Saturday, November 28, 2015

'Lord Ganesha in Hindu mythology' by K.J.S.Chatrath



Visiting a friend two days back, I was attracted towards this statue of Lord Ganesha on the very first sight. I found the colour of Lord's dhoti quite different from the way it is normally portrayed. I was informed that this impressive statue was procured from around Sidhi Vinayak Temple in Mumbai.

Then yesterday when I switched on the TV, I was in for a nice surprise. Yes, I have stopped viewing the so called news channels on the TV after they became too loud and their bias become too obvious.  So instead I watch my favourite show 'Devlok with Devdutt Pattnaik' on Epic TV channel. The discussion last evening was on Lord Ganesha. It was highly informative. And if you have not watched 'Devlok with Devdutt Pattnaik, I would strongly recommend it to you.

 A few words of introduction about Mr. Devdutt Pattnaik (born 1970) . He is from Odisha and is a man of many, many parts. He is a medical doctor by training and profession turned leadership consultant, mythologist and author whose works focus largely on the areas of myth, mythology, and also management. He has written over 600 articles and 30 books on the relevance of sacred stories, symbols and rituals in modern times, including Myth = Mithya: A Handbook of Hindu Mythology, Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata, Sita: An Illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana, Business Sutra: An Indian Approach to Management, Shikhandi: And Other Tales they Don't Tell You.

What really glues me to his show is the pleasant ease with which he explains the very difficult subject of mythology. He has a smiling face and is so very soft-spoken. And one last point- he makes interesting comparisons with other religions. Such comparisons are knowledgable and respectful.

Thank you Dr. Pattnaik for making an atheist like me get deeply interested in Hindu mythology.

Tuesday, November 24, 2015

'Lalitgiri, Odisha, India' by K.J.S.Chatrath



Lalitgiri, locally known as Naltigiri (Lat. 20 35” N and Long. 86 15” E) in Birupa-Chitrotpala valley is one among the major centers of Buddhism in the Mahanga Tahsil of Cuttack district. It is 90 km. away from Odisha’s  capital, Bhubaneswar. The site is couched between hills of Parabhadi and Landa of the isolated Assian range....9th 10th century A.D.

Wednesday, November 11, 2015

'9,000 year old rock shelter paintings in Bhimbetka, near Bhopal, India' - K.J.S.Chatrath

I visited Bhimbetka, about 35 kms from Bhopal, India, earlier this week. Some of these stunning paintings in natural stony rain shelters/caves are estimated to be around 9,000 years old....Photo article coming on my website www.fiftyplustravels.com soon....


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