Pondicheery

Pondicheery or Puduchery as its called now has diverse views of people on tourism potential. Whats there to see here is what people say and then flock to it. I have always believed that any place has much more to experience than see. You can see the monuments in TV, Photographs, Experiencing is what make the place lovable.
Well, the Sri. Aurobindo's samadi is a great place to experience, especially the silence. So is the sprawling Auroville-an experiment in international community living. The matri mandir at aurovile, My friend says, has a meditation hall, wherein you could literally experience deafening silence (unfortunately is not open to common public).
So, Puducherry is all about the ashram, Auroville, the broad Promenade in the french quarters, the beautiful buildings in the Tamil quarters, and enjoying french food in few of the restaurants.
INTACH, has done some excellent work here in restoring the old colonial structures. They take on a heritage walk in the french quarters of the city on week end.


Interiors of a refurbished buildings which houses the INTACH office today. The yellow Oxide floor in this building is exquisite to see.

Rows of Old houses in the Tamil quarters

Wonderful to walk, on the beach front
Gateway to the many french building
Streets bear the french names even today

Facade of a Hotel typically french

Hotel de Ville being refurbished-houses the State Govt. offices

The magnificent interiors of the Alliance Francaise buildings

KAMALA BASIDI_BELGAUM

Kamala Basidi or the kamal Basti, so called because of the enchanting chandelier carved in stone on the ceiling of the main temple or basidi dedicated to Jain tirthankaras. Purported to have been built by the Goa Kadamas, at its heights, this complex had many basidis, but regular invasions by Moguls, Bhamanis etc. has taken its toll
If lucky, one can have the darshan of a young Jain muni, resplendent in nature's splendour. Honestly dressed in branded stuff top to down, I felt absolutely naked in his august presence. Its a humbling experience.

The Kamala Basidi

All I could manage was this of the KAMALA

The Chikki Basti

Children posing with the intricately carved facade of the Chikki Basti in the back ground

Belgaum Lake

For someone habituated to take a morning wake in the pristine surrounding of Sankey Tank in Bangalore, the Belgaum lake situated near the fort was a boon.
Much bigger than Sankey, the maintenance is much desired. All the same its heavenly to walk around in the morning.

Over cast sky in the early hours lends a different hue

Ducks lumbering out after their morning Bath (they do have one every morning)

RAIN AND SHINE

Karwar still retains the old charm of a typically town much akin to the Malgudi of R K Narayan. The multi storied building with glass facades are yet to invade the market places. The laid back approach typical of coastal people is very much to be seen, and how would you expect the monsoon to be in a coastal town.

RAIN AT TIMES

SHINE AT TIMES

Aihole

The architecture at Aihole is termed as the cradle of Hindu temple architecture. Artisan are purported to have experimented here before evolving the rock cut concepts and the full fledged Chalukayan style and probably the later Rastrakutas sytle.
As is the truth with all tourist places, the main complex is of interest and the rest in and around the place remains in ruins unvisited, un preserved. I wish the authorities could do some thing to demarcate these precious monuments which will automatically bring in people.

Some shots of both the main complex and the village...


Did Edwin Lutyens visit Aihole ? Was this inspiration for the Parliament house?



Shiv ling fascinates me. Yes, it is a quiet simple structure but all the same it can be fashioned in many forms. I have been making it out of the chapatti dough and clay for myself in my childhood and later for my kids. Until recently they would run to me to fashion one out of dough each evening.
You could see them in many forms many a thing qualify to look like a ling, but this one below is something I had not seen earlier or imagined ,

A ling more like mortar pestel .

There are many temples all around the village of Aihole. Sad, it does not interest the tourist one such complex in the heart of the village.

Nice place to park the bullock cart and store firewood.

Ancient and the new co-exist perfectly. This must have been a grand structure

Nice place for a smoke in royal style?

Caves of Badami

A visit to Badami caves is a dream come true. Especially so, 'coz I have still retained by childhood interest in history and archeology. The sight of the huge caves thrills me to such an extent, That I could hardly compose a shot. Ideally way to explore the surroundings of the caves and the whole of Badami would be spend a full day if not two.

These caves, constructed by the Chalukyas have huge sculptures of vashinavaite, Shavite and jains. I forgot the tale behind the famous bhajan in carnatic music "Vatapi Ganapathim...". Faintly recollect that this has something to do with the Pallavas carrying a Ganapati from here when they briefly occupied Badami.

Awesome first sight of the Badami cave

Finely carved entrance

Image of Vishnu in a hall with intricately carved pillars

This one is on the Ceiling

Entrance door to the caves further on the top

Grinding stone, we used this too about 25 years back

Magnificent view of the boothnath temple from across the caves

Modern art on the streets of Paris

Paris boast of many museum from the Louvre where one can recieve a bewitching smile from Mona Lisa or La Giaconda as called in french, to the modern arts museum called Pompidou Centre ( a unique building with exposed interconnected brightly connected pipelines exibiting modern art, sculptures and painting of Matisse etc.). But the impressive fact about Paris is the art you see on the streets. The Buildings, the Sculptures , the Graffiti, the fountains, all these are a treat to see and experience.
Here are some photographs of modern works in the City of Lights.

Stravinsky Fountain

A Sculpture at La Defence (modern suburbs of Paris)

A sculpture

Paintings on sale at Montmarte


These are from the walls near the metro

Eiffel Tower

The Eiffel Tower easily among the four most photographed monument, the other being The Taj Mahal, The Statue of Liberty and the Big Ben, is a delight to photograph. Almost every side and every angle gives a different perceptive. Some shots...
A Street View


A close up
Growing atop a tree


The Base of the tower


Illuminated tower shot from a moving boat

Twinkling lights every hour shot from a roof of the boat

Portrait on a lazy Afternoon

On a days visit to Goa, with a afternoon to kill, the logical option would have been to rush to the nearest beach, but I choose to laze around just as Goans do, spent the afternoon in the garden opposite Margao Municipality, the traffic on the road at standstill, the shops closed. Its then I saw a dog cuddling with such love and warmth to a old man, it would have made a great picture, and I lost the moment by the time I could whip by camera out. Nevertheless the Portrait I took of this man looked great, being the most satisfactory portrait shot by me.


Look at the intense gaze

A lazy afternoon

PODS

History tells us India had trade links with the Pharaohs, the Greeks and Romans for spices and which also was the main reasons for the Western occupation of our country.
Katapanna in the Idukki ranges is the trading town for the spices with all the trappings of a city. It is good to walk the streets filled with aroma of cardamon, tea, coffee and so many other exotic spices. Deep interiors will take you to the plantations, here are few the pods

Pepper

Coffee

Cardamom Pods

Idduki Hill Range_ Kurisumala Ashram

If silence is what one need to experience, then Kurisumala Ashram is the best place. Established by Christian monks and situated in the famous Vagamon grasslands of Idukki hill ranges , its place where silences is strictly followed and is so quiet and tranquil, you will wish to spend at least a couple of days in this place in complete silence and contemplation- tending to the cattle and participating in the chores of the Ashram.
ByLanes of the Ashram

Cattle sheds and Milk processing centre
Splendid view of the Vegetable patch and beyond

Few shots of a brick kiln