Walking Mumbai

The monsoon might just be my favourite time to (heritage) walk in Mumbai! The weather is lovely, and the streets empty. All you really need to enjoy yourself is an umbrella, and a great pair of stomping shoes:) For those of you who agree (or even those that need convincing!) please find below a list of walk events in June.

Fort Stories: A walking tour

Sunday, June 4, 2017

9 – 11:30 am

Explore Mumbai’s most iconic neighbourhood on a walking tour that spotlights it’s hidden histories – the stories that lie behind, around, and within, the buildings, streets and spaces so familiar today.We walk back through the area’s earliest history as a lonely island acquired by the traders of the East India Co., and follow its journey from a struggling fortified town into a crowded, cosmopolitan, trading centre, then to its place at the heart of 19th century developments…

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Source: the mythological frescoes of nandalal bose in vadodara

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During 1980s, I visited Bhubaneswar regularly and as a child one thing that always fascinated me were its numerous Shiva temples. Richly adorned with sculptures of Hindu divinities, mythical beasts, foliage and ordinary men and women, the child in me wondered why there were so many temples dedicated to a single deity? As I grew older, one particular sculpture never failed to fascinate me and that was – Lakulisha, a Shaivite teacher who closely resembled Gautama Buddha.

Rajarani Temple

Parasurameswar Temple, Rear View

Parasurameswara Temple, Front View

Vaital Deala

Lingaraj Temple

7^th century CE heralded an era that marked the beginning of temple building activity in Bhubaneshwar. It was an interesting time period in history as dynasties like the Mauryas and the Guptas were no longer extant and there was no pan Indian empire. But thanks to their contribution of bringing India together in the preceding centuries, there was…

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Source: Pashupata Cult and the Ancient Temples of Bhubaneshwar

Source: global travel shot: champaner, a 500-year-old indo-saracenic poem in stone

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A passerby mentioned the name ‘Surya Mandir of Katarmal’ when I was whiling away my time in Kasar Devi near Almora in Uttarakhand. I had earlier thought that Konark was the only Sun Temple in India but over a period of time it was known that there are Sun Temples in Modhera, Gujarat, Martand, Kashmir and also in the small town of Osian in Rajasthan.

Katarmal is a small village that lies on the Ranikhet road in Kumaon and the temple can be accessed by a 20 minute walk from the main road. We set off on a Royal Enfield Motorcycle from Almora in the morning and were pretty famished by the time we reached the hamlet of Kosi. I was quite excited about the prospect of seeing this 12th Century wonder that was said to be left half built.

 

Legend says that ‘It was built by the Pandavas in one night…

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Source: Katarmal Sun Temple – Interesting, Intriguing, Invisible

Source: Katarmal Sun Temple – Interesting, Intriguing, Invisible

Source: Ajanta – India’s First Renaissance

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One of the most famous disciples of Gautama Buddha during his lifetime was King Bimbisara. He invited Gautama Buddha and his Sangha members for a meal at his royal court – the Rajagriha. While having dinner, sitting next to Gautama Buddha, the King wondered: ‘Where could I find a place for the Blessed One to stay; neither too far from the village, nor too near; with easy commute, and accessibility to people seeking him; away from the crowds and sounds, where the Buddha and his disciples could be sequestered in peace; a place well suited for a renounced life.’ At that moment, it occurred to Bimbisara: ‘There is Veluvana, my pleasure garden, which is neither too far from the town, nor too near; and is easy to commute to and from. What if I make an offering of the Veluvana to the fraternity of monks, with the Buddha at…

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