Moolatho Brahma roopaya, madhyatho Vishnu roopine, Agratha shiva roopaya Vruksha rajaya they Nama. (My salutations to the king of trees. Whose root is the form of Brahma, Middle is the form of Lord Vishnu, And top is the form of Lord Shiva.) Aswatha sarva papani satha janma arjithanicha, Nudhaswa mama vrakshendra, sarva aiswarya pradho bhava….
Category: architecture
Sanskriti Kendra- A hidden gem in Delhi
Growing up in a family where visiting a museum was akin to visiting a temple, it was but natural that when I shifted to Delhi, the first places on my to-visit list were the museums here. The national capital offers many museums, the most well known of which is the National Museum, a great favourite of mine,…
Heritage Monuments in Haryana
Carrying a message from bygone times, historical monuments often bear a silent testimony to the old lifestyles, values, technologies, and customs, now no longer in use. Currently there is an increasing global consciousness regarding historical structures as universal inheritance, and in this context it is essential to create a local level awareness and sense of…
The Ancient Town of Chandor in Goa
Ancient Chandrapur The very name of Konkan conjures up scenes of lush greenery during the monsoons, seasonal waterfalls, low hills with ancient Buddhist and Hindu caves, and various forts built by the Portuguese and the Marathas. Recent excavations and archaeological findings have added further layers to this area already rich in ancient and medieval heritage….
Tale of Three Baolis
Baolis, or baoris, or vavs, or step-wells, are underground water sources that have been popular in India from the ancient times, especially in the dry areas of this subcontinent. These step-wells generally consisted of two parts, a rectangular tank or kund, and a circular well that extended down to reach the water table. The well provided…
Calcutta- The Colonial City
Calcutta, once the city of palaces, so beloved of the British, has various interesting theories regarding its name and origin. The name Kolikata first appeared in the 15th century writings of the Bengali poet, Bipradas Pipilai, and later in the 16th century, on the payroll list maintained by Akbar’s court. Some contend that it is this name…
Himalayan temples in Naggar, Himachal Pradesh
Growing up in Darjeeling and Kolkata, and being a regular visitor to the neighbouring state of Sikkim, as a child I invariably associated the Himalayas with gaily painted Buddhist monasteries or gompas, fluttering colourful flags that kept away evil spirits, and maroon robed monks. It was much later when I travelled to Uttarakhand and Himachal…
Moni Gāthā 