GOPS CREATIVE ARTS & PHOTOGRAPHY - CAPTURING THE SIMPLICITIES & COMPLEXITIES OF LIFE
Jun 01
by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage, travel 6 comments tags: achyutharaya, ancient, anegondi, anegundi, Anjanadri, Bali, birth, blog, boulder, bukka, cave, dynasty, Gagan Mahal, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, gops.org, hakka, hampi, Hanuman, Hazararama, hill, india, karnataka, Kishkinda, Kishkindha, krishnadevaraya, mathanga, Onake Kindi, paintings, Pampa Sarovar, photography, place, Ramayana, Rishimuka, ruins, Shabari, Sugreeva, Sugriva, temple, tungabhadra, Vali, Vali Quila, Vijayanagara, vittala

THE RIVER AND BEYOND… ANEGUNDI

Let’s embark on a time machine… It is going to be a journey back into the past to witness history spanning 5000 years or more. The story begins with river Pampa (Tungabhadra),  the lifeline of a great civilization that existed in the southern state of Karnataka in India. Anegundi is a peaceful little village situated just opposite to Hampi, on the northern bank of river Tungabhadra; a place where evolution, history, mythology and folklore co-exist.  Anegundi (or Anegondi, ಆನೆಗುಂದಿ/ಆನೆಗೊಂದಿ) is a Kannada word which means “Elephant pit”. It was the early  capital of Vijayanagara empire, before it got shifted to Hampi. It was probably named after the king’s elephant stables originally located here. Read more about Hampi & Vijayanagara empire here >> As per earth scientists, the rock formations in this area could be 3000 Million years old, making it one of the oldest plateaus on our planet. That means it was one of the first places to get solidified during earth’s cooling process. Traces of early human settlements have been located in certain parts of Anegundi. Neolithic (Stone-age) burial grounds and primitive cave paintings found here attract research students, historians and geologists alike. You may please go through my blog […]
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Feb 26
by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage, travel 14 comments tags: achyutharaya, ancient, anegundi, blog, boulder, bukka, dynasty, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops photography, gops.org, hakka, hampi, Hazararama, hill, india, karnataka, krishnadevaraya, malyavanta, mathanga, photography, Purandara Dasa, ruins, talikota, temple, tuluva, tungabhadra, Vijayanagara, vittala, war

HAMPI, WHERE RUINS COME ALIVE !

A river constitutes the blood and veins of a country. Most of the ancient civilizations formed and developed on the banks of rivers and so was the history of Vijayanagara empire. Once you dig deep into the history of this place, it turns to folklore and refers back to mythology as well. The river Pampa was the lifeline of a great civilization that existed in the southern state of Karnataka in India. Traces of early settlements could be found on the Northern side of river (Anegundi) that points to the epic Ramayana and the monkey kingdom Kishkindha. Read about Anegundi  here >> Southern banks of the river witnessed a series of battles and events that date back to the period of Emperor Ashoka (3rd century BC).  Kannada word Hampe was derived from Pampa and in turn called Hampi due to British influence. River Pampa is known as Tungabhadra now, which still flows silently  between the ruins of Vijayanagara  empire.  That arouses the curiosity of every traveler. What would have led to the decline of such a great empire ? Tunga & Bhadra rivers originate from Western Ghats, pass through the plains of Karnataka until they merge together 150 Kms down east, […]
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Jan 24
by GOPAN NAIR in Indian architecture & Heritage 4 comments tags: bahubali, bangalore, Bhadrabahu, Brahmadeva, cave, chandragiri, chandragupta, Chikkabetta, Doddabetta, gomateshwara, gomateswara, gopan, gopan g nair, gops, gops.org, hill, india, Indragiri, jain, jainism, maurya, monolithic, mysore, photography, pillar, route, SHRAVANABELAGOLA, south, statue, stone, tour, Tyagada, vindyagiri

A TRIP TO SHRAVANABELAGOLA

“THERE IS NO ENEMY OUT OF YOUR SOUL. THE REAL ENEMIES LIVE INSIDE YOURSELF; THEY ARE ANGER, EGO, PRIDE, CURVEDNESS, GREED, ATTACHMENTS AND HATRED” :- Lord Mahavir According to Jainism, Bahubali is considered the ideal of the man who conquers selfishness, jealousy, pride and anger. The 57 foot monolithic statue of Gomateshvara (Bahubali) at Shravanabelagola is one of the most important pilgrimage destinations for the followers of Jain Religion. Shravanabelagola literally means “White pond of the ascetic”, which lies between two hills. The bigger hill is Indragiri/Vindyagiri (Doddabetta) and the smaller one is Chandragiri ( Chikkabetta). One could witness 2000+ years of Jain history in this place. Emperor Chandra Gupta Maurya (340 – 298 BC) spent his final years as a Jain monk at Chandragiri. He had conquered several parts of Indian peninsula inclusive of Afghanistan, Pakistan, Balochistan and the Maurya kingdom flourished well under the guidance of great philosopher Chanakya and as well through their alliance with Macedonian king Alexander and his successors. In his later years, Chandragupta decided to embrace Jainism with the help of his spiritual guru Bhadrabahu and relocated to Shravanbelgola in 298 BC after renouncing the throne to his son Bindusara.  Chandragupta Maurya led the […]
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