Guiding the Guides

A Buddhist monk chatting up with a tourist guide and a tourist in Ajantha, Maharashtra.

The caves in Ajantha are dated from 200 BCE to 480 CE and are famous for their paintings and carvings of Buddhist themes.

Himalayan view from Kausani

Golden sunrise over Trishul peak

Kausani is a small town in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand. It is famous for the view of Himalayas.

The above image is of sunrise over the Trishul peak (23,300 ft). We were told that on a clear day, one can see nearly 300 kms. of the Himalayas. Kausani is also the home of Anashakti Ashram started by one of the disciples of Mahama Gandhi. The 9-10th Century temple of Baijnath is also nearby on the banks of river Gomti.

Adimalathura Beach

Adimalathura beach, Trivandrum

Kovalam, Shanghumugham and Veli beaches are very popular in Trivandrum. But, there are a few other beaches which are more beautiful and tranquil. One such beach is Adimalathura, a little south of Vizhinjam before Poovar. This is also called Chowwara Beach by some.

A few high end resorts like Niraamaya, Travancore Heritage etc are nearby. there is a Shiva temple and a hill top Christian shrine.

Devoted Devotee

Born and brought up in Kanchi this 86 – year old is a regular at Yadothkari Perumal Temple

This man was born and brought up in  Kanchipuram. He spent his entire life in this temple town. Now at 86, he still prays at the Yadothkari Perumal Temple, also known as Thiruvekka temple or Sonna Vannam Seidha Perumal.

This temple is one of the 108 Divya Desams. It was built in the 8th Century CE by the Pallavas. It is one of the three oldest temples in this region; the temples of Pandava Doothar Perumal and Ulagalantha Perumal being the other two. There are later contributions from the Cholas and the Vijayanagar kings.

The deity is unique in that Perumal is lying with his left hand supporting his head instead of the right hand as in most other places, including Srirangam.

Trinket Seller

Trinket seller – waiting for custom.

Temple towns and pilgrim centres provide livelihood opportunities for many.

This old woman was selling rosaries, pendants and a wide variety of bead necklaces on the road to Hari ki Pauri at Haridwar, Uttarakhand, India

Largest monolithic Nandi at Lepakshi

Granite Nandi at Lepakshi

The monolithic granite Nandi (Bull) is believed to be the largest in India. Built during the Vijayanagar period(14th C CE) it is part of a large temple complex. The exquisite carvings of bell garland, jewellery etc. stand out beside the size.

It is 4.5 Mtrs high and 8.25 Mtrs long. The Thanjavur Big Temple Nandi is smaller.

Lakshadeepam at Padmanabhaswamy temple

“One Hundred Thousand Lamps”. This event happens once in 6 years. I was fortunate to witness this twice during my 8-year stay in Thiruvananthapuram