Skip to main content

Featured Post

Newasa - Encountering an unique form of Vishnu, and Sant Jnaneshwar

The year was 1290 . A crowd had gathered around a clearing, where broken down pillars marked the presence of an ancient temple, now long gone. A young boy, just 14 years old, leaned against one of those pillars, deep in thought. Then, he began speaking, and the crowd fell silent, listening to his every word. He spoke without any notes, translating the Bhagavat Gita, from Sanskrit, which only the pundits knew, to the language everyone in the village knew and spoke – a variety of Prakrit which developed into the Marathi language. Even as he spoke, one of the men in the audience realized how momentous this event was, and how important this composition would be. He began writing down the words the young boy spoke, and this composition was named by its author and composer, the Bhavartha Deepika – the enlightening meaning (of the Bhagavat Gita). Now, the ancient, holy text, was no longer restricted to the pundits, but accessible to all, understood easily by them, composed as it was, in their...
1 comment

Skywatch Friday - Phantom Rock, Wayanad

For Skywatch today is an interesting natural sight – the Phantom Rock near Ambalavayal town in Wayanad, Kerala.



This natural, metamorphic rock resembles a skull, which brings about its name.


It is visible from quite a distance, which only enhances its popularity.


Locally, it is called ‘Cheengeri Mala’ or ‘Thalappara’, which means ‘stone head’.


For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page. 

Labels:
Location: Phantom Rock, Kerala 673593, India

Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasJune 7, 2013 at 2:09 PM

    Have heard about this rock a lot. Yet to visit it. It looks so precariously placed there. Nice clicks!

    http://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2013/06/alibaug-beyond-beach.html

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 7, 2013 at 3:33 PM

      Thanks Niranjan. It is really placed precariously and its amazing to see it still standing like this!

      Delete
  2. MridulaJune 7, 2013 at 3:18 PM

    And I had not heard of it at all before today. They look majestic. catch up with your blog once i am back on the other side of June.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 7, 2013 at 3:34 PM

      Thanks Mridula! it is really a majestic sight! and all the best for your trek! I look forward to your posts!

      Delete
  3. thomasJune 7, 2013 at 3:57 PM

    A majestic rock.

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJune 7, 2013 at 4:57 PM

    What a wonderfully moody rock! Great pics.

    ReplyDelete
  5. AnuJune 7, 2013 at 7:31 PM

    I've heard about Chengeri Mala / Thalapara, but never seen them. The picture of the rock against the sky is beautiful!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 9, 2013 at 11:11 AM

      Thanks Anu!! you should go see it someday! really beautiful place!

      Delete
  6. IndraniJune 8, 2013 at 6:31 AM

    There is a spooky place in Wayanad, could you visit it?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 9, 2013 at 11:12 AM

      No Indrani, we couldnt visit that. I did hear of it, but our time went off in other pursuits :D

      Delete
  7. KusumJune 14, 2013 at 7:19 AM

    Very interesting! There are so many unheard of places.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJune 28, 2013 at 8:30 PM

      Thank you Kusum! there indeed are many such places across India!

      Delete
  8. AnonymousJune 14, 2013 at 4:58 PM

    This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.

    ReplyDelete
  9. SudhageeJune 19, 2013 at 4:39 PM

    Never heard of this, Anu. But then I don't really know much of Wayand. Nice captures all.

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw...
9 comments
Read more

Review of Executive Lounges at New Delhi Railway Station (NDLS)

During my recent trip to Uttarakhand , I was faced with a problem I had never encountered before. We were passing through Delhi, but we had hardly any time in the city. On earlier visits when I have had to change trains/flights at Delhi, I have always arrived in the morning and left again at night, visiting relatives in between. This time, I was arriving in the city at night, and leaving again early in the morning. There was hardly any time to visit people. I would only have a couple of hours with them before I’d have to leave again. For the first time, we considered booking a hotel, but there again, we were hesitant about the actual hotels, the costs involved, and the logistics of getting from the airport to the railway station and then back again from the station to the airport.  That’s when we remembered reading something about a corporate-managed lounge at Delhi station. We soon figured out that we could book online and pay by the hour. Besides, we also learnt that there wasn’...
1 comment
Read more

Rama Temple, Gokarna

To my right , the waves rush to the shore, eager to merge with the sand. To my left, the same waves crash against the rocks, their spray diverting my reverie as I ponder over the beauty of nature, and wonder what first brought people here. Was it this beauty that encouraged them to build a temple here, or was it the fresh, sweet spring water flowing from the hill here that made this place special? No matter what the reason, I am glad my auto driver brought me here. We are at the Rama temple in Gokarna, just a few minutes away from the Mahabaleshwara Temple, yet offering so different a perspective.
3 comments
Read more