Brown Motion

As in along the river (Tungabhadra) bank lies the temple city of Hampi. Northern Karnataka state in central India is where we find this village that thrived under the domain of several kings including Harihar I and onto and in early 16th century King Krishnadevraya who defeated several attempts by Mughal warriors to lay siege. Over the 7th through 16th century many temples were added along the river bank with the famous one being devoted to Lord Shiva.  He is also known as Pampa and a derivation of the word was made into Hampi. Shiva, his consort Parvati and son Ganesh are all enclosed in the main temple complex called Virupaksha at the western end of the village.  Visitors can walk the hills around this temple complex before proceeding along the southern bank of the river to the eastern end where the large Vitthala temple sits along with an amazing stone chariot. Nandi (Bull) guards the eastern gate or gopuram to Virupaksha temple Virupaksha seen from adjacent...

O Lord Ganesh - I pray to thee. That is the literal translation of the title.  Lord Ganesh being the highly acclaimed and universally (for people from all over India) known of the deities being worshipped.  Part elephant and part man he represents a good start.  As in people believe in prayers to Ganesh before beginning a new venture, a journey or a relationship at times. All that said it also follows that in India which largely thrives on god worship as one of its largest industries, there are street festivals and celebrations to praise the Lord's doings or 'to be' doings.  As in the blessings that all and sundry seek to get them going to do the doing, which oft times happens to be a lot of lazing.  May be that is my perspective but then again I am not doing any of that praying so who knows. Now Ganesh prayer and special celebrations abound in the Fall when the Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated with much fanfare.  It was originally crafted in the late ...