Skip to main content

Stepping back in time - my India visit 2015

 I visited India in the halcyon days of pandemic free travel.  That was almost six plus years back.  Summer on the sub continent.  A constant 40 degree Celsius.  Humid most times.  Heat index was unbearable at times. 

Yet the solitude of travel does wonders.  Below are some memories of the time I spent on the road - in the southern state of Tamilnadu and its surrounds.  Most temple structures made of local clay or brick are 1000 years old.

Fun signage along the way added to the otherwise scorching episode.





Realizing the temple etiquette for India (of forbidden items) I had donned excessively long jeans which in hindsight served to protect my heels as I draped them under, during my walks over hot bricks in the temple complex 


This type of nourishment certainly helped maintain my sanity along with cold treats


Guess you do not need much to share with another human


11 feet tall Nandi or Bull guards the door to the Gangaikonda Cholapuram complex of temples in Tanjore


I ventured into a former French colony called Puducherry, along the coast to take in some unique architecture.  A few foreign students still visit for seeking something that they cannot find in the west.  Who knows what that might be.


French are long gone and now replaced by today's capitalists including the Colonel from Kentucky USA



common flower arrangement in front of local homes in Pondicherry (now Puducherry)


The orb in Auroville - Matrimandir - a meditation spot established by a French woman who became an ascetic 


This structure was still being constructed during my visit after which it was completed in 2008.



My travels were made possible by Indian Rail





Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Of chocolates

I like chocolates. Godiva Dark with Almonds - not sure of the naked woman on the horse to be the icon of some choice cocoa based products but tastes good. Started in Belgium but now owned by some Turks. Cadburys - Fruit and Nut Milk Bars - awesome combination of dried fruit pieces along with a medley of nuts makes your toungue dance - started by a Brit now owen by Kraft USA. Lindt Hazelnut spheres - made by a Swiss confectioner are divine balls that melt in your mouth with a lingering nutty taste Ghirardelli Milk Crisp Squares - crunchy and light these milk squares are easy on the palate but pack some serious calories - all good I say! Originally founded by an Italian who moved around till he landed in SF Bay today also owned by the Swiss Lindt empire.
Post a Comment
Read more

Columbia SC

 The Palmetto state.  One of the confederate kinds. History dating couple centuries back.  We visited the capital yet again this time to take in the SC State Museum. Occupying the former digs (literally remodeled) of an erstwhile cotton mill this structure is an amazing piece of reimagination.  Four floors of excitement for kids and young at heart alike. Located on the shores of the Congaree River formed when the Broad meets up with the Saluda River, this edifice is approx. 60 years old.  The front of the building has a more modern planetarium that was added about a decade ago.  The museum itself has different areas of interest segregated on each of its four floors. The first floor has gift shop and a diorama of some of the local geography including the swamps and the state beaches with audio guides to help understand what fauna thrives locally. The second floor is all about natural history and showcases animal kingdom that may have survived on this latitud...
Post a Comment
Read more

Cost of entrepreneurship

Last night I attended a guest lecture on the subject of disruptive technology and entrepreneurship.  Lecture was free but it was used as a pitch by the University that hosted it to attract new customers. The speaker was somewhat respectable fellow who happened to hail from India and spoke eloquently.   One of the key message was around how the professors in this university were ranked among the very best money can buy. Cost of the MBA program mere $110,000 and oh we also buy some dinner if you have late class.  So now the math is simple-  is learning to be entrepreneurial worth the cost of entry? That is assuming you end up being one.   What of those that do not?  or the ones that are not successful at being the entrepreneur?  Is that being a pessimist before even being handed the glass. What I found strange is that people will bet big money on the glimmer of hope that they might just make a entrepreneurial debut and hit it big.  The unive...
2 comments
Read more