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Ranakpur is widely known for its marble Jain temple, said to the most spectacular of the Jain temples.
Chammukha temple is built in the 15 th century.
Hands of White Skin Girl and Workers on the Tea Plantation, Ooty (Udhagamandalam), Tamil Nadu, India
It has been two years since my last visit to India. Such trips were always for business. Yet, I tried to find time to visit the countryside around Bangalore. The Indian state of Karnataka is home to a large collection of Hoysala Dynasty temples.
My favorite temples were built by kings, queens, and a military general. The 12th century temple at Helibidu is my favorite. The stone carvings are so beautiful that if you squint your eyes, you would swear they are alive and breathing.
The large temple of Belur is nice, but too spread out for my tastes. Beautiful things are certainly there, so if you are in the Hassan region of Karnataka, it's worth paying it a visit.
Which leads me to these series of images. They are from the 13th century Hoysala temple of Somanathapura. It is a small temple that is overflowing with incredible stone carvings.
My many and continued thanks to Prakash Murthy for taking me to so many wonderful places in southern India. It was he who introduced me to the temples and sacred places of Karnataka.
200-hour yoga teacher training in India at yoga school Rishikesh Yog Dham registered with Yoga Alliance, USA as RYS 200.
India Exists in her stories.
The signs you see are but a small part of her charm.
See through these pictures a slice of local life,with its melange of customs,traditions and myths.
Come be part of the story of "Incredible India"
Its Punjab and this scene is opposite of what now we are hearing in news that half of India is facing drought like situation.
Camera:Nikon D80
Exposure:0.005 sec (1/200)
Aperture:f/9.0
Focal Length:58 mm
Exposure:+0.15
ISO Speed:200
Bikers on the way on the Rohtang La pass.
Rohtang Pass (altitude 13,051 ft (3,978 m)), is a high mountain pass on the eastern Pir Panjal Range of the Himalayas some 51 km (32 mi) from Manali. It connects the Kullu Valley with the
Lahaul and Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh, India.
The pass is open from May to November. It was not particularly high or difficult to cross on foot by Himalayan standards, but it had a well-deserved reputation for being dangerous because of unpredictable snowstorms and blizzards.
The road through the Kullu Valley, past Manali and over the Rohtang Pass to Keylong, and Lahul and on to Ladakh, has become very busy during the summer months as an alternate military route, following the Kargil Conflict in 1999 in addition to tensions in Kashmir. Traffic jams are common as military vehicles, trucks, and goods carriers try to navigate the tight roads and rough terrain, compounded by snow and ice at certain points and the large number of tourists vehicles. Partially due to the military significance of the pass, the Indian government began building the $320 million Rohtang Tunnel project in 2010 which promises to create a year-around link which is much safer and faster.
Susan Ladenburger in India 🇮🇳 Jaipur at the Orphanage Program. I have worked with children in my practice as a dental hygienist and in school settings as a teaching assistant for special needs children. I found the work to be personally rewarding and life changing. I hope that by volunteering I can provide the children with a sense of being loved and cared for.
Oct 27th. Festival Diwali, or Deepawali is the Hindu festival of lights, typically lasting five days and celebrated during the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika. One of the most popular festivals of Hinduism, Diwali symbolises the spiritual "victory of light over darkness, good over evil and knowledge over ignorance"
Matho Monastery.
Lama Dugpa Dorje founded the Matho Gompa of Ladakh in the 16th century. It is situated on the opposite bank of the River Indus, at a distance of approximately 26 km to the southeast of Leh town. Matho is the only gompa of Ladakh that belongs to the Saskya order of Tibetan Buddhism. The oracle of the monastery is a priest, who resides in the monastery itself. Also situated near the monastery, are a number of sacred shrines, of which one is dedicated to the guardian deities.
Matho Monastery of Leh Ladakh hosts the Matho Nagrang Festival, on an annual basis. The festival takes place on the 14th and 15th day of the first month of the Tibetan calendar. All the monks participate in the sacred dances, performed at this annual event. It is believed that, during Matho Nagrang Festival, two gods, known as the Rongtsan, descend to visit the monastery. Matho Monastery also boasts of housing an amazingly rich collection of four hundred years old Thankas.
On the right side of the monastery courtyard, is the entrance to the Dukhang (the main assembly hall). Paintings of the Guardians of the Four Directions adorn the verandah of the Dukhang. Inside are two rows of seats for the lamas, along with a throne seat that is reserved for the Rimpoche, the head lama of Matho. There are four statues behind the throne seat, that of the thousand-armed Avalokitesvara, Maitreya, Sakyamuni and a blessing Buddha. The entrance wall displays Mahakala, the fiercest Buddhist guardian divinity, on the left and other protecting deities, on the right.
Nawalgarh.
Nawalgarh is famous for his frescoes and havelis and considered as Golden City of Rajasthan.
ZDM 5 521 awaits departure having arrived from Jambusar Junc. (traversed two years earlier) and now closed with train crew, Mr.Kalakar Snr.Commercial Inspoector (in camel jacket) all of whom befriended me instantly!
Ganga Aarti in Varanasi.
Every evening, as dusk descends, it's time for the Ganga Aarti to be performed at the holy city of Varanasi.
It's a very powerful and uplifting spiritual ritual.
An Aarti is a devotional ritual that uses fire as an offering.
The offering is made to the Goddess Ganga, goddess of the most holy river in India.
The Varanasi Ganga Aarti takes place at holy Dasaswamedh Ghat.
Nawalgarh.
Nawalgarh is famous for his frescoes and havelis an considered as Golden City of Rajasthan.
Visiting of following havelis:
-Bhagton Ki Choti haveli
-Morarka haveli
-Rambath A.podar haveli.
Missionaries with tiger, February 28, 1923.
Taken at Kotopad, February 28, 1923 of tiger killed at Kirimitti, February 27, 1923.
From left to right: Mrs. Nellie Raun, Miss Agatha Tatge, Mrs. Margaret Haupt Werner, with little Beatrice Werner, and unidentified.
"A 'front' view of lady tiger. Rather ferocious looking along side of the more peaceful ladies."
LCA 16.6.3 box 6 f. 14 India - Missionaries.
ELCA Archives image.
Bible Women Preaching Board, Susali, 1950, with Ruth Sigmon.
Used in Lutheran Women's Work, May, 1951.
LCA 16.6.3 box 6 f. 15 India - Missionaries.
ELCA Archives image.
The tabla is a South Asian membranophone percussion instrument consisting of a pair of drums, used in traditional, classical, popular and folk music.
It has been a particularly important instrument in Hindustani classical music since the 18th century.
Kathak is one of the ten major forms of Indian classical dance. The origin of Kathak is traditionally attributed to the traveling bards of ancient northern India known as Katharkars or storytellers.
A new day arrives and I’m feeling…blue. After sleeping on another overnight train ride from way out west in Jaisalmer, we arrived in Jodhpur early on Wednesday, September 30. Jodhpur is close to the center of the state. It’s a city of roughly one million people (unlike Jaisalmer, which is less than 100,000). That being said, though, people don’t come here to see one million people.
Visitors primarily come to Jodhpur to see Mehrangarh (the massive fort high above the city) and the Old City. The Old City is…blue. Enough of the buildings – about half, I’d say – have been painted blue which gives vistas of the city from up at the fort the feeling of a blue city below. Blue historically represented that a Brahmin lived in the building, though non-Brahmins also started painting their houses blue as well.
If you are in the mood to “get lost” wandering around alleys, leave your map behind and just explore. There are plenty of options for shopping in the old city and it’s small enough that you won’t truly get lost. The clock tower (not an old clock tower; perhaps 100 years old) is a good point of reference. Besides, next to the clock tower – close enough to say it’s next to it – are a few of the famous omelette stalls. I ate here both on Wednesday and Thursday. Garam masala omelettes with cheese and turmeric are wonderful. (I now make these at home, since I bought most any Indian spice that came to mind between here and Jaisalmer. Among those I bought: turmeric, lemon rice masala, potato masala, tandoori masala, garam masala, onion garlic masala, and saffron. My kitchen is a truly happy place…)
Other than shopping for spices, I didn’t do much in the Old City besides happily wander around with my camera and eat. Our base for Jodhpur was the Hare Krishna Guesthouse. There are enough guesthouses in Jodhpur that it probably isn’t necessary to make a reservation, but if you can, why not? Better safe than sorry. As far as these places go, the proprietor was very cordial and helpful, and the room was about what you’d expect for the price. That is to say, it was comfortable enough. I had no complaints.
After checking in and eating breakfast (lemon pancakes) at the rooftop restaurant attached to our guesthouse (almost all guesthouses here have rooftop restaurants, just as in the fort at Jaisalmer and in our next stop: Udaipur), we started walking to Umaid Bhawan Palace. This is about 3 km southeast of the Old City and we eventually hopped in a tuktuk (which I would have preferred to take the entire way there; they’re cheap, after all).
Umaid Bhawan Palace is…a living residence. It’s a 365 room palace built in 1929. Lonely Planet India tells me that the current royal resident is Gaj Singh II (Bapji). I think there are probably very nice gardens here. However, I really wouldn’t know. You come to this palace and, though I suppose it’s worth the time and effort if you are tired of the old city and fort, then are pretty much told how little you can actually see. Obviously, the family lives here and doesn’t want to be bothered. No big deal. I got the suspicion that you see much less than 10% of the palace, though, and none of the grounds. (You go in the back door and come out the back door.) The museum part is…nice, but not spectacular. The palace itself is an attractive building and the car collection is nice. At the end of it all, though, this is the impression you get: “Come look at me; I’m rich!...but don’t come too close.” Still, to pass an hour or two, it’s fine.
The rest of Wednesday was spent wandering the streets of the Old City and taking a very roundabout way up to Mehrangarh. From Mehrangarh, I walked another half kilometer on the hill to Jaswant Thada. It’s a memorial to Maharaja Jaswant Singh II above a small lake. Although admission was cheap, it didn’t look too impressive to me – and no more impressive than the views from up there – so I didn’t go in. I eventually walked back to the hotel where I ate dinner and just enjoyed the views of the fort lit up from the rooftop restaurant.
Thursday morning, the only thing on the agenda was to go to Mehrangarh. Though the fort doesn’t have as long a history as those of Jaisalmer or Jaipur, it is an impressive structure nonetheless and certainly worth the visit. The tickets were about $5, which included an audio tour. All around, it’s a nice fort and interesting, but not of the blow-your-socks-off variety. Still, it’s a great way to spend the morning. The rest of the day in Jodhpur, we spent at the Namaste Cafe in the Old City where I can’t begin to tell you how well I ate. I particularly enjoyed the food here along with the relaxing atmosphere and background music. (This is a recurring theme in India: eat, and eat well. Restaurants tend to be safe, but avoid anything on the trains…) After a quiet and relaxing day of, well…laziness…it was time to grab the luggage and head off to the bus station, where we had a sleeper bus to take us to Udaipur in the southern part of Rajasthan.
Mumbai, India: Each large truck you pass has an often very detailed sign on the back asking you to beep your horn if you plan to pass them...thus all you hear are horn beeps as you drive... 24 hours hours a day.
Agra - Early in the morning visit of the Taj Mahal complex.
The Taj Mahal, meaning Crown of the Palace, is an ivory-white marble mausoleum on the south of the Yamuna river in the Indian city of Agra.
It was commissioned in 1632 by Mughal emperor, Shah Jahan, to house the tomb of his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal.
The Taj Mahal was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1983 for being "the jewel of Musim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage".
The Taj Mahal attracts 7-8 million visitors a year.
Old Delhi (Hindi: पुरानी दिल्ली; Punjabi: ਪੁਰਾਣੀ ਦਿੱਲੀ; Urdu: پُرانی دِلّی; Purānī Dillī), is a walled city of Delhi, India, was founded as Shahjahanabad (Persian: شاه جهان آباد) by Mughal Emperor Shahjahan in 1639. It remained the capital of the Mughals until the end of the Mughal dynasty. It was once filled with mansions of nobles and members of the royal court, along with elegant mosques and gardens. Today, despite having become extremely crowded and dilapidated, it still serves as the symbolic heart of metropolitan Delhi.
HISTORY
The site of Shahjahanabad is north of earlier settlements of Delhi. Its southern part overlaps some of the area that was settled by the Tughlaqs in the 14th century when it was the seat of Delhi Sultanate. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty. The five dynasties were the Mamluk dynasty (1206–90), the Khalji dynasty (1290–1320), the Tughlaq dynasty (1320–1414), the Sayyid dynasty (1414–51), and the Lodi dynasty (1451–1526).
Delhi remained an important place for the Mughals, who built palaces and forts. Most importantly, it was Shah Jahan, who had the walled city built from 1638 to 1649, containing the Lal Qila and the Chandni Chowk. Daryaganj had the original cantonment of Delhi, after 1803, where a native regiment of Delhi garrison was stationed, which was later shifted to Ridge area. East of Daryaganj was Raj ghat Gate of the walled city, opening at Raj Ghat on Yamuna River. First wholesale market of Old Delhi opened as the hardware market in Chawri Bazaar in 1840, the next wholesale market was that of dry fruits, spices and herbs at Khari Baoli, opening in 1850. The Phool Mandi (Flower Market) of Daryaganj was established in 1869, and even today, despite serving a small geographical area, it is of great importance due to dense population.
After the fall of the Mughal Empire post 1857 revolt, the British Raj shifted the capital of India to a less volatile city, Calcutta, where it remained until 1911. After the announcement of the change, the British developed Lutyens' Delhi (in modern New Delhi) just south-west of Shahjahanabad. At this point, the older city started being called Old Delhi, as New Delhi became the seat of national government. It was formally inaugurated as such in 1931. Until the 1930s, few people ventured outside the walled city; thus in the following years, as the walled city got more and more congested, other areas around it were developed.
WALLS AND GATES
It is approximately shaped like a quarter cìrcle, with the Red Fort as the focal point. The old city was surrounded by a wall enclosing about 6.1 km2, with 14 gates:
- Nigambodh Gate: northeast, leading to historic Nigambodh Ghat on the Yamuna River
- Kashmiri Gate: north
- Mori Gate: north
- Kabuli gate: west
- Lahori gate: west close to the Sadar Railway station, Railway Colony, including the tomb of Syed Abdul Rehman Jilani Dehlvi.
- Ajmeri Gate: southeast, leading to Ghaziuddin Khan's Madrassa and Connaught Place, a focal point in New Delhi.
- Turkman Gate: southeast, close to some pre-Shahjahan remains which got enclosed within the walls, including the tomb of Hazrat Shah Turkman Bayabani.
- Delhi Gate: south leading to Feroz Shah Kotla and what was then older habitation of Delhi.
The surrounding walls, 3.7 m wide and 7.9 m tall, originally of mud, were replaced by red stone in 1657. In the Mughal period, the gates were kept locked at night. The walls have now largely disappeared, but most of the gates are still present. The township of old Delhi is still identifiable in a satellite image because of the density of houses.
The famous Khooni Darwaza, south of Delhi Gate and just outside the walled city, was originally constructed by Sher Shah Suri.
Streets and neighbourhoods
The main street, now termed Chandni Chowk, runs from the Red Fort to Fatehpuri Masjid. Originally a canal ran through the middle of the street.
North of the street, there is the mansion of Begum Samru, now called Bhagirath Palace. South is the street is Dariba Kalan, a dense residential area, beyond which is Jama Masjid. Daryaganj is a section that used to border the river at Rajghat and Zeenat-ul-Masajid.
The Urdu language emerged from the Urdu Bazaar section of Old Delhi. The Din Dunia magazine and various other Urdu publications are the reason of this language staying alive.
MAIN ARTERIES
- Netaji Subhash Marg/Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg leading to India Gate (north and south)
- Chandni Chowk/Khari Bawli Road (east and west)
Old Delhi is approximately bounded by these modern roads:
- Gokhle Marg (south)
- Mahatma Gandhi Marg road (east)
- Shraddhananda Rd (west)
- Jawaharlal Nehru Marg (south)
In 1876, Carr Stephen described the city as follows:
Of the two streets described by François Bernier, the longer extended from the Lahore Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the citadel, and the other from the Delhi Gate of the city to the Lahore Gate of the fort. Both these streets were divided into several sections, each of which was known by a different name.
The section between the Lahore Gate of the fort and the entrance of the street called the Dariba, known as the Khuni Darwazah, was called the Urdu or the Military Bazaar; owing, very probably, to the circumstances of a portion of the local garrison having been once quartered about the place. Between the Khuni Darwazah and the present Kotwali, or the Head Police Station of the city, the street has the name of Phul ka Mandi or the flower market. The houses in front of the Kotwali were built at a short distance from the line of the rest of the houses in the street, so as to form a square.
Between the Kotwali and the gate known as the Taraiah, was the Jauhari or the Jewellers' Bazaar; between the Taraiah and the neighbourhood known as Asharfi ka Katra, was, par excellence, the Chandni Chauk. There was a tank in the centre of the Chauk the site of which is now occupied by the Municipal Clock Tower, and beyond this to the Fatehpuri Masjid was the Fatehpuri Bazaar. The houses round Chandni Chauk were of the same height, and were ornamented with arched doors and painted verandahs. To the north and south of the square there were two gate-ways, the former leading to the Sarai of Jehan Ara Begum, and the latter to one of the most thickly populated quarters of the city. Round the tank the ground was literally covered with vegetable, fruit, and sweetmeat stalls. In the course of time the whole of this long street came to be known as the Chandni Chauk.
This grand street was laid out by Jahanara Begam, daughter of Shah Jahan. From the Lahore Gate of the fort to the end of the Chandni Chauk the street was about 40 yards wide and 1,520 yards long. Through the centre of this street ran the canal of 'Ali Mardan, shaded on both sides by trees. On the eastern end of the Chandni Chauk stands the Lahore Gate of the Fort, and on the opposite end the handsome mosque of Fatehpuri Begam).
The clock tower no longer exists, although the locationn is still called Ghantaghar. The Sarai of Jehan Ara Begum has been replaced by the city hall. The kotwali is now adjacent to Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib.
HISTORICAL SPOTS
Many of the historical attractions are in the Chandni Chowk area and the Red Fort. In addition, Old Delhi also has:
- Ghalib ki Haveli that is in Ballimaran is famous for Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, the renowned Urdu and Persian poet.
- Gali Qasim Jan that is in Ballimaran is famous for Mirza Ghalib's haveli, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
- Razia Sultana's (Delhi's only female ruler before Indira Gandhi) tomb near Kalan Masjid}
- Jama Masjid, India's largest mosque
- Fatehpuri Masjid
- Khari Baoli, Asia's biggest spice market
- Zinat-ul Masjid, Daryaganj built in 1710 by one of Aurangzeb's daughters
- Rajghat, Mahatma Gandhi's
- St. James Church (near Kashmiri Gate) built in 1836, Delhi's oldest church, built by Col. James Skinner.
SOME OF THE HISTORICAL MANSIONS
- Begum Samru's Palace of 1806 now called Bhagirath Palace.
- Naughara mansions in Kinari Bazaar, 18th century Jain mansions.
- Khazanchi haveli
- Haveli Sharif Manzil that is in Ballimaran is famous for its Aristocratic Hakims and their Unani practice, and that of Hakim Ajmal Khan
- Haveli of Mirza Ghalib, Gali Qasim Jan that is in Ballimaran
- Chunnamal haveli, Katra Neel
- Haveli of Zeenat Mahal, Lal Kuan Bazar
- Haksar Haveli, Bazar Sitaram, where Jawaharlal Nehru was married in 1916 to Kamla Nehru.
- Haveli Naharwali, Kucha Sadullah Khan, where Pervez Musharraf, former president of Pakistan was born
- Kucha Chelan (Kucha Chehle Ameeran), where the Persian descent inhabited
OLD DELHI CUISINE
Old Delhi is well known for its cuisine. There area in and around Jama Masjid and Lal Kuan are predominantly Muslim. Hence the cuisine here is more meat dominant Mughlai cuisine. The area in and around Chandni Chowk is predominantly Jain and Baniya communities. Hence the food is strictly vegetarian and in a lot of cases made without onion and garlic. The famous Gali Paranthe Wali and Ghantewala halwai are also situated here.
Old Delhi is also famous for its street food. Chandni Chowk and Chawri Bazaar areas have many street joints that sell spicy chaat (tangy and spicy snacks).
WIKIPEDIA
Landscape at the Pensi La (pass).
Pensi La is a mountain pass in the Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, which is known as the Gateway to Zanskar. Pensi La is 4,400 m (14,436 ft) above sea level and connects the Suru Valley region to the Zanskar Valley region. The summit at this end of the Suru Valley, the only peak which can be seen, is 7,012 m (23,005 ft) high, while the mountain to the north is 6,873 m (22,549 ft).
Pensi-La is also the gateway to the Padum, the headquarters of Zanskar sub-division of Kargil district. A 240 km metalled road connecting Kargil town to Padum, through the Pensi La remains open for a brief 5 months, between May and October. Before the modern road was built, the pass, apparently, used to be open only three months of the year because of heavy snows.