Bangalore Magic

09/09/2024

Just a cute photo of a father-daughter duo skating together at Cubbon Park in the morning🙂. P.S. we like the Superman socks (zoom in)!

30/08/2024

A full day of eating in Bengaluru! Which one of these have you been to?

We started with breakfast at the iconic Airlines Hotel with vadai, idli, dosai, Mangalore buns, tea and filter coffee.

For lunch, we tasted the creative new menu at Go Native. Very refined, a must try!

And we had a light, healthy dinner at Yogi-sthaan. We took off our shoes and enjoyed the peaceful vibe of the place.

21/08/2024

Another lovely construction from Hampi, built by the Vijaynagara kings. This time, a building that was part of the royal enclave - the Lotus Mahal.

The Lotus Mahal is a lovely building in the Indo-Islamic style. We don’t know for sure what its purpose was. Some say that it served as a residence for the royal women of Vijaynagara. Others suggest that since it is right next to the elephant stables, it likely served as a meeting room for the king and his top military commanders. They could easily go and survey their elephants, who served as shock troops in the Vijaynagara army.

21/08/2024

Another marvel from Hampi. The artists of Vijaynagara knew how to carve stone. The huge boulders and rocks strewn across the landscape provided inspiration to create sculptures and idols with impressive size.

The amazing Badavi Shivalingam in Hampi.

Photo source: Wikimedia Commons - Sclickp

21/08/2024

Amazing Hampi! A UNESCO World Heritage site.

An imposing granite carving of Ugra Narasimha was commissioned in 1528 by Krishnadevaraya of Vijaynagara. The ferocious form of Narasimha - half man, half lion - and the towering size, suggest he may have been a protector deity for Vijaynagara.

When it was originally built, goddess Lakshmi was carved sitting on Narasimha's thigh. The Lakshmi carving was broken and lost when the Deccan Sultanate forces sacked Hampi.

The Narasimha statue was also damaged, but in the 1980s it was restored to a cross legged position by adding a pair of knees and a yogapatta (yoga strap) to hold the knees together.

16/08/2024

We recently took a corporate group for our Vidhana Soudha Walk, where we saw the Vidhana Soudha (the Karnataka state legislature), the High Court, and other landmarks. Followed by a leisurely stroll in Cubbon Park!

10/05/2024

Inside the Mysore Palace

01/12/2023

The 17th century Kadu Malleshwara Temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. The back garden has several Naga devtas - serpent deities. The Nagas - usually cobras - are said to have strong magical powers. Traditionally, they can be benevolent and helpful but also dangerous - humans should take care not to anger them. Devotees pray to the Nagas on special days for health and happiness.

12/07/2023

The stunning Hoysala architecture at Belur and Halebid.

Photo Credit: Tanuj Leekha who is on his trip through Karnataka