The Icelandic horse is a unique breed and an integral part of the Icelandic landscape. You may read about this beautiful animal here. Icelanders take their horses seriously. As the Wiki entry explains, “Icelandic law prevents horses from being imported into the country and exported animals are not allowed to return.” …
Among the most feared volcanoes in Iceland, Katla last erupted in 1918. At the time Ólafur Pétursson (b. 1909) was 9 years old, and his wife þórunn Björnsdóttir (b. 1911) was 7. The couple are today the last living witnesses to that cataclysmic event. Ólafur and þórunn still live in the shadow of Katla at…
The quiet village of Parsem in north Goa remains frozen in time with its echt-Goan character and spirit intact. It is proud of its quirky heritage: the unusual façade of the ancient temple of Goddess Bhagwati, the nearby banyan tree said to be the largest in Goa, the magnificent old sculptures of Brahma, Vishnu, and…
Ensconced in an orchard in the Goan village of Advalpal, an old and precious temple of Hanuman lies in a state of criminal neglect. Physical decay of the structure has taken hold, inside and out. This corrosion of the land’s cultural soul is a corollary to the ecocide underway in Goa. Inside the shrine an…
The Deepastambha is a characteristic feature found in the courtyards of Goa‘s Hindu temples. The word is formed by conjoining the Sanskrit words Deepa (lamp) and Stambha (pillar), and thus means “Pillar of Lamps.” This photograph of the Deepastambha at the Mahalsa temple in Mardol was taken at daybreak. A more modest Deepasthamba…
