Allô Chatrath

    I visited the ruins of an amazing temple, which is reportedly 150 ft high, and, as the local legend has it, was constructed by ghosts in one night! That may or may not be true, but the remains of this magnificent temple do show that rules of gravity appear to have been challenged by the builders, or, is it some super power that is keeping the precariously placed huge stones from falling down? A visit is surely called for.  This Siva temple known as Kakanmath at Suhaniya (ancient simhapaniya) in District Morena, recorded to have been built by Kachchhapaghata ruler Kirttiraja (A.D. 1015-1035), is a magnificent edifice even in its ruins and is remarkable for its sculptural wealth.   Standing on a lofty ornate pitha   (a Nāgara temple generally rests on a high platform- jagati over which is constructed a small platform called pitha ) and originally surrounded by subsidiary shrines, the temple comprises a sanctum enclosed by an ambulatory (place for wa...

                         Pav-Bhaji with butter will break all your vows. Photo sourced from Desi-Khana.

  At 80+, I know that I am inching towards death. I am not afraid of dying (till now) though I do not know how I would behave when the time actually comes. But one thought definitely perturbs me. Being so used to a morning cup of hot tea, how would I manage in Hell? 'Sorry. No bed tea in Hell', I was informed when I checked up its website (www.GoToHell.com) which added, 'it is served only in Heaven!' So let me enjoy my morning cuppa while I am still here!

   

 Pleasse see my earlier photo article: Arthuna- a cluster of gems waiting to be 'discovered' - by K J S Chatrath https://allochatrath.blogspot.com/2024/03/arthuna-cluster-of-gems-waiting-to-be.html    

                                            Garv se kaho ke hume Bhaturay-Cholley pasand hain

  During my last visit to Rome in 2023, I made it to the Basilica of St. Paul though it was drizzling. But I was lucky and soon the sky became clear and I could spend a few hours admiring at this Basilica. The Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls   is one of the four papal basilicas of Rome , the second largest basilica after St. Peter’s. According to tradition, the church lies on the site where the Apostle Paul was buried ; here the Christians erected a sepulchral chapel, namely a memorial, later transformed into a basilica by the Emperor Constantine and consecrated in 394 by Pope Sylvester. The works to expand the temple began in 385 and were completed in 395 by Emperor Honorius. It was Pasquale Belli, collaborating with other architects, who rebuilt it between 1825 and 1854, after a devastating fire in 1823. The interior is divided into five naves by eighty monolithic granite columns : the six ones of the entrance wall are the most remarkable, donated by th...

  Ranjit Vilas Palace was the residence of the royal family of Ratlam. Built in 1880, the palace is noted for its Italian architecture and décor and is one of the most impressive old buildings of the city. The palace has been partially encroached upon and several proposals have been made to renovate and repurpose the building. It is owned by the Government of Madhya Pradesh since the death of the last ruler. When I visited it recently I found a good deal of activity on the ground floor, near the entrance and around the building. A sign board explaned that it was the office of the Registrar of Govt of M.P. The palace was the official residence of Lokendra Singh, the last ruler of Ratlam. Following his death in 1991 and his wife Prabharaje in 1993, the palace was taken over by the Government of Madhya Pradesh as the ruler had no lineal descendants . The palace is noted for its Italian architecture and craftsmanship reflected in the carvings done on the palace floor. W...

  I was lucky to have visited Arthuna, located in Banswada district of Rajasthan early this week. I took a train up to Ratlam and from there Arthuna by excellent road is about 130 kms. The place is a gem for archaeology lovers waiting to be visited and written about.I am grateful to my facebook friend and a remarkable traveller and blogger Mr. Sabya Sachi Ghosh for getting me interested in visiting Arthuna. I look forward to soon meeting Mr. Ghosh in person.  Previously known as   Utthunaka, Arthuna was the capital of Paramara rulers of Vagada during eleventh-twelfth centuries A.D. They patronized both Jainism and Saivism simultaneously, so they constructed a number of Siva temples. An inscription of the Paramara prince Chamundaraja records that he built a temple of Siva called Mandalesa in honour of his father in A.D. 1079. Another inscription of A.D. 1080 mentions that his officer’s son named Anantapala also founded a temple of Siva.  In a group of temples know...