Legend has it that a group of sages on the island of Divar in Goa undertook penance to propitiate Shiva. It took seven crore (sapta-kot) years for the Great Yogi to take notice of their exertions. When He finally showed up, the sages petitioned Him to take up residence in the village of Naroa (also…
This is the launch of a new series – the photographic documentation of the ancient Vetal idols of Goa. A few images have been included in earlier posts; those and the ones to follow are now consolidated at this link. In the village of Amona, the idol is fitted with a gleaming shell and wrapped…
Greetings to all on the occasion of Diwali. This year the Hindu Festival of Lights falls on October 26. Hindu tradition admits several interpretations of Diwali. All of them project a unified theme, one of renewal and optimism, symbolizing the triumph of the human spirit over the forces of darkness. In Goa, we have historically…
Greetings to all on the occasion of the festival of Ganesh Chaturthi which falls on Sept 1 this year. Seen below is the 4.5 metres tall, 15th C sculpture of Kadalekalu Ganesha at Hampi. The image was taken handheld at ISO 1600.
A salient characteristic of the old temples and churches in Goa is their location – many are ensconced in exquisite surroundings. This shrine in the remote village of Maangaal (also spelled Mangal) in Goa‘s Quepem taluka sits in the middle of a cultivated paddy field. I meandered into this luscious setting on an atmospheric monsoon…
