"Sir,Sir!!Book toglli.Bari hartrupai.Ella information ide.".A familiar and annoying scream of ten book vendors surrounding us as soon as you get out of the bus.This is no different than the welcome you get in any other tourist outlet in India.And it was in Hampi as well.It was with similar disinterest that I frantically swiveled my head in a horizontal plane.Under the sultry north Karnataka heat we stepped on to see the reminiscence of what our guide termed as "Karnataka Itihasada Suvarna Yuga".
The visit to Veerabhadreshwara Swamy temple was more of a cursory visit.There are some magnificent sculptures which I never really understand.(Although in of the snaps I am studying it intensly!!) .The real journey began afterwards.A Journey that takes you through those magnificent days. A expedition through the chaos left behind from that fateful year of 1565.I could directly peep into the Mukhya Ratha Beedi of 15th century from Sasive Kalu Ganapati temple.I could elicit the plans of shop,streets and the pathways . It was almost as if I was shopping there.The outline is so lucid even after 5 centuries.This was the first glimpse of town planning of Vijayanagara empire.
Then it was that sculptural brilliance again.The dilapidated vignettes of UgraNarasimha,Sasive Kalu Ganapati and others.(Can't remember names.).The mammoth and the misery struck me at once.The shear size suggests that it could have taken months(or even years) of skillful diligence.Whoever did this,did not they realize that effort? I just can't comprehend what did they achieve by demolishing these wonderful creations.I can only rue about the fact that the sadists like these were(are) our rulers.The ruins of these monuments left me with a churning feeling .
The vastness of the palace complex which includes KrishnaDevarayas Aramane and his wives Rani Mahal is a clear indication of the opulence of the empire during his tenure.Again,it is a rich store of stone art.But,what intrigued me here was the plan again.The concealed meeting rooms in the basement,the vastness of the Sabhanganas are few more instances of architectural expertise.The vast plane that surrounds the palace would have enabled to watch the distant horizons in all directions.The life of a foot soldier invigilating was there to see in the watch posts.Other sign of life in this complex was the provisions made for water supply in all the buildings.The live example was the stone canal thats built to supply water from the river to the Kalyani in the palace complex.
The final front was the premises of Vijaya Vittala Mandira. For me this is the consummate example of architectural,cultural and monetary opulence of the Vijayanagara empire.This is the place which epitomizes the term Suvarna Yuga.The brilliance of Kallina Ratha,the delicacy of the stone carvings of Purandara Mantapa,puzzling multifaceted miniature carvings.They are spell bounding. Again,I despise and pity the men who destroyed these stupendous monuments. I could only imagine their mental digression and pity they could not get proper medical aid.
It is a journey that left me with a feeling of nostalgia mixed with some uneasiness .In my experience there is no other place which took me so close to the History as Hampi did.For half a day I really lived in the past.
Monday, December 3, 2007
Tuesday, August 7, 2007
India Is 60:Are We?
60 Years .Hmm...quite a long time.Yes,India is turning 60 this 15th.Its a moment of joy for all of us ,Indians.One question that peeps through my mind each time I prepare myself to celebrate is:"India is 60.But,Are we Indians, are?".Sixty years in any persons life,who has a reasonable exposure to nuances of life,would bring him a maturity.But at sixty,are we Indians matured enough?Are we matured at all?
Indian public are one of the most "Publicaly Challenged" mass.Seeing other countries, we lack a notion of responsibility in public life.It could be from throwing out a cigarette butt on a pathway to spitting out of a window out of a running car to digging out the newly laid road surface,of all,for ones ancestral ceremony.The disheartening factor is,the so called literates, are plagued most by this disease.
Other day,in a shop near my office,one techie guy was enjoying his cigarette.Once done, he happily threw the butt away on to the road and drove his brand new "SWIFT" away from the shop.Lying there was a poor dust bin,20 centimeters away from where this guy was "exhausting his smokes"(!??).It would have taken him 0.1 calories more to reach the trash bin.I suppose,smoking would have rendered him that much weaker.OOPS!!The 30 cm radius of this trash bin was filled with just that.And no points for guessing,bin was empty.May be I missed it.Have they introduced "BALL IN BASKET" competition in Beijing Olympics?
What is it that makes us what we are like?Are we showing to the world that we do not deserve the laxity that is given to us?Are we fit only to be told?Are we so parasitic,that we cant manage our own environ?And yet,so stupid to comment later, about untidiness of the roads?
The question usually I encounter when I talk to people about this is:"Does the problem gets solved if I and I alone stop doing this?".The answer is a clear "NO".But wait,don't start jumping, the question we are posing is wrong.Instead I will be asking my selves "On my part,what can I do to correct the situation?"Again,answer is clear: "Stop Doing It."I sincerely believe it is not in my prowess to change the world.Nonetheless,I am good enough to change myself.
My resolution for this August 15th is:I will crib about system only once a day.(Yeah,you heard it right.).And,hone my skills of putting a "BALL IN THE BASKET". -:)
Indian public are one of the most "Publicaly Challenged" mass.Seeing other countries, we lack a notion of responsibility in public life.It could be from throwing out a cigarette butt on a pathway to spitting out of a window out of a running car to digging out the newly laid road surface,of all,for ones ancestral ceremony.The disheartening factor is,the so called literates, are plagued most by this disease.
Other day,in a shop near my office,one techie guy was enjoying his cigarette.Once done, he happily threw the butt away on to the road and drove his brand new "SWIFT" away from the shop.Lying there was a poor dust bin,20 centimeters away from where this guy was "exhausting his smokes"(!??).It would have taken him 0.1 calories more to reach the trash bin.I suppose,smoking would have rendered him that much weaker.OOPS!!The 30 cm radius of this trash bin was filled with just that.And no points for guessing,bin was empty.May be I missed it.Have they introduced "BALL IN BASKET" competition in Beijing Olympics?
What is it that makes us what we are like?Are we showing to the world that we do not deserve the laxity that is given to us?Are we fit only to be told?Are we so parasitic,that we cant manage our own environ?And yet,so stupid to comment later, about untidiness of the roads?
The question usually I encounter when I talk to people about this is:"Does the problem gets solved if I and I alone stop doing this?".The answer is a clear "NO".But wait,don't start jumping, the question we are posing is wrong.Instead I will be asking my selves "On my part,what can I do to correct the situation?"Again,answer is clear: "Stop Doing It."I sincerely believe it is not in my prowess to change the world.Nonetheless,I am good enough to change myself.
My resolution for this August 15th is:I will crib about system only once a day.(Yeah,you heard it right.).And,hone my skills of putting a "BALL IN THE BASKET". -:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
