Faces of India - 151

Another resident of Kufri, Himachal Pradesh. I found the people of Kufri so tourist friendly, almost every one I clicked there has a smile on his/her face.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various
characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

 

Panch Ratna, Shyama Raya Temple

Five Towered Temple of Bishnupur, West Bengal.

Shyama Raya Temple is a typical example of Panch Ratna (five tower) style of temple architecture. There is one huge one in the centre and four slightly smaller ones in four corners. The temple was built in 1643 by King Raghunatha Sngha.







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The picture below is from the online gallery of Brish Library. It was taken by photographer Walter

Butterfly in Flight

After a desperate try to catch a butterfly in flight, this is what I got!

Butterflies can fly only when the atmospheric temperature is 86 degree F. Once they warm up they just keep fluttering. The speed varies among butterfly species (the poisonous varieties are slower than non-poisonous varieties).
The fastest butterflies (some skippers) can fly at about 30 mile per hour or faster. Slow

Bishnupur Temple Tour, West Bengal

The Bishnupur temple tour! As soon as you reach there local guides will be flocking around you, which may seem irritating, but I tell you hire one; it is worth the money you will spend on them. They have such a lot of info, which is hard to find in one single book. Moreover there is no good map showing the distribution of temples scattered all around so guides are really helpful. Insist that

Photo Essay on Jor Bangla Mandir Panels

See the post on Jor Bangla Mandir HERE.

This post has series of pictures of the terracotta panels on the temple façade.

Terracotta has a shelf life of 300 years. During 16th century when there was scarcity of good construction materials like stone, the solution was terracotta. You will find the distribution of such terracotta temples along the alluvial delta of Ganges River where there is

Faces of India - 150

A 'tender coconut water' seller. Willing to pose with a (shy)smile. Shot taken in Chikmagalur, Karnataka.

Faces
of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various
characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

Jor Bangla Mandir, Bishnupur

The second style of Bengal architecture that you will see in Bishnupur is the Chala (roof of huts) style. These temples have triangular roof and at first glance you will feel its striking similarity with rural huts. The fondness with which my guide explained the Jor Bangla Mandir, I could make out it was his favorite Chala style temple. Again, depending on the number of chalas these temples are

My 'Ginger Tiger Restaurant' Experience

For those craving for Chinese-inspired cuisine Ginger Tiger restaurant at Indiranagar in Bangalore is THE place! Ginger Tiger, the latest offering by JSM Corporation Pvt Ltd. The positives are: Nice ambiance for casual dining! And delectable stir fries, fresh off the live-counter. Chef Priyank suggested many items that we must try and I am glad we bunch of bloggers there followed his advice.

Kalachand Temple, Bishnupur

Continuing my travel through the land of terracotta temples (you can read the first part here)…

A little bit of history before I guide you virtually in to the land of terracotta temples. The word Bishnupur translates to “the city of Lord Vishnu”. Most temples here are dedicated to Lord Krishna who is believed to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu. In the 15th and 16th centuries, Malla dynasty

Adopt Tourist Destinations and Monuments

In the year 2001, Mysore zoo started this unique program of “Adoption of Zoo animals”. This has seen a fair amount of success and is still continuing with animal lovers pouring in their love in the form of finance to their favorite animal. You can see more information here.

Now, on similar lines, there is a proposal to start “Adoption of Tourism Destination and Monuments”. If approved and if it

Faces of India - 149

A little friend seriously trying to study the basics of camera! So what if his wrist is injured!

Faces
of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various
characters of my country whom I met during my travels. See more here.

 

Smart Cooking by Philips

Philips HomeCooker 
 Philips is showing off their new lifestyle gadget, a Home Cooker. It has a built-in Wi-Fi and ‘dedicated apps’ that provides inspiration and guidance through out the cooking process. Pictures of ingredients are displayed and you get step by step instructions too. So it is going to be easy learning how to cook, trying out new recipes and having a good home made meal!

Ras Manch Temple, Bishnupur, West Bengal

With this post I start off on my tour of Bishnupur Temples.

As a traveler it would be a sin if you are visiting Kolkata in India and give Bishnupur a miss! Bishnupur, a small peaceful town in Bankura district, 132kms west of Kolkata, is a treasure trove of terracotta temples. As a UNESCO World Heritage site lover I definitely could not miss visiting this place. No, the group of terracotta

Nymphaea Pubescens

A smiling pink water lily in my balcony garden. And once more I am tempted to take a hot steaming cup of tea, sit in my balcony and just gaze at it.

This I tried taking against the rising sun. (Please ignore the dark balcony grills in the back ground.)





Look at the stamens, all pink and folded in ‘namaste’ mudra!




Common name: Pink Water Lily, Pink Lotus
• Manipuri: Tharo angouba
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Faces of India - 148

“Nobody has taken my photo before”, he said after he saw himself in the LCD panel of my camera. I remember the happiness on his face then after the picture was taken. I tried to get into a conversation with him but he said he had to rush home as his mother was waiting for the can of kerosene he purchased. The shot was taken at a fuelling point on our way to Sunderbans from Kolkata.

Faces

Gokulchand Temple, Gokulnagar, West Bengal

Tallest of all old laterite stone temples, Gokulchand temple looked majestic that day against the bright blue sky. A fortified wall in reasonably good condition goes around the temple; entrance too has good safety measures with an impressive gate. A small stone Tulsimancha (a special structure for praying Tulsi plant) can be seen in the pic, it is well decorated and worshiped.

Just opposite the

Twist of Taste by Chef Vikas Khanna

Food fusion as an experiment can prove to be a grand success or disaster! Often its rating is at the mercy of the consumer. The Chef may have put in his/her most creative skills, combined the flavors and presented the platter with most exotic dressing, yet it is the customer who passes the judgment on whether the pleasure was doubled. Recently I was at one such food fusion event “Twist of Taste

Laterite Temple of Gokulnagar, West Bengal

Gokulchand temple in Gokulpur is another jewel in the list of stone temples of West Bengal. This is made of laterite stones and is the largest one in Bankura district. After seeing so many temples of West Bengal in my blog, I am sure you have easily recognized this as pancha ratna (five pinnacled) temple. The dimensions measure: 64ft. in height and the area of temple complex is 23,500 sq. ft.