During my exploration of Varanasi I saw this spectacular ghat were everything was neat and in order. During the morning time there will be devotees worshipping the massive Shivling and the Nandi right on the banks. The daytime was a hub of Pooja Rituals and Holy Dip. There is a significant portion of devotees performing […]
Gaay Ghat of Varanasi – A neat and modern ghat with a surprising twist Read Post »
Anyone who has visited the Triveni Sangam area in Prayagraj would have seen the boats with coloured flags anchored in a group. The above pic has been taken during the monsoon flooding. The boats are anchored depending on level of the floods. Pictures shot with Fujifilm X-S20 with Tamron 18 to 300 mm with Fujifilm
It could well be possible that the first ever temple to be constructed in Prayagraj could be that of Veni Madhav at Daraganj. All the clues are right there. As per legend, the great Maharishi Bharadwaj who had an ashram in Prayagraj used to visit the Sangam area during the Kumbh period. After the holy
Shri Veni Madhav Mandir – The Nagar Devata of Prayagraj and his protective circle Read Post »
This monsoon season at Prayagraj it was mostly overcast. Also this season there was a lot of rainfall and as of end of August 2024 the sun is not out yet. Last time we checked how the Point and Shoot 200 Film Recipe worked on greens and sunlight. This time it will be clouds, low
Monsoon, Triveni Sangam and the Fujifilm Point and Shoot 200 Film Recipe Read Post »
If Prayagraj is considered to be at the heart of North India, there are roads radially moving out in all directions. The one which heads south goes to Jabalpur and Chitrakoot. Both are fascinating places which are both tourist attractions as well as historically significant. This region is UP and MP border which has very
Ashoka was among the greatest ruler of India. His grandfather Chandragupta Maurya founded the Maurya Dynasty after defeating the ruling king of Nanda Dynasty. The Mauryan Empire with Pataliputra (near present day Patna) as the capital controlled vasts portions of land covering the Gangetic plains right up to Afghanistan. During the peak of his power,
Monolithic Ashokan Pillar, Kaushambi – History and Significance Read Post »
Daily hundreds of visitors arrive at Triveni Sangam Prayagraj, most of them for performing Asthi Visarjan. Perhaps after Kashi, Triveni Sangam is the most visited place for this important Hindu ritual. Other places where Asthi Visarjan is performed are Gaya, Puri, Pushkar, Rameswaram and Haridwar. Nashik, Ujjain and Mathura are a few other places. Triveni
Boat Art at Triveni Sangam Prayagraj Read Post »
In retaliation of the first battle of Independence in 1857, which the British termed as an uprising, the East India Company carried out massive and brutal retaliations against the participants of the mutiny. Most of the action was concentrated in Uttar Pradesh where entire villages were decimated. Once place called Basti Chhawani witnessed the most
A tragedy and British brutality at Chhawani and the resilience of Bharatvarsha Read Post »
Many historians believe that the proclamation read by Lord Canning, the Viceroy of India at Prayagraj was an apology to the people of India for the atrocities committed by the East India Company. But in reality it was a transition to allow even greater atrocities in the name of the Queen. Minto Park is the
Minto Park, Prayagraj – A reminder of a fake apology by the British Read Post »
Fujifilm Mirrorless Cameras are known to give JPEGs which are ready to share on messengers and social media. X S-10 was a game changer for the street photographer and content creator. Fujifilm followed it up with the X S-20 which comes with a greater punch. I have paired this camera with another great street photography
Amazing JPEGs right out of the box Fujifilm X S-20 – Prayagraj Magh Mela at night Read Post »
In one of the by-lanes of Daraganj, Prayagraj the ashram of Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani is located. It is a second largest Akhara in India and they set up 52 – foot high holy flag in their camp which represents the 52 houses of the saints. Let us explore their primary deity, Kartikeya also popularly
Panchayati Akhara Shri Niranjani, Prayagraj – Worshippers of the God of War, Kartikeya Read Post »
In 1865, the King of Nepal Rana General Padmajang Bahadur established each form of Shiva linga to create this temple in Shivkuti on the banks of river Ganga. Does the name sound intriguing. Yes, because kachari translates to a court of justice. It is believed that Lord Shiva sets up court here where devotees can
Shiv Kachari Mahadev Temple, Prayagraj – The court of Lord Shiva Read Post »
The British came to India to colonize us. They used the East India Company as means to brutally subjugate us. After that came the factories, the first one setup in Surat in 1613. While the East India Company dealt in lots of good, their main revenue came from textiles. So this is what was taught
8th September 2002 marks the day in history of India when Prime Minister Narendra Modi unveiled a 30 feet grand statue of Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose under the empty canopy along with inauguration of “Kartavya Path”. Before this lakhs of visitors to India Gate used to ask the question, why an empty canopy. Let us
The empty canopy being India Gate – a reminder of the British Raj Read Post »
You would be amazed how much amount of scrap is collected by the city authorities in Delhi NCR. But you will not be amused to find out what the authorities do with it. Nothing! Sometimes the scrap keeps lying around for years, wasting precious warehouse space. So when in 2019 when someone came up with
22nd January 2024 will witness the consecration ceremony of Ram Temple in Ayodhya, a ritual performed by Pandit Laxmikant Dixit as a head priest and Prime Minister Narendra Modi as the mukhya yajman or the main host. Laxmikant Dixit is the direct descendant of Gaga Bhatt who performed the coronation of Shivaji Maharaj on 6
Shaheed Marg is a small road moving from east to west joining Kanak Bhawan Road. This road splits the locality in two parts, Tulsi Nagar (towards North) and Sai Nagar (towards South). Together these two localities house the holiest of temples of Ayodhya including the Shree Ramjanmbhumi Temple which will be consecrated on 22 Jan
Note from the author :- If you search for Ayodhya on Google, the first ten pages will only talk about Ram Mandir. Even the next ten pages will not say anything about the history of Ayodhya. This detailed article will be an attempt to collect the different fragments of history at one place. This article
The history of Ayodhya Read Post »
Baring the odd sweet shop or a couple of tea stalls, most of the shops in Triveni Sangam, Prayagraj are selling articles religious in nature. There is a huge ecosystem and parallel economy for this. People come in large number to visit Sangam and perform the religious rituals. If Maag Mela is jam packed, then
What do people buy while visiting Triveni Sangam Prayagraj Read Post »
Note from the Author – The name of this place as marked on Google Maps is “New Company Garden” where the word ‘company’ represents “East India Company”. There are many parks in the major cities of Uttar Pradesh which are named either company parks or company bagh and that nomenclature continues. In fact in Prayagraj,