India travels – Stories and more

The Freeloader

Hello! I am back – anyone miss me? Ah well neither did I – so there! 😉 I have been busy traveling and I did lots of shopping – tree shopping 😀 I saw scores of grand aging graceful and otherwise eye catching trees. But there’s one (or should I say two) that stand out among them all.

The outer tree is a deodar tree and the inside one is the jarul tree (Lagerstroemia speciosa giant crape-myrtle, Queen’s crape-myrtle, banabá plant for Philippines, or Pride of India). At least that is what a local guide told us. But I am not really convinced, especially about the deodar tree which grows in the Himalayan regions and has needle like leaves. Perhaps it is the sal tree? Do you recognize the trees? Ferdi? Anyone?

But these are technicalities and as the bard said what is in a name? Especially when there is so much to see, marvel and wonder over.

Can you see how the jarul split the mother tree? And that despite being split she continues to nurture her protege? Did you notice how the jarul tree was cut away from its base and roots but yet it continues to grow deriving nourishment, sustenance and support from the parent tree.

A marvelous example of nature’s beauty, tenacity, and capacity to survive against all odds isnt it?

Linked to Becca’s Sunday Trees

No one

can save

from you

not even

CB&W: Stone Idols

Hello all! Anybody miss me? Ah well, I did. But life happens and we cannot always have everything can we? Anyway I snatched a few moments and thought of marking my attendance with Cee’s Black and White Challenge which is Bricks or Stones. As I mentioned in my earlier Ivory post, I had a selection of statues and idols.

And here they are – hope you like 🙂

Broken Devi Durga the vanquisher of Evil (Mahishasur) – her strength, her shakti (power) comes across despite the desecration does it not? Just like it does from the millions of women oppressed and abused all over the world.

Princess

A stone idol of perhaps a warrior princess? These images are from the collection at Salar Jung Museum at Hyderabad, India.

King

I had initially thought this idol to be of a king – Chandrasekhara. But four arms and the lack of any jewelry and simple attire made me rethink. He is Lord Shiva the one who wears the Moon on his matted locks. Apologies for the blurred picture.

Nandi

Nandi the sacred steed, constant companion and ardent devotee of Lord Shiva. It is said that even if the Lord does not hear your prayer anything that is whispered in Nandi’s ear is sure to reach the ears of the Lord Himself. The white color apparently symbolizes purity, righteousness and devotion. Although I am not so convinced for most of Nandi’s idols are in black stone.

Shiva The more famous form of lord Shiva as Nataraja (the Lord of dance). Did you know that at CERN the European Council for Nuclear Research there is a statue of the Nataraja? As a plaque alongside the statue explains, the belief is that Lord Shiva danced the Universe into existence, motivates it, and will eventually extinguish it.

The Nataraja idol typically shows Shiva dancing in one of the dance poses, holding fire (as he is the God of destruction) in his left back hand, the front hand is raised in blessing, the front right hand with a wrapped snake that is in abhaya (fear not) mudra while pointing to a Sutra text, and the back hand holding a damru (a small drum like musical instrument) the sound of which created the universe. He is surrounded by a ring of flames, standing on a lotus pedestal, lifting his left leg (or in rare cases, the right leg) and balancing over a demon dwarf Apasmara (not a child!) who symbolizes ignorance.

Buddha A second century stone idol of Lord Buddha.

Krishna The much loved and popular Lord Krishna. Again apologies (a blanket apology!) for the poor quality photos 😦

Vishnu

A 13th/14th Century AD sandstone idol of Lord Vishnu in Dhyanmudra (meditative pose)

Another statue of Lord Vishnu the Preserver in the shayanmudra (reclining pose) with his ten avatars carved on top. At least that is what it looks like. The one on the horse (on the extreme right) is the Kalki avatar (destroyer of filth) foretold to appear to at the end of the kali yug the present epoch.

That’s it from me – at least in this post 😉 Do share your thoughts in the comment section – thank you for visiting.

CFFC: Ivory

Cee’s alphabetical fun foto challenge this week is about the letter I. Early on this year, I had the opportunity to visit one of largest museums of the world – the Salar Jung Museum. It is also the largest one-man collection of antiques in the world. It is well known throughout India for its prized collections belonging to different civilizations dating back to the 1st century. For this challenge I was spoilt for choice – idols or ivory. I settled for the latter and about the former, I shall wait for another suitable time or even go for a double post. That is if you are interested. Do let me know. But first a glimpse of the ivory collection at the museum, which houses pieces from all over the world

Western