ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

I was introduced to a mesmerizing  piece of music last year when my colleague Aniruddha's mobile phone rang when we were on call discussing some work in the most serious mindset possible. I was dumbstruck by the calmness that little piece of music could bring to my mind while in the middle of a critical design discussion, even as Aniruddha went on to recieve the call thus cutting short my opportunity to listen to that heavenly sound. On asking him about the details later, I got to know that it was the beginning part of a song from a Marathi movie named " Balgandharva ", released in 2011 - portraying the life and times of a famous Marathi singer and actor. I then went on to listen to that song myself, and ever since, it has been delivering a daily morning dose of cheering up, as I feel that it brings in a great deal of calming influence - " Panchtund Nararundamaladhara ", a Naandi song of the play " Shakuntal " as portrayed in the movie Balgandharva, ...

Continuing to be spellbound by Charukeshi raga, about which I had blogged here , a few more of my recent favorites are here: 1. Dhrupad recital by the famous Gundecha Brothers , a Kabir bhajan: 2. Carnatic : The versatile Ghatam Karthik comes up with his own composition, "Charukeshi Sarasijalochani": 3. Fusion : MTV Coke Studio, where Bombay Jayashree sings in Raga Durga, while Ustad Rashid Khan brings in Charukeshi: 4. Movie : Song Krishna Kripa Sagaram from the Malayalam movie Sargam, sung by K. J. Yesudas and K.S. Chitra

The Mahalingeshwara Temple at Santhebachahalli village in Krishnarajapet Taluq of Mandya district is one forgotten Hoysala shrine that has evaded the eyes of historians for long. The 12th century temple is of Ekakuta type, and contains the Shiva Linga in the main sanctum. The Bhuvaneshwaris are as usual adorn with intricate symmetric circular carvings and the carvings of asta dikpalakas, the gods of the eight directions according to Hindu mythology. Many usual carvings adorn the vimana gopura, and similar to many early temples of the Hoysala architecture, the surrounding walls are devoid of any great sculptures. Here is a video as usual, of the photos taken at the temple:

There was a survey that asked the question: “What brings you back to work every day?” Not getting into what I had answered for the survey, there certainly have been various reasons at various stages that have kept me going, ranging from the challenges of work, the exposure it gives, the opportunities to learn and do new things every day, and the people at the top who are the guiding force. All these continue to be true, but for the last year and a half though, the primary reason has been only one thing – that of working closely with some of the best people I have ever met. This has been an extremely rewarding experience, so much so that I feel I ought to do it some justice by blogging and sharing some of the creative content which got generated through this alliance. The dedication, focus and integrity of a Chandana, the perseverance and inquisitiveness of an Ajay, the agility and the big picture perspective of a Sumit, the pursuit of perfection and attention to detail of an A...

Matighatta is a village in the Channarayapatna taluq of Hassan district, and is situated about 7 kms away from the world famous Jain pilgrim centre, Sravana Belagola. This village, which is close to my heart as it also happens to be my maternal grandparents' place, might very well be home to an ancient Hoysala temple. I say "might be", because it is not clear whether the Someshwara temple situated on the outskirts of the village belongs to their era or not, despite having the typical Hoysala emblem on top of the sanctum sanctorum. The old temple was renovated a couple of years back with the help of the Sri Manjunatheshwara Dharmotthana Trust of Dharmasthala, and the whole renovation campaign was spearheaded by my maternal uncle and retired teacher, S. Nagarajaiah. The scenic beauty of the coconut farms surrounding the temple premises makes it a place worth the visit. Here's a photo collection, as usual:

The village Koravangala must have been a happening town during the Hoysala regime, for it had at least three temples built during those times. Along with the still-standng-strong Bucheshwara temple , the twin temples of Nakeshwara and Govindeshwara built in 1160 AD by the brothers of Buchi Raja, are also present. They are in a state of ruins and are neglected by the authorities, and what is disheartening further, is the fact that they have tried restoring the twin temples back to their former state of glory, but the renovation work has stopped midway, long ago. A few pictures of the ruined temple complex: Nakeshwara and Govindeshwara Temples, Koravangala from hmvprasanna on Vimeo .