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...
195 days.
That’s how long it is since I wrote my last post. In the 9 years that I have been blogging, I have taken breaks, but this is the longest I have ever been able to stay away. Usually, it is writers block which keeps me away, and the itch to write which brings me back. This time, however, has been different, which is also the reason it has taken me so long to get back.
That’s how long it is since I wrote my last post. In the 9 years that I have been blogging, I have taken breaks, but this is the longest I have ever been able to stay away. Usually, it is writers block which keeps me away, and the itch to write which brings me back. This time, however, has been different, which is also the reason it has taken me so long to get back.
The year so
far has been interesting, and eventful. The first half of the year kept me
busy, first with a trip to Delhi, Gwalior, Orchha and Khajuraho, then my course
in Indian Aesthetics from Jnanapravaha Mumbai, and finally, a trip down South,
to Chennai, Madurai and Trichy. Returning from my trips, I had assignments to
complete, and lots of pending work at home. Now that my course is over, as are
the travels, and my son is busy with school work once again, I finally have
time on hand. And so, here I am, back to blogging!
While I
think about what to write, and, more importantly, where to begin the stories of
my travels, here is a collage of pics from my travels….. You can expect to see
stories about all these, so how many do you recognize?
Post that first story soon! ;) Looks like there is a lot to share on your blog.
ReplyDeleteWill you share more details of the course you just finished, and what you had to do for it? Was a lot of the travel related to it? Sorry if it should be evident but I've never heard of an cultural Aesthetics course before. I know there are major and minor degrees you can pursue at the Liberal Arts colleges over here in the States that sound similar, if much more prolonged.
just starting with the posts, Natalie... and about the course, will send you a message...
DeleteThank you & welcome back.
ReplyDeletethank you!
DeleteWonderful posts! keep sharing and welcome back.
ReplyDeleteAgencia de Viajes en Marruecos
Thank you Michael!
Delete