Once upon a time there was a flourishing port town by the name of Lakhpat. Situated at the mouth of the Kori creek, overlooking the Great Rann of Kutch, it is believed to have been so named because of its daily revenue of one lakh (million) koris (the then currency of Kutch). As I approach the now deserted town, a hushed breeze redolent with countless stories—some fact, some legend—sweeps over the crumbling ruins … Continue reading
With this post I digress to another side of Kutch—the ornamental wall paintings which decorate the walls of homes, temples and work places in the vast salt pans’ midst. An art form sadly extinct, and least known of Kutch art and crafts.
Dating back to the 18th Century, the Kamangari School of Painting, painted on scrolls and walls, and unique to Kutch, is now a vanished tradition—its remnants found in a couple of Bhuj’s museums, a few random surviving homes, and a portico in the decaying monastery of the Kanphata yogis that I visited in Than. Continue reading
“The Rann is a great teacher. A sea of salt, it is harsh. Very harsh. It makes you resilient. But it softens your eyes with tears and teaches your heart to be kind,” my Kutchi co-passenger on the sleeper train to Bhuj philosophically explains as the train rumbles its way through the barren expanses of northern Gujarat. I must confess I am not too sure what he means. Doesn’t harshness make us harsh too? I guess I look nonplussed. He smiles at me, “You will feel it. You will see it.” Continue reading
If you planning to go to Goa for that perfect holiday this Christmas, hang out at the beach, chill, laugh, smile without a care…
Do not miss (in no particular order) 🙂 : Continue reading
This is the life.
So you thought the backwaters were synonymous with Kerala. Think again 🙂
The Goan backwaters start at Aldona, a small sleepy village in Bardez, North Goa, and gently flow through lush green mangroves all the way to Panjim where it meets the Mandovi river. It is a different world here. The serene glass like waters mirror the landscape to uncanny perfection, the silence broken by the cry of a cormorant… Continue reading
The headless nandi in the center of the mandap, poignant yet serene
At times it’s all about taking the road less travelled…
Driving through miles and miles of forest of the now Bhagwan Mahaveer Sanctuary, I finally reach a tiny exquisite 12th century temple dedicated to the Lord Shiva, its basalt slabs brought from across the Deccan. Till recently the only way to reach the temple was by trekking through the dense forest. Continue reading
The subtleties of facial expression carved into ivory
(Crucifix, 18th Century, Ivory, wood, paint, gilt and mother of pearl)
If there is only one museum that you visit in Goa, let it be the Museum of Christian Art in Old Goa. One of the very few of its kind in Asia, the museum, housed in the convent of Santa Monica (1627), is a treasure trove of Indo-Portuguese statues, paintings, and sculpture used in the celebration of Holy Mass. Dating from the 16th to 20th Century, each object is a piece of art revealing the depth and splendor of an era; Created by Hindu artists they represent a style unique to Goa alone. Continue reading
The Indo-Portuguese Basilica of Bom Jesus, Old Goa’s most revered church
I am not too sure what I expected when the cab driver dropped me off in Old Goa by the gates of the Jesuit Basilica of Bom Jesus this morning. Jostled by women selling candles and marigold garlands with the cheerful assurance “aapke prayers bhagwaan zaroor sunega (god will definitely listen to your prayers),” how could I say no to their strategic saleswomanship 🙂 Continue reading
“You are going to Goa??? Wow.”
“???”
“Hey, Goa is all about rave parties, bikinis, testosterone laden men, unbridled booze, sex, beaches, the sussegado way of life… Lucky you!”
Yup, lucky me. 🙂 It is said that you see what you want to see. I saw swaying palm trees snugly holding in its folds a rich Indo-Portuguese history, happy families taking pictures of each other, groups of college kids creating ‘dil chahta hai’ memories, and innocence. Continue reading
rama toshi arya's blog 