ಕ್ಷಣಪ್ರಭಾ - Kshanaprabhaa

Some pictures from my last year's visit to Pattadakallu  - a UNESCO World Heritage Site on the banks of the Malaprabha river, home to some of the most stunning Chalukya architectural grandeur.

Here are some more haunting images from my trip to Badami last year, continuing on from a few shared here : A life size Adinatha statue at the Mahaveera (4th) Cave Temple A view of the little temple structures on the hill opposite to the Badami Caves Bhootanatha Temple complex as seen from  the Badami Caves Serenity The grandeur and the unique color of the Badami Cave Temples Stairs to the architectural heaven Bhootanatha Temple complex from the Agastya Lake around sunset Stunning carvings of Varaha, Ganesha, Trimurtis, Mahisha Mardhini, Ugra Narasimha and more beyond the Bhootanatha Temple Agastya Lake and Badami Cave Temples as seen from the Bhootanatha Temple complex A calm picturesque water body behind the Bhootanatha Temple complex

Some pictures from my last year's trip to Badami, Karnataka. All these special architectrues are from the Badami Chalukya and Kalyani Chalukya period, ranging from 6th Century CE to 12th Century CE. Entrance to the cave temple dedicated Shiva Stunning carving on the rooftop inside the Shiva cave temple The famous Nataraja statue depicting multiple Bharatanatya poses Varaha lifting Bhoodevi Vamana becoming Trivikrama Entrance to the cave temple dedicated to Vishnu The Kalyani Chalukya marvel right below the Badami Chalukya caves Vishnu? or Chalukya king Pulikeshi? Paintings on the rooftop from the 6th / 7th century Badami Chalukya period From inside one of the cave temples of Badami

Some pictures of the many Shiva Temples in and around Mahakuta - a place just a few kilometers away from Badami, Karnataka . Visited this place last year.

"ಹಾನಗಲ್" ಎಂದಾಕ್ಷಣ ನೆನಪಾಗುವುದು ಹಿಂದೂಸ್ತಾನಿ ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೀಯ ಸಂಗೀತದ ದಂತಕಥೆ ಸ್ವರಶಿರೋಮಣಿ ಗಂಗೂಬಾಯಿ ಹಾನಗಲ್ ಅವರು. ಹೌದು, ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಷ್ಟೇ ಅಲ್ಲದೆ ಜಗತ್ತಿನಾದ್ಯಂತ ಹಿಂದೂಸ್ತಾನಿ ಗಾಯನದ ಖ್ಯಾತಿಯನ್ನು ಪಸರಿಸುವಲ್ಲಿ ಮಹತ್ತರ ಪಾತ್ರ ವಹಿಸಿದ ಗಂಗೂಬಾಯಿಯವರ ಹುಟ್ಟೂರು ಈ ಹಾನಗಲ್ - ಈಗಿನ ಹಾವೇರಿ ಜಿಲ್ಲೆಯ ಒಂದು ಪ್ರಮುಖ ತಾಲ್ಲೂಕು ಕೇಂದ್ರ. ಇದೇ ಊರು ಒಂದು ಕಾಲದಲ್ಲಿ ದಕ್ಷಿಣ ಭಾರತದ ಪ್ರಮುಖ ರಾಜಮನೆತನಗಳ ಪ್ರತಿಷ್ಠೆಯ ಬೀಡಾಗಿತ್ತೆಂಬುದೂ ಅಷ್ಟೇ ಸತ್ಯ. ಸಾವಿರಾರು ವರುಷಗಳ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಪಾನುಂಗಲ್, ಹಾನುಂಗಲ್ಲು, ಹಾನಗಲ್ಲು ಎಂದೆಲ್ಲಾ ಕರೆಸಿಕೊಂಡಿರುವ ಈ ಊರು ಕದಂಬ, ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ರಾಜಸಂಸ್ಥಾನಗಳ ಶಕ್ತಿ ಪ್ರದರ್ಶನಕ್ಕೆ ಸಾಕ್ಷಿಯಾಗಿ ಪ್ರಾಧಾನ್ಯದ ಉತ್ತುಂಗದಲ್ಲಿತ್ತು. ಹಾನಗಲ್ ಕೋಟೆಯನ್ನು ವಶಪಡಿಸಿಕೊಳ್ಳುವುದರ ಮೂಲಕವೇ ಹೊಯ್ಸಳ ದೊರೆಗಳಾದ ವಿಷ್ಣುವರ್ಧನ ಮತ್ತು ಎರಡನೇ ವೀರ ಬಲ್ಲಾಳರು ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯರ ಸಾಮಂತಿಕೆಯಿಂದ ಹೊರಬರುವ ಮತ್ತು ತಮ್ಮದೇ ಆದ ಸಾಮ್ರಾಜ್ಯವನ್ನು ಸ್ಥಾಪಿಸುವ ಕೆಚ್ಚು ತೋರಿದ್ದು. ಹೀಗೆ ಕರ್ನಾಟಕದ ಇತಿಹಾಸದಲ್ಲಿ ಹಾನಗಲ್ಲಿನ ಪಾತ್ರ ಅವಿಸ್ಮರಣೀಯ. ಇಂತಹ ಐತಿಹಾಸಿಕ ಜಾಡು ಹೊಂದಿರುವ ಹಾನಗಲ್ಲಿನಲ್ಲಿ ೧೧ರಿಂದ ೧೩ನೇ ಶತಮಾನಗಳವರೆಗೆ ರಾಜಮನೆತನಗಳು ಕಟ್ಟಿಸಿದ ದೇವಾಲಯಗಳೂ ಹಲವಿವೆ. ಪಶ್ಚಿಮ ಚಾಲುಕ್ಯ ಶಿಲ್ಪಕಲ...

Thousands of Indians led from the front in the long and hard freedom struggle of the country against the British, but unfortunately, in the present day India, very few of them remain on top of the minds of an average Indian. There were those who dedicated their lives and sacrificed their families, there were people who withstood immense hardship, and then there were those who took the cause to the average Indian and created a revolution by generating awareness amongst the masses by "connecting" with them and speaking their language - thus inspiring millions to plunge into the battle and take up the cause. A visionary like Bal Gangadhar Tilak was a leader who was in the forefront in all of these, yet, the country somehow manages to forget him in the hustles and bustles of the "free" and self ruled India he had imagined. When a work of art is made about such extraordinary gentlemen to whom the country owes a lot, it is very important that it portrays them in the...