It is that time of the year again. When I look back at my year and see what is the one thing that I set out to do at the beginning of the year and actually did.
So, here I am proudly proclaiming that I did visit 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in India in 2017.
PS: I had set my target at 7 but I knew I could only visit 5. Like with anyone with travel plans, one is always majorly dependant on budgets and life in general. But then fate conspired and the universe showed a way (however clichéd that may sound!). I was selected to shoot at the Pushkar Fair with none other than Mr.Raghu Rai himself and we could choose to join him either from Delhi or from Jaipur, along the way to Pushkar. And here I am with that wished for number. 7 UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 2017.
PSS: Even a year of missed opportunities can have a happy ending. All negativity comes with a counter balancing positive energy.
Wishing you all a very Happy New Year, 2018. Love & Light. ??
Second on UNESCO’s list of The Great Living Chola Temples, is the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram.
In a tiny village lost in time, is this 982 year old temple. This Brihadeeswara Temple too is built on the same lines as the Big Temple in Thanjavur, complete with a massive stone sculpture of Nandi facing the main shrine. Upon the death of Rajaraja I the capital was shifted from Thanjavur to Gangaikonda Cholapuram and there came about this smaller version of the original Brihadeeswara Temple.
This temple complex isn’t merely structurally beautiful. It is also tranquil. Owing not just to its gentler architecture but also probably to it’s secluded location.
After driving around all morning and noon in the summer heat of Tamil Nadu, it was evening by the time we got here.
& what with the setting sun deciding to play peek-a-boo from behind the looming rain clouds, an all pervading sense of peace descended over me, as I took my time exploring, strolling around the expansive, almost deserted grounds of the temple.
The bronze sculptures here are said to be priceless specimens of Chola art, but it was the Simhakeni or The Lion Well, that I found singularly intriguing.
Explorers Guide
Trip Duration: Day Trip Getting There: Road Trip from Thanjavur. Route: Thanjavur – Darasuram – Gangaikonda Cholapuram -Thanjavur
(183 Kilometres) Distance from Thanjavur to Darasuram: 72 Kilometres
Distance from Darasuram to Gangaikonda Cholapuram: 39 Kilometres Distance from Gangaikonda Cholapuram to Thanjavur: 72 Kilometres
The Valley of Flowers. A breathtakingly beautiful (literally!) high altitude meadow of alpine flowers in the Western Himalayas.
Accessible only through a trek route through the mountains, this valley is located in a transition zone that lies between the Zanskar Region of the Himalayas to the north and the Greater Himalayas to the south. Together with theEastern and Western Himalayas on either side this valley is endowed with some extraordinary bio diversity.
From numerous restricted range bird species to highly threatened species of medicinal plants this high-altitude Himalayan valley isn’t just about stunning flowerscapes.
Commandeered over by India’s second highest mountain, Nanda Devi and reached through the world’s deepest gorge, Rishi Ganga, the Nanda Devi National Park is renowned for its spectacular topography. It is surrounded by glaciers and meadows, of which the Valley of Flowers is one.
In and around Thanjavur are The Great Living Chola Temples, three temple complexes dating back to the 11th and 12th centuries. Built by the Cholas, who were undoubtedly one of the most powerful monarchies of South India that ruled for over four and a half centuries, all of these ancient temples are ‘living temples’ – classified as such by UNESCO on their World Heritage List – in the sense that the pattern of worship and rituals established over a thousand years ago continue as is, to this day.
Thanjavur, mostly known for the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Paintings that are unique to this region, is home to the first of these Great Living Chola Temples. Locally known as the Big Temple, this is the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur. The grandest of the three.
As the region passed on from the Cholas to the Nayaks and then to the Marathas over the centuries, a few additions were made to the temple complex, from protective fort walls to murals and minor temples. One such are the beautiful frescos painted onto the ceiling of the Mandapam housing the massive 25 tonne monolithic Nandi, mount of Lord Shiva or Brihadeeswara, as he is in this temple.
& this particular mural is undoubtedly reminiscent of the famous Tanjore Paintings, all it needs is a little touch of gold!
Everything about this temple is big. The 20 feet Nandi, the 15 feet Dwarapalakas guarding the entrances, the 216 feet Vimana towering over the Sanctum Sanctorum that has to be two storeyed to house the huge Shiva Lingam (lingam form of the presiding deity).
The Vimana built over a base tier of two levels rises to dizzying heights, carrying on it an octagonal stone Shikhara which itself weighs 81 tonnes.
Ancient inscriptions refer to this Vimana as Dakshina Meru, implying it to be Mount Meru of the South or Maha Meru, Lord Shiva’s mountain abode.
It is said that a special ramp was constructed to carry the Shikhara up, to install on the Vimana, from a site six kilometres away and that more than a thousand elephants were required in the construction of this temple. Which is probably one of most the magnificent of Indian temples.
In fact, the city of Thanjavur itself was created with the deliberate intention of establishing it as a Bhakti centre. So, here is this impressively massive Big Temple at its heart and radiating out from it is the city, growing in concentric circuits starting from the inner quadrangle of the temple.
A colonnade of sandstone columns run all along the inner perimeter of the temple forming a circumambulatory path or Prakara. Though the Prakara itself dates back to the original construction, the 108 Shiva Lingas set against the stunning backdrop of beautiful murals painted on these stone walls are a 16th century addition.
The main temple itself occupies the rear half of the inner quadrangle, while two colossal Gopurams (gates) – Keralaanthagan & Rajarajan – into which are carved monolithic stone sculptures, lead the way.
Exemplifying the pure Dravidian style of architecture, these Chola Temples are not significant not just archaeologically but culturally as well. For it is believed that the Cholas built their temples not just as places for their people to get together and pray but to serve as epicentres of economic activity.
No trip to Thanjavur would be complete without witnessing these marvels of workmanship. The sheer size of these temples will cause you to wonder, muse on the scale at which affairs of state were once carried out!
The other two temples which together with the Big Temple form this unique group of living temples are the Brihadeeswara Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram and the Airavateswara Temple at Darasuram.
Explorers Guide
Getting There: Begin your day trip with the Brihadeeswara Temple in Thanjavur, drive on to the Airavateswara Temple, Darasuram, making a quick pitstop for lunch along the way on this 37 Kilometres stretch. Complete the circuit with the Brihadeeswara Temple, Gangaikonda Cholapuram. The 72 Kilometres drive from here, back to Thanjavur will take around 2 hours.
PS: Here is a super shaky video of a few of the brilliant murals in the Prakara.
Decided to add this here to the post, inspite of it being such a terrible attempt at shooting video because, I do want to share with you atleast a glimpse of the natural dye frescos that are such a fine example of ancient Indian artistry.
It all started with Instagram. The wanderlust-ing, frantically adding and reorganising my Travel Wishlist, in fact all that stunning imagery from some of the most beautiful destinations in the world was part of what inspired me bring together and share my own travel stories here on the blog!
So here I am kicking off a series of blog posts from my personal ‘Travel Wishlist’, where I bring together some of the photographs that have gotten me impatient to get going again and why it is that I want to go there.
Dead Sea, from the Instagram Account of Hello Emilie
Why do I want to go there? To tick atleast 5 places off the UNESCO World Heritage Sites List and more.
1. The White City of Tel Aviv
Considered to be an outstanding representation of the Modern Movement of Architecture in Europe, translated to the local context of Israel’s culture and climate, Tel Aviv would make for an eclectic destination with its mix of heritage and the very happening nightlife that is known for today. So, here I could go from day to night, from photographing heritage sites to sunsets on the beach, from early morning seascapes to late night cityscapes.
Oh, and not to mention shopping at its many bazaars!
2. The Incense Route through Negev Desert
This trade route to the Mediterranean ports flourished for over seven hundred years from the 3rd century BC to the 4nd century AD. Over a hundred kilometer stretch in the desert of Negev is what was once the ancient Incense Route and I would love to wander amongst the ruins and discover what UNESCO calls a completely fossilized cultural environment.
Desert settlements with towns, fortresses, caravanserai, and sophisticated water conservation systems along this harsh desert route stand witness to just how prosperous the trade in incense was then.
3. Old City of Jerusalem and Its Walls
A Biblical City – the Old City of Jerusalem is the City of David and is also where Jesus was crucified – it is holy for Jews and Christians alike. It is also believed that, it was here in one of the oldest cities of the world that Prophet Mohammed rose to Heaven making it a holy city for all the three major Abrahamic religions.
Did you know that World Maps were once drawn with the ancient city of Jerusalem at the center? The only three continents discovered at the time, Europe, Asia & Africa were set around this city built by King David in 1004BC.
Now, how can you resist that?!
4. Old City of Acre
A walled city over the sea, Acre is yet another ancient holy city. The Old City of Acre has survived centuries, with the remains of a medieval Crusader town from 1104 relatively undisturbed and living on, both above and below today’s streets along with an Ottoman town of the 18th century partly built on top of these Crusader structures.
5. Masada
One look at a picture of the ‘Hanging Palace of Herod’ and you will not want to miss going here. Rome was not built in a day they say, and this palace of the Judaen king Herod was built in in the classic style of the early Roman Empire. Need I say more?
Set dramatically – overlooking the Dead Sea, this rugged fortress of the ancient Jewish Kingdom of Israel is the most complete monument of the Roman siege works to have survived for over 13 centuries, intact till today.
Lastly,
To float in the Dead Sea, of course!
Who hasn’t heard of the Seven Wonders of the World and not wanted to see for oneself atleast one of them?
& also, I already know what I am going to eat when in Israel. Hummus!
PS: This post was made possible by The Ministry of Tourism, Israel. So, do go watch their video on Israel and you are sure to find something to fall in love with.
Abseiling in The Blue Mountains was one of my most memorable adventures in Australia – besides surfing at Bondi beach, of course – and also more my kind. The Greater Blue Mountains World Heritage Area is the ideal scenic weekend getaway from Sydney.
With the town of Katoomba as the base, you can spend all day in the Blue Mountains walking through the valley floor among forests that transport you to ‘Jurassic Park’, hiking back up to look out over the hazy blue forest (which gives this national park its name), all the while discovering waterfalls and rock formations along the way.
Of these, The Three Sisters sandstone turretsis the most iconic.
The Legend of The Three sisters has it that a witch doctor, Tyawan had three daughters Meenhi, Wimlah and Gunnedoo who accidentally anger the aboriginal mythical creature Bunyip, living down in the valley. To protect the sisters from the Bunyip, Tyawan then uses a magic bone to turn them to stone and himself turns into a Lyre Bird. But, in the process drops the magic bone and you see the Lyre Bird rummaging through the valley floor even today, it is said in search of this very magic bone.
In consequence, it is recognised as a place of cultural importance for the aboriginal people.
We were there for the weekend, put up at the YHA and spent a day hiking through the forest trails and up the Giant Stairway and another abseiling and sheltering under a cave watching the rain come in as the clouds closed in on us . While the evenings were spent unwinding in Katoomba. It was the perfect mix of excitement and idyllic.
I had never heard of ‘abseiling’ till I was in Sydney. Rappelling yes, but not Abseiling. Coming from the German term Abseilen for ‘to rope down’, it is a mountaineering technique where you use ropes and a belay to descend a rock face/cliff too steep to descend on foot.
As a beginner you start with 30 feet and then go on to a cliff with less foothold and more of a drop and then the final 60 feet sheer drop.
& trust me when I say you will get high on it.
For some one who loves the mountains and exploring, this was actually special, with that extra edge of adventure and I sure am glad that I did it when I could.
Imagine an escapade like that with a view like this!
