February 2015

FACE TO FACE WITH HISTORY :: BELUR & HALEBID

Belur (ಬೇಲೂರು) was the early capital of Hoysala Empire. Halebidu is located 16 km away from Belur, both belong to the Hassan district and among the major tourist destinations in Karnataka. Belur is situated by the banks of river Yagachi, a tributary of river Kaveri . It is around 222 Km from Bangalore. The main attraction in Belur is the Chennakesava temple, which is famous for its exquisite carvings and Hoysala workmanship. ‘Chenna’ Kesava literally means ‘Handsome Vishnu’ who is the main deity of this temple, being worshipped in the centre of the temple complex, surrounded by Kappe Chennigraya temple and a few other shrines. The temple was built by King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE, to commemorate his victory over the Cholas at Talakkad . (read about Talakkad here). Legend has it that the construction of this temple took 103 years. This style of detailed and intricate carving is typical to the Hoysala temples of Karnataka and it portrays scenes from Hindu mythology as well as the contemporary culture, art forms and weaponry. The material used for carving is known as Soapstone (Green schist) which gives them the incredible finish . The soft version of soapstone could be shaped even using our […]

Feb 05

by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage, travel 2 comments tags: ashok, ashoka, benaras, bodhi, buddha, buddhist, chakra, Dhamek, Dhamekh, Dhamekha, Dharm Chakra, emperor, gaya, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, gops.org, holy, Isipatana, maurya, Mulagandha Kuti Vihar Temple, peepal, photography, pilgrimage, pillar, Rishipattana, sarnath, site, stambha, stupa, tree, varanasi

SARNATH, THE BIRTH PLACE OF BUDDHISM

“Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment.” :-Gautam Buddha The National Symbol of India was adopted from an Ashoka Pillar originally found here in Sarnath. The Lion Capital of Ashoka is a sculpture of four lions sitting back to back, along with the ‘Dharm Chakra’ (Wheel of Dharma/ Ashoka Chakra, having 24 spokes) placed on top and installed on top of a pillar (Stupa, Stambh). Ashoka installed the famous Ashoka Pillar here which was broken down by Turk and Islamic intruders. Remains of the pillar could be still found in its original location with the inscriptions in Brahmi script. The Lion Capital and Ashoka Chakra have been kept safe in the adjoining museum of Archeology. The four lions represent power, courage, confidence and pride. It also depicts Ashoka’s rule spread out in four directions. Besides the lions, the pillar also has a horse, a bull, an elephant and a lion, signifying the different states of Buddha’s life. The monolithic polished Chunar sandstone pillar is 15.25 m high (0.71 m diameter at the base and 0.56 at the top). Sarnath is located 10 Km from Varanasi of Uttar Pradesh in India […]

Feb 02

by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage, travel 4 comments tags: badrinath, bhim, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, gops.org, gufa, himalaya, hinduism, indian, last, mana, myth, pandava, photography, pul, uttarkhand, village, vyas

MANA, THE LAST INDIAN VILLAGE AND THE ROAD TO HEAVEN

> Buy a commercial license to use this image by clicking here < It was in the evening of April 30, 2009 we took a drive from Badrinath to Mana Village. We had heard about Mana, known as the last village on Indian soil, beyond which lies Tibet. The famous trade route Mana Pass is 48 Kms ahead of this place which was closed in 1962. After parking the car at the entry point of Mana, we started our trek though the village. This mysterious Himalayan valley is famous for its mythological relevance and it is surrounded by lots of myths & legends from the great epic Mahabharat. People believe that Veda Vyas composed Mahabharat, while living here. Mana is situated 3118 Mtrs (10229 ft) above sea level, around 3 Km from the Holy city of Badrinath in Uttarkhand state of India. The local community (Bhutia tribe) is of Tibetan origin who fled to India during the Chinese invasion. The people live in stone laid huts plastered with mud and make their living by weaving woollen clothes and raising cattle. The scenery around this heavenly country side is breath-taking. After a few minutes of walk, we reached a place called Bhim-Pul (Bhima’s […]

FACE TO FACE WITH HISTORY :: BELUR & HALEBID

SARNATH, THE BIRTH PLACE OF BUDDHISM

MANA, THE LAST INDIAN VILLAGE AND THE ROAD TO HEAVEN

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