culture | The Diarist Wanders

Last night, I went down memory lane as I tried to find some pictures from my volunteer life in India and among the thousands I have to check, I saw pictures from the Prince of Wales Museum, officially known as Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya.

I’ve seen the Prince of Wales Museum several times during my touristy trips to Colaba (aka South Bombay) area. But I never went inside. So one fine day, I checked with my friend, Leah who’s a couchsurfer from Canada, and since she also hasn’t been (you know that thing about places being close but never go to?) we both decided to learn more about Indian history, culture and the arts!

And since we held residency cards, and perhaps with some of the Hindi we managed to learn, we only paid Rs 50 to get in instead of 300. There’s a camera fee though. As it’s cheaper, I got the rate for the iPod/mobile phone (can’t remember the exact price) instead of my camera. Results are still ok, though might have been more spectacular if I had a better gear. Oh well, that’s done. What’s left now to do is to share the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya with you. Enjoy your photography-based virtual tour! Continue reading FotoFolio: Virtual Tour of Prince of Wales Museum (aka Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sangrahalaya) →

I spent the weekend on top of the world—well, on top of cliffs and mountain-plateaus to have better viewpoints of the Ajanta and Ellora caves, with the Kailash Temple as one of the highlights of my Aurangabad cave exploration!

Here’s a basic description of the Kailash Temple, according to Wikipedia: Kailashnath Temple, also Kailash Temple or Kailasanath Temple is a famous temple, one of the 34 monasteries and temples, known collectively as the Ellora Caves, extending over more than 2 km, that were dug side by side in the wall of a high basalt cliff in the complex located at Ellora, Maharashtra, India. Of these 34 monasteries and temples, the Kailasa (cave 16) is a remarkable example of Dravidian architecture on account of its striking proportion; elaborate workmanship architectural content and sculptural ornamentation of rock-cut architecture.^[1] It is designed to recall Mount Kailash, the abode of Lord Shiva.^[2] It is a megalith carved out of one single rock. It was built in the 8th century by the Rashtrakuta king Krishna I.

And, according to me, the Kailash Temple is a magnificent symbol of millennium-old awesomeness of Indian architecture, religion and culture. The entire complex of Ellora Caves actually! Whenever you are in Aurangabad, a visit to the Ajanta caves (totally different area) and Ellora Caves is a must and marveling at the Kailash Temple is a delight. Now, climbing on top of the high basalt cliff from which the Kailashnath Temple is carved from? That is another experience altogether. If you can do that, you’ll see the Kailash Temple from a different angle and really, maybe you’d feel like Shiva looking over his worshippers!