Of what I have seen here in Bangalore, each tree has it's own Autumn or the time of the year when it sheds its leaves. This tree outside our house decided to shed it's leaves just about now, which I think might be a little late by the U.S. standards.
Nevertheless, I just love these lovely dry leaves falling from the tree!
Last Sunday, despite the threatening dark clouds we hit the road to Tumkur. Tumkur is largely an industrial district of Karnataka with few very interesting sites. Our destination - Seebi/Sibi on the national highway to Tumkur.
According to the history books the Narasimha Swami Temple was built by the sons of Kacheri Krishnappa who was the dewan in the court of Mysore. The temple architecture is simple but what I really liked was the white-washed walls with amazing sculptures of various Gods & Goddesses made of terracotta & lime. Though weather-beaten but very beautiful.
The temple also has lovely paintings on the ceilings painted with vegetable colours. The temple is visited by very few people, possibly by locals or by devotees whose family deity is Narasimha Swami. Infact, I really liked the fact that it was very quiet with an occasional laughter from the children running around the courtyard.There is a Parijat tree in the courtyard under which lay a blanket of delicate & fragrant flowers.
While my husband and I were clicking around the temple like war-photographers, Mallika had a blast running around the place and screeching when she saw monkeys playing peek-a-boo with her. ( Yes, loads of them around!!!)
Outside the temple, there is a square pond with steps leading down to the water, where the villagers were washing clothes. I just loved the whole village atmosphere, so serene, so calming. We had to drag ourselves back to the car. Well, you must have guessed what a great time we had by the length of the post. Enjoy the pictures!
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise is given to those men and women in recognition of the innovative projects started by them to change the world.
Chanda Shroff is one of the five exceptional laureate who has started a project called Shrujan dedicated to the art of reviving an old tradition of embroidery in the Kutch region of India.
You can read more about her project here. ( images from rolexawards.com
I am completely in love with Flickr nowadays. It is really a treasure-trove of the most amazing pictures. These are my Flickr Favourites
In India, while travelling by road you'll come across many small temples, walls, slabs of stones, trunks of trees, you name it, painted in bright colours depicting the various Hindu Gods & Goddesses.
What I find interesting are the artists' interpretations of the characters in Hindu mythology. Very interesting! I also love the bright colours used.( Top-Left: Hanuman-the Monkey God. Top-right: Nandi( Lord Shiva's Vehicle) Bottom-Left: Goddess Durga. Bottom Right: Garuda( Lord Vishnu's Vehicle)
A trademark Chettinad saree is hand-woven in cotton, has a big border and usually comes in checks or stripes.
Traditionally the Chettinad weavers used vegetable dyes in black, red & yellow. Nowadays you get a wide variety of colours.I just love the Chettinad saree, very traditional and great for the Indian summer.
Yes, strangely enough every occasion when I take pictures I also end up taking shots of my feet. Not that I have the most pretty feet, its just to see if I am firmly rooted on the ground ;-) 
Guess what? I found loads of Flickr groups dedicated to feet. Here is one which I liked.
Mahabalipuram, the rock-carved port or the temple town of Tamilnadu is also a hub for stone-carvings and idols.
The sculptors or sthapathis as they are known in India, have been carrying on this rich tradition of carving from their forefathers where they use Vaastu Shastra as well as mathematical precison for the execution of such exquisite sculptures.Here you'll find idols in various sizes and shapes, some specially made for temples, some custom-made for hotels and smaller ones for homes & gardens.
Idols of Hindu Gods & Goddesses such as Ganesha, Gaja-Lakshmi, Shiva, Nandi are common. The sculptors here can make some amazing bird-baths with interesting stone lizards, frogs and ducks to go with it.
My blog usually is a creative outlet to my day to day musings, any new finds related to interiors, stationary, textiles, jewelry, art and many more. The regulars at my blog would have realised that I have immense love towards the arts and crafts of India. My husband and I travel a lot and during our travels have discovered some amazing folk art, local art and art even in the most mundane of places.This week I will be showcasing some of the art & craft from South India which have caught my attention. I might have posted about these before but here it is in a very orderly fashion. Do post your comments and let me know what you think of them.
I came across this very interesting article in one of the old in-flight magazines of India Airlines.
In the 19th century, photography came to India and rapidly replaced the traditional portrait paintings. Many painters switched professions and became artist-photographers. They would hand-colour the black & white pictures partially or sometimes completely to give it a realistic appearance.This technique became very popular in the late 19th century as the final product usually revealed the artist photographers artistry and fine workmanship. Very true.
(images from Swagat, in-flight magazine. Nov,1999)
It's been raining here in Bangalore. As I look out of my window I see how beautiful the raindrops look on the leaves of my potted plants. I have decided to take out those books I have been wanting to read for a long time and sit down with my big mug of steaming hot tea. Lovely!
Of what I have seen here in Bangalore, each tree has it's own Autumn or the time of the year when it sheds its leaves. This tree outside our house decided to shed it's leaves just about now, which I think might be a little late by the U.S. standards.
Last Sunday, despite the threatening dark clouds we hit the road to Tumkur. Tumkur is largely an industrial district of Karnataka with few very interesting sites. Our destination - Seebi/Sibi on the national highway to Tumkur.
The Rolex Awards for Enterprise is given to those men and women in recognition of the innovative projects started by them to change the world.
The weather has been grey and cloudy. So I am turning towards Pink to pep me up. Also check out Flickr group dedicated to the colour Pink.
In India, while travelling by road you'll come across many small temples, walls, slabs of stones, trunks of trees, you name it, painted in bright colours depicting the various Hindu Gods & Goddesses.
Captured here are some pics of flowers- 'African Violet' in my home and the blossoms of Bangalore at this time of the year. Lovely!
A trademark Chettinad saree is hand-woven in cotton, has a big border and usually comes in checks or stripes.
Mahabalipuram, the rock-carved port or the temple town of Tamilnadu is also a hub for stone-carvings and idols.
I came across this very interesting article in one of the old in-flight magazines of India Airlines.
It's been raining here in Bangalore. As I look out of my window I see how beautiful the raindrops look on the leaves of my potted plants. I have decided to take out those books I have been wanting to read for a long time and sit down with my big mug of steaming hot tea. Lovely!
As we were driving through small villages in Andhra Pradesh during our trip to Lepakshi, we were slowed down many times by bullock-carts carrying all sorts of things-fodder, heavy pipes & children!
I am very fascinated by doors. Especially in India where the entrance to the homes are actually works of art. Check out the use of colours. Here are some doors and entrances captured in various small villages en route to Lepakshi.
We finally took a break and headed to Lepakshi- a small village in Andhra Pradesh where you'll find amazing heritage temples with Vijayanagara style of architecture. The carved pillars, sculptures, the frescos and the history behind it just took my breath away.
