_8E7t8LvywIn4GO_bZrrP4NJnaJC0-wNQXD/w640-h584/IMG_20170815_100658.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmoKe9Rni37rpDleCkiF6fCEDUBc5_SPlraGw03_YsW9i-Ov-gzQpkiO1jNIHuJ03ExoDyox_3SlRRgVfYpKmM-3ba35jh7dbUJq9Fy_UtDp75vuidqP4mNWwwNj03IZVHFZLyMZ6IWeB/s2598/IMG_20170815_101557.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1210" data-original-width="2598" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWmoKe9Rni37rpDleCkiF6fCEDUBc5_SPlraGw03_YsW9i-Ov-gzQpkiO1jNIHuJ03ExoDyox_3SlRRgVfYpKmM-3ba35jh7dbUJq9Fy_UtDp75vuidqP4mNWwwNj03IZVHFZLyMZ6IWeB/w640-h298/IMG_20170815_101557.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our idyllic
sojourn to Ladakh ended on the sombre note. <o:p></o:p></i></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We stayed
in Srinagar</i></b> for a couple more days before flying back home to Mumbai. I have no
diary entries of our stay there, but lots of photographs and lots of wonderful
memories to share. But all that is for another series, which I hope to write
soon. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Meanwhile</i></b>,
there is one post I have yet to write – one that will hopefully be useful for
you, if you ever plan a visit to this beautiful state of Ladakh. We barely
managed to get a glimpse, but hopefully our experience will help you in some
way. Look out for the next post. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-6-turtuk.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-7-pangong-lake.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 7: Pangong Lake</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-8-pathar-sahib-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 8: Pathar Sahib and Saspol Caves</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-9-lamayuru.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 9: Lamayuru</a></i></li></ul></div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh - Planning the Trip</i></li></ul></div></div>
<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-91112117257868272812021-07-29T16:51:00.000+05:302021-07-29T16:51:18.201+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 9: Lamayuru<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Lamayuru</i></b> is
one of the most ancient monasteries in Ladakh, the oldest surviving structure
dating to the 11<sup>th</sup> century CE. What makes this monastery
particularly fascinating, is its location, amidst what is today called the
“moonscape”, for the spectacular natural rock formations, which truly are “out
of the world”! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgHe-_qquCymPVgeeCw2SbERkliMM8aIb0MjgKInf_f8cTTKZImt9jHREqLDVbSweTutoWNaPnpS1Y3dHWassX-BfoRcsx6XoMC6qTdMLAnT67FyY8pDeSSMF0RQAc1sbrjKKholLs-_n/s1620/Collage+2021-06-21+14_22_49.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXgHe-_qquCymPVgeeCw2SbERkliMM8aIb0MjgKInf_f8cTTKZImt9jHREqLDVbSweTutoWNaPnpS1Y3dHWassX-BfoRcsx6XoMC6qTdMLAnT67FyY8pDeSSMF0RQAc1sbrjKKholLs-_n/w640-h426/Collage+2021-06-21+14_22_49.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>As per
legend</b></i>, there once existed a huge lake in this area, populated only by the
Nagas (serpents). It was prophesized that there would be a great monastery
built here. This prophecy came true when the great acharya Naropa (756-1041 CE)
arrived. He emptied the lake, meditated for many years inside a cave, and built
the first monastery here. The present structure is a new one, built around the
cave where Acharya Naropa is said to have meditated. This legend seems to fit
well with the geological formations seen in the area, which suggest this was a
paleo-lake, which disappeared around 1000 years ago. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PXd8nCwQ2xdpTUu0lb_H3JAw3LuGDvENcTXhBBJ5H2_vb1qFkFpSydSCJm-Ai0tpekyjYupTiuS3LgrPkfMKdnrPxRR9uMXwV17RDGOIcDgiHhXLuNSYsE5A2M5tNXDYSnqs5itI_ZZM/s2048/IMG_20170814_122320.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_PXd8nCwQ2xdpTUu0lb_H3JAw3LuGDvENcTXhBBJ5H2_vb1qFkFpSydSCJm-Ai0tpekyjYupTiuS3LgrPkfMKdnrPxRR9uMXwV17RDGOIcDgiHhXLuNSYsE5A2M5tNXDYSnqs5itI_ZZM/w640-h332/IMG_20170814_122320.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Lamayuru is
about 130 km from Leh</i></b>, and the Indus River flows along the road for quite some
distance. The river is a beautiful sight, and easily approachable at many
points along this route. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2xvQJvIGNOm1N9Bm5dn0jweTxkpSaVc7-fsjVZvjT5lGpc-8lyuvzQghW_GdwuCdayAsLXf60kmzgMNcz9Hy8uAHd8auZfeNBi0u-_gqmgU5o2mDaWRQTHhsSfd5vndsDrQOcy8lc08m/s2048/IMG_20170814_103500_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1101" data-original-width="2048" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgP2xvQJvIGNOm1N9Bm5dn0jweTxkpSaVc7-fsjVZvjT5lGpc-8lyuvzQghW_GdwuCdayAsLXf60kmzgMNcz9Hy8uAHd8auZfeNBi0u-_gqmgU5o2mDaWRQTHhsSfd5vndsDrQOcy8lc08m/w640-h344/IMG_20170814_103500_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>However,</b></i> the landscape, even before the “moonscapes”
is just as beautiful. The natural rock formations make one stop and look again,
wondering if these are natural indeed, or something carved by man. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH4AlRE4MYP1TW9YTqKBn6ghTb-YGaR7GRoe-1xrREukRfpa2mqzdAlAWrKxWjXA59iyU_EZelsPd80bs8qg1ZlmbiOVived4oxKJbnoxQ_zqT8jsYylC1jowBr7CbS1WoexkmAIrG55e/s2048/IMG_20170814_120521.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1074" data-original-width="2048" height="336" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdH4AlRE4MYP1TW9YTqKBn6ghTb-YGaR7GRoe-1xrREukRfpa2mqzdAlAWrKxWjXA59iyU_EZelsPd80bs8qg1ZlmbiOVived4oxKJbnoxQ_zqT8jsYylC1jowBr7CbS1WoexkmAIrG55e/w640-h336/IMG_20170814_120521.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAULkG4T0uUm9zDyMI2cTX3c9pzy3kpE-6zM6mwLN8s3szUNDQe9gY0WFQb_CBKNIwGRSz8RIW2KAZ-iPgvIEWY90mTOe0r11yunE2dSf-ahoeacomUpYM_eabadu0g-RYdFFOnof0AU2m/s2048/IMG_20170814_121724.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1151" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAULkG4T0uUm9zDyMI2cTX3c9pzy3kpE-6zM6mwLN8s3szUNDQe9gY0WFQb_CBKNIwGRSz8RIW2KAZ-iPgvIEWY90mTOe0r11yunE2dSf-ahoeacomUpYM_eabadu0g-RYdFFOnof0AU2m/w640-h360/IMG_20170814_121724.jpg" width="640" /></a><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_mGRnrzEj3LsKW3EZdydiOtHfMpIQpVMFRQlvWpoipqdwyyk5tT6CxzWdAaz4E6OqC1sm0v5yHOEquyWRlwM5xqFVxFX-hEFt8uAY1bGPjYQjkRGZcxQfYcnLdSNwpIVX4flTXQbj4tC/s2048/IMG_20170814_121438.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1588" data-original-width="2048" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgj_mGRnrzEj3LsKW3EZdydiOtHfMpIQpVMFRQlvWpoipqdwyyk5tT6CxzWdAaz4E6OqC1sm0v5yHOEquyWRlwM5xqFVxFX-hEFt8uAY1bGPjYQjkRGZcxQfYcnLdSNwpIVX4flTXQbj4tC/w640-h496/IMG_20170814_121438.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The
so-called moonscapes</b></i> however, are quite something else. The colours of the rock
change, as do the contours of the land. It is, for lack of a better word,
other-worldly! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByz6M85qDmdJ-anO8vtfxPbhdx3jmAo4kGauEd0XXfVtUM6quEPfprl76RC1dXSB8XzZQ2C_H7oZvCBcADwkXmOwoAAjFyhFWU1nqB1oc98YDPlqWSXeY1qx3XFy3h8ei0UBR0RAUyVbj/s2048/IMG_20170814_122320.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1062" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhByz6M85qDmdJ-anO8vtfxPbhdx3jmAo4kGauEd0XXfVtUM6quEPfprl76RC1dXSB8XzZQ2C_H7oZvCBcADwkXmOwoAAjFyhFWU1nqB1oc98YDPlqWSXeY1qx3XFy3h8ei0UBR0RAUyVbj/w640-h332/IMG_20170814_122320.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhG2BxdxJ9CCRzNw6HQ2sc8XUt9iUv2H5HWmdALPZruYVIEHfnWWSXEuytqoklt58RijqWPJFGiGQTa7m1t4pNaEBCuFEcNS3ZAaZhyIM3tGZbDPD-oVrs1QD0Nqg_9Ju3pJzAivS04Pc/s1263/panorama.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="596" data-original-width="1263" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyhG2BxdxJ9CCRzNw6HQ2sc8XUt9iUv2H5HWmdALPZruYVIEHfnWWSXEuytqoklt58RijqWPJFGiGQTa7m1t4pNaEBCuFEcNS3ZAaZhyIM3tGZbDPD-oVrs1QD0Nqg_9Ju3pJzAivS04Pc/w640-h302/panorama.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>In the
midst of these spectacular rock formations,</i></b> is a patch of green, the village of
Lamayuru, and above it, nestled in the mountains, like most of the monasteries
of Ladakh, is the monastery of Lamayuru. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbQPllI0qm_7XhkhGfnSya8bpKUF0eHjWvtUi3yVvJTE0ftDF4Gxzt_GZh4-v0cIHbrW97xieSUdXVaibr9TBpk6Xb7xy7ei1zy_T7fe4-KEC74vjSoyAlouNJuDzjoPAKRbjDWyOyHVt/s2048/IMG_20170814_123532.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1310" data-original-width="2048" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbQPllI0qm_7XhkhGfnSya8bpKUF0eHjWvtUi3yVvJTE0ftDF4Gxzt_GZh4-v0cIHbrW97xieSUdXVaibr9TBpk6Xb7xy7ei1zy_T7fe4-KEC74vjSoyAlouNJuDzjoPAKRbjDWyOyHVt/w640-h410/IMG_20170814_123532.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8V-PUli5RnZ9Cyor1SSLBIIyLscTzc3JwmxK6u3SRk5krz-WFQ_MRfalWjCRgMSqPqDr2u2Bq1ISaz_xK1JuV3rtMVHqOWyndRxUQfy8SwVk1oTQIEo_u8DzAxprCNq1OBDRW57AQL63/s2048/IMG_20170814_131343_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJ8V-PUli5RnZ9Cyor1SSLBIIyLscTzc3JwmxK6u3SRk5krz-WFQ_MRfalWjCRgMSqPqDr2u2Bq1ISaz_xK1JuV3rtMVHqOWyndRxUQfy8SwVk1oTQIEo_u8DzAxprCNq1OBDRW57AQL63/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_131343_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73_ag5Pk_n8RB-UTEO1V6Mftyw-2MNtxrG3XicX3GHE9vtqoTB8QTgN_kL2D_x2p38lfA2W_aNMaaHN0mHk6mcnsBWHvthCW3eCJbHpGvYhd8KLjAdsOwloiF5tktCIIM0msovrhOPn3-/s2048/IMG_20170814_123540.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="2048" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj73_ag5Pk_n8RB-UTEO1V6Mftyw-2MNtxrG3XicX3GHE9vtqoTB8QTgN_kL2D_x2p38lfA2W_aNMaaHN0mHk6mcnsBWHvthCW3eCJbHpGvYhd8KLjAdsOwloiF5tktCIIM0msovrhOPn3-/w640-h348/IMG_20170814_123540.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>At the
entrance of the monastery </b></i>are paintings of the guardians of the four directions. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-LPU9vcWS16X8dMBB6tCynxqXZstBINS_8epjzUx1aIbXENfinbdzsurpKuSVUVaMhNnUu7oL9KfqRjOSNOQhFue0oW_7NbaA5i40bEnNyROiejQBarMhkVX5pdi9GTJg3dPD0s7VURZ/s2048/IMG_20170814_125043.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1242" data-original-width="2048" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG-LPU9vcWS16X8dMBB6tCynxqXZstBINS_8epjzUx1aIbXENfinbdzsurpKuSVUVaMhNnUu7oL9KfqRjOSNOQhFue0oW_7NbaA5i40bEnNyROiejQBarMhkVX5pdi9GTJg3dPD0s7VURZ/w640-h388/IMG_20170814_125043.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Guardians of the directions</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The assembly hall</i></b> has images of the Sakyamuni Buddha with his two disciples, as
well as images of acharyas and deities. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHErLTULCoH2W7opz5hPLTZmvgO2zt1Xb6OGWXDWr9XAmZWjGHm6uGOJPcBZKM5R3tigTkbsvF_2BfzP6sGZqkZZu-k50Ai7m3RJ_PG9fCQPvdAp3OeBPigqooAuuMpult4oXojCQu9Ly/s2048/IMG_20170814_124510.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1697" data-original-width="2048" height="530" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCHErLTULCoH2W7opz5hPLTZmvgO2zt1Xb6OGWXDWr9XAmZWjGHm6uGOJPcBZKM5R3tigTkbsvF_2BfzP6sGZqkZZu-k50Ai7m3RJ_PG9fCQPvdAp3OeBPigqooAuuMpult4oXojCQu9Ly/w640-h530/IMG_20170814_124510.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sakyamuni Buddha with his 2 disciples</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>An alcove</i> </b>in this assembly hall
contains the cave where Acharya Naropa is said to have meditated. Within this
cave are 3 stucco figurines representing the three great acharyas – Naropa, his
student Marpa, and Marpa’s student Milarepa. An antechamber has images of
Mahakala and other protector deities, and a shrine above has more images of
Sakyamuni Buddha and Acharya Naropa, among others.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T0WTNY_LNxlgWEAhmLruvQwH7kN2ZCO9cbqiJhBcMQwY3bsBruDbgkf6jGb-9ea4RvDNXO0t70Cdabxq_ES1SAH7qXteZqbmP6vCjVkCrn4uBoRNKXazvhSAdJnayVvVrfY5TlZLA88J/s2048/IMG_20170814_125847.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1876" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3T0WTNY_LNxlgWEAhmLruvQwH7kN2ZCO9cbqiJhBcMQwY3bsBruDbgkf6jGb-9ea4RvDNXO0t70Cdabxq_ES1SAH7qXteZqbmP6vCjVkCrn4uBoRNKXazvhSAdJnayVvVrfY5TlZLA88J/w586-h640/IMG_20170814_125847.jpg" width="586" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The cave where Acharya Naropa is said to have meditated</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvN7_cRTsrlRKVhY8apS8Ec2Nno9XZ-ZGIkbSX626n6lUay3m-rNVrVUbyw0cUG468kU9XG4-_VOx40hgr1NRM0kXpRS-WXxAgmabKkB0GzbYBtFkJ0jDALBZkIozAwBdXxWRx76EBZ_/s2048/IMG_20170814_124740.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4cvN7_cRTsrlRKVhY8apS8Ec2Nno9XZ-ZGIkbSX626n6lUay3m-rNVrVUbyw0cUG468kU9XG4-_VOx40hgr1NRM0kXpRS-WXxAgmabKkB0GzbYBtFkJ0jDALBZkIozAwBdXxWRx76EBZ_/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_124740.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A closer look at the three figures</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>One of the
things</i></b> that struck me about the monasteries of Ladakh were the colours. Every
inch of the walls and ceiling are painted, and the floors carpeted, with
vibrant colours. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqif1SlaTW-3iAkIy919os4at2x2JmwSq6W27VJiD4T1S5ELkt04a42AK1Hnh5zdC3C_4_CXvdlo7D35dZhMlLoa60GFV8lKXg4SQ_VPmpan5NUuIwqeay3e0bggJCGeMDPi9IRGtwt6v0/s2048/IMG_20170814_124400.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqif1SlaTW-3iAkIy919os4at2x2JmwSq6W27VJiD4T1S5ELkt04a42AK1Hnh5zdC3C_4_CXvdlo7D35dZhMlLoa60GFV8lKXg4SQ_VPmpan5NUuIwqeay3e0bggJCGeMDPi9IRGtwt6v0/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_124400.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPGmMVDRlpL-InTtk8nHTUTRMyHCuskeeDbMoQPWojs6DY0ERnlEowmwodMmrcOpfeEuaNAF4I3i2R9oIgcxchBE8trqxDRLP1Wt8GnqovKQhxx7uuOzy4huAQs58CvchOuUXQGKaqayW/s2048/IMG_20170814_124425-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZPGmMVDRlpL-InTtk8nHTUTRMyHCuskeeDbMoQPWojs6DY0ERnlEowmwodMmrcOpfeEuaNAF4I3i2R9oIgcxchBE8trqxDRLP1Wt8GnqovKQhxx7uuOzy4huAQs58CvchOuUXQGKaqayW/w640-h640/IMG_20170814_124425-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Decorations on the ceiling</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It struck me </i></b>that these colours may be a response to the stark
landscape. Entering a monastery is like entering a different world, a bright
and warm one, but also one which overwhelms the senses. The iconography here is
very different from what we see in Buddhist sites in the rest of the country.
While we begin identifying a few figures by sheer repetition, there are such a
wide variety of deities and teachers represented in art, that unless one is a
student of this form of Buddhism, it is almost impossible to identify each and
every one of them. A basic understanding of the religion helps us see and
appreciate the beauty of the monastery. However, without a deeper understanding
of the tradition, it is impossible to experience the site as it is meant to be.
I felt this lack very keenly, by the time we visited Lamayuru. We had visited
many monasteries on this trip, and I had begun to see how the monastery was
built, the basic idea of the different sections. Yet, as I looked at the
paintings which covered the walls, I wished I knew more about each figure shown
here. I wished I could see them the way they were meant to be seen – as
deities, not as paintings. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;" target="_blank"></a></span></p><div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: left; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;"><div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal; text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-6-turtuk.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk</a></i></li><li style="font-style: normal;"><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-7-pangong-lake.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 7: Pangong Lake</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-8-pathar-sahib-and.html" target="_blank"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 8: Pathar Sahib and Saspol Caves</i></a></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: normal;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><div style="font-style: normal;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 10: The Last Stretch - Mulbek to Srinagar</i></li></ul></div></div></div>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com7B.P.O Khaltse, Ladakh, Leh, Jammu and Kashmir 19410634.2830063 76.77418815.9119113962224574 41.617935417790989 62.654101203777536 111.93044078220902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-85067003817145517392021-07-22T18:01:00.002+05:302021-07-22T18:01:29.495+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 8: Pathar Sahib and Saspol Caves<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our final
morning at Leh</i></b> began with a rather long wait for a new driver, who had gotten
lost within the maze-like roads that led to our homestay! Why a new driver?
Because most drivers in Ladakh don’t like to drive into Srinagar! Besides, we
would be driving through Kargil and entering Srinagar on the 15<sup>th</sup> of
August, Independence Day. The date wasn’t intentional, and had we known, we
would have altered our plans, but apparently tensions run high around the date,
even when situation was as normal as possible. More about that later. For now,
there’s a lot more that I have to tell you about Ladakh and the places we
visited. Because yes, despite our intention to take things easy, we planned to
make a lot of stops on our last two days
in Ladakh! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87s-N_b3r47fQKfvp31k398FwpUKWNnnC6s6-nKRJmfIJlJXbemba-ddPC_KlMpat3SmCes6o4jV36h20wtHuB-inxkNbTvZ4HT62LaL4p_9as2VsjOt_0Q_LsiqFDgzfDDlgyYrJ87wo/s1620/cd2b6003-4e8d-4679-9d08-bda5518570d3.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh87s-N_b3r47fQKfvp31k398FwpUKWNnnC6s6-nKRJmfIJlJXbemba-ddPC_KlMpat3SmCes6o4jV36h20wtHuB-inxkNbTvZ4HT62LaL4p_9as2VsjOt_0Q_LsiqFDgzfDDlgyYrJ87wo/w640-h426/cd2b6003-4e8d-4679-9d08-bda5518570d3.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our first
halt of the day</i></b> was the very interesting site of Pathar Sahib. The Gurudwara
here commemorates the visit of Guru Nanak to this region, on the way to Tibet,
in the 16<sup>th</sup> century. As per the legend, during Guru Nanak’s visit
here, a demon tried to kill him by pushing a huge boulder towards him. Instead
of crushing him, the boulder instead softened, and formed a mould around him.
It then hardened again, leaving his imprint on the stone. This stone is
enshrined within the gurudwara, the imprint intact. The legend is part of the
stories of Guru Nanak, and the stone must have been in worship at some point in
time. However, it was rediscovered in the 1970s while a road was being laid,
and the gurudwara built around it.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO27RMR7vAtIyoj3eJrMpfIzwgSRyRy2FkL_SIj8YSajTMi52I6HAwU5_qIiuVxbj3Yc70TCJ7uociBJAPmth_gT_hKza1UWEAlM9DlRv8TBHBplEBZeiMM635HQdEvnLoxm0rLZzWNgM1/s2048/IMG_20170814_082723.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgO27RMR7vAtIyoj3eJrMpfIzwgSRyRy2FkL_SIj8YSajTMi52I6HAwU5_qIiuVxbj3Yc70TCJ7uociBJAPmth_gT_hKza1UWEAlM9DlRv8TBHBplEBZeiMM635HQdEvnLoxm0rLZzWNgM1/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_082723.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>What makes
this site</i></b> and the stone fascinating, is that the same story narrated for Guru
Padmasambhava, who is the one credited with bringing Buddhism to Ladakh. Such
similar stories for different sects is not unusual in India. Our mythologies
consistently overlap. While reading more about this connection, I came across
two varied points of views. One took the view that Guru Nanak was an
incarnation of Guru Padmasambhava. The other suggested that this was originally
a site dedicated to Guru Padmasambhava, but, with the arrival of Sikhism in the
region much later, probably coinciding with a period of the decline of
Buddhism, the site got associated with Guru Nanak. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Whatever
the reason</i></b>, it is yet one more instance of the overlap of faiths, that we are
so inherently comfortable with! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBnUlhCYtbetzVC6m-JSu7iSiFXKnAP5FiiYwUwqrwkh9IYCKmd7ViHKHV5L0ejpt92dxwCNU_Wr4-rSvwjJ0ZAyvpfu-jn4gNVlptJybhLwx8wVWvOafS89fhtqvhRwYLDX9SNCGSaD4/s2906/IMG_20170814_092607.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1082" data-original-width="2906" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBnUlhCYtbetzVC6m-JSu7iSiFXKnAP5FiiYwUwqrwkh9IYCKmd7ViHKHV5L0ejpt92dxwCNU_Wr4-rSvwjJ0ZAyvpfu-jn4gNVlptJybhLwx8wVWvOafS89fhtqvhRwYLDX9SNCGSaD4/w640-h238/IMG_20170814_092607.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><i>Our next
halt</i></b> was the mandatory one on the so-called Magnetic Hill, where vehicles move
forward on their own, drawn by the strong magnetic field. While the idea is
interesting, it wasn’t enough to keep us there for long!<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>A little
further </i></b>along the road, we came across the confluence of the Indus and the Zanskar.
The difference between the two rivers is very clear, the Indus being filled
with silt, while the Zanskar is clear. It was tempting to go down and spend
some time at the confluence, but we were already delayed, thanks to our late
start, and my enthusiasm for Pathar Sahib. Hence, we chose to move on,
satisfying ourselves with a glimpse of the confluence. We did stop a little
further down the road, where the Indus was calmer, and collected some water to
take back home. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBLKuKk90AafPZ2FTAi60ERNMH9a5H3g1ihGK0c0LjGjvJ8BY2hRiQPjeuhuS5jmauCxAqVOw1g3q5_VoNRqhlOVV2z2lvj74uiiB1JfEkCxVNaR8KJignefCFtDGd226ArYggcCiCfE6/s2048/IMG_20170814_085632.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmBLKuKk90AafPZ2FTAi60ERNMH9a5H3g1ihGK0c0LjGjvJ8BY2hRiQPjeuhuS5jmauCxAqVOw1g3q5_VoNRqhlOVV2z2lvj74uiiB1JfEkCxVNaR8KJignefCFtDGd226ArYggcCiCfE6/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_085632.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Along this
route</i></b>, we passed Basgo, and again, were tempted to halt. Once again, I found
myself hoping I’d visit Ladakh again, and see all these interesting sites that
I had missed. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc5AVF2BIIV0qrfbXNAa1yponyjMowTv-yPUh1ZAEYsSl__or-JnK_TO6r-nRPfUa355OkiL8eeUygezcxPm4qE7KaeSSdzRnv2mCD1OMmUO2MX3XHLsi5b_fWzWd60caoX_oLiaxBp5j/s2048/IMG_20170814_091731.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1359" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKc5AVF2BIIV0qrfbXNAa1yponyjMowTv-yPUh1ZAEYsSl__or-JnK_TO6r-nRPfUa355OkiL8eeUygezcxPm4qE7KaeSSdzRnv2mCD1OMmUO2MX3XHLsi5b_fWzWd60caoX_oLiaxBp5j/w640-h424/IMG_20170814_091731.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><b><i><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrSX9Z23-nuiGpA83H4TkyujEeO436wNMLGhcXgOYY_aE9lJBastx50H-idzFnwyxZEWmOKDaoqAnMe3Ha8GHDr2zUAbAeAdoIo8Aof0OzQbadWcCbBDf6lcHJoi_Y3Dsb7h_OTj_EN1t/s2048/IMG_20170814_091200.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1063" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfrSX9Z23-nuiGpA83H4TkyujEeO436wNMLGhcXgOYY_aE9lJBastx50H-idzFnwyxZEWmOKDaoqAnMe3Ha8GHDr2zUAbAeAdoIo8Aof0OzQbadWcCbBDf6lcHJoi_Y3Dsb7h_OTj_EN1t/w640-h332/IMG_20170814_091200.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><p></p>This feeling</i></b> only increased when we reached Alchi, to find out
that the monastery was closed, in preparation of a visit by the chief Lama. I
was disappointed, but we had no choice. We decided to visit the Saspol Caves
instead.<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHftPIjrhDhuI3tZPd79wbKwonRKbtk05PE4huhkRqfmp0i_NSSmgXyG9OytBLuuP4CB81_F3NDUNUdVUbcabx2Z1t-gHpwDKLDZPmUI4-aEu5P3oSmQHJM_P5Nalr3oQ6mByhl5TRfZH2/s2785/IMG_20170814_102403.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1129" data-original-width="2785" height="260" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHftPIjrhDhuI3tZPd79wbKwonRKbtk05PE4huhkRqfmp0i_NSSmgXyG9OytBLuuP4CB81_F3NDUNUdVUbcabx2Z1t-gHpwDKLDZPmUI4-aEu5P3oSmQHJM_P5Nalr3oQ6mByhl5TRfZH2/w640-h260/IMG_20170814_102403.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you spot the caves? On the right is a citadel, a later structure. <br />The caves are on the left, painted in white and red.</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b><br />The Saspol
Caves</b></i> are located across the river Indus from Alchi. There are 5 caves, among
which cave 3 is most impressive. Every inch of the cave is painted, and the
paintings have been dated to between the 13<sup>th</sup> and 15<sup>th</sup>
centuries. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYHJ0BJKbyCWKmwX7_4L6u3huDsg4cI0k8qzFfMkcBbgfLrzYXI9x2djJvpRl16Mhwd9PgHO2HwBzW5YtD-Cce8QI7uDWEEyueoLRDAXrkXnFpxcYt47h8X5c4AxyHDm0I-285TlnsXKd/s2048/IMG_20170814_095352.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWYHJ0BJKbyCWKmwX7_4L6u3huDsg4cI0k8qzFfMkcBbgfLrzYXI9x2djJvpRl16Mhwd9PgHO2HwBzW5YtD-Cce8QI7uDWEEyueoLRDAXrkXnFpxcYt47h8X5c4AxyHDm0I-285TlnsXKd/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_095352.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I had heard
about Saspol</i></b> first from Shubra </span><a href="https://www.instagram.com/historywali/"><span lang="EN-US">(@historywali</span></a><span lang="EN-US">), and then had seen </span><a href="https://kevinstandagephotography.wordpress.com/2015/07/26/saspol-caves-ladakh/"><span lang="EN-US">Kevin Standage’s photos</span></a><span lang="EN-US"> and if we couldn’t see the famed
paintings of Alchi, then I wanted to see something else just as impressive!
What I hadn’t realized, and wasn’t prepared for, was the narrow path of mud and
stones on the hill that led to the caves. I am not sure-footed at the best of
times, and though this path took us just about 15 minutes (at a snail’s pace,
so to speak) it was probably the most scary 15 minutes of my life! I remember
taking the name of every god I could think of, with every step I took! And
after that experience, I decided not even to try climbing to all the caves, and
contented myself with just one – the biggest of course. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti5LxT6wxb3ExdP_XmplWyjOECUvcHndcCplbu5m54RabSKwNuaWtrXo6ixWlCRdOigbQqPsP-won9oK3_LFhB5ewhHdmQkJBIg3MZJRSMWOldzo80EDWzjnofWjCVsfjvTei-v2aJdSR/s2048/IMG_20170814_095651-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2045" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiti5LxT6wxb3ExdP_XmplWyjOECUvcHndcCplbu5m54RabSKwNuaWtrXo6ixWlCRdOigbQqPsP-won9oK3_LFhB5ewhHdmQkJBIg3MZJRSMWOldzo80EDWzjnofWjCVsfjvTei-v2aJdSR/w640-h640/IMG_20170814_095651-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s4Ihvk0P_zUYPvjREl2_TY-X99cUN5HpDToQMWoCJk0cRKjAGleEWL0vvSPpZXJx1YdDLIMYHTnnkTmLawsw35vXp6R91F2yue6wKFAEpkUki7FQ-Ui6OHWElFzfWQskzQxA1BC6U9x4/s2048/IMG_20170814_095726.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6s4Ihvk0P_zUYPvjREl2_TY-X99cUN5HpDToQMWoCJk0cRKjAGleEWL0vvSPpZXJx1YdDLIMYHTnnkTmLawsw35vXp6R91F2yue6wKFAEpkUki7FQ-Ui6OHWElFzfWQskzQxA1BC6U9x4/w640-h480/IMG_20170814_095726.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>To describe
my experience </i></b>of the cave, let me share verbatim from my diary - <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">This one
cave we visited took my breath away! Such vibrant colours and such amazing
details! Wow! I have no words to describe them. What I found most interesting
was that we did not need a flashlight to see the paintings. Once our eyes
acclimatized to the darkness within, the light from the single entrance was
more than enough to see every single painting in detail, and click photographs
too! </span></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6Dpya8NdNDdn1eVp3xIPtmTrFePz-e5e1RKQRLOJufYGX0m3hsChhvrM34qom5Vgh4LUmICDkR0Qftx8KRRvdAHQJ0XqUQgNFzqxAz93IA1t7JPdW1_5aakEOnTvslXr_x9a_9p50kc3/s2048/IMG_20170814_095748.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQ6Dpya8NdNDdn1eVp3xIPtmTrFePz-e5e1RKQRLOJufYGX0m3hsChhvrM34qom5Vgh4LUmICDkR0Qftx8KRRvdAHQJ0XqUQgNFzqxAz93IA1t7JPdW1_5aakEOnTvslXr_x9a_9p50kc3/w480-h640/IMG_20170814_095748.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sakyamuni Buddha</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The central
painting in the cave was of the Sakyamuni Buddha. Painted around him, in neat
registers, were a number of acharyas, protector deities and Bodhisattvas. The
cave was small, and the presence of the altar suggested this was the main place
of worship for the monks who lived in these caves. It was fascinating to think
about monks living here, at least 6 centuries ago, painting the caves with
images, which remain long after they are gone.</span></blockquote><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRmlA9egwP61H9ndrLqyeAngTAfqHLNiL8XqWPmpWJ88rz4fs7M_l7o7AFchiN-6CUdCIxRMCmBpQph69EeGdz2hPb13BrhJpXazZwDRibuKZQUqE6OsPHxSxe0heyHKXyen8YMGi69aA/s2048/PLATE+7+-+The+11-headed%252C+1000-armed+Avalokiteshwara+in+Cave+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuRmlA9egwP61H9ndrLqyeAngTAfqHLNiL8XqWPmpWJ88rz4fs7M_l7o7AFchiN-6CUdCIxRMCmBpQph69EeGdz2hPb13BrhJpXazZwDRibuKZQUqE6OsPHxSxe0heyHKXyen8YMGi69aA/w480-h640/PLATE+7+-+The+11-headed%252C+1000-armed+Avalokiteshwara+in+Cave+3.jpg" width="480" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Avalokiteshwara </span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">The two
sites of Pathar Sahib and Saspol Caves couldn’t be more different. One is a
modern place of worship built over an ancient site, the other is an ancient
site maintained as it is. Both take great pains in preserving what is at their
core – the stone at Pathar Sahib, and the paintings at Saspol. Even the very
nature of the object of worship is different. Yet, the objective of both is the
same - to inspire faith. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-6-turtuk.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-7-pangong-lake.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 7: Pangong Lake</a></i></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 9: Lamayuru</i></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-74703948422328612282021-07-15T16:00:00.002+05:302021-07-15T16:00:41.979+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 7: Pangong Lake<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><i style="font-style: italic; text-align: justify;"><b>Pangong
Tso, or Pangong Lake</b></i><span style="text-align: justify;"><i>, </i>situated at an elevation of about 4,300m (around
14,000ft), is the highest saltwater lake in the world. It is 134km long and
covers an area of over 600 square metres. Only 40% of the lake lies within
Ladakh. The rest is controlled by China. The lake is a picturesque sight, and
is one of the most popular destinations in Ladakh.</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjLYHSh_XVS2mI5jUVFWfWNXAf6M79DPe26jOiYgZ3c2uTVYwj9iCJdxyugt8OmySR6WNt1ggmhxpXgjJXN3QziIZqRT77LPfAn4D89avT8QuNWsYNW3HLh501PAi4Xt49GyenyIFq-5r/s1620/db00620a-c0ac-4751-adb4-5dbc02c79c7b.jpg" style="font-style: italic; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRjLYHSh_XVS2mI5jUVFWfWNXAf6M79DPe26jOiYgZ3c2uTVYwj9iCJdxyugt8OmySR6WNt1ggmhxpXgjJXN3QziIZqRT77LPfAn4D89avT8QuNWsYNW3HLh501PAi4Xt49GyenyIFq-5r/s16000/db00620a-c0ac-4751-adb4-5dbc02c79c7b.jpg" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b>We set off
from Leh</b> at 9 AM, eager to be on the road once again. Passing the 17<sup>th</sup>
century Chemrey monastery along the way, I realized just how little of Ladakh
we were actually seeing on this trip. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6VIUP0kFhS0qj2_zbFlhmT9ddCy_hQz9YIL-YY2cRI7lnEFKoy0qB4UJ1azpg8RqpDqn15EpeBeJXnxfjgtQ-OLzyGS0-8m0X6XFGFFr_IQs6AKalpEWTtrhaTmNLcDPSyJsne_KUe5f/s2048/IMG_20170812_102042.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1454" data-original-width="2048" height="454" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp6VIUP0kFhS0qj2_zbFlhmT9ddCy_hQz9YIL-YY2cRI7lnEFKoy0qB4UJ1azpg8RqpDqn15EpeBeJXnxfjgtQ-OLzyGS0-8m0X6XFGFFr_IQs6AKalpEWTtrhaTmNLcDPSyJsne_KUe5f/w640-h454/IMG_20170812_102042.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We crossed
the pass at Chang La</i></b> (~17,000ft) and saw a different facet of Ladakh. The
mountains were the constant, but now rivers and sandy beds alternated every now
and then with muddy areas and lush green patches of vegetation. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZAZp_Vaxh20Y910gf84A9LOwgMjnaIX255XxVJfj64rGQ_x-9YLOU-r4I1cyxsgU0Qwc14EMD6Htm781PxQoumjZAV0O_NR1SqZY6PzuJ8nmmv_R27bCSwVfk08wNUd5h9X-pRjbjuV/s2578/IMG_20170813_120348.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1220" data-original-width="2578" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimBZAZp_Vaxh20Y910gf84A9LOwgMjnaIX255XxVJfj64rGQ_x-9YLOU-r4I1cyxsgU0Qwc14EMD6Htm781PxQoumjZAV0O_NR1SqZY6PzuJ8nmmv_R27bCSwVfk08wNUd5h9X-pRjbjuV/w640-h302/IMG_20170813_120348.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPhZemywLtJB3AJSKwcJBmBUtg-jfD5wnld5o68OMCOc15pwssxwpWWy2H08luXQIcTmX4F0ZoJYwXOrXfypFisAJHqTwQ27sYD-iT__htgItVADmYi2wSVlEEA9_LY-qn_DHB78IkWuX/s2048/IMG_20170812_130309.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEPhZemywLtJB3AJSKwcJBmBUtg-jfD5wnld5o68OMCOc15pwssxwpWWy2H08luXQIcTmX4F0ZoJYwXOrXfypFisAJHqTwQ27sYD-iT__htgItVADmYi2wSVlEEA9_LY-qn_DHB78IkWuX/w640-h406/IMG_20170812_130309.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpW4hIEn9203V49uQ6HCBCIs_XFjrh-rUcHsg50tugN9V3WZmiWq1WtdGmofTs0Ex5KiVn0KO5_h6vKhW-OAmBrEhGt1neQAdh-mmIjGnnnFNuFQ0CZ0uAs7I1fOyS81OmOogOMpYwfqB/s2048/IMG_20170812_134454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1064" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjpW4hIEn9203V49uQ6HCBCIs_XFjrh-rUcHsg50tugN9V3WZmiWq1WtdGmofTs0Ex5KiVn0KO5_h6vKhW-OAmBrEhGt1neQAdh-mmIjGnnnFNuFQ0CZ0uAs7I1fOyS81OmOogOMpYwfqB/w640-h332/IMG_20170812_134454.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Spots of
colour</i></b> were added by wildflowers, yet another difference on this route. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH7d8TJBaeAfQMcyRe7tKLiU9cbAY5AkdNxNNDAQqVp65phRyJ80gteCs-JRy9x0mQg4Vlq-i0kOUGlR3bI6y0Rl5l3gyYE4xtBKAWxx_pF3qdp29Nr0EiYNd1NZgBoyWg5FbBHh7OrkX/s2592/IMG_20170812_125648_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfH7d8TJBaeAfQMcyRe7tKLiU9cbAY5AkdNxNNDAQqVp65phRyJ80gteCs-JRy9x0mQg4Vlq-i0kOUGlR3bI6y0Rl5l3gyYE4xtBKAWxx_pF3qdp29Nr0EiYNd1NZgBoyWg5FbBHh7OrkX/w640-h300/IMG_20170812_125648_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We spotted</i></b>
a number of yaks and horses grazing along the road, and were told that while
the yaks belonged to herders, the horses once belonged to the army, and were
now retired, and had been let out to pasture. The horses indeed seemed to have
gone wild, with long manes and unruly tails, happily grazing in the lush
greenery, barely lifting their head as cars whizzed by. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6MrBgRU8EpDTdDxingaW3Ye5vwb3KJ7DwttK1XhZxCQ6ea1PjeZTEu0epVm6e068Igt-1WdyN-l7bkTZmxhLSIfLb5DX6WpQIPKT6PHOb13Qps9BfiDKn1f2ujcPMFaBBlMoSOfsuQGx/s2048/IMG_20170813_110136.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1509" data-original-width="2048" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjD6MrBgRU8EpDTdDxingaW3Ye5vwb3KJ7DwttK1XhZxCQ6ea1PjeZTEu0epVm6e068Igt-1WdyN-l7bkTZmxhLSIfLb5DX6WpQIPKT6PHOb13Qps9BfiDKn1f2ujcPMFaBBlMoSOfsuQGx/w640-h472/IMG_20170813_110136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i></i></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT9e_z0UITQsgf8M0bdJaDIOaKGgyqGx2l2yuo_EszsdT3FEntTj_y5AYVT-xFDpuOC0Q2JUa9NNv9XGY14S949Vt0erAz65vhO-eqREMCaeoJxObxrNbEJz7Ewq35fylQr6X62wEMZg7/s2560/P1090198.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnT9e_z0UITQsgf8M0bdJaDIOaKGgyqGx2l2yuo_EszsdT3FEntTj_y5AYVT-xFDpuOC0Q2JUa9NNv9XGY14S949Vt0erAz65vhO-eqREMCaeoJxObxrNbEJz7Ewq35fylQr6X62wEMZg7/w640-h480/P1090198.JPG" width="640" /></a></i></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Somewhere
along the route</b></i>, we entered the Changthang Wildlife sanctuary, home to, among
other animals, the Kiang (Tibetan wild ass) and the Himalayan Marmot. The
sanctuary is also home to a number of migratory birds. The sanctuary deserves a
trip by itself, and I made a mental note to remember this, if I ever managed to
visit Ladakh again! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRkZQUr7zXBbQWXWqiV25D1isTvbBaMNvm3DviZiFft0IhFtZZIuzMjNiZpXmF1bsd_iJ5HjobnuK0mNh7ZIlgEJIzx1C6OsAzSfl4R4m9Tw91-zTc_IYJ20ACNZeQ1IjRZqPpq5t7sV-/s2612/IMG_20170812_140647.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1204" data-original-width="2612" height="296" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKRkZQUr7zXBbQWXWqiV25D1isTvbBaMNvm3DviZiFft0IhFtZZIuzMjNiZpXmF1bsd_iJ5HjobnuK0mNh7ZIlgEJIzx1C6OsAzSfl4R4m9Tw91-zTc_IYJ20ACNZeQ1IjRZqPpq5t7sV-/w640-h296/IMG_20170812_140647.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
wildflowers and pastures</i></b> soon gave way to sand. At one place, sand was blowing
around in the wind, like a small dust storm. We hadn’t seen anything like this
even among the sand dunes of Nubra! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='400' height='332' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzmqd_WE1K3xrLsRBb1gwEIjzXOvlyNzlw8dqlnm-VPZY271_lbQ-Y4SSThQ9BwGmLwP7hpj6HSNm9BSTIaHw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><b><i>After such
a varied landscape</i></b>, the Pangong lake was still a surprise, the beautiful shade
of blue peeking between the mountains.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrilJYsvqzKN5-TjmiPQDpqpKKeF37y-Ad8NByjDA6_-9EGQtTYdVhhLve1Qjjcwj-aZ-chpMhpThXxINJPBg2-aqrctXobCSb34WQzKILTbwiQ6qhJi38DD08vRWz28YNf8_PDoeCSD72/s2048/IMG_20170812_142930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrilJYsvqzKN5-TjmiPQDpqpKKeF37y-Ad8NByjDA6_-9EGQtTYdVhhLve1Qjjcwj-aZ-chpMhpThXxINJPBg2-aqrctXobCSb34WQzKILTbwiQ6qhJi38DD08vRWz28YNf8_PDoeCSD72/w640-h368/IMG_20170812_142930.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicf-gn1IZd9R8L-Utm13Yg0f8sP-9XeLdaychE6nMLY3fxlK1742LqSOsqEcQ77tb88m74IsypCnW9qfyx2NaYJnGdrso3QprF1u8zjFcaMU4QlXhBUyAYdBLXKl_AGzCNuzOw28CgEW1Q/s2048/IMG_20170812_143846.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1112" data-original-width="2048" height="348" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicf-gn1IZd9R8L-Utm13Yg0f8sP-9XeLdaychE6nMLY3fxlK1742LqSOsqEcQ77tb88m74IsypCnW9qfyx2NaYJnGdrso3QprF1u8zjFcaMU4QlXhBUyAYdBLXKl_AGzCNuzOw28CgEW1Q/w640-h348/IMG_20170812_143846.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The road
took us along</i></b> the lake for quite a distance before we reached the campsite. It
was around 2 PM when we reached, and, we couldn’t wait to stow our luggage in
the tent and head towards the lake. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuhYdtuTfzdN9g17PFTAFZjCjGhRmGcvShwCaHg4pwNhWkBYzWZK3nvZ-NXUENOKmz_y7dkZX8HOiYdWsJWjsQqxMW2StwlNxlBMIMjZ5prJyQ_sM_kTqukXsAaiyMLIEYiSTzz3SmadR/s2895/IMG_20170812_144055_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1087" data-original-width="2895" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLuhYdtuTfzdN9g17PFTAFZjCjGhRmGcvShwCaHg4pwNhWkBYzWZK3nvZ-NXUENOKmz_y7dkZX8HOiYdWsJWjsQqxMW2StwlNxlBMIMjZ5prJyQ_sM_kTqukXsAaiyMLIEYiSTzz3SmadR/w640-h240/IMG_20170812_144055_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpqCa-4Hq_GhSqCJu5zNQryzjBe1Yx81fJDNz9gRSpbUyNzjtlNYenJ0BoX1jsvo6ktC2D_oQkpwEdLlURY9XdSgNlJxzfkBGckrEf32IQI0FrwiQ-kqeUClggmteVqFiAA-60fXpa42l/s2048/IMG_20170812_144524.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1065" data-original-width="2048" height="332" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTpqCa-4Hq_GhSqCJu5zNQryzjBe1Yx81fJDNz9gRSpbUyNzjtlNYenJ0BoX1jsvo6ktC2D_oQkpwEdLlURY9XdSgNlJxzfkBGckrEf32IQI0FrwiQ-kqeUClggmteVqFiAA-60fXpa42l/w640-h332/IMG_20170812_144524.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT0WAQioRYIZju38rXs0dF3YXdwTKZZrekKCbjZYi9z6diN5LUK9KrThHlpkVnbXTm5jL3AmVlyELEEv10IwUdy8CxeyHr5lLQH-C6fIncWfbcCZSIjgBVda0AQENJ_tGFgv5-an0G5D-/s2048/IMG_20170813_083234.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1211" data-original-width="2048" height="378" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbT0WAQioRYIZju38rXs0dF3YXdwTKZZrekKCbjZYi9z6diN5LUK9KrThHlpkVnbXTm5jL3AmVlyELEEv10IwUdy8CxeyHr5lLQH-C6fIncWfbcCZSIjgBVda0AQENJ_tGFgv5-an0G5D-/w640-h378/IMG_20170813_083234.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
campsite</i></b> stretched across the banks of the lake, and I shuddered to think of
the crowds that would gather. Thankfully, there weren’t too many people around
when we visited, and we were able to
enjoy our solitude. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPYqRQ75teRx-t_kwUyoIGfs1XPKgJS3c7-4LiyI_eG0Y6KrUkURnMvtOtoaUnWePl-rOwE2WUVADG-TROhAs_Pd4DgdNnG_3GAPlT88ulFB7Snw2wJy4sc5E0SJmwohxD0HKppaEvO9n/s2736/IMG_20170812_150402.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1150" data-original-width="2736" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjPYqRQ75teRx-t_kwUyoIGfs1XPKgJS3c7-4LiyI_eG0Y6KrUkURnMvtOtoaUnWePl-rOwE2WUVADG-TROhAs_Pd4DgdNnG_3GAPlT88ulFB7Snw2wJy4sc5E0SJmwohxD0HKppaEvO9n/w640-h270/IMG_20170812_150402.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZFjje48ATqjk7rjZNV797l-P5_sUn0H4exMkDSvGeimaXJFx5de22oZKiAjhZBBiZalze37Tfqc59H5xWwi-y8Nq9AE2ByC0XouObVjdJJcFlxMupxzvpmZrZk5KXrNS4gT_Ozcbq5Dp/s2595/IMG_20170812_160733.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1212" data-original-width="2595" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaZFjje48ATqjk7rjZNV797l-P5_sUn0H4exMkDSvGeimaXJFx5de22oZKiAjhZBBiZalze37Tfqc59H5xWwi-y8Nq9AE2ByC0XouObVjdJJcFlxMupxzvpmZrZk5KXrNS4gT_Ozcbq5Dp/w640-h298/IMG_20170812_160733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It was like
staying on a beach</i></b> camp, with more pebbles than sand! We spent most of our time
either walking along the water line, or sitting on one of the rocks with our
feet in the water. Small waves washed our feet, and even in summer, it was
cold! The water was cold, and the temperature was far lower than what we had
experienced through the entire trip. This was the only place my winter wear
felt inadequate. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSwjZvbZNAaWsa867CbRHthxzOQu30TrrzbXwezVYlLUvO_imsvtQQ_M-5mtraYJvRw6AVKuoWC23DPQOzwr_Z5C35nOzPdANsy-nEswIugnq6ez-8WWhpGySHWAY2jYtQ2WbCRHdJ6HN/s2048/IMG_20170812_174650.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1461" data-original-width="2048" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVSwjZvbZNAaWsa867CbRHthxzOQu30TrrzbXwezVYlLUvO_imsvtQQ_M-5mtraYJvRw6AVKuoWC23DPQOzwr_Z5C35nOzPdANsy-nEswIugnq6ez-8WWhpGySHWAY2jYtQ2WbCRHdJ6HN/w640-h456/IMG_20170812_174650.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4rGrdUfMIK9pe9vn8Ld5E9SOyXIM86gtbsl570TKRDdWnvBjBTcPGSgRCGCgbX6zukQMGtP5qI-beGHlkVBXAf4P0NfQh-VHfIABvdZJk2Jdm7nm4BwLFAbxADCbHK1VJW3vRx6a1vIi/s2048/IMG_20170812_175950.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEie4rGrdUfMIK9pe9vn8Ld5E9SOyXIM86gtbsl570TKRDdWnvBjBTcPGSgRCGCgbX6zukQMGtP5qI-beGHlkVBXAf4P0NfQh-VHfIABvdZJk2Jdm7nm4BwLFAbxADCbHK1VJW3vRx6a1vIi/w640-h480/IMG_20170812_175950.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcja-slMD4yc6La_RC8om1v27RtiQKhkEoch3XrIvH6aOdQsB65dFKDrp_g2lWZ08pkDZp0Yjl7vQd0l31HFmtVKYvgBSSMa-ZEeAo82O3CtIjH0ewHpDmAOFYpb0LYondNsPAXB-kjtT/s2048/IMG_20170812_184705.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbcja-slMD4yc6La_RC8om1v27RtiQKhkEoch3XrIvH6aOdQsB65dFKDrp_g2lWZ08pkDZp0Yjl7vQd0l31HFmtVKYvgBSSMa-ZEeAo82O3CtIjH0ewHpDmAOFYpb0LYondNsPAXB-kjtT/w640-h382/IMG_20170812_184705.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><i>Through the afternoon</i></b><span style="text-align: justify;">, we enjoyed the sight of the water, admiring the colours. As the sun began to set, we watched the light move across the mountains, and wondered what it would look like, from the other side of the lake, which is off-limits.</span><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXOAtJsl0QY2HuoUmJuzo39ftM6Lz94Gz8Qzr-VMYsEhwl1pDBd-PSTdqzHWpDVNdwWQ2vVJMHs4lsRG_CnRzbRKiaMRHF-VB0InXR5QSux1LsyCjgIJxJNnt-BRPs9bPsBiEKwSqgrpL/s2048/IMG_20170812_184717.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1360" data-original-width="2048" height="424" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxXOAtJsl0QY2HuoUmJuzo39ftM6Lz94Gz8Qzr-VMYsEhwl1pDBd-PSTdqzHWpDVNdwWQ2vVJMHs4lsRG_CnRzbRKiaMRHF-VB0InXR5QSux1LsyCjgIJxJNnt-BRPs9bPsBiEKwSqgrpL/w640-h424/IMG_20170812_184717.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2FY6st-FYvB14wnLYOhJl4rObsjhGrq_5k14SWy8vbczyUoZVVumUfEWmYCyqoE7_R1-DNyMSOo4tkdC_oxtQ44H0SpTfYuz0COyVUVlR8Ed_7cZOOWsdtsw9foH-XyNPTaZ-tRT4VIw/s2756/IMG_20170812_185122.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1141" data-original-width="2756" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjl2FY6st-FYvB14wnLYOhJl4rObsjhGrq_5k14SWy8vbczyUoZVVumUfEWmYCyqoE7_R1-DNyMSOo4tkdC_oxtQ44H0SpTfYuz0COyVUVlR8Ed_7cZOOWsdtsw9foH-XyNPTaZ-tRT4VIw/w640-h264/IMG_20170812_185122.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>By
the time it got dark,</i></b> I was cold and decided to head back to the tent for some
warmth, and to update my diary. Shankar stayed out far longer, and sometime
late in the night, was lucky enough to spot shooting stars! I haven’t yet
forgiven him for not waking me up! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>We woke up
early</b></i> in the morning to watch the sun rise. This was the one time I wished I
had a better camera, and better photography skills. Still, I managed as best as
I could… take a look at what it looked like…</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aKd1QzH-O9W1eO1Gg5P5QtExsjNNQUzmhkcfcuY_R8Fu64H0hASZNxOPHiztbHtevmJ5-Kcy6bSfjvWGM_CgL_c_phNICPoS7EkB93ubCQ6txewpE-5uygTCojX1xqEAhi_kkVF5R3qV/s2674/IMG_20170813_053930.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="2674" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8aKd1QzH-O9W1eO1Gg5P5QtExsjNNQUzmhkcfcuY_R8Fu64H0hASZNxOPHiztbHtevmJ5-Kcy6bSfjvWGM_CgL_c_phNICPoS7EkB93ubCQ6txewpE-5uygTCojX1xqEAhi_kkVF5R3qV/w640-h282/IMG_20170813_053930.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX83HvGSp4cqHlNFFasnk8awqkwRqkWNxbxEGVgwWx4GE5uZbtxbQinQIJ_pX3L0jw32giZ1sHt-M0pMUxhxWTo2guwjJzVuS27I99HV3bDpouaMEViJxZIjXlaoe29Lsg2Av0Esj25Emp/s2048/IMG_20170813_055839.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1131" data-original-width="2048" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiX83HvGSp4cqHlNFFasnk8awqkwRqkWNxbxEGVgwWx4GE5uZbtxbQinQIJ_pX3L0jw32giZ1sHt-M0pMUxhxWTo2guwjJzVuS27I99HV3bDpouaMEViJxZIjXlaoe29Lsg2Av0Esj25Emp/w640-h354/IMG_20170813_055839.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfeMCPKIDUE8pHzXDPA8MYvoejWK4GcBZWqvUyz7Bov7p0j36dz7izQvH73mofcvXarfgWl6Y3SGRpJKLIoT1zwGOBJ3dZmT_QaJGiLS1z1QY4M9JeCsg7UyVDPQglQwAZYf9YXP2_huV/s2535/IMG_20170813_060224.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="2535" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMfeMCPKIDUE8pHzXDPA8MYvoejWK4GcBZWqvUyz7Bov7p0j36dz7izQvH73mofcvXarfgWl6Y3SGRpJKLIoT1zwGOBJ3dZmT_QaJGiLS1z1QY4M9JeCsg7UyVDPQglQwAZYf9YXP2_huV/w640-h314/IMG_20170813_060224.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_kWIR0hQZQqx0RIr2rJvOW0MaM-Yj79iwVbv3o85mcTNwpFZ8txvYQRU8FSKu_q1jLOaff6q7WbCurE_ka-eZKjmt3K7e1e07euWrMxL-iWeR0hsYJsWrc6Eq1d-GPJtCSPizuD_L1xj/s2048/IMG_20170813_060958.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1152" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl_kWIR0hQZQqx0RIr2rJvOW0MaM-Yj79iwVbv3o85mcTNwpFZ8txvYQRU8FSKu_q1jLOaff6q7WbCurE_ka-eZKjmt3K7e1e07euWrMxL-iWeR0hsYJsWrc6Eq1d-GPJtCSPizuD_L1xj/w640-h360/IMG_20170813_060958.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We left
soon after breakfast</i></b> to make our way back to Leh. We were leaving the next day
and had to settle our accounts. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmJENjkkIiv89SEwWxPLkLlB3nxfS0zgcQnyMatsFFWgKttAbSUPxnw57e3aPvUhG4p1wWAWmhjmRoCrV4kScmr4kadyOQgwqmMFnd2bGVK0TDVyGWwu62jmMSBgRC7ctFbrSbLhBVzAD/s2048/IMG_20170813_082629.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1298" data-original-width="2048" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGmJENjkkIiv89SEwWxPLkLlB3nxfS0zgcQnyMatsFFWgKttAbSUPxnw57e3aPvUhG4p1wWAWmhjmRoCrV4kScmr4kadyOQgwqmMFnd2bGVK0TDVyGWwu62jmMSBgRC7ctFbrSbLhBVzAD/w640-h406/IMG_20170813_082629.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We had
spent around 30 hours at Pangong</i></b>, most of which was spent simply staring at the
lake and the mountains. Never before have I sat still for so long, simply
watching the water and the mountains with nothing to distract me – no birds, no
crustaceans, no people. Even today, the memories of that time are so strong. I
can simply close my eyes and be transported back there. I just find myself
wishing that could really happen, and that I could go back, and enjoy it all
over again! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDfZNI_sC5rS2iaHgdM9C3UneSLDRHLhCMC2_vzvtvpMLToL4GUwqwkN_zoUzHVxWc1C0Hn4_2gnmCQ_CFJEjDVecV3eBV0MEG-IcmtLpx9dEAJIADMHDsxYyKBgAUAhZ-v9XHtIBwpuW/s2583/IMG_20170813_082806.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1218" data-original-width="2583" height="302" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIDfZNI_sC5rS2iaHgdM9C3UneSLDRHLhCMC2_vzvtvpMLToL4GUwqwkN_zoUzHVxWc1C0Hn4_2gnmCQ_CFJEjDVecV3eBV0MEG-IcmtLpx9dEAJIADMHDsxYyKBgAUAhZ-v9XHtIBwpuW/w640-h302/IMG_20170813_082806.jpg" width="640" /></a></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>On our way
back,</i></b> we managed to spot the Himalayan Marmots – rodent-like creatures which
are endemic to the region. The animals have obviously learnt that tourists are
excellent sources of food, and turn up to beg for food. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBNdVFMSLJiQb6AtJ2dIav3V-6_EKIgNO-wxTKP9f58doFD1OiiFRpN8wiumv0xhIc7omIOnGkjT0u9hArr_hNJqtr9VHAgE8AZIxnaG9RfZVTm0q14DaJKDko-cIHla56irL9b1P24fH/s1849/P1090266.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1177" data-original-width="1849" height="408" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFBNdVFMSLJiQb6AtJ2dIav3V-6_EKIgNO-wxTKP9f58doFD1OiiFRpN8wiumv0xhIc7omIOnGkjT0u9hArr_hNJqtr9VHAgE8AZIxnaG9RfZVTm0q14DaJKDko-cIHla56irL9b1P24fH/w640-h408/P1090266.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKx3Vk0pqFzXuQ2fY_Drla-pabMZjusEpOiRsGAk3GAOqDK6bt8fk-19Kn902gATOqO_JbTManJFXrx7TG_7Stpv13EiUivZ31TpoqtfR0fRiWt29u36Vx5SmVq6Um6BaAK2-h3T2ecZ3/s2048/P1090287.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGKx3Vk0pqFzXuQ2fY_Drla-pabMZjusEpOiRsGAk3GAOqDK6bt8fk-19Kn902gATOqO_JbTManJFXrx7TG_7Stpv13EiUivZ31TpoqtfR0fRiWt29u36Vx5SmVq6Um6BaAK2-h3T2ecZ3/w640-h480/P1090287.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDIoyLmC_VTlFy4AMsAi9RzOBmboTyt2GHOu0g3I-uzMhFbCdKyY7qu4mTQrMe0QJbvak3o_XNHkdfYLEP2is5hDLkd-MmKPDabjiNbJjOm1rnuZA7F7iPJj1RxwjzueH5VFtRj6NVVOU/s2048/IMG_20170813_092343.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEihDIoyLmC_VTlFy4AMsAi9RzOBmboTyt2GHOu0g3I-uzMhFbCdKyY7qu4mTQrMe0QJbvak3o_XNHkdfYLEP2is5hDLkd-MmKPDabjiNbJjOm1rnuZA7F7iPJj1RxwjzueH5VFtRj6NVVOU/w640-h480/IMG_20170813_092343.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jWYb3Om8VkXwcz_G-Rd4TYGPq_NgY8AhJts-qOEUsFYnUJTOObZLexw9dlESVTtXjwRsNAjsgE7om5lXBMBBzY_5yyzhjW1dvx3J0owh565Y-hJfclpuWXWcP3chLCsgdG-knyl3Rmxv/s2048/P1090292.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1121" data-original-width="2048" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8jWYb3Om8VkXwcz_G-Rd4TYGPq_NgY8AhJts-qOEUsFYnUJTOObZLexw9dlESVTtXjwRsNAjsgE7om5lXBMBBzY_5yyzhjW1dvx3J0owh565Y-hJfclpuWXWcP3chLCsgdG-knyl3Rmxv/w640-h350/P1090292.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We had
thought</i></b> that this would be the end of the adventures on this trip, but how
wrong we were. We were about 40 km from Leh, passing by a monastery, when we
were hailed by an old man standing on the side of the road, asking for a lift.
By now, we had gotten used to this, and having a big car with the just the two
of us travelling, we had offered lifts to many people, and had a lot of
interesting conversations too. Thus, we were happy to offer the old man a lift.
What a surprise it was to us, that he turned out to be a Padmashri awardee, for
his social work. Mr. Tashi Tundop had received the award back in 2014, and at 82
years of age, was still active. It was inspiring to meet someone like him,
working even at this age, for the improvement of the community. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-6-turtuk.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk</a></i></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 8: Pathar Sahib and Saspol Caves</i></li></ul></div></div><div><i><br /></i></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-15195367636488291452021-07-13T11:21:00.006+05:302021-07-13T11:23:37.568+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our
original plan at Nubra</i></b> was to enjoy the sand dunes and relax. We took one look
at the crowds and changed our mind! Of course, it helped that we had a
destination in mind – one that had been suggested by many people we had talked
to, over the past few days – Turtuk!<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2pNkWKDcK9s63C2_ca-uD33AEZeOjMerQrRuvqXM7JYLXL7ia2xplZowmeZOCNiRUS93x0jD8T8mBj2lPgUhGTouUue4-2-io2RG_9AIckDQqHP2BAT5kN72Mz1yuPLXXbhhM39LV9P3/s2048/IMG_20170811_073508.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2048" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiz2pNkWKDcK9s63C2_ca-uD33AEZeOjMerQrRuvqXM7JYLXL7ia2xplZowmeZOCNiRUS93x0jD8T8mBj2lPgUhGTouUue4-2-io2RG_9AIckDQqHP2BAT5kN72Mz1yuPLXXbhhM39LV9P3/w640-h448/IMG_20170811_073508.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The village
of Turtuk,</i></b> about 200 km from Leh, lies in the region of Baltistan. This is one
of the few villages of the region under Indian control. The rest of Baltistan
is part of Pakistan. The village lies about 2.5km from the Line of Control, and
is the farthest visitors are allowed to go. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YLzvNIepvFbPGAhf0QuRKcWa2HeaunfOGzmsiVXYCb53UEe-q-GxvVcCBvk8X5dv_ojxl0u_KuErtz4fSbvKf9r43ARbUAfz-IY3Vl_MSnacWx8zuGNdZHzeMmaB2e_L8V0Zyar8XSTz/s2048/IMG_20170811_075810.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1264" data-original-width="2048" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9YLzvNIepvFbPGAhf0QuRKcWa2HeaunfOGzmsiVXYCb53UEe-q-GxvVcCBvk8X5dv_ojxl0u_KuErtz4fSbvKf9r43ARbUAfz-IY3Vl_MSnacWx8zuGNdZHzeMmaB2e_L8V0Zyar8XSTz/w640-h396/IMG_20170811_075810.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Changing
our plans</b></i> meant that we would have a long day ahead. We were on the road at 5
AM, with the dawn to ourselves, not a soul on the road! We did startle a pair
of foxes which ran across the road. They probably wondered why humans were out
on the road so early! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9wTlBXXjkAj8C-DQwy6rjcQeqt9rc6EJdQmCA0ZVv93PmKRuk-VlVi5-3S37m6H7ErUWJYpoE28GCW3z110RtiZlf3O3yVmaAKmsonsh514puOAP2_Cd_2bcVWdpyp6to6x1RUGKKWdR/s1651/P1090167.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1349" data-original-width="1651" height="522" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw9wTlBXXjkAj8C-DQwy6rjcQeqt9rc6EJdQmCA0ZVv93PmKRuk-VlVi5-3S37m6H7ErUWJYpoE28GCW3z110RtiZlf3O3yVmaAKmsonsh514puOAP2_Cd_2bcVWdpyp6to6x1RUGKKWdR/w640-h522/P1090167.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Watching
the mountains change</i></b> as the day broke made the early start worthwhile. There
was a flip side, though. We reached Turtuk at 7:15 AM, only to find everything
closed! We had left without even tea to fortify us, and it appeared we would
have to wait some more! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDXm2frJrXUBhkPZfCVnjAUX7eos8RVGUB_hLPx_e9jtQWOi0ts1MHA26lbYa1L6_vluv6bIQwaddp14jGIIChPBgVljxqjb4PE91rLwSGg25F2eip5TA86zgiLQskXAbOrpFieVZY5tw/s2048/IMG_20170811_090412+%25281%2529.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1049" data-original-width="2048" height="328" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyDXm2frJrXUBhkPZfCVnjAUX7eos8RVGUB_hLPx_e9jtQWOi0ts1MHA26lbYa1L6_vluv6bIQwaddp14jGIIChPBgVljxqjb4PE91rLwSGg25F2eip5TA86zgiLQskXAbOrpFieVZY5tw/w640-h328/IMG_20170811_090412+%25281%2529.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>For the
next part</b></i>, I am going to rely on my diary, and quote verbatim –<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Turtuk,
at first glance, was just like any other village. We crossed the bridge over
the river, and just a few steps later, felt as if we had entered a different
world! The village was set right on a plateau, the mountains towering on one
side, and on the other, a straight drop down to the river. On this plateau, as
far as our eyes could see, there were fields – I could recognize cabbages,
cauliflower, and lettuce, apart from apricot trees (which we recognized only
because they were laden with fruits!). In the midst of this verdant greenery at
an altitude of about 10,000ft, were houses huddled together. We walked around
for a while, content to simply enjoy the peace and solitude amidst green fields
lush with vegetables, and orchards laden with fruits. Finally, we spotted a
small house with a board advertising “Balti Cuisine” which was open, and
decided to try our luck. Little did we know how time would fly for the next
couple of hours!</span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT32JvTWrSh30STkplZQC0pQvtilVm01_Az_DBYbawNBTxb3tUvJKccYAaqqlRR5snUtY9DRR_qLGjbWgqbtfxiXZqFrNVKi1xyoVTAMCRDdIuy4_s5rrb2IqYbgK96mKv-Yz8NCLCKfxl/s2048/IMG_20170811_080007.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjT32JvTWrSh30STkplZQC0pQvtilVm01_Az_DBYbawNBTxb3tUvJKccYAaqqlRR5snUtY9DRR_qLGjbWgqbtfxiXZqFrNVKi1xyoVTAMCRDdIuy4_s5rrb2IqYbgK96mKv-Yz8NCLCKfxl/w640-h480/IMG_20170811_080007.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqvBM1V11g6onDSmrPfei01RyqqM9_KwXxGvulnBF-eefdxRGFebKx497GP8xMWe6nditeqfvkc0Z7yX8LHgJSp51kfOo3cYVk_rqRA1hDdLKbyYJs4sTLugvd2UwH_kjfL4CwCBbSWcc/s2048/IMG_20170811_080014.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1677" data-original-width="2048" height="524" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoqvBM1V11g6onDSmrPfei01RyqqM9_KwXxGvulnBF-eefdxRGFebKx497GP8xMWe6nditeqfvkc0Z7yX8LHgJSp51kfOo3cYVk_rqRA1hDdLKbyYJs4sTLugvd2UwH_kjfL4CwCBbSWcc/w640-h524/IMG_20170811_080014.jpg" width="640" /></a></div></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Picking
apricots from the tree in his backyard was Mr. Abdul Rashid, one of the oldest
residents of Turtuk. As we waited for our breakfast of Kisir and Moskot
(Buckwheat pancakes with walnut sauce), we spoke to Mr. Rashid about his life
in the small village. Most poignant was his description of his childhood, when
Turtuk was part of Pakistan, and he used to attend school in another village on
the other side of the river. All that changed during the 1971 war, when Turtuk
came under Indian control, while the other village remained in Pakistan. While
he seemed to be content being Indian, and happy with the way his life turned
out, the pangs of separation caused by war never really go away.”</span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-4QTCQZxPYqD4paIqoSOrB4wxgyBsY7q-xZsbQOPNM3xIBwGkpqIxV4oVrkx4oREbDjDODj1pFWUpc1IXv29W8KIjLhn555LsCSHFs_g9EG4L-ASjK5-31ttTAyt_ZYmh-d4Y55hglIo/s2048/IMG_20170811_084836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="2048" height="458" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl-4QTCQZxPYqD4paIqoSOrB4wxgyBsY7q-xZsbQOPNM3xIBwGkpqIxV4oVrkx4oREbDjDODj1pFWUpc1IXv29W8KIjLhn555LsCSHFs_g9EG4L-ASjK5-31ttTAyt_ZYmh-d4Y55hglIo/w640-h458/IMG_20170811_084836.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyYssW3Erdw-5zy_kNvO_ElGODAEA-VQvKeMGqLovnL84KYwjd6Jai0cS1eGxDKG9I7JoDi4zPuzs6k-tZMH7IWwVH9skIFf7XdWYdfEbbeTvoa6Myd_AWNVEzB1XTz9HpLHDHfWkB1Pc/s2048/IMG_20170811_091901.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1549" data-original-width="2048" height="484" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFyYssW3Erdw-5zy_kNvO_ElGODAEA-VQvKeMGqLovnL84KYwjd6Jai0cS1eGxDKG9I7JoDi4zPuzs6k-tZMH7IWwVH9skIFf7XdWYdfEbbeTvoa6Myd_AWNVEzB1XTz9HpLHDHfWkB1Pc/w640-h484/IMG_20170811_091901.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuuNjNDtFztGAm8xulEZu-HRN1TqXqMpkN8XfsOCVT8miGRxEVEbb0T4vlA9EKbCBCdoKRyM-UM_aGX3AxsCzauYcCC8_Eq9I5q5IqfmYoI4Q3d50TZiaWkSTfgNaoXN-lQCiZfSYmzP_/s2048/IMG_20170811_091640.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1155" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUuuNjNDtFztGAm8xulEZu-HRN1TqXqMpkN8XfsOCVT8miGRxEVEbb0T4vlA9EKbCBCdoKRyM-UM_aGX3AxsCzauYcCC8_Eq9I5q5IqfmYoI4Q3d50TZiaWkSTfgNaoXN-lQCiZfSYmzP_/w640-h360/IMG_20170811_091640.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Mr. Rashid
took us along</i></b> to his orchard / garden filled with fruits, flowers and
vegetables, and we learnt that the main produce of this region are apples and
apricots, dried apricots and apricot oil being the main products. We also
learnt that Polo was a major sport here, and that there is a Polo ground where
matches are held every year in March/April. However, unlike the well-known and
accepted form of the game, the version played here is way more ruthless. Polo,
having its roots in warrior championships, is played like war! Further, it is a
requirement for every male. Someone incapable of playing polo or hunting is
considered unworthy of marriage!! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglP6OgJ9fiN_4mZwdkwjC-ytrY_P5mM6I3kCuyB6dIkU5bWlRz0Dhk5EEzjUFX7dtx1wvCXb0q64V_7fDLybMHXOdfOBzaIh_gRCaR7aefs_Huow-IXwMrM6jbaUo7Dv2o8NBbcXy0Kf8/s2048/IMG_20170811_090454.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1514" data-original-width="2048" height="474" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgglP6OgJ9fiN_4mZwdkwjC-ytrY_P5mM6I3kCuyB6dIkU5bWlRz0Dhk5EEzjUFX7dtx1wvCXb0q64V_7fDLybMHXOdfOBzaIh_gRCaR7aefs_Huow-IXwMrM6jbaUo7Dv2o8NBbcXy0Kf8/w640-h474/IMG_20170811_090454.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFyYJHrf4La5lZ2JPVjvgCMFgeSC8d7fI0QaR1BgrUUYuZ5IDptRpCQaiGluB2FLSkeAa23XTXDtnbUMYF1QH2fNPB278Rw-fozPJHHXB_Nfaq8N0r51xQVsX8MZYfgSdqdNnaBq1lEVv/s2048/P1090182.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1153" data-original-width="2048" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLFyYJHrf4La5lZ2JPVjvgCMFgeSC8d7fI0QaR1BgrUUYuZ5IDptRpCQaiGluB2FLSkeAa23XTXDtnbUMYF1QH2fNPB278Rw-fozPJHHXB_Nfaq8N0r51xQVsX8MZYfgSdqdNnaBq1lEVv/w640-h360/P1090182.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The village
has about 200 residents</b></i>, all of them Baltis. There are 3 smaller villages with
Baltis under Indian control, all smaller than Turtuk. These are the only Balti
residents of our country, and hence, marriages tend to be settled within the
community. People choose their spouses from these villages and continue to
settle here. Very few actually leave the village to work, and even those that
do, tend to come back since their families are here. This has probably helped
preserve the village as it is. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy03tJ6ftHtZmfyuJOz2-LwCgMnLHPOpXHFdjZDqHf3yzra_vkGa-c5SDpnfEqLLh2UihYdXnS-pUq-iPMY21nGdvo_SWaEjw94wO6XYmscjh6U9axOQuw8IuYCgZwWpbeTbwvnFL_L31P/s2048/IMG_20170811_081815.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1689" data-original-width="2048" height="528" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgy03tJ6ftHtZmfyuJOz2-LwCgMnLHPOpXHFdjZDqHf3yzra_vkGa-c5SDpnfEqLLh2UihYdXnS-pUq-iPMY21nGdvo_SWaEjw94wO6XYmscjh6U9axOQuw8IuYCgZwWpbeTbwvnFL_L31P/w640-h528/IMG_20170811_081815.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Stuffed
full with apples</i></b>, the freshest apricots we had ever eaten, holding a bag filled
with apricots we had picked, we headed back to our car, to drive back down, to
Hunder, to collect our stuff, and back to our homestay in Leh. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tZtfYe2n8g_6fGEATgNDNaaUV11Eqo_cMjbN7j7zpsABedMMEyTVLcGvtsMf7Exl8LHmI1WivmDQFU0hV-L6zsZj5Eji4GoYhc38guatWjg9T5k1aN1hZ2ArXnjilkQh2bxzV2igu7eW/s2048/IMG_20170811_063609.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1136" data-original-width="2048" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1tZtfYe2n8g_6fGEATgNDNaaUV11Eqo_cMjbN7j7zpsABedMMEyTVLcGvtsMf7Exl8LHmI1WivmDQFU0hV-L6zsZj5Eji4GoYhc38guatWjg9T5k1aN1hZ2ArXnjilkQh2bxzV2igu7eW/w640-h356/IMG_20170811_063609.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1o9f6ff4akWaN_DXzsI_pdERNXeQsG0ibQJKo_uljoZv_iJmhG1WHQdP9DLL5OfAVmDRbJkhJ68UeLF7Xf33K75Ekf76wvYXJ2_0lRPevxEm7bbG-ziA16q5Ki-kkOpjr_CNrmAlJHE/s2048/IMG_20170811_103238.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1224" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVs1o9f6ff4akWaN_DXzsI_pdERNXeQsG0ibQJKo_uljoZv_iJmhG1WHQdP9DLL5OfAVmDRbJkhJ68UeLF7Xf33K75Ekf76wvYXJ2_0lRPevxEm7bbG-ziA16q5Ki-kkOpjr_CNrmAlJHE/w640-h382/IMG_20170811_103238.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH5WtWVfIaPV32zqf5wo24datbv5ywlyBWnL7tGByW30LzmBc_TZ0fUyK9-qbyhe5xbDHqPPrVAJarYznhMz9cTsnTn15yBk3fz0_UT5VDqPxgyWNp2SeLMkDf8KURuOqq9AVVyUb2qkI/s2048/IMG_20170811_104115.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHH5WtWVfIaPV32zqf5wo24datbv5ywlyBWnL7tGByW30LzmBc_TZ0fUyK9-qbyhe5xbDHqPPrVAJarYznhMz9cTsnTn15yBk3fz0_UT5VDqPxgyWNp2SeLMkDf8KURuOqq9AVVyUb2qkI/w640-h480/IMG_20170811_104115.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The return
drive was just as good,</b></i> but now my thoughts were filled with the village we had
left behind. Visiting border areas, especially those touched by conflict, is
never easy. I cannot imagine what it would be like, to one day belong to one
country, the next day, another. Transferring allegiance can’t be that easy, no
matter how improved the situation. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It also
brought up thoughts of war</i></b>, and those touched by it. Those who instigate war
bear the least of its effects; those involved in the war lose their lives, or
their loved ones, or live with memories of death and destruction; but it is the
one who lives on the land being fought over, who is touched the most, who lives
with it always. <o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<div><b><i>Our thoughts</i></b> might have been sombre, but the landscape did much to lift out spirits... Watch this video of the Shyok river in full flow, to get a glimpse...</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='380' height='316' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dwr2R0f3CetvMYe1-R1FVaJtMSoUWLaWwxNK1KYzJ0upZMsfN_bTFCebDfvevlxio6wX-yKmzqrMJWGLB3tMQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><br /><div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-5-nubra-valley.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</a></i></li></ul></div></div><div><div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 7: Pangong Lake</i></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"></a></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0Turtuk34.8474964 76.82740716.5372605151975769 41.671154417790987 63.157732284802421 111.98365978220902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-66127400627646520342021-07-08T11:18:00.001+05:302021-07-13T11:24:11.778+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwVRzfprCqgZtUASxRGpOSTYqWVxXqrpl3OXHz1ukWVHuHdBlTd5zeqUY9T_xdLJrb5_9OHPDu5wzqbvWg_Ase4NujS6STWMxsMN64lvO7vzhVnotxub1gmzqNVi_wdfuQJDedZfwhewS/s1620/231cef55-b8cc-47fe-aabb-c6ade142369c.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmwVRzfprCqgZtUASxRGpOSTYqWVxXqrpl3OXHz1ukWVHuHdBlTd5zeqUY9T_xdLJrb5_9OHPDu5wzqbvWg_Ase4NujS6STWMxsMN64lvO7vzhVnotxub1gmzqNVi_wdfuQJDedZfwhewS/w640-h426/231cef55-b8cc-47fe-aabb-c6ade142369c.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></div><b><i><br /></i></b><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The Nubra
region lies north of Leh,</i></b> two scenic valleys formed by the Nubra and Shyok
rivers, between the Ladakh range and the Karakoram mountains. The region is
part green, part rocky and barren, and part desert, sand dunes and all. This
was our destination for the next couple of days of our Ladakh tour. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXoitQbt1aYbRSVvUB09E2j9noVGmgtCX5Juoby6XVnUi2B7co9PwT6chgLqDjWdBZHdyLkbZJoiDeiAo9-BJGKQ1uLdn9Rn9yfV8IgKBQiLpuA2YuZMYJpv6Mkt8Hf6ZacSd3H77kxYF/s2048/IMG_20170810_153312.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1223" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTXoitQbt1aYbRSVvUB09E2j9noVGmgtCX5Juoby6XVnUi2B7co9PwT6chgLqDjWdBZHdyLkbZJoiDeiAo9-BJGKQ1uLdn9Rn9yfV8IgKBQiLpuA2YuZMYJpv6Mkt8Hf6ZacSd3H77kxYF/w640-h382/IMG_20170810_153312.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Mountains, rivers, trees and sand, together at 10,000 ft!</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Setting off
quite early in the morning</i></b>, we had our first experience of what a traffic jam
looked like here! We found ourselves in a line of vehicles behind a convoy of
army trucks, and it was slow going, allowing us to not only enjoy the
landscape, but also appreciate the difficulties the terrain posed to the army,
and the efforts that must go in to maintaining these roads. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT6eqoqV8bfjpzKPgF0ewcn7h8MbtJpNC38lSWGSDqqaM1Nheo_BYmVGB76l7ebMJtg5lcKbkL4mp75nyAM1U2naHb4Zs4nEpwC_g___VAojH7tKCBFXY_O4Cq1qXnKwNFMlovMh-E35P/s2556/IMG_20170810_095817.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1231" data-original-width="2556" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkT6eqoqV8bfjpzKPgF0ewcn7h8MbtJpNC38lSWGSDqqaM1Nheo_BYmVGB76l7ebMJtg5lcKbkL4mp75nyAM1U2naHb4Zs4nEpwC_g___VAojH7tKCBFXY_O4Cq1qXnKwNFMlovMh-E35P/w640-h308/IMG_20170810_095817.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The
KhardungLa pass</i></b>, said to be the world’s highest at 5,602m (18,380ft), was
filled with tourists clicking away. We halted for a while at the insistence of
our driver, but moved on as quickly as possible! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eYrrU_z4WGrkkiJF4LnL7-z5hQPbtU5jZhRE9nBGrs3EofRpPW8Mg9RT5UyQ5Yy6XbWRsmUUYFbAsPtGCAGGwrE-KxEwQNB22bHRD68O74umBmbaLHYMJKjApG0kXtSN_fFvaWBF3tJ5/s2720/IMG_20170810_112030.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1156" data-original-width="2720" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7eYrrU_z4WGrkkiJF4LnL7-z5hQPbtU5jZhRE9nBGrs3EofRpPW8Mg9RT5UyQ5Yy6XbWRsmUUYFbAsPtGCAGGwrE-KxEwQNB22bHRD68O74umBmbaLHYMJKjApG0kXtSN_fFvaWBF3tJ5/w640-h272/IMG_20170810_112030.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We also
visited the monastery at Sumur</i></b> en route, at our driver’s suggestion. This
monastery appears to be relatively new or newly renovated, but very similar to
the other monasteries we had visited, in terms of paintings and images. The
location, on the banks of the Nubra river, close to where the Nubra and Shyok
rivers merge, is the highlight of the monastery. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksReexJfD47VV3JrmJ6pMCFUKsvBcWs5gcJ5jYzdf5ekJbrksxlgNdA8BeqDzdTwz5l1sXpRixTJ5sFDGBpazJRYu-yn8VSdTYVwAYbkO5Okop6JFyTiWrYCaGH2CYkWQ-6b9dXBr0A9z/s2048/IMG_20170810_145227.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhksReexJfD47VV3JrmJ6pMCFUKsvBcWs5gcJ5jYzdf5ekJbrksxlgNdA8BeqDzdTwz5l1sXpRixTJ5sFDGBpazJRYu-yn8VSdTYVwAYbkO5Okop6JFyTiWrYCaGH2CYkWQ-6b9dXBr0A9z/w640-h480/IMG_20170810_145227.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monastery at Sumur</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6jMstqOgMwg-zpSHYUmBpMxNEgmzhtay22cXUrzjDPIOubbvWh-txQXlGo0nygRlKJxPWPywGLvMpDpYiv-6EG29dPuhhvTD-tCiS7S6FFkv9mwllacQu4fISJl9giQfwmE_pgTGneld/s2048/IMG_20170810_150652.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1110" data-original-width="2048" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEin6jMstqOgMwg-zpSHYUmBpMxNEgmzhtay22cXUrzjDPIOubbvWh-txQXlGo0nygRlKJxPWPywGLvMpDpYiv-6EG29dPuhhvTD-tCiS7S6FFkv9mwllacQu4fISJl9giQfwmE_pgTGneld/w640-h346/IMG_20170810_150652.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">View of the Nubra river from the monastery</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Had I known
better,</i></b> I would have skipped this monastery to visit the one not too far away
at Diskit, which dates to the 15<sup>th</sup> century. We realized this as we
passed Diskit on our way to Hunder, which was our destination for the day. We
did not have time to halt at Diskit, which would have taken up the rest of our
day. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlUqlF944t3bmGLncSK57ObN_J09o90XVOff2YDrPzvlegR_Q8Oam9dv8AF1t9lEckEnYfwmQNdPhS4x2t7NOPJw2iGGCekpKMnhtHeTa9Mz42ki2f23LWK13yaxhszMObc3fP-fTHgLP/s2048/IMG_20170810_155753.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhlUqlF944t3bmGLncSK57ObN_J09o90XVOff2YDrPzvlegR_Q8Oam9dv8AF1t9lEckEnYfwmQNdPhS4x2t7NOPJw2iGGCekpKMnhtHeTa9Mz42ki2f23LWK13yaxhszMObc3fP-fTHgLP/w640-h382/IMG_20170810_155753.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Monastery at Diskit</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Instead, </b></i>we made a short halt at a 105ft tall statue of Maitreya Buddha
that has recently been installed here. </span>Among the
huge images we had seen so far, this was the one I liked the least. First of
all, it felt out of place, built for decoration, not for worship. The garish
colours added to this, and I thought of this statue, out in the snow in winter,
and wondered what it was like, then. My favourite was the one at Shey, of
course, but the Maitreya at Thiksey was so beautiful and serene. This
particular one, in my opinion, stood out only by size.</p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmwc8Wehg-gHkHEv412ODy_ZOhlxis6CEifjhg7mdv1HWJYWlH39oQ2G-0agTr8944S-h-WQH7KIT4WQy3a1vtZyAvT8HrWa49EaiCSNfoFDE-FzHGM-2He5FWmcBl3_FHH7SsxPNHiUo/s2048/IMG_20170810_155900.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1654" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNmwc8Wehg-gHkHEv412ODy_ZOhlxis6CEifjhg7mdv1HWJYWlH39oQ2G-0agTr8944S-h-WQH7KIT4WQy3a1vtZyAvT8HrWa49EaiCSNfoFDE-FzHGM-2He5FWmcBl3_FHH7SsxPNHiUo/w516-h640/IMG_20170810_155900.jpg" width="516" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Maitreya Buddha at Diskit</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i><br />Once we
passed Diskit</i></b>, the sand dunes began to appear. Till then, we had seen sand, but
not dunes like these…. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW8DC7nQhA-XpLIcQt0lb7lT3dahnomLbEwM_bjR9_gS82C59EyoXGfENNXJ1xnXZ_1a4ZuSHc6GynzGA6FBkONQmkJqKqN0VhJsKFqMgwwS-9pcBe0Ftk3bquVB-jjR6kRI1ssT1OLUA/s2048/IMG_20170810_153032.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1250" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAW8DC7nQhA-XpLIcQt0lb7lT3dahnomLbEwM_bjR9_gS82C59EyoXGfENNXJ1xnXZ_1a4ZuSHc6GynzGA6FBkONQmkJqKqN0VhJsKFqMgwwS-9pcBe0Ftk3bquVB-jjR6kRI1ssT1OLUA/w640-h390/IMG_20170810_153032.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>There is no
way I can do justice</b></i> to the sight with words, but here, let me quote a section
from my diary… with my photos, you will hopefully be able to get a more visual
idea of our experience. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmOA2jgxBMogr6HuzB18H-HfttIbH_IKt0rNKOqifnQCIsMHqoaXoQ5_ygb7DSBbFFBR8Dke2gj45hTZCfk7pWmS4k_iYTWAuCgpa5nrVuZMmQ2Fl2fwKAcxIUZsu3DEP0X01Krxakqz-/s2664/IMG_20170810_153130.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1180" data-original-width="2664" height="284" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRmOA2jgxBMogr6HuzB18H-HfttIbH_IKt0rNKOqifnQCIsMHqoaXoQ5_ygb7DSBbFFBR8Dke2gj45hTZCfk7pWmS4k_iYTWAuCgpa5nrVuZMmQ2Fl2fwKAcxIUZsu3DEP0X01Krxakqz-/w640-h284/IMG_20170810_153130.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote><i><span lang="EN-US">It has
been a day of stunning landscapes once again. From KhardungLa to the Nubra
valley, the ever-changing landscape had me exclaiming all the time! From the
sheer rock to the sand dunes, it has been unbelievable.</span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7X1lAcWFy9_-lGvZIvkFGXUdTDvsqrGeav4GEotGPtYU2Dafn19Ya-EabaHt02rFtzpO6stbpIICUQMgt2Pj-oIn5GryjGrLHEEuAgcHDaubNy6VMADDxh1KmsNXS4MKInkQ1d61mAXG/s2826/IMG_20170810_155954.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1113" data-original-width="2826" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjB7X1lAcWFy9_-lGvZIvkFGXUdTDvsqrGeav4GEotGPtYU2Dafn19Ya-EabaHt02rFtzpO6stbpIICUQMgt2Pj-oIn5GryjGrLHEEuAgcHDaubNy6VMADDxh1KmsNXS4MKInkQ1d61mAXG/w640-h252/IMG_20170810_155954.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">The sand
dunes of Nubra are spread over a small area, and they share space with streams
and greenery, which, for lack of better adjectives, is yes, stunning and
unbelievable. It is a desert, but it is so much more! This juxtaposition of
high altitude (the average elevation here is about 3,000m or 10,000ft), and
cold desert, along with rivers flowing down from glaciers (the Nubra is a
tributary of the Shyok river, which originates in the glaciers of Siachen) is
certainly unique.</span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdRKQjwEHyEOv2PG0ODWEYO-F_i9Dvw0IdxjNwJjWwrm2OJK9mFnac5RP55yC9CPeAJVcJ7pCJltyuzyECQCsEpbtc4G1NiixrwaoaIsaumhKId4PjL2IAObD45SriW8ROsB7o3lOaVsf/s2048/IMG_20170810_162703.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1257" data-original-width="2048" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFdRKQjwEHyEOv2PG0ODWEYO-F_i9Dvw0IdxjNwJjWwrm2OJK9mFnac5RP55yC9CPeAJVcJ7pCJltyuzyECQCsEpbtc4G1NiixrwaoaIsaumhKId4PjL2IAObD45SriW8ROsB7o3lOaVsf/w640-h392/IMG_20170810_162703.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><i><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgns_K3me82PwfGE_aYOT0j_FdqI8CHbO71BUaZiN9KCA6f7pbcw40HRayinSXTZ4d-1pXM4ri7vgqSomJTA1TQ3gguGeXeAerYykTVWhqOQxZiNJMrySzcuPTDn1JzxRWUmtwrmuiQhc/s2048/IMG_20170810_162723.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1115" data-original-width="2048" height="347" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHgns_K3me82PwfGE_aYOT0j_FdqI8CHbO71BUaZiN9KCA6f7pbcw40HRayinSXTZ4d-1pXM4ri7vgqSomJTA1TQ3gguGeXeAerYykTVWhqOQxZiNJMrySzcuPTDn1JzxRWUmtwrmuiQhc/w640-h347/IMG_20170810_162723.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkARrJ-Ww7x7BwGw8xsL073zZxBGmixO6RQWxB29ckvqL-u-GoSLfbtJEQENgKw_vKpl51WytmUVPv9Vb6b3DH6Hv1Ixkmrx9e7v2-Zp-ZX9PJiRYIsLzW1eNZ3WqMmN8fujNf0lSvrPce/s2048/IMG_20170810_162834.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkARrJ-Ww7x7BwGw8xsL073zZxBGmixO6RQWxB29ckvqL-u-GoSLfbtJEQENgKw_vKpl51WytmUVPv9Vb6b3DH6Hv1Ixkmrx9e7v2-Zp-ZX9PJiRYIsLzW1eNZ3WqMmN8fujNf0lSvrPce/w640-h480/IMG_20170810_162834.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cvz-0n1CajSdGrjwClJFIb6nawxze_JSZ_yYMmKGQmYspJT3mIzY_w7MsUe6mReAdZdHE8gvb6TK_Uc5j0dYQhP6XjVtsmaaQndXat5b5i22q7XfHwAoUqkOTLBbhxWFmfvahVdLuCOV/s2048/IMG_20170810_164120-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="2048" height="382" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9cvz-0n1CajSdGrjwClJFIb6nawxze_JSZ_yYMmKGQmYspJT3mIzY_w7MsUe6mReAdZdHE8gvb6TK_Uc5j0dYQhP6XjVtsmaaQndXat5b5i22q7XfHwAoUqkOTLBbhxWFmfvahVdLuCOV/w640-h382/IMG_20170810_164120-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOry4dDiOFtF6dj_jEhXsyIHCNmx2eHXnz8RCzGDWo-n2ItKo_hOz6_WwoHCKDwg7u2G0VutLbBRV_NRn14d2EALqvwnESHBKxuVT0SxG4vF89Wvl-F2Vw-CwI7NAjNVNweTSB6MDUY-sX/s2048/P1090157.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="2048" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOry4dDiOFtF6dj_jEhXsyIHCNmx2eHXnz8RCzGDWo-n2ItKo_hOz6_WwoHCKDwg7u2G0VutLbBRV_NRn14d2EALqvwnESHBKxuVT0SxG4vF89Wvl-F2Vw-CwI7NAjNVNweTSB6MDUY-sX/w640-h376/P1090157.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></i><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">The
Bactrian camels, however, are over-hyped, since they are here only for the
tourists. They might have lived here in some bygone times, but certainly don’t
now. The place is filled with tourists either squealing while getting on to one
of the camels, or cooing as they pet them. We opted instead, to wander far from
the noisy hordes, and enjoy the landscape in whatever solitude was possible.</span></i></blockquote><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><i><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOULez1IxpuauawsxZtFZpdj4dHszg5x-p3p06JZr73gHbGlnwj4_GgpAyh60eO6CsEsmadtgfByMlAT948w7etJS0AnR9rSIq4bORZRKe4oFxzewDohVKd164OLkLL0UpfVR0Ll3enId/s2601/IMG_20170810_164743.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1209" data-original-width="2601" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhOULez1IxpuauawsxZtFZpdj4dHszg5x-p3p06JZr73gHbGlnwj4_GgpAyh60eO6CsEsmadtgfByMlAT948w7etJS0AnR9rSIq4bORZRKe4oFxzewDohVKd164OLkLL0UpfVR0Ll3enId/w640-h298/IMG_20170810_164743.jpg" width="640" /></a></i></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We stayed
the night</i></b> at a guest house at Hunder. The original plan had been to relax and
enjoy more of the sand dunes the next morning before heading back to Leh.
However, one sight of the crowd changed our mind and we modified our plans
based on conversations with people we met. More about that later, but for now,
here’s another entry from my diary –<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i></i></p><blockquote style="text-align: justify;"><i><span lang="EN-US">Today
might have been a day of stunning landscapes, but the highlight was, however,
giving a lift to a Russian tourist, named Nikolai. Why am I talking about this?
Because he was unlike any tourist we had ever met, and deserves a mention. We
saw him as we left KhardungLa, by the side of the road, trying to hitchhike.
There were others like him, most of them young. He stood out not only because
he was middle aged, but because he was on crutches! Turns out that he suffers
from a form of arthritis, and is in India for ayurvedic treatment. Apart from
the fact that the man was travelling alone, to highest pass in the world, on
crutches, the coming to India for treatment didn’t seem odd, but his story made
it so much more interesting. Apparently, he had first visited India 8 years
earlier, and made an Indian friend. Then, 6 years back, he developed arthritis,
and was bed-ridden. He had been in touch with his old friend from India, who,
hearing of his situation, turned up in Moscow, helped him cope, and eventually
convinced him to try ayurvedic treatment, bringing him back to India. Nikolai
had been in India for 6 months when we met him, and in this period, had
improved to the extent of exploring the country on crutches, using public
transport when possible, hitchhiking otherwise, on a shoestring budget. He is a
photographer, and his camera was the only valuable thing he had on him. We
dropped him off at Hunder village, hoping he had found some affordable accommodation.
We saw him the next afternoon, on our way back to Leh. He was waiting for
someone else to give him a lift in the opposite direction.<o:p></o:p></span></i></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">We meet
many such people on our travels, but we rarely manage to stay in touch. We are,
as they say, ‘ships passing in the night’. But every such meeting, I believe,
changes is in some way, or leaves a lasting impression on us. Nikolai did too.
We often talk of travel as something that can only be done by the fit. I myself
hesitate to strain myself, knowing my limitations, and when it comes to older
people or people with disabilities, we often discourage them from exploring,
especially on their own. But our encounter at Nikolai showed me that anything
is possible, if only we have the will. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i>P.S.
Shankar, on reading this, adds – I wonder what our experience would be, if we
ever went solo travelling, in Russia! </i><o:p></o:p></span></p></div>
<div><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-4-buddhist.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</a></i></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 6: Turtuk</i></li></ul></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0Nubra Valley, 19440134.6863146 77.5672886.3760787151975826 42.41103531779099 62.996550484802427 112.72354068220902tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-76320136776967752812021-07-05T10:52:00.001+05:302021-07-05T10:53:19.061+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Buddhist Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Buddhism is
the predominant religion in Ladakh</i></b>. The religion is said to have entered the
region even before Ashoka, and has changed with the times. Today, the people
follow a form of Tibetan Buddhism, a later Mahayana form with elements of
Vajrayana. (On an aside, practicing Buddhists in Ladakh do not like their
religion being called Vajrayana. The word implies Tantric associations, and
they insist that the Tantric elements in the religion were evened out by Guru
Padmasambhava). Buddhist monasteries – ancient and modern – are scattered all
over the region, and these are some of the most impressive and most visited
tourist sites in Ladakh. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAghjFNH1j7QWSGt2P5wNwY61BPaNtcfC2qBTJdvHaV0GJfwwvCaiEigWmMzb6OA59vHWl6cjvqTU05sJ4BGreFodinaSt1hZXDhWXE7vFaak5rmVLau3ROUcV-zW0FMq9MLwtyn_jz4RX/s1620/6e560a5c-d71c-4392-9374-793512a450db.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAghjFNH1j7QWSGt2P5wNwY61BPaNtcfC2qBTJdvHaV0GJfwwvCaiEigWmMzb6OA59vHWl6cjvqTU05sJ4BGreFodinaSt1hZXDhWXE7vFaak5rmVLau3ROUcV-zW0FMq9MLwtyn_jz4RX/w640-h426/6e560a5c-d71c-4392-9374-793512a450db.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>At the time
I planned my visit</i></b>, I knew little of Buddhism in this region. The aesthetics of
Tibetan Buddhism is very different from the Buddhism of central/ western India
that I was familiar with. It was therefore, difficult to decide which
monasteries I wanted to visit. I eventually decided to stick to the popular
ones, the ones I was told not to miss. Thus, at Leh, we chose to visit the monasteries of Hemis and Thiksey,
and the palaces at Stok and Shey. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX2nVLzmyMMR9RaBhLTk8WnSCGJhj58iUEZcH9mydRYqDZeWkMskkcvsOj40oyWcDaT9iKD4AVoyzb-WxRRytABWu_KiHQhqSyNlQ6gc86bvfyjAgWPYUh8PA08fg8-I8tYEUf5Z4bS22/s2041/P1080990.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1371" data-original-width="2041" height="430" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiIX2nVLzmyMMR9RaBhLTk8WnSCGJhj58iUEZcH9mydRYqDZeWkMskkcvsOj40oyWcDaT9iKD4AVoyzb-WxRRytABWu_KiHQhqSyNlQ6gc86bvfyjAgWPYUh8PA08fg8-I8tYEUf5Z4bS22/w640-h430/P1080990.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Stok Palace</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>We began
our tour at Stok</b></i>, the current residence of the royal family of Ladakh. It is
maintained by the royal family. Part of it is their residence, part of it is a
museum, open to visitors, and part of it is a heritage hotel, to give guests a
royal experience. It is a well-maintained palace, with a small café and
souvenir shop. As for the architecture, it is typical Ladakhi structure, a mix
of mud-bricks, stone and wood. The museum section has a variety of artefacts,
from paintings and Thangkas to utensils and weapons, all part of the royal
collection. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI0u5wB4GuiiCSnBaSFBLjmniA42u2877ZjAHcrNcEH-X5e-TlifZZEVQ_PLaDdjDbY4lfPDDXEW6omxxkWTkzwhdSA-iDNFs7UxQ4Gb_HdF0m55sBvyf_xLjpJVi27sDfNpbv5Sar8Bw/s2560/P1080971.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuI0u5wB4GuiiCSnBaSFBLjmniA42u2877ZjAHcrNcEH-X5e-TlifZZEVQ_PLaDdjDbY4lfPDDXEW6omxxkWTkzwhdSA-iDNFs7UxQ4Gb_HdF0m55sBvyf_xLjpJVi27sDfNpbv5Sar8Bw/w640-h480/P1080971.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaRMkvCbiWjrz7TpBQMYHjavpj9GdEOedZ3zO9ENn-Baj342AfZuYyEs6-k_FX1a9GzrWewNIOK8gfqojOdYB3tV-RVCz4xwB_d279gHhmzzStiw6dFvahThUfJCO8sx1yKLFVHHjKB67/s2560/P1080973.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAaRMkvCbiWjrz7TpBQMYHjavpj9GdEOedZ3zO9ENn-Baj342AfZuYyEs6-k_FX1a9GzrWewNIOK8gfqojOdYB3tV-RVCz4xwB_d279gHhmzzStiw6dFvahThUfJCO8sx1yKLFVHHjKB67/w640-h480/P1080973.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Scattered over
the mountain</i></b> and along the road leading towards the palace are rows and rows of
stupas, most painted white, some painted with bright colours. While we saw such
stupas near every monastery and palace, these were the first we noticed on our
trip, and these were also some with the most beautiful patterns. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AwZDw1AWllzEOjXgjIArkoeWPAP0cEyp-_0jLD1RI9Vj1lIbucu8BQujh_fahitSml9k8WINbPKuHNY6MMscs1xX2Zk8ZzoOwWYmABkXgUg7dprRXHrMzg6q8rQ2HBKyqyndCtynYKpU/s1981/P1080961.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1286" data-original-width="1981" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9AwZDw1AWllzEOjXgjIArkoeWPAP0cEyp-_0jLD1RI9Vj1lIbucu8BQujh_fahitSml9k8WINbPKuHNY6MMscs1xX2Zk8ZzoOwWYmABkXgUg7dprRXHrMzg6q8rQ2HBKyqyndCtynYKpU/w640-h416/P1080961.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCynPSMrsVGwl9NFS7wYCwieNdwzX4sbKC8a9chhc8JSz0RpSkcde2K16EbPa34KBSMDACR8hCl_diIYX22dLYd-ayE577DxlOPjx3Nwefr43-EEbL7M0EbsKuBHAj1d0CxRXQzVCPQQB/s1870/P1080996.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1870" height="410" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZCynPSMrsVGwl9NFS7wYCwieNdwzX4sbKC8a9chhc8JSz0RpSkcde2K16EbPa34KBSMDACR8hCl_diIYX22dLYd-ayE577DxlOPjx3Nwefr43-EEbL7M0EbsKuBHAj1d0CxRXQzVCPQQB/w640-h410/P1080996.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQBX81vZdq4Pwei6iY8zeUiGxeFgOQ5ZQ449sX4omTjepH9vFboQxrkDpQbVW-3M13PN7Xq430Ef6c9MVnbEkdL6KR4_9992xxXfrJYNkHq4SHx2O21uJOWF9fjGNB5Hwa5cYfKCHJpjm/s1920/P1090007.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1831" data-original-width="1920" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixQBX81vZdq4Pwei6iY8zeUiGxeFgOQ5ZQ449sX4omTjepH9vFboQxrkDpQbVW-3M13PN7Xq430Ef6c9MVnbEkdL6KR4_9992xxXfrJYNkHq4SHx2O21uJOWF9fjGNB5Hwa5cYfKCHJpjm/w640-h610/P1090007.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The Hemis
monastery</i></b> is about 55 km from Leh, on the other bank of the Indus river, nestled in the mountains, above the village it gets the name from. This is one of the wealthiest
and most famous monasteries in Ladakh, belonging to the Drugpa sect, sometimes
called the Red Hats. It was built in the 17<sup>th</sup> century by King Senge
Namgyal. From what we heard (and later read), Senge Namgyal’s mother was
Muslim, the daughter of the chief of Baltistan. However, Senge Namgyal was a
devout Buddhist and built a number of monasteries during his reign. It is said
that he gave the land around Hemis village for the monastery, and the tradition
continues to this day, all the land around belonging to the monastery, all
revenues from the land accruing towards its upkeep. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYbnQ8DrvjnKtfNcQQUCXsJGfBFh8Xg_iYA6iZFz_yfbk31HIgf7-K5B8kcYG42MX6XUqakUUzTkOfHKWBj_atZXdf4dZiIE_oBs_75i3KZbynnIdN2nUg6x6oXAYN2qGCjppKJK-WSeZ/s2535/P1090016.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1241" data-original-width="2535" height="314" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgZYbnQ8DrvjnKtfNcQQUCXsJGfBFh8Xg_iYA6iZFz_yfbk31HIgf7-K5B8kcYG42MX6XUqakUUzTkOfHKWBj_atZXdf4dZiIE_oBs_75i3KZbynnIdN2nUg6x6oXAYN2qGCjppKJK-WSeZ/w640-h314/P1090016.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Can you spot the monastery?</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWnyAxipS3BWEb_z8f6GbEKv4CTid98OQTH6g-7rbMJyYinxClGbSrTyNQKSWvf-Xszfj6pHzSGj1yS2u-JGsBCUvJyv25L4D1JHbWqpgNLJYdpZ4IXSrVzAhqLlcswGaIj-077Q3S4e1/s2048/P1090018.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipWnyAxipS3BWEb_z8f6GbEKv4CTid98OQTH6g-7rbMJyYinxClGbSrTyNQKSWvf-Xszfj6pHzSGj1yS2u-JGsBCUvJyv25L4D1JHbWqpgNLJYdpZ4IXSrVzAhqLlcswGaIj-077Q3S4e1/w640-h480/P1090018.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This was
the first monastery we visited on our trip,</i></b> and I hardly knew what to look at!
The central assembly hall had a beautiful, gilded Buddha on the altar, and the
walls were covered with paintings. At the entrance, on the outside, were
paintings of <i>kshetrapalas</i> – guardians of the four directions and the
wheel of life. Inside were paintings of the Buddhas, Bodhisattvas and protector
deities. What I found interesting was the shrine for the protector deity of the
monastery – here Mahakaal – is kept closed. Here, while the shrine was open,
the image of the deity was covered with a cloth. The cloth is only lifted
during specific prayer sessions when he is propitiated in the proper manner. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4a2cotptYpUT-vOsn4QSbjuHlY8toTwBus0D3N-UKIQBeVPi4xrXr8bqt0SVhprcw8QlDyUwZxL9RMY1gQ1mnzdbKeRa6K-Cj0lMNDQe9i3i65SU1G4wwSHrkZc5D5DRZlDNITi6PxOg/s2048/IMG_20170809_115728.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-4a2cotptYpUT-vOsn4QSbjuHlY8toTwBus0D3N-UKIQBeVPi4xrXr8bqt0SVhprcw8QlDyUwZxL9RMY1gQ1mnzdbKeRa6K-Cj0lMNDQe9i3i65SU1G4wwSHrkZc5D5DRZlDNITi6PxOg/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_115728.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>There was a
separate shrine </i></b>for Guru Padmasambhava, who is the one who brought this form of
Buddhism to the region from Tibet. The 12-foot-tall statue is a recent one, but
it is made in the style of the older images and is just as impressive. He holds
a vajra, trident and skeleton, representing the present, past and the future.
The walls are covered with paintings of the Gurus of this tradition, Dhyani
Buddhas and Mahakaal. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC7iFCnbpiyHwzWMHT5LOY1I6CKCp1ze4k8DrZ02LqKXQC99Zu1iICV7u5lpJNYRXucCHupRzJDFlQB3TGi8kPwZbAA2C8YwUSvYnV3Fg6uuah4-j6peVWS78ji19JgptZh3Aqt7y5jfP/s2048/IMG_20170809_122713.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLC7iFCnbpiyHwzWMHT5LOY1I6CKCp1ze4k8DrZ02LqKXQC99Zu1iICV7u5lpJNYRXucCHupRzJDFlQB3TGi8kPwZbAA2C8YwUSvYnV3Fg6uuah4-j6peVWS78ji19JgptZh3Aqt7y5jfP/w480-h640/IMG_20170809_122713.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>The most
recognizable part of the Hemis</b></i> monastery is the courtyard where the annual
festival is held every year in the month of June/July. The festival is in
honour of Guru Padmasambhava, who is considered an incarnation of the Buddha,
and the monks celebrate his life by performing the sacred dance devoted to the
eight aspects of the Guru.</div><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5EEgGPhSNAwRnr2BdN9poThRmJEJCiaRttuecgk7GoeD1wt0dWbJNPsmDFIKJ5fzxBl3okLxKEbHHz_hMJ8pD-Dv4EdXXg-ccUyt1Ym1RhLFZJRMyNuNVl7xCEPilv-6Qks9XqzUuC0y/s2048/IMG_20170809_132650.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ5EEgGPhSNAwRnr2BdN9poThRmJEJCiaRttuecgk7GoeD1wt0dWbJNPsmDFIKJ5fzxBl3okLxKEbHHz_hMJ8pD-Dv4EdXXg-ccUyt1Ym1RhLFZJRMyNuNVl7xCEPilv-6Qks9XqzUuC0y/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_132650.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The other
highlights of Hemis monastery</i></b> were the museum and the souvenir shop. The museum
has an admirable collection of bronzes, paintings, masks and other artefacts.
The souvenir shop was so impressive that I went berserk buying postcards and
books! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The Thiksey
monastery</i></b> is located atop a hillock, about 19 km from Leh. The monastery is
constructed in an ascending order of importance, from the foot of the hill
housing the viharas to the top of the hill enshrining the monasteries and the
residence of the chief lama right at the top. This monastery belongs to the
Gelugpa or yellow hat sect of Buddhism. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDClPUThUfdfARE-wvy_Pxu5gxTDOjMZCWbjeGlvN46HjybBiQpgj_cB7K1VRsADjopx9r9zFcpmWSwsFB8nJMbUNpIpqcZe2t9Sqn3UMWljTYuPX0nht3g_VXXzmZ2zXP99rlY8hlvWBl/s2048/IMG_20170809_162008.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1247" data-original-width="2048" height="390" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDClPUThUfdfARE-wvy_Pxu5gxTDOjMZCWbjeGlvN46HjybBiQpgj_cB7K1VRsADjopx9r9zFcpmWSwsFB8nJMbUNpIpqcZe2t9Sqn3UMWljTYuPX0nht3g_VXXzmZ2zXP99rlY8hlvWBl/w640-h390/IMG_20170809_162008.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It is said
that the monastery</i></b> has its origins in the 15<sup>th</sup> century, and was
built over an existing structure, one associated with another, older monastery
nearby. The name Thiksey, is said to be a corruption of the word “theek se”,
meaning “proper”, and refers to an event deciding the site where the monastery
stands today. Originally, the monastery was supposed to be built on the other
side of the Indus, but as they were
performing a ritual, a pair of crows carried away the plate carrying the
offering, and placed it at this location. This was taken as a divine indication
and the new monastery was built here. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>The
highlight of this monastery </b></i>is the 40 ft high statue of Maitreya Buddha. Made
of terracotta brick and clay, and painted with gold, this statue took 3 years
to build, and was consecrated by the Dalai Lama in 1980. His half-closed eyes
and serene smile inspire a sense of peace and well-being. He wears a coronet
encrusted with jewels and the five Dhyani Buddhas. All around him are paintings
– the Dhyani Buddhas, great scholars and teachers of the tradition, and stories
of the future Buddha.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /><span lang="EN-US"><o:p></o:p></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQFlBjbPpxQiyRRElR7IQpbagXagHq3XfHDapyvWnCWtuQxqbJ0gNXTMe0DNkDHcODPyzoHrsubUsYy78QULfuQLP3x-zH8BSPfp9OZ5xji9Wwceebwlu24zTihASgRBvlhoJ3eMM78c3/s2048/IMG_20170809_152251.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXQFlBjbPpxQiyRRElR7IQpbagXagHq3XfHDapyvWnCWtuQxqbJ0gNXTMe0DNkDHcODPyzoHrsubUsYy78QULfuQLP3x-zH8BSPfp9OZ5xji9Wwceebwlu24zTihASgRBvlhoJ3eMM78c3/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_152251.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The Maitreya Buddha at Thiksey</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The entire
monastery is like a maze,</i></b> with each turn leading one into a shrine or a vihara.
Only some parts of it are accessible to visitors, but those are overwhelming
enough. A shrine to Tara is filled with statues of different forms of the
goddess, there are also stupa temples, with stupas of the past teachers of the
order. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqEmekf8ZymVM2PIXp_JByNPx8ZDr76nDwL_F2OE7OYW7mjyqlvfYfInASdxHJwqzN6l0zWjr4Q8SM5p_RrR0ptRFoXAAN1FVG6XXq-Ow4s2L0pcOHkTWkEl49ud77CIAhqIEnCDHjGwS/s2048/IMG_20170809_152738.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1459" data-original-width="2048" height="456" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNqEmekf8ZymVM2PIXp_JByNPx8ZDr76nDwL_F2OE7OYW7mjyqlvfYfInASdxHJwqzN6l0zWjr4Q8SM5p_RrR0ptRFoXAAN1FVG6XXq-Ow4s2L0pcOHkTWkEl49ud77CIAhqIEnCDHjGwS/w640-h456/IMG_20170809_152738.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The main
assembly hall</i></b> has the guardian deities (lokapalas) and the wheel of life
painted at the entrance, and a series of Buddha statues in a glass case inside.
There are also statues of fierce deities placed within glass cases. A small
doorway leads to an antechamber, with a gilded image of the Sakyamuni Buddha,
flanked by Manjushri and Maitreya.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGvio_i_A0ZjPA21hB1-Ux0McBtYJe92IrumkWV-2X1A2BgSx1ZfwbDrpbpESyIzv-UYuoo43r_1et2VyJ5-Mi5R93ySQ5VDAAI1dGKiLx96ntfIeBdsOsu70jvYnIZl3Vpdf8jqEEmZQ/s2048/IMG_20170809_153825.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1605" data-original-width="2048" height="502" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwGvio_i_A0ZjPA21hB1-Ux0McBtYJe92IrumkWV-2X1A2BgSx1ZfwbDrpbpESyIzv-UYuoo43r_1et2VyJ5-Mi5R93ySQ5VDAAI1dGKiLx96ntfIeBdsOsu70jvYnIZl3Vpdf8jqEEmZQ/w640-h502/IMG_20170809_153825.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsAARzLE7SB2bJwXQFWr1-LmnBVtxkujzcQS6Je7oVBBgfb83vT0bEmUB5xJR-apzV7R-jFLnUViwtALo55cE5MaFrFELIPP7LKO3ns-tKo3d4a9i-KoXo48QIUIkW86n2fUgTXl4QyLd/s2048/IMG_20170809_154031.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2048" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOsAARzLE7SB2bJwXQFWr1-LmnBVtxkujzcQS6Je7oVBBgfb83vT0bEmUB5xJR-apzV7R-jFLnUViwtALo55cE5MaFrFELIPP7LKO3ns-tKo3d4a9i-KoXo48QIUIkW86n2fUgTXl4QyLd/w640-h442/IMG_20170809_154031.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANGZir2tmHRAwJy7ImgPiRnPieR1w51jpzTtKgSD1JIdG6Z-w7T-RfExY3k5sTWie6JPdAdQpMUnSOVtYRDGGR3eNftRkdlag7v3OkLlhhGPDMjROy_U71T8XRNPhx0I_lAbZZW1HUsGd/s2048/IMG_20170809_154232.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1414" data-original-width="2048" height="442" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgANGZir2tmHRAwJy7ImgPiRnPieR1w51jpzTtKgSD1JIdG6Z-w7T-RfExY3k5sTWie6JPdAdQpMUnSOVtYRDGGR3eNftRkdlag7v3OkLlhhGPDMjROy_U71T8XRNPhx0I_lAbZZW1HUsGd/w640-h442/IMG_20170809_154232.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y_p5SxL_8mrzgCkOE_8IvAGTMMc61rFY-_CGUTw5SxSKrao2Hb04dxS_REdgg-zue7tT0q9eMkVuFdfGB4DzBX9I1YA-BKAuH7Uk8RGU2a4kqr8lnk1pOWCTzRhpd46EAsYFKZ7THC8K/s2048/IMG_20170809_154354.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1Y_p5SxL_8mrzgCkOE_8IvAGTMMc61rFY-_CGUTw5SxSKrao2Hb04dxS_REdgg-zue7tT0q9eMkVuFdfGB4DzBX9I1YA-BKAuH7Uk8RGU2a4kqr8lnk1pOWCTzRhpd46EAsYFKZ7THC8K/w480-h640/IMG_20170809_154354.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>However, I
was most intrigued, </i></b>and fascinated by the shrine to the protector deity. This
is a somewhat eerie shrine, on the upper level, with a towering image of
Yamantaka, with 9 heads, 34 hands and 16 legs. His biggest face was kept
covered, as was that of Mahakala by his side. The walls of this shrine were
covered with paintings of a different kind – dancing skeletons, as well as
fierce-looking animals and birds. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFACBUpY6HyTSaVJdllhokVV2A9RD_b9HkEm-hyJnVXSuWkq0d8O0rdECyHQ1F7KAlOLSQqPRVNolW_A1sSNEhvPtie7DMMm6YmnAi45XAACfdNebcDe7qL6kHLl8xXsc_vJsH68pz5auD/s2048/IMG_20170809_155503.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1555" data-original-width="2048" height="486" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFACBUpY6HyTSaVJdllhokVV2A9RD_b9HkEm-hyJnVXSuWkq0d8O0rdECyHQ1F7KAlOLSQqPRVNolW_A1sSNEhvPtie7DMMm6YmnAi45XAACfdNebcDe7qL6kHLl8xXsc_vJsH68pz5auD/w640-h486/IMG_20170809_155503.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCEbCMhycaUZUhRNxr-Q3MCWhmlCWr4hXHz-SV25CxswBfFik2jAXifrDejaUlDxs-25iHGo2JIlO8scOWrimCZxFIKOMcupESgHAQURa9uk0eXs8vvktFUw1jhnq5d2nmaRuOlVvGxmQ/s2048/IMG_20170809_155733.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1169" data-original-width="2048" height="366" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrCEbCMhycaUZUhRNxr-Q3MCWhmlCWr4hXHz-SV25CxswBfFik2jAXifrDejaUlDxs-25iHGo2JIlO8scOWrimCZxFIKOMcupESgHAQURa9uk0eXs8vvktFUw1jhnq5d2nmaRuOlVvGxmQ/w640-h366/IMG_20170809_155733.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This
shrine, as I already mentioned, </i></b>was an eerie one, yet I couldn’t take my eyes
off the stunning work. The paintings, despite being unsettling, were striking.
I was told later that these were some of the original paintings from the 15<sup>th</sup>
century. What struck me about the deities, especially the one which I think was
probably Mahakala, was that he was depicted with an erect male organ. This was
the only part of the figure left uncovered, which made me wonder if it was
intentional, and if he was worshipped for his virility. It reminded me of the
images of Shiva shown with his organ similarly erect, as <i>urdhvaretas</i>. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YxBISt-OvaDqLwUpy0iIzw_jMYKbNfC39eGUKJ7qyiSqo96JzVpmoV6CU6f-Jb5l_a_kHWvKdJ__S_AGCJByc5kLEFXhezoA-TpEYQ0syBUw1DBZl8CBO-k1I1GcycFd4AClq92gnS4k/s2048/IMG_20170812_093953.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1083" data-original-width="2048" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1YxBISt-OvaDqLwUpy0iIzw_jMYKbNfC39eGUKJ7qyiSqo96JzVpmoV6CU6f-Jb5l_a_kHWvKdJ__S_AGCJByc5kLEFXhezoA-TpEYQ0syBUw1DBZl8CBO-k1I1GcycFd4AClq92gnS4k/w640-h338/IMG_20170812_093953.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Shey Palace</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpvFbTSakqJ7zz-0dZKK5CbSkhrVTTxpGioWz1rT5IwYIDbKHCxAYVPRUQKXfLkllMzmUgnKS6XKZ1bsm3CC1DAmtMTzca0DRZlQ0kOmHKpVxBkoO2GUo4505PorjtXe4Qoc3izo7p4MX/s2048/IMG_20170809_172057.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNpvFbTSakqJ7zz-0dZKK5CbSkhrVTTxpGioWz1rT5IwYIDbKHCxAYVPRUQKXfLkllMzmUgnKS6XKZ1bsm3CC1DAmtMTzca0DRZlQ0kOmHKpVxBkoO2GUo4505PorjtXe4Qoc3izo7p4MX/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_172057.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Shey was
the old capital of Ladakh,</i></b> back in the 10<sup>th</sup>/ 11<sup>th</sup> century
CE. It came into prominence again in the 15<sup>th</sup> century. There are
remains of fortifications at the top of the hill, but what remains almost
intact from the 17<sup>th</sup> century is the central structure. Its not a
monastery, but a place of worship, which would have been part of the palace.
Enshrined within is a colossal Buddha, so huge that only the pedestal is
visible from the lower floor, and we barely catch a glimpse of his face between
the rafters. He is 8m or 26 ft high, and was commissioned by King Deldan
Namgyal (1642-94) in memory of his father, the great Senge Namgyal. His face is
visible on the higher level, which has a shrine with images of other teachers
of the tradition as well as deities. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWd7BaKLYl5MP7eyLRFBBJn9M_KzFFIuk5kRWX_dEu-bfapDZW9lDhqOrezhyphenhyphen-fAPEnEFKqzh1mSz0PcvucIG94A3xAtSfamLF61092R1QY2sg_sW2vTBEWKQ6VYqlqAg56F_EKiwspm6/s2048/IMG_20170809_170838.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggWd7BaKLYl5MP7eyLRFBBJn9M_KzFFIuk5kRWX_dEu-bfapDZW9lDhqOrezhyphenhyphen-fAPEnEFKqzh1mSz0PcvucIG94A3xAtSfamLF61092R1QY2sg_sW2vTBEWKQ6VYqlqAg56F_EKiwspm6/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_170838.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBCY9n9yQj3-mkcTpVSZ-Z9rx02DheOodePTmzgD4aJhE1xxmwI5bvQhxHBhM5tMmv0FKZ_Bro11tSpdJy7UK9ux_LicR2XllLZoHk43N0z3TfFUSE6gs_jGRxuiHQSzD-VE-emcW3aUz/s2048/IMG_20170809_171452.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEBCY9n9yQj3-mkcTpVSZ-Z9rx02DheOodePTmzgD4aJhE1xxmwI5bvQhxHBhM5tMmv0FKZ_Bro11tSpdJy7UK9ux_LicR2XllLZoHk43N0z3TfFUSE6gs_jGRxuiHQSzD-VE-emcW3aUz/w640-h480/IMG_20170809_171452.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>One of the
most striking things about Shey</i></b> are the paintings which cover almost every inch
of every wall – both on the lower and upper floors. They are said to be the
originals, at least 400 years old! Unfortunately, most of them are dark from
the soot of the lamps which are continually lit here, and are barely visible.
There is more light on the upper level, so the paintings can be seen slightly
better, though they aren’t in the best of condition. The ground floor is so
dark, that we didn’t even realise that the walls were painted until our guide
used his phone torch to show them to us.
While the paintings on the upper floor depict deities, the ones on the
ground floor are simply Dhyani Buddhas – rows and rows and rows of Buddha, all
over the wall. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXfHJ2v0GaGJvDfT7TLVAdYwSx1MRD5TP3hK4ZK_-NKYzlSWTR0BM5h_r8v6RC7I0pFF0_sHUndcnd78P9-2NIJ4CJUBarpo862lQp-FUNZpEBo8ONnubbneRCXvEWULrre06R8MjQ3Cr/s2048/IMG_20170809_165552.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuXfHJ2v0GaGJvDfT7TLVAdYwSx1MRD5TP3hK4ZK_-NKYzlSWTR0BM5h_r8v6RC7I0pFF0_sHUndcnd78P9-2NIJ4CJUBarpo862lQp-FUNZpEBo8ONnubbneRCXvEWULrre06R8MjQ3Cr/w480-h640/IMG_20170809_165552.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNf_JWnTd4yUF9tYCpDX_PnK-fpcpRVjGuyp-2VDEjwt501uc4BzUtmqFuc1H6T4AHecH90IPPa4RtO_gQVA9BkUMFWHMqqDtUEw3GPDp-53NGx0ocWW0-rz4dqRHVe1B_0kJz4HqyL09/s2048/IMG_20170809_165608.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1964" data-original-width="2048" height="614" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDNf_JWnTd4yUF9tYCpDX_PnK-fpcpRVjGuyp-2VDEjwt501uc4BzUtmqFuc1H6T4AHecH90IPPa4RtO_gQVA9BkUMFWHMqqDtUEw3GPDp-53NGx0ocWW0-rz4dqRHVe1B_0kJz4HqyL09/w640-h614/IMG_20170809_165608.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmQXS5jM-lG2cvfKqeHNsfyxjxUjiHHZNlNEEhGQLs998b495uEC7ijMzw0qpMjMJXl4rqK7frduTW6HrzaCy_AqDZveiq8Q3d95oIBbzoJV7gG9_V04BwsSp7T9iuCRfnvF6Tl467Ug_/s2048/IMG_20170809_165625.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1667" data-original-width="2048" height="520" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtmQXS5jM-lG2cvfKqeHNsfyxjxUjiHHZNlNEEhGQLs998b495uEC7ijMzw0qpMjMJXl4rqK7frduTW6HrzaCy_AqDZveiq8Q3d95oIBbzoJV7gG9_V04BwsSp7T9iuCRfnvF6Tl467Ug_/w640-h520/IMG_20170809_165625.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>This, to
me,</i></b> was the most fascinating thing about Shey, making me glad we visited,
despite our tiredness. It reminded me of my visit to Kanheri with Dr. Suraj
Pandit, when he showed us the 11-headed Avalokiteshwara surrounded by Dhyani
Buddhas in Cave 41. He mentioned then that this was the only such depiction in
central/western India, while the concept travelled out to other regions. At
Shey, I could see this exact representation – a 11-headed, thousand armed
Avalokiteshwara in a shrine at the centre, surrounded by Dhyani Buddhas painted
all around him – the same concept, multiplied a thousand times, so to speak. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxK83eNZJdtnhuVBB6cZsCnyXwhyphenhyphenc4HF4H82lXKSNiXrZZG-1XV5jxJpcLmoC92PO3lZtb7Owap_On0MHP1HegRcKotk12Qs1j3OkkREuY3MF7mtKjB2mV8XjKZ6_fJwFjvn6C0JxLL0w/s2048/Avalokiteshwara+shey_2.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1822" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRxK83eNZJdtnhuVBB6cZsCnyXwhyphenhyphenc4HF4H82lXKSNiXrZZG-1XV5jxJpcLmoC92PO3lZtb7Owap_On0MHP1HegRcKotk12Qs1j3OkkREuY3MF7mtKjB2mV8XjKZ6_fJwFjvn6C0JxLL0w/w570-h640/Avalokiteshwara+shey_2.jpg" width="570" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Making
connections like this</i></b> went a long way in making our Ladakh trip so special…. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><b style="color: #660000;"><i>Coming up -</i></b></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span lang="EN-US"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 5: The Nubra Valley</i></span></li></ul><p></p></div>
<div><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-29544791830731669852021-07-01T09:30:00.003+05:302021-07-01T09:30:29.133+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 3 : Leh<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvE8sDFxZFt-i4pKXiI2al83MmYRCT08_J2T6psxvu7zRr1T8-Lrwz4sdVbdV20R1N9WG62zzFrRIOhcQ7oXRUk-spf3rcc7X_3balxB-bfEXb4Zqn3R9VD5fN-pO4HRhjuM-zvjxaYFG/s1620/4a57b5ba-f4e8-485f-ad5f-02a805556335.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRvE8sDFxZFt-i4pKXiI2al83MmYRCT08_J2T6psxvu7zRr1T8-Lrwz4sdVbdV20R1N9WG62zzFrRIOhcQ7oXRUk-spf3rcc7X_3balxB-bfEXb4Zqn3R9VD5fN-pO4HRhjuM-zvjxaYFG/w640-h426/4a57b5ba-f4e8-485f-ad5f-02a805556335.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We stayed
at the Mizka Homestay in Leh</i></b>, 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. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesnnFQUbwr2WS5hyphenhyphenXVYyAxxF9QYM6XJJetmJEkLqpkYRtrX9hc7xzGZwVC_iLuSxgBGwDQPRjxwmxbTosOgglVf8zdRTD1t7IU5CKT4UWi94IitA9pD2ZffzpX4YhwTQjEhoFRIS-4Ofw/s2048/IMG_20170807_183605.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1366" data-original-width="2048" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhesnnFQUbwr2WS5hyphenhyphenXVYyAxxF9QYM6XJJetmJEkLqpkYRtrX9hc7xzGZwVC_iLuSxgBGwDQPRjxwmxbTosOgglVf8zdRTD1t7IU5CKT4UWi94IitA9pD2ZffzpX4YhwTQjEhoFRIS-4Ofw/w640-h426/IMG_20170807_183605.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Our room at the Mizka Homestay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>What I
loved </b></i>was the seating arrangement in the common/ dining area, which had these
low seats, reminding me of the low <i>palagas</i> we sit on, in south India. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvATwYksTkdRrpmLxNeK9uwxsSCzwyWAFSfuKBmEriOxkyT0CARYhyphenhyphenu9Zn1ApO8X968bCMQp5LqgUg8Ub3poVuXhHBo-wzQYJ0ZKmtsUbws7kLzYATxO2xH6Lb5Fis3wJeOtxBjVdAlkG/s2048/IMG_20170807_183617.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipvATwYksTkdRrpmLxNeK9uwxsSCzwyWAFSfuKBmEriOxkyT0CARYhyphenhyphenu9Zn1ApO8X968bCMQp5LqgUg8Ub3poVuXhHBo-wzQYJ0ZKmtsUbws7kLzYATxO2xH6Lb5Fis3wJeOtxBjVdAlkG/w640-h398/IMG_20170807_183617.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The dining room at the homestay</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>It was also
interesting</i></b> 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 hostess to cook
anything vegetarian she usually cooked. She made us a variety of dishes, all of
which we relished! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>On our
first morning in Leh</b></i>, Shankar and I went off exploring, to the market. At the
time, we were hugely into collecting and sending postcards, so most of my diary
entries are about buying postcards and sending them off at the post office.
Heading to a café run by our host, we finally found some Wi-Fi. Access to
WhatsApp messages brought along the information that a friend of Shankar’s in
the army was posted in Leh, and off we went to meet him! That led to lunch at the
Officers’ Mess, and long conversations too personal to write about. He also
took us to the Hall of Fame, a museum dedicated to the Indian Army’s history
and achievements in the region, including a short history of Ladakh. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ShO-ilqGHu68rKjji94p6FtyqloD4UG31RiaQTG9GibQXoad7C5Nn-fHQWfda-iI4HcLwwEEMPsDXW21lgKqpn9e_YHt5JGTZdJDFFU7LTWa0_M3P2g5tQmbbsqKWdnl35fWqHJvh3Dj/s2048/IMG_20170814_075836.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1383" data-original-width="2048" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_ShO-ilqGHu68rKjji94p6FtyqloD4UG31RiaQTG9GibQXoad7C5Nn-fHQWfda-iI4HcLwwEEMPsDXW21lgKqpn9e_YHt5JGTZdJDFFU7LTWa0_M3P2g5tQmbbsqKWdnl35fWqHJvh3Dj/w640-h432/IMG_20170814_075836.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Conversations
with long lost friends</i></b> tend to make one lose track of time, but we finally said
our goodbyes and headed back to our homestay, only to lose our way among the
by-lanes! We wandered around for almost an hour before finding our way back! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Our
sightseeing of Leh</i></b> began with a visit to the Leh Palace. The Leh Palace towers
over the city, and is a massive, nine-storeyed structure built in stone, around
1600 CE by King Senge Namgyal, of the Himalayan Kingdom of Ladakh. The royal
family lived here till the 19<sup>th</sup> century, when they fled after the
Dogra invasion. The outside of the palace is still impressive, while little
remains of the decorations on the inside. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHGF3j1tEjqhJnBBCQx0200__Xy75MvM1MiO-WgBhDIPnUh9sC3TpRBuSeKBfN_xs11O3cwPezlHGKkVk5ajYDi4TxRuTr2vaEh-84x0r9fErei3R_HJ03Z09IezcUprO4-aCYWm7yQDj/s1995/P1080881.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="910" data-original-width="1995" height="292" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJHGF3j1tEjqhJnBBCQx0200__Xy75MvM1MiO-WgBhDIPnUh9sC3TpRBuSeKBfN_xs11O3cwPezlHGKkVk5ajYDi4TxRuTr2vaEh-84x0r9fErei3R_HJ03Z09IezcUprO4-aCYWm7yQDj/w640-h292/P1080881.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-8q6-MxcMf7XFh4z9225RX-iU6xzIx1GbG_JLZGm9Lsz9FMZFO0XUk9amysh2emPnG_v3kKMrXIhO8al72k47FvW7cr5hwWuyzqW74Uq3l0xS1bRnGFMd-4MhYIdqCRVLGKtf_JU-tZ9/s2736/IMG_20170808_160951.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1149" data-original-width="2736" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgr-8q6-MxcMf7XFh4z9225RX-iU6xzIx1GbG_JLZGm9Lsz9FMZFO0XUk9amysh2emPnG_v3kKMrXIhO8al72k47FvW7cr5hwWuyzqW74Uq3l0xS1bRnGFMd-4MhYIdqCRVLGKtf_JU-tZ9/w640-h268/IMG_20170808_160951.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">View of Leh city from the Palace</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Also
nearby, </b></i>at the base of the Palace are the older fortifications, and the Namgyal
Stupa, as well as other monasteries. Our plan was to visit all of them, but the
day had already been a long one, and we were tired, with no energy to walk any
more. We therefore gave them a miss and headed instead to the Shanti Stupa. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR46wcGEy_LFlFTVjxiIQXuKdbDQwYvo45zjXk1DNTX9s1EqXFKWCk00q5qC5enUEBqmG8UF7f-Cip3-s_FArGdspr9YPFHDQuVFFuXMfobUYlKSo_kbiuFd9Dcmu01CsMHfRhspzTdcGL/s2048/IMG_20170808_173239.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1429" data-original-width="2048" height="446" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjR46wcGEy_LFlFTVjxiIQXuKdbDQwYvo45zjXk1DNTX9s1EqXFKWCk00q5qC5enUEBqmG8UF7f-Cip3-s_FArGdspr9YPFHDQuVFFuXMfobUYlKSo_kbiuFd9Dcmu01CsMHfRhspzTdcGL/w640-h446/IMG_20170808_173239.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The Shanti
Stupa </i></b>is a picturesque stupa built atop a hillock by a Japanese Buddhist monk
in 1991, with the relics of the Buddha at its base, enshrined by the 14<sup>th</sup>
Dalai Lama. However, the main attraction of the stupa is the panoramic view it
offers of the city of Leh.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rW2ZtkCJeC6v5c35iZsOspd41YQlGte8tS9gYAHSsbKtbqw4galgQjAdw3el_PfLkYDTG7ROw4-Ye1XALuUdw-o7BskmlUde80iDOjCfRQsZq3ZpvfOGmO3qSURdYoiE0rjjRWiAjJEa/s2048/P1080941.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1142" data-original-width="2048" height="356" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5rW2ZtkCJeC6v5c35iZsOspd41YQlGte8tS9gYAHSsbKtbqw4galgQjAdw3el_PfLkYDTG7ROw4-Ye1XALuUdw-o7BskmlUde80iDOjCfRQsZq3ZpvfOGmO3qSURdYoiE0rjjRWiAjJEa/w640-h356/P1080941.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">View from the Shanti Stupa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExGCGEN6STzgU-oC9rJnhQZhtp5pxXvHVwMV1kXR6Fk2wJAk7w8O6BUDdYvelwIq6vJxADtoDAihEkalcAO_QnVTDoxM0nCK4YyQdf23j2QpPfu8Iq5pz509ogaPba4GfLakM_n7r9x6T/s2048/IMG_20170808_173251.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1197" data-original-width="2048" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiExGCGEN6STzgU-oC9rJnhQZhtp5pxXvHVwMV1kXR6Fk2wJAk7w8O6BUDdYvelwIq6vJxADtoDAihEkalcAO_QnVTDoxM0nCK4YyQdf23j2QpPfu8Iq5pz509ogaPba4GfLakM_n7r9x6T/w640-h374/IMG_20170808_173251.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Namgyal Tsemo (top left) and Leh Palace (bottom right) <br />as seen from the Shanti Stupa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp0xgQNLu5Ukv-i0XKwnt84wx2-O4vAQpyiWPH4h85lam56BDdqmyiU53GKv4PRSfro32I_mJLf8NLDJxwVQzD3j5mYYG0UXMGeNnMfrwRdU9nQE3UMRb8aKnq_sep5q-tff0QpLQPi0X/s2048/P1080940.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsp0xgQNLu5Ukv-i0XKwnt84wx2-O4vAQpyiWPH4h85lam56BDdqmyiU53GKv4PRSfro32I_mJLf8NLDJxwVQzD3j5mYYG0UXMGeNnMfrwRdU9nQE3UMRb8aKnq_sep5q-tff0QpLQPi0X/w640-h480/P1080940.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Leh Palace (back view), seen from Shanti Stupa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A_DNNG6HhTCZhXmz5mtN3wW3X_ldNwAwcW82vEGee07A6YWvMannk3YlqgASAfONHef34ISiERsXj1n6yC_jpKmpjVfqLYvbeXqa0IR09PUkxBPi-MjSE22hTSXE4bEmyCLXdF0xltd1/s2048/P1080937.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5A_DNNG6HhTCZhXmz5mtN3wW3X_ldNwAwcW82vEGee07A6YWvMannk3YlqgASAfONHef34ISiERsXj1n6yC_jpKmpjVfqLYvbeXqa0IR09PUkxBPi-MjSE22hTSXE4bEmyCLXdF0xltd1/w640-h480/P1080937.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Namgyal Tsemo, as seen from Shanti Stupa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXxlgDce_2mB0JDafm4qVNZJV7Aa_bDQeGGAOSxYR9JfLMgP-KJJtb_C0FSNWdt_IMm5cmSKluh1PrBL_MXvONoOITUPsbdk4o58FiinB4hhKb4Y0BmBsbSiOx4uOhtZ2hFXtxkWBPc-N/s4233/PANO_20170808_173352.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="743" data-original-width="4233" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyXxlgDce_2mB0JDafm4qVNZJV7Aa_bDQeGGAOSxYR9JfLMgP-KJJtb_C0FSNWdt_IMm5cmSKluh1PrBL_MXvONoOITUPsbdk4o58FiinB4hhKb4Y0BmBsbSiOx4uOhtZ2hFXtxkWBPc-N/w640-h112/PANO_20170808_173352.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Panoramic view of Shanti Stupa</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table></div></div><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>If I
planned a trip to Leh today</i></b>, I would keep so much more time for the palace, the
fort and the monasteries; I would also keep aside time to simply explore the
city, walking along the lanes, looking at the houses. However, at the time I
planned the trip, I was more worried about how I would react to the altitude,
and thus kept activities to a minimum.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Our second
day at Leh</b></i> was dedicated to palaces and monasteries – Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and
Shey. The four of them are special enough to warrant a post to themselves, so
let me move on. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>By the time
we left Shey palace</i></b>, I couldn’t wait to get back to our room, have a hot bath,
and fall into bed. But the day wasn’t over yet. Shankar’s friend arrived, with
friends in tow, and all of us headed to the Sound and Light show at the Zorawar
fort.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuTn6ht5-YIRQRNtrO9l1EjsoXzAKg3bHyGYXol2iak-bWR57yYZcmsswxLav3v8m2jIC_MAP8Y-OLXsFB0mC8ejlCzKHHvNVRbiK-jHbXe0iFXoabmsFxh9HPBYZJc_y55m4h03b8cXZ/s2048/IMG_20170809_202809-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBuTn6ht5-YIRQRNtrO9l1EjsoXzAKg3bHyGYXol2iak-bWR57yYZcmsswxLav3v8m2jIC_MAP8Y-OLXsFB0mC8ejlCzKHHvNVRbiK-jHbXe0iFXoabmsFxh9HPBYZJc_y55m4h03b8cXZ/w640-h640/IMG_20170809_202809-01.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><i><b>Zorawar
Singh</b> </i>was the wazir of the Raja of Jammu, who captured Ladakh and made it
possible for the region to be eventually brought under the Indian Union. At the
Leh palace, we had heard from our guide, the stories of his sack of Leh, of
exiling the king to Stok, and his campaign to Tibet which eventually led to his
death. Ladakhis look on Zorawar Singh as the cruel warrior who de-throned the
rightful king, with help from the Muslims of Kargil, who deserved his death at
the hands of the Tibetans, far from home.</div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>At the fort</b></i>,
we heard the other side of the story – of the brilliant tactician and
commander, who led his forces through the harsh land, to victory, over and over
again. We heard of his quelling the rebellion in Ladakh thrice, of building the
fort as a symbol of his victory. The show specifically mentions Zorawar Singh
building the fort in the style of central and north India, completely unlike
traditional Ladakhi architecture. It reminded me of one of the talks on
monumentality at Jnanapravaha Mumbai, and I realized that this was, in a way, a
means to attain monumentality – by choosing to build in an alien style, to act
as a constant reminder of his victory his presence, to the locals, as a
deterrent to further rebellions. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Once again,</i></b>
this highlighted the importance of hearing a story from both sides. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>And thus
ended our sightseeing of Leh</i></b>. More of its Buddhist monasteries in the next
post. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"> </span><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li><li><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 2: Jispa to Leh</i></a></li></ul></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span lang="EN-US"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 4: Monasteries and Palaces in Leh - Stok, Hemis, Thiksey and Shey</i></span></li></ul><p></p></div>
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-23913979817439006812021-06-28T09:48:00.006+05:302021-07-01T09:31:20.560+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 2 - Jispa to Leh<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i>We made an early start</i></b> from Jispa, at 7 am, after a breakfast of hot, buttered alu parathas, toast, and tea. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5M-uw5MbYaH9gJh6QNTJzoJhzLqyECOD5zFF7ej9uXKOkb9q-2l6bhGXfpZxhB-YeFa2QN191FFZodfSZD_ZqgDtoYGP_a2LtlpiNd0dvBixufO7_UDfF-onUIANXQKHVsJje5LvnTaO/s1620/30f89d2c-30a4-4817-852c-e65ed11f78c7.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgE5M-uw5MbYaH9gJh6QNTJzoJhzLqyECOD5zFF7ej9uXKOkb9q-2l6bhGXfpZxhB-YeFa2QN191FFZodfSZD_ZqgDtoYGP_a2LtlpiNd0dvBixufO7_UDfF-onUIANXQKHVsJje5LvnTaO/w640-h426/30f89d2c-30a4-4817-852c-e65ed11f78c7.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>All signs of habitation</i></b> disappeared by the time we
reached Sarchu, where we crossed into Ladakh from Himachal Pradesh. Today, it
is a Union Territory, but then, this was still part of the state of Jammu and
Kashmir.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbMqtSD5tofXE_TNC36EMTmes5fXPE22usx2jw05WjJGV2OC2eQQirjmcz7RIRrYhcdXtk2SmSut8ykUd8-l-3JnbObBQ8zVeMO0N2Sy_pu0dTGnzulbTG_I2CI22E4ipfBRuf9rsVRIi/s2048/IMG_20170807_072413.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicbMqtSD5tofXE_TNC36EMTmes5fXPE22usx2jw05WjJGV2OC2eQQirjmcz7RIRrYhcdXtk2SmSut8ykUd8-l-3JnbObBQ8zVeMO0N2Sy_pu0dTGnzulbTG_I2CI22E4ipfBRuf9rsVRIi/w640-h398/IMG_20170807_072413.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><b><i>Borders, I
believe</i></b>, are simply lines drawn by man, over land, and geographically, there
are usually few differences on either side of any border. However, here, the
difference was stark. While in Himachal, we could still see scattered
habitations, within Ladakh, we went miles before seeing signs of any, and when
we did, they were usually military, or small shacks built for the convenience
of visitors. The nature of every such settlement was temporary – to be
dismantled with the arrival of winter. Nature itself felt harsher, more primal,
both in the landscape and in the weather.<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK95qXeBHRxiERDFwayftV9XPagNFgMbkKMlhER9ksSMsFKUruKzOe-6dRpTwfBk0DEq5q0n8yUXNTuvnPkun2BV-lTWAA2bm36Ap9Qz-0CSMHL-YGx7L8e-oSuXxFuj3QCZVK3YrmU1Y/s2603/IMG_20170807_074443.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1208" data-original-width="2603" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJK95qXeBHRxiERDFwayftV9XPagNFgMbkKMlhER9ksSMsFKUruKzOe-6dRpTwfBk0DEq5q0n8yUXNTuvnPkun2BV-lTWAA2bm36Ap9Qz-0CSMHL-YGx7L8e-oSuXxFuj3QCZVK3YrmU1Y/w640-h298/IMG_20170807_074443.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We drove
through</i></b> endless roads meandering through the mountains, the landscapes unlike
anything we had seen before. The sense of barrenness was evident everywhere,
not only in the lack of foliage, but in the nature of the mountains, the
dryness of the earth below our feet when we halted for tea. At one such
unplanned halt, we stopped by a hillock which appeared more monument than
mountain. Our driver was unimpressed. He said if we stopped for every such
formation, we would never reach our destination. We did see many more impressive rock formations, but those we saw on our first day entering Ladakh are special, and etched on my memory forever! These monuments created by nature are what make a visit to Ladakh so memorable! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VsXxk_w3Q3-5N3tr_eHbwLAKGx7e7z7WyZAce5HkJCqN9UU5vOIPo_XDnkLLKcyGaDDDKBIVqd19o7p2jdEEmzjD2dvtJeWK_spOzi75VFsPQy6dbwmoiVKIkw5DfRbGKm9RddjKkJyV/s2048/IMG_20170807_084757.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1284" data-original-width="2048" height="402" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9VsXxk_w3Q3-5N3tr_eHbwLAKGx7e7z7WyZAce5HkJCqN9UU5vOIPo_XDnkLLKcyGaDDDKBIVqd19o7p2jdEEmzjD2dvtJeWK_spOzi75VFsPQy6dbwmoiVKIkw5DfRbGKm9RddjKkJyV/w640-h402/IMG_20170807_084757.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoOmzCWlGAx4bzERstvnsDQx5zuKw8JPS6Art39mVHLUOrXWc-3guicWkgJXTNzGygdQEjrqyIL_CRExe_RtdHoLwTQqLj7CJdluDYvPkfANKslcgtk4tUg0xD0DSp_wG5RctLXsUyuhS/s2048/P1080547.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1219" data-original-width="2048" height="380" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWoOmzCWlGAx4bzERstvnsDQx5zuKw8JPS6Art39mVHLUOrXWc-3guicWkgJXTNzGygdQEjrqyIL_CRExe_RtdHoLwTQqLj7CJdluDYvPkfANKslcgtk4tUg0xD0DSp_wG5RctLXsUyuhS/w640-h380/P1080547.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PBdX3NFE4cfe2iNBywdGJih56BKuu8oMtx3lYBaPfMPG4Sr3ZWhjsIXZlJInKV9IBZehQ6fKufi-8rzCqm-pmImjMScTkEKSGXK9MIMfvLzc1gJJoF02-9Kn5HgHVEU_EAt6kXWFWdc2/s2048/P1080564.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1166" data-original-width="2048" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5PBdX3NFE4cfe2iNBywdGJih56BKuu8oMtx3lYBaPfMPG4Sr3ZWhjsIXZlJInKV9IBZehQ6fKufi-8rzCqm-pmImjMScTkEKSGXK9MIMfvLzc1gJJoF02-9Kn5HgHVEU_EAt6kXWFWdc2/w640-h364/P1080564.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWo0UBefeW7LJ28lCmxgSASYR46HAI8VhyxCPtwYmUnQiqHbf_vVJfe8m_U20zx4F-dmgX1ZXIRkdXZBXSSh8fln3Ymmq5wvVBjuqtX80g8f5QcIBB-G6jKrxLSO1utz4XFqdZGSq0HAD/s2453/P1080592.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1139" data-original-width="2453" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUWo0UBefeW7LJ28lCmxgSASYR46HAI8VhyxCPtwYmUnQiqHbf_vVJfe8m_U20zx4F-dmgX1ZXIRkdXZBXSSh8fln3Ymmq5wvVBjuqtX80g8f5QcIBB-G6jKrxLSO1utz4XFqdZGSq0HAD/w640-h298/P1080592.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI-WCXNZatEKaZe7ZbFcyXWVJVWhM88-do27n8yB20MLe5V3g7wCdniTqFul-nZ78lTtvyMMDPXbHBz2EvfingD26AWbgbKC23e5bmig0iuY2EYW0543_Yp5hUd9ufXlyl3KkAmHGV1an/s2048/P1080676.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="2048" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmI-WCXNZatEKaZe7ZbFcyXWVJVWhM88-do27n8yB20MLe5V3g7wCdniTqFul-nZ78lTtvyMMDPXbHBz2EvfingD26AWbgbKC23e5bmig0iuY2EYW0543_Yp5hUd9ufXlyl3KkAmHGV1an/w640-h404/P1080676.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdBl66ujgSs8agcO4N09WjQVXo1qLgTRS_IJqLGyMIY_npFcrX-NuJ99twOCwR9wr01F0k9CIUcOD_geaawbv2HE5bSdA57B6o61drZsfHf2PfDuDZ9Z8Me7kNL3dTrgacjIZhr8nYSV3/s2048/P1080699.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1332" data-original-width="2048" height="416" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdBl66ujgSs8agcO4N09WjQVXo1qLgTRS_IJqLGyMIY_npFcrX-NuJ99twOCwR9wr01F0k9CIUcOD_geaawbv2HE5bSdA57B6o61drZsfHf2PfDuDZ9Z8Me7kNL3dTrgacjIZhr8nYSV3/w640-h416/P1080699.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9F_3ndWUJffali83aKnlbtqnJFf0D-8YpWR_cqN3HO81CBm2dv9xM9FcW4yUN5-2Hwj-9IxfSy7gt5M4Q1t0Ad5oIE5zjQriSy8O1wZ2QEi7-b12N0dccjMvnPfeZaTQUfacQNJOqQ7Y/s2048/P1080702.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1270" data-original-width="2048" height="396" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjy9F_3ndWUJffali83aKnlbtqnJFf0D-8YpWR_cqN3HO81CBm2dv9xM9FcW4yUN5-2Hwj-9IxfSy7gt5M4Q1t0Ad5oIE5zjQriSy8O1wZ2QEi7-b12N0dccjMvnPfeZaTQUfacQNJOqQ7Y/w640-h396/P1080702.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHam-GWtPcWjwUP0RVq7drvgbFK5aT6xW8hK31BoYSi6lZ01Dhw9nj5b3cAavirium7Ekhupk698wRZc1UkywOUIbhaYHtKZVFoKhps-Z66-vKDwwSCN4lgm2t6hzHGwn0eyniKXfiukq/s2048/P1080728.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1587" data-original-width="2048" height="496" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfHam-GWtPcWjwUP0RVq7drvgbFK5aT6xW8hK31BoYSi6lZ01Dhw9nj5b3cAavirium7Ekhupk698wRZc1UkywOUIbhaYHtKZVFoKhps-Z66-vKDwwSCN4lgm2t6hzHGwn0eyniKXfiukq/w640-h496/P1080728.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Lunch that
day</i></b> was at the village of Pang – rice, roti, rajma and tea. There’s something
about eating at such out of the way places. Hunger, fresh air, and simple food
– a combination which adds to the taste. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Bu5yCKXI5zQ9sunvUc-LpGqpSeinHSThp4s4pw6wB69KeUYYluBN_OBk9V_Hzue0f5evXX_Wp0Hfa8LaKjm_tCwuNI26N3gFAH1ymAav3KYMRjZ0JJGLXEzg2_4nM3rf7LOoUTVmZJlm/s2592/IMG_20170807_104039.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9Bu5yCKXI5zQ9sunvUc-LpGqpSeinHSThp4s4pw6wB69KeUYYluBN_OBk9V_Hzue0f5evXX_Wp0Hfa8LaKjm_tCwuNI26N3gFAH1ymAav3KYMRjZ0JJGLXEzg2_4nM3rf7LOoUTVmZJlm/w640-h300/IMG_20170807_104039.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7KFomv9HcZsbSVvbVlEpWmYmnWAUC1D0k4KO3GaKlqXJl4mvkmgqxmCMNyTU3r6BncF8YnHrfDjHe9Id3g8j1umTJjD40Pm97OZUmE17LiRzes3zSsPYTlFKzo0oKL8jNAebGFqi8JSR/s2592/IMG_20170807_105349.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1213" data-original-width="2592" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhk7KFomv9HcZsbSVvbVlEpWmYmnWAUC1D0k4KO3GaKlqXJl4mvkmgqxmCMNyTU3r6BncF8YnHrfDjHe9Id3g8j1umTJjD40Pm97OZUmE17LiRzes3zSsPYTlFKzo0oKL8jNAebGFqi8JSR/w640-h300/IMG_20170807_105349.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>The next stretch</i></b> was unexpected – 40-odd km along
a straight road, across a plateau at around 15,400ft (4,700m) above sea level.
These are the Morey plains, leading towards the pass of Taglang La, at an
elevation of around 17,000ft (around 5300m). The landscape here changed, with
clumps of vegetation scattered around. We spotted a few sheep grazing in the
distance, and learned that the only residents of this plateau are
sheep-herders, who live in tents on the meadow. The wool is used for the famed
pashmina shawls.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdLSwe_LYKfWeqT-iFCcNaHX_Ye23uePxAIYJADK4kBLcj9cjPm3wD0BuBgCo13PukTJOt3Tt3sKoAvmz8apWxM-iAHvysVUsDZy2kufVj2S4_UaQbzlDyDhC5THUNjInbEjDTZXlIrSp/s2048/IMG_20170807_143634.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1057" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivdLSwe_LYKfWeqT-iFCcNaHX_Ye23uePxAIYJADK4kBLcj9cjPm3wD0BuBgCo13PukTJOt3Tt3sKoAvmz8apWxM-iAHvysVUsDZy2kufVj2S4_UaQbzlDyDhC5THUNjInbEjDTZXlIrSp/w640-h330/IMG_20170807_143634.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwacqYDc3cex70RAkcehvaaJYCDiAWaPHMAdGQf-TqlvjzPcEtlenn7fGeCA7Pol4aY0QyueGHtxv_6gxXfB8SLdYH8Fn1c71uZWP8mzS4fRqHh97MuR81oye1X0j1bmi8RpdNxsXHhZUs/s2560/P1080794.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwacqYDc3cex70RAkcehvaaJYCDiAWaPHMAdGQf-TqlvjzPcEtlenn7fGeCA7Pol4aY0QyueGHtxv_6gxXfB8SLdYH8Fn1c71uZWP8mzS4fRqHh97MuR81oye1X0j1bmi8RpdNxsXHhZUs/w640-h480/P1080794.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHnW8IkQ8JhzXHIODaOeQgsFOFIuvTjBiTr-aa6x_apTO14OHHHtaSSueC57SLaxfvWKeX7taM5Cgt7Vau3bXDw5r_reWdjLKfwKDAjexWmGVXUwzh9q7Yhnz2K4I4gLlCoIc-U91tvhp/s3002/PANO_20170807_134820.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1047" data-original-width="3002" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjHnW8IkQ8JhzXHIODaOeQgsFOFIuvTjBiTr-aa6x_apTO14OHHHtaSSueC57SLaxfvWKeX7taM5Cgt7Vau3bXDw5r_reWdjLKfwKDAjexWmGVXUwzh9q7Yhnz2K4I4gLlCoIc-U91tvhp/w640-h224/PANO_20170807_134820.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">A panoramic view of the plateau</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /><b><i>The
landscape</i></b> changed yet again as we crossed Tanglang La. The mountains were the
same, but we were now driving along a river, probably a tributary of the Indus,
and the effect was seen in the fields we spotted now and then, all the way to
Leh. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZbIhKS43cjcSx-76RGcM5m0YsCE5P2qRc3OV4iRwbHH2yCMsMOMjiBrMXJuQkfK4hUC20Gp4AYxXiNYTtz7IZ2iWlEn8yLoVaHqJxv1OmOPfAIpIcsvgnf_VKTpcfhkv6k0NP432CPD7/s2560/P1080765.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1189" data-original-width="2560" height="298" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYZbIhKS43cjcSx-76RGcM5m0YsCE5P2qRc3OV4iRwbHH2yCMsMOMjiBrMXJuQkfK4hUC20Gp4AYxXiNYTtz7IZ2iWlEn8yLoVaHqJxv1OmOPfAIpIcsvgnf_VKTpcfhkv6k0NP432CPD7/w640-h298/P1080765.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M5v6LTsTH3oZniJYx2Eos_zvHuv-x6VK8NGzwOmqSiS5b9nb04uhasXVwtm7veU2TJGtotcUMmPhPlOLN8REg8RKY0fmUu51El9oQdcHGs7qGUuMc0QUsPeOSKnlRppfnS-PWde51GqV/s2048/P1080454.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1059" data-original-width="2048" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0M5v6LTsTH3oZniJYx2Eos_zvHuv-x6VK8NGzwOmqSiS5b9nb04uhasXVwtm7veU2TJGtotcUMmPhPlOLN8REg8RKY0fmUu51El9oQdcHGs7qGUuMc0QUsPeOSKnlRppfnS-PWde51GqV/w640-h330/P1080454.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9CoO3eI67qX3k6qtUGk5OudaNdJv9Z6baOBpLh4IPXYe11LrRa5wKCz5lGxF2JRuT_TJke6UT6WU8e3xg_y_7spgpIseAIT39YMOz9QpItZH1iBlQ_M_Tv4vSNqD_MLBCn1rjt8O2vMj/s2048/IMG_20170807_161255.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1186" data-original-width="2048" height="370" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi9CoO3eI67qX3k6qtUGk5OudaNdJv9Z6baOBpLh4IPXYe11LrRa5wKCz5lGxF2JRuT_TJke6UT6WU8e3xg_y_7spgpIseAIT39YMOz9QpItZH1iBlQ_M_Tv4vSNqD_MLBCn1rjt8O2vMj/w640-h370/IMG_20170807_161255.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEhyYSdf_BlWIUsJGDdkqik55T2o_6ctNC_dxoGxcrTqRsqdDia78dPx0dKrIsDp8cHD0nabo1pSc0NPKqCUroyMzezJOtattUCT3GsCnpglkLBR2CJkNt13aNPVvRyzsNtxsjNcIn_lr/s2048/IMG_20170807_161915_1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1522" data-original-width="2048" height="476" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgEhyYSdf_BlWIUsJGDdkqik55T2o_6ctNC_dxoGxcrTqRsqdDia78dPx0dKrIsDp8cHD0nabo1pSc0NPKqCUroyMzezJOtattUCT3GsCnpglkLBR2CJkNt13aNPVvRyzsNtxsjNcIn_lr/w640-h476/IMG_20170807_161915_1.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><p></p><b><i>We got our
first</i></b> good look at the Indus river as we entered Leh. Crossing a bridge over
the river, we stopped to feast our eyes on the one river that we had waited so
long to see. <o:p></o:p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SyYX_RV7N_UUwshRXBTyM5GAPcbE3HwxSYvRbv_pxqXT27cfhI0QuJ0SXbzoZungtJGLMGUVSA9aMnEk3h0H7iNqwBFgVPp-SVM2sv6gWxg7j5sHjQcKilUQQ-WyHlDpF02tQn3Yf2gX/s2048/IMG_20170807_162444.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1176" data-original-width="2048" height="368" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9SyYX_RV7N_UUwshRXBTyM5GAPcbE3HwxSYvRbv_pxqXT27cfhI0QuJ0SXbzoZungtJGLMGUVSA9aMnEk3h0H7iNqwBFgVPp-SVM2sv6gWxg7j5sHjQcKilUQQ-WyHlDpF02tQn3Yf2gX/w640-h368/IMG_20170807_162444.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>I had heard
and read</i></b> that the Indus is a great river, but that first sight of the river,
against the backdrop of the mighty mountains, is one that I shall treasure
forever. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">We reached
our homestay in Leh around 5:30 in the evening, tired after our long day on the
road. More on the homestay in the next post. For now, let me share some
excerpts from my diary, verbatim, to share some of my learnings and thoughts.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>I’ve gathered, from the conversations that we’ve had with people on the road, that, from Rohtang onwards, including places like Jispa, Sarchu and Pang, tents are set up in May/June as the roads begin to open and are packed up in October, when the roads begin to close. Everything is packed up and sent into storage. Most of the owners are from Manali (within Himachal Pradesh) and from Leh (within J&K). The people managing them come from different parts of Himachal or Ladakh, as the case may be. People from Himachal don’t usually work in Ladakh and vice versa. Also, drivers from Manali usually pick up and drop people only upto Manali. From Manali to Leh, and Leh to Srinagar, Ladakhi drivers are preferred. However, drivers from Ladakh don’t drive within Srinagar, or the rest of Jammu and Kashmir. The manager of our tented resort at Jispa was from Shimla, one of the young boys working there had just come from Nepal, and our driver, Namgyal was originally from Tibet, but settled in Ladakh, and had worked for a while with the army.</blockquote></div><p></p></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Some thoughts – over the last two days, we have covered hundreds of miles. There are army camps at regular intervals along the route, but not very visible. They are small army settlements, for basic services.</blockquote></div><p><i style="text-align: justify;"></i></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>The entire region, from Rohtang, to about 50 km before Leh has no permanent local settlements. All the small villages are either related to the army, provide support to it, and usually pack up once the roads close. The only regulars are the nomads, who anyway don’t settle anywhere permanently. The landscape is gorgeous, the mountains are so different. It is difficult and treacherous terrain, and was inaccessible till just a few years back.</blockquote></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>Going back in history, this land has been fought over. But the land has never really been used by man for anything other than its basic purpose – as land. Nothing has been built here, since nothing would have stood the ravages of the weather. Nothing has been grown here, since nothing grows. This was on the trade route, but only as a road, for people passing by. Wars may have been fought over it, but even that doesn’t seem to have touched the land. This land is wild, still untamed. Was it the inaccessibility or the extreme extent of nature’s vagaries that has kept this land as it is? Is this why there is such a deep sense of peace here?</blockquote></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><blockquote>The arrival of modernity in the form of good roads and airports might change all of this. Yet, despite our constant attempts to domesticate nature, nature still seems to stand her own here, seen in the extreme weather, the difficult terrain, the lack of oxygen, and above all, in her reclaiming her land, every year, year after year.</blockquote></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-1-beginning-manali.html" target="_blank">Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</a></i></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Coming up -</span></i></b></div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/07/ladakh-diaries-part-3-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 3: Leh</a></i></li></ul></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"></a><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-83506697477670045442021-06-25T15:55:00.002+05:302021-06-28T09:51:42.205+05:30Ladakh Diaries Part 1 - The Beginning: Manali to Jispa<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><i>Our journey to Ladakh</i></b> began with a flight to Chandigarh, and a drive to Manali, our first halt. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRjqehfMIBjwPsQdXQFiUgEKkn7KC2VDQlGoKUpkHALBHejxnzhiTs9Nc_4quxIuY4wLYX2nBONbjwlZBjqiqb5yNXIjPkukDR3VA5znUInP8wE5gSGd7ujOt3zgDr6IrlXiRYTng6UDc/s1620/6a2710fb-c762-41f9-872a-1887303f9afb.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaRjqehfMIBjwPsQdXQFiUgEKkn7KC2VDQlGoKUpkHALBHejxnzhiTs9Nc_4quxIuY4wLYX2nBONbjwlZBjqiqb5yNXIjPkukDR3VA5znUInP8wE5gSGd7ujOt3zgDr6IrlXiRYTng6UDc/w640-h426/6a2710fb-c762-41f9-872a-1887303f9afb.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>My earliest diary entries</i></b> are all about what I would like to do, not on
this trip, but on the next! Speaks volumes, doesn’t it, that I would be
planning the next trip, even as I was setting off on one? Right on top of the
list are the Chandigarh Museum, Naggar Castle and the Bijli Mahadev Temple….</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iv4ZbpTc4dRUPK33wFPF-ZjrZIWEWPdaijI4K4HwN8vu3Be0HYuomQttDsoIJbdDtZ7qG9NJa6IM_V_qqzsoEBheDDxQyBe-nGoQJWJjKSgdrGChKFMGqZcFc9o2vR7m4V5d50jooaFB/s2048/IMG_20170805_152148-01.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-Iv4ZbpTc4dRUPK33wFPF-ZjrZIWEWPdaijI4K4HwN8vu3Be0HYuomQttDsoIJbdDtZ7qG9NJa6IM_V_qqzsoEBheDDxQyBe-nGoQJWJjKSgdrGChKFMGqZcFc9o2vR7m4V5d50jooaFB/w640-h398/IMG_20170805_152148-01.jpeg" title="Landscape en route to Manali" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Landscape en route to Manali</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>A light
rain</b></i> accompanied us to Manali, and we reached our destination late in the
evening - the Club Mahindra White Meadows resort. We had a lovely room with a
small backyard, filled with blooming roses. We would have loved to spend more
time relaxing and enjoying the place, but we had other plans for the day, which
began with an unplanned breakfast by the road, in pouring rain! <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZusB7pn3HsRXAyGWn_fV6_CokRKgq7Yb8qfGteWp0VvU_wE4zMf69CtTO56bXHCM8NoZgHQvesTJ6esa_KlbjN7bIEIScLP32pTTaiAvkaSLzxLHSs6XUeaTlfT2nZtVfjBlTcjT2K9X3/s2048/IMG_20170806_074136.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZusB7pn3HsRXAyGWn_fV6_CokRKgq7Yb8qfGteWp0VvU_wE4zMf69CtTO56bXHCM8NoZgHQvesTJ6esa_KlbjN7bIEIScLP32pTTaiAvkaSLzxLHSs6XUeaTlfT2nZtVfjBlTcjT2K9X3/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_074136.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">On the back porch of our room at Club Mahindra White Meadows Resort</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>The rain
reminded us</i></b> of our honeymoon in Kodaikanal, when the mountains were awash with
rain for our entire trip! Everywhere we went, there were clouds and fog, and
mountains and waterfalls disappearing amidst them! Here, at the other end of
the country, it was the same, yet different. The mountains here were more
rugged, softened now and then by the green grass and bursts of wildflowers
which added a spot of colour. At one point, as we rounded a curve, the fog parted to reveal a flock of vultures, by the roadside. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad3kZCmMI1Sxphlnk87WHm1PbczT2kM2_8Z8g-uqU_8epytKStjkGTpCRGQ0bt_Kgsqcu43-xCwpxxaapgrpR97Y8AxtaK_1EHNg-f-ZLxpDmWp401SnHzS2XBhQrnJNekOLGWbhXi-rU/s2048/IMG_20170806_105346.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjad3kZCmMI1Sxphlnk87WHm1PbczT2kM2_8Z8g-uqU_8epytKStjkGTpCRGQ0bt_Kgsqcu43-xCwpxxaapgrpR97Y8AxtaK_1EHNg-f-ZLxpDmWp401SnHzS2XBhQrnJNekOLGWbhXi-rU/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_105346.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Fog, clouds, rain and wet roads...</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEUAcSVvFylHCfSppYn9ZzhzDUcobAWZ-UG08J9OuH-hXgDx5Jm-YVhnGgwh9xDLCodpgwudo23qFgRepL3Bum8TBbf4ZmJRYGUtAbEnoJ_icrDJwNt2OWThn0vDpXW9wPfQFrk30RMio/s2048/IMG_20170806_105609.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXEUAcSVvFylHCfSppYn9ZzhzDUcobAWZ-UG08J9OuH-hXgDx5Jm-YVhnGgwh9xDLCodpgwudo23qFgRepL3Bum8TBbf4ZmJRYGUtAbEnoJ_icrDJwNt2OWThn0vDpXW9wPfQFrk30RMio/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_105609.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>Wildflowers by the road</i></span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VNkNLXMR2brQgZzjOBPp-8wvbGqfMoh6Gy_rP2OJPdQS9kHbgAyi0vRANrMM60koEE5wanfaiWCbSPjc_3Qa-6RG_CPyKsUOGJosoN86Qvj80Amq0DQbsIJLSKcT35mWOLS2b5ibWZZI/s2048/P1080208.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6VNkNLXMR2brQgZzjOBPp-8wvbGqfMoh6Gy_rP2OJPdQS9kHbgAyi0vRANrMM60koEE5wanfaiWCbSPjc_3Qa-6RG_CPyKsUOGJosoN86Qvj80Amq0DQbsIJLSKcT35mWOLS2b5ibWZZI/w640-h480/P1080208.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">More wildflowers</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;">a<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ee1OapCS_xm-BqwKPIoBD0TiHCghZ0N9XfgL0oDz2K-wPDn-3-3mUrd2LkgmISQn1X9IgAgqFenvqUfFdHb2WivF1c_PTx1IMhouPlRWMiXMcYsm4yBeDXt83TBW8YfL6_v20QGPK5ay/s2048/P1080159.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1Ee1OapCS_xm-BqwKPIoBD0TiHCghZ0N9XfgL0oDz2K-wPDn-3-3mUrd2LkgmISQn1X9IgAgqFenvqUfFdHb2WivF1c_PTx1IMhouPlRWMiXMcYsm4yBeDXt83TBW8YfL6_v20QGPK5ay/w640-h480/P1080159.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Vulture</span></i>!</td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>Once we
crossed the Rohtang pass</b></i>, the weather began to change. The skies were a clear
blue, the clouds fluffy white. We spotted small shrines along the roadside,
rocks, bricks and pebbles stacked up to create smaller shrines around them.
Driving by the Chenab at our side, we passed small villages, with fields of
potatoes, cauliflower and peas (or so we were told). <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ERiF_IwNdvY4B5pQGkCZP8BqTsNoXRainoCzKDTIe-nGZkymEsvz9cBPC98GuDYTNMQmwCojuOYG_RdofowNB9jcZOTkv5dzmddCdAKjnQYZ4I7-ikjoMG8QA3lGeOCPIGKwY_z1Eua/s2048/IMG_20170806_111019.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig5ERiF_IwNdvY4B5pQGkCZP8BqTsNoXRainoCzKDTIe-nGZkymEsvz9cBPC98GuDYTNMQmwCojuOYG_RdofowNB9jcZOTkv5dzmddCdAKjnQYZ4I7-ikjoMG8QA3lGeOCPIGKwY_z1Eua/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_111019.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgocTa9u-EZ2icfqK0TSCzL0Zg2vGk7_HuH8JHo50D_E5rFvWlKJMh8GmlELKHEf60OYwPUysgNSEP9nmggREyUB7MU73WLj4qhOzVjRhqFcnD1YYXjolfJxWPVdeM_jdi0I30nmc9GaD/s2048/P1080197.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1274" data-original-width="2048" height="398" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqgocTa9u-EZ2icfqK0TSCzL0Zg2vGk7_HuH8JHo50D_E5rFvWlKJMh8GmlELKHEf60OYwPUysgNSEP9nmggREyUB7MU73WLj4qhOzVjRhqFcnD1YYXjolfJxWPVdeM_jdi0I30nmc9GaD/w640-h398/P1080197.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5TpPzwl__vqMLHzH3dyNVYJLF51YrWbnpLu_vVBpKan1rI2sd9TlxISbOeHc_27y9joy281HQRGwQwEWTz4jNklCst8rCzt4tKepD7bCDPkzjgJ4zJUoenoxszDja22Wutb-ct1EC6gW/s2560/P1080180.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5TpPzwl__vqMLHzH3dyNVYJLF51YrWbnpLu_vVBpKan1rI2sd9TlxISbOeHc_27y9joy281HQRGwQwEWTz4jNklCst8rCzt4tKepD7bCDPkzjgJ4zJUoenoxszDja22Wutb-ct1EC6gW/w640-h480/P1080180.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kzNFno9YUeMFH0sKOS9Nki_JMkocvnPk3U9hIsHnddjkbEbW5DltTvn5mvPjcKYsPvzKp_IuoRrn_EK1xQgYEsp2hio6jyIRH-7-F7kGFXcIQpn_oVrpKGQSAlXSXkxk1NXLGNe0Jzem/s2048/P1080240.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1194" data-original-width="2048" height="374" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9kzNFno9YUeMFH0sKOS9Nki_JMkocvnPk3U9hIsHnddjkbEbW5DltTvn5mvPjcKYsPvzKp_IuoRrn_EK1xQgYEsp2hio6jyIRH-7-F7kGFXcIQpn_oVrpKGQSAlXSXkxk1NXLGNe0Jzem/w640-h374/P1080240.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="font-style: italic; text-align: left;"><b>At Tandi</b>,</i><span style="text-align: left;">
</span><span style="text-align: left;">we saw the Bhaga river join the Chenab (also called the Chandra). The river
flows on as the Chenab, but is locally called Chandrabhaga. It struck me how
names repeat themselves all over the country…. The more famous Chandrabhaga is
the river that flows at Pandharpur. Technically, it is the Bhima, but the
crescent shape formed by the river as she turns, gives her the name Chandrabhaga.</span></p><p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GVb0Tp2N8FRm6krEmb4wsvM7FRwZGTjbG8TCgFmcfsctd4QJEsv-BZyL6aL2zH91Zz7KprYit5sc1-bivKIPDW0Atj74t2L_e1iZt31AWCI9lKmwji1RWhQ6RfdSUDl9Xj-MaoyfPNdZ/s2048/IMG_20170806_125840.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1240" data-original-width="2048" height="388" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9GVb0Tp2N8FRm6krEmb4wsvM7FRwZGTjbG8TCgFmcfsctd4QJEsv-BZyL6aL2zH91Zz7KprYit5sc1-bivKIPDW0Atj74t2L_e1iZt31AWCI9lKmwji1RWhQ6RfdSUDl9Xj-MaoyfPNdZ/w640-h388/IMG_20170806_125840.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The confluence of the Chenab and the Bhaga</span></i></td></tr></tbody></table><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>As we
travelled further</i></b>, the sense of moving away from civilization grew stronger,
and I began to understand why this route is much loved by those who love to
drive. I don’t, but I could feel the attraction begin… <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oHLRuzWWZ4Zl23kherfb9Hz2BWghZIcfyFi-yYC555m0BbfB3sgVeVXxdnmdxoliWZrIfEIt7qoHsGRWYSGKbqzQb6Gz7SP_aht2klCa-nwByYplL7lfMubM4KVSV_ZUJbnyXmrp5lp0/s2048/IMG_20170806_132541.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1145" data-original-width="2048" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0oHLRuzWWZ4Zl23kherfb9Hz2BWghZIcfyFi-yYC555m0BbfB3sgVeVXxdnmdxoliWZrIfEIt7qoHsGRWYSGKbqzQb6Gz7SP_aht2klCa-nwByYplL7lfMubM4KVSV_ZUJbnyXmrp5lp0/w640-h358/IMG_20170806_132541.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_QjvyOD3EQ98MYdqWshMAJlJgXfPqKe3mBWnTQwntlLL7JmzER2IpcQQmVy0pOwkICmDYsEO4RQA2TzNbthwuPE4Xdc9rq1Q8yr4WHtm8XgfMGn5p6WhYwdpLJL6vZ5MMmF6wntd1WBu/s2048/IMG_20170806_133605.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiV_QjvyOD3EQ98MYdqWshMAJlJgXfPqKe3mBWnTQwntlLL7JmzER2IpcQQmVy0pOwkICmDYsEO4RQA2TzNbthwuPE4Xdc9rq1Q8yr4WHtm8XgfMGn5p6WhYwdpLJL6vZ5MMmF6wntd1WBu/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_133605.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1lTqwVd9yNoRU1AiTqL9kCXUe_qjG5kqUhbRpORDmZ2MArp7gCZfqLg7mCTm1KCnd4SX-26S13FjfIsYg32zJmD6vhK5VjWGhg0vn79K2a-jTFhLYhoCGJYnXh3pRc1845ugWyF5wXq/s2048/IMG_20170806_135845.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkY1lTqwVd9yNoRU1AiTqL9kCXUe_qjG5kqUhbRpORDmZ2MArp7gCZfqLg7mCTm1KCnd4SX-26S13FjfIsYg32zJmD6vhK5VjWGhg0vn79K2a-jTFhLYhoCGJYnXh3pRc1845ugWyF5wXq/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_135845.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPwQMIWZz4YxhovkRP5MLWW-VPmxHsWENEDoagLQVRURXy-N0TW5Qb4GRkrjQ0UcWO4Y1XUpkWf8iYgII4zn6GoMn2izSfaJsttSWAw58aYHzGeyyfTX9Xia4ywO07TV3n61bCR-23bf8/s2048/P1080267.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1088" data-original-width="2048" height="340" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvPwQMIWZz4YxhovkRP5MLWW-VPmxHsWENEDoagLQVRURXy-N0TW5Qb4GRkrjQ0UcWO4Y1XUpkWf8iYgII4zn6GoMn2izSfaJsttSWAw58aYHzGeyyfTX9Xia4ywO07TV3n61bCR-23bf8/w640-h340/P1080267.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNm-5MxEEOC_hYf7GHlYK6O09wpEt4JE6t2rNYhptut6EEhQUQ7YeUR7j_wLwu9UtZ-5B-yFW7T1wG_qnq5Ao4yjANNeh1a5ISqXoiKCPQ0XZXRauu_hTuyxVoTLfV0CfpO-hZPEb1vD6/s2048/P1080325.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPNm-5MxEEOC_hYf7GHlYK6O09wpEt4JE6t2rNYhptut6EEhQUQ7YeUR7j_wLwu9UtZ-5B-yFW7T1wG_qnq5Ao4yjANNeh1a5ISqXoiKCPQ0XZXRauu_hTuyxVoTLfV0CfpO-hZPEb1vD6/w640-h480/P1080325.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>On the
banks of the Bhaga river</i></b> is the village of Jispa. A little away from the
village was a tented resort, which was our destination for the day. This was
one of the many such temporary resorts which pop up during the season, and was
right on the banks of the river. Shankar and I were the only residents that
night, so we had the whole place to ourselves.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FpJ10pf-kMIyRjthlRdEwpA4ahFIPrK5hW5daE0A-q0fxKHlbOpVPUNC7QCfa5ydim_0wljpPq8BMIZuNCECAGZI6fWmP9lTLHxl2so8pu9Rnu_JGLKnk6DPrPbERNjveoWGavPBhwfi/s2046/P1080345.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1435" data-original-width="2046" height="448" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5FpJ10pf-kMIyRjthlRdEwpA4ahFIPrK5hW5daE0A-q0fxKHlbOpVPUNC7QCfa5ydim_0wljpPq8BMIZuNCECAGZI6fWmP9lTLHxl2so8pu9Rnu_JGLKnk6DPrPbERNjveoWGavPBhwfi/w640-h448/P1080345.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi-1wpLFufs9EVPz8owD1lHbER_NDyPSrUbi9n_PkCSJ_MyZ0W_FIZbib7ICMp8uyeWove7rWS5YEzTtNGrv0GJ2_KjjzH3U-_ZGrJcY2lBggAQsUfwBec4Fmmqv4VxrCCPV15ICwWWyE/s2560/P1080373.JPG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1920" data-original-width="2560" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvi-1wpLFufs9EVPz8owD1lHbER_NDyPSrUbi9n_PkCSJ_MyZ0W_FIZbib7ICMp8uyeWove7rWS5YEzTtNGrv0GJ2_KjjzH3U-_ZGrJcY2lBggAQsUfwBec4Fmmqv4VxrCCPV15ICwWWyE/w640-h480/P1080373.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We reached
the resort</i></b> in the afternoon</span>, so, after a quick lunch, we elected to spend the
rest of the day on the banks of the Bhaga.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYDVABp2qU1AEI3PPxoR_0LqhiAeUvLz3KRh79lX-1fyoTpHdfCWLYetF3N85cz4CozZ5zjrBlKm56aZOCuyCURNPpPNd0xLTDp3NkePHtk50sOgEjHgLiF5l-nhmACKaxOvFCyYM1-4u/s2048/IMG_20170806_174201.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZYDVABp2qU1AEI3PPxoR_0LqhiAeUvLz3KRh79lX-1fyoTpHdfCWLYetF3N85cz4CozZ5zjrBlKm56aZOCuyCURNPpPNd0xLTDp3NkePHtk50sOgEjHgLiF5l-nhmACKaxOvFCyYM1-4u/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_174201.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgGRGKfAUd2QFNYrT8W4Xy_xySi_5HMx-CE9jVmKFB4-ax3mLrFmJngCnloiF4suEc02RZiyTDcesrVg67vW5xCiMlAvKLHEi0Rm3xCUDl_UsdC1bAriGcqevGyXDnKNepGy9VzKnyi4A/s2048/IMG_20170806_174505.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1260" data-original-width="2048" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYgGRGKfAUd2QFNYrT8W4Xy_xySi_5HMx-CE9jVmKFB4-ax3mLrFmJngCnloiF4suEc02RZiyTDcesrVg67vW5xCiMlAvKLHEi0Rm3xCUDl_UsdC1bAriGcqevGyXDnKNepGy9VzKnyi4A/w640-h394/IMG_20170806_174505.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVsAebt6cqiCAiWAkaDI0NSym0fe9iXi1yxqVI5y25w-NXTK-TrC0Q6j1ZgBGMcMH5dFdFILMaduZBDOo2ivBOh57N914lHiWUGT0EVbPi5fyZ_Yf_hIEDoNk5tiD8gchfQHdZDNwyL7t/s2048/IMG_20170806_175704.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1536" data-original-width="2048" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWVsAebt6cqiCAiWAkaDI0NSym0fe9iXi1yxqVI5y25w-NXTK-TrC0Q6j1ZgBGMcMH5dFdFILMaduZBDOo2ivBOh57N914lHiWUGT0EVbPi5fyZ_Yf_hIEDoNk5tiD8gchfQHdZDNwyL7t/w640-h480/IMG_20170806_175704.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>More than
two decades ago,</b></i> I made my first trip to the upper reaches of the Ganga –
Badri, Kedar et al. I was then in school, and it was my first such trip. The
river Alakananda made a strong impression on me then, because of the way she
flowed, her current strong, her roar drowning out the rest of the crowd we were
with. She was so much more impressive than the Ganga herself! <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><i><b>As we sat
by the Bhaga</b></i>, all those memories came sailing by.. the river muddy, heavy with
silt, almost freezing, yet in full flow… see the video and listen to the sound
of the river. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='382' height='317' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dykQ5LaYM87z60TgjgpF0XMaMY4vkcbU3XQUhdII9HnrU9JVDgwXca_o0KjVjdvsyqy43YCsYNnSYV4-zuhvQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>We sat by
the river</i></b> for more than 4 hours.... a record for us, who can never sit still..
and watched the sun set somewhere beyond the mountains, the light slowly moving
over the peaks, lighting each one up in turn. <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><i>Only when
it was dark</i></b> did we get back to the camp, for a solitary campfire and dinner,
turning in early to prepare for the day ahead. <o:p></o:p></span></p><div><b><i><span style="color: #660000;">Earlier posts in series -</span></i></b></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/introducing-ladakh-diaries.html" target="_blank">Introducing the Ladakh Diaries</a></i></li></ul></div></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Next Post -</i></b></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><ul><li><i><a href="https://www.awanderingmind.in/2021/06/ladakh-diaries-part-2-jispa-to-leh.html">Ladakh Diaries Part 2 - Jispa to Leh</a></i></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0px;" /></a>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-32671597178308880152021-06-24T10:21:00.002+05:302021-06-24T10:21:20.725+05:30Introducing the Ladakh Diaries<div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"><b></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>4 years ago</i></b>, Shankar and I went on a trip to Ladakh and Srinagar. It was a special
trip… Samhith was off in Germany, attending a German language summer camp, and
the two of us were travelling by ourselves the first time in almost 13 years!
We had been planning the trip for months, and the choice of destination wasn’t
our first, or our second, or even our tenth! We had first planned an
international trip, and selected and rejected destinations galore. Eventually,
I realized I wasn’t getting excited about any of them, and that is when we
decided that we would visit the part of our country we had never visited –
Ladakh. After all, the timing was perfect… the roads would be open, the weather
wouldn’t be too harsh, and we had almost 2 weeks, enough to get a glimpse of
the region we had only seen photographs of. And so it was that in the first
week of August, 2017, the two of us set off on one of our most memorable trips,
ever.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-weU361vWw7EU5GdzE-5JPbODUbEC0c9WX0Ss-lJ4OcDih-6Sjh_qge3_o7_DvafuWqH5NaS_KRIJjmTK2qVjexMXXOC_Ost9iaG17PplOuPRzBV-Okr75Q1dRaMoO8E2bXuvnB3N51i6/s1620/Collage+2021-06-02+15_52_40.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1620" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-weU361vWw7EU5GdzE-5JPbODUbEC0c9WX0Ss-lJ4OcDih-6Sjh_qge3_o7_DvafuWqH5NaS_KRIJjmTK2qVjexMXXOC_Ost9iaG17PplOuPRzBV-Okr75Q1dRaMoO8E2bXuvnB3N51i6/w640-h427/Collage+2021-06-02+15_52_40.jpg" width="640" /></a></b></span></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US">I had
intended to write about this trip immediately after returning. However, that
did not quite work out as I had planned. For a variety of reasons, I took a
break from blogging. It was meant only to be a short break, but re-starting to
blog turned out to be harder than I imagined, and the short break grew longer,
and longer. And Ladakh never got written about.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-US"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='403' height='335' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dyca5DaTcfYjmZ9ARiHBlHUckmCwqZuW7C_scCR6sMx1-cDS46MRB_17aKkqVtoPtHzazeDa6kqs7qI58SSKw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div><span lang="EN-US"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><i>I had,
however, </i></b>maintained a diary during the entire trip, and the farther we got from
mobile network and internet, the more I scribbled in it. On our return, the
diary was relegated to the book shelf, and all but forgotten. And then, we
shifted to a new house, and all thoughts of blogging, or the diary were
relegated to the farthest recesses of my brain. A few weeks back, I stumbled
upon the diary while (as usual) searching for something else, and it brought up
memories…. Not only of the trip, but also of memories from the time I started
my blog. I used to keep a diary then too, where I wrote about the trips we went
on, and my earliest posts were little more than the jottings in my little diary.
It sparked a desire to see if I could do it again, and so, I am making an
effort once again, to revive the blog, with memories of my Ladakh trip, from my
diary and my photographs.</div><o:p></o:p></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US">Join me, on
my journey, once again….. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #660000;"><b><i>Coming up -</i></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><i>Ladakh Diaries Part 1: The Beginning - Manali to Jispa</i></p></div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: right;"><a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px;" /></a></div>Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-66922504904357094612018-01-09T12:46:00.002+05:302018-01-09T14:48:01.929+05:30Bhedaghat - Home of the 81 Yoginis<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">The Narmada flows down the mountains</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, carving out a path for herself as she makes her way down to the
plains of Central India. She cascades from the rocks, her fine spray making it
appear as if billows of smoke (dhuan) arise from the flowing streams of water
(dhaar), giving it the name Dhuandhar.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/dD1egxqVhsPY1sIVboK5ovm45zQEGnjvNwRmcd9LMf6EwhFm3gnfb5QnA_hGx-sjRb7IWTRm23vIdR4KsczGKtUGUfdqWHqDcXQWnmCTbJj_m_2NeEL7qNohu90nxUROauQOV8K8V4Rarmx5sqVdxgXcAsNLEZ28GB3YPRr6mI4iFkBGDkqgoX2U4xvM0baXiL5KT9hE6Mb0dZo6s0QS96_NQ6cnTiD6zLU80GaU5I0RFDZIPZctXKmhl8lAndRyhJOnVq4GJIEgHZqwD6kqBWI_SRoLWoGSBXc_VdOv7QGTIu6R33_V_Je6NBV7pe0AEj24KRSjRnZAdFCJqb9zogbetGl8c_Zp8w9XmAFVw93aGEUlzPIK9PRNV2pEZjLPnmg3iIOPyAmBSF0LrqnnCfgxov_szzoxY1HlwkxFFa_lSYivIgfK3Cu7ifxGhxncXPyPmMDhH_0XQvpwFBKVu1UmyLlG-8srfeW4KDeWdOJIyMmvvugaHIJuCkFxNVj7lZDsjRP75CXyB0OvJ2iGxC46tu6WyExJsb37hoJta81OYiBONzT7D8rknz7oPTTYRe-ZRLXc6kXy7xx0V5RQhJOECcDP4Av_Gsj3tfI=w1026-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1025" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/dD1egxqVhsPY1sIVboK5ovm45zQEGnjvNwRmcd9LMf6EwhFm3gnfb5QnA_hGx-sjRb7IWTRm23vIdR4KsczGKtUGUfdqWHqDcXQWnmCTbJj_m_2NeEL7qNohu90nxUROauQOV8K8V4Rarmx5sqVdxgXcAsNLEZ28GB3YPRr6mI4iFkBGDkqgoX2U4xvM0baXiL5KT9hE6Mb0dZo6s0QS96_NQ6cnTiD6zLU80GaU5I0RFDZIPZctXKmhl8lAndRyhJOnVq4GJIEgHZqwD6kqBWI_SRoLWoGSBXc_VdOv7QGTIu6R33_V_Je6NBV7pe0AEj24KRSjRnZAdFCJqb9zogbetGl8c_Zp8w9XmAFVw93aGEUlzPIK9PRNV2pEZjLPnmg3iIOPyAmBSF0LrqnnCfgxov_szzoxY1HlwkxFFa_lSYivIgfK3Cu7ifxGhxncXPyPmMDhH_0XQvpwFBKVu1UmyLlG-8srfeW4KDeWdOJIyMmvvugaHIJuCkFxNVj7lZDsjRP75CXyB0OvJ2iGxC46tu6WyExJsb37hoJta81OYiBONzT7D8rknz7oPTTYRe-ZRLXc6kXy7xx0V5RQhJOECcDP4Av_Gsj3tfI=w1026-h769-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Dhuandhar Falls</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">The force of her flow creates a gorge</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, smoothening and carving out the rocks into fantastic shapes, the
pure white of the rocks standing starkly against the shades of the water. It is
a joy to cruise down the river in a boat, seeing the natural contours created
by the river, now famous as the Marble Rocks. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">We are at Bhedaghat,</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> located on the banks of the Narmada near Jabalpur, where thousands
of visitors turn up to see these natural landscapes, creations of the sacred
Narmada, and pay obeisance to her. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/o7ftRUS8j9B-9stt_fDNakR-2IuTqez2ErOFmPEjH44tA4eiUaeMcKALMFlEXHpOvXlpbZ3SsnF0We_bJ7BC6ZW5eCojJ2RVD9snxiLihXryLqD_8AWd0qbFVE-bN3wr_03WdCTJA2td5VQDjyDXTcjM9dyMCsVt3hUswUq8wbRuagmkoQgh5RdUuHP5PVAPS-vMzn68FhT3dpuPmPX_9C4NbszY04qZsy5-8a4kUm_gASrxxhbTDWV6koqve9V0NzRFF2g8g_6EoxQ5yvq8kdMNY9PLzeQXY_zoLJQXaFsjd4_07VnD5YnTWs6ZDwVqydVJ9L7sOaW4McMTILLsC2QweTl-6IjvLsC-5k0LRVppjI6r0z2X5ceRRCzkGj5NO76v59SYehKEesdnHdEIog6Xy8J46qO6ixdibFkciA3JmEaGiJS03A08YgV1cgksdYG5qqUfU87qQw9aprJGCunQ3vUo_J2eDzmhL5v4rZCXfVuNZ7KMRqfZPfiHBo-FCZK9k1yMZqUngSh1VdjM9Zqv9H57TFUA6V5oyqI-djwTAijrhpN4ofBduf0xG4E-6xbYgd-JL-HLv5dvUDyrslHOB4KPbrzBmDSieEw=w834-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="833" height="590" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/o7ftRUS8j9B-9stt_fDNakR-2IuTqez2ErOFmPEjH44tA4eiUaeMcKALMFlEXHpOvXlpbZ3SsnF0We_bJ7BC6ZW5eCojJ2RVD9snxiLihXryLqD_8AWd0qbFVE-bN3wr_03WdCTJA2td5VQDjyDXTcjM9dyMCsVt3hUswUq8wbRuagmkoQgh5RdUuHP5PVAPS-vMzn68FhT3dpuPmPX_9C4NbszY04qZsy5-8a4kUm_gASrxxhbTDWV6koqve9V0NzRFF2g8g_6EoxQ5yvq8kdMNY9PLzeQXY_zoLJQXaFsjd4_07VnD5YnTWs6ZDwVqydVJ9L7sOaW4McMTILLsC2QweTl-6IjvLsC-5k0LRVppjI6r0z2X5ceRRCzkGj5NO76v59SYehKEesdnHdEIog6Xy8J46qO6ixdibFkciA3JmEaGiJS03A08YgV1cgksdYG5qqUfU87qQw9aprJGCunQ3vUo_J2eDzmhL5v4rZCXfVuNZ7KMRqfZPfiHBo-FCZK9k1yMZqUngSh1VdjM9Zqv9H57TFUA6V5oyqI-djwTAijrhpN4ofBduf0xG4E-6xbYgd-JL-HLv5dvUDyrslHOB4KPbrzBmDSieEw=w834-h769-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/085DYdTe3QCWG1ozSnA9v1IO6AypEt1BXSzaN9kPZSJNpQ2HV5C_IkKE5tk5_TSjbtDNYHPc9wlzpQnXdbQsu7zgU-lTEc9iLJx9MY2b5CvQ0el9kPJfVFC7IPD30DyFBbbFCqFA2lEZcE27X2ZiQhOFI8EQ1MOn6zwgwVzrqE9mdBB090RuM2GyFLQkqxn2WvnHqpZC_IOkUQtWy1OdPLMZJf3rw7pKhrwRqI-96iXIq3ZiitBzWm9FLetdUuHyik-hyY3oarX-Au5nArcyfEO_ah-ryAZWSE3d4jQfRxCvkjhOF1fyFZ8xn12XbzFs2TaggbhBQ9hp-hV38oGpXGKk6UBnNX4QdQzlOpDwf0LF56RLc93132BPD3iII9edYnOHBR9htzinVtf2M6Q-_aN8e_uHE6FzLLXlg_YN3ynsufZkyI3TZfHjEWJ67ZUs-oECv1lbDUL9L4F6CsfA7wn6O4p7tbUkO1h_sGfvno6QtMJWs1m9pU_LBKXwEPHi1hEuk2xDumyr_pNw6z0CJGpWMkb_Duraon3btqwFc04538umKeh92v5-yBiX_iVQ1COSyOQs0UdfG_fdpWXZOW-5ZM9BO5kQUgWLS1M=w577-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/085DYdTe3QCWG1ozSnA9v1IO6AypEt1BXSzaN9kPZSJNpQ2HV5C_IkKE5tk5_TSjbtDNYHPc9wlzpQnXdbQsu7zgU-lTEc9iLJx9MY2b5CvQ0el9kPJfVFC7IPD30DyFBbbFCqFA2lEZcE27X2ZiQhOFI8EQ1MOn6zwgwVzrqE9mdBB090RuM2GyFLQkqxn2WvnHqpZC_IOkUQtWy1OdPLMZJf3rw7pKhrwRqI-96iXIq3ZiitBzWm9FLetdUuHyik-hyY3oarX-Au5nArcyfEO_ah-ryAZWSE3d4jQfRxCvkjhOF1fyFZ8xn12XbzFs2TaggbhBQ9hp-hV38oGpXGKk6UBnNX4QdQzlOpDwf0LF56RLc93132BPD3iII9edYnOHBR9htzinVtf2M6Q-_aN8e_uHE6FzLLXlg_YN3ynsufZkyI3TZfHjEWJ67ZUs-oECv1lbDUL9L4F6CsfA7wn6O4p7tbUkO1h_sGfvno6QtMJWs1m9pU_LBKXwEPHi1hEuk2xDumyr_pNw6z0CJGpWMkb_Duraon3btqwFc04538umKeh92v5-yBiX_iVQ1COSyOQs0UdfG_fdpWXZOW-5ZM9BO5kQUgWLS1M=w577-h769-no" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">However, to me,</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> the most interesting thing about Bhedaghat, isn’t the falls or the
rocks, or even the river. What makes Bhedaghat special is the Chausath Yogini
Temple, which is situated atop a small hillock on the riverbank. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/OZy7ojzTs_R-VKbt_kRMMtQkVT3PFAkW7LA7gQMWof_iFQfcflO5lgiruJQGDuq6untFK2tbTvQiAHB1wOWIR1TL7xp5OZY1Gt8DlYKzfnluswG_Ef-lPbx0KIDw3lJcpByetYXlyZHC7g9nQh3Dy4FTIF29LOZ-qoiaZMooupvPjlUdMx-CmtJDhgPUsuKZKfUt2pU3Pxy58ejcRmjRbEpOo4vFgvOYxItvP2LLDu1NYwtuUsGnUugX3N1qLLo8QGJR79P6aWfTZoHiRnuhGeNmCck4TR8ojgr5jB9hxgTpzYRLnCS0J0jLBIm4tOncFAm31P79moDX35IQxOGKtTbEgNHDUslX2azJqj1E0RXK-pSTvjbWco6TeE7uSV0sVSeugjtpd826SA-_RqNV3BrQsXDDXHPvJ1khlmjkMU4-KtSNOHIijxjJwM0fVKAAuU4Qk7IFyq32rlhCZ4pTGh2x8DjEL_rzqkaWjbyLlzrdyo_1L5yVIJd3s3dZTDb9XFAduG49FN38kSizPPpSKjLssF0G7lkjeHy4rrmBMC2P4fnnuRTr_uTy8YPWzLLwhKLMAQ0-gUP9pnco06ydbr1N4Dkf1WA0m6Qdlts=w1026-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1025" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/OZy7ojzTs_R-VKbt_kRMMtQkVT3PFAkW7LA7gQMWof_iFQfcflO5lgiruJQGDuq6untFK2tbTvQiAHB1wOWIR1TL7xp5OZY1Gt8DlYKzfnluswG_Ef-lPbx0KIDw3lJcpByetYXlyZHC7g9nQh3Dy4FTIF29LOZ-qoiaZMooupvPjlUdMx-CmtJDhgPUsuKZKfUt2pU3Pxy58ejcRmjRbEpOo4vFgvOYxItvP2LLDu1NYwtuUsGnUugX3N1qLLo8QGJR79P6aWfTZoHiRnuhGeNmCck4TR8ojgr5jB9hxgTpzYRLnCS0J0jLBIm4tOncFAm31P79moDX35IQxOGKtTbEgNHDUslX2azJqj1E0RXK-pSTvjbWco6TeE7uSV0sVSeugjtpd826SA-_RqNV3BrQsXDDXHPvJ1khlmjkMU4-KtSNOHIijxjJwM0fVKAAuU4Qk7IFyq32rlhCZ4pTGh2x8DjEL_rzqkaWjbyLlzrdyo_1L5yVIJd3s3dZTDb9XFAduG49FN38kSizPPpSKjLssF0G7lkjeHy4rrmBMC2P4fnnuRTr_uTy8YPWzLLwhKLMAQ0-gUP9pnco06ydbr1N4Dkf1WA0m6Qdlts=w1026-h769-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">The Yoginis are a group of goddesses</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, thought to be originally village goddesses or spirits, worshipped
for specific purposes. These goddesses were elevated and consolidated into
groups of 64 (sometimes even 81 or 42), by Tantrism, which gave them new form
and vigor, as a group of goddesses who could bestow magical powers on their
worshippers. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/uAcH-hlKIJB1Kq45-J00j_PlXYzHQCaf1yzcfPNROAT2lW-JtFzCXJlyrxuXKS7IRSHBhe3pptOwTunOfwtEQHZjoFiVVskPGnIcQ8xTdt1bi6yEfWp6Qkh5RexHg-dYWiIK9eAU_qI6S-RwcjldxzNh-W267JKBOM5tIGPbPv4kr7IHSiSVt2ST-1TGSuCr8V8aX9q_pdncbCRSH0d2zXt9UruoTDeYX-TbCgwitDPaKd77A-FVyjsCvpVek3WpSAAfC-r5tyPXTG6gdJlAUwIPlGHS1hOcXLC53sq9vwIOb9FiSEDZvPs0FCVk6TR-i_tH_MvI3BAmfucs8Y822LFm5ERt3vY8SehmxjV8X6oGZI5-UJBFD_t4ngcstwEzJ3nDkISqEFy2z97aGfGXXFOVrqzQtaH3DR-AvnC9dR9Zx7xP-eDwY1sJHKY0zzJYjbUM4a1O6uHT5ViuE3oO2KofwjL9fIK_WYrTmw4B-l3_rp8mcTSPLK8tB_ZSs6ves7ruAPNse8MjwcCP7OSbXdCR5R_1azTPKUxepRaxO1oboj--tk4lY5thOXX5FfTNNoBvB1bGeidyl3lqygQ8Z2OHzyjN__Pa5_uSn7w=w577-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/uAcH-hlKIJB1Kq45-J00j_PlXYzHQCaf1yzcfPNROAT2lW-JtFzCXJlyrxuXKS7IRSHBhe3pptOwTunOfwtEQHZjoFiVVskPGnIcQ8xTdt1bi6yEfWp6Qkh5RexHg-dYWiIK9eAU_qI6S-RwcjldxzNh-W267JKBOM5tIGPbPv4kr7IHSiSVt2ST-1TGSuCr8V8aX9q_pdncbCRSH0d2zXt9UruoTDeYX-TbCgwitDPaKd77A-FVyjsCvpVek3WpSAAfC-r5tyPXTG6gdJlAUwIPlGHS1hOcXLC53sq9vwIOb9FiSEDZvPs0FCVk6TR-i_tH_MvI3BAmfucs8Y822LFm5ERt3vY8SehmxjV8X6oGZI5-UJBFD_t4ngcstwEzJ3nDkISqEFy2z97aGfGXXFOVrqzQtaH3DR-AvnC9dR9Zx7xP-eDwY1sJHKY0zzJYjbUM4a1O6uHT5ViuE3oO2KofwjL9fIK_WYrTmw4B-l3_rp8mcTSPLK8tB_ZSs6ves7ruAPNse8MjwcCP7OSbXdCR5R_1azTPKUxepRaxO1oboj--tk4lY5thOXX5FfTNNoBvB1bGeidyl3lqygQ8Z2OHzyjN__Pa5_uSn7w=w577-h769-no" width="480" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">The temple at Bhedaghat</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> is circular, and open to the skies, as are most Yogini shrines. It
is located atop the hillock in such a way that it isn’t even visible, either
from the river, or from the base of the hill. You have to climb up the steps to
even get a look. Of course, in earlier times, there would have been a clear
line of sight as we approach, and we might have caught a glimpse of the temple
as we did at <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2016/08/around-gwalior-chausath-yogini-temple.html">Mitawali</a>,
but that is simply speculation. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/t8RpJ0PmHyvKzjSLkt-To5x2k6IVpJ9mT0_yXbICHmogxf08BxPdgo_DgyjbwHk2h3StCPkXdV7-3Iz37R-uLHJYDRI4h1m50kDb-a-G_EH5TXW7IQTGAMZvBwkXLXKSFQISNCnBjawhm5SHIn-oZlakbCjFBaL4bMSWGpn86BZbPGaxSIv6t5MtP-WXPuBgjY7jcG3X3QDqg4DH03NdIyRg2Dw0ReEV27lbs79VtXjXFwt4wh-4rj1H-oSTyC5n2qD51vhzvOuXtLAO4yyImnoOM7AYkIbPMVCf-n4l-i3pGHyIXNNlTGfGGSdFRLaWPTgyllRCb2Nc-5xw7-0ewbagAQuh-eWS0Cbc0h4ZbjPaIevtYYhh5MfL_t4Dl3o5dv7e0G8QxVn2nyixGWUwM6qV7K2Xu5t5on_Fi09Sj2mCS_jVjKXs7OrtqAewYF9fM5pJeQgWgDTPfAmzNy620uiRD5WmwZlaB1vI8HypSzxDWqGGYZ11H_b5fib0ddA3brMIWH933kl81SkguBvaIrlccWFzDLtMZCcxQMRvvZiLtcmIFHTMuiPPq4w_XxYHSJdWt34Hpq4F2J0DBgMF_XwTmK2WeAyOeoE2gjs=w1026-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1025" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/t8RpJ0PmHyvKzjSLkt-To5x2k6IVpJ9mT0_yXbICHmogxf08BxPdgo_DgyjbwHk2h3StCPkXdV7-3Iz37R-uLHJYDRI4h1m50kDb-a-G_EH5TXW7IQTGAMZvBwkXLXKSFQISNCnBjawhm5SHIn-oZlakbCjFBaL4bMSWGpn86BZbPGaxSIv6t5MtP-WXPuBgjY7jcG3X3QDqg4DH03NdIyRg2Dw0ReEV27lbs79VtXjXFwt4wh-4rj1H-oSTyC5n2qD51vhzvOuXtLAO4yyImnoOM7AYkIbPMVCf-n4l-i3pGHyIXNNlTGfGGSdFRLaWPTgyllRCb2Nc-5xw7-0ewbagAQuh-eWS0Cbc0h4ZbjPaIevtYYhh5MfL_t4Dl3o5dv7e0G8QxVn2nyixGWUwM6qV7K2Xu5t5on_Fi09Sj2mCS_jVjKXs7OrtqAewYF9fM5pJeQgWgDTPfAmzNy620uiRD5WmwZlaB1vI8HypSzxDWqGGYZ11H_b5fib0ddA3brMIWH933kl81SkguBvaIrlccWFzDLtMZCcxQMRvvZiLtcmIFHTMuiPPq4w_XxYHSJdWt34Hpq4F2J0DBgMF_XwTmK2WeAyOeoE2gjs=w1026-h769-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Very interestingly</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, there are 81 niches holding images of the Yoginis here. Therefore,
technically, this isn’t a Chausath (64) Yogini temple, but an 81-Yogini Temple.
According to Dr. Vidya Dehejia, who has done extensive research on Yogini
temples, the grouping of 81 Yoginis was specially intended for royalty, and she
suggests that the temple was built by one of the Kalachuri Monarchs in the last
quarter of the 10<sup>th</sup> century, to establish dynastic stability. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Among the Yogini temples</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> that we know of, this one at Bhedaghat is the largest, with a
diameter of 125 feet. The circular structure is open to the skies, as with all
Yogini temples, though the pillared colonnade which forms the circular shrine
is covered to preserve the deities from the elements. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/GL4E2499t0oTnTr-4JDyn-ecLXH_Sx5rEOlKhAyUJbAvnAvX4vy1Uz4qcewhBkou092Zjt4dmTrWFP2czj0RLkHc7AIc3GMST70CK7TcZLf0UZcmOwO8y9E-I_y-zjWRY2rmj__qGPD9Vivup8IiNF8IbhzRnyox5Hy9Rj3SWCAks0vlWiCArwDYLIwgl5v4YHtWE7iUGylnF7kSKAKYGgKz9uPyvko0Np4sTOuq47oaTpiXLuDK6G2HsgOkuCtoBs1n11cYmsu_TXpf4Z50oiXXTxA10NSKBbb9jykY5Ha4kOa7X6c0HcxEVAJ5oTeZWnZVkF1HD9VPNxjb7CRPU2_bV9FmgtDpo6clMpO_0cKrjtAq6MDx8-MxHLlC_ILS2R-ArR72hCwIHMis6Wxbs6z-86uJ3vHaC5k8wWq4GTp5Eibhj68HaLAYQoqb-02uUpsVwvzN0XEvUqxiSd3ozcZdI2uRiujDd7Cxnn5u0JoH0LXMGYeU3APRKrC3uBKBV79_BNpN1fhUxXIhxWADKKu7T1uuoBE6NhfcNMu2QSXUMCRrvaLTZm2_nwCqIALt3z5ySgmFW0rAnPBPWbFT76eOzyVoBTBCCb8MoKs=w855-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="854" height="576" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/GL4E2499t0oTnTr-4JDyn-ecLXH_Sx5rEOlKhAyUJbAvnAvX4vy1Uz4qcewhBkou092Zjt4dmTrWFP2czj0RLkHc7AIc3GMST70CK7TcZLf0UZcmOwO8y9E-I_y-zjWRY2rmj__qGPD9Vivup8IiNF8IbhzRnyox5Hy9Rj3SWCAks0vlWiCArwDYLIwgl5v4YHtWE7iUGylnF7kSKAKYGgKz9uPyvko0Np4sTOuq47oaTpiXLuDK6G2HsgOkuCtoBs1n11cYmsu_TXpf4Z50oiXXTxA10NSKBbb9jykY5Ha4kOa7X6c0HcxEVAJ5oTeZWnZVkF1HD9VPNxjb7CRPU2_bV9FmgtDpo6clMpO_0cKrjtAq6MDx8-MxHLlC_ILS2R-ArR72hCwIHMis6Wxbs6z-86uJ3vHaC5k8wWq4GTp5Eibhj68HaLAYQoqb-02uUpsVwvzN0XEvUqxiSd3ozcZdI2uRiujDd7Cxnn5u0JoH0LXMGYeU3APRKrC3uBKBV79_BNpN1fhUxXIhxWADKKu7T1uuoBE6NhfcNMu2QSXUMCRrvaLTZm2_nwCqIALt3z5ySgmFW0rAnPBPWbFT76eOzyVoBTBCCb8MoKs=w855-h769-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US"> <b><i>Originally,
there would</i></b> have been a shrine, right at the centre of this structure,
with an image of Bhairava. Today, there is no sign of this shrine, but a temple
to Shiva as Gauri Shankar stands here, slightly off centre. This temple is
believed to have been built about two centuries after the original Yogini
shrine. In the sanctum stands an exquisite image of Uma-Maheshwara, or Shiva
and Parvati seated together in an embrace. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/ErhfNxZ_16Onq47k7u9PyboCeFO0hSHYFlmBUuCCWT2DMVCZObAcUbYRXojmQwghDhwYcW5Ti98phQ8UXJSYKvZ8TBEwIKt9I0a76N_ZAfdCkh8uYfdwIcuqrPATJ-cmf4Z5-lzncM-3iAGHtfLM9U-0-mQRJdkfLtyIH1wvrk6paYiBbukXzblXYVG3-Ical9wESx82iQP-CBhfdbWaq-6OudFR0FepOqKcp9La5owWwPJZj-ggmpcKZOASteGbO6OTdSdWHHST3QfAfQry982YjNwyOOnhggdluVxJv7bB-NudI5cKuz_IpR6RD-MiYtpwkEl0nqZ1kigh7ul5gI9yu5KmMlGW4hAWQgJD6m8e2am9ancCogLUastHTFLV3crZUbVfaw-XKyQ_y3K3nn657SdUbrxaRSp9-NQQjyoSRX0YI1AIM4ImaYgl42F5cq5hEODpbveleN22P3tCGAAxVbyBXpKX4cbgFvRzqUcVY8vtTqfOKYSAYB93KtQfX6kGoS8WqvtF5RFHX3J3mG59P8qKunV6ho5CQ4PLVdW9vRG7lzEv1asLcWX3W5UJV3EzRygK-S-YrpC9FldRszizMpzpHhIiAhGpzAA=w1084-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="1083" height="454" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/ErhfNxZ_16Onq47k7u9PyboCeFO0hSHYFlmBUuCCWT2DMVCZObAcUbYRXojmQwghDhwYcW5Ti98phQ8UXJSYKvZ8TBEwIKt9I0a76N_ZAfdCkh8uYfdwIcuqrPATJ-cmf4Z5-lzncM-3iAGHtfLM9U-0-mQRJdkfLtyIH1wvrk6paYiBbukXzblXYVG3-Ical9wESx82iQP-CBhfdbWaq-6OudFR0FepOqKcp9La5owWwPJZj-ggmpcKZOASteGbO6OTdSdWHHST3QfAfQry982YjNwyOOnhggdluVxJv7bB-NudI5cKuz_IpR6RD-MiYtpwkEl0nqZ1kigh7ul5gI9yu5KmMlGW4hAWQgJD6m8e2am9ancCogLUastHTFLV3crZUbVfaw-XKyQ_y3K3nn657SdUbrxaRSp9-NQQjyoSRX0YI1AIM4ImaYgl42F5cq5hEODpbveleN22P3tCGAAxVbyBXpKX4cbgFvRzqUcVY8vtTqfOKYSAYB93KtQfX6kGoS8WqvtF5RFHX3J3mG59P8qKunV6ho5CQ4PLVdW9vRG7lzEv1asLcWX3W5UJV3EzRygK-S-YrpC9FldRszizMpzpHhIiAhGpzAA=w1084-h769-no" width="640" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">The Yoginis of Bhedaghat</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> are slightly over life sized, and are shown seated. Dr. Vidya
Dehejia’s description of these Yoginis in her book is worth repeating here….<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: justify;">
<i><span lang="EN-US">“Bhedaghat’s Yoginis are mature,
voluptuous beauties, generously endowed with ample hips and heavy…breasts, that
make us realize the poetic descriptions of the beauty of Parvati, burdened by
the weight of her breasts. Bereft of an upper garment, the Yoginis are
ornamented with multiple strands of necklaces and garlands, and they wear a
variety of armlets, bracelets and earrings. Slung low on their wide hips, is a
jeweled girdle from which is suspended a transparent skirt that reaches down to
their ankles. Often, its presence is indicated merely by a line above their
jeweled anklets, while at other times, the designs of the fabric or its folds
are in evidence. Each yogini has a halo indicating her divinity, and all of
them have multiple arms (between four and eighteen), reinforcing their divine
status. Their unsmiling countenance adds to their air of quiet dignity and
majesty.”</span></i></blockquote>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/vYVK-RFmupEtZxvtyCy4TZUsojfMg3GqxzR6Wl3-RIHBB4mWjAnGPXUI42v7TlGpRndK2_uJUWD-7xPDi4-JT7MNRt5Sip-UH_y3OjG5HfVHpMIsa2vP29ctvqo6sKZk2bBiGpcGZja0ifCrjc3dnInLszJSZGBSkonW6xLw7nPDVJrDIGRhTP_KUcCSqUetxq6SSGhefYdfRHcu_R42Zzj_Q0NT2Z_9pzNSJ6jq-S8Qpi9ZahJgIkz5Q1dnypJr3s50s2C9YH7xb-xKTocBVpcjng-sg9CpbKRvpP5_lOB9OLzHp_MXrNEq2r2urfjqo2Eiz9QhSyWeNqboMcLXhpCn-OMBq2zB4Luugac3F_azWcstzQxBZ54S5AWLJ3_U1knLqsPmfwnJeiYxiJwE883ZLE_El9nCsrxVuYpCnI9BIaEkpa2iPhuw2FuC4z5nXvpaQq0zbpLsDA_2nTA7zzHk--nrzyh3634hzaUtzaH_4wvl2X6mYfJxEpvhPmfCph4ksjRXs8EbID4bPssovsv4MZvyZjZPQ4-qd2Aii6R5dFCH8G2fSDgggKQQph3zTGxhv9Qr69uDBewOGYnVTuvMTkYpou_XxAtjwkc=w536-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="535" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/vYVK-RFmupEtZxvtyCy4TZUsojfMg3GqxzR6Wl3-RIHBB4mWjAnGPXUI42v7TlGpRndK2_uJUWD-7xPDi4-JT7MNRt5Sip-UH_y3OjG5HfVHpMIsa2vP29ctvqo6sKZk2bBiGpcGZja0ifCrjc3dnInLszJSZGBSkonW6xLw7nPDVJrDIGRhTP_KUcCSqUetxq6SSGhefYdfRHcu_R42Zzj_Q0NT2Z_9pzNSJ6jq-S8Qpi9ZahJgIkz5Q1dnypJr3s50s2C9YH7xb-xKTocBVpcjng-sg9CpbKRvpP5_lOB9OLzHp_MXrNEq2r2urfjqo2Eiz9QhSyWeNqboMcLXhpCn-OMBq2zB4Luugac3F_azWcstzQxBZ54S5AWLJ3_U1knLqsPmfwnJeiYxiJwE883ZLE_El9nCsrxVuYpCnI9BIaEkpa2iPhuw2FuC4z5nXvpaQq0zbpLsDA_2nTA7zzHk--nrzyh3634hzaUtzaH_4wvl2X6mYfJxEpvhPmfCph4ksjRXs8EbID4bPssovsv4MZvyZjZPQ4-qd2Aii6R5dFCH8G2fSDgggKQQph3zTGxhv9Qr69uDBewOGYnVTuvMTkYpou_XxAtjwkc=w536-h769-no" width="444" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Thakini</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Among the 81 images</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> which once adorned this temple, many are missing. Some images from
an earlier temple here, including a set of Matrikas, as well as some from the
original central shrine, such as Ganesha, have been placed in some of the
niches. In all, according to the count provided by the ASI at the site, there
are about 95 images here. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/atLGkx8Fw0CIzHBpvetwBxVzydOLQUn1ryeDaDjQX-GiYRWvpsJ0VydwEKOvwRwusHTcSkGo1buIJ_oZXg3v372L6IHG4qL5JHA4QGx204fqq0cLufSwg7qNEL2f-qQ8mgVUTpbFXemzagXgSjR16ilGzn_DSeCOescVY9PkDKNoCVYXvLakG6aKk7MzprgTuA0XC6tqbvSe3oIMcMgfq6jj6dRRfa2T_aIbogUqTS_NxF6Nn1Yaju6JWIAIoyCr_3gvzqQCEMKaIS46wUMJ2dUpDwE9g_8I4kzMUag4WwmQ0BvQL61816jEOv6TdhPY5uWobXlu_d__Kp5fAOd-ABIaxY0NTQ-yRv2iC3bq0jl2mVD8ByjA-dSyV9fQyXuzq81VnwIKUeBtGGfY4tY3RX3m0aE90ivCD3OFsVNW0ZWSL_Khk0ylEqFLESlb1I5kvhvek1EISY_pWLuGSP6xiusC2j66oyI_LQzLUte0jOrfN-TQkvTlQF41rTybd9SAxoHGPTb_oYHSXQrBz_Y_6MX9vEMl7ED4D5M_Xc4FKAzT95MQcC0NOxYla1iLQq3Pf8Lnq8_vUPhzYuZqQdCPVusOgdkOGtG0JvsSp6U=w577-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/atLGkx8Fw0CIzHBpvetwBxVzydOLQUn1ryeDaDjQX-GiYRWvpsJ0VydwEKOvwRwusHTcSkGo1buIJ_oZXg3v372L6IHG4qL5JHA4QGx204fqq0cLufSwg7qNEL2f-qQ8mgVUTpbFXemzagXgSjR16ilGzn_DSeCOescVY9PkDKNoCVYXvLakG6aKk7MzprgTuA0XC6tqbvSe3oIMcMgfq6jj6dRRfa2T_aIbogUqTS_NxF6Nn1Yaju6JWIAIoyCr_3gvzqQCEMKaIS46wUMJ2dUpDwE9g_8I4kzMUag4WwmQ0BvQL61816jEOv6TdhPY5uWobXlu_d__Kp5fAOd-ABIaxY0NTQ-yRv2iC3bq0jl2mVD8ByjA-dSyV9fQyXuzq81VnwIKUeBtGGfY4tY3RX3m0aE90ivCD3OFsVNW0ZWSL_Khk0ylEqFLESlb1I5kvhvek1EISY_pWLuGSP6xiusC2j66oyI_LQzLUte0jOrfN-TQkvTlQF41rTybd9SAxoHGPTb_oYHSXQrBz_Y_6MX9vEMl7ED4D5M_Xc4FKAzT95MQcC0NOxYla1iLQq3Pf8Lnq8_vUPhzYuZqQdCPVusOgdkOGtG0JvsSp6U=w577-h769-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vaishnavi</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Among the original images</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, most are broken, beyond recognition, and only a few are intact
enough for clear identification. Despite all this, what remains is impressive
enough to give us an idea of just how stately and imposing the images must have
been. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/BPUY1T57jHR1I67tLId1Ipb-7iAUsFvWKJXvi5-x9ZtJPvSiDxIO8L4F04s-rrDjZdxd3YrknfnhPoWt72vIAe36rTsf-yKPF15i16l7dbvUrCmWwAAm8BoM9JtcOG1weTfi1uTh29UBmSQX9bxHr41PO_EPKiI8rkQcOm_1pRflIrODHknjg7E3utzqOLXxJs2HSoOqBQUA2-6Yw5kK6Y9ud3QPCyvIIJeB9iOuEidQmNd3sk_LDvon62UxU-MjLfEaoazW4ZQcGY5uWXEbycLF2LGpnlQDjzNw0cIaMTJUwpkalMATyXfhwONrsbExvjoU5y014MWK2nsrgo9TyIKcaUtcN4cQfNuGAO7SBs7ivm5yzeXMxPQy8DTt9Nki3W6Wxf7ErPaT8F-1e2p_CRt4mLyb8e4H_mDelDIZE82QKpIB5G_VI82Oan03bnyg20qYbi2aYVyOtLz72Qn7nqbKDV6IV2-mq8jhZzdq3FSB09MwRwiAciPS4X5oe5UWuBTXuriiDwU3jvbGaNienhjBXModU-jPAX7bspQDFwZ-kJLejh1nSBXeT4eAXVtKjD_29u_vlHaQ9gz4MUCTxsxiO5y8kEuSWoayfWE=w577-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="577" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/BPUY1T57jHR1I67tLId1Ipb-7iAUsFvWKJXvi5-x9ZtJPvSiDxIO8L4F04s-rrDjZdxd3YrknfnhPoWt72vIAe36rTsf-yKPF15i16l7dbvUrCmWwAAm8BoM9JtcOG1weTfi1uTh29UBmSQX9bxHr41PO_EPKiI8rkQcOm_1pRflIrODHknjg7E3utzqOLXxJs2HSoOqBQUA2-6Yw5kK6Y9ud3QPCyvIIJeB9iOuEidQmNd3sk_LDvon62UxU-MjLfEaoazW4ZQcGY5uWXEbycLF2LGpnlQDjzNw0cIaMTJUwpkalMATyXfhwONrsbExvjoU5y014MWK2nsrgo9TyIKcaUtcN4cQfNuGAO7SBs7ivm5yzeXMxPQy8DTt9Nki3W6Wxf7ErPaT8F-1e2p_CRt4mLyb8e4H_mDelDIZE82QKpIB5G_VI82Oan03bnyg20qYbi2aYVyOtLz72Qn7nqbKDV6IV2-mq8jhZzdq3FSB09MwRwiAciPS4X5oe5UWuBTXuriiDwU3jvbGaNienhjBXModU-jPAX7bspQDFwZ-kJLejh1nSBXeT4eAXVtKjD_29u_vlHaQ9gz4MUCTxsxiO5y8kEuSWoayfWE=w577-h769-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Kshatradharmini</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">It is interesting to note</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> the symbolism attached to each Yogini, not just through her face/
figure or attributes, but even the seat she sits on, the animal/bird seen as
her vehicle, and the figures which surround her. We can go on and on talking of
each such detail, but that will make this post interminable. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/y22-SZIP5t56Wp7WfOLUilPG-r52iV76fW6hUp3VgXBCAnP-xEnn2rAW9_ot4wyzwKD8-V0k9U0KQ__Zdv3J3QIVhHmTKsfJtAqUNg34Q4PoGjeYF-oIy-qKnku6Nsq4FD9mQ95nxMmmMvoAOvbw_kiB6HL1CLZ5asftNcU7Tb7Qs_3AhZJFx_5DLGHKXPCSEnnGgP1DApDfwL9HKIy2L7el_qbqVpeKBP5u9gFCQR-4Hew9F_CmHnmcX-JMZQ53fRv0nVW79a4jS67XJbTUku36UHTFcsSSmyd4znEihoSI1kPI07ppxFj_D1Pi3WInJMqwMGfrXjLVz96zXslCQSwsQjJdmKUu1oYFAGgxbVQBb7LscO7ybSrsfE0voZ9l4OjT3ZWwSnnH2gvO5ocPDk-WPdsr9dyqCv04v3oDBQwtm_ocSN6zuO9bIGlHG2WCzDxb_tUnHh2QjlNSjBBsAjmyPgTeVQFgjHYJl9MteMI8fW_pV42JkurHVDWow2IuBNXF36BpG5xtf7dETlyXUWNpT_MVOlWRvjomfuSfWTQQilruPxw4XaB3BWwFQc9JtzdAUUDxdwxPDVJi9nAhJw1hue4_cQYbpF8Rk8M=w619-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="618" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/y22-SZIP5t56Wp7WfOLUilPG-r52iV76fW6hUp3VgXBCAnP-xEnn2rAW9_ot4wyzwKD8-V0k9U0KQ__Zdv3J3QIVhHmTKsfJtAqUNg34Q4PoGjeYF-oIy-qKnku6Nsq4FD9mQ95nxMmmMvoAOvbw_kiB6HL1CLZ5asftNcU7Tb7Qs_3AhZJFx_5DLGHKXPCSEnnGgP1DApDfwL9HKIy2L7el_qbqVpeKBP5u9gFCQR-4Hew9F_CmHnmcX-JMZQ53fRv0nVW79a4jS67XJbTUku36UHTFcsSSmyd4znEihoSI1kPI07ppxFj_D1Pi3WInJMqwMGfrXjLVz96zXslCQSwsQjJdmKUu1oYFAGgxbVQBb7LscO7ybSrsfE0voZ9l4OjT3ZWwSnnH2gvO5ocPDk-WPdsr9dyqCv04v3oDBQwtm_ocSN6zuO9bIGlHG2WCzDxb_tUnHh2QjlNSjBBsAjmyPgTeVQFgjHYJl9MteMI8fW_pV42JkurHVDWow2IuBNXF36BpG5xtf7dETlyXUWNpT_MVOlWRvjomfuSfWTQQilruPxw4XaB3BWwFQc9JtzdAUUDxdwxPDVJi9nAhJw1hue4_cQYbpF8Rk8M=w619-h769-no" width="514" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Rushini, thought by some to be a form of the river Narmada</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Look closer at these images</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> of some of the notable Yoginis here, and see what details you can
notice, despite their condition…<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/DfzYEEumnRd97mDXCAdzMfM1ODbarmw8AMFd6Y_wPvfJTVPr0aUDygsTTe84q2dB-5R6MY1qTgr7ozjFxlhhUXoAm1-vsmDUdzCo7ctU3PJYP4r5RDhmhZQydfhrfzx8n_YDTdU-IT49eRrfrGegjRzdHyTwsM31u6fXgTBSf9Hj-GrW0hVcWDxJLOzbNX_p3y-D0aGZ8rppMsArTygAEisUlCqrA-h5qhOrUCrvK6qHUAR-noqZT-WVbTcYujLiuOxPqxIQZAgZTr3Nb8XqJHfD3eIQVIhatKfSsk27aC4vZ2TpxGAAzl6py0THaqehjJzctKMDA8NvOjyZo_ye2rOkHT5kRH_pIVBeHEXVEZC_olAwKhbsRGMTIRsfmVi1d_e0epgiENp74rQpDU5uW5_PeUj_krpbbCyLW-y65rsjalZuIOnjRiB5CABbxAwMc2hgl37Htl9OQMtJdOzAM2GIH1YDoSZwYPPttDVE0Na4f0TghCgmK2EZI_gv3TAk0sjRWIsDdlilGAW89PYMuNUPQpuCdDPipnNY18o-tDZrWUoVy9eIFyH0J2YPCPWowLhdv01eUQ1P0CXEfJNpqrvmdjjwPWiqHwDUMIM=w548-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="546" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/DfzYEEumnRd97mDXCAdzMfM1ODbarmw8AMFd6Y_wPvfJTVPr0aUDygsTTe84q2dB-5R6MY1qTgr7ozjFxlhhUXoAm1-vsmDUdzCo7ctU3PJYP4r5RDhmhZQydfhrfzx8n_YDTdU-IT49eRrfrGegjRzdHyTwsM31u6fXgTBSf9Hj-GrW0hVcWDxJLOzbNX_p3y-D0aGZ8rppMsArTygAEisUlCqrA-h5qhOrUCrvK6qHUAR-noqZT-WVbTcYujLiuOxPqxIQZAgZTr3Nb8XqJHfD3eIQVIhatKfSsk27aC4vZ2TpxGAAzl6py0THaqehjJzctKMDA8NvOjyZo_ye2rOkHT5kRH_pIVBeHEXVEZC_olAwKhbsRGMTIRsfmVi1d_e0epgiENp74rQpDU5uW5_PeUj_krpbbCyLW-y65rsjalZuIOnjRiB5CABbxAwMc2hgl37Htl9OQMtJdOzAM2GIH1YDoSZwYPPttDVE0Na4f0TghCgmK2EZI_gv3TAk0sjRWIsDdlilGAW89PYMuNUPQpuCdDPipnNY18o-tDZrWUoVy9eIFyH0J2YPCPWowLhdv01eUQ1P0CXEfJNpqrvmdjjwPWiqHwDUMIM=w548-h769-no" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div style="font-size: medium; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><i>Erudi<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/uAIPbezNs778Ne0QEa4cO5KiQ9Od2M9X3FF2MYJPuat-FFwQXpOeaSjmSOOJEYij8bT4E95qDszxN_2IpccAyE_KrhOntyvQHrEDWAgMZ2PJq_9y_6dvSvIXll8MGc5hq_a87Hwq2HpIxzLMsXPSbyWsCLnJGUogdVUvUqcP4hd0zwhpPX69tQpj3fcpHdAsjVyhhahHLxMLNsQZmkbJkQAlmAlVw1Ai7BA0WiBqRmuDMn8Tr5M7liVdBDVaw8iGkafrEhNcBEaAtZDNUAbdo1KkKSKXtdhutEFjcqjRst-6Chj7i59mqS9lClRAAHI8bbpei5NaPYb_VsBpAUGrKH12Kt17GJhdTop1spE2x7Uk94Q_Hurd4kLB0drUnqbgzsM5D3sKymI-yAntIURID34bgRhvLgBwSq25T2YBSYpkiFzjolOvN8idY9oSsYeS8fj0yEe1NHAadyhG6sdX2wUElNkRuNJar5SYLZsDK77P3lryvBHyLEVQqvQeNyPOjiGPswjLEk4L2xYv9R_EQj__Npr2QjgLMMBWCg0TNoapXc6nI3PX8CmUmILs6uB7_QBJvC3qC9NXIdekMyqYKSAI0FZ9-Sdt6vfR2OA=w606-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="606" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/uAIPbezNs778Ne0QEa4cO5KiQ9Od2M9X3FF2MYJPuat-FFwQXpOeaSjmSOOJEYij8bT4E95qDszxN_2IpccAyE_KrhOntyvQHrEDWAgMZ2PJq_9y_6dvSvIXll8MGc5hq_a87Hwq2HpIxzLMsXPSbyWsCLnJGUogdVUvUqcP4hd0zwhpPX69tQpj3fcpHdAsjVyhhahHLxMLNsQZmkbJkQAlmAlVw1Ai7BA0WiBqRmuDMn8Tr5M7liVdBDVaw8iGkafrEhNcBEaAtZDNUAbdo1KkKSKXtdhutEFjcqjRst-6Chj7i59mqS9lClRAAHI8bbpei5NaPYb_VsBpAUGrKH12Kt17GJhdTop1spE2x7Uk94Q_Hurd4kLB0drUnqbgzsM5D3sKymI-yAntIURID34bgRhvLgBwSq25T2YBSYpkiFzjolOvN8idY9oSsYeS8fj0yEe1NHAadyhG6sdX2wUElNkRuNJar5SYLZsDK77P3lryvBHyLEVQqvQeNyPOjiGPswjLEk4L2xYv9R_EQj__Npr2QjgLMMBWCg0TNoapXc6nI3PX8CmUmILs6uB7_QBJvC3qC9NXIdekMyqYKSAI0FZ9-Sdt6vfR2OA=w606-h769-no" width="504" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>Sarvatomukhi - with faces in all directions</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Rdf7o4-Xi8jEpJPo3E0t2vZ_nyN_qc6chjzONv9irTYrbJzLbDHonsxmbaUVjcqEDeJyz5dSduqByd2EpglD3kQFsdbngTwT-IDsgQX5SVXAg7ldMytY7zuFH9ND6k-YSmt_AFPWG90zmkeLSFWmSKi4HNScYjkXYj3ss4V1muzC6j0kKl1OALXO5ntkp9ptDWE7iJuujCmzDC4O-yF996aTfpKhI5YoS_qaQU4sITKWDJprDti7Fo9M7NXxelCmX50Z24VOBsXbhB1h-_iRRmX9pKrLfzKN_9yZ-U81qbQhSKejRwCHPk9Flb1iKal9gVPQmonzUrSRJoSVzng7fDlXwQL4TxmbK7xoX_L_hzSPLZD_mCXl-mioyE1QioPlT3roi0tEsP01BZMhRpU9k8drAAbNRYD9JqQaaS7C7JNifoCsmrNvtvsph-SQGsERoe5brRXJ48N4aK-8-IyKwMsgGBmLGB0NqlLtmVUH6BNXsKdzIEl6IcB1HCotBatbKJAxrxLEYmtLM4MACVbEZp7f-h-GEs-RjFDqJ3LSuqjJ3WMvZ-0dcw2xXuEkG-heSMmBaAgAxNrRmDxMvL5eOBV9gVAHwX9aiFt86QM=w637-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="636" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Rdf7o4-Xi8jEpJPo3E0t2vZ_nyN_qc6chjzONv9irTYrbJzLbDHonsxmbaUVjcqEDeJyz5dSduqByd2EpglD3kQFsdbngTwT-IDsgQX5SVXAg7ldMytY7zuFH9ND6k-YSmt_AFPWG90zmkeLSFWmSKi4HNScYjkXYj3ss4V1muzC6j0kKl1OALXO5ntkp9ptDWE7iJuujCmzDC4O-yF996aTfpKhI5YoS_qaQU4sITKWDJprDti7Fo9M7NXxelCmX50Z24VOBsXbhB1h-_iRRmX9pKrLfzKN_9yZ-U81qbQhSKejRwCHPk9Flb1iKal9gVPQmonzUrSRJoSVzng7fDlXwQL4TxmbK7xoX_L_hzSPLZD_mCXl-mioyE1QioPlT3roi0tEsP01BZMhRpU9k8drAAbNRYD9JqQaaS7C7JNifoCsmrNvtvsph-SQGsERoe5brRXJ48N4aK-8-IyKwMsgGBmLGB0NqlLtmVUH6BNXsKdzIEl6IcB1HCotBatbKJAxrxLEYmtLM4MACVbEZp7f-h-GEs-RjFDqJ3LSuqjJ3WMvZ-0dcw2xXuEkG-heSMmBaAgAxNrRmDxMvL5eOBV9gVAHwX9aiFt86QM=w637-h769-no" width="528" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>Aingini</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/okzCawWDR6zVpKzBAh6QP3o9gD0rVCAZu1URBYORUmM4kFBMfK598YJT8nx-EkOfWVRR7-yweAxPomNA5yOJa0OkIhRVofdODrwUEJqLTLVH0sc2SDt9lnqXTGYZ77SX_bNlf3OKFbWcmCbt8fRFkdMmvZL4gPURB-xag5Ln3x-ifaVvqwrq5KU3EfBHljOqgXxVyS6Gagl3R6HY-leGqXrF7LzNEize4-D-hwOgmgWS7g3S-DypPaACLLvC-N3qDTB3inQReMnn5-PbsriYntIQcmtx8b8EbCYJRZ7n4DZJDl8247QscbBGBdtGE9hRD9AL6KCoFrxPfrTLU6hw9d-tCVrrLVoyoIk5yX0VWO4wJZ0B0hj2fTBx3FsSDpzXqe0RZZmo3m10pBp2gmVfBxQlJmF7QZZAXpg6_6vLIF_DqCs6acVRZULePYAUsy6wqtz01On1WvEbEPjgjk_CGi3-iw7kWCnsZDwP4KXsv-TVfTwSEHi0V9zfxCN4fCCMesX7qNXXEMVWaaHPDzzNsfDI0yWJZ5wR3AJ-lZLkWEsRoUHgXYg6Vj6VjveXYINxdbHSDgoDpnbQ74kUJYnBduRG_GGLcwWaMR5266A=w664-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="663" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/okzCawWDR6zVpKzBAh6QP3o9gD0rVCAZu1URBYORUmM4kFBMfK598YJT8nx-EkOfWVRR7-yweAxPomNA5yOJa0OkIhRVofdODrwUEJqLTLVH0sc2SDt9lnqXTGYZ77SX_bNlf3OKFbWcmCbt8fRFkdMmvZL4gPURB-xag5Ln3x-ifaVvqwrq5KU3EfBHljOqgXxVyS6Gagl3R6HY-leGqXrF7LzNEize4-D-hwOgmgWS7g3S-DypPaACLLvC-N3qDTB3inQReMnn5-PbsriYntIQcmtx8b8EbCYJRZ7n4DZJDl8247QscbBGBdtGE9hRD9AL6KCoFrxPfrTLU6hw9d-tCVrrLVoyoIk5yX0VWO4wJZ0B0hj2fTBx3FsSDpzXqe0RZZmo3m10pBp2gmVfBxQlJmF7QZZAXpg6_6vLIF_DqCs6acVRZULePYAUsy6wqtz01On1WvEbEPjgjk_CGi3-iw7kWCnsZDwP4KXsv-TVfTwSEHi0V9zfxCN4fCCMesX7qNXXEMVWaaHPDzzNsfDI0yWJZ5wR3AJ-lZLkWEsRoUHgXYg6Vj6VjveXYINxdbHSDgoDpnbQ74kUJYnBduRG_GGLcwWaMR5266A=w664-h769-no" width="552" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>Teramva, a form of Mahishasuramardini<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/diCIkd7b72ztMJs9_DjxIMVpDqHJgcqbbQsrnCS-IUi04zCPF1ke9uUNXHFnKgXugnzqC8ySct8w_TKg_pByNqtGG382Tglu7sWshiGutyrGXQ4N5oHo5uizPnPIUTPa93pWGRSnD4qCi28SLN4VmTncTU5ybkEPlzKUtoo1P9Q-8J3bRPKxPkcoRtbs2ms2UxE3I5FLI7WfEvuaIdI5L1Rt2QkMNjOh8QIi8FcSgFTsTorWDOWtr_GYZtxoKxgXLvhUYU9pXJG81gjAJIHFlL2kHnVHX6dbnMZGGc9jJARnTPOjI5NJ6Mk18yXCM62xynziCUlrlvf2dQ8G_DjydwVspSiUUZZz2uIEJDGrF1A_dCbSqvePpPUlgATxhknw1poxX6K2Rpc-tv8W2m8WXF_DGdQDTnPOhu0o4FpYW1XK8isDeER4UivR1CZMTa3eiO5Oub9_bD29Fyc2q5TkbQkxBEGu1aD3lUamJnot311hGuP3-kz82IDbp7io2UzUtKc_tI0Fl3wwmA4MHhFN9cm4rAcQJo8_fL8ulHeQhIDejJtSrl0K-FngcSQKOsjrsA1YrpY0DyXLDKneUZA8jNkOaulyabb_b3Q3L6Y=w690-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="769" data-original-width="690" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/diCIkd7b72ztMJs9_DjxIMVpDqHJgcqbbQsrnCS-IUi04zCPF1ke9uUNXHFnKgXugnzqC8ySct8w_TKg_pByNqtGG382Tglu7sWshiGutyrGXQ4N5oHo5uizPnPIUTPa93pWGRSnD4qCi28SLN4VmTncTU5ybkEPlzKUtoo1P9Q-8J3bRPKxPkcoRtbs2ms2UxE3I5FLI7WfEvuaIdI5L1Rt2QkMNjOh8QIi8FcSgFTsTorWDOWtr_GYZtxoKxgXLvhUYU9pXJG81gjAJIHFlL2kHnVHX6dbnMZGGc9jJARnTPOjI5NJ6Mk18yXCM62xynziCUlrlvf2dQ8G_DjydwVspSiUUZZz2uIEJDGrF1A_dCbSqvePpPUlgATxhknw1poxX6K2Rpc-tv8W2m8WXF_DGdQDTnPOhu0o4FpYW1XK8isDeER4UivR1CZMTa3eiO5Oub9_bD29Fyc2q5TkbQkxBEGu1aD3lUamJnot311hGuP3-kz82IDbp7io2UzUtKc_tI0Fl3wwmA4MHhFN9cm4rAcQJo8_fL8ulHeQhIDejJtSrl0K-FngcSQKOsjrsA1YrpY0DyXLDKneUZA8jNkOaulyabb_b3Q3L6Y=w690-h769-no" width="574" /></a></td></tr>
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<i>Chamunda</i></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/ecz5Kz5VN9x3TVXGfPpPtLdJ1Oze1WJAVL4aQ7eHqSRLBJKXiGrAbL9cjyfuUOqWIlZ9JRGExuuvJJeKoAmjVuVCW7Ml7qJKozYszK0y7PtTTx1pzaFvURRYqayUpYloPWwGUW9lN7ZXG9KWv4QNu0PuSQlVs-y42VlVFKd6ZngQUMKoqcl_7bnZUqoyhzTd9k94kLx4OkVVC_5BfyVk9wjvyxicCiLuJ2rX1w73x4HsPljHxoEBkaXV6b79AfBghhYUlrHS6fs8ITzLFAcAY6FjQl2NY4W2nME3fFW13l8BaPTbUgsT9aq91DYotHVK_DmGa9sEmfvJaYzSn4E5nPkfOFsak7j1W3fPNuCyjhvFQOw0-v8xs1I2c4dTXz_WXj0GrGWAJHZLv43da7aZcmVg9OUDOQKNng8twngir_09QDmQ8CeDuP6SLw_LfvKbYcKFGVMRf_u-rST9MbfC845cmsiM0Al5wxfqz0tLzISvrG86HGZw1Vd0CZ5P-6X3xP_3lIg1IZFBoRblAmEwe_WyKusXqAARyykD6n_sy3XJIwmqncqMEOYUIsznDL_MwR0cfNMXZanxk806T8w3_ABm5qgCBX3rbkTqgd4=w571-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="570" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/ecz5Kz5VN9x3TVXGfPpPtLdJ1Oze1WJAVL4aQ7eHqSRLBJKXiGrAbL9cjyfuUOqWIlZ9JRGExuuvJJeKoAmjVuVCW7Ml7qJKozYszK0y7PtTTx1pzaFvURRYqayUpYloPWwGUW9lN7ZXG9KWv4QNu0PuSQlVs-y42VlVFKd6ZngQUMKoqcl_7bnZUqoyhzTd9k94kLx4OkVVC_5BfyVk9wjvyxicCiLuJ2rX1w73x4HsPljHxoEBkaXV6b79AfBghhYUlrHS6fs8ITzLFAcAY6FjQl2NY4W2nME3fFW13l8BaPTbUgsT9aq91DYotHVK_DmGa9sEmfvJaYzSn4E5nPkfOFsak7j1W3fPNuCyjhvFQOw0-v8xs1I2c4dTXz_WXj0GrGWAJHZLv43da7aZcmVg9OUDOQKNng8twngir_09QDmQ8CeDuP6SLw_LfvKbYcKFGVMRf_u-rST9MbfC845cmsiM0Al5wxfqz0tLzISvrG86HGZw1Vd0CZ5P-6X3xP_3lIg1IZFBoRblAmEwe_WyKusXqAARyykD6n_sy3XJIwmqncqMEOYUIsznDL_MwR0cfNMXZanxk806T8w3_ABm5qgCBX3rbkTqgd4=w571-h769-no" width="474" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>An unnamed yogini</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OvNBRpPPSdSm3htDIXCPwRF5_d_RoAt3BnZDtGD9phx3SJSm6VuH15EIZWqvyQpRfnswqoW3T3yeg05rlHUaAIVU7ikKErxQUGmkNpWwGGnv2Pw9buYbr18uv0BM2aDHCVkts2j7ikxgch2hYyGhOcuARe_Y2od026xDMLUgfB5Gh-VhCSnMVF_VUJa7NBZdB4Xefddk85AVcfCJUppmHgMNaKhr7S2GWgGZeiJwKdhsh0AXRasni_BptgzRpqBGZrjMnwgt9sys2QGvK0WA93q2sWp9jxZfZFNvLix5ii2WanVE95VYCTp0oh8cGplYU-RugULtdmutdxtH70NYwChTjTjStzZUrMi12Vs02No1be-uZbKBjLahMM019mNyoPW6zajIUlFYhS97ubr2sVqTCYjh4dXk8U0zOo2RtW7Naf9Pi4xAbGUQR0XXZJrFFTyyNwPE_qEZ3R4EtSFoBEeei1arEuHcKQgZgoQq_-2IEODsYIuxH7mhZAWQ9uFhmlxLVHHIHFiLuIH1X9_Wh6-uAW3JKNNKukaWaTuE4DZ9oGWhYU630wY6tZHfsyngaG7GchAZ6vwe8DsTUBn6pgrRKhbnCD2NQH8PAY=w626-h769-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="623" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/_OvNBRpPPSdSm3htDIXCPwRF5_d_RoAt3BnZDtGD9phx3SJSm6VuH15EIZWqvyQpRfnswqoW3T3yeg05rlHUaAIVU7ikKErxQUGmkNpWwGGnv2Pw9buYbr18uv0BM2aDHCVkts2j7ikxgch2hYyGhOcuARe_Y2od026xDMLUgfB5Gh-VhCSnMVF_VUJa7NBZdB4Xefddk85AVcfCJUppmHgMNaKhr7S2GWgGZeiJwKdhsh0AXRasni_BptgzRpqBGZrjMnwgt9sys2QGvK0WA93q2sWp9jxZfZFNvLix5ii2WanVE95VYCTp0oh8cGplYU-RugULtdmutdxtH70NYwChTjTjStzZUrMi12Vs02No1be-uZbKBjLahMM019mNyoPW6zajIUlFYhS97ubr2sVqTCYjh4dXk8U0zOo2RtW7Naf9Pi4xAbGUQR0XXZJrFFTyyNwPE_qEZ3R4EtSFoBEeei1arEuHcKQgZgoQq_-2IEODsYIuxH7mhZAWQ9uFhmlxLVHHIHFiLuIH1X9_Wh6-uAW3JKNNKukaWaTuE4DZ9oGWhYU630wY6tZHfsyngaG7GchAZ6vwe8DsTUBn6pgrRKhbnCD2NQH8PAY=w626-h769-no" width="518" /></a></td></tr>
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<span lang="EN-US"><i>Phanendri</i><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">These are just some of the Yoginis</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> who caught my attention. If you would like to see all of them, here
is a video, with the names of the Yoginis as given on site. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/oFKHs9CxGVw/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/oFKHs9CxGVw?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Few people know about this temple</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, though the hillock overlooks the Marble Rocks that draws hordes of
visitors. Most people who visit the temple today are pilgrims, here to visit
the Gauri Shankar temple. The Yoginis are merely curiosities, strange figures
with animal and bird faces, who are more often than not, ignored. It was just
10 AM when we arrived, but the hot summer sun was a distinct hindrance to
exploring the temple. The walking path was blazing hot, and as we hopped,
skipped and jumped to avoid the heat, the priest at the main temple called out,
telling us to wear our slippers, but reminded us to leave them out when we
entered the central shrine! <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">I had already visited three Yogini
temples</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US"> before visiting Bhedaghat – the one at <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2016/08/around-gwalior-chausath-yogini-temple.html">Mitawali</a>
where not a single Yogini image remains, the one at <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2016/11/khajuraho-forms-of-devi.html">Khajuraho</a>
which is the only rectangular Yogini shrine, where also no image exists, though
I saw a couple of them at the museum; and the Hirapur temple in Orissa, which
was almost intact, except for a few damages (but which I have yet to write
about). <o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">While Hirapur was almost a miniature
shrine</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, the one at Bhedaghat was larger than
life. However, it was the attention to detail which stood out, despite the size
of the images. The Yoginis are not just slightly larger than life-size, they
appear to be larger than life too, yet so well detailed, and so realistic, that
it wasn’t difficult to imagine them come to life. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">I could almost imagine</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">, for a moment, these sculptures, intact, each Yogini seen
completely, each with her unique features and attributes. The experience of
standing at the centre, feeling the presence of 81 such figures, spirits or
deities, whatever we choose to think of them as, is something beyond
description – something you have to go see, experience, and yes, imagine, for
yourself! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span lang="EN-US">Information</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Location</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">: Bhedaghat is about 26 Km from Jabalpur, which is also the nearest
city with rail and air connectivity.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">How
to Reach</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">: It is best to hire a car from
Jabalpur, though regular buses are also available.</span></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li><b><i>Where to
Stay</i></b>: There are lots of options for accommodation at Bhedaghat, though you can
also make a day trip. The best place to stay, however, is the MP Tourism run
Marble Rocks Hotel, which overlooks, as the name suggests, the Marble rocks
Bhedaghat is well known for.</li>
</ul>
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<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">What
to see/do:</span></i></b></li>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><ul>
<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Dhuandhar
Falls</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">: Be prepared for a short walk to the
falls. While they are best seen in the monsoon or winter, there is enough water
even in summer, since a dam upstream is kept open during the tourist season.</span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
<ul style="text-align: left;"><ul>
<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Marble
Rocks</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">: A boat ride is the only way to see the
marble rocks at their best. The price you pay for the ride, however, depends on
your bargaining skills. While we joined a group of tourists, and thus cut down
on our costs, there are certain advantages to having a boat on your own, the
silence for one.</span></li>
<ul>
<li>The best time to go on a boat ride is early in the morning, before the tourist
hordes descend. This is also the best time for photography, thanks to the
light, as well as the undisturbed calmness of water, which provides the best
view of the reflections of the rocks in the water.</li>
</ul>
</ul>
</ul>
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<li><b><i><span lang="EN-US">Chausath
Yogini Temple</span></i></b><span lang="EN-US">: There are boards indicating the
route to the temple, though the entrance to the steps which lead up the hill is
unassuming and can be easily missed. Ask your way around. The best time to
visit is early in the morning. In summer, be prepared for extreme heat. </span></li>
</ul>
</ul>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a></div>
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Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com44Bheda Ghat, Madhya Pradesh 483053, India23.1305898 79.802357423.1232888 79.7922724 23.137890799999997 79.812442400000009tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-49039860706349396352018-01-08T12:08:00.000+05:302018-01-08T12:19:32.010+05:30Travelling with the WD Wireless Passport Pro<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Happy New Year, friends! <o:p></o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdYwEDNl43-/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2018-01-01T00:28:26+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 31, 2017 at 4:28pm PST</time></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">2017 brought me lots of travel</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, to new destinations, as well as lots of inspiration. However, it also brought along a massive writer's block which I am still trying to overcome. So here I begin this New Year with my latest attempt to break the jinx, hoping this is the year I finally manage to bring the blog up to date with all my travels!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If you have followed</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> me on Instagram, Twitter or Facebook, you would know that I have just returned from two trips - one to the Konkan with my husband, and the other to Ahmedabad with my son, a friend, and her son. The two trips were very different, to different types of destinations, what different points of interest as well. However, as usual, they included a mix of nature and heritage, since these are my two main interests these days.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdFUAbVFHaa/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-24T11:17:42+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 24, 2017 at 3:17am PST</time></div>
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<i>Common Kingfisher, Abloli, Konkan.</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">And yet another thing</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> was common between the two trips. I carried along the WD Wireless Passport Pro, which I had received for a trial.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdHJpvtFU_o/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-25T04:25:42+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 24, 2017 at 8:25pm PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><br />
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<i>Ancient image of Vishnu from the Lakshmi Narayan temple, Shrivardhan. </i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Now, before I begin</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, let me warn you not to expect a typical review about the device, its specifications, its performance, etc. That isn’t, and never has been, my forte. What I intend to tell you, is how I used it, and how useful it was, to me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">One of the biggest challenges</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> I face during my travels is to share images captured on my camera. My trusted Nikon P510 is a wonderful camera, but doesn’t have the latest features like Wi-Fi which would allow me to connect it to my phone. I usually have to wait until I get back home before I can download the images or videos from my camera and then share them. This usually means no videos, or no images of birds captured on my travels till I return home and have had time to download my images. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">With the WD Wireless Passport Pro</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, this huge problem was solved easily. All I had to do was download the MyCloud app, and use it to select the images or videos I wanted, from the memory card. All the images shared in this post were shared by me on Instagram, from the road, thanks to this one gadget I carried along. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdPkbyelMLv/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-28T10:53:39+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 28, 2017 at 2:53am PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><i>Sun Temple at Modhera, Gujarat</i></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdWVOBplcz0/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-31T01:55:23+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 30, 2017 at 5:55pm PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><i>Short Eared Owl, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">I found it remarkably easy to use</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, which is saying something, considering that I am not too handy with gadgets. Besides, it charged quite quickly, and I was able to also use it as a power bank, to charge my mobile. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdNg7KTl7N7/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-27T16:03:37+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 27, 2017 at 8:03am PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><i>Video of birds at Thol Bird Sanctuary, near Ahmedabad, Gujarat</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">If there is one negative</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">, it is that it is quite heavy, certainly heavier than the power bank I usually carry. And it took some getting used to the MyCloud app before I was able to use it.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<a href="https://www.instagram.com/p/BdVSCokF8fg/" style="color: #c9c8cd; font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: 17px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">A post shared by Anuradha Shankar (@anushankarn)</a> on <time datetime="2017-12-30T16:08:22+00:00" style="font-family: Arial,sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 17px;">Dec 30, 2017 at 8:08am PST</time></div>
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<script async="" defer="" src="//platform.instagram.com/en_US/embeds.js"></script><i>Wild Asses, at the Wild Ass Sanctuary, Little Rann of Kutch, Gujarat</i></div>
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<b><i><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Note</span></i></b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">. This is not a sponsored post, but my honest review. I received the WD Wireless Passport Pro for review, and returned it after the trial. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-81441436881679038592017-07-12T16:00:00.000+05:302017-07-12T16:00:16.037+05:30Discovering Marine Life at Girgaum Chowpatty, Mumbai<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>Mumbai’s beaches</i></b>. The first word that comes to mind when we
think of them, sadly, is ‘filth’. Over the years, we have so got used to seeing
our beaches in a mess, that we rarely give a thought to the marine life teeming
there. Our eyes were opened to the incredible marine bio-diversity of Girgaum
Chowpatty, (more popularly called Chowpatty Beach), when we recently went on a walk with <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarineLifeOfMumbai">Marine Life of Mumbai</a>
and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inaturewatch">INatureWatch Foundation</a>.
Over the last few weeks, I have racked my mind about what to write about our
experience, but I have finally decided to cut out the words, and show you
instead, through my photographs, the incredible life that manages to survive
despite all odds….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/D383EdY-lybXR_AXRvEqzSjTIv7mG1zl-UkavEeaxkc-xbolYOKa7gYy1WIhkvDsu2xy_Lb-z6-RnreQUVoFz77pCWBO11374yMN0MT10Y4K1N4H4igjOt32dPIDJy9ZcJH-D-YqFQuPQYZafB4kbGdq6Bpnjl3kk03Q631XKx--kEcwKoLuwsQIs3y7q909ztTpj9M77rh-7ZEGY4TG2MZU2wpbx4hcsIDakYsRUPCOSupkBMZgn-olvMSATRt2dG-q2cde2Kvsa2lDaIV0hurWIRF_2PSKXfJUS5vkKxCrWYVJLDOqzBIJ0YzjTzDHuI12H0ASE7OK1sSKpYwzGqwchWrcJDm3TuWTXnSWXp-L6KAHX7C1HYywDyDg0IvU4g1FDjuGJnYMp1Hu7pBRY0uDaoPOepBluqeDUdQljlZNlzrX6RRA1SogYxd8MVQEhcc-OBWnZfJZ9yNnNwS_W9If7i1UPVCkcFwrGG9v0nvmkO1VjPUwrKlbXdji3LPiVudSA7W2Z7QxypH7zLQd-38CwfGfyPklnOig8gjlWekiZNo_aGep9dtfeAGw-Bjbs4mZ-Dt7H6__bRJ3y_47sdnIWHfOeAM_0s2S8cFHyfGc_ReFYL9hwfqB=w1151-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1151" height="428" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/D383EdY-lybXR_AXRvEqzSjTIv7mG1zl-UkavEeaxkc-xbolYOKa7gYy1WIhkvDsu2xy_Lb-z6-RnreQUVoFz77pCWBO11374yMN0MT10Y4K1N4H4igjOt32dPIDJy9ZcJH-D-YqFQuPQYZafB4kbGdq6Bpnjl3kk03Q631XKx--kEcwKoLuwsQIs3y7q909ztTpj9M77rh-7ZEGY4TG2MZU2wpbx4hcsIDakYsRUPCOSupkBMZgn-olvMSATRt2dG-q2cde2Kvsa2lDaIV0hurWIRF_2PSKXfJUS5vkKxCrWYVJLDOqzBIJ0YzjTzDHuI12H0ASE7OK1sSKpYwzGqwchWrcJDm3TuWTXnSWXp-L6KAHX7C1HYywDyDg0IvU4g1FDjuGJnYMp1Hu7pBRY0uDaoPOepBluqeDUdQljlZNlzrX6RRA1SogYxd8MVQEhcc-OBWnZfJZ9yNnNwS_W9If7i1UPVCkcFwrGG9v0nvmkO1VjPUwrKlbXdji3LPiVudSA7W2Z7QxypH7zLQd-38CwfGfyPklnOig8gjlWekiZNo_aGep9dtfeAGw-Bjbs4mZ-Dt7H6__bRJ3y_47sdnIWHfOeAM_0s2S8cFHyfGc_ReFYL9hwfqB=w1151-h770-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Shells are everywhere</i></b>, which is not surprising. But what is
surprising is the fact that each of them, small and big, have creatures within
them – the molluscs whose natural homes these are, as well as <b><i>hermit
crabs</i></b>, which occupy them once they are abandoned. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/puAt_AZK7m3RxD8aihnkJozU06BpdsHNONdXkVLKmpF0XJY55C5KiTaCgBXz34Ib7zREvhrPVWLQfEOnHH2dGCqltc0KbdMJaF3vOw1heZGkDNyoPXFB35n0-mYW9r26isV5ZBZks4G0pCqwSdspjLsoJHxHMpzAB8zNT276ZKGOH2KeW1Wzq0Uv7s-2sOAqvmyNQDbL-ezyabiGXHDA9IqKD1Vhkwwtdq2Fty_bkBWfsJ891E9K0phcVpQ-5vkWT3O1RQvrpVKa5Gc2ae0E0_aVus-e73h72929ARSBRQWDEDLwUaRSKrsWpVOOS_0weemY6o0lgIBr71m7FOlCdEP8oyHdOMyD8mCLPVinRHfMIK87p6HbSZp7jDn7DNxb8pLAiG3CfLJNU3R0k1UGZBy8fpy1O-cMleFg5VzOmuVlElk9-FwutiFgwFVDr5u3mO1Cwvs7ZML70cRjiTE-udTk_OeiUsaeLtao6gjzOBBE82yHxKbdHVDRXSaR6G4f65vuAy5EZUE2o60MGPY3Oo93WLViOcelEAiOdtdNMpIS6_HZ-2imX54bOkCyiYH_xbFT7Ypjt6reEehNva3fbZZ7lozj6UQTIFlt-5k9VYbR8sIXlZ68tYyA=w1027-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1027" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/puAt_AZK7m3RxD8aihnkJozU06BpdsHNONdXkVLKmpF0XJY55C5KiTaCgBXz34Ib7zREvhrPVWLQfEOnHH2dGCqltc0KbdMJaF3vOw1heZGkDNyoPXFB35n0-mYW9r26isV5ZBZks4G0pCqwSdspjLsoJHxHMpzAB8zNT276ZKGOH2KeW1Wzq0Uv7s-2sOAqvmyNQDbL-ezyabiGXHDA9IqKD1Vhkwwtdq2Fty_bkBWfsJ891E9K0phcVpQ-5vkWT3O1RQvrpVKa5Gc2ae0E0_aVus-e73h72929ARSBRQWDEDLwUaRSKrsWpVOOS_0weemY6o0lgIBr71m7FOlCdEP8oyHdOMyD8mCLPVinRHfMIK87p6HbSZp7jDn7DNxb8pLAiG3CfLJNU3R0k1UGZBy8fpy1O-cMleFg5VzOmuVlElk9-FwutiFgwFVDr5u3mO1Cwvs7ZML70cRjiTE-udTk_OeiUsaeLtao6gjzOBBE82yHxKbdHVDRXSaR6G4f65vuAy5EZUE2o60MGPY3Oo93WLViOcelEAiOdtdNMpIS6_HZ-2imX54bOkCyiYH_xbFT7Ypjt6reEehNva3fbZZ7lozj6UQTIFlt-5k9VYbR8sIXlZ68tYyA=w1027-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hermit crab in spiral shell</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>a different type of shell, with the mollusc inside</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hermit crab which has grown too big for its adopted shell</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/uJmo48ehufJAB-j_4fidbowcj9B7pMtEJlNkYFTtGWbL-9pDVc-DWIOPHRNZ5bGnSL18AX0DJ3xdNv1o-kyxTZ67fYwOa3VPKHUf9bE6jJUO9JSfeoFCJRsNkW7hoprkX_OCP8M-KCBgqwAtsCSnVTj8RFd4BxdTNOBZj42bhOCFscx31sCnW9x83BHYCEvkjFgPWCIPpEngis2_fyGZJGMY5Cg9ODdacvLf4Du5QkOuH3HNl9Nn84mpkF6Mkl0Ou-UKWDJk6gDFo4jBQIIhpSOvjFYMk4-0E5UsJmIoypG_xZetGLbRogT1BkusAyjVmYuk8zm7Gr6V7V7FdI_qema3_CC9ssHW7aFOA_vdSd-WXJlP5DNb_2gnPPqQfBYnL4d0SDoutoWAy34BG0AyZWnjpE3_Vw5WZscTK1ec-lnddBOWT2hfICXGuhPv-7BeYtt7Co8-cavCEtmF38qnxiJoXHZpvjC4oiwjJ0diWTNseSs-2GnBEzJcUMu7xVsg7TB_K2YKdBdz_3EPN317nS13NcmFLGIvbSSuOXYEOH6IJitLIPlyQDulBSQ-lg_-IBuOE40ZXO8cDMcowqBSInDP0AGgN2xs8tu2ulGP4W3iN91bdlhZwbgz=w1027-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1027" height="478" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/uJmo48ehufJAB-j_4fidbowcj9B7pMtEJlNkYFTtGWbL-9pDVc-DWIOPHRNZ5bGnSL18AX0DJ3xdNv1o-kyxTZ67fYwOa3VPKHUf9bE6jJUO9JSfeoFCJRsNkW7hoprkX_OCP8M-KCBgqwAtsCSnVTj8RFd4BxdTNOBZj42bhOCFscx31sCnW9x83BHYCEvkjFgPWCIPpEngis2_fyGZJGMY5Cg9ODdacvLf4Du5QkOuH3HNl9Nn84mpkF6Mkl0Ou-UKWDJk6gDFo4jBQIIhpSOvjFYMk4-0E5UsJmIoypG_xZetGLbRogT1BkusAyjVmYuk8zm7Gr6V7V7FdI_qema3_CC9ssHW7aFOA_vdSd-WXJlP5DNb_2gnPPqQfBYnL4d0SDoutoWAy34BG0AyZWnjpE3_Vw5WZscTK1ec-lnddBOWT2hfICXGuhPv-7BeYtt7Co8-cavCEtmF38qnxiJoXHZpvjC4oiwjJ0diWTNseSs-2GnBEzJcUMu7xVsg7TB_K2YKdBdz_3EPN317nS13NcmFLGIvbSSuOXYEOH6IJitLIPlyQDulBSQ-lg_-IBuOE40ZXO8cDMcowqBSInDP0AGgN2xs8tu2ulGP4W3iN91bdlhZwbgz=w1027-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hermit Crab</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/O3gFIKlcELxT_DoHmeKt2p06ops5YjTlh0NznGEnwTyDZ7uwFzDNvsu42YbixSv_-dwJR75f5o35wF72Y5IJkA3LD-LVEtuThSNdt-d7UY853Esdd5Z0Tk4FXVXF-OANp4VfzLhxS1HFt1HKY4iNJyB_E67cnddrLSAGQbI5oqMcGrvf1OqAb9O3bCeSFUfQN68R-lblOPPwhhdJNXyMeax8Q82UstoQJCH8YRjIeU0ZZ-NY5-BlFPQWpu63fcZdAg_msLd0PL4SVNNy9WDXXZxYMb7XklggMCcBA9mnfNLvYXciFVWkUDDl0mdOBXbEPmnVFGc3vrPoO5HgnM7_cYGg8Lm0vPPq5c0dsbb9ViAwbhR_sq-nHZc6jQcBgr_TUPt7gODdX4r-6pzJFaA5nDgueOr7mECYk9ILHtImXKq44Nr7HSQ8--S-7tNX51Z3ueTslscknXqblkyHQDy_h6H557rtRQ5VNeXfU2c_GuygHfKzZ6DblVmtGq71FQZBZGUBIu0VbsfnB7xaDcSpim1Wt2TaPz5Q4K6KM1UnyEhF-7JKAZnkNvOodSHkOBtKvkFkcnFK2_G7bYjnG2WtApWDJZMIfoKE0Ksa7dSOeg8eAmqamJj0yRMs=w848-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="847" height="580" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/O3gFIKlcELxT_DoHmeKt2p06ops5YjTlh0NznGEnwTyDZ7uwFzDNvsu42YbixSv_-dwJR75f5o35wF72Y5IJkA3LD-LVEtuThSNdt-d7UY853Esdd5Z0Tk4FXVXF-OANp4VfzLhxS1HFt1HKY4iNJyB_E67cnddrLSAGQbI5oqMcGrvf1OqAb9O3bCeSFUfQN68R-lblOPPwhhdJNXyMeax8Q82UstoQJCH8YRjIeU0ZZ-NY5-BlFPQWpu63fcZdAg_msLd0PL4SVNNy9WDXXZxYMb7XklggMCcBA9mnfNLvYXciFVWkUDDl0mdOBXbEPmnVFGc3vrPoO5HgnM7_cYGg8Lm0vPPq5c0dsbb9ViAwbhR_sq-nHZc6jQcBgr_TUPt7gODdX4r-6pzJFaA5nDgueOr7mECYk9ILHtImXKq44Nr7HSQ8--S-7tNX51Z3ueTslscknXqblkyHQDy_h6H557rtRQ5VNeXfU2c_GuygHfKzZ6DblVmtGq71FQZBZGUBIu0VbsfnB7xaDcSpim1Wt2TaPz5Q4K6KM1UnyEhF-7JKAZnkNvOodSHkOBtKvkFkcnFK2_G7bYjnG2WtApWDJZMIfoKE0Ksa7dSOeg8eAmqamJj0yRMs=w848-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hermit Crab</i></td></tr>
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And here is a video... of a hermit crab moving with its shell...</div>
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/LxPM19sJzck/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/LxPM19sJzck?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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<b><i>Then, there are the crabs</i></b>… of all sizes and colours… this one
is a <b><i>Blood
Spotted Swimming Crab</i></b>…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/inT11fFae7WPkqvabQaadMYBXWtez533GeaOZqiczraE3OeqPuwSKPyzSZjLaebsgvdhoH_Rk8JavDJM1XhIQZG5c5h-X_dAP60ZeIhou8gWzm8NKfCCp3vEiNPuP73s34O1ZUP8cGpfyfTUdmHyeRl6Xx1aVUeczm4sSGqRQQqIrV6tuxE9yTHF-Oh53wN23QoJ__f_C_YrgkVEsLHAJ0KsKEQFKa7B-k4STXU1tC7YxatnRC-rsLNH1_6v0FCSpDJGFChrQS8mPH6iAfy4SGIZ9S1yO6-7wQZ4KImNfdF7DcPn6Z4lJV5dEEDraUAum7qYJcwOZJr0Zu1hOX7OvQF88R-MNQNKBx0exjckOHupks9Lb87Wa_dE50UP6HJ_0cY79woa8amxZ1g-AKunxgz7NgcMEUW1AExnhzLlmDO1BoU7YXtHvePzVn-JN0soRSuj2wvFkCIVFUK9OeZx6xmLTbMeOjezD9j836UlLAEnPFm5dfI824Igfzl6kYx4lBhxZHToSVE9mD4uamcMmFzMV10sOh-h7T-rWVsMivcYQF0KZjCJ0gSjBYgYSJ3k0kcK5bv98HVqLkFKMfQXDoLKB-t4O_uyB8JU2hfAhTRdHGe9wSZmsB1X=w922-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="922" height="534" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/inT11fFae7WPkqvabQaadMYBXWtez533GeaOZqiczraE3OeqPuwSKPyzSZjLaebsgvdhoH_Rk8JavDJM1XhIQZG5c5h-X_dAP60ZeIhou8gWzm8NKfCCp3vEiNPuP73s34O1ZUP8cGpfyfTUdmHyeRl6Xx1aVUeczm4sSGqRQQqIrV6tuxE9yTHF-Oh53wN23QoJ__f_C_YrgkVEsLHAJ0KsKEQFKa7B-k4STXU1tC7YxatnRC-rsLNH1_6v0FCSpDJGFChrQS8mPH6iAfy4SGIZ9S1yO6-7wQZ4KImNfdF7DcPn6Z4lJV5dEEDraUAum7qYJcwOZJr0Zu1hOX7OvQF88R-MNQNKBx0exjckOHupks9Lb87Wa_dE50UP6HJ_0cY79woa8amxZ1g-AKunxgz7NgcMEUW1AExnhzLlmDO1BoU7YXtHvePzVn-JN0soRSuj2wvFkCIVFUK9OeZx6xmLTbMeOjezD9j836UlLAEnPFm5dfI824Igfzl6kYx4lBhxZHToSVE9mD4uamcMmFzMV10sOh-h7T-rWVsMivcYQF0KZjCJ0gSjBYgYSJ3k0kcK5bv98HVqLkFKMfQXDoLKB-t4O_uyB8JU2hfAhTRdHGe9wSZmsB1X=w922-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Blood Spotted Swimming Crab. Notice the three red spots? </i></td></tr>
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<br /></div>
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And <b><i>Sea Snails</i></b>…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/fzFNSeB4XFlDsGrO48t2-6QD_U9qsAHTh4alQt53j8bX93hmHpqJMyUDJ6WxfZ_5GEp8cInz1WGEVia7YqoBo-izsKodzVjnZnFYU4XfYFZhHq2MCmOqArKPr0lPVbSQgxLV1FHjw1i5Aq26XZ2VpfTRIDU1107BHAtt4T2LRw-JJa4BX4tTaWcB2IYdhT-k42nKh1ewyt-0qCtSvzZFF8Okyg_oo_fqhC2jsH0TjwhDTBN28UWBZsHkEhiKj9q-pO9rg1vE1pTYz-L9oDFJHWYJ3Kw97a5mEoaXcJTSVRq3b5sNdqbaDVACeZanPv-PaMexmlUnsX2TEZ26e_9ORjPx3Ymiv6JFn7-z78bbooVgoQbwj_158W9ThE-atv-wKw6NYW4rfNXquArFTQ0Oe96u2tLBL2SelZidVBje1GgOkTiQmWOV6D6Tz8hVI5l_hngMt-saTrCAYUm9kBXhI-MMZqiV6Nvt14MlZ63pLD03tt6-L9kD_FrPALgvqu3q5HxAu5yI9RoIFeyMlM5y1jzeFh679H51u4v2ok8sO-btWhUlx01BHSv_9qDkMERYZBDpZQwc-v16AZUGs8RPT9-2-pb9sOJNwCcixSjHiyEAcjd5o9GK5lQx=w784-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="783" height="628" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/fzFNSeB4XFlDsGrO48t2-6QD_U9qsAHTh4alQt53j8bX93hmHpqJMyUDJ6WxfZ_5GEp8cInz1WGEVia7YqoBo-izsKodzVjnZnFYU4XfYFZhHq2MCmOqArKPr0lPVbSQgxLV1FHjw1i5Aq26XZ2VpfTRIDU1107BHAtt4T2LRw-JJa4BX4tTaWcB2IYdhT-k42nKh1ewyt-0qCtSvzZFF8Okyg_oo_fqhC2jsH0TjwhDTBN28UWBZsHkEhiKj9q-pO9rg1vE1pTYz-L9oDFJHWYJ3Kw97a5mEoaXcJTSVRq3b5sNdqbaDVACeZanPv-PaMexmlUnsX2TEZ26e_9ORjPx3Ymiv6JFn7-z78bbooVgoQbwj_158W9ThE-atv-wKw6NYW4rfNXquArFTQ0Oe96u2tLBL2SelZidVBje1GgOkTiQmWOV6D6Tz8hVI5l_hngMt-saTrCAYUm9kBXhI-MMZqiV6Nvt14MlZ63pLD03tt6-L9kD_FrPALgvqu3q5HxAu5yI9RoIFeyMlM5y1jzeFh679H51u4v2ok8sO-btWhUlx01BHSv_9qDkMERYZBDpZQwc-v16AZUGs8RPT9-2-pb9sOJNwCcixSjHiyEAcjd5o9GK5lQx=w784-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea Snail</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>But</i></b> the most fascinating among all the creatures that we saw,
were the <b><i>Sea Anemones</i></b>….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/wlRkc7w3v5HUh17WDmvbFrlRrwS17uihM7r2tkXk5x6WyvwrZCM7Fuqdy3-XtrVTBSxe6XDpeYBHBFvppDF032lOz62d9qMO5eR6asrFcfxWR-5cTmpCyJJv1oG1JmMAm6c6lU6m7l2q1vHkrQcbssn0tnzoDlTIshbfK31kvokV1_V-yN40XQN3NWS1tWnu5xFCYln1bjvUmgQmnGxt3CdjYdG5IL_6UbioiQjmg1FA99e9q_gjHeLdCqpOJ-YQ8g94g51bUsznLJodHGW_nXLqaLBJi-uJRN7Y1NxLiI-Yw-2k0gEqotSA8d0uh1gYh5zpPrXsm6Zv4FXXxmOBk5P35dgloEzFjx3y3_rofe_y4PABJGsdFJCblxOC_9No1VDJQeEDsbu6d8SsWSBuie63TBpHZADyYNalvClgGKIE3SQs-WooJ4wruNXQts1n7FEsQAqq8BmPvCpeKO7Uxf4rPLJXQcvUDCDdtObZSl0xzLQcgNOg7A1TdvRtXeL-J3MX3hy3eVmts0WkF67I_1s5m31mWUpbE7N_gmeW0y54PSus146mz0ZdjZBz0MGrzF1A-oe2zEsfWhSAGD9A0PK4GsbyrIzvVBd3I0XLXNGwMAuoQxzKLyGX=w904-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="903" height="544" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/wlRkc7w3v5HUh17WDmvbFrlRrwS17uihM7r2tkXk5x6WyvwrZCM7Fuqdy3-XtrVTBSxe6XDpeYBHBFvppDF032lOz62d9qMO5eR6asrFcfxWR-5cTmpCyJJv1oG1JmMAm6c6lU6m7l2q1vHkrQcbssn0tnzoDlTIshbfK31kvokV1_V-yN40XQN3NWS1tWnu5xFCYln1bjvUmgQmnGxt3CdjYdG5IL_6UbioiQjmg1FA99e9q_gjHeLdCqpOJ-YQ8g94g51bUsznLJodHGW_nXLqaLBJi-uJRN7Y1NxLiI-Yw-2k0gEqotSA8d0uh1gYh5zpPrXsm6Zv4FXXxmOBk5P35dgloEzFjx3y3_rofe_y4PABJGsdFJCblxOC_9No1VDJQeEDsbu6d8SsWSBuie63TBpHZADyYNalvClgGKIE3SQs-WooJ4wruNXQts1n7FEsQAqq8BmPvCpeKO7Uxf4rPLJXQcvUDCDdtObZSl0xzLQcgNOg7A1TdvRtXeL-J3MX3hy3eVmts0WkF67I_1s5m31mWUpbE7N_gmeW0y54PSus146mz0ZdjZBz0MGrzF1A-oe2zEsfWhSAGD9A0PK4GsbyrIzvVBd3I0XLXNGwMAuoQxzKLyGX=w904-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea Anemone</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/LsfMlzPZblzksANzF0VuTUO7x9PxT3n5eur8QsLbi0Ee4qaka4gkQL5sxZ2k2c-RHqULIx0xV2fqsUVmHxTdjNx57I2kFd-7d3rWeEu7wyIX5ig786-wWMd22PxJWuKBhVOmyJ8dbC_p3kHHsor4frTyIzKIlVyzypxxNwTF9HwNSXDdqe5J4uMDyNUvzzsNrlX2TAdiUL82SlupQPsnqjUT6xIDHI0pFuqNfSDxsNmx3Au4JspRFM-Dj_u8rPj5_Z3YijudLZOYtGSac0Vk9X2uyywwtV_m1vIz7pYHpryZ4qyJDZa_DUGOjoQ6-tgWCdCkv9bZmRBirHQTzX6Jv9atGaZWMPJzXSz2q8Fy1hhUc6pB1iOykBIGhEYHRyGZ1oaR6-sItzINNS5YGVIrC-Yde3E8_Z23Bft371TU-v-jbuabkEEgPg8b53boUOoHMuG-iOZhFHVnZj8bLXi7g2x4wBycTn8Mb9QgAh5VpLO95pOUn9LuUZlqLLKJEX_ukJ7YFTEPR_UfFTd8uPmN4BDGBHvxq7WLLbR64Q047U1GWnSNm-9xVdV6t05-8_Za5gAIa7vsM_2hCvwycQPXTW4UDsXd1HhyV41gLvvGf1SFwd8yqEGOOEps=w767-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="766" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/LsfMlzPZblzksANzF0VuTUO7x9PxT3n5eur8QsLbi0Ee4qaka4gkQL5sxZ2k2c-RHqULIx0xV2fqsUVmHxTdjNx57I2kFd-7d3rWeEu7wyIX5ig786-wWMd22PxJWuKBhVOmyJ8dbC_p3kHHsor4frTyIzKIlVyzypxxNwTF9HwNSXDdqe5J4uMDyNUvzzsNrlX2TAdiUL82SlupQPsnqjUT6xIDHI0pFuqNfSDxsNmx3Au4JspRFM-Dj_u8rPj5_Z3YijudLZOYtGSac0Vk9X2uyywwtV_m1vIz7pYHpryZ4qyJDZa_DUGOjoQ6-tgWCdCkv9bZmRBirHQTzX6Jv9atGaZWMPJzXSz2q8Fy1hhUc6pB1iOykBIGhEYHRyGZ1oaR6-sItzINNS5YGVIrC-Yde3E8_Z23Bft371TU-v-jbuabkEEgPg8b53boUOoHMuG-iOZhFHVnZj8bLXi7g2x4wBycTn8Mb9QgAh5VpLO95pOUn9LuUZlqLLKJEX_ukJ7YFTEPR_UfFTd8uPmN4BDGBHvxq7WLLbR64Q047U1GWnSNm-9xVdV6t05-8_Za5gAIa7vsM_2hCvwycQPXTW4UDsXd1HhyV41gLvvGf1SFwd8yqEGOOEps=w767-h770-no" width="636" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea Anemone This one seems to be partly closed, and you can see the bulk of it under water</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><i>They seemed to be all over</i></b>, hidden in the sand, yet in plain
view, uncovered by the low tide…<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/wUWywSBTC-DpOeydl2xxQhtqMxORgvw3gMXNIq54NdzmYAl2RIxy0xertDBPq7JynHHfTc1eNtu9nYbjHsDrpzAq06n9-2ik7SbvzIg6njlm2Ta9VbsHAKCSUfYWgpYQiCXe7RoTFuTDtoNVODQklNNdeyYyzypCkITKy_dOBqLS8SO9eKn47xEfaJSAnG7xPrIvo9d0NBa0QLssokWX1x3CpUzKQJPeeAAHrvgRUwSjq-xN7BxMR-oIMHoklc8ZGKO6Bi5PpcTcl-C2o8--Zm2Ji72x09qBIF20_ebJcZe18QEmYwMMpn4r6Mk_nV_WcniQeX_pFkre-i5Wp0bHJ5TVMeQo5S2nQnyS3owaedJTAWWXOrXPcnvHbDWPjx0EN7zXn6l50WmH3DB4StZdSAkFkes5pkbXw-mgmwKOLabI4fSDlaKi7eBRsDNdcD8ZGpwV3nt-ittoz8EWpNA4vs8vL7x81m1T2Bc5AH8WlAu88JjZicXkb9exnYsUoh4Rki5NjaYztH96tOYKenb5_eBZvY6I6hktrlBG7kHOqN7BcPYyQipnm5UswZf6EurmX_gZYhRCy8FVA1eT2D-uuQGxzmx_VlUNbxSDiakAUDT-EBW--Ie2OuTd=w900-h771-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="771" data-original-width="900" height="548" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/wUWywSBTC-DpOeydl2xxQhtqMxORgvw3gMXNIq54NdzmYAl2RIxy0xertDBPq7JynHHfTc1eNtu9nYbjHsDrpzAq06n9-2ik7SbvzIg6njlm2Ta9VbsHAKCSUfYWgpYQiCXe7RoTFuTDtoNVODQklNNdeyYyzypCkITKy_dOBqLS8SO9eKn47xEfaJSAnG7xPrIvo9d0NBa0QLssokWX1x3CpUzKQJPeeAAHrvgRUwSjq-xN7BxMR-oIMHoklc8ZGKO6Bi5PpcTcl-C2o8--Zm2Ji72x09qBIF20_ebJcZe18QEmYwMMpn4r6Mk_nV_WcniQeX_pFkre-i5Wp0bHJ5TVMeQo5S2nQnyS3owaedJTAWWXOrXPcnvHbDWPjx0EN7zXn6l50WmH3DB4StZdSAkFkes5pkbXw-mgmwKOLabI4fSDlaKi7eBRsDNdcD8ZGpwV3nt-ittoz8EWpNA4vs8vL7x81m1T2Bc5AH8WlAu88JjZicXkb9exnYsUoh4Rki5NjaYztH96tOYKenb5_eBZvY6I6hktrlBG7kHOqN7BcPYyQipnm5UswZf6EurmX_gZYhRCy8FVA1eT2D-uuQGxzmx_VlUNbxSDiakAUDT-EBW--Ie2OuTd=w900-h771-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea Anemone</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/rpTYdkljn0SxN7jtkSpYDHkE4hLkQc6kjbJuSpSSNpEgv8Uta7gIyXwZXlGTNWH8fsF3jETPINJf0haENDjloH-XuonsfXwORFBAkEKy6fqskH3Dq-yjqbIriKIPG8w9XMp4jNgofnja6QcI3SF8jD6H-xldd2fbCyl1WTUTg5aNx2fdq_G8yEd0A7S7X96LXuBlzF3mzPmLeTtHgGOk-xiQw_V3vCUIWdRNSJ4xU1oMmp49n4GpwbmBPPySlcciTrWmq54vUhpf4q5aZg2BfnkcJnqRefRaf9kQvqCm8zUVhLea6qxycDM7rPPd2YH0id3PtP8lGF7BakvuOBjMhJNaxJCpAmpt7DQ6LTI7ex42qNmSVx7iGniN7pmdsZJaaEqst-h8u0i_OacMgz-qa0CbhgMKy-iJUDahIT_9uNQLjl7YYn41W3SRhoMiJquzxq6Av7aIy1IuyjRgtXTaOIhe-5pxUQPFDKp8Nft3n-MMhhposKxaImAqk1M8iw4qIDo1OZpLI09kzzAnW5dPxPe9K5Yw2FTkyQ23FLyFbrCT8mnuYoYxwKTGgEgUlDdZg77TsudODmbvr8hot2Vz5HBONJRTXSGqszt8JMctGxqmc6FL0aP2LTzA=w794-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="793" height="620" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/rpTYdkljn0SxN7jtkSpYDHkE4hLkQc6kjbJuSpSSNpEgv8Uta7gIyXwZXlGTNWH8fsF3jETPINJf0haENDjloH-XuonsfXwORFBAkEKy6fqskH3Dq-yjqbIriKIPG8w9XMp4jNgofnja6QcI3SF8jD6H-xldd2fbCyl1WTUTg5aNx2fdq_G8yEd0A7S7X96LXuBlzF3mzPmLeTtHgGOk-xiQw_V3vCUIWdRNSJ4xU1oMmp49n4GpwbmBPPySlcciTrWmq54vUhpf4q5aZg2BfnkcJnqRefRaf9kQvqCm8zUVhLea6qxycDM7rPPd2YH0id3PtP8lGF7BakvuOBjMhJNaxJCpAmpt7DQ6LTI7ex42qNmSVx7iGniN7pmdsZJaaEqst-h8u0i_OacMgz-qa0CbhgMKy-iJUDahIT_9uNQLjl7YYn41W3SRhoMiJquzxq6Av7aIy1IuyjRgtXTaOIhe-5pxUQPFDKp8Nft3n-MMhhposKxaImAqk1M8iw4qIDo1OZpLI09kzzAnW5dPxPe9K5Yw2FTkyQ23FLyFbrCT8mnuYoYxwKTGgEgUlDdZg77TsudODmbvr8hot2Vz5HBONJRTXSGqszt8JMctGxqmc6FL0aP2LTzA=w794-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another sea anemone where you can see the base underwater</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>It seemed such a wonder</i></b> that we had never seen them before!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/BX7qc7fzFPwx5Ahy8poSllvy1o4KcbbY-9I0NIg5kAHoTFV2Pc4Ktq5Pe5ZEUBlP6hoYVuzL4JNZ2hUVtt9ua7PkEcQP583tY9HkaMC6EyYVheYg2GYYv2UPUTdptTDMUczgErkwv569uLApRSbYY6c0b-RrMRfXLFGnOchtQ-x3X92MMS-67s1tn3pDnRZ4uMITcBC5P_9gLYR5unvgNrrvE-DXdKfY7oV--wiSO9L1E8IVDQJP-7XO-wNPL2WEEtYpb7Vk4agyMdRLqhzamNpmBCNhhqDr5mnsgb4tFcAVC4NQRu1E-CinmyuPCg7bPaZUrHITpAUGXU0bUbfKWNJOMRaOIKVegLL6xVGz9KVPyILW8k_ud-8oEed1Uew_TbJ8ynEy05eRl0Y14zDXUUQO-hhRlSdf2zEvJ5Is-TNLb8pBXolC6-UA-72ZMdMWY6FEVjqw7d3RgiANYrM3CS9qct5HpyQdtVknPrcuifSWCpTJmnvJVerkLIAGm4Wo0Dz3Lf4VuEOakxXRtDPUuSR3V0SLafx5y8RtytI-_r0yPjBfhKHcaiWKfiYheIwQuPJERKuDLs4-9cYf9zqQ3046c-LJIti-J0NtCOIpA2DSduo_OM8Ko664=w911-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="910" height="540" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/BX7qc7fzFPwx5Ahy8poSllvy1o4KcbbY-9I0NIg5kAHoTFV2Pc4Ktq5Pe5ZEUBlP6hoYVuzL4JNZ2hUVtt9ua7PkEcQP583tY9HkaMC6EyYVheYg2GYYv2UPUTdptTDMUczgErkwv569uLApRSbYY6c0b-RrMRfXLFGnOchtQ-x3X92MMS-67s1tn3pDnRZ4uMITcBC5P_9gLYR5unvgNrrvE-DXdKfY7oV--wiSO9L1E8IVDQJP-7XO-wNPL2WEEtYpb7Vk4agyMdRLqhzamNpmBCNhhqDr5mnsgb4tFcAVC4NQRu1E-CinmyuPCg7bPaZUrHITpAUGXU0bUbfKWNJOMRaOIKVegLL6xVGz9KVPyILW8k_ud-8oEed1Uew_TbJ8ynEy05eRl0Y14zDXUUQO-hhRlSdf2zEvJ5Is-TNLb8pBXolC6-UA-72ZMdMWY6FEVjqw7d3RgiANYrM3CS9qct5HpyQdtVknPrcuifSWCpTJmnvJVerkLIAGm4Wo0Dz3Lf4VuEOakxXRtDPUuSR3V0SLafx5y8RtytI-_r0yPjBfhKHcaiWKfiYheIwQuPJERKuDLs4-9cYf9zqQ3046c-LJIti-J0NtCOIpA2DSduo_OM8Ko664=w911-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Yet another sea anemone</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>On bits of rock</i></b>, or pieces of wood, we saw these….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/uJdMjHl9-NV4nOcmfDyFPfU5MOq6fUVVjXsPqjP1s0eS6Chl1mYiBJpoAeN8TyIz8nxVm2vg6mMwacOsahZW6xp3LmcvqDUPTvqflCXfxGV228YCZgHo0OFaadDZnoh0tM7-ZNX1kvs307c60kbsKBOIfvvJxPQzVZtYIb_aTeisDm2Ta-rjNw-f-jlEIKZP2TAjfynjcmDuzSFVfYARjP1lwpusp3zRElb7TJvzGaDtbTbb8g3re9JMDf7tHOOcJs-Jwn1-Fpq6O3csW9WpzPF8QxBGvTXnKF3UYoIYcaSgHLr9tyamayqXQ3hVI-WFQd8QMsqoUYaYwiHTfmI5lKZwAyIMnbge4E4UuqznjD89N8z39NeR8lN3kxOEWNnEyhikqK_RE7xqQ4aSJAB2dz9kZtOAMj3Va1_F5FWxQiRSeJAduEpTfge8Il7IiTCvV3l0C-kw5r6a278S9NrFpnJFaQK4QYv2voq3HS1C4MJxC7VHL9XUZmnZZ-vNIwSC7_Xd7fehUiH-72ULvUIPxoBKhXDu5Gg0ci7r7DlRpCNCgUWupHYRLAQPZQsiIz0qdKqocGczO16XuxjBs5SpdluO6Gw_PRSdk894dK9KJ1iJA-_L2zXZsLNy=w916-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="916" height="536" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/uJdMjHl9-NV4nOcmfDyFPfU5MOq6fUVVjXsPqjP1s0eS6Chl1mYiBJpoAeN8TyIz8nxVm2vg6mMwacOsahZW6xp3LmcvqDUPTvqflCXfxGV228YCZgHo0OFaadDZnoh0tM7-ZNX1kvs307c60kbsKBOIfvvJxPQzVZtYIb_aTeisDm2Ta-rjNw-f-jlEIKZP2TAjfynjcmDuzSFVfYARjP1lwpusp3zRElb7TJvzGaDtbTbb8g3re9JMDf7tHOOcJs-Jwn1-Fpq6O3csW9WpzPF8QxBGvTXnKF3UYoIYcaSgHLr9tyamayqXQ3hVI-WFQd8QMsqoUYaYwiHTfmI5lKZwAyIMnbge4E4UuqznjD89N8z39NeR8lN3kxOEWNnEyhikqK_RE7xqQ4aSJAB2dz9kZtOAMj3Va1_F5FWxQiRSeJAduEpTfge8Il7IiTCvV3l0C-kw5r6a278S9NrFpnJFaQK4QYv2voq3HS1C4MJxC7VHL9XUZmnZZ-vNIwSC7_Xd7fehUiH-72ULvUIPxoBKhXDu5Gg0ci7r7DlRpCNCgUWupHYRLAQPZQsiIz0qdKqocGczO16XuxjBs5SpdluO6Gw_PRSdk894dK9KJ1iJA-_L2zXZsLNy=w916-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Egg capsules</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>They are egg capsules</i></b> of molluscs, from which they emerge with
their shells…. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/9vxMETMYDPfg7LWPmuW88ZxfkgBQZ8IuQD5qxOeGeX7h5R_kZFZbeIQrQj_nUj9OmcEBKG_28sREw6ApmAr73FCNga51hdkePi5u31YUV8nKB0etNxNzkqTtV_rWISU2M-WxhmGX4jfX6B8hgAXa6pokhaKQbWSq-PKy72ou0N9gm-xythPSXmptnL3NkOKsfOYIiEISc9JpVUasdJGoAEbz7GoqvtOwZcjYRbOsqzjeuj8aeFAaDctOfiIJ--mz7GfAYF4hVsTQ0vQQJJT8yit9xGlF-uEB31Cm4qOemwrqvYdUAaYm5QXLyOzShoQVJG2vIOI2qVctrD7-rh3bSSniCfp5NfwZFGJGWqLcHGX3dyWkZ_QzdKrNwjYFxx5zBNkQt5m1AUr1PBkl0j5t-nBeoCqtNIwnskOky8nqeC7wzvYXEQrW04l5vxNm7ZAvZWxj5QE7me6Oggng_lVjjjgU4n5Ux00VRm8kCsWazpR0QuTt8a8dBc3bHqEh99A9kange342fNdRZxmk-1c1Wa2IilYfngVxmUaOPCn1mUPVh3e5RMHc6Lnt2C4i0jhBJwNntu6NiTofRGDESU8UmfpeE1-lT8Qec-TNwPa4fS4fucLKxKdTsBHo=w1440-h694-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="693" data-original-width="1440" height="308" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/9vxMETMYDPfg7LWPmuW88ZxfkgBQZ8IuQD5qxOeGeX7h5R_kZFZbeIQrQj_nUj9OmcEBKG_28sREw6ApmAr73FCNga51hdkePi5u31YUV8nKB0etNxNzkqTtV_rWISU2M-WxhmGX4jfX6B8hgAXa6pokhaKQbWSq-PKy72ou0N9gm-xythPSXmptnL3NkOKsfOYIiEISc9JpVUasdJGoAEbz7GoqvtOwZcjYRbOsqzjeuj8aeFAaDctOfiIJ--mz7GfAYF4hVsTQ0vQQJJT8yit9xGlF-uEB31Cm4qOemwrqvYdUAaYm5QXLyOzShoQVJG2vIOI2qVctrD7-rh3bSSniCfp5NfwZFGJGWqLcHGX3dyWkZ_QzdKrNwjYFxx5zBNkQt5m1AUr1PBkl0j5t-nBeoCqtNIwnskOky8nqeC7wzvYXEQrW04l5vxNm7ZAvZWxj5QE7me6Oggng_lVjjjgU4n5Ux00VRm8kCsWazpR0QuTt8a8dBc3bHqEh99A9kange342fNdRZxmk-1c1Wa2IilYfngVxmUaOPCn1mUPVh3e5RMHc6Lnt2C4i0jhBJwNntu6NiTofRGDESU8UmfpeE1-lT8Qec-TNwPa4fS4fucLKxKdTsBHo=w1440-h694-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Egg capsules on a piece of wood</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>We also saw Decorator Worms</i></b>, which adhere to broken shells and
other debris from the sea, and use them as a natural covering or protection,
which also helps them camouflage with their surroundings. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/SOgpqS-8ESKmon8PYxftBIBjvQpCdYrfsMlQZKipAN-68SsW56BxJujl5xCDvSw2R3aMIa9PBLwnZ1LR7jlmVGZcNPD4JDUAZ-Euf-WiZvH7wZfeKwCs2HqDsdB-wGf0XqavAGAFOi6QYOB37GCHmWbssxj8MY59-L8Uhe0uAQM-eKvurjlyxGwxlcd659DQ--OoKS8SU19BVyiUl0W7V8Ib70lmuNumdHtLhiYUftxbEY6dgjZOZyhAzB_rMhph_x_0Tp86SY_-ByxEt3U8nMgtcn5ael3MWNF7gs-JzZSBRIsR8pB4Q5bj1cS1uhZPkv1zxxq2WDQ4J9AhsRHfgH_6s43qP7N3SM5vQ7yKPOtGR5RA1_5GCeor6ChZkuwoXdTIiR5Y82HuUGw20S3HVZ_55jnSt2q-yCci4SFPBzT25531g6E-l4gF-ZN0QoiiZNxct5cR6uWkg_Q2pJKjxougxCGrmt6wm-iHxEdBWtv8GS8LG6LFQWhrVuJeCZqyMw3M3KbXd1NHtcJ7AJXekSW8mf1ARyCeI8EO6Rg_pdPEGETePcUMtidApJH3EmGj9KbWT4n-q1vKnOuSz1JoOsC2ZNHUOSFDGxAoxmN87PTgPD_88JQk9baX=w1185-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1185" height="414" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/SOgpqS-8ESKmon8PYxftBIBjvQpCdYrfsMlQZKipAN-68SsW56BxJujl5xCDvSw2R3aMIa9PBLwnZ1LR7jlmVGZcNPD4JDUAZ-Euf-WiZvH7wZfeKwCs2HqDsdB-wGf0XqavAGAFOi6QYOB37GCHmWbssxj8MY59-L8Uhe0uAQM-eKvurjlyxGwxlcd659DQ--OoKS8SU19BVyiUl0W7V8Ib70lmuNumdHtLhiYUftxbEY6dgjZOZyhAzB_rMhph_x_0Tp86SY_-ByxEt3U8nMgtcn5ael3MWNF7gs-JzZSBRIsR8pB4Q5bj1cS1uhZPkv1zxxq2WDQ4J9AhsRHfgH_6s43qP7N3SM5vQ7yKPOtGR5RA1_5GCeor6ChZkuwoXdTIiR5Y82HuUGw20S3HVZ_55jnSt2q-yCci4SFPBzT25531g6E-l4gF-ZN0QoiiZNxct5cR6uWkg_Q2pJKjxougxCGrmt6wm-iHxEdBWtv8GS8LG6LFQWhrVuJeCZqyMw3M3KbXd1NHtcJ7AJXekSW8mf1ARyCeI8EO6Rg_pdPEGETePcUMtidApJH3EmGj9KbWT4n-q1vKnOuSz1JoOsC2ZNHUOSFDGxAoxmN87PTgPD_88JQk9baX=w1185-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Can you spot the Decorator Worms in this pic? </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<b><i>It was most exciting to spot a sea-fan</i></b>, a type of coral, which,
we were told, would most probably have been caught in a fishing net and discarded.
Never having imagined its existence, let alone in our very own city, you can
imagine how excited we were! <o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/TD1l51LO84yuu4z_IfPR3XNyGcbHEQGeaFN5_d-H5-qxdZiDFRNEJ3BdxNvaLI6GqX7RpksPuf-N1r_FIEbOdaZiKPjJ0VgKhTxVgs93VFHmdU72avEE09v6o8BeSfhJ7DiTpnldoRLhePRTShT-EUp87ya9pmjnRvGnuNVMzm9nCJ6zfUcHLmFtQUNBX0S_UexSpIqvcXG_0vmSJBqw-mAkGcw7jvcZuhJ82XRMFzc38AlQM5wGWvhCt1LoZRLtY8W_d27xeZYuKCfSpnM9t6JMG3a4AEy4Ad1y-9G6kmxlO2hXlPNlriFnSM-hMUcajxqnoDA87ypN57ZDEx1LDYRDf0uPIRVNvi_eSyum9isx0gC95OvQR7eo4oT1khdigjcNDw7T26EXq4JQlh6N6QwjZ_9qV-eMFq0AR6zrlLrPtq_SZsmHSz_4GUZoUF47XAY66ISb90Sxo2YeS7RIna3mVWdipKeIrr-OTM8WSd5PgivCVyrfkmNV3Gaub6cHs1GwB5nh20BZ0zzibo1XnOJt5Sgb_Ow401Up95hjgO1TqAu9WQhQvTisdEztDzJ2ytR3dwYAGeAVQysvboqtz645jT75XsCzOdWht4MH1pJPkhrO51IRNWbY=w1030-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1029" height="478" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/TD1l51LO84yuu4z_IfPR3XNyGcbHEQGeaFN5_d-H5-qxdZiDFRNEJ3BdxNvaLI6GqX7RpksPuf-N1r_FIEbOdaZiKPjJ0VgKhTxVgs93VFHmdU72avEE09v6o8BeSfhJ7DiTpnldoRLhePRTShT-EUp87ya9pmjnRvGnuNVMzm9nCJ6zfUcHLmFtQUNBX0S_UexSpIqvcXG_0vmSJBqw-mAkGcw7jvcZuhJ82XRMFzc38AlQM5wGWvhCt1LoZRLtY8W_d27xeZYuKCfSpnM9t6JMG3a4AEy4Ad1y-9G6kmxlO2hXlPNlriFnSM-hMUcajxqnoDA87ypN57ZDEx1LDYRDf0uPIRVNvi_eSyum9isx0gC95OvQR7eo4oT1khdigjcNDw7T26EXq4JQlh6N6QwjZ_9qV-eMFq0AR6zrlLrPtq_SZsmHSz_4GUZoUF47XAY66ISb90Sxo2YeS7RIna3mVWdipKeIrr-OTM8WSd5PgivCVyrfkmNV3Gaub6cHs1GwB5nh20BZ0zzibo1XnOJt5Sgb_Ow401Up95hjgO1TqAu9WQhQvTisdEztDzJ2ytR3dwYAGeAVQysvboqtz645jT75XsCzOdWht4MH1pJPkhrO51IRNWbY=w1030-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sea Fan</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
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<b><i>A flock of geese</i></b> flew over, reminding us that there was avian
life around too. In the horizon were small rocky outcrops, isolated enough for
marine life to thrive. Standing there, our feet washed by the waters of the
Arabian Sea, we wondered how long this marine life would thrive, with all the
‘development’ planned in the coming years. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/9KcqGXmWKLA-7mMbkHgyGTWxZcy2Zi7KedVuTV-7qvgBXm7uRUkkHcTc6pJwrU2LslLfFfWtPexbKcfDi9CX4f2meWKFIK_F7jf-CRIq2An-k6Y41bNQfVsfwHfQb27Wuh_bBp-gyixAUs_fTJiJypWQwbyIQGbUpZENzPf6vUZM3j9byK-teuBBUFxaJu7RtmrwJuM-VpBJMLBr6e5zxI0Hr3PEEQ9GQzu3-TSuMR-LbEdvsGvhhlKLGPQjiUVE6oifhQ_HOGSjDYXaYww9H6piyfW5-U5XqTli_mJO854ifOyfVjm-Em6FKLtvSFzpgKNPhDxFLkxqYhoSHZxSygc56l40zIa4W_i6_i3p07C092iMVXCBK2g4txiiNNeIN1NGQ_8hG5CVhGhzSYOcEldY-494lPDqw3Y1tqSWdzkFl9WELJIuVvJfqeseuUAzC0wizx_7357HMsW-37c9XRaNou9l4MrWVN3Owp8XqthnRinGULRxUg_XKWaDUtUJzklN6kkZXbEk_sFqGwZ4yCLJWKbM8LSoSvzPvgk6xZhoBy7inYzfmRHst0As41HNBZuPGN9BxZboVq7cD4dzDsAIUQotIuIJ2z6aDO0uKTgoqzlraF3_a96X=w911-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="911" height="540" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/9KcqGXmWKLA-7mMbkHgyGTWxZcy2Zi7KedVuTV-7qvgBXm7uRUkkHcTc6pJwrU2LslLfFfWtPexbKcfDi9CX4f2meWKFIK_F7jf-CRIq2An-k6Y41bNQfVsfwHfQb27Wuh_bBp-gyixAUs_fTJiJypWQwbyIQGbUpZENzPf6vUZM3j9byK-teuBBUFxaJu7RtmrwJuM-VpBJMLBr6e5zxI0Hr3PEEQ9GQzu3-TSuMR-LbEdvsGvhhlKLGPQjiUVE6oifhQ_HOGSjDYXaYww9H6piyfW5-U5XqTli_mJO854ifOyfVjm-Em6FKLtvSFzpgKNPhDxFLkxqYhoSHZxSygc56l40zIa4W_i6_i3p07C092iMVXCBK2g4txiiNNeIN1NGQ_8hG5CVhGhzSYOcEldY-494lPDqw3Y1tqSWdzkFl9WELJIuVvJfqeseuUAzC0wizx_7357HMsW-37c9XRaNou9l4MrWVN3Owp8XqthnRinGULRxUg_XKWaDUtUJzklN6kkZXbEk_sFqGwZ4yCLJWKbM8LSoSvzPvgk6xZhoBy7inYzfmRHst0As41HNBZuPGN9BxZboVq7cD4dzDsAIUQotIuIJ2z6aDO0uKTgoqzlraF3_a96X=w911-h770-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>But</i></b> most poignant was this sight… of an abandoned Ganesha idol
on the shore….<o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4DdWcwyOLjv12qScgwwkCmNTucnqTjwpydj8anR1eo9SqVmXhosGP8y_B2zHKT1yr42W3AUkZ7hozDlYdUm5kz3uW16KZwTrJdZMwKKZdzVQ2-DPHOIfmCqj7IZQ_VnYbapbTP7ttMx5yJF8P5ygh8tOyag05NoAH3kgnuwD3DkucdzYT1cUXiZ1QJ1XwiPdY25GJ7hJNJ-iVk3j_aCz66JRnTXV-qLyFaWpTiBI-NBO24ecQM0fNjRfjAtFFsVMnHI8Foywsw4k5hzKENHL8oCr4FfqmDztBOu_DfAFOa2Vo-PRp8zK6TrfsKsXpkPXKwsLN2yWgNx5mLECRNycFhLp5T6yU3lQa_b4s9kM0SgzDy3hWKtqeZXA_deK5R6IO-bMQRc2U0gjkM6-J0LII002rwBIQ7kqn7rR0x7Ujzqx2YG8iKKi5f9QDs1HH05oCJF9c-zvpLmkVVgpzX9hcaRjpxPcFvA7cGfeDtbHGtyq8ty9e9uK4wlSJ5hj-Ftwb5DeQ3PVWK-HDpa6h_hoI8L5WRqnuGg2YCkYtzTJq0LqM8MXDI8x1uuz2-vHGD-_iBIGrSqbauerNlwYiMLoDi73EK_d6Ruvg3CjVfZ1n-zZ7be-IptRDFBp=w1027-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1027" height="478" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4DdWcwyOLjv12qScgwwkCmNTucnqTjwpydj8anR1eo9SqVmXhosGP8y_B2zHKT1yr42W3AUkZ7hozDlYdUm5kz3uW16KZwTrJdZMwKKZdzVQ2-DPHOIfmCqj7IZQ_VnYbapbTP7ttMx5yJF8P5ygh8tOyag05NoAH3kgnuwD3DkucdzYT1cUXiZ1QJ1XwiPdY25GJ7hJNJ-iVk3j_aCz66JRnTXV-qLyFaWpTiBI-NBO24ecQM0fNjRfjAtFFsVMnHI8Foywsw4k5hzKENHL8oCr4FfqmDztBOu_DfAFOa2Vo-PRp8zK6TrfsKsXpkPXKwsLN2yWgNx5mLECRNycFhLp5T6yU3lQa_b4s9kM0SgzDy3hWKtqeZXA_deK5R6IO-bMQRc2U0gjkM6-J0LII002rwBIQ7kqn7rR0x7Ujzqx2YG8iKKi5f9QDs1HH05oCJF9c-zvpLmkVVgpzX9hcaRjpxPcFvA7cGfeDtbHGtyq8ty9e9uK4wlSJ5hj-Ftwb5DeQ3PVWK-HDpa6h_hoI8L5WRqnuGg2YCkYtzTJq0LqM8MXDI8x1uuz2-vHGD-_iBIGrSqbauerNlwYiMLoDi73EK_d6Ruvg3CjVfZ1n-zZ7be-IptRDFBp=w1027-h770-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Sometime next month</i></b>, when the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi is
celebrated, many more such idols will find their way to the sea, to meet just
such a fate, endangering all the marine life here in the process. I wish we
could realise that this is no way to celebrate our gods, our city, or indeed
our culture. How much better it would be, if we could celebrate by recognising
the presence of the divine all around us, including in these creatures, which
we threaten by our actions, and our indifference, every single day. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/sBtuwBY0T6DoFujEuAw8l--QN3Ed-uOAp2yS5Kzd6UNeFcTiQRhuneMpLlknj0aRI2uMJSoNGdqh0AmOob6-tXzezORT9vCRtzawiYCKzasGmHOsxRUAGoo9Eyyt9uHluWPYARN7er4kUWSa7hJ_AtFTfFIWSv4orK01dthk1CIOPUkn5MDrbEwdeNXTGIKUMKoHeCGmMlkA3Suq9jurJSlfPzj-iOMqRXXdWDXs4FYoTJisvlLnZKfXb-4_xxExVKjgFnveC0YdEWqd0GWk4A2I59w0mbC_3iIc-BcewrkdmysBWgKTP9Up67y52CXCx07wRql3cXCMDeb4l573502jKU7g-qmZbFpvV1rQI_ifaR60JA8dRLklZJfLAyYExQRbuioA8aGyBO2XBwQeqodLiObSn5s_XYbrPRoTXwI4UUGp3W5gn6ohsQm9dv0L0B6KXc0hXyrIvdNOqE3HS1J8LSzcVu19gt84aOcQ6eEQmForSj0xKePB7-Bz9rO8XnNZ9cYVgyM355RnsJJYKLgo-se5xn57E4KUTKBdDG58BdntnYhf8R-7fyvWN-t05tK1NOSQP246umB0trOTVY0QMxa8ZZhEyk9AyoMUxSiD93KklHsyYnXO=w1027-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="1027" height="478" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/sBtuwBY0T6DoFujEuAw8l--QN3Ed-uOAp2yS5Kzd6UNeFcTiQRhuneMpLlknj0aRI2uMJSoNGdqh0AmOob6-tXzezORT9vCRtzawiYCKzasGmHOsxRUAGoo9Eyyt9uHluWPYARN7er4kUWSa7hJ_AtFTfFIWSv4orK01dthk1CIOPUkn5MDrbEwdeNXTGIKUMKoHeCGmMlkA3Suq9jurJSlfPzj-iOMqRXXdWDXs4FYoTJisvlLnZKfXb-4_xxExVKjgFnveC0YdEWqd0GWk4A2I59w0mbC_3iIc-BcewrkdmysBWgKTP9Up67y52CXCx07wRql3cXCMDeb4l573502jKU7g-qmZbFpvV1rQI_ifaR60JA8dRLklZJfLAyYExQRbuioA8aGyBO2XBwQeqodLiObSn5s_XYbrPRoTXwI4UUGp3W5gn6ohsQm9dv0L0B6KXc0hXyrIvdNOqE3HS1J8LSzcVu19gt84aOcQ6eEQmForSj0xKePB7-Bz9rO8XnNZ9cYVgyM355RnsJJYKLgo-se5xn57E4KUTKBdDG58BdntnYhf8R-7fyvWN-t05tK1NOSQP246umB0trOTVY0QMxa8ZZhEyk9AyoMUxSiD93KklHsyYnXO=w1027-h770-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Meanwhile</i></b>, I can only ask you, the next time you visit one of
the beaches in this island city of ours, to keep your eyes open for all the
life that lives and breathes, just beneath our feet! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/JOsIzpo_HUeJFi6bwdwDI0pCbYcJ8QPjLkgpezI-kub-aLY59s0XHlAFc40TqUe7U5MPXDeONjd8L8eFfygszOe1AYMcoeEtw_PrI6jap0Khdskwhc4fLMC-yzZJbLz7oqDP1zVg4EOoeFTryACNXPlkrGg3eC9GRWRqh9IJ2RuLbt8UHBRUz7tX0PHSpiFJHD6uIRRiOU1_YX7EahTPSqSfYOKxdvqiEaJ8apPThN398GLgVovv2NbaprBFB9UTMzT-NoWjwWhL_jWmvp9Ug-CTnxvpxDZlq07f4yvg9qOoH85EtAVvoaHO73RvtvvNvKFkz1Xt-RwMhg-SjnYXPWjxnU0gsmtEQf8vz5zD40So90iOnTngwlUsSy9GyXGT3wdGdzHEBQCIc3_PmygJc_IwInH2ULYMWVeb0uFN1hhrqjsuUpO4xHlWSkAyiqoWRWohMbzWWbp73wgf_pmWCGY45DyThfVfDCd58uY7xMdWt1zT23j0q-YjxEkOPvrDWpU1UKDIUjlpII2JXe6vEUamhxaAo-U2SZ4egYNz2BdUwVdrtl_1ayontdN6U6q-XzeJ8pycrUhek13B5lyMcXVPqlKmzkC1RQ1dHBymHchVYqH1bWsh1IbH=w825-h770-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="770" data-original-width="824" height="598" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/JOsIzpo_HUeJFi6bwdwDI0pCbYcJ8QPjLkgpezI-kub-aLY59s0XHlAFc40TqUe7U5MPXDeONjd8L8eFfygszOe1AYMcoeEtw_PrI6jap0Khdskwhc4fLMC-yzZJbLz7oqDP1zVg4EOoeFTryACNXPlkrGg3eC9GRWRqh9IJ2RuLbt8UHBRUz7tX0PHSpiFJHD6uIRRiOU1_YX7EahTPSqSfYOKxdvqiEaJ8apPThN398GLgVovv2NbaprBFB9UTMzT-NoWjwWhL_jWmvp9Ug-CTnxvpxDZlq07f4yvg9qOoH85EtAVvoaHO73RvtvvNvKFkz1Xt-RwMhg-SjnYXPWjxnU0gsmtEQf8vz5zD40So90iOnTngwlUsSy9GyXGT3wdGdzHEBQCIc3_PmygJc_IwInH2ULYMWVeb0uFN1hhrqjsuUpO4xHlWSkAyiqoWRWohMbzWWbp73wgf_pmWCGY45DyThfVfDCd58uY7xMdWt1zT23j0q-YjxEkOPvrDWpU1UKDIUjlpII2JXe6vEUamhxaAo-U2SZ4egYNz2BdUwVdrtl_1ayontdN6U6q-XzeJ8pycrUhek13B5lyMcXVPqlKmzkC1RQ1dHBymHchVYqH1bWsh1IbH=w825-h770-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Bubbles... signs of life</i></td></tr>
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<i>A very special thanks
to <a href="https://www.facebook.com/MarineLifeOfMumbai">Marine Life of Mumbai</a>
and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/inaturewatch">INatureWatch Foundation</a>,
for their impressive work, in making us aware of the marine life teeming in our
concrete city. <o:p></o:p></i></div>
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<i><br /></i></div>
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<i>To see more images from the walk, <a href="https://goo.gl/photos/7YCnETyhXu4q7GpA6">click here</a>. </i></div>
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<b><i>Disclaimer: This is NOT a sponsored post. I participated in the walk as
a member of the general public, and paid the full fee for the same. <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<div style="text-align: right;">
<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a></div>
</div>
Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com23Girgaon Chowpatty, Mumbai, Maharashtra18.9542851 72.81277390000002518.9467761 72.802688900000021 18.9617941 72.822858900000028tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-61387076401021970292017-06-07T07:58:00.001+05:302017-06-07T07:58:59.946+05:30Paintings at the Pundrikji-ki-Haveli, Jaipur<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>I first read about Pundrikji-ki-Haveli</i></b> on the <a href="http://asijaipurcircle.nic.in/Brahmpuri-%20%20Pundrikjiki%20Haveli%20-Paintings%20in%20a%20room.html">ASI Jaipur circle website.</a> It is said to be the home of Pandit Ratnakar Bhatt, the royal <i>purohit</i> (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 <i>purohit</i>. 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<sup>th</sup> century. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/2pI3HhIgC4KLBsnrIe-rvcbM_1M3jiceVFhPez2eXSy8OimNKO7iptMUzZ_Rrsc7LNZu4t-0XRM4a31wvaP-LqV8JdJW5sA3oOFRi42PztNzluZL2FSF1zu8IOixhMWFOcjgkL1Yf2_l2PkSgvcsqgtS8tCr7FHYSv0F6BIe6qwiUXaUEeRJ6P5GblnDQ9bvPwyGGk7KF9SF9wMsF3oxjhdE8YvoX9AB5hB8wO9g3_ZYP3SNMKZgwBDZHrSUqzJ_tBjn8WrNMLmGvXtLzyP-8F1vYGptjdfqRIAOZuJhl20ZYxlg8BEhncxhsB4L6ws8zVBzwGamnJgu6WMtusHqhauB3jNPJiAB1ty94QGxnEHVVO-_MTUxN5GvpI7X16SKgptIOD8qZP60D1Q30i3a7thlHuQAGjNVMm6Yy10QH6UWwJBbB5EZNVEQYD8KHaNUXZ8jD4J1rp_5na264zs2G5r7dALzGcI146ftiEuF4ZZFMHquGe1k-p06R2TAD1ba5PJxpvMz46dUCNaO91YWifdKssCeF21VRg6LoQEGnVYgU_Kk9VDMzWIyTHw_bA0JDonmEVIm-D9W_UPKNTJCCaJACtUtT8uCS3-9_4pv9dsoq5kNIjX-=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/2pI3HhIgC4KLBsnrIe-rvcbM_1M3jiceVFhPez2eXSy8OimNKO7iptMUzZ_Rrsc7LNZu4t-0XRM4a31wvaP-LqV8JdJW5sA3oOFRi42PztNzluZL2FSF1zu8IOixhMWFOcjgkL1Yf2_l2PkSgvcsqgtS8tCr7FHYSv0F6BIe6qwiUXaUEeRJ6P5GblnDQ9bvPwyGGk7KF9SF9wMsF3oxjhdE8YvoX9AB5hB8wO9g3_ZYP3SNMKZgwBDZHrSUqzJ_tBjn8WrNMLmGvXtLzyP-8F1vYGptjdfqRIAOZuJhl20ZYxlg8BEhncxhsB4L6ws8zVBzwGamnJgu6WMtusHqhauB3jNPJiAB1ty94QGxnEHVVO-_MTUxN5GvpI7X16SKgptIOD8qZP60D1Q30i3a7thlHuQAGjNVMm6Yy10QH6UWwJBbB5EZNVEQYD8KHaNUXZ8jD4J1rp_5na264zs2G5r7dALzGcI146ftiEuF4ZZFMHquGe1k-p06R2TAD1ba5PJxpvMz46dUCNaO91YWifdKssCeF21VRg6LoQEGnVYgU_Kk9VDMzWIyTHw_bA0JDonmEVIm-D9W_UPKNTJCCaJACtUtT8uCS3-9_4pv9dsoq5kNIjX-=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>Our visit to the Haveli is a long story. <o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Having already visited <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2012/12/memories-of-2012-jaipur.html">Jaipur</a></i></b><a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2012/12/memories-of-2012-jaipur.html"> in 2012</a>, and in no mood to visit the
palaces again, I was looking for some unexplored sites in and around Jaipur, to
spend the one day I had there. Most intriguing among the sites I had read
about, was the Haveli. However, as it turned out, neither our hosts, nor our
driver, seemed to know exactly where the Haveli was. Unwilling to spend the day
roaming around searching for one Haveli, we decided to visit Bhangarh,
<a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2017/06/the-temple-of-neelkanth-at-alwar.html">Neelkanth Mahadev,</a> and <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2017/04/abhaneri-once-radiant-city.html">Abhaneri</a> instead. However, the next day, with time to
spare before we had to leave for our flight, we hopped into an auto, and asked
the driver to take us to Brahmapuri, which is where the ASI site said the Haveli was.
The auto driver was sceptical, saying that we should rather visit the city
palace, but took us along, nevertheless. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Even at Brahmapuri</i></b>, no one we asked seemed to have heard of the
Haveli, and we despaired of finding it. However, having come all this way, we
decided to simply drive around for a while. The auto driver grumbled, but
obliged. As we drove through the market, I caught sight of the familiar blue
board of the ASI, and there it was – the Haveli, with a big board announcing
its importance. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/oWYc_Jl02giQI7ctZs5Xq0MW5OLMlVgPw1sdfzvMWvA_pkYYKsx9SNa4kkZH4ugaY4CBbm9sZtMbajqPSiU-iKEDRg8A0SGu9sWiYpaYC2xGPdg91r7a9AUZncrAqah1MNmRj0Iqfo4qg_4efs-9Of73CEN3PEyDwrRkqsxEtRlXp0oij4kyXfVQC8kybLY5CGX678cmB5wQme9-qH66ZnX0neZKVNWLNFPs8YvvTeF9st1dEI5AbAd-AYp0DAjrdVGk1Se2vwMNkMFxVV88UK5I-hGllymKrRrnbSwMPdtuQd4NBOVOant7DNbw16hByXkAro98XVZKrlIz9b-TMDIWR004ct5kRiyICa647Lh1MIAg0AqifJYvICbFRIHF1TJQBRPpGgdz-CxIytnEDZl6d0teQkiSdglqgI7pIDd-3Zfn2aRTevYMIB72j-aMfti0aQrZ1c0DKLTrR-h0IwYMVmQCDybH4nn1gW_xXrYSFarO_tmeHsAO7lkppwTOAGnwmolWMRdg1S5gXUc5nHXbZZqpz9rOuUj4FfSR5ujYPQioLW9mkA5fVb18Za4kVxYvZCrTXJdinrWZ5IocN-k9VtljvUpzCE5gEwa4ybJOG7OzpL3W=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/oWYc_Jl02giQI7ctZs5Xq0MW5OLMlVgPw1sdfzvMWvA_pkYYKsx9SNa4kkZH4ugaY4CBbm9sZtMbajqPSiU-iKEDRg8A0SGu9sWiYpaYC2xGPdg91r7a9AUZncrAqah1MNmRj0Iqfo4qg_4efs-9Of73CEN3PEyDwrRkqsxEtRlXp0oij4kyXfVQC8kybLY5CGX678cmB5wQme9-qH66ZnX0neZKVNWLNFPs8YvvTeF9st1dEI5AbAd-AYp0DAjrdVGk1Se2vwMNkMFxVV88UK5I-hGllymKrRrnbSwMPdtuQd4NBOVOant7DNbw16hByXkAro98XVZKrlIz9b-TMDIWR004ct5kRiyICa647Lh1MIAg0AqifJYvICbFRIHF1TJQBRPpGgdz-CxIytnEDZl6d0teQkiSdglqgI7pIDd-3Zfn2aRTevYMIB72j-aMfti0aQrZ1c0DKLTrR-h0IwYMVmQCDybH4nn1gW_xXrYSFarO_tmeHsAO7lkppwTOAGnwmolWMRdg1S5gXUc5nHXbZZqpz9rOuUj4FfSR5ujYPQioLW9mkA5fVb18Za4kVxYvZCrTXJdinrWZ5IocN-k9VtljvUpzCE5gEwa4ybJOG7OzpL3W=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The ASI board, visible from the road</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>However</i></b>, our challenges were far from over. The gate was open,
and so were the doors, but there was no one in sight, and we couldn’t see where
the paintings were. We were on the verge of giving up, when a tailor from
across the road called out, and said the caretaker had gone for tea, and would
be back shortly. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/egkAq1xgsVXUSlgo75oJ2s64mqlpOOlCXWU2Q54X3Se5kv_pnbdJgU71kS8syc0lg7xeMrrr8s9VWcdxvJ5wE7HvDBPInjMYneWBIUb8BAuhNFX1Hnof6PpwKTPlCXP3bTajQpwWDuN2nIKnwbNHm6iOkLbZQtTvU979MGZtD4mpT2hSXRrxbAH1IFUxUoGDq1zbtUI5-hP70znDv20xazMVyTVi5vSN8ZJGu6oadCHwRQnSD21XQ59gFLr1rO89jRwwUqJrAJ7upi1_ROhv6OvY_msmMM0I814uDKbYtL67FH8jEuiAyW_JUNJPv6KxwnISKTVZwBkTMD_KthueVyTYl7yhiFAyr4RhZz0TKqwVpU644Rmjwx7snCYZgjpDUFUDsVAbXOTxjvfjX9Pamlb2-cGW8KsUNY2ZqqqVcVX9yjiPOzzLTyBAhWDof5w__jTiMBt39icM5xjyph7nMOR3wTSwd-acaqvasXzMFbRQBbAN_CjkeGL2QaqYX3idyNeNe2cWU4cmn8zJe0H4IvTShr253mnyU9ZwZTtZihPSlI3bli6lC2JtsLY7V1_874fNH6ncx8x0ui2yFFZMRHd6PyU2S_DlUZt2m5MjGoDTo5NtmOXd=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/egkAq1xgsVXUSlgo75oJ2s64mqlpOOlCXWU2Q54X3Se5kv_pnbdJgU71kS8syc0lg7xeMrrr8s9VWcdxvJ5wE7HvDBPInjMYneWBIUb8BAuhNFX1Hnof6PpwKTPlCXP3bTajQpwWDuN2nIKnwbNHm6iOkLbZQtTvU979MGZtD4mpT2hSXRrxbAH1IFUxUoGDq1zbtUI5-hP70znDv20xazMVyTVi5vSN8ZJGu6oadCHwRQnSD21XQ59gFLr1rO89jRwwUqJrAJ7upi1_ROhv6OvY_msmMM0I814uDKbYtL67FH8jEuiAyW_JUNJPv6KxwnISKTVZwBkTMD_KthueVyTYl7yhiFAyr4RhZz0TKqwVpU644Rmjwx7snCYZgjpDUFUDsVAbXOTxjvfjX9Pamlb2-cGW8KsUNY2ZqqqVcVX9yjiPOzzLTyBAhWDof5w__jTiMBt39icM5xjyph7nMOR3wTSwd-acaqvasXzMFbRQBbAN_CjkeGL2QaqYX3idyNeNe2cWU4cmn8zJe0H4IvTShr253mnyU9ZwZTtZihPSlI3bli6lC2JtsLY7V1_874fNH6ncx8x0ui2yFFZMRHd6PyU2S_DlUZt2m5MjGoDTo5NtmOXd=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The Haveli, from the outside</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>With time on our hands, </i></b>we sat down for a wait, and soon,
the caretaker appeared, back from his break. “No one ever comes here, that too
this early in the morning” he explained, and proceeded upstairs, to unlock a
door. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>From the outside</i></b>, the Haveli was simple, newly painted, and
bare. The room the caretaker led us to, seemed to be just a small one, just as
unimpressive as the rest of the house. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/p0qlWdpT9p9k6pSFDXuPszaRokPj_a7udCyJ1xdfK8UeH7kPnf-4SpzVjyi1Y3jdHwCSVTJsEOiQ5J6OxL8VQM2QnE54IbOByzod37RibuIO8PItPfQRRwcRgXFRuJ-sh0VR2z2iocnpE10fnU7S0ZMw9WVhpYW976Q7ZN3VaQ-mbL04eo1APJvFRlGSoCy6uDt59qygvz7yIL10b_wBW8QDVzfCYEjnLxVwCuRdzY_JuAMlU5Phkh-f4JedKA6h29ZyiELg3XknqV6UZKYoy8qkUcsgTe66iyHoCofG6jAkg_AWPWVBW-EDh2_Kxwtfx1PW7A-p77QOi0abiqaWoM1iV0SFAmNisbKmkKTsdhh7Ic0WsFqR-PWjEOg8QLmmRyu6mYYTY8uNabbj2SCJkHcKDXisPusUMAUmnBF1e7MqNwJEGXEV7sPaxHQJ9vndo4OI01Vag7YFHQuPWSRJGJ6rGFCMQvHQuL2L5Ej8NhjhRvdlhb2adObokGz860UACYNaY6Lu8koRrOb2EUL_3hy8lIfNvWbMn5L074w1uFGDPAkunttOqq6KSDFscalP8zgAneOFO8g1HLi_vzZy4TCA6yrzsCGv-10dawMJpCKEa07MmwG1=w1139-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1139" height="442" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/p0qlWdpT9p9k6pSFDXuPszaRokPj_a7udCyJ1xdfK8UeH7kPnf-4SpzVjyi1Y3jdHwCSVTJsEOiQ5J6OxL8VQM2QnE54IbOByzod37RibuIO8PItPfQRRwcRgXFRuJ-sh0VR2z2iocnpE10fnU7S0ZMw9WVhpYW976Q7ZN3VaQ-mbL04eo1APJvFRlGSoCy6uDt59qygvz7yIL10b_wBW8QDVzfCYEjnLxVwCuRdzY_JuAMlU5Phkh-f4JedKA6h29ZyiELg3XknqV6UZKYoy8qkUcsgTe66iyHoCofG6jAkg_AWPWVBW-EDh2_Kxwtfx1PW7A-p77QOi0abiqaWoM1iV0SFAmNisbKmkKTsdhh7Ic0WsFqR-PWjEOg8QLmmRyu6mYYTY8uNabbj2SCJkHcKDXisPusUMAUmnBF1e7MqNwJEGXEV7sPaxHQJ9vndo4OI01Vag7YFHQuPWSRJGJ6rGFCMQvHQuL2L5Ej8NhjhRvdlhb2adObokGz860UACYNaY6Lu8koRrOb2EUL_3hy8lIfNvWbMn5L074w1uFGDPAkunttOqq6KSDFscalP8zgAneOFO8g1HLi_vzZy4TCA6yrzsCGv-10dawMJpCKEa07MmwG1=w1139-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The first floor of the Haveli. Notice the small door behind those arches?</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Once he opened the door</i></b>, it was another story. A burst of colour
greeted us, and I was stunned to see that every inch of the walls and ceiling
was painted in bright colours. With so many paintings, it was quite difficult
to decide what to see first! Samhith and Shankar were just as stunned as I was,
and the three of us simply stood and gaped, before collecting ourselves, and
looking closer at the paintings, one by one.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/DvnClj9BrFMdf1iHRjPwpkErK4zTXWJd1fgTB7ZN74l74cuTO5uU2bBeN0kXvu6kZOi5LDqcmczfLfOGnIF-mpR5y8FqQh-Dpceadtz0EHxbww_YU55bxudRYWLhp6R_o4uKq6vhBwI9A-gkjhrr23KDb4RblbFGg3RisyNmOw0qSmry7c-01VItRdr_mcYN4ICAbIXVuYjO3U84VNOoCVVIzznutJxY9nAUNaL7RpCmmWlAc_z7ma7rrt4K4C65WcKyGoJGCqq3NeUP4XS0aai9HyixunoAqSumP3EwevljHqePkLcw4KTybXp_rIHlwW6xRylrpupn_Eck_RLqw4ealw5wfW3ydvGkKdElfdteFrBpDlc1q6of7Z1SZ6t1JltGY9l4cHNi1J8OtE5SmMHc-OyVnAx8ivpnxAwe6CM4cYCLeyVuH9AC_p2jf89CxOv3yEPTN1jPtX3n6Drx8UYYqExCAaSkzNPyZ05y_mnjrpzjGmV__fW4N0Ktzqb0CD6BFLIG0iQy4zB9OQiEt9NO8Gr5hZMToHolYJQj7NMTcox8mEgdERnxNukvZ1ztki6r1uzPB0XWzj4PlkZAqWXAMF_VjBvsBqeSAneGHk0GBu23rzK9=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/DvnClj9BrFMdf1iHRjPwpkErK4zTXWJd1fgTB7ZN74l74cuTO5uU2bBeN0kXvu6kZOi5LDqcmczfLfOGnIF-mpR5y8FqQh-Dpceadtz0EHxbww_YU55bxudRYWLhp6R_o4uKq6vhBwI9A-gkjhrr23KDb4RblbFGg3RisyNmOw0qSmry7c-01VItRdr_mcYN4ICAbIXVuYjO3U84VNOoCVVIzznutJxY9nAUNaL7RpCmmWlAc_z7ma7rrt4K4C65WcKyGoJGCqq3NeUP4XS0aai9HyixunoAqSumP3EwevljHqePkLcw4KTybXp_rIHlwW6xRylrpupn_Eck_RLqw4ealw5wfW3ydvGkKdElfdteFrBpDlc1q6of7Z1SZ6t1JltGY9l4cHNi1J8OtE5SmMHc-OyVnAx8ivpnxAwe6CM4cYCLeyVuH9AC_p2jf89CxOv3yEPTN1jPtX3n6Drx8UYYqExCAaSkzNPyZ05y_mnjrpzjGmV__fW4N0Ktzqb0CD6BFLIG0iQy4zB9OQiEt9NO8Gr5hZMToHolYJQj7NMTcox8mEgdERnxNukvZ1ztki6r1uzPB0XWzj4PlkZAqWXAMF_VjBvsBqeSAneGHk0GBu23rzK9=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>This is what it looks like, once the doors are opened</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/zJlQ6LryZEBJvhQzi-d2r7O39GbyaT3p09xmC2udj9vl0WTvkZ6kapZ8byKbR-BAKVYmlcI1QUB99BIPhR2ioCV1rxuubkGHl0lfolzOkQChE_GDPRJPcYweJZG0IQKj3er_nlyhxOYVUqYcAhD8HGhQnXnIrOYT9G06q_jFsmchhUxEfDvVKVoarw30MSjJQndorF_X5ghQ0Voqy7vKfM9Ba0MBUGNK62H3o82LpoYjVbLcHVCePDu8q8LEzrxfBtARtpEtfqql_Dr90cm0d0a6p2LCjcFWfwokZV7IR52qy5DZFI4hpEmKHYVJIbQVh5RLrj8xwQxI66qsU-Uv7ti8pnxSsPHhZWavvstU6MMscpXv1SCwD8kk6CS6Q4W0b6Z8ve3V4A7BxQ3jSBE1AdZcc9UUucmez_WG0PAkvos9tPW29PTzGN53I-iq0-E-EBnAoxZBmpQiX3dVHNsXkuMXEXQNJI0HA2-jxB-qv_-f6cvxGcTYZqvaa402HQgC37rPfmdR4Ctc18CmWCA-D6gXwJqWv3uxjfou36UHXqEPJGP7JyTT1QFTOmowmslelX83_eu7b6q2h23rvyJUg2AjzH0imehZ-v9acnqlz2vkPpkHB647=w592-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/zJlQ6LryZEBJvhQzi-d2r7O39GbyaT3p09xmC2udj9vl0WTvkZ6kapZ8byKbR-BAKVYmlcI1QUB99BIPhR2ioCV1rxuubkGHl0lfolzOkQChE_GDPRJPcYweJZG0IQKj3er_nlyhxOYVUqYcAhD8HGhQnXnIrOYT9G06q_jFsmchhUxEfDvVKVoarw30MSjJQndorF_X5ghQ0Voqy7vKfM9Ba0MBUGNK62H3o82LpoYjVbLcHVCePDu8q8LEzrxfBtARtpEtfqql_Dr90cm0d0a6p2LCjcFWfwokZV7IR52qy5DZFI4hpEmKHYVJIbQVh5RLrj8xwQxI66qsU-Uv7ti8pnxSsPHhZWavvstU6MMscpXv1SCwD8kk6CS6Q4W0b6Z8ve3V4A7BxQ3jSBE1AdZcc9UUucmez_WG0PAkvos9tPW29PTzGN53I-iq0-E-EBnAoxZBmpQiX3dVHNsXkuMXEXQNJI0HA2-jxB-qv_-f6cvxGcTYZqvaa402HQgC37rPfmdR4Ctc18CmWCA-D6gXwJqWv3uxjfou36UHXqEPJGP7JyTT1QFTOmowmslelX83_eu7b6q2h23rvyJUg2AjzH0imehZ-v9acnqlz2vkPpkHB647=w592-h789-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>That's one half of the room</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/LUZjM5EZsuls0t1tzinJ1n2LVBjUsunnfZtR7XDVpoX1ZsHaT5Sxopplycp-esjDnrhFXoSayBq3L4XROUbDeoMQChO0ZHm1Od0C7BBI0NUd6FpATnB_fnBrpLznTpkFm1UfhCKT8ckeKPHXGGNGm8f3HvT9ZWa8CF1ir6VVWXHJO2GJ_7eoOC-Ii8xHwN_dSe-XqmaOuWKrqg2GI6RXlRZ8nmo5FlJPmIhrB33ZkS2Fo1uXkDvLuuQyZRcHP4ITk_isP-vQmAb2d_OXj3C_Nf0WbL-lujuuKL36dNDhnIEt6Pfpo_aRcOGjxzydTJMwiamOH5xljP4BNc4uKgYeiMPysRkyIgUGkb5_G3fTHbD_njeVNMvHReRX-Kv6oWTWdmYIVSFOyannefKoblTc05pUdAP7jLl3EGLxnOGHe3SLVK5n-a-hGIBUuVjW1QDVhHmNccvpfiafSJjIynJ3b-DSkJgkVGL-Uv8Oi9mA8JMqAJL4htfZY6BrDCE4MTdMHlAq9s5N6NL_UcdBqHEyPz-85xf-KRM4BPd8IVH4rwC7MkZJ-qPrrzq2mh-ckwsMTYIKMPlcbwcIAYhignQ2Zqx60ibWIUQfkIUoD2Geg-3hVbCkoqwx=w774-h789-no" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="773" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/LUZjM5EZsuls0t1tzinJ1n2LVBjUsunnfZtR7XDVpoX1ZsHaT5Sxopplycp-esjDnrhFXoSayBq3L4XROUbDeoMQChO0ZHm1Od0C7BBI0NUd6FpATnB_fnBrpLznTpkFm1UfhCKT8ckeKPHXGGNGm8f3HvT9ZWa8CF1ir6VVWXHJO2GJ_7eoOC-Ii8xHwN_dSe-XqmaOuWKrqg2GI6RXlRZ8nmo5FlJPmIhrB33ZkS2Fo1uXkDvLuuQyZRcHP4ITk_isP-vQmAb2d_OXj3C_Nf0WbL-lujuuKL36dNDhnIEt6Pfpo_aRcOGjxzydTJMwiamOH5xljP4BNc4uKgYeiMPysRkyIgUGkb5_G3fTHbD_njeVNMvHReRX-Kv6oWTWdmYIVSFOyannefKoblTc05pUdAP7jLl3EGLxnOGHe3SLVK5n-a-hGIBUuVjW1QDVhHmNccvpfiafSJjIynJ3b-DSkJgkVGL-Uv8Oi9mA8JMqAJL4htfZY6BrDCE4MTdMHlAq9s5N6NL_UcdBqHEyPz-85xf-KRM4BPd8IVH4rwC7MkZJ-qPrrzq2mh-ckwsMTYIKMPlcbwcIAYhignQ2Zqx60ibWIUQfkIUoD2Geg-3hVbCkoqwx=w774-h789-no" width="626" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The paintings</i></b> depict scenes from royal life – festivals,
celebrations, feasts, and processions. The king shown in the paintings is
probably Sawai Jai Singh II, since he was the ruler then, and the patron as
well. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/tJbyunATzu40jFOqioBbSM0X5ONLQtvDh6i9aN6kp25B4pbaXY0-xqzIxLHhydlDiUF9iwmXok7S3H7cPjAhYy_30PbppYOPwB9ewzuHmiPUM5FGAdCBVY2DYTYlEnvxdn-XNTTdv3MwCThb94Zg-0QpJ6pgLvhWHRxs5ehTHKCo-GeIM6FgT0y3Jio9wj_lKh6QIL2KiygPYdzKcP4i9d-Aj9fvxDdl0qh93dxdSuF6erxnn2KILvGtkwLeyUkSFOTH_QgrkhQkQQmHe6-f5jGO0NMz3JRbM-111O3qkp6qdJEl_pRAgaETHVOZtCl1tEImZ-V6xIY6sNnp-Kb1q47yRKiksvz9ekYllbuSKMdCkebtHeJnYoWmbo5xkCr0s7VymCPAYf9Z85E2yhvg6DfM3P3j1937o1l7XQ-CfJDK0h-DUt10EfEdeAol6rfyOoHMZCwT9LxE4b57jfUnRfBMFUfN-4oM8QeBDabKaWNTiEPNPRHVUF91vJo6FtZQkrICMHob3bM3usqvOEga6ibwliNthl5MbSQpr4LSUrP5JTXuvphfQGDcX_dH1eKtNHVkUiTrJkd26NNnFCLbyMvSOnhPmBkv_pR06KK3xm6QyPr4gYj_=w1409-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1409" height="358" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/tJbyunATzu40jFOqioBbSM0X5ONLQtvDh6i9aN6kp25B4pbaXY0-xqzIxLHhydlDiUF9iwmXok7S3H7cPjAhYy_30PbppYOPwB9ewzuHmiPUM5FGAdCBVY2DYTYlEnvxdn-XNTTdv3MwCThb94Zg-0QpJ6pgLvhWHRxs5ehTHKCo-GeIM6FgT0y3Jio9wj_lKh6QIL2KiygPYdzKcP4i9d-Aj9fvxDdl0qh93dxdSuF6erxnn2KILvGtkwLeyUkSFOTH_QgrkhQkQQmHe6-f5jGO0NMz3JRbM-111O3qkp6qdJEl_pRAgaETHVOZtCl1tEImZ-V6xIY6sNnp-Kb1q47yRKiksvz9ekYllbuSKMdCkebtHeJnYoWmbo5xkCr0s7VymCPAYf9Z85E2yhvg6DfM3P3j1937o1l7XQ-CfJDK0h-DUt10EfEdeAol6rfyOoHMZCwT9LxE4b57jfUnRfBMFUfN-4oM8QeBDabKaWNTiEPNPRHVUF91vJo6FtZQkrICMHob3bM3usqvOEga6ibwliNthl5MbSQpr4LSUrP5JTXuvphfQGDcX_dH1eKtNHVkUiTrJkd26NNnFCLbyMvSOnhPmBkv_pR06KK3xm6QyPr4gYj_=w1409-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Probably the festival of Holi</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<b><i>There isn’t much</i></b> I can tell you about the paintings, since
there is very little information about them, and my knowledge of miniature
paintings is rather inadequate. However, they are a visual treat, so go ahead
and take a look at some of them. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/cmmIrrrmt22eZ6nVZ6Z9bruQcYwG6kuc8egvGQ4_MIXlAm0p6tPQn3sXACgD6eLsf-W-FfCbuN20VaiIJPODk2Lgs1UAi-lh2ieOqojcwfpv-DOpHn6QB5sVnpWTtwie7Hgs1zhk7yUPz4SW1MyVHbkY5eQtpkQyIcsZPYlMummD1Djfq5esZhp_tdYFns8_OFk0kwPyq0FTh3u4uxBIAnEsZWT8Yp6YFzLg1jxjH_FI-CQ8MWIIwPQgdRVaXVn-z5EvGlujZIi3tAaqQhrfP-y2Cx6uUS1nmDg-m_oJwP7v1Fj0IU6DxarG5Mv4hQ3GMQP51eOCSzP-L9tvz0zx8Rep_uWyItA5T48wEte2MyKqSjAnV6N23vq1pPbhaF1Iy1_QCaqZKx0bcfwiJOMNZBj50KzohpPvGfLHFfTyWxBNY47oS8pAdwqFQYBvUXlZuiOQlDC4oFjBHCuboHn70vWPP0tD6ZjXd24FvUaM7GwJPGEXzKLNU4RhOJNsOxrrZo6m_Xudy5ZNoHzcWRjPFXStjQfyRLpQg8F3nWhA499nxOlASkegQ7ale-38C3YALz0uXpnZPEzpFoLrgE5hKl-NbNGY-Ur3fAK1DSgxFKEkGvF2n9gP=w1440-h696-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="696" data-original-width="1440" height="308" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/cmmIrrrmt22eZ6nVZ6Z9bruQcYwG6kuc8egvGQ4_MIXlAm0p6tPQn3sXACgD6eLsf-W-FfCbuN20VaiIJPODk2Lgs1UAi-lh2ieOqojcwfpv-DOpHn6QB5sVnpWTtwie7Hgs1zhk7yUPz4SW1MyVHbkY5eQtpkQyIcsZPYlMummD1Djfq5esZhp_tdYFns8_OFk0kwPyq0FTh3u4uxBIAnEsZWT8Yp6YFzLg1jxjH_FI-CQ8MWIIwPQgdRVaXVn-z5EvGlujZIi3tAaqQhrfP-y2Cx6uUS1nmDg-m_oJwP7v1Fj0IU6DxarG5Mv4hQ3GMQP51eOCSzP-L9tvz0zx8Rep_uWyItA5T48wEte2MyKqSjAnV6N23vq1pPbhaF1Iy1_QCaqZKx0bcfwiJOMNZBj50KzohpPvGfLHFfTyWxBNY47oS8pAdwqFQYBvUXlZuiOQlDC4oFjBHCuboHn70vWPP0tD6ZjXd24FvUaM7GwJPGEXzKLNU4RhOJNsOxrrZo6m_Xudy5ZNoHzcWRjPFXStjQfyRLpQg8F3nWhA499nxOlASkegQ7ale-38C3YALz0uXpnZPEzpFoLrgE5hKl-NbNGY-Ur3fAK1DSgxFKEkGvF2n9gP=w1440-h696-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The king and queen, being entertained with dance and music</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/HtxxQAjP1NdWj5LX9-3_YS01O-ZKOkkO_3vSojs1weWoZvl9giiAI8vOyQezMkZ1b1jS6Ti99HqcP3iAtVR2cl-pYUBUnBg2pgmaGru5GWg2GGreA5FsJDWSh7Qgk2FK276Q6mzzIZymIYx8EqUPkJRBF8eTI8qywmDtzp-VdGRYWMucz8486kc1v91nHZfxuXJElLszNUbG9JUYaVQ8PAwNe8_AL0K2OwJRGZYvl0kS9HVOxPNMh32wWioujH210HmuDAYm1SNMzcpSV0Op8V_XQ_z_JF4AgADjTTzEgDZf1oVWomjgqzg9x5J8LfZp0iW7OWawFrZ6wl6-RL0KXaOSTPk9ceKOEeXztzRUoUZeSncGgzGeu-B4Kq-2Igt7RPybqggb2KR168QNydMPASQT3aF1lygs4rw7DWUssCzqKAP_v_ACMTdAaEKUc74M9VBRcJajHKZk_AIPJM36Twp2lFKgVoqyDQVXw2Q5QN3CrSiRZcLE_xpcXbJaBCH1eeAAZ-zZu2gGf9ZlmH81iE1Lpkp7q48iUKB9UmVqtPL1lqQLEWjsdhJAy3V2liNksPgMMKASoj_WgndN-P_TtlZzFEdia_JDAAcP867GFoDGEr2SOPjc=w432-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="432" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/HtxxQAjP1NdWj5LX9-3_YS01O-ZKOkkO_3vSojs1weWoZvl9giiAI8vOyQezMkZ1b1jS6Ti99HqcP3iAtVR2cl-pYUBUnBg2pgmaGru5GWg2GGreA5FsJDWSh7Qgk2FK276Q6mzzIZymIYx8EqUPkJRBF8eTI8qywmDtzp-VdGRYWMucz8486kc1v91nHZfxuXJElLszNUbG9JUYaVQ8PAwNe8_AL0K2OwJRGZYvl0kS9HVOxPNMh32wWioujH210HmuDAYm1SNMzcpSV0Op8V_XQ_z_JF4AgADjTTzEgDZf1oVWomjgqzg9x5J8LfZp0iW7OWawFrZ6wl6-RL0KXaOSTPk9ceKOEeXztzRUoUZeSncGgzGeu-B4Kq-2Igt7RPybqggb2KR168QNydMPASQT3aF1lygs4rw7DWUssCzqKAP_v_ACMTdAaEKUc74M9VBRcJajHKZk_AIPJM36Twp2lFKgVoqyDQVXw2Q5QN3CrSiRZcLE_xpcXbJaBCH1eeAAZ-zZu2gGf9ZlmH81iE1Lpkp7q48iUKB9UmVqtPL1lqQLEWjsdhJAy3V2liNksPgMMKASoj_WgndN-P_TtlZzFEdia_JDAAcP867GFoDGEr2SOPjc=w432-h789-no" width="350" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>These panels may have been meant to fill the space. But see the wealth of detail</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/qSUT4zCmo7aFEB2MlA-xTB20YQS1-5vkvGO6OLNzY_oRZLiw5ttpnY5ckxL6Z71KYqphFTP_n_EvNnKqoM6MnpViKl8G1hB1xk4B9tu9BJ-CG_ZoyBbHuxYIKjdWoBpha4Y1beAssCOJoyW2RLnoz8yU_Dt5Hq15jcZMGCKatm9L1C4fOpWyeFvB80I84tZHvcuuMZYJwJhTmZhr9MS9ziCliG_bqOQTLLIE450Uv4gQcxvrr7MPxF8yOzHNu05u0NrsVneen87o-eugZL6Y5aDJX8a6YwOp1lB8tmYbUBwAcVvNpNJ3kCn7n3vyFjM7heuIrbv9IJeQj3Ob8JzGo7avNXxi74KmLCECADg0Z13jGqu4FK7zwFD0YdvA7x2rmXt8GnZuV7OJnBG3Tj83PSIaHsdwMsBORU3jByy0LJ8gI6yjsR4mcLPpbGrWWj0JPLCXh9Ge76hrl0tkUoMkUaeLcIVhl_3WOWGn9wlHhNEOrSAKTJCAi3MyTtV-CZPh1JVe0O2GL8qZ2EChOowzaMssOs01vPfwCcKL16yd6Ep449hNez_cyTfgk1_VeQoWwR5oegJPGIUFjvjXHprzuq-iRYaxaaiMhaCQRtfU7WhKAevua4Uz=w592-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/qSUT4zCmo7aFEB2MlA-xTB20YQS1-5vkvGO6OLNzY_oRZLiw5ttpnY5ckxL6Z71KYqphFTP_n_EvNnKqoM6MnpViKl8G1hB1xk4B9tu9BJ-CG_ZoyBbHuxYIKjdWoBpha4Y1beAssCOJoyW2RLnoz8yU_Dt5Hq15jcZMGCKatm9L1C4fOpWyeFvB80I84tZHvcuuMZYJwJhTmZhr9MS9ziCliG_bqOQTLLIE450Uv4gQcxvrr7MPxF8yOzHNu05u0NrsVneen87o-eugZL6Y5aDJX8a6YwOp1lB8tmYbUBwAcVvNpNJ3kCn7n3vyFjM7heuIrbv9IJeQj3Ob8JzGo7avNXxi74KmLCECADg0Z13jGqu4FK7zwFD0YdvA7x2rmXt8GnZuV7OJnBG3Tj83PSIaHsdwMsBORU3jByy0LJ8gI6yjsR4mcLPpbGrWWj0JPLCXh9Ge76hrl0tkUoMkUaeLcIVhl_3WOWGn9wlHhNEOrSAKTJCAi3MyTtV-CZPh1JVe0O2GL8qZ2EChOowzaMssOs01vPfwCcKL16yd6Ep449hNez_cyTfgk1_VeQoWwR5oegJPGIUFjvjXHprzuq-iRYaxaaiMhaCQRtfU7WhKAevua4Uz=w592-h789-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another filler panel, showing a woman with a black buck</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pTU29CC7gfqIyzFTnW54jxkXYf-ET1D3aqiRBz1_UowkeV4akXYYfhx-l4MOI9MVvpN4GKw4g0uzJIwiUgHlDtP8omcQt8J0nMHwmFazSZS8JSNaw9VlcTgyEmjKLLMR8VsG2ovNqAAwfolG1iWURl8GXvJt_FDlmqSgIddOw2Fkv-CQF8CzFBjx1-UqtSDh6uBNDr8uG6C1wlcN42OCI7rswO-3fq0QgeaFDACOmiqnDy9Pyq9E5xglIILpiFlowF1eR6Om7Fa6pqPB08et7L0SQdSQ07p_NrSNJl4SwpSsi4iclp7AfNqSp3NipTCAh18JC7vw5mEgKFW9HIR-0h1n-4WHlBpq_XICtYpqPmNeWlQf-0WleLXQeGqY3NRNIAnR6ZFzkDEa5xf5UbbXayTpAVoYV3qzvWe6RW6iBZ_cIsb88S1HZpr8gMr9BkXYwtMguIiSNPuHNgbau6uzI5_3D6KWaC5YdfUK65iK5ezVFC1aLg4hUs3jMIJZJWrQkIYLKKuORCBexevrxZoLIHhkUcORtN8fQzLAOt63Yi6NS-oksFkqc-v_L1LjzgBJgp4oImAtIr1iSeBOpaHH2_LbnsleYNNgv_o-x9qFTFKebeI9V2R=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/_pTU29CC7gfqIyzFTnW54jxkXYf-ET1D3aqiRBz1_UowkeV4akXYYfhx-l4MOI9MVvpN4GKw4g0uzJIwiUgHlDtP8omcQt8J0nMHwmFazSZS8JSNaw9VlcTgyEmjKLLMR8VsG2ovNqAAwfolG1iWURl8GXvJt_FDlmqSgIddOw2Fkv-CQF8CzFBjx1-UqtSDh6uBNDr8uG6C1wlcN42OCI7rswO-3fq0QgeaFDACOmiqnDy9Pyq9E5xglIILpiFlowF1eR6Om7Fa6pqPB08et7L0SQdSQ07p_NrSNJl4SwpSsi4iclp7AfNqSp3NipTCAh18JC7vw5mEgKFW9HIR-0h1n-4WHlBpq_XICtYpqPmNeWlQf-0WleLXQeGqY3NRNIAnR6ZFzkDEa5xf5UbbXayTpAVoYV3qzvWe6RW6iBZ_cIsb88S1HZpr8gMr9BkXYwtMguIiSNPuHNgbau6uzI5_3D6KWaC5YdfUK65iK5ezVFC1aLg4hUs3jMIJZJWrQkIYLKKuORCBexevrxZoLIHhkUcORtN8fQzLAOt63Yi6NS-oksFkqc-v_L1LjzgBJgp4oImAtIr1iSeBOpaHH2_LbnsleYNNgv_o-x9qFTFKebeI9V2R=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Look how beautifully the panel has been painted around the jharokha, meant to let light and air in</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/UBwOY3ONHfJoryDC2zvvlxgpZaTP28FSupb8MLaM-vMA1jHNyR_Rsem6hvw-YFgBb9J9dQ2J4sunbMAD2yupVpzithLjO9hfvN_bccnnIEbfSxx1TOaa-QDYii6SLUHfEhU9j8IuklrW2Lq7SFyo8XHKTBc4icLVqLOss2C5QYTYxDehi9SsEIbWzcf8-8_5a_lhAgtTW6NtkX5Oph4IylY7Q_NbwIBZrqomSx08P0ZtgW_wSWOpIdulxURdmRGh2fFJ_7pdT31IokvWdvhUlyVxlCWqp6J0Y8U85EK00hG32c0E-aDHe9xr9YrYxYumH5DhppFR1ae7DqOe6xRJ6lHF4rTDZ0WWQcD5LTFBAj3rl47HW15JEqLHYXSCK0mPxMyqOHif0b24m3gxvL_P-6rtcTVKa_G0yANDqgqsl1Q-j10MtSqbiTLOar_jaIszIHphMompjjDUOYh4vbuL0XMJ6-jRuk_BRI1JYuQS7R1M-rgbk0BZLvkwLk3vHIKFOK1yXdzk3ag5ypqCPWIwUW3yuvmFF51hbgNeJ86BcL1iqtDmuL--9O6FnOH1ECrLyl50OWWLljG-1r43Sq8HGGcmNz2FzEYupdSJ1Vn-UvdqJrfAOSN4=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><i><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/UBwOY3ONHfJoryDC2zvvlxgpZaTP28FSupb8MLaM-vMA1jHNyR_Rsem6hvw-YFgBb9J9dQ2J4sunbMAD2yupVpzithLjO9hfvN_bccnnIEbfSxx1TOaa-QDYii6SLUHfEhU9j8IuklrW2Lq7SFyo8XHKTBc4icLVqLOss2C5QYTYxDehi9SsEIbWzcf8-8_5a_lhAgtTW6NtkX5Oph4IylY7Q_NbwIBZrqomSx08P0ZtgW_wSWOpIdulxURdmRGh2fFJ_7pdT31IokvWdvhUlyVxlCWqp6J0Y8U85EK00hG32c0E-aDHe9xr9YrYxYumH5DhppFR1ae7DqOe6xRJ6lHF4rTDZ0WWQcD5LTFBAj3rl47HW15JEqLHYXSCK0mPxMyqOHif0b24m3gxvL_P-6rtcTVKa_G0yANDqgqsl1Q-j10MtSqbiTLOar_jaIszIHphMompjjDUOYh4vbuL0XMJ6-jRuk_BRI1JYuQS7R1M-rgbk0BZLvkwLk3vHIKFOK1yXdzk3ag5ypqCPWIwUW3yuvmFF51hbgNeJ86BcL1iqtDmuL--9O6FnOH1ECrLyl50OWWLljG-1r43Sq8HGGcmNz2FzEYupdSJ1Vn-UvdqJrfAOSN4=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></i></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A decorative element. What vibrant colours, despite the fact that the plaster is peeling off</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/q8Tlr6MLtHUi3YXHveEGQB8Tewp1VZtqwVfJAjVNgWrHSDWXHYKwEJTeAxHKyBaqqUOX92et7TD14LyhZZEQkjrLlgM3fV3bBH_1W006RoDvb4zdwb60wfdq2qKp2qNajnD1f1g8NgbyDMkZderkhrpmSOnUd39DFa15F6FVg3EoniU07OHq-GA8t651Hfp_oygBMuyqxFcOUWAZhiShVCPZ9U5yDu8XNczoFsLmWiMjIIo3uaYGEN1pcOqNyYiWA9n8oEEOF7wuE4D5Y3L48p1Zn4k_9Ws6ZaTrNHFHvh_-FDg7bchiuIKZs2TG94r0Y3pq7uA4sctMLyocLP8wEiIuTS63OCHlEKxZvbhThdGjweEoEWVlAcEO6FmMbQVAhRTKrCFBw9IHa_xfuzWu3aEyDA1A9sRAeNlEItsDFwB5KrdLWeAIcV4vwEdh_td8Ar5C6rf_tRD85uemCHFv4CQBr9DFU7t4oWGsYzfL5QY-fAkLP-PHw1z8A-HhfUZtXw77ZvxtGjRUqNSKRrHGMGH7CKA0NmqMlyLEbLZcHnQXM9qQbd7DRiPxWxn3QZWGWya1oE4D-SRiEOF5mz7O0gTuTVR0QS9DEkl3Xp4dAeMKw0x2SGIZ=w611-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="610" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/q8Tlr6MLtHUi3YXHveEGQB8Tewp1VZtqwVfJAjVNgWrHSDWXHYKwEJTeAxHKyBaqqUOX92et7TD14LyhZZEQkjrLlgM3fV3bBH_1W006RoDvb4zdwb60wfdq2qKp2qNajnD1f1g8NgbyDMkZderkhrpmSOnUd39DFa15F6FVg3EoniU07OHq-GA8t651Hfp_oygBMuyqxFcOUWAZhiShVCPZ9U5yDu8XNczoFsLmWiMjIIo3uaYGEN1pcOqNyYiWA9n8oEEOF7wuE4D5Y3L48p1Zn4k_9Ws6ZaTrNHFHvh_-FDg7bchiuIKZs2TG94r0Y3pq7uA4sctMLyocLP8wEiIuTS63OCHlEKxZvbhThdGjweEoEWVlAcEO6FmMbQVAhRTKrCFBw9IHa_xfuzWu3aEyDA1A9sRAeNlEItsDFwB5KrdLWeAIcV4vwEdh_td8Ar5C6rf_tRD85uemCHFv4CQBr9DFU7t4oWGsYzfL5QY-fAkLP-PHw1z8A-HhfUZtXw77ZvxtGjRUqNSKRrHGMGH7CKA0NmqMlyLEbLZcHnQXM9qQbd7DRiPxWxn3QZWGWya1oE4D-SRiEOF5mz7O0gTuTVR0QS9DEkl3Xp4dAeMKw0x2SGIZ=w611-h789-no" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another filler panel, showing a woman and child</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/kNXYOaN0Cq_x-zoZadBnCKskQ2PXylfP4vUTzIYHLpKsMkBmFlozDf5XSLqzJ5AQlpeu3wSn_9UaxN3ObHZJ8SaA0nLECbJAZn-E5ZJ9N_zwLVBMdk-OKkuD8cJbhEUF7fs_xVtQ8rqU7UGvUPVH-lees_uVxTX0_Ad3f3JExNLf8foNh_M4SBtkIxAIXDS0FMxX7XyG9uxQlvW-tW8EjaGHLLr2zA9zZliZXZAecotgLbo2gHWZ_DpNcuUp4g2sr8ifMaDpmcslhpt1BxuearpkFiFKcBicAFirBVF-ZKiapgIGO7R1agrvKLJUiXdo-LCtRU65BE5YcsmugSQBWGbGPGQ-Qxz_SBlSzIXpMs3LTXRJVfZGJznYJpx1Il4Yn4QyuH_GDVUkFuY-H_TO2uWbiCOmrPe0Zl6Jjybm_VOfA8fyosI7ZRU7ul8qAIBOi5e8je6RmhJ_ai72JRUL1kkQOYcdqfd4D996vi4yn2tJjdJ6WYQV9c_A6CoJ-nDzvPxXMDNULmE964YdqXbQCbXlwOoLVE5LTtRDCpimVn9LaZLVRzY-D5eJhKa9dYvvmCIJmJ_TXk-XNlf9D30dMGmNi5ONvRRDBWcR0Ot0zz0MGm1x58-m=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/kNXYOaN0Cq_x-zoZadBnCKskQ2PXylfP4vUTzIYHLpKsMkBmFlozDf5XSLqzJ5AQlpeu3wSn_9UaxN3ObHZJ8SaA0nLECbJAZn-E5ZJ9N_zwLVBMdk-OKkuD8cJbhEUF7fs_xVtQ8rqU7UGvUPVH-lees_uVxTX0_Ad3f3JExNLf8foNh_M4SBtkIxAIXDS0FMxX7XyG9uxQlvW-tW8EjaGHLLr2zA9zZliZXZAecotgLbo2gHWZ_DpNcuUp4g2sr8ifMaDpmcslhpt1BxuearpkFiFKcBicAFirBVF-ZKiapgIGO7R1agrvKLJUiXdo-LCtRU65BE5YcsmugSQBWGbGPGQ-Qxz_SBlSzIXpMs3LTXRJVfZGJznYJpx1Il4Yn4QyuH_GDVUkFuY-H_TO2uWbiCOmrPe0Zl6Jjybm_VOfA8fyosI7ZRU7ul8qAIBOi5e8je6RmhJ_ai72JRUL1kkQOYcdqfd4D996vi4yn2tJjdJ6WYQV9c_A6CoJ-nDzvPxXMDNULmE964YdqXbQCbXlwOoLVE5LTtRDCpimVn9LaZLVRzY-D5eJhKa9dYvvmCIJmJ_TXk-XNlf9D30dMGmNi5ONvRRDBWcR0Ot0zz0MGm1x58-m=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Watching the arrival of the dark clouds, and the onset of monsoon</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/ThQ3hkInOrNUtTzh9Uqf1_Dc1noncAft3SL__r-tPS38w6Bls0z7MmjSo-U9Pg6UreIzRmKymbRoQlqQnzvbRQLQUELPk3nax8nfQaVFaxCT7LNA-T2CcoBiOwjb6QsmnMxynYxjopS77pdrpn6bITeWjU9JcQtfeTeZ6nHwIOCmo5SgLTZKytJ2fTN0KH5EZ_CoHFVTEmgGY6X7zkIhogCXhi1wTSR-FSn0hGL8SJzoON3RaGq6eUjLQrSCtiPTcYzX9BBW3jj1EJXcUEiECNQxLdlX0KLIpSyVc3fAlU5KNWFYNJvhWEgUTlIQQCVizuZz30EWnJkXbQxz_DtRcBEprS7mV5_cpHxT9EGjMlb_vR6zIYGR5d_JkYJBMkla0L3SpX6_d1iAXXAkS8j6jUUHWPVlKT29MUMVOwTWiQDhIl5KB7J5areDjytc6h3T9iQjgHoksmQS43e0GNZY9upIB7Y718WGqoncZ80AOOajmYjmUWw7ooHDGIToVLLMwl0Bgd4Puza77KnC09kEoVPoI0NcNZiVziWz6D4qqFiSC-yITZ2kjOQaNnAlC3vLBklFMzb52XgOgAksW7dH_jwkgSCXzmrhK4tqf0TOMAQtapEbBiCB=w1368-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1368" height="368" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/ThQ3hkInOrNUtTzh9Uqf1_Dc1noncAft3SL__r-tPS38w6Bls0z7MmjSo-U9Pg6UreIzRmKymbRoQlqQnzvbRQLQUELPk3nax8nfQaVFaxCT7LNA-T2CcoBiOwjb6QsmnMxynYxjopS77pdrpn6bITeWjU9JcQtfeTeZ6nHwIOCmo5SgLTZKytJ2fTN0KH5EZ_CoHFVTEmgGY6X7zkIhogCXhi1wTSR-FSn0hGL8SJzoON3RaGq6eUjLQrSCtiPTcYzX9BBW3jj1EJXcUEiECNQxLdlX0KLIpSyVc3fAlU5KNWFYNJvhWEgUTlIQQCVizuZz30EWnJkXbQxz_DtRcBEprS7mV5_cpHxT9EGjMlb_vR6zIYGR5d_JkYJBMkla0L3SpX6_d1iAXXAkS8j6jUUHWPVlKT29MUMVOwTWiQDhIl5KB7J5areDjytc6h3T9iQjgHoksmQS43e0GNZY9upIB7Y718WGqoncZ80AOOajmYjmUWw7ooHDGIToVLLMwl0Bgd4Puza77KnC09kEoVPoI0NcNZiVziWz6D4qqFiSC-yITZ2kjOQaNnAlC3vLBklFMzb52XgOgAksW7dH_jwkgSCXzmrhK4tqf0TOMAQtapEbBiCB=w1368-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Floral panels on the lower half of the walls</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/zuvhmf0Eh-P-o6AbAG-AXHeVVJs6v1tZoRfA7qFV2clPQKfD2PxWiKTvXyyWu8f3ris7ebExRaAbK_Hred_3oFsLIXNfOG0hPUPKhV-x8kvnMxEmZwIda415rIqTTNlaYgqrTst6L_Yy-B6BT4aDDsxe9rlG8-kjszuu6gMuv1NHcM2k3RZcfebvBrC0qCjn_zuy4PJCYhNNC61EB8fg0kR5Mq3mRqFw0yD63xF5xaXCNaBtSpDrvvE1icG0L_mR9w5t1DLtUuxe65Zj919sTIiai6e_C6Zpcd7VxzIHw2yr1j_Crvo6AbIju9maDOtYSnoEPpARqfCyfaWsQMKN20FZvYnGA1me9x0i0_2r1nhSQytNBFIL77GUMPgu5SJ7XOCxz7eNkmSBdRa8A1n3O56CStpBmWvP40NJWOtBTMbUABID8rsadocthTt-_5p6iwPTAdiQnnQIaCbc_XkYPuQpnD-PwVTrhE-dDPv9YIJG2hbI3cIG6s2TWZOWGjDxEiCWW1guLDlzc8ax7viORqWX6k4P0qL2KI8CbeJB5eHg8S-mx2GOE7JhzPaf3mejk5clR7nOsr8tsrCYLeHVp_k3VqTyuqwFh9vRNoUSeyrsZRX3NYzG=w1052-h789-no" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="640" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Floral patterns on the ceiling</i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/zuvhmf0Eh-P-o6AbAG-AXHeVVJs6v1tZoRfA7qFV2clPQKfD2PxWiKTvXyyWu8f3ris7ebExRaAbK_Hred_3oFsLIXNfOG0hPUPKhV-x8kvnMxEmZwIda415rIqTTNlaYgqrTst6L_Yy-B6BT4aDDsxe9rlG8-kjszuu6gMuv1NHcM2k3RZcfebvBrC0qCjn_zuy4PJCYhNNC61EB8fg0kR5Mq3mRqFw0yD63xF5xaXCNaBtSpDrvvE1icG0L_mR9w5t1DLtUuxe65Zj919sTIiai6e_C6Zpcd7VxzIHw2yr1j_Crvo6AbIju9maDOtYSnoEPpARqfCyfaWsQMKN20FZvYnGA1me9x0i0_2r1nhSQytNBFIL77GUMPgu5SJ7XOCxz7eNkmSBdRa8A1n3O56CStpBmWvP40NJWOtBTMbUABID8rsadocthTt-_5p6iwPTAdiQnnQIaCbc_XkYPuQpnD-PwVTrhE-dDPv9YIJG2hbI3cIG6s2TWZOWGjDxEiCWW1guLDlzc8ax7viORqWX6k4P0qL2KI8CbeJB5eHg8S-mx2GOE7JhzPaf3mejk5clR7nOsr8tsrCYLeHVp_k3VqTyuqwFh9vRNoUSeyrsZRX3NYzG=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br /></div>
<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/zuvhmf0Eh-P-o6AbAG-AXHeVVJs6v1tZoRfA7qFV2clPQKfD2PxWiKTvXyyWu8f3ris7ebExRaAbK_Hred_3oFsLIXNfOG0hPUPKhV-x8kvnMxEmZwIda415rIqTTNlaYgqrTst6L_Yy-B6BT4aDDsxe9rlG8-kjszuu6gMuv1NHcM2k3RZcfebvBrC0qCjn_zuy4PJCYhNNC61EB8fg0kR5Mq3mRqFw0yD63xF5xaXCNaBtSpDrvvE1icG0L_mR9w5t1DLtUuxe65Zj919sTIiai6e_C6Zpcd7VxzIHw2yr1j_Crvo6AbIju9maDOtYSnoEPpARqfCyfaWsQMKN20FZvYnGA1me9x0i0_2r1nhSQytNBFIL77GUMPgu5SJ7XOCxz7eNkmSBdRa8A1n3O56CStpBmWvP40NJWOtBTMbUABID8rsadocthTt-_5p6iwPTAdiQnnQIaCbc_XkYPuQpnD-PwVTrhE-dDPv9YIJG2hbI3cIG6s2TWZOWGjDxEiCWW1guLDlzc8ax7viORqWX6k4P0qL2KI8CbeJB5eHg8S-mx2GOE7JhzPaf3mejk5clR7nOsr8tsrCYLeHVp_k3VqTyuqwFh9vRNoUSeyrsZRX3NYzG=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><br />
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<b><i>Most of the paintings</i></b> seem to depict the city palace at Jaipur,
since it would have then been the seat of the king. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/thCctR1QgmTfwhcD-jAVP-fNaeToiNR_oTPFN2j2WIbuYiWit2-uJKuZEVlKqXRtHxzVs8hCGcKGk-wQmOFqJgXcu9H1jdiBGEAroFrd_HI7OQat4xeFeG69xJnux7J_KV1PSPDOGGr6eQ1gaqlhIQi3jX_WbaFOL8WFNtyIDQ3WDRrkbNPFUVuDcqoIyApLVwxpw9H_TDZvphfR_ZNiLQnTtucSJoL3MOR3Qtxmr31NX6vOOPnFuT97ueq8jXLCDGkSpPfMg-eRrdX47TRqB5MZNWfHSklcs_RU7rJMDVdZDIM4SSTI8-gG4tGZRmM00fkqejjyjbrvgIyxB15lb3ShYE66DjGBptGm3oNYL-afqhUqsA6UkmUJ8PdZptxQbctAGChUj-L3vw3G-iyequsbEXM5kr-YQAD19OY10GbwN8E8b640Hau9uXn8BOobbwUjXYYOkM4o-BD5caNepF6hD-4a2DaFiZg-WxoSj5PxFq0EP1XA7prbvSF3CJEaMgo1sAJq6e1QACZL02hICdjs7auXqpuwGDrHL9Nweb18jMANNxWnzEIK7Qv8Utpp0VwMjjTm8c0dFaxV9gKfTR3H5PpzZ2wvx7NaZ54EYDc9lXF4H9yM=w788-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="788" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/thCctR1QgmTfwhcD-jAVP-fNaeToiNR_oTPFN2j2WIbuYiWit2-uJKuZEVlKqXRtHxzVs8hCGcKGk-wQmOFqJgXcu9H1jdiBGEAroFrd_HI7OQat4xeFeG69xJnux7J_KV1PSPDOGGr6eQ1gaqlhIQi3jX_WbaFOL8WFNtyIDQ3WDRrkbNPFUVuDcqoIyApLVwxpw9H_TDZvphfR_ZNiLQnTtucSJoL3MOR3Qtxmr31NX6vOOPnFuT97ueq8jXLCDGkSpPfMg-eRrdX47TRqB5MZNWfHSklcs_RU7rJMDVdZDIM4SSTI8-gG4tGZRmM00fkqejjyjbrvgIyxB15lb3ShYE66DjGBptGm3oNYL-afqhUqsA6UkmUJ8PdZptxQbctAGChUj-L3vw3G-iyequsbEXM5kr-YQAD19OY10GbwN8E8b640Hau9uXn8BOobbwUjXYYOkM4o-BD5caNepF6hD-4a2DaFiZg-WxoSj5PxFq0EP1XA7prbvSF3CJEaMgo1sAJq6e1QACZL02hICdjs7auXqpuwGDrHL9Nweb18jMANNxWnzEIK7Qv8Utpp0VwMjjTm8c0dFaxV9gKfTR3H5PpzZ2wvx7NaZ54EYDc9lXF4H9yM=w788-h789-no" width="638" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A Royal procession</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/NkkxQidUJGF2h3u-38ic0oyx_wY2PLMa3XI7s57CcM6toPKel_v8ZV30NhmUCAm6AknkANnvHPTEIJR1WMizZ-eoMfcNiUkZhUgRCD8zzCSnaGP2f4--DAlVmf2myM0QuFgEsK7voYeh5AuuV1-XT1QTGvPGB8lR4n47NVigj2ZB7OQ8sRT-lrbvbHVBygdBcjSc_2qQunVw77zoZVCWHnbpHOgC69aiEylQGUNq1IHkm4bmOV8akTDAJhTtrLPBxn-2GBaEUFOGxfUoiM0zr0ofcewzxMyIbf38xirhZQ2393WgGLqGe-Vq-SyBxuzyUq6Xiw0oktFD_5-V3IlZDuHkdS55MWUrMoRf37zGDZhTCPROsmgo9w8CU2jKjN1v6Fiht42VOYY34q0wIB1Z0t9H4oqpqoux2VMQQHBcFuHK88I5dNjIjqZXbAKc2rNk46aoYVtgcF8s0SeWrmGjYK4-SWe8c4DB8Krw12SNObd2o6EQksi6KQmElIxXpH3Cf3H8fVaF6f_5SI3cZsR-8bsb4FiJbIucbAITQ7PaKGSEX7TAbw0DBzCS3D-9BkUOcXgZGYkoSuynoZGltNuSFd-j36kYBCaprWbGfJCeC7k2q3j9tamd=w705-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="704" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/NkkxQidUJGF2h3u-38ic0oyx_wY2PLMa3XI7s57CcM6toPKel_v8ZV30NhmUCAm6AknkANnvHPTEIJR1WMizZ-eoMfcNiUkZhUgRCD8zzCSnaGP2f4--DAlVmf2myM0QuFgEsK7voYeh5AuuV1-XT1QTGvPGB8lR4n47NVigj2ZB7OQ8sRT-lrbvbHVBygdBcjSc_2qQunVw77zoZVCWHnbpHOgC69aiEylQGUNq1IHkm4bmOV8akTDAJhTtrLPBxn-2GBaEUFOGxfUoiM0zr0ofcewzxMyIbf38xirhZQ2393WgGLqGe-Vq-SyBxuzyUq6Xiw0oktFD_5-V3IlZDuHkdS55MWUrMoRf37zGDZhTCPROsmgo9w8CU2jKjN1v6Fiht42VOYY34q0wIB1Z0t9H4oqpqoux2VMQQHBcFuHK88I5dNjIjqZXbAKc2rNk46aoYVtgcF8s0SeWrmGjYK4-SWe8c4DB8Krw12SNObd2o6EQksi6KQmElIxXpH3Cf3H8fVaF6f_5SI3cZsR-8bsb4FiJbIucbAITQ7PaKGSEX7TAbw0DBzCS3D-9BkUOcXgZGYkoSuynoZGltNuSFd-j36kYBCaprWbGfJCeC7k2q3j9tamd=w705-h789-no" width="570" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A congregation of Rajput chiefs.</i></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>However</i></b>, interestingly, some of the paintings also depict Amer
and Jaigarh, especially this one. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/szi7Z7NVowzAWLwGY7VpOVBjPKfBfNEFOrCsxhNx5rhNiUsTBRnQ52NIdtiix4jEAzAoN65DXUx8O3f2SEa3sq12A2KWNN3bPZSjT0d3dQ1OFDxiqlVpR6NZOWZtIEQ7nYbc_BXOt8RbZrZrAfkNPHTHoZz94yIdbFqoofKrn9k0MYWvxEkZwL2JyCxK7aFOs81EtXQHpWWmugnbMLSM14TDnDvFbjpFAzBZxsrRGwQ7QQXRHdR1EeTmc1tGjnzfU1EgCcWhlmM3RZ2qznKFRIcQm2EikFdISJREn7simhOX-ffVjAoWkSSts78CSdeFsWGqRUBeRQ3boOMSqbQ0BM6hu5Njj4EIK5_odmKNS6BqGeoSh9PmECYq8DMOrE2pWHGbKnvpWddjp0saoun5vDLQXGl6UdoTumojTlBNVl5vmziydU4KbwEZ6jNSXdnu16IgucfMVhjXiJMMsFXhjYA-ezEDEiMPme4haUccoukXtfyXBtQpL1eDAqVXDnjZSvO5T1oGLZT05nirTCueQ88xCI2fBR8Yml8oLNTnRKz6U69pU2XQMOb8kBuyIXDBAqCVmn2791E6MQlKDYvbqTxgVSNSpjGKGa_izuvyOW9eGNl_GXe0=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/szi7Z7NVowzAWLwGY7VpOVBjPKfBfNEFOrCsxhNx5rhNiUsTBRnQ52NIdtiix4jEAzAoN65DXUx8O3f2SEa3sq12A2KWNN3bPZSjT0d3dQ1OFDxiqlVpR6NZOWZtIEQ7nYbc_BXOt8RbZrZrAfkNPHTHoZz94yIdbFqoofKrn9k0MYWvxEkZwL2JyCxK7aFOs81EtXQHpWWmugnbMLSM14TDnDvFbjpFAzBZxsrRGwQ7QQXRHdR1EeTmc1tGjnzfU1EgCcWhlmM3RZ2qznKFRIcQm2EikFdISJREn7simhOX-ffVjAoWkSSts78CSdeFsWGqRUBeRQ3boOMSqbQ0BM6hu5Njj4EIK5_odmKNS6BqGeoSh9PmECYq8DMOrE2pWHGbKnvpWddjp0saoun5vDLQXGl6UdoTumojTlBNVl5vmziydU4KbwEZ6jNSXdnu16IgucfMVhjXiJMMsFXhjYA-ezEDEiMPme4haUccoukXtfyXBtQpL1eDAqVXDnjZSvO5T1oGLZT05nirTCueQ88xCI2fBR8Yml8oLNTnRKz6U69pU2XQMOb8kBuyIXDBAqCVmn2791E6MQlKDYvbqTxgVSNSpjGKGa_izuvyOW9eGNl_GXe0=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>The hill, with the fort on the summit, as well as at the foothill, appears to be Jaigarh and Amer. Which means the palace on the right could be the city palace. This either depicts movement of troops, or, as I believe, due to the number of people shown emerging from Amer, it probably shows the shifting of the capital. </i></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b><i>While the ASI</i></b> board suggests this depicts movement of the army,
do you think this could probably depict the shifting of the capital from Amer
to Jaipur? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Np0vgKHueFrZfwvWvTYlSBhX7Tv3lITZAs8s2sAnd3TtpzKDvDIGtfL6bNia4MLNb5m292WdPX_EFOoo9RQ2RIC-bU6nAchLBOKI3wbyezIs6b651gOY4EveVa2bJQA_XdNsE0KngcR2dBq_9v8nXP1z_YDkmxQsmA9ZCSIcfeM28Cj4GgewZozCokOJ8sGAinNd-8xx-qqy0BvrX8NtHj-EA89eknB3vPLb3fBSfVYEiuKwptf8mBivw6FPkpZksIgTyhuzNSi1lGK76lyCtp890uvA5RxIs07H0ENXEgZigPbNhfCd_Xj-gq07yGMfc0HjmJbXdi2nDhQrvy20QxH-XPkqlYOIRzJsmnuOkGWzy5oazUY4md_1RdCbRjZgnSK4PKTxYJljS7qzb9WzyzBe_aqw3eJP06_C-9lvnSShnDXyl5LjUGeZLRDHo-YlTtsxNl_Hlc-ZKWgwojvJarVOfWq77PgrksV3Sa2ulY4kO0c5XNTxXFXUp4EmD9PKRpzWnZkuZ9UEvagJ91sEmRMeCFN3_NGGs-m227gILCap0QPYrcwo91VATm-Foi57W-kfXvr8ZTDc-MLblRnmhu7jnHzJImCjfhrLcD_BIYWZD3YVF58x=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Np0vgKHueFrZfwvWvTYlSBhX7Tv3lITZAs8s2sAnd3TtpzKDvDIGtfL6bNia4MLNb5m292WdPX_EFOoo9RQ2RIC-bU6nAchLBOKI3wbyezIs6b651gOY4EveVa2bJQA_XdNsE0KngcR2dBq_9v8nXP1z_YDkmxQsmA9ZCSIcfeM28Cj4GgewZozCokOJ8sGAinNd-8xx-qqy0BvrX8NtHj-EA89eknB3vPLb3fBSfVYEiuKwptf8mBivw6FPkpZksIgTyhuzNSi1lGK76lyCtp890uvA5RxIs07H0ENXEgZigPbNhfCd_Xj-gq07yGMfc0HjmJbXdi2nDhQrvy20QxH-XPkqlYOIRzJsmnuOkGWzy5oazUY4md_1RdCbRjZgnSK4PKTxYJljS7qzb9WzyzBe_aqw3eJP06_C-9lvnSShnDXyl5LjUGeZLRDHo-YlTtsxNl_Hlc-ZKWgwojvJarVOfWq77PgrksV3Sa2ulY4kO0c5XNTxXFXUp4EmD9PKRpzWnZkuZ9UEvagJ91sEmRMeCFN3_NGGs-m227gILCap0QPYrcwo91VATm-Foi57W-kfXvr8ZTDc-MLblRnmhu7jnHzJImCjfhrLcD_BIYWZD3YVF58x=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Another panel, which could also be movement of troops, though here I can't identify the forts involved. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/mTOki4MAwHY5749XteFHBkAecT6gmkiiNBYVK9tF5p9fy7ztYPJduuww9senbgK4iokhtRqOBD3mP-z-bVBu9XrJEA6ZklkgsyTvUc6YPHGzOCEzBKnkwxrEJZUqsCXoAsSLEsfpwzT5RoYxeb-gxhRMzhob8naUN5g2nnuicL43_3gPBTeIU9sbc9LKwEF4dFkAft49GkSuZpK76GrzwTCoNJQrBXC8WbkJd6D36089Q1vHU__Aj7OebMOKbU16J44WsZeD5HdtBAinIqfBMM5sm5WcLx1HqFsht1oMPnqQeSBtEHvsptxa6gyo2Z4J5tKufQ97a8CwfBtm37H2rgxQYwDNQVOFhUzTeDGmYecZdWKzhEFAKjWwWxDKSNR9t_nJOiYWxYKLNauYbY7aBdHRozz_CE_v4A35T0nntb_7q4d1KrbahHgZvV38hjIGqzwa67yjdtrYH5WsJIDSC8WlQN9TRisszJUy00u1hV0FgmGq6PHOj07dTx2r9cLqUpIpm9_fxXPkGEHbtJfDuMpPUYTwGkaqTg99r-Cdq8nb5mx9_P3cAsOob46uo6hIoGkjuaA5iswNnU4o0T-CKXhnROabXVgn6Byo9oTA9X9XsXpNE9e6=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/mTOki4MAwHY5749XteFHBkAecT6gmkiiNBYVK9tF5p9fy7ztYPJduuww9senbgK4iokhtRqOBD3mP-z-bVBu9XrJEA6ZklkgsyTvUc6YPHGzOCEzBKnkwxrEJZUqsCXoAsSLEsfpwzT5RoYxeb-gxhRMzhob8naUN5g2nnuicL43_3gPBTeIU9sbc9LKwEF4dFkAft49GkSuZpK76GrzwTCoNJQrBXC8WbkJd6D36089Q1vHU__Aj7OebMOKbU16J44WsZeD5HdtBAinIqfBMM5sm5WcLx1HqFsht1oMPnqQeSBtEHvsptxa6gyo2Z4J5tKufQ97a8CwfBtm37H2rgxQYwDNQVOFhUzTeDGmYecZdWKzhEFAKjWwWxDKSNR9t_nJOiYWxYKLNauYbY7aBdHRozz_CE_v4A35T0nntb_7q4d1KrbahHgZvV38hjIGqzwa67yjdtrYH5WsJIDSC8WlQN9TRisszJUy00u1hV0FgmGq6PHOj07dTx2r9cLqUpIpm9_fxXPkGEHbtJfDuMpPUYTwGkaqTg99r-Cdq8nb5mx9_P3cAsOob46uo6hIoGkjuaA5iswNnU4o0T-CKXhnROabXVgn6Byo9oTA9X9XsXpNE9e6=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>A closer look at the above panel. The red coats make me think these are probably British forces. Jaipur came under the British in the early 19th century, so this could be one of the instances when the Rajputs fought the British in the mid or late 18th century</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>The caretaker was helpful</i></b>, but he didn’t have answers to many
of our questions. He told us that the Haveli had originally belonged to a family,
before the ASI had taken over, which is why so few paintings remained. Was the
entire Haveli painted? He didn’t know for sure. After all, the entire place had
been painted and repainted many times. Why then, did this sole room survive? Was
this perhaps a special room? A puja room for instance, which, for religious
reasons would have been left untouched? Though, I doubt this would have been a puja room, since there are no images of Gods. If I had to guess, I would say that this might have been where the purohit would have received important guests, going by the paintings of festivals, celebrations, and the king with the queen. Why did this room survive then? Or, was it the only one with such detailed paintings? No one seems to know. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Coming out</i></b>, watching the caretaker lock the door once more
behind us, I looked at the rows and rows of houses, old and new, spread out
ahead of us. Jaipur still has remnants of houses and Havelis from the time the
city was built. We know about the grand palaces and mansions that have been
turned into heritage hotels, where the intricate paintings and murals have been
preserved. However, I wonder how many such Havelis remain, where such treasures
lie hidden behind closed and decaying doors, hidden from our eyes? <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Information</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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<ul>
<li><b><i>Location</i></b>: The
Pundrikji-ki-Haveli is located at Brahmapuri, right on the main road. Simply
drive along the road and look out for the ASI board. At present, the location has not yet been mapped on Google Maps, though the caretaker told us the process had been initiated. </li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><i>Timings</i></b>: The haveli is
open all day, except when the caretaker decides to take a break for lunch or
tea. Ask the shopkeepers if he isn’t around, and then settle down to wait!</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li><b><i>Suggestions</i></b>: The room
with the paintings is small, but exquisite. If you have a few hours to spare,
do go see them. Such heritage sites need a whole lot of support and
encouragement from us. </li>
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<b><i>For more photos of these paintings, <span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://goo.gl/photos/dtXQA34HbWTsHeoQ6">Click Here</a></span>.</i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a></div>
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Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com6Brahampuri, Jaipur, Rajasthan, India26.9479409 75.82724819999998526.891320399999998 75.746567199999987 27.0045614 75.907929199999984tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3550933650092646667.post-58385237773645583822017-06-01T07:59:00.000+05:302017-06-02T09:03:21.175+05:30The Temple of Neelkanth at Alwar, Rajasthan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><i>Deep inside the Sariska Tiger Reserve</i></b>, a narrow road led us to the foothills of a mountain. There, it abruptly stopped, and we wondered how we were expected to go on. Our driver looked at me accusingly, surely blaming me for getting us all lost, in search of a temple he hadn’t heard of. Just then, a local on a bike appeared, hurtling out of nowhere. Seeing us, apparently lost, he stopped, and we asked for directions. He simply pointed to the mountain, and said the temple was up there. I was aghast, at the thought of climbing the mountain, in the heat. But then he pointed to a rough path ahead, and told us to follow it. We stared at the path, if we could call it that, in dismay. But having come this far, we didn’t want to return without trying our best. And by now, our driver had discovered his adventurous side. Metaphorically gearing up his loins, he got in, and assured us he could get us up the mountain. The next hour was a trial for our nerves, as the rocky path took us higher, and we bumped and swayed with every curve. Beautiful as the scenery was, all we could do was hold on tight. At last, we approached a gateway, and heaved a sigh of relief. There wasn’t a soul in sight, and we tried a few paths, all of which led us to dead ends, until, at last, we arrived at a clearing, and caught our first sight of the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/W9hvF4gTfG78Qs5p8fr7O1z7p6h7HYMAu017PHXTOfqpFnYfw34crxOrAQ8MIpr_YK9r-mv0OX_7D3zCAxnXZ00PpnXe1Q76ZtXDitEn5pSYPfZxBllD742wS3oCdfDxkmn5o0lCfWUStHjfTb-VkXW9NZuH4TPZch1D4W8wDYLV5jNvsPjUgVbbtQHJhhbIDaaZyb-9zhLaV-HHpEYD94MPU5GNeZiN6euP2bBOvmYuxKUeB6J00-wBVf82fyRCvSLv1fbKIZoX7nHskpkWPMWqjaVWrPm5ZxjwIyy5rCDbD-OwYv7kXZyBCgc_QoVkdjLxUhsGn0lOvkQNrfh0-r-RPa2JSIkVcBSU5GW0cDCyucGv9LTzkBef9gligJ9Z7slXRtvFj1Fz4kw3I_EdBgNkoW1xh2dsvaeaQ-Om0Xx24-DKkLLODCXJIjrXheE59BY_8NifxdQL-J7PhYqONxtMPMijDAIf2ER0uZoWq8hbKl_-EIYQ1BDzJNjr7H1QJ0VXsyNbqZh4PR0w8q9RITC7B8Kr82tN6GsmMYK_WfnM1uTuveAv8W7VLB7d1J1GFTUfJGnbg5njds_dTyxYUiuf55hvLkr-YM3ptTZHMxUikYPevq_b=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/W9hvF4gTfG78Qs5p8fr7O1z7p6h7HYMAu017PHXTOfqpFnYfw34crxOrAQ8MIpr_YK9r-mv0OX_7D3zCAxnXZ00PpnXe1Q76ZtXDitEn5pSYPfZxBllD742wS3oCdfDxkmn5o0lCfWUStHjfTb-VkXW9NZuH4TPZch1D4W8wDYLV5jNvsPjUgVbbtQHJhhbIDaaZyb-9zhLaV-HHpEYD94MPU5GNeZiN6euP2bBOvmYuxKUeB6J00-wBVf82fyRCvSLv1fbKIZoX7nHskpkWPMWqjaVWrPm5ZxjwIyy5rCDbD-OwYv7kXZyBCgc_QoVkdjLxUhsGn0lOvkQNrfh0-r-RPa2JSIkVcBSU5GW0cDCyucGv9LTzkBef9gligJ9Z7slXRtvFj1Fz4kw3I_EdBgNkoW1xh2dsvaeaQ-Om0Xx24-DKkLLODCXJIjrXheE59BY_8NifxdQL-J7PhYqONxtMPMijDAIf2ER0uZoWq8hbKl_-EIYQ1BDzJNjr7H1QJ0VXsyNbqZh4PR0w8q9RITC7B8Kr82tN6GsmMYK_WfnM1uTuveAv8W7VLB7d1J1GFTUfJGnbg5njds_dTyxYUiuf55hvLkr-YM3ptTZHMxUikYPevq_b=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></div>
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<b><i>The Neelkanth Mahadev temple</i></b> (according to the <a href="http://asijaipurcircle.nic.in/Neelkanth.html#loc">ASI website</a>) was built in the late 10<sup>th</sup> century, by the king Mathanadeva, a feudatory of the Pratiharas. Interestingly, while the temple is named for Shiva as Neelakantha, the blue throated one who swallowed poison and saved the world, the temple has three shrines – the central one dedicated to Shiva, housing the aniconic Shiva linga, and two similarly sized shrines on either side, dedicated to Brahma and Vishnu. Sadly, both these shrines are locked up, since they are partly ruined, and the idols are broken. However, the doorways, which are still intact, suggest that the temple was built to worship all three deities.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/y1DNwxig11TmaBlzupHgSozs-GtvmsEVroTlylVFEvy1uahzX0E-GAR0dNVfbDOKZzKhaS1DGKzbHUfolkpYo7Vt_u_fHgwox2rjmAVSr0hjEgw5FPN-TMw5PxxkUmFsas96bloSLuJ--29lshC71k52sI2UC_pRYe5yUc_LJgfEGxtQItAJYsc9wzxHCJXIwPnLn6OwTNtjko1rNimWnfU2d55kK6Os3wgmcA91de3Lj1EmPxuit3MFCmc3llHBPH7K_4d9iuWI45RguyF9cbBn1L-uenxwN2wZS1yDWOP3mslyVo21HO-IhYByHHHKrmwAMabp9tq_UoFw9F4SE3jchmWaNPdq_4nszPnrsMHROk83cn3_JTd4dyGtmukN9YN3fiM5D0v2UO4yM7b5p_OxCuJKrlKjQzcfL_fOgHEE_c9qoEuDMeMWgNUvP7sOLh7LzVGoAaYvzggwn_95zfVAkb48xsHZlby9AUTutD1qiswKnLGKLe2OS8AHfz3axIeqw5hEzkUDkTi2PMfQ3ZChF6RfUvxFM_bzJpWEMDuXBQkY_W9z_jpirrO-MGlTk2IvI3oNfRwYrrjg3QD-uBu7LQ4nK28bxguMGIWsnXUOra9SPhTY=w1440-h788-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="787" data-original-width="1439" height="350" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/y1DNwxig11TmaBlzupHgSozs-GtvmsEVroTlylVFEvy1uahzX0E-GAR0dNVfbDOKZzKhaS1DGKzbHUfolkpYo7Vt_u_fHgwox2rjmAVSr0hjEgw5FPN-TMw5PxxkUmFsas96bloSLuJ--29lshC71k52sI2UC_pRYe5yUc_LJgfEGxtQItAJYsc9wzxHCJXIwPnLn6OwTNtjko1rNimWnfU2d55kK6Os3wgmcA91de3Lj1EmPxuit3MFCmc3llHBPH7K_4d9iuWI45RguyF9cbBn1L-uenxwN2wZS1yDWOP3mslyVo21HO-IhYByHHHKrmwAMabp9tq_UoFw9F4SE3jchmWaNPdq_4nszPnrsMHROk83cn3_JTd4dyGtmukN9YN3fiM5D0v2UO4yM7b5p_OxCuJKrlKjQzcfL_fOgHEE_c9qoEuDMeMWgNUvP7sOLh7LzVGoAaYvzggwn_95zfVAkb48xsHZlby9AUTutD1qiswKnLGKLe2OS8AHfz3axIeqw5hEzkUDkTi2PMfQ3ZChF6RfUvxFM_bzJpWEMDuXBQkY_W9z_jpirrO-MGlTk2IvI3oNfRwYrrjg3QD-uBu7LQ4nK28bxguMGIWsnXUOra9SPhTY=w1440-h788-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>The lintel of the main sanctum. Brahma, on the left, then Ganesha, Shiva as Nataraja in the centre, then Chamunda, and Vishnu on extreme right. The two figures on the sides are Matrikas. There are 6 of them in all on the two sides, similar to the temples at Kiradu. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/jhjgy5GLjOhdZxMBl7XIeBTVXMoBif6LGaad8bWH5Oj6iz52gVVoRpc27qL9OlknqkO1_Kk_pXVqHtwO6YrcAbWJQ7Yg7VlOX0dD99ISy8XIbZFStaZAwD-C6vl8Lb41Cm3K_48Ubydu1gLt3h5dAY8wkXeg-KOJNn_R1CHekognlv25GTZQzNSClExipIxWApGBYKkD4koWb5QTyBaVtRiacl9IwfRckvgXw54owJQoLxiulAxbsTBWOfH5Hkdk7C7isvwhRiKn-sxsO5I5J6hRy94Q87p-pLtQNpUrX447FW-yJFRfdrHX5k5H11rvfVcDr-JZcFUS6_2CnuKFVJDXDo1GyrneHufH95WkF5c-ZJzRgWVQNwM9zE1MpNsL6O-fK9uA4NPP8MkXW0NspGLhsAZBM6k1d2u-wIKxV-1TKoNB_WcEIt6HenoeY0mlzrZm9U7gqSKdkU4-432ageL9wZPIQkNGOU1Kc7vAEXHLKX2_3Jp-an5vI-9FOv2BlILqggReLDGUn6Sygwk4onQZZ-xa_qEdEp1qila3VmS1lUgYUOfP4Cb2nLMM30yJvSXLDayqz_D9vraPJRupVGRBvLeraCwHLzPY_Zl7EIrBFo2ghVo6=w610-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="610" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/jhjgy5GLjOhdZxMBl7XIeBTVXMoBif6LGaad8bWH5Oj6iz52gVVoRpc27qL9OlknqkO1_Kk_pXVqHtwO6YrcAbWJQ7Yg7VlOX0dD99ISy8XIbZFStaZAwD-C6vl8Lb41Cm3K_48Ubydu1gLt3h5dAY8wkXeg-KOJNn_R1CHekognlv25GTZQzNSClExipIxWApGBYKkD4koWb5QTyBaVtRiacl9IwfRckvgXw54owJQoLxiulAxbsTBWOfH5Hkdk7C7isvwhRiKn-sxsO5I5J6hRy94Q87p-pLtQNpUrX447FW-yJFRfdrHX5k5H11rvfVcDr-JZcFUS6_2CnuKFVJDXDo1GyrneHufH95WkF5c-ZJzRgWVQNwM9zE1MpNsL6O-fK9uA4NPP8MkXW0NspGLhsAZBM6k1d2u-wIKxV-1TKoNB_WcEIt6HenoeY0mlzrZm9U7gqSKdkU4-432ageL9wZPIQkNGOU1Kc7vAEXHLKX2_3Jp-an5vI-9FOv2BlILqggReLDGUn6Sygwk4onQZZ-xa_qEdEp1qila3VmS1lUgYUOfP4Cb2nLMM30yJvSXLDayqz_D9vraPJRupVGRBvLeraCwHLzPY_Zl7EIrBFo2ghVo6=w610-h789-no" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doorway of the Vishnu Shrine. The pillars and the lintel have figures representing different forms of Vishnu</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/hoEDz-8vz4TuUHqdmgJ81Y4pvXWFB1V4xIt57D8Kc95MCn7grjLVG11aCwqGB3PUwGvlvnLEpReBut2FTtQTF-f0-81-z52IkflLdlJi01-2khBBvIjpJIOtdLNK4dd0g8eV3XrX7AYwCojTDiIko55fFmtsxO1QdNxMIjwQjp0Tn1qT38gQxVOZQzhbkh0e8OSropu-ZbrkHzMvRsoIwmLI1PfS7ViBD1l5OYDB8H_TSiQL-cO57m8nFWl9wY_da5fUZ9YqPRDj5SOVg4FS0Jt5RVfPZbIzoMcCIs0pT9QgaL9wT9iGzO0XP8vCuyr5SXubBoRNarLtc7x5FLEqdg86CMnQniC9NroT7Br9K6Xdk-u9EOmlf5Rwi_3KoRQ5jIsrQgU1zj2zcXu_cE8dBOADjBgcnIoDOL7MeKRKRyBlvXt8r4A2TbaCjDNXxmPpfqjeaUg-Wr4MhTRn7m00jbH4Vxecw03y0rRpb1Zgp5qaoy5o1aSIK6AkKOwx7bGQrE3hgI_5dvChgFrtV2-98EO8d4VVDNc_5xWEqoYrTL-MTnBedR4WwBtpjT3AvixNHtDBa5oz1LSzuB6Kax1rdiyU33Y87HNyKqXQV2ExV4GnQSGVuWD1=w578-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="578" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/hoEDz-8vz4TuUHqdmgJ81Y4pvXWFB1V4xIt57D8Kc95MCn7grjLVG11aCwqGB3PUwGvlvnLEpReBut2FTtQTF-f0-81-z52IkflLdlJi01-2khBBvIjpJIOtdLNK4dd0g8eV3XrX7AYwCojTDiIko55fFmtsxO1QdNxMIjwQjp0Tn1qT38gQxVOZQzhbkh0e8OSropu-ZbrkHzMvRsoIwmLI1PfS7ViBD1l5OYDB8H_TSiQL-cO57m8nFWl9wY_da5fUZ9YqPRDj5SOVg4FS0Jt5RVfPZbIzoMcCIs0pT9QgaL9wT9iGzO0XP8vCuyr5SXubBoRNarLtc7x5FLEqdg86CMnQniC9NroT7Br9K6Xdk-u9EOmlf5Rwi_3KoRQ5jIsrQgU1zj2zcXu_cE8dBOADjBgcnIoDOL7MeKRKRyBlvXt8r4A2TbaCjDNXxmPpfqjeaUg-Wr4MhTRn7m00jbH4Vxecw03y0rRpb1Zgp5qaoy5o1aSIK6AkKOwx7bGQrE3hgI_5dvChgFrtV2-98EO8d4VVDNc_5xWEqoYrTL-MTnBedR4WwBtpjT3AvixNHtDBa5oz1LSzuB6Kax1rdiyU33Y87HNyKqXQV2ExV4GnQSGVuWD1=w578-h789-no" width="468" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Doorway of the Brahma Shrine. The pillars and lintel have figures of sages.</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>The three shrines</i></b> share a common Rangamandapa, which is preceded by a porch. The pillars as well as the ceiling are elaborately decorated. </div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/Pqod1VtgJ_8GA6Z5ZN8kSKkqMlfWrWvwg_DMW4LjovsdPpAtU3Gn-YILmYdV0VglbUsAr84CSW8NzMCqtmax3X_3xYFHO49XVVUET41lA8jGctVNUKlugDyJFDXRjwlWUOXaY-Lcbu7UL3o6AXz6a4RoIIPWZ5h_NsU6Q6o5rgqO-hro1b7-sii9BiiBqQqoD7bqhPMo1NW39W6Lxdaoz32pO3WzSUp3_8Y8BpDISvhyt2lzuEgfyN03dKO731DaUu7Gv-ctQLUb0faoCJDzhWaVF7bQsCBR2YhbReIKhi2NKh3uo4g_PBKIctQflScAmuGIS4cpzg4KbKOyYcB1iOtMTBPnE0e933bGuaXWDMOyt47MRlTcLtvOWIrn3LWnzp724vlzQahpJZI9vqdCKfbvPz_7REV3iZEwXl80L1lVondPmvDdJhxv6q3chvrcTBjgUHmdj79Gx-11-xqiKZEoxDHcygjvAvSwreDyrsuJdO9bhnrdKY0Z8djKDKRn7XAhnYq_-fCM_fjDr0CPgFVfCYxT6XPvS0Rk5P3i1dJ8bR9wLhpqRaMajDN7pwOiZZ8JGjoA7N6NUtjNOTjoTyzC3-8VPRLB3nzF81PhuQlvr3B7F3CG=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/Pqod1VtgJ_8GA6Z5ZN8kSKkqMlfWrWvwg_DMW4LjovsdPpAtU3Gn-YILmYdV0VglbUsAr84CSW8NzMCqtmax3X_3xYFHO49XVVUET41lA8jGctVNUKlugDyJFDXRjwlWUOXaY-Lcbu7UL3o6AXz6a4RoIIPWZ5h_NsU6Q6o5rgqO-hro1b7-sii9BiiBqQqoD7bqhPMo1NW39W6Lxdaoz32pO3WzSUp3_8Y8BpDISvhyt2lzuEgfyN03dKO731DaUu7Gv-ctQLUb0faoCJDzhWaVF7bQsCBR2YhbReIKhi2NKh3uo4g_PBKIctQflScAmuGIS4cpzg4KbKOyYcB1iOtMTBPnE0e933bGuaXWDMOyt47MRlTcLtvOWIrn3LWnzp724vlzQahpJZI9vqdCKfbvPz_7REV3iZEwXl80L1lVondPmvDdJhxv6q3chvrcTBjgUHmdj79Gx-11-xqiKZEoxDHcygjvAvSwreDyrsuJdO9bhnrdKY0Z8djKDKRn7XAhnYq_-fCM_fjDr0CPgFVfCYxT6XPvS0Rk5P3i1dJ8bR9wLhpqRaMajDN7pwOiZZ8JGjoA7N6NUtjNOTjoTyzC3-8VPRLB3nzF81PhuQlvr3B7F3CG=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A view of the temple from the entrance. You can just see the entrance to the two other shrines on the extreme left and right. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the pillars of the outer porch</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/iaswjLTzo7qSIif-1nEs5_GcEO1JSWj7aqI1r7NEsmp8kutMYj09E5Xdkt2gYv6b6eKuTMtH_kifysOOBTzJQurnDXVhtw4eCjvHMXof3egw_E861j-fFRqvFUuUlzDes2i7afbreODhbTjy9B_9HC_F0qns4wuVBw1IPsiBxMPKNJ3kie1yQidUSkoH_c2Wsy6djM_XDvcRhI8W2XcobKUFy59GRRpe4VHJVgF3Wpq1OZH1fHGIrQVVvgdbcTji_Mb9yDW_KVM6gna0juICVaAThc5-kFmc_7OZHWu3w_7T0bUDZpGkBfJ47dNqrxn3-qTw0ppjkiBKanr6FwIT5BtJTRlpRkIOi4pEGV65F6TCyXOAxfJQEpvrOSiQHhRzijHAC4X4EnPCPaF7YmMIh0qQ7QZT7VdaaeZAzLglLxxMl39mhvOPuRAwZ5Mp_Dsc6tu8_9C5SkRyMnyXyleDaMjOMXW4qIbigPaX8env5c9C-IKFhW0qoFLmgVTase9l_MosChLLQzTWlvb5NKi2xBISlvC5TZumMvZqQIHbWtvjWpoGtUI9_5Q2IwZAdQ1SWzz1nYEdsrvya-3rvnWTf5htF0DttUW-LrECKcqPYHIfBJcNuj1e=w548-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="788" data-original-width="546" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/iaswjLTzo7qSIif-1nEs5_GcEO1JSWj7aqI1r7NEsmp8kutMYj09E5Xdkt2gYv6b6eKuTMtH_kifysOOBTzJQurnDXVhtw4eCjvHMXof3egw_E861j-fFRqvFUuUlzDes2i7afbreODhbTjy9B_9HC_F0qns4wuVBw1IPsiBxMPKNJ3kie1yQidUSkoH_c2Wsy6djM_XDvcRhI8W2XcobKUFy59GRRpe4VHJVgF3Wpq1OZH1fHGIrQVVvgdbcTji_Mb9yDW_KVM6gna0juICVaAThc5-kFmc_7OZHWu3w_7T0bUDZpGkBfJ47dNqrxn3-qTw0ppjkiBKanr6FwIT5BtJTRlpRkIOi4pEGV65F6TCyXOAxfJQEpvrOSiQHhRzijHAC4X4EnPCPaF7YmMIh0qQ7QZT7VdaaeZAzLglLxxMl39mhvOPuRAwZ5Mp_Dsc6tu8_9C5SkRyMnyXyleDaMjOMXW4qIbigPaX8env5c9C-IKFhW0qoFLmgVTase9l_MosChLLQzTWlvb5NKi2xBISlvC5TZumMvZqQIHbWtvjWpoGtUI9_5Q2IwZAdQ1SWzz1nYEdsrvya-3rvnWTf5htF0DttUW-LrECKcqPYHIfBJcNuj1e=w548-h789-no" width="442" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>The second pillar of the porch. Notice the carving of Surasundaris, above them the Vidyadharas, and above them the Kirtimukhas. These pillars reminded me of the temples of Kiradu, especially the octagonal hall in the Vishnu temple. Read about it <a href="http://www.awanderingmind.in/2016/12/the-temples-of-kiradu.html">here</a>. </i></td></tr>
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Most beautiful, however, are the Surasundaris, or celestial women, shown on the decorative brackets holding up the ceiling. Their stance is reminiscent of the Shalabhanjikas, whom we usually associate with Buddhist structures. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/0txHf-iJ9U_wBJQXUEuCtLXc_mw_ybjM7uc1ieG0_LZijNyI2lMsE6zFWDHWBrYKrFPZID7ZskltIEQ1kJRAPkLHbVI_mPa-XQuOgh77QcXQnvcqJwYpkWkIXM9FtevI1rGkodtQi9QsQUzZ2VE-TTc_V4FkkPAZAIodjSelh_MJuFx-7q_PaQtFLn2o1kjcNGVz8XYh6-9ZnnWjO6vasQH2xqLJwsU4i6gCFKf-2F4CGsqcpiTxLuXVVhaLHApqMcW4R9cYcaTys7O_wnbUBOyVE26oh2Ku58E6OeJR5hsCOzvALoJHYfuMTSj31T7RNBbUgAjralZNsxizVMzYxEwPjrfWCDODUPbd_j0-KjRBI4JhpR1Ov6_bWD7qY9JRsW6bj5TKOZkWnTKcdEncBQqLVG0nuMLd-W_Va0MDANkT3ZYcfEgyvuCVoBpDvxxHyt44jI8cjuraattrgKPiKmbKXgzuaHAF91CoElM9M1oRj4cT2ZJaMGypvWY3wMW16u2SzbTWKq62782UAD2_PybhC_knxS8Z-M4mN2euHSCqn9uoDAWJ91K15VeMR-fT3CqdJxNepi1o5Kh2hUPu_ltS4PZArHOGewp3oWze2vqQWVqzw3Fw=w1440-h653-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="652" data-original-width="1440" height="288" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/0txHf-iJ9U_wBJQXUEuCtLXc_mw_ybjM7uc1ieG0_LZijNyI2lMsE6zFWDHWBrYKrFPZID7ZskltIEQ1kJRAPkLHbVI_mPa-XQuOgh77QcXQnvcqJwYpkWkIXM9FtevI1rGkodtQi9QsQUzZ2VE-TTc_V4FkkPAZAIodjSelh_MJuFx-7q_PaQtFLn2o1kjcNGVz8XYh6-9ZnnWjO6vasQH2xqLJwsU4i6gCFKf-2F4CGsqcpiTxLuXVVhaLHApqMcW4R9cYcaTys7O_wnbUBOyVE26oh2Ku58E6OeJR5hsCOzvALoJHYfuMTSj31T7RNBbUgAjralZNsxizVMzYxEwPjrfWCDODUPbd_j0-KjRBI4JhpR1Ov6_bWD7qY9JRsW6bj5TKOZkWnTKcdEncBQqLVG0nuMLd-W_Va0MDANkT3ZYcfEgyvuCVoBpDvxxHyt44jI8cjuraattrgKPiKmbKXgzuaHAF91CoElM9M1oRj4cT2ZJaMGypvWY3wMW16u2SzbTWKq62782UAD2_PybhC_knxS8Z-M4mN2euHSCqn9uoDAWJ91K15VeMR-fT3CqdJxNepi1o5Kh2hUPu_ltS4PZArHOGewp3oWze2vqQWVqzw3Fw=w1440-h653-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Two of the Shalabhanjika-like Surasundaris on the brackets. There are two more on the other side. </i></td></tr>
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<b><i>The temple is built</i></b> on an elevated platform, and on the base, as well as the outer walls of the temple, are a number of sculptures, of deities....</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/5yJOJ5vv8ar56YI81uJxw7TzQ9GL8LZmwERRVWoxa-TALhq-P0OCbcBmG3HCrFtEWv5JfFWyGX-V6a3iOCWYOvbIvqIt-8pxsqN4RKs2YUL75huPrTkoPeYq9heVmdXcv_ADi_7Sn5UBLxKhRXG39rHnaSwtXwW9wLA-Ft-IXKodoyjtctqAGgyGSaKMKsIg-cGUm0MCgawjrktMp7_8FSHHj4E4XrGN2SkVTTVzrXgchoPxy48W467F0UU6AAPuJTx0DJ9mIt7ubTCeXW8N6lVWVtmcwRzgEG86Tz4uMe7OyaG7VkQLApaEqHXX5uY0fI68y9lCmpErUAq-ZbnlU-dASxyreueGcTWSoK0BAX6Hl7LRmz7wgzBqu2CRHn2UGb6G8Gioy0HjQikHvUEsrJsWTS1ysA0vDfyfyVVuN3WF3_kRXjc4EgyGmop9yHEdD-TVkSPnviN_JvPVqc7iV8__cNNikQICgpVIcwmrRMf9u07wlyenlmQ4xlp1qGprhzAE-Pl-HqeV32iaJxq0Z6GR9vAuuTgqMJ46wI8OxucB9U70F9v6D2ozYG3uWvWxYc-2oVs_KHmy10Ny7roWTdVVfvuJ5hVxP9YR6jszqRN_Y6JGhog0=w592-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/5yJOJ5vv8ar56YI81uJxw7TzQ9GL8LZmwERRVWoxa-TALhq-P0OCbcBmG3HCrFtEWv5JfFWyGX-V6a3iOCWYOvbIvqIt-8pxsqN4RKs2YUL75huPrTkoPeYq9heVmdXcv_ADi_7Sn5UBLxKhRXG39rHnaSwtXwW9wLA-Ft-IXKodoyjtctqAGgyGSaKMKsIg-cGUm0MCgawjrktMp7_8FSHHj4E4XrGN2SkVTTVzrXgchoPxy48W467F0UU6AAPuJTx0DJ9mIt7ubTCeXW8N6lVWVtmcwRzgEG86Tz4uMe7OyaG7VkQLApaEqHXX5uY0fI68y9lCmpErUAq-ZbnlU-dASxyreueGcTWSoK0BAX6Hl7LRmz7wgzBqu2CRHn2UGb6G8Gioy0HjQikHvUEsrJsWTS1ysA0vDfyfyVVuN3WF3_kRXjc4EgyGmop9yHEdD-TVkSPnviN_JvPVqc7iV8__cNNikQICgpVIcwmrRMf9u07wlyenlmQ4xlp1qGprhzAE-Pl-HqeV32iaJxq0Z6GR9vAuuTgqMJ46wI8OxucB9U70F9v6D2ozYG3uWvWxYc-2oVs_KHmy10Ny7roWTdVVfvuJ5hVxP9YR6jszqRN_Y6JGhog0=w592-h789-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Ambika or Matrika?</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/U73i2S5g528BL50v5ccv8JIn0FphpMAFNfGf3KpvBMo--Ev4kbwslle0cPJIQn4SrBr479S4WZ59XY5PjazscuFonckpyVIfV4iTaALNnc_1FshszBVQnvHz1nlC3FH7un3xEnVlquuzXWLwzC-NFgrqi-TQOly4FtXlLT7K1vKPn239rNCkrn7WgS8Wp6pIlDkJ3sz304xLhPF8WV6jXBtXxOeHOOZ_BXsUHCXXh8WBraI-3PqsigX_2u54vA-gWaVYdajnJpuMCVkh2vYXzEgHZ8zDZa7BVQHXivTBWA_yPCN_xjFCRlhw_cMlPBH82CHvg18oPR0XoOmLngk4LAQpec-B6dxoZEXBCDchfiXijW8i1p2DCk9NOgkX0utBOUzK7ONFqnoWRFIIdj2fF141MjqnwZXVp7r6axwY9u_EdDMB6DvJRPdX9t0oiiNZfCCETVwCvdDKMkKTbNhdiU7ICrPgdfRVR7V3wJ_i2A0xcRZvT8O3GCKlYxvTPAQcW_J--k6MLMuHqUt2OHYh00Ouuos-vEB3eEg72yhdq_TDRHsoaoiA7wLZ2oaMnW7mUE9tcaqCYNzNoumy5GA5DQp84X3Jx43cb6uY1I6dXQc06kJRkyzy=w592-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="592" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/U73i2S5g528BL50v5ccv8JIn0FphpMAFNfGf3KpvBMo--Ev4kbwslle0cPJIQn4SrBr479S4WZ59XY5PjazscuFonckpyVIfV4iTaALNnc_1FshszBVQnvHz1nlC3FH7un3xEnVlquuzXWLwzC-NFgrqi-TQOly4FtXlLT7K1vKPn239rNCkrn7WgS8Wp6pIlDkJ3sz304xLhPF8WV6jXBtXxOeHOOZ_BXsUHCXXh8WBraI-3PqsigX_2u54vA-gWaVYdajnJpuMCVkh2vYXzEgHZ8zDZa7BVQHXivTBWA_yPCN_xjFCRlhw_cMlPBH82CHvg18oPR0XoOmLngk4LAQpec-B6dxoZEXBCDchfiXijW8i1p2DCk9NOgkX0utBOUzK7ONFqnoWRFIIdj2fF141MjqnwZXVp7r6axwY9u_EdDMB6DvJRPdX9t0oiiNZfCCETVwCvdDKMkKTbNhdiU7ICrPgdfRVR7V3wJ_i2A0xcRZvT8O3GCKlYxvTPAQcW_J--k6MLMuHqUt2OHYh00Ouuos-vEB3eEg72yhdq_TDRHsoaoiA7wLZ2oaMnW7mUE9tcaqCYNzNoumy5GA5DQp84X3Jx43cb6uY1I6dXQc06kJRkyzy=w592-h789-no" width="480" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>A very interesting, standing Narasimha, shown with the attributes of Vishnu, holding, among other things, a Kamandalu in his hand. Though he is shown with his tongue hanging out, he seems to be a calm and meditative figure, quite unlike usual depictions of Narasimha. <b>Update: As someone pointed out on Instagram, this is more likely to be Narasimhi. </b></i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/tG0P9z3oGg28eIwCDyvBnsoAGwJQkck4PKRbTYFlUGztid88Ykp_pXjg1Q5lf8qcvjgZ_2geQAv5p1Lbu5ivwKc0erkAHdLrqyz-J2QwDcG6d77FehTQJdluYb5Ucw9Ai479hJdwe98WhMEZ66F4kllRddUfICVGgW1R3imbXisbD8tC4x8widj3EFkg3PJh3QlDGS73ACnFBXFsbMKOmEvTo7sk7gNsQayyvOfxEkmgk9YsGhkfmTTvxn6jEsY0Xf9jC0790vtaIG7O6AtWCw-_R3701x2HkMaOeFXxXYOG48n_YKA0TC1JPic1F9sKp9EKg5_qsaK4t2DLmZuV606L8oNFWiQ6tLdJWsVOY1VQK3V-NwiQO2uc9iC7Fd62DxRKx7L8F7BeHs9lUQw4GlPYh5hum3XcW-85_qiJmRL-tuy5ON9ImKeB_irdOB6i7BCbPWOTgpnkR9mWcNssuo-vzzKWfIJqs2dpZyGqxCT40mh1E7rV14MyKfxCUBd4g5QN9EOR_pk-ZD97vXp-qBasFp1vSyYlRlRDiuUjkMVBL7rkfB9m7HbcoJdJgCyGhF26SKFgRjdFKp3VV9sg2pW2PuEYlYUkfUk6mbLmxqrOLSTb_8nQ=w1052-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1052" height="480" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/tG0P9z3oGg28eIwCDyvBnsoAGwJQkck4PKRbTYFlUGztid88Ykp_pXjg1Q5lf8qcvjgZ_2geQAv5p1Lbu5ivwKc0erkAHdLrqyz-J2QwDcG6d77FehTQJdluYb5Ucw9Ai479hJdwe98WhMEZ66F4kllRddUfICVGgW1R3imbXisbD8tC4x8widj3EFkg3PJh3QlDGS73ACnFBXFsbMKOmEvTo7sk7gNsQayyvOfxEkmgk9YsGhkfmTTvxn6jEsY0Xf9jC0790vtaIG7O6AtWCw-_R3701x2HkMaOeFXxXYOG48n_YKA0TC1JPic1F9sKp9EKg5_qsaK4t2DLmZuV606L8oNFWiQ6tLdJWsVOY1VQK3V-NwiQO2uc9iC7Fd62DxRKx7L8F7BeHs9lUQw4GlPYh5hum3XcW-85_qiJmRL-tuy5ON9ImKeB_irdOB6i7BCbPWOTgpnkR9mWcNssuo-vzzKWfIJqs2dpZyGqxCT40mh1E7rV14MyKfxCUBd4g5QN9EOR_pk-ZD97vXp-qBasFp1vSyYlRlRDiuUjkMVBL7rkfB9m7HbcoJdJgCyGhF26SKFgRjdFKp3VV9sg2pW2PuEYlYUkfUk6mbLmxqrOLSTb_8nQ=w1052-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vishnu and Lakshmi on Garuda, flanked by two attendants. Its a beautiful depiction, and one of the few which is so clear</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Ashta Dikpalas</i></b>, the guardians of the eight directions…<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/2nRCUWrQVr2jtW64AD8SIscn7Fm_NyUP8Hzk7oa8W2DLjlcKkWqFqTN8kUpJ7exWe91y93H_Se4MBML2zzIJSd_q40M1oSyjiNKVNlElNSsz5aC59tWIOnBa4pCCw92gJbOqJ7BDE2igR-lnvh7Isx53JiEfu1ZM7Daqux4k6I8r2levjf2SC85nPyj2GMNejcBNZ8r2tVX0yiFDBTlDctDwVB2xtvhVur1obbjFV6rIgUNPyh_YzDXmBHfe1VWD9G1Mt3125BiLO-HXvFykyIJn5KxXTkBXHM7HclY2ndjg3Vcxf1WeF5mQ-jbGaeAiVlrlHuYShhRyatj4NTuW0rRlwpDyJH8wLOrvWXrWjXflAFYl7A_Y_qyubmuPx4NVv2EgxJWnoAQKzUQXmWWbCdILa-Lds8WwBkQ9Vg2ZYSQHr7a3hfTtThhKXb3T29cqRtfEGKEjTxTablaNsRT3qF0i3FydGG16nk3rhzFZum8U2F3tHOKLBVjs6NU8nxKAHi-UMgU3SPrfuMfpC92YBibKP7LZK2wLUTiir39E3_V1iSpI9TQqacQJoMJ1213zW8Hks6fGU70Xy2RwxtnKZFpPtXc26C7ZepwfdIvWa-hOp-UND-Nq=w545-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="543" height="640" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/2nRCUWrQVr2jtW64AD8SIscn7Fm_NyUP8Hzk7oa8W2DLjlcKkWqFqTN8kUpJ7exWe91y93H_Se4MBML2zzIJSd_q40M1oSyjiNKVNlElNSsz5aC59tWIOnBa4pCCw92gJbOqJ7BDE2igR-lnvh7Isx53JiEfu1ZM7Daqux4k6I8r2levjf2SC85nPyj2GMNejcBNZ8r2tVX0yiFDBTlDctDwVB2xtvhVur1obbjFV6rIgUNPyh_YzDXmBHfe1VWD9G1Mt3125BiLO-HXvFykyIJn5KxXTkBXHM7HclY2ndjg3Vcxf1WeF5mQ-jbGaeAiVlrlHuYShhRyatj4NTuW0rRlwpDyJH8wLOrvWXrWjXflAFYl7A_Y_qyubmuPx4NVv2EgxJWnoAQKzUQXmWWbCdILa-Lds8WwBkQ9Vg2ZYSQHr7a3hfTtThhKXb3T29cqRtfEGKEjTxTablaNsRT3qF0i3FydGG16nk3rhzFZum8U2F3tHOKLBVjs6NU8nxKAHi-UMgU3SPrfuMfpC92YBibKP7LZK2wLUTiir39E3_V1iSpI9TQqacQJoMJ1213zW8Hks6fGU70Xy2RwxtnKZFpPtXc26C7ZepwfdIvWa-hOp-UND-Nq=w545-h789-no" width="440" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Vayu, seen on the Northern wall</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Apsaras / Surasundaris</i></b>, or celestial women…<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/CLnS49PtkgGGD-GDfKvKvkJlTScdXmMR1K8rQfeaI35OBrUtgJm4tkIy6QO4QASxap1jQjH0aTp_eD7Zz_TFJOfwOtu8lQa1jbYE8DTQaBqPWPZ-0Y5DML67Qgd-gtzAh1uLRjYvaZ6sNe5_Dnf2K7Mwnbg_YYNfpiUEuZR9ai_8SAVARDlj8--hgSXgHRd0F9HRjo4WKPCTWyYyA98dB5W9iVTPyprnmJ9lZ2pFl_1PF4WKR4DPgHgX67HrVCKXluPOKaxxcELI7-WlbwfYUZW6PidW57PbXqvsxKKOfvz89vo9mNRxubNAodnRGvmCzUDG6_THNLtnYqZtf3S6Rzyj3CVX4aiqqwCRzXxlUksX3s6Voai6pQcT0_oe3wugXL2Jn1H9kp5MqQ6FDk5vC0PfRYIFUuPoVXtEnCmE_lSiVcgkKKFs6cce8PprL0L4Ukeq6aKtSbtnkEJ5j9fWzc8n_AIBvl8NolsZ6uFX3XYwjNZLcO-jC0R7dQZvfiY7CuFxTQ4kjmxRlGPcNBh_4PUFLVrIBpZgprcpUi0u9taUQM453YVkD-YpXbZnmS4SLCcDdIAJOxsFYWKEpBtXanMww0OYF9YwvFGyZMHTWE0nQtwp6xg7=w713-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="713" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/CLnS49PtkgGGD-GDfKvKvkJlTScdXmMR1K8rQfeaI35OBrUtgJm4tkIy6QO4QASxap1jQjH0aTp_eD7Zz_TFJOfwOtu8lQa1jbYE8DTQaBqPWPZ-0Y5DML67Qgd-gtzAh1uLRjYvaZ6sNe5_Dnf2K7Mwnbg_YYNfpiUEuZR9ai_8SAVARDlj8--hgSXgHRd0F9HRjo4WKPCTWyYyA98dB5W9iVTPyprnmJ9lZ2pFl_1PF4WKR4DPgHgX67HrVCKXluPOKaxxcELI7-WlbwfYUZW6PidW57PbXqvsxKKOfvz89vo9mNRxubNAodnRGvmCzUDG6_THNLtnYqZtf3S6Rzyj3CVX4aiqqwCRzXxlUksX3s6Voai6pQcT0_oe3wugXL2Jn1H9kp5MqQ6FDk5vC0PfRYIFUuPoVXtEnCmE_lSiVcgkKKFs6cce8PprL0L4Ukeq6aKtSbtnkEJ5j9fWzc8n_AIBvl8NolsZ6uFX3XYwjNZLcO-jC0R7dQZvfiY7CuFxTQ4kjmxRlGPcNBh_4PUFLVrIBpZgprcpUi0u9taUQM453YVkD-YpXbZnmS4SLCcDdIAJOxsFYWKEpBtXanMww0OYF9YwvFGyZMHTWE0nQtwp6xg7=w713-h789-no" width="578" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The central figure and the one on the right are Surasundaris, one holding a child, and the other dancing. The figure on the left is an interesting one, shown naked, and with a Trishul and cup. </i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Vyalas</i></b> or mythical creatures, and <b><i>Mithunas</i></b> or couples.</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/YGOEKEXAIO6P8aRqNwrUjxxgBoZ6uj-Azgvz-3rpUW5594LEwde-NRkqT-MHgk3nupcUyOE4rf5H6Mm87QzvUKYUTvY-JdN3LLw32yJKQOpJQsFNeYVnvEvtTcE3zGqWvxzB8nQntWqRcIacn-0LWclCbvWz8yTZOSbwPyyBnCpEx3Ng0kwRV7XT8ba71OG9oF2i5KifZ4_6bbO-tdtH4aTPls3eNZ7LeTykHeEY8PeH1Luu4lf5z9aj2K0DvXQr9JQHVz_khFPZjdYMRKyxW5gHsLaSs4InR5yhsZuub9uTLXEkUWw8CZMJ0YcUI4Bz0kcaqjGjSCM8e4atpjNJ3za0Zue-8qnNIHZ1h9Q_e8QxUgCm1gr1Qhil9Igf8jFg4-pkunFTeUc0cwlYfM4kaqmDrUahly7yUQL1m9a0-MAeNMhxFH3TWqLgrszJ0hiuaAIQJqyNlGmnrEDguj_qlvisFmkERjz7kPSWKtvNJSop0pwtj_Ja1zvTUVy0nkSUKicvJghycLWI2qANGOOmgUQ0f9tDAmWPPRMj9Xhg0_uFKXGncsYwnUcK_EQSNM5Qr-xL3gCEm2DLMQRqa2h94R9osGn99Q1_1WjjnNENZLF43bhkWHqY=w1257-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="1256" height="402" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/YGOEKEXAIO6P8aRqNwrUjxxgBoZ6uj-Azgvz-3rpUW5594LEwde-NRkqT-MHgk3nupcUyOE4rf5H6Mm87QzvUKYUTvY-JdN3LLw32yJKQOpJQsFNeYVnvEvtTcE3zGqWvxzB8nQntWqRcIacn-0LWclCbvWz8yTZOSbwPyyBnCpEx3Ng0kwRV7XT8ba71OG9oF2i5KifZ4_6bbO-tdtH4aTPls3eNZ7LeTykHeEY8PeH1Luu4lf5z9aj2K0DvXQr9JQHVz_khFPZjdYMRKyxW5gHsLaSs4InR5yhsZuub9uTLXEkUWw8CZMJ0YcUI4Bz0kcaqjGjSCM8e4atpjNJ3za0Zue-8qnNIHZ1h9Q_e8QxUgCm1gr1Qhil9Igf8jFg4-pkunFTeUc0cwlYfM4kaqmDrUahly7yUQL1m9a0-MAeNMhxFH3TWqLgrszJ0hiuaAIQJqyNlGmnrEDguj_qlvisFmkERjz7kPSWKtvNJSop0pwtj_Ja1zvTUVy0nkSUKicvJghycLWI2qANGOOmgUQ0f9tDAmWPPRMj9Xhg0_uFKXGncsYwnUcK_EQSNM5Qr-xL3gCEm2DLMQRqa2h94R9osGn99Q1_1WjjnNENZLF43bhkWHqY=w1257-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>The northern wall of the temple, showing the series of figures at both levels. Notice the mythical creatures alternating with the couples in the recesses</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>In the main niches</i></b> around the central shrine are <b><i>Narasimha</i></b> in the North, shown here tearing into Hiranyakasipu with his bare hands, while Prahalada looks on….<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pk3y9cqc10MdjVx34W17u9KF_6ZAJoLrKrFEATEfccMYmKTnbY7qxa2jmtXuxNzp09DbsV14bc7uUmKQ4r-jodz68E2RT-lFdMwlm80WPaktA_DQxwDgksCMowF-i-9hwZBaClMHjfhvJBIO1mY4su8H8I0sqANYNL-tb8CFGkFV_v43UZTcKJ7nQeP5Q011VIfOD7GgvJGvpd1Az6ZIPWcRMoPEu-cGUjronvPxtJ9GUaRZSiG5_SsZUzu1UWq2_3kEznwQfP-o-rKx5sCgZWrUamcGxp1Cq0LoIRRSHZLFk0RjDYLXw8zjERcS39RUOKDV3sFFz4TZgroH9bCeATYKYKgq0IazykLti2dNH8Afj83Bq0AgzVspZup7qz-COECUY2tgYRTh6WubknVovy4CgQRPKA694ngRhnbdPUJ6Awm_v8WEjWFFl0OpvwKiGSQJ_MtIddoasyocl9DLAfNewYaOzM-3dAcJ1KKjyiJWHUSBoYxw2UVB24M8yvv3qIXjvVQIxr5F0vJVAa5MKQeetqKnIJBsuM0weRWGK7m8lZK9ifaRZEtWRNB3Wfcy2o3XNIyI84J04sqYEPfQxVCYGAVHfROxTyVhOH5IVuZMsolWghoT=w435-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="435" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/pk3y9cqc10MdjVx34W17u9KF_6ZAJoLrKrFEATEfccMYmKTnbY7qxa2jmtXuxNzp09DbsV14bc7uUmKQ4r-jodz68E2RT-lFdMwlm80WPaktA_DQxwDgksCMowF-i-9hwZBaClMHjfhvJBIO1mY4su8H8I0sqANYNL-tb8CFGkFV_v43UZTcKJ7nQeP5Q011VIfOD7GgvJGvpd1Az6ZIPWcRMoPEu-cGUjronvPxtJ9GUaRZSiG5_SsZUzu1UWq2_3kEznwQfP-o-rKx5sCgZWrUamcGxp1Cq0LoIRRSHZLFk0RjDYLXw8zjERcS39RUOKDV3sFFz4TZgroH9bCeATYKYKgq0IazykLti2dNH8Afj83Bq0AgzVspZup7qz-COECUY2tgYRTh6WubknVovy4CgQRPKA694ngRhnbdPUJ6Awm_v8WEjWFFl0OpvwKiGSQJ_MtIddoasyocl9DLAfNewYaOzM-3dAcJ1KKjyiJWHUSBoYxw2UVB24M8yvv3qIXjvVQIxr5F0vJVAa5MKQeetqKnIJBsuM0weRWGK7m8lZK9ifaRZEtWRNB3Wfcy2o3XNIyI84J04sqYEPfQxVCYGAVHfROxTyVhOH5IVuZMsolWghoT=w435-h789-no" width="352" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Narasimha, the fourth avatar of Vishnu</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>Tripurantaka</i></b> in the South, his many hands filled with weapons, the bow aimed to shoot the arrow, towards the three cities of the Asuras…<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/RBDV2sjYPjc5_8fehB906WDTD7qHEW8mgfOLfdyO2i2BYW4icPRjhwkBOxPmTr6Hr_sS7hwe813AEG-4owQumbCyltNyS1GKd6dPWXj1EpcsGPlyd3mAGH6EC-L36-osxbzO_zjymJsS0fNKc0-wy1BkZu9hLOeENJLRmi7gIJ90vA-gLbicYcR8fRdCQ4p1kdIMQzb6zb34xrAzcW4lvsMaxM_DeEW6bz2O3UuosDsVnQfOGLKzeQuLCLsQLZC-iswaNMtYveC_2X7Iq_gdS3Tv8Sn2eGNctTyaV2td5yyXMJ1aN1W1Y6MZS9DaRwKtnerf2mVYjrtu8Mxsx6YOy-rHNuvy5x95HFNLA-icAdTdqzeB0dOeYN62NeFs7W6KMzXn2A9BcRH-x5d2ThLmxOWsB7OglLDvwQXEYkQ-rhvAZU-uDCF3QS3bRydkL2wOj7hROA5DWLNMI35zAtMRJTeB-jl0ALu9xL281pnxibLk4RvqLOOhtTwbVuL-7EIFOyb4d9cj7h_Cs6dJI2vIxepprjYokxjbAvpQMex-mue4VbTxGCZKwuuy4nbSFLiOWYW9b4ld6EPNw6AW1uqtv9-LntgHubtHeKAKDT3HGiwBIn3YVfgW=w561-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="561" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/RBDV2sjYPjc5_8fehB906WDTD7qHEW8mgfOLfdyO2i2BYW4icPRjhwkBOxPmTr6Hr_sS7hwe813AEG-4owQumbCyltNyS1GKd6dPWXj1EpcsGPlyd3mAGH6EC-L36-osxbzO_zjymJsS0fNKc0-wy1BkZu9hLOeENJLRmi7gIJ90vA-gLbicYcR8fRdCQ4p1kdIMQzb6zb34xrAzcW4lvsMaxM_DeEW6bz2O3UuosDsVnQfOGLKzeQuLCLsQLZC-iswaNMtYveC_2X7Iq_gdS3Tv8Sn2eGNctTyaV2td5yyXMJ1aN1W1Y6MZS9DaRwKtnerf2mVYjrtu8Mxsx6YOy-rHNuvy5x95HFNLA-icAdTdqzeB0dOeYN62NeFs7W6KMzXn2A9BcRH-x5d2ThLmxOWsB7OglLDvwQXEYkQ-rhvAZU-uDCF3QS3bRydkL2wOj7hROA5DWLNMI35zAtMRJTeB-jl0ALu9xL281pnxibLk4RvqLOOhtTwbVuL-7EIFOyb4d9cj7h_Cs6dJI2vIxepprjYokxjbAvpQMex-mue4VbTxGCZKwuuy4nbSFLiOWYW9b4ld6EPNw6AW1uqtv9-LntgHubtHeKAKDT3HGiwBIn3YVfgW=w561-h789-no" width="454" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Tripurantaka, the form of Shiva where he destroys the three cities of the asuras</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>And a gorgeous composite figure</i></b> in the East. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/tXeZJj9YN6BgkiFyG5JaLTAfCmgOxKEUHTdhfhSfBrQAHSJheGEH9sOctSJi55d3734uclfiyd85i4-nEOD9ExgRQRC5E9wfswcgPR6pv1VlONlGdzMQwafXHOAn6IiEyQkioWYDiha0W49EU_GzsmaUghYf0FTVb5HZPkaJKDA78BfQJvDqpsXjetrgJ2yZbw9t88kaVucvUrtpZhPt0UiPs6kcPl8MP3qJiqmOZQznF9TmQ7zWZ8Y7Pxo7t0eIRDr2MXnULtubdohLzKvoJ-BfZyIus3wwObQf31fQCrI-7kIdhCuev59li8YP-WwLdz3RI1PBx3BZSHNoXWBNfeWjo8-VH0soU8v_5YcJkF2VeVPVUcl3Qbp5CS_eveaSGeXdQ8kHPmMRrqgIM_tQ6GqoOnFjhu5-lBLU8U-5SGAMoj5xKTCMLx5w5BYRnK1-EbDjWLb6VSZP_zjP-JiHjoqoQnwNcg855TuWvXpy6ADLYQqyOPgdWX3wDbv2XaE27gpVEVWncGDAVe9_dkEf8WQwYSYrLuYmqkWTl_mtd2nHXROFQarQsfUiiD2TYIqEQq_o6R4L1nkhNA6gP24nY2VQGCYGTyD5caZFIK8-Ts95pUpz7pfA=w669-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="668" height="640" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/tXeZJj9YN6BgkiFyG5JaLTAfCmgOxKEUHTdhfhSfBrQAHSJheGEH9sOctSJi55d3734uclfiyd85i4-nEOD9ExgRQRC5E9wfswcgPR6pv1VlONlGdzMQwafXHOAn6IiEyQkioWYDiha0W49EU_GzsmaUghYf0FTVb5HZPkaJKDA78BfQJvDqpsXjetrgJ2yZbw9t88kaVucvUrtpZhPt0UiPs6kcPl8MP3qJiqmOZQznF9TmQ7zWZ8Y7Pxo7t0eIRDr2MXnULtubdohLzKvoJ-BfZyIus3wwObQf31fQCrI-7kIdhCuev59li8YP-WwLdz3RI1PBx3BZSHNoXWBNfeWjo8-VH0soU8v_5YcJkF2VeVPVUcl3Qbp5CS_eveaSGeXdQ8kHPmMRrqgIM_tQ6GqoOnFjhu5-lBLU8U-5SGAMoj5xKTCMLx5w5BYRnK1-EbDjWLb6VSZP_zjP-JiHjoqoQnwNcg855TuWvXpy6ADLYQqyOPgdWX3wDbv2XaE27gpVEVWncGDAVe9_dkEf8WQwYSYrLuYmqkWTl_mtd2nHXROFQarQsfUiiD2TYIqEQq_o6R4L1nkhNA6gP24nY2VQGCYGTyD5caZFIK8-Ts95pUpz7pfA=w669-h789-no" width="540" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Hari-Hara-Arka or Hari-Hara-Pitamaha-Arka? </i></td></tr>
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<b><i>The ASI</i></b> identifies this figure as <b><i>Hari-Hara-Arka</i></b> – a composite form of Vishnu, Shiva and Surya. However, considering the placement of the figure (facing east), the presence of the Brahma and Vishnu shrines in the temple, and the Kamandalu he holds in one of his hands, I think this could be <b><i>Hari-Hara-Pitamaha-Arka</i></b>, a composite form of Vishnu, Shiva, Brahma and Surya, seen in many other temples of the period, including ones at Khajuraho, Kiradu, as well as Ambernath. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>There are two smaller</i></b> structures behind and on either side of the temple. Only the bases of these structures survive, and since there is no information at all, I have no idea whether these were bases of other temples, or associated with some sort of rituals. The stones which make up these structures have figures carved on them, of deities, both, male as well as female, and also erotic sculptures. Unfortunately, the figures are extremely worn, and it was difficult to identify them with any certainty.<o:p></o:p><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/Ap1w5XKBh7KEqRlrB6o6AfNdj55GJgZxfvQ_wXxpT6oj0Zf0i8vryew9rMgRPOs0KXDcMSDqSIKKadrzgHIYL31GueFs5x7WfgAfD7mU3kSk4rOvwWKlqnX9aR0CjB-G4urA5gun8GEtmnWB_0ltCWs_TO5S-tRligPjlsEF8KFkSP2QL1jTjKDbaEcfPgTTnAxulNheR_XVsh8mFnDu4kqD_yXIqMbQsgFpIkRxts13TbbNLsMjSwzpCjvalCxegS31I78I9RV8dByDcXfGE9Eliy9aP4QdyxzcfHC4bJFKbTyrDyqITJ7CnIr8THK9qsHPSjarl31tsth-Ply5R_34p8OW4n5io5YThb3mloW4sBDhEJ7sZpRUHdZj988DFid3y4r84sybtVwf3otNULQ5pM0Ui5sYe9h9UbxRLtZsHrvoGicSIfdBJV4gYCz4RiR-HNqKYrbG1XdVE6gjdlXIAjtWncjARn3SJ16cB_WrzblRcDVH9iR4Rj3WGlBRK60Jsq_V6H97l31Gy0HvF34lAoukrm0YWNvGA2gzn58ppJ2BPtEh9gMCUJWhgmb8VbXHt9IFGTI1JNclhvawM8kE4GrU03-56JuB8a9_7oT3eCjRi2il=w959-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="959" height="526" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/Ap1w5XKBh7KEqRlrB6o6AfNdj55GJgZxfvQ_wXxpT6oj0Zf0i8vryew9rMgRPOs0KXDcMSDqSIKKadrzgHIYL31GueFs5x7WfgAfD7mU3kSk4rOvwWKlqnX9aR0CjB-G4urA5gun8GEtmnWB_0ltCWs_TO5S-tRligPjlsEF8KFkSP2QL1jTjKDbaEcfPgTTnAxulNheR_XVsh8mFnDu4kqD_yXIqMbQsgFpIkRxts13TbbNLsMjSwzpCjvalCxegS31I78I9RV8dByDcXfGE9Eliy9aP4QdyxzcfHC4bJFKbTyrDyqITJ7CnIr8THK9qsHPSjarl31tsth-Ply5R_34p8OW4n5io5YThb3mloW4sBDhEJ7sZpRUHdZj988DFid3y4r84sybtVwf3otNULQ5pM0Ui5sYe9h9UbxRLtZsHrvoGicSIfdBJV4gYCz4RiR-HNqKYrbG1XdVE6gjdlXIAjtWncjARn3SJ16cB_WrzblRcDVH9iR4Rj3WGlBRK60Jsq_V6H97l31Gy0HvF34lAoukrm0YWNvGA2gzn58ppJ2BPtEh9gMCUJWhgmb8VbXHt9IFGTI1JNclhvawM8kE4GrU03-56JuB8a9_7oT3eCjRi2il=w959-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A view of the smaller structure behind the temple. A Shiva Lingam and Nandi have been placed here, though they are not fixed. The low flooring with the placement of carved stones around suggests a space for rituals</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/uslYpTdvA49JwKdoetkdphzK22ZdrPRJhVmkizzMa7OnDFjEiFxWViQY8xLR_dTVoZCIEAXgsdCOCzbY7ND75_7zZ1ASf_V2XgAJAFgVyHdAnOxMNigQRnsd9j1bVMT_m7LwuVpjTJyXkc0oNAGwLlYWkEL-YVCn3BdrcueZjq_ya_dtOmDjY5-EJY1hnJFM1WTyOSHjHyB25Xy09oYDyYbKjyht-AyKR7VJhBXkokr1-5XlKoJFjDhBQRhnJlc80aKvcfLlQHg_zoChm4CC3EiGrDjrKzW0pG8ZhxbTSVMEhlVF_8ArRy3q5vWtvJbGZ11OAm65HFIDqieAgHjqPVfScR_HAVyiSg3cFYHx7MbJNy5u4uXoVJU_h2YG5yc5-y2upIP0EUl2k55PKQCw10rOeA-FARO-OyA5KqgR_XomlgFOpBGYulOV3hB3Btl_tOjc-DqMvAH8tXh50svim3QaqHwrePgaJ7Ras5dCwj1BVVzvG4GsYFLCbeCJeGpRZTCkJNzHyi8ZH3KiP62vP5CYUhwwPVLlsFAqUSVu7i8F0ZR9g7OvN9O5KsKcThTTDKvipVxmQQ1r56tAeCHJLqmj0GXprPLVIDop64jYQ--mawzhPolr=w654-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="654" height="640" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/uslYpTdvA49JwKdoetkdphzK22ZdrPRJhVmkizzMa7OnDFjEiFxWViQY8xLR_dTVoZCIEAXgsdCOCzbY7ND75_7zZ1ASf_V2XgAJAFgVyHdAnOxMNigQRnsd9j1bVMT_m7LwuVpjTJyXkc0oNAGwLlYWkEL-YVCn3BdrcueZjq_ya_dtOmDjY5-EJY1hnJFM1WTyOSHjHyB25Xy09oYDyYbKjyht-AyKR7VJhBXkokr1-5XlKoJFjDhBQRhnJlc80aKvcfLlQHg_zoChm4CC3EiGrDjrKzW0pG8ZhxbTSVMEhlVF_8ArRy3q5vWtvJbGZ11OAm65HFIDqieAgHjqPVfScR_HAVyiSg3cFYHx7MbJNy5u4uXoVJU_h2YG5yc5-y2upIP0EUl2k55PKQCw10rOeA-FARO-OyA5KqgR_XomlgFOpBGYulOV3hB3Btl_tOjc-DqMvAH8tXh50svim3QaqHwrePgaJ7Ras5dCwj1BVVzvG4GsYFLCbeCJeGpRZTCkJNzHyi8ZH3KiP62vP5CYUhwwPVLlsFAqUSVu7i8F0ZR9g7OvN9O5KsKcThTTDKvipVxmQQ1r56tAeCHJLqmj0GXprPLVIDop64jYQ--mawzhPolr=w654-h789-no" width="530" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>A male figure with beard and two women. The one on the right could be a consort, and the other an attendant</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4Kr0Ousi9jA2-yKf9JxEDaHsaPqawei-kvcZZ_86Tl-c-ytAJpo28lJn6qkABk_-lwotF4mOkUaFQ0MyEwSdrRtvydy0GXp_yLFKw_NGXYjWzSmixdHu8hGZMLzlHVSYkBc_mem-yWUbVemxjeUP0FQFX0f_pePN_s8f9h8pj4p-C12sXt3iIQav4Mp78462SpzYT_m_X5ZIRpDGQH6YJkRXROwHKJ9eYoJiS2BE0Lm8gk0Ojk5j0kt8kw7yaB173Pq993HWuEGI8HmA37-3r5fSPJxOlNruPP6IRk5XleiZITXJwLeYwm0Xt4YZEBw6qeS8eBDOgUmtrZERjL_WqFfzXXNBa0pv74ivKL1UYxm_mTgh0V_Ho3cyPto1sttVoHbAybXufumTSLC_Khf13uwN0UEyQSOEYblt71G5mIKI__Tu95bga3_X7fbBVgwYxBYWw9DKzMbuBTG5-5-BM4OSLHa1GnN99Jv48i0QlfTLWlrA11XyjAUjWmOBCOYtYMW81yHOCoFt-yl8fxTczi5yMXWE1EqviM9npScaEpoRAD7Fgioersf6-TaiI7i6CCE_G94uSW0lpLt4bube5DHZ7p4EzPwP83xBRndkk1S6_Ovz0bA_=w880-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="879" height="574" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/4Kr0Ousi9jA2-yKf9JxEDaHsaPqawei-kvcZZ_86Tl-c-ytAJpo28lJn6qkABk_-lwotF4mOkUaFQ0MyEwSdrRtvydy0GXp_yLFKw_NGXYjWzSmixdHu8hGZMLzlHVSYkBc_mem-yWUbVemxjeUP0FQFX0f_pePN_s8f9h8pj4p-C12sXt3iIQav4Mp78462SpzYT_m_X5ZIRpDGQH6YJkRXROwHKJ9eYoJiS2BE0Lm8gk0Ojk5j0kt8kw7yaB173Pq993HWuEGI8HmA37-3r5fSPJxOlNruPP6IRk5XleiZITXJwLeYwm0Xt4YZEBw6qeS8eBDOgUmtrZERjL_WqFfzXXNBa0pv74ivKL1UYxm_mTgh0V_Ho3cyPto1sttVoHbAybXufumTSLC_Khf13uwN0UEyQSOEYblt71G5mIKI__Tu95bga3_X7fbBVgwYxBYWw9DKzMbuBTG5-5-BM4OSLHa1GnN99Jv48i0QlfTLWlrA11XyjAUjWmOBCOYtYMW81yHOCoFt-yl8fxTczi5yMXWE1EqviM9npScaEpoRAD7Fgioersf6-TaiI7i6CCE_G94uSW0lpLt4bube5DHZ7p4EzPwP83xBRndkk1S6_Ovz0bA_=w880-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Durga? seated on tiger?</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>The sculptures on the walls</i></b> of the temple are just a fraction of what must have originally stood here. There are sculptures strewn all around, and the slightly better ones are placed under lock and key in two sheds on the sides of the temple. I wished I could go in and look at them, but they are out of bounds to visitors. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/PP5G8BdZ1P_tlbaBQAKxbBC_sT31LYMHghb24Wpnx4uN3SyS3FiT5o1yhZ_QAo7UjjYzMq1n6tLaLE_ATPor5g8zTG9NbvjBGmdBjg3FEBsrV50GY77BNw08IaY3PnJQMUf0yrdPbfKvbb10UET0fne1hK6rNfkyGBZXcRnCqMju1I-KqrpeLQFkdbg8j1D1DK9XpEnbzvPfLAvvuBvJOaKfzcB3X8G-yGeMuIk4nq1EiVFLnyELuA6GrpvS0_-B-OCdu_07rkf_lOeYwHrWC4pivnTxP7aXIkxwZopE-6iZOsfQTCdaC18y6E2wynJRkMsK98WvPSa9kfLMArUNJ-diDimUTzY2fOUvgk0XAKH3J7R9-kCOMC3HqGdJlSzhJRE1IbMZ0bmPyc4KUZy56x20EU_PhC9RuY9pzb-v41ov0o3f_ZPlaCF8Uq2VBBWEQOCScM__HzDhuWMY0MEfMx-jI-udKsWfbNnTodUfdSlbiylEGhm8D8o5xMxaqKhsjf-S-lqNeITf_e2bmhQr7PCdT9-1hTUeHRvbWUdQa7Rshsx8ZmXZJt0HzMOLxUMEI1XdogjUnRNcSvDMzYZAje6su3HSyC_-icFO_yPaRA9mEYkIFOZF=w1440-h492-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="491" data-original-width="1440" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/PP5G8BdZ1P_tlbaBQAKxbBC_sT31LYMHghb24Wpnx4uN3SyS3FiT5o1yhZ_QAo7UjjYzMq1n6tLaLE_ATPor5g8zTG9NbvjBGmdBjg3FEBsrV50GY77BNw08IaY3PnJQMUf0yrdPbfKvbb10UET0fne1hK6rNfkyGBZXcRnCqMju1I-KqrpeLQFkdbg8j1D1DK9XpEnbzvPfLAvvuBvJOaKfzcB3X8G-yGeMuIk4nq1EiVFLnyELuA6GrpvS0_-B-OCdu_07rkf_lOeYwHrWC4pivnTxP7aXIkxwZopE-6iZOsfQTCdaC18y6E2wynJRkMsK98WvPSa9kfLMArUNJ-diDimUTzY2fOUvgk0XAKH3J7R9-kCOMC3HqGdJlSzhJRE1IbMZ0bmPyc4KUZy56x20EU_PhC9RuY9pzb-v41ov0o3f_ZPlaCF8Uq2VBBWEQOCScM__HzDhuWMY0MEfMx-jI-udKsWfbNnTodUfdSlbiylEGhm8D8o5xMxaqKhsjf-S-lqNeITf_e2bmhQr7PCdT9-1hTUeHRvbWUdQa7Rshsx8ZmXZJt0HzMOLxUMEI1XdogjUnRNcSvDMzYZAje6su3HSyC_-icFO_yPaRA9mEYkIFOZF=w1440-h492-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>One of the sheds storing the sculptures</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Ri-EaOCuQ-IbCOa2DPC_BoTYaeFxYpBn3mvhO7qMAcMb73UYeiNhDhE3JZqU6-EOjw1G5pPJvDrPRnmc2y7oLV0nhaXfS858vQA6WR6wRHIzGYiGQaAzWqaGXiwiD-KqSesVDNeq6GXK5E0VQulQO-8Z4CiWaf0u-p162G2ZNOAfxorFjsOUQ-mtfsR4qVWnjAcGSO4Nn2dLmvjQQ0nJ7bHiBEFsWuOLBeFxY-u06CkkLGhDjDfXSgHvEmRjmLdDlKN8bx__PcglPGex-uNgNkP0LdCpnfT7AV4gqIzgCHIxQxgJH788baWwo5M2VoenPzMIio8a-USCydqdb3FTdKn_jvVNwolVFdLC-wSmcMVLt2R-gK_OL5qLuHSOyBPYcuMuhu2wva05AaK0LSfnDVgNmGNN6wZ3BrRTAJP8d1otOlBqPYfnO3sRajFkbRLIzyQ4q5-n3VKSGcz2gaxiK5Uaon2NHjMDxLMKiBH2NEcMZvMuNkr5MaJRPaOZ1K0ciMiY82uga-Pa72_xIrgZEHJuQN-Vmvf63DJJVOJaWKLtVh8CZqu5AWf8VX8upO0KgrI7IzIggnI4qr8-DEn-vN4bYuuy5-5W9mNQBGJWmHVvC39Dxkui=w629-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="629" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/Ri-EaOCuQ-IbCOa2DPC_BoTYaeFxYpBn3mvhO7qMAcMb73UYeiNhDhE3JZqU6-EOjw1G5pPJvDrPRnmc2y7oLV0nhaXfS858vQA6WR6wRHIzGYiGQaAzWqaGXiwiD-KqSesVDNeq6GXK5E0VQulQO-8Z4CiWaf0u-p162G2ZNOAfxorFjsOUQ-mtfsR4qVWnjAcGSO4Nn2dLmvjQQ0nJ7bHiBEFsWuOLBeFxY-u06CkkLGhDjDfXSgHvEmRjmLdDlKN8bx__PcglPGex-uNgNkP0LdCpnfT7AV4gqIzgCHIxQxgJH788baWwo5M2VoenPzMIio8a-USCydqdb3FTdKn_jvVNwolVFdLC-wSmcMVLt2R-gK_OL5qLuHSOyBPYcuMuhu2wva05AaK0LSfnDVgNmGNN6wZ3BrRTAJP8d1otOlBqPYfnO3sRajFkbRLIzyQ4q5-n3VKSGcz2gaxiK5Uaon2NHjMDxLMKiBH2NEcMZvMuNkr5MaJRPaOZ1K0ciMiY82uga-Pa72_xIrgZEHJuQN-Vmvf63DJJVOJaWKLtVh8CZqu5AWf8VX8upO0KgrI7IzIggnI4qr8-DEn-vN4bYuuy5-5W9mNQBGJWmHVvC39Dxkui=w629-h789-no" width="510" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: justify;"><i>Loose sculpture of Kartikeya. Notice the three heads, the spear in his left hand and the rooster in the right hand. The peacock, interestingly, is missing. </i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/vRmWlfjbi9BYoEt9TxECI97nomkDS6Trx_jR31deZp65HSdP9UQJtYIHmrJQsUxqSfqGT0ICn4xvBYXltaHqhpX25Ezr7PHqhffhsvjljFNeLkJL5mOhePD-0iJTax1x94tW14TFzl4Q-xBdlSiyflfVModzEpkpx4OJk-o2CL2kUonZRpZx45uy6B0M6A4-IL-olOk55kWHT5Jqnw0_MpZEZYxKFTLPrxgn18Us7pqzOaURYVlX1TMHFrtxptozAzdslyseR9C48QuONM7eZUbLVqmOWGOeyDGaaSOzow-0gmZ9P28YhfDLYTREOubu5Ik7BB7jSCr-0l_8iOxl2Jb9B29rrllxNxZya728vM5ZVm-aVBBOP9YiivagVr45FFwc34ZJ9xEPE9BKryUaJ5LBSTMXgTs12q3QwaIiMcYnm09jtG93P_1raD4giAi3M3G68WnINX-QuLUWU0McFFzuuPVlApTKeghrs21HhkvM-kAV-nWnHdNtVhAQ1gzEvdHdbdKcTbs2UaflK6d6uFutKniQ3q--7Zz8nYogtcB0nlVcR656aW06N_l26wNGvI-N6xfPPbA3vcvGDVPhNn9TKtS8OQzS8o2FDG339JYT-Eh_duN6=w836-h789-no" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="789" data-original-width="836" height="604" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/vRmWlfjbi9BYoEt9TxECI97nomkDS6Trx_jR31deZp65HSdP9UQJtYIHmrJQsUxqSfqGT0ICn4xvBYXltaHqhpX25Ezr7PHqhffhsvjljFNeLkJL5mOhePD-0iJTax1x94tW14TFzl4Q-xBdlSiyflfVModzEpkpx4OJk-o2CL2kUonZRpZx45uy6B0M6A4-IL-olOk55kWHT5Jqnw0_MpZEZYxKFTLPrxgn18Us7pqzOaURYVlX1TMHFrtxptozAzdslyseR9C48QuONM7eZUbLVqmOWGOeyDGaaSOzow-0gmZ9P28YhfDLYTREOubu5Ik7BB7jSCr-0l_8iOxl2Jb9B29rrllxNxZya728vM5ZVm-aVBBOP9YiivagVr45FFwc34ZJ9xEPE9BKryUaJ5LBSTMXgTs12q3QwaIiMcYnm09jtG93P_1raD4giAi3M3G68WnINX-QuLUWU0McFFzuuPVlApTKeghrs21HhkvM-kAV-nWnHdNtVhAQ1gzEvdHdbdKcTbs2UaflK6d6uFutKniQ3q--7Zz8nYogtcB0nlVcR656aW06N_l26wNGvI-N6xfPPbA3vcvGDVPhNn9TKtS8OQzS8o2FDG339JYT-Eh_duN6=w836-h789-no" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Loose sculpture of a beautiful Natesa. just lying around</i></td></tr>
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<b><i>There was no official from the ASI</i></b> when we visited, though this is a protected site. In fact, there was no one around, but a young boy about Samhith’s age, the son of the priest who conducted the prayers here. They lived in a nearby village, and his father was out for the day, so the boy was on duty instead. Samhith took one look around, and decided that the peacocks outside were far more interesting. Shankar, on the other hand, decided that the intact Shiva Linga in the sanctum merited prayers, despite the absence of the priest. He managed to befriend the young boy, who led him to a tap nearby to get water, and then watched while Shankar bathed the lingam, chanting the Rudram. Meanwhile, I walked around, ruing the state of the sculptures and the utter lack of maintenance.</div>
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<b><i>Interestingly</i></b>, just 100m from the temple is a colossal statue of the Jain Tirthankar Shantinath. Sadly, however, there was no board to inform us where exactly it was, and we couldn’t see it from where we stood. Besides, our driver was getting restive. It was late, and he had to drive down the rickety, rock covered path. We finally gave in, and decided to call it a day. <o:p></o:p><br />
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<b><i>Each of us had</i></b> enjoyed the experience – while Samhith was thrilled with the peacock feathers he had found strewn all over, Shankar was quietly pleased with the experience of bathing the Shiva Lingam in this ancient temple with his own hands. As for me, there was a sense of satisfaction, in visiting a temple I had yearned to see, since I first read about it. It was certainly worth every minute of the gruelling ride of the worst road I have ever been on! <o:p></o:p></div>
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<li><b><i>Location</i></b>: The Neelkanth Mahadev Temple is located in the Alwar district of Rajasthan, within the Sariska Tiger Reserve. It is about 70 Km from Alwar, and 120 Km from Jaipur.</li>
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<li><b><i>How to Reach</i></b>: It is advisable to hire a car, preferably one which can navigate bad roads, from either Jaipur or Alwar.</li>
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<li><b><i>Where to stay</i></b>: You can choose to stay at either Jaipur or Alwar, and make a day trip.</li>
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<li><b><i>Suggestions</i></b></li>
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<li>If you are driving from Jaipur, you can also combine Neelkanth with either Bhangarh or Abhaneri. </li>
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Ensure you keep ample time for the temple, since the drive takes up a lot of time. Try to arrive early in the day, to avoid the heat. Besides, you have a better chance of meeting villagers enroute who can direct you to the temple, as well as the statue of the Jain Tirthankar. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>P.S. To see more photos of the Neelkanth Mahadev Temple,<span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://goo.gl/photos/2ZTnUXqsD2vHHoFw7"> click here</a></span>. </i></b></div>
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<a href="http://www.mylivesignature.com/" target="_blank"><img border="0" src="http://signatures.mylivesignature.com/85724/anushankarn/8cbe29614ab2fdab6bf629b9c64ef101.png" style="background: transparent; border: 0;" /></a></div>
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Anuradha Shankarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10460310200883662583noreply@blogger.com9Neelkanth Temple, Sariska TIger Reserve, Alwar, Rajasthan, India27.2474459 76.3518799999999371.7254113999999987 35.043285999999938 52.7694804 117.66047399999994