Tag Archives: Photography

Amazing India- Brihadisvara Temple of Thanjavur

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One of the most stunning examples of Southern India’s Dravidian architecture is The Brihadisvara Temple located in the city of Thanjavur in the state of Tamil Nadu. Completed in 1010 CE, it was built by Rajaraja Chola 1, one of the most powerful rulers of South India and is dedicated to Lord Shiva. It is built almost entirely of granite blocks. The circumabulatory passage along the periphery of the temple feature some exquisite sculpture and paintings from the Chola period.

The Window : The Boy on the Street

the window

The view from inside the first courtyard of The Palazzo Vecchio- the town hall of Florence, Italy.

The Boy on The Street

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The entire world passes by

While she remains static

Finding relief from her reminiscences

Her morose thoughts

`

A young man passes by

An inquisitive light in his eyes

She knows not his name

It’s but a trifling detail

`

She welcomes the anonymous exchanges

A smile

Sometimes a wave

And assembles a hazy dream

Of carefree tomorrows

And hopeful todays

Windows

 

Windows

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Clean windows, plain, glass, open, close, bright,

Light, shaded, paned, shuttered, blinded, boarded,

Rusty, dirty, smoky windows.

Broken, shattered, run down windows

Windows that protect and hide,

a mirror to the world outside

and sometimes to the world within

unraveling layer by layer, revealing,

A tool for introspection and scrutiny,

A glance into a soul, full of secrets and smokescreens,

Evasion, denial, half-truths

Windows, they tell it all.  

PS: The photograph is a view of the shops on Ponte Vecchio (old bridge) across the Arno River, in Florence, Italy.

PPS: Like the poem? If so do check out my poetry and short story collection ‘Under the Shade of the Banyan Tree’

Food- A Celebration

Saapaad

When the simple act of partaking food becomes a sacred event, one just doesn’t feed the stomach but feeds the soul.

A very good example is the traditional South Indian meal that is served on a banana leaf (biodegradable and lends a special flavor). The food is simple and wholesome, prepared from scratch, with love and devotion. The distinct aroma and flavors achieved by the correct blend of fresh spices such as  curry leaves, mustard seeds, coriander, ginger, garlic, chili, pepper, cinnamon,cloves, green cardamom, cumin, nutmeg, coconut and rosewater.

Whenever I travel back to my homeland, I have the pleasure of savoring such meals in the homes of my family members where tradition is still adhered to especially during festivals and formal occasions. The above picture shows a very basic South Indian vegetarian meal that consists of cooked white rice, banana chips,  lentil papadam (thin, crisp, disc shaped, deep fried appetizers), beetroot poriyal (vegetable),  savory lentil vada (fritter), yogurt and payasam (pudding made by boiling rice, cracked wheat or vermicelli with milk and sugar).

The wooden man is dressed in traditional South Indian attire of cotton dhoti (long loincloth) and angavastram (upper garment).

Under the Shade of the Banyan

banyan-tree.jpgOriginal art by Sneha (oil pastel)

Under the Shade of the Banyan

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Banias conduct business

Gods meditate and recline

My leaves dispense knowledge

My structure reflects the world

Material and Spiritual

Study me

 I am the eternal tree

`

The Banyan tree is the national tree of India and Bangladesh. The word Banyan comes from the Gujarati word Bania or trader. The word was picked up by the Portugese to refer to the Hindu traders who used to sit under the shade of these trees to conduct their business and passed it on to the English who began to refer to the ‘Banyan’ trees. 🙂

Interesting? Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan