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A Dash Of Blue
On a chilly, drizzly monsoon morning, taking a stroll along the Lily Pond at Lalbagh in Bangalore I chanced upon this magnificent creature – a Blue Waterhen – who was busy foraging for food and I was all but awestruck at its brilliant display of colours.
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Stages of Life: Bhoganandeeshwara Temple
On the outskirts of Bangalore, sits a complex of shrines dating back to the early 9th century. This temple with its distinct Dravidian style of architecture is said to have been constructed by the Nolamba and Rashtrakuta dynasties. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) classifies this complex dedicated to Lord Shiva as one of the oldest…
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Hampi – A Photoessay
Pictures don’t do justice to the magnificence that is this place and below are some images of Hampi that have captured my imagination forever. To know more about the place and some of the references in the images here, please see Echoes Of A Timeless Empire: Hampi.
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Echoes Of A Timeless Empire: Hampi
Once a thriving empire on the shores of River Tungabhadra, Vijayanagara or Hampi as it is known today, is considered the second largest open-air museum in the world. The ruins of this ancient empire spread across 25 square kilometres, is a spectacle of piled boulder landscapes and excavated sites. Derived from the name Pampa –…
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Myriad Moods Of Pondicherry
The only real voyage consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes; in seeing the universe through the eyes of another, one hundred others–in seeing the hundred universes that each of them sees ~ Marcel Proust Pondicherry, which thrived as the French quarters in India, still hides within traces of that bygone…
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A Slice Of Bangalore’s History
As the needle thin drops of rain persisted from the early morning, cloudy monsoon skies, I made my way in an auto-rickshaw to Chamrajpet to witness a piece of history in the heart of Bangalore. At the junction of KR Road, the auto turns left onto Albert Victor Road. Immediately after the bend is my…
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3 Things You Will Only See In Bangalore
The great Bangalore road saga Its one-way or no way. Once you have stayed long enough in Bangalore, regular two way traffic of other cities will start to baffle you. You will even start popping questions like “Why are we taking the same route to go back? Are you sure you know your way around?” …
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Trailing The Ramzan Food Market
The turn at the curb towards Mosque Road in Fraser Town, brings along a whiff of myriad barbecue flavours. The road ahead is choc-a-block with vehicles honking to get past the market teeming of food connoisseurs and vendors. The mosque on the opposite side of the road, lets out a howl of prayers as another…
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The Walking Traveller: Where The Locals Go Series – Bangalore
Every destination has a local hotspot. What is the local hot spot in your area and would you please describe the atmosphere? Why do locals go there? Hands down this has to be the tri-area of Brigade Road, MG Road and Commercial Street. These areas, in immediate vicinity to each other, are the shopping hub…
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ESamskriti – Nandi Bull: The Mysterious And Unknown Temple
I get down from the auto rickshaw at the Temple Road in Malleshwaram – one of the oldest settlements of Bangalore. I take a seat outside the ornate compound wall of the ancient Nandi Bull temple – Sri Dakshina Mukha Nandi Thirtha Kalyani Devasthana – and wait for Renu, who is running a few minutes…