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...
At the Masroor rock cut temples, while I was trying to identify all the deities, Samhith was busy elsewhere. He had spotted a lizard on one of the rocks, and spent the rest of his time trying to follow it, and see just how many there were!
It wasn't too hard to spot them. They were everywhere!!!
Obviously, they were at home, among the many nooks and crannies that nature and temple builders had conspired to provide them with!
It was fascinating to see them appear and disappear at will, even while we admired the intricacy of details the artisans had created.
The lizards are just the common, or garden lizards, ones we see everywhere. And yet, when you see them so much at home in a monument aspiring for World Heritage Site status, you want to click a photo. Do you agree?
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Since the last month, I have been writing at least once or twice a week, about my Summer Trip. I am not even halfway through, with Himachal yet to be completed, Amritsar on the way, then Rishikesh, and finally, my Southern sojourn patiently awaiting its turn.
Yet, I am now taking a short break, for another trip - this time, a deeply personal one, to Puttaparthi in Andhra Pradesh. For those who may not know, in Puttaparthi village is Prashanti Nilayam, the abode of Sri Sathya Sai Baba. We are heading there to participate in the Ashadi Ekadashi and Guru Poornima celebrations. This, as I have already mentioned, is a personal trip, and I most probably won't be writing about it. I will also be offline for the most part during the next week, as I am taking this opportunity to relax and re-energize myself for all the work that is sure to be awaiting me when I return.
Meanwhile, here are quick links to all the links in the #summertrip series so far....
- The Himachal Series-
Yes, I agree when I too see lizards or wild life during a tour I wish to click them and store them in camera.
ReplyDeleteGlad to see that you too share the enthusiasm, Tushar.
DeleteHello Anuradha
ReplyDeleteMy love for heritage sites is universal. The images of your masroor rock cut temples captured my imagination. What were really funny were the lizard’s photographs, creeping among the perfectly sculpted rock structures. The sculptors must surely, be smiling in amusement. Thanks for providing the lighter side.
Thank you, Anmol. Glad you liked this...
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