Looking for a travelogue on New Delhi !? Here’s a fantastic read 📖 I bought it second hand from Blossoms on Church Street, Bangalore; published in 1994, the book still carries names of it’s prior owners; a handwritten inscription of Ms. Ramani from London and a sticker at the back with the full address of…
Tag: History
A walking trail in Cubbon Park 🌿🦋🌸
The two major green spaces in Bangalore are the Lalbagh & the Cubbon Park; the former a botanical garden and the latter a proper park. I have been to the Lalbagh, a sprawling 240 acres of greenery; but Cubbon park visit happened only this year. The first visit to the Cubbon Park was in March…
Sravanabelagola 🌄
Sravanabelagola or Shravanabelagola is a religious center for the Jains. The town has two prominent hills of religious significance. One of them houses the famous and huge monolith statue of Gomateshwara Bahubali, the 1st Tirthankara of Jainism. Lord Mahavira was the 24th and the last Tirthankara (saviour and spiritual teacher) of the Jain religion. It started to…
Bangalore Palace tour 🏰: Glimpse into the Wodeyars story – Part 𝟚
To continue with the historical timeline, the mighty Vijayanagar empire which ruled almost the whole of the south India, met its ruin in 1565 at the battle of Talikota 👉 Hampi chronicles: Beginning with the end 🌄 (Starting the Hampi trail🚶🏻♀️) After the disintegration of the Vijayanagara empire, the land was divided among the feudal…
18 April: World Heritage Day 🌎 – Forts of South India
Celebrated on 18 April, it started off as “International Day for Monuments and Sites” and after approval from UNESCO in 1983, it was made popular as World Heritage Day. 2021 World Heritage Day theme is “Complex Pasts: Diverse Futures” This would be the apt title for our Indian heritage – it’s complex! The history text…
Hampi chronicles: Music, myths & magic🪄 with stone🥁 (Vitthala temple and Stone chariot)
Sekhar says he is well versed with the history of the Vijayanagar empire and even more with the intricacies of the Vitthala temple. He claims to speak nine languages and that’s not even his talent, you’ll see ! It’s close to 4 pm by now, tired, we were at the last quarter in the sacred…
Hampi chronicles: An inept king & an incredible temple 👑 (Achyutaraya temple)
A proclaimed glorious reign by any monarch always marks the beginning of the end of an empire and the story is no different for Vijaynagar. The Vijayanagar empire was at the peak of it’s prestige and power during the rule of Krishna Deva Raya (1509-1529). He was succeeded by his half-brother Achyuta, continuing the line…
Hampi chronicles: Hemakuta Hill – the Granite abode of Gods 🌅
We are on a trail covering the sacred centre of Vijayanagar and after starting with the Virupaksha temple 👉Hampi chronicles: Charmed by the colonettes at Virupaksha temple 🛕, the next destination is the Hemakuta hill situated right next to and above the Virupaksha temple complex. The entrance to the Hemakuta hill is a majestic quadrilateral…
Hampi chronicles: Charmed by the colonettes at Virupaksha temple 🛕
It’s good to have a view of the Virupaksha temple complex in it’s entirety before entering it. It gives you a sense of direction and you are able to place the towering gopurams above the entrances better! The tallest gopuram marks the eastern entrance from the Hampi bazaar and the second tallest marks the northern…
Hampi chronicles: The curse that saved a temple ⚔️
There are many stories leading to the origins of the Vijayanagar empire, too many in fact; but they all have some converging points. A broad outline of these narratives is aptly outlined by Srinivas Reddy in his book Raya stating ” It is a tale of two brothers, a sacred geography and one legendary sage.”…
Hampi chronicles: Beginning with the end 🌄 (Starting the Hampi trail🚶🏻♀️)
The year was 1565; the Vijayanagar empire had Sadasiva as it’s namesake King while the real power lay with the three brothers – Rama Raya, Tirumala and Venkatadri. It was Rama Raya also called Aliyar Rama Raya, who wielded power. Rama Raya and Tirumala are believed to be son-in-law’s of the celebrated king Krishna Deva…
Hampi chronicles: Who’s telling the story 📖⁉️ (📚 Fab books on Hampi ＋𝟙)
The drive to Hampi from our hotel Hyatt Place was nearly an hour. We chose a weekday to visit Hampi, weekends are more crowded. As you get off the NH and drive through the winding SH into Hampi, a smile begins to form; a thrill of excitement and mystery overwhelms you (maybe it’s just me…
Jain dedication in Badami 🙏
The fourth cave temple in Badami is a Jain temple and this was a total surprise. I know very little about the Jain religion. It’s my ignorance, but Karnataka has a rich history with respect to the Jain religion; Sravanabelagola in Karnataka is one of the most important centres of Jain religion being the home…
Stone compositions in Badami 👑
Cave 3 in Badami is the largest and the most elaborate among the four cave temples. An inscription on the wall of the cave details that the cave was created under the auspicious of the king’s (Kirttivarman I) brother Mangalesha Chalukya in 578 CE. The cave is dedicated to Lord Vishnu and the sculptures and…
Shiva stories from Badami 🔱
Cave 1 in Badami is dedicated to Lord Shiva; it consists of a an open verandah, a pillared hall and an inner sanctuary. Our tour of Cave 1 in Badami began with the above spectacular sculpture of Shiva, the Lord of dance, in a cosmic dance pose. Shiva here is depicted with 18 arms, nine…
Good reads for the monsoon 2020 #3 🕌
Time travel does not require a time machine, a good book will suffice. One such read is Istanbul by Thomas F Madden. This engrossing saga spans the conquest of this port city by the Greeks, Romans, Persians, Arabs, all the way to the making of the modern Turkey, weaving a tapestry of history, myth and legend….
Hyd after dusk 🌃
Hyderabad is probably the only city so far where we have ventured out in the evening for sight-seeing. The city felt safe even after dusk; Ola and Uber were available to ferry us to and fro. On the evening of the first day, we were at the famous Golconda fort, just in time to see it’s…
Magical monuments of Mahabalipuram✨
Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu is unique in having a display of the four sculpture forms – Cave Temples, Carved Monoliths, Sculptured Scenes and Masonry Temples. They were built during the rule of the Pallava kings between 6th to 8th century AD. Kanchipuram was the capital city of the Pallavas and Mahabalipuram was their seaport. We…
Shore temple in Mahabalipuram🐚… shrouded in sand and stories
Standing on the sea shore of Bay of Bengal in Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu district of India is the famous Shore temple; seen from far as two pagoda style towers rising to the sky. Why is it so famous? It’s now merely an archeological site and as per our guide Mr. Ali, the government has…
Surprise Me🧞♂️ : Must see treasures at the Salar Jung museum in Hyderabad
“Did you know that the Nizam was one of the richest man in India!? asks hubs. “He bankrolled the British during the WWII.” “Yes, I have heard it from you, many many times.” says me🙄 “Do you know the man behind the very rich Nizam?” asks me😀 “There is a man?” asks hubs🤔 “The Nizam’s diwan…
Miles and smiles 
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