Photo Blog by Rajan Parrikar » TS-E 17L http://www.parrikar.com/blog Satyam Shivam Sundaram (Truth, Divinity, Beauty) Tue, 07 Feb 2012 12:08:39 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Death Valley – A Study in Texture http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/19/death-valley-a-study-in-texture/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/19/death-valley-a-study-in-texture/#comments Thu, 19 Jan 2012 21:38:49 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=8787 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

These photographs were taken in a single session along Badwater Road in the Death Valley National Park in California. An impending storm had given rise to conditions atypical in Death Valley – soft, diffused afternoon light that accentuated the colours on the Black Mountains.

Colours
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Black Mountains
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Palette
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Folds
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Rugged
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

 

Black Mountains
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Glow
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/19/death-valley-a-study-in-texture/feed/ 1 Hallgrímskirkja http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/14/hallgrimskirkja/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/14/hallgrimskirkja/#comments Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:57:41 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=8628 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

Hallgrímskirkja was built in 1937 and is a Reykjavík landmark. Architect Guðjón Samúelsson patterned its façade after the basaltic lava columns that are common in Iceland.

The first two photographs were taken close to midnight in the beautiful light of the low summer sun. Maintaining the verticals of such a tall structure is made possible by the use of the Canon Tilt-Shift 17mm lens.

In the church compound ahead of the entrance, a statue of the legendary Icelandic explorer Leifur Eiríksson greets all visitors (the shadow it casts is seen in the first image). It was a gift by the USA to the people of Iceland. Leifur is today regarded as the first European discoverer of North America, long before Columbus.

Hallgrímskirkja in Reykjavík
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Draped in the light of the midnight sun
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Looking down from the church tower towards Leifur Eiríksson
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/14/hallgrimskirkja/feed/ 1 Desai de Arabó http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/04/desai-de-arabo/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/04/desai-de-arabo/#comments Thu, 05 Jan 2012 01:40:27 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=8420 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

Arabó is a tiny ward of the village of Dhargal on River Chapora in north Goa. The name, a Goanized form referring to “Arab,” furnishes a clue to its past. Arab merchants sailed here in their dhows in mediæval times trading goods with the locals. It is a blink-and-you-miss-it kind of place, a sleepy outlier not yet (thankfully!) listed on any map or travel brochure.

Arabó piques contemporary interest on at least two counts. One is the subject of this post – the Desai House, unique in the state. Arabó is also the birthplace of the great music composer, the late N. Datta (Datta Naik), whose collaboration with the poet Sahir Ludhianvi gave us many enduring film melodies (see the end of this post).

The Desais are among the earliest Gaud Saraswat Brahmin families of Goa, and were for some time feudatories to the Bhonsales of Sawantwadi. The Desai House presents an incongruous sight with its striking exterior of exposed laterite and turrets on either flank. The original house belonged to a Muslim merchant who sold it to the Desais. The structure seen today dates back to around 1890 when the Desais gave the house a makeover.

These photographs were taken over a span of several years. During the occasion of Ganesh Chaturthi in 2007, I was invited by the Desais for a private tour of their home.

Desai House in Arabó, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Notice the holes punched in the laterite to accommodate gun barrels.

Facet of the laterite exterior
5D Mark II, Zeiss ZE 50 f/2 MP

 

Balcony in the foyer
5D, 24-105L

 

The interior layout hews to a traditional Goan Hindu design with its characteristic Rajangan (quadrangle).

Rajangan - the central courtyard
5D, 24-105L

 

To this day the Desais accord space and reverence to the Islamic flagpole left behind by the earlier Muslim owner. Every year on the occasion of the Moharram festival, the local Muslims are guests of the Desai family.

Islamic flagpole
5D, 24-105L

 

Inside one of the turrets
5D, 24-105L

 

Top view
5D, 24-105L

 

This sketch, reproduced in Ethnography of Goa, Daman and Diu by A.B. de Bragança Pereira (Penguin Group, 2008), depicts the original house. The tree is still there (see first image above).

Sketch of Desai House

 

PS: Selections of N. Datta here and here.

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2012/01/04/desai-de-arabo/feed/ 1 Sé Cathedral http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/12/03/se-cathedral/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/12/03/se-cathedral/#comments Sat, 03 Dec 2011 19:42:31 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=7886 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

December is a festive time in the historic village of Old Goa, now a World Heritage site. Sé Cathedral was elevated to the rank of a cathedral in 1533, and the final structure was completed in 1619. It is the largest church in India.

The second image below was taken from the hill at the Chapel of Mount Mary overlooking the Mandovi river. To the left of the frame is the Church of St Francis of Assisi.

Sé Cathedral, Old Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

First rays of the morning sun
5D, 300L f/4 IS

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/12/03/se-cathedral/feed/ 3 Centrum and Borg http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/11/05/centrum-and-borg/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/11/05/centrum-and-borg/#comments Sat, 05 Nov 2011 07:08:12 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=7665 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

Centrum is a new hotel (2005) in the heart of Reykjavík, located on Aðalstræti, the oldest street in town. Its buildings are modeled after a style prevalent here around 1900. Viking ruins discovered during its construction are now featured in a museum housed in the basement. A very short stroll brings us to Borg, the city’s iconic hotel overlooking the central square Austurvöllur. It was built in 1930 in the Art Deco style.

These photographs were taken around midnight in summer.

Hótel Reykjavík Centrum
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Hótel Borg
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/11/05/centrum-and-borg/feed/ 2 Homage to the Pizzle http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/04/10/homage-to-the-pizzle/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/04/10/homage-to-the-pizzle/#comments Sun, 10 Apr 2011 05:52:49 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=5793 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

The settlement of Húsavík in northern Iceland is home to the intriguing Icelandic Phallological Museum, a tribute to Nature’s designs of the intromittent organ.

Excerpt from the museum website:

The Icelandic Phallological Museum is probably the only museum in the world to contain a collection of phallic specimens belonging to all the various types of mammal found in a single country.

Phallology is an ancient science which, until recent years, has received very little attention in Iceland, except as a borderline field of study in other academic disciplines such as history, art, psychology, literature and other artistic fields like music and ballet.

Now, thanks to The Icelandic Phallological Museum, it is finally possible for individuals to undertake serious study into the field of phallology in an organized, scientific fashion.

The Icelandic Phallological Museum contains a collection of two hundred and nine penises and penile parts belonging to almost all the land and sea mammals that can be found in Iceland. Visitors to the museum will encounter fifty five specimens belonging to sixteen different kinds of whale, one specimen taken from a rogue polar bear, thirty-six specimens belonging to seven different kinds of seal and walrus, and one hundred and fifteen specimens originating from twenty different kinds of land mammal: all in all, a total of two hundred and nine specimens belonging to forty six different kinds of mammal. It should be noted that the museum has also been fortunate enough to receive legally-certified gift tokens for four specimens belonging to Homo Sapiens. Besides there are some twenty-three folklore specimens and forty foreign ones. Altogether the collection contains 272 specimens from 92 different species of animals.

In addition to the biological section of the museum, visitors can view the collection of about three hundred artistic oddments and other practical utensils related to the museum´s chosen theme.

 
 

News just in has it that the long-awaited human specimen has been mounted.

Curated by its congenial owner Sigurður Hjartarson, this shrine is not simply a parade of pickled pricks. Embellishing the gallery are objets d’art, implements, curios, paintings, poetry, and garments – all penis-themed. A Shiva lingam is currently absent from the collection; I plan to donate one to the museum soon.

And now, some photographs from an enjoyable afternoon spent here dicking around.

Phallucination in Iceland
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Museum members
5D Mark II, 14L II

 

Organ of a sperm whale
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Instrument of an elephant from South Africa
5D Mark II, 14L II

 

Penis Art: "Madonna Borealis" by Cheo Cruz
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Lundscape: Art by Þorgerður Sigurðardóttir (Original title: Penis-scape in Húsavík)
5D Mark II, 24-105L

Note: ‘Lund’ means penis in Hindi (albeit in the vulgar sense).

 

Penis humour
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Museum owner and curator Sigurður Hjartarson
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/04/10/homage-to-the-pizzle/feed/ 3 Búðir http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/03/05/budir/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/03/05/budir/#comments Sat, 05 Mar 2011 05:15:48 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=5331 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

The 19th C church at Búðir is perched on the edge of the Búðahraun lava field by the wild southern shore of Snæfellsnes in west Iceland. What a glorious setting!

Búðir church and the Búðahraun lava field
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

 

Mortality
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Búðakirkja (19th C)
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

PS: Thanks to Dr. Arun Gupta for suggesting the “Mortality” caption above.

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/03/05/budir/feed/ 2 The Sacred Anthill http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/01/03/the-sacred-anthill/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/01/03/the-sacred-anthill/#comments Mon, 03 Jan 2011 06:58:30 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=4510 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

The ancient Indian tradition of anthill worship is widespread among the Hindus of Goa. In the Goan praxis, the anthill is regarded as a manifestation of the Earth Goddess, and She is given names such as Sateri (Santeri), Bhoomika, Ela, and so on. The name of one Goan village – Bhoma, cognate of Bhoomi (Earth) – derives from the worship of an anthill. The word for anthill in Konkani is ro’in.

Excerpt from The Sacred Anthill and the Cult of the Primordial Mound by John C. Irwin.

Ethnographical reports of the last hundred years suggest that anthill worship is an ancient cult that survives in many parts of India up to the present day. The cult once occupied a central place in Vedic and Hindu religion, and from at least as early as the first millennium B.C., and probably earlier, it has figured prominently – if somewhat incomprehensibly – in rituals associated with all the critical events of human life, including birth, marriage, sickness, and death. Anthills have also played an important part in the consecration of temples, the warding-off of evil, ritual destruction of an enemy, calling divine witness, and securing material prosperity…

Strictly speaking, we should not call them “anthills,” because they are made not by ants but by termites (misleadingly called “white ants”). The termite, in fact, is unrelated to the ant. It is entomologically closer to the cockroach, but mainly confined to tropical and subtropical regions…

 
 

The most impressive of these anthills in active worship in Goa is found in the village of Virnoda. It is said to be very old (How old? Nobody knows for sure, so feel free to start with 200 years and add your own factor), and I reckon it to be 8-9 feet high. The TS-E 17L lens with its shift function came in handy here. As is the case in most places of this kind, you have to make do with the lighting conditions available.

Sacred anthill in Virnoda, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 
 

The next three photographs are from the Sateri temple in Morjim. The structure lies in a state of disuse and disrepair, and the weathered look adds to its mystique. Notice the kaavi art (sgraffito) both on the interior and exterior walls. The image of the mural in close-up exudes a rich visage, like a painting on canvas.

Antill worshipped as Goddess Sateri in Morjim, Goa
5D, 24-105L

 

Façade of Sateri temple in Morjim
5D, 24-105L

 

Mural at Sateri temple
5D, 24-105L

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2011/01/03/the-sacred-anthill/feed/ 5 Our Lady of Socorro http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/24/our-lady-of-socorro/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/24/our-lady-of-socorro/#comments Fri, 24 Dec 2010 08:01:45 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=4362 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

Merry Christmas to all readers.

Socorro here refers to the village in Bardez, Goa, not the town in New Mexico, USA (site of the Very Large Array).

The Church of Nossa Senhora do Socorro was built in 1763, and is ensconced in serene, picturesque surroundings. Its annual feast is celebrated every year on November 21. There are 4 altars inside, the main one dedicated to Our Lady of Socorro. Architectural highlights of the edifice are summarized below.

From: The Parish Churches of Goa by José Lourenço (Amazing Goa Publications, 2006)

  • Mannerist Neo-Roman, large, 5 x 3
  • Sequence of Arch-Rectangle-Oculus-Niche
  • Template has angels in relief at base and Franciscan insignia ‘AM’ at top
  • Tri-engaged columns in façade
  • Reduplicated mouldings in ground storey
  • Five quatrefoil openings in 3rd storey
  • Twin towers with stacked-pot finials
  • Oversized bell mounted outside right tower
 

Photographing the main altar presented a challenge. With natural light filtering in from only one side, the illumination was asymmetric. The artificial lighting in the interior was likewise patchy. I bracketed a set of exposures with the expectation that at least one would be optimal enough to withstand post-processing work to even out the tones.

Without the superb Canon Tilt-Shift 17mm lens, single exposure takes like the first two images below would not have been possible.

 

Church of Nossa Senhora do Socorro (1763) in Socorro, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Main altar at Socorro
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 

Shrine to Mary outside Socorro church
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/24/our-lady-of-socorro/feed/ 5 Kesarbai’s Keri http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/17/kesarbais-keri/ http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/17/kesarbais-keri/#comments Fri, 17 Dec 2010 21:06:16 +0000 Rajan P. Parrikar http://www.parrikar.com/blog/?p=3971 Note: To see full-size images in this post, please view the original post by clicking here.

Keri is a small village in Goa, around 15 kms east of the capital Panjim. It is sometimes spelled Querim, the trailing ‘m’ denoting the nasal phonetic characteristic of Konkani syllables. Since there are at least 3 other villages in Goa bearing the same name, the ambiguity is removed by calling it Keri-Ponda, after the taluka in which it is located..

Kesarbai refers to the legendary musician Kesarbai Kerkar who was born and raised in Keri. Go here for an introduction to this rara avis and her extraordinary artistry. Kesarbai‘s recording of Raga Bhairavi was among the selections of music put on the Voyager Golden Record carried aboard the Voyager spacecraft launched by NASA in 1977, now a wanderer in the far reaches of interstellar space.

The predominantly Hindu settlement of Keri is the archetypal hinterland Goan village. Ringed by hills, fortified by forests, graced by beautiful temples, soothed by birdsong, it still clings to the zeitgeist of a Goa that is fast disappearing. Idylls like these are on their last legs given the march of destruction development.

In this photo essay I concern myself with some ‘objects’ encountered on a couple of rainy mornings in Keri earlier in July.

Kesarbai was born in this house that is now occupied by her brother’s progeny. This framing minimizes intrusion of the thicket of electric power lines crisscrossing its façade.

Kesarbai Kerkar's house in Keri, Goa
5D Mark II, TS-E 17L

 
 

Fresh rain and cloud cover accentuate the colours of the beautiful temple of Goddess Vijayadurga. Notice the deep reds of the kaavi artwork (sgraffito) beneath the sloping roof of the mandap. Unfortunately, most of the detail is lost in the reduced image size required for web display.

Temple of Goddess Vijayadurga
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 
 

The old temple of Vetal, now in the crosshairs of some villagers who want to demolish it and erect a new pile of concrete doo-doo in its stead (‘development’ !). What it really needs is restoration. One can only pray for divine intervention.

Vetal temple
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 
 

This ancient image of Vetal is imposing, probably the tallest (over 7 feet) in active worship in Goa.

Vetal of Keri
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

One of the carved wooden pillars in the Vetal temple
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Off to school with grandma
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

 
 

Raghoba Naik runs a traditional convenience stall by the Vetal temple. He is a type that seems to exist only in works of fiction, someone who has very little yet who owns the world. The oft-heard Atithi Devo Bhava has become a meaningless cant in India, but not in Raghoba‘s world. No outsider to the village is released without a cup of tea and snacks. It would be considered an act of rank discourtesy to ask about payment for the goodies.

Raghoba Naik at his stall
5D Mark II, 24-105L

 

Raghoba Naik of Keri
5D Mark II, 70-200L f/2.8 IS II

 
 
]]> http://www.parrikar.com/blog/2010/12/17/kesarbais-keri/feed/ 6