Uploads from grayngle, with geodata

Navratri begins...

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Tue, 16 Oct 2012 06:51:43 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Navratri is a festival dedicated to the worship of a Hindu deity Shakti. The word Navaratri literally means nine nights in Sanskrit, nava meaning nine and ratri meaning nights. During these nine nights and ten days, nine forms of Shakti/Devi are worshiped. The 10th day is commonly referred to as Vijayadashami or "Dussehra." Navratri is a very important and major festival in the state of Gujarat and Mumbai, where during all these days the traditional dance of Gujarat called 'Garba' is been performed by everyone.

A choli, is a midriff-baring blouse shell garment in the Indian sari costume worn in India. The choli is cut to fit tightly to the body and has short sleeves and a low neck. The choli is usually cropped, allowing exposure of the navel. Cut-out backs and front-opening buttons are some of the features of contemporary designs.

"MILK"

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Fri, 13 Jul 2012 20:50:49 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Pithora wall paintings

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Sat, 22 Sep 2012 05:09:58 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

`Babo Pithoro' is a ritual painting style of the Rathwas that springs from their faith in the village witch doctor's powers to heal all grievances. ``The witch doctor, or lakahara, is held in highest esteem by the Rathwas who seek his consultation for any ill that befalls a family.

A small group of painters chitaras are assigned the job of completing the painting within 24 hours under the supervision of the lakhara who decides on the figures to be painted, their position and the colours to be used.
The work starts from the wall on the left side of the house with the figure of the evil bhootdev followed by sequential paintings of ancestors, warriors, horses, the sun and moon and traditional Pithora figurines. No shade of black is used in the paintings, as it is considered inauspicious by the tribals.

The Bharwad

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Tue, 11 Sep 2012 20:32:17 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

The term Bharwad is said to be a modified form of the word badawad, from the Gujarati words bada meaning sheep and wada meaning enclosure. This name was said to be acquired by the Bharwad on the account of their traditional occupation of being shepherds.

The balloon seller

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Mon, 10 Sep 2012 03:45:29 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

A Little talk

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Mon, 03 Sep 2012 06:21:45 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Barton Library [& Museum], Diwanpara Road

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:41:18 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

The history of ceremony of giving home of this public Barton Library of old Bhavnagar State, begins from 30.12.1882. This history goes back up to A.D 1860. It is also associated with Chhagan Prasad Desai Library.

Sometime Mahatama Gandhiji was a reader of Barton Library too.
Mahatma Gandhiji took benefit as a reader of this Barton Library, when this institute was running in its own new constructed building at Navapara in A.D 1882.

Shahtilal Shah [Alfred] High School, Haluriya Chowk

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 05:43:07 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

This school was started in 1963 & is one of the oldest historic colonial buildings in Bhavnagarr city along with the high court building. This school is run by BHAVNAGAR KELVANI MANDAL.

"Day-Dreamers"

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Sat, 11 Aug 2012 21:42:24 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

To the Home

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Wed, 08 Aug 2012 05:35:55 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Old scooter & Lady in Red Sari

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Tue, 07 Aug 2012 08:43:05 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

The Antique Shop, Bhavnagar

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Sun, 05 Aug 2012 06:07:40 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Shiva-Linga puja [prayer]

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:05:25 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Apart from anthropomorphic images of Shiva, the worship of Shiva in the form of a lingam, or linga, is also important. These are depicted in various forms. One common form is the shape of a vertical rounded column. Shiva means auspiciousness, and linga means a sign or a symbol. Hence, the Shivalinga is regarded as a "symbol of the great God of the universe who is all-auspiciousness". Shiva also means "one in whom the whole creation sleeps after dissolution". Linga also means the same thing—a place where created objects get dissolved during the disintegration of the created universe. Since, according to Hinduism, it is the same god that creates, sustains and withdraws the universe, the Shivalinga represents symbolically God Himself.

Nageshwar Shiva Temple, Bhavnagar

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Mon, 30 Jul 2012 07:05:06 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Shiva (meaning "auspicious one") is a major Hindu deity, and is the Destroyer or Transformer among the Trimurti, the Hindu Trinity of the primary aspects of the divine.
Shiva is one in whom the Universe 'sleeps' in a boundless void after destruction, before re-birth and during its existence. Shiva is therefore "eternal and purest". Thus Shiva is The Reality. Shiva is therefore also The Consciousness (frees from the bonds of mortal desires); Shiva is The Bliss (roots out sin and fear); Shiva is Auspicious (makes the earth religious and an abode of safety and peace).
Maha Shivratri is a festival celebrated every year on the 13th night or the 14th day of the new moon in the Krishna Paksha of the month of Maagha or Phalguna in the Hindu calendar. This festival is of utmost importance to the devotees of Lord Shiva.
Mahashivaratri marks the night when Lord Shiva performed the 'Tandava' and it is also believed that Lord Shiva was married to Parvati.
On this day the devotees observe fast and offer fruits, flowers and Bael leaves to Shiva Linga.
There are many Shiva temples in the Indian subcontinent, the Jyotirlinga temples being the most prominent. The holiest Shiva temples are the 12 Jyotirlinga temples.

The Small Piece of Village

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Fri, 27 Jul 2012 05:21:57 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Agriculture in India has a significant history. Today, India ranks second worldwide in farm output.
Large expanses of cultivated lands, narrow rivulets and with greenery all around, the Indian villages offer truly memorable experiences to visitors from around the world. Agriculture is the main occupation of the people living in these villages and is often their main livelihood. There are annual fairs and festivals that transform these villages into an arena of myriad colours, music, dance and traditional ceremonies. And the villagers throughout India are noted for their generous hospitality extended to visitors. If the villages captivate the minds of visitors due to its physical beauty, then the attitude of the villagers are even more captivating.

Chabutra, Mamakotha Road, Bhavnagar

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Wed, 25 Jul 2012 05:15:48 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

Chabutra is a unique cultural institution of Gujarat reflecting the benign attitude of Gujarties as peace lovers and their concern about the welfare of all life forms. Chabutra is essentially a platform covered with a dome or hood and mounted on a 5-6 feet high pole. On the platform a dish of water and some grains are kept for birds.
They are built of various material including stone, metal, wood and bricks. However the common function of chabutras is providing refuge to birds that are commonly found in human settlements.
Some historians believe that originally chabutras were meant to be the destination of message carrying pigeons in the royal households.

"The Banjara migration"

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Tue, 24 Jul 2012 03:29:45 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

The Banjara are a class of usually described as nomadic people from the Indian state of Rajasthan, North-West Gujarat, and Western Madhya Pradesh and Eastern Sindh province of pre-independence Pakistan.

The word Banjara is a deprecated, colloquial form of the word of Sanskrit origin. The Sanskrit compound-word vana chara, "forest wanderers" was given to them presumably because of their primitive role in the Indian society as forest wood collectors and distributors.

Women are known to wear colorful and beautiful costumes like phetiya (as ghagra) and kanchalli (as top) and have mehendi tattoos on their hands. The dress is considered fancy and attractive by Western cultures. They use mirror chips and often coins to decorate it. Women put on thick bangles on their arms (patli). Their ornaments are made up of silver rings, coins, chain and hair pleats are tied together at the end by chotla.
Men wear dhoti and kurta (short with many folds). These clothes were designed specially for the protection from harsh climate in deserts and to distinguish them from others.

A prayer to Ganges, Varanasi

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Tue, 10 Jul 2012 19:39:23 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

This was last evening while Ganga aarti on the bank of the Ganges in Varanasi (Banaras) was going on.
The aarti is a ritual of worshipping the Ganga where the audience is singing Bhajans.
It starts every day after the sunset, young priests are chanting and holding the lamps in a kind of choreography in order to thank the Ganga (and therefore Shiva) for what happened during the day.

The boatman, Varanasi

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Mon, 09 Jul 2012 19:49:07 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

21 x 50 cm; Watercolor on paper

A boatman who works on the Ganges River in Varanasi, India rows tourists in his boat to earn his living.

Afternoon sleep, Varanasi

nobody@flickr.com (grayngle) — Sun, 08 Jul 2012 20:12:06 -0700

grayngle posted a photo:

“I prefer to be a dreamer among the humblest, with visions to be realized, than lord among those without dreams and desires.”
(Kahlil Gibran - Lebanese American artist, poet, and writer, 1883 – 1931)

It was before sunset when the golden light was reflecting from the holy waters of the Ganges providing a dreamy atmosphere to the oldest living city in the world.
Whenever I talk to those ascetic men I find out that most of them had a different life before, sometimes with a wife and children, and a job.
One day they left the modern world for this life where they realize their dreams with visions...