Peacock Bay

 

This is a picture book scene from a corner of the Khadakwasla lake near Pune in Maharashtra. In the backdrop is the mighty Sinhagad fort which is seeped in history. Many a famous battle was fought here. Well that is another story. Right now the lake is dotted with farm houses with visitors getting a sneak peek at places and the fort is a trekkers paradise.

Varanasi

 

Varanasi is supposed to be one of the oldest inhabited cities in the world. It is located on the banks of river Ganga and is a major pilgrim site for Hindus. The evening prayers on the banks of river Ganga (Ganga Arti) is a big tourist attraction. People of all faiths hire boats to witness it from a vantage point. The hundreds of years old temples are also a major attraction. It is believed that whosoever is cremated on the banks of this river in Varanasi goes straight to heaven. 

Whether you believe it or not but if you happen to be in this part of the world a visit to this holy city is a must.

Huzoor Palace ll

     Huzoor Palace as it is called, is located in Porbandar town in the state of Gujarat. It was built in the early 20th century by Rana Natwarsinhji, the last maharaja of the princely state of Porbandar. It has a clear European influence in its architecture. It was built in the middle of a sprawling garden which has been taken over by unkempt bushes and shrubs. Presently it is used by his successors who reside in London and visit it once in a while. It is not open to tourists and is mostly in a state of disrepair. Even in this state one can imagine the grand and good days this place must have seen.

     Hope I have been able to do justice to this subject.

Tawang monastery.

     As I had mentioned in my last post, Tawang is a beautiful town nestled in the mountains. It holds a lot of importance for Buddhists as the sixth Dalai Lama was born here. What I gather from the information available on the net, he was totally different from any other religious head. He used to drink, smoke, womanise and compose devotional songs. He travelled all the way to Lhasa but never occupied the royal palace. He spent his life as a commoner. He was finally murdered by the Chinese who tried to reinstate a Dalai Lama of their choice. The story is full of intrigue and I need to find more from someone knowledgeable.

     This monastery that I have painted above was constructed a short distance from his place of birth. This just shows a section of the monastery. The corniferous trees and forests of the hillside make this a sight to behold.  Hope I have been able to capture the essence of the atmosphere.

Somewhere near Tawang

     Tawang is a quaint town in the north eastern state of Arunachal Pradesh, at an elevation of about 10000 feet. The monsoons are really fierce in this region. Ask any helicopter pilot and he will endorse my view. Flying becomes really tricky in this season. But this is also the season when this region looks mesmerisingly beautiful. This is an attempt to paint a small village in the area with thunder clouds overhead ready to pour. Hope I have done justice.

Sailing away

     Work pressures and odd timings have kept me away from this blog and also from colours. Found an innovative way to continue painting on the move. My I pad came to my rescue. Am trying my hand at digital painting. It does not have the same feel as actual colours but then it is an option. One of my attempts is here for you all to see. Hope you like it. Do feel free to give a feedback. Thanks.

Undavalli Caves @ Vijaywada

     These are beautiful monolithic caves located about 10 km from Vijaywada city in Andhra Pradesh. These were carved out of solid sand stone in the 4th to 5th century AD. It is an impressive four storey structure. Changes seem to have been made in the original structure over the centuries. Originally it appears to have been a Jain temple. Then it was used by Buddhist monks as a rest house. Later on when Buddhism disappeared from these parts it was converted to a Hindu temple. It houses a huge five metre reclining statue of lord Vishnu made of solid granite. The shrine is surrounded by greenery on all sides and numerous specimens of rock cut architecture can be found all around.

     It was a sunday well spent for me. Could not complete the painting at the location and had to finish it from pictures clicked there. Hope you all like it.