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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...
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Memories of 2013 - Travel Vignettes - Goa

The Goa I have seen, twice, is the Goa of the travel brochures - the Churches, the Beaches, the seemingly never ending stretch of the sand and the sea. When I took Samhith and my mother to Goa this time, we saw all those too, for the simple reason that it was all new for them!




However, we also saw a different side of Goa - the wilderness as we drove in the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary surprised us, as did the zoo at the Bondla Wildlife Sanctuary.



Yet, if there is one thing I shall always remember from this trip to Goa, it is the sight of the Tambdi Surla temple, in the pouring rain. Standing within its centuries old stone walls, while it withstood the onslaught of nature, it was impossible not to admire those who had created such a beautiful structure, and marvel at the fact that it stood, strong, even after all this time. 



I knew when I left for Goa, that it would be the last trip of the year for me  - a fact which only made me enjoy it more! However, stuck at home as I was, for the rest of the year, I did not let that deter us from enjoying ourselves.... as you will see in the next few posts!
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Location: Goa, India

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