Taj Mahal@Dawn

Ever seen Taj Mahal at dawn?

Dawn is not the best time to photograph a monument. The light is dull and therefore it's a challenge for the photographer. But Taj is Taj. It looks glorious in any light condition. That is why Ghumakkad planned to photograph the Taj Mahal in Agra one early morning in March.

The trigger for 'shooting' Taj at dawn came from Suraj Gupta, an ace photographer himself and my former MBA student. Thanks Suraj.

Travelling 1400 kms to synchronise our arrival before sunrise was not easy. Despite our train from Hyderabad being late we were just in time to admire the morning glory of Taj Mahal. Late arrival gave us only 30 minutes to take pictures. Readers may find an overdose of the pictures of Taj Mahal. But once you are there and the sunlight is doing its magic, you cannot help stop your shutter. Apologies to the discerning shutter bugs as all the pictures were taken using a cell phone camera.

Let the pictures do the talking. 

While I was taking all these pictures Neeta had to sit outside the Taj complex because of my fault. On my insistence, she brought  her bag along. The security wouldn't allow her entry with the bag. The cloak room being half a km was ruled out as we were pressed for time. She tried her best to persuade the staff but no joy.

Car drop point being away, we took a rickshaw. Enjoyable ride. 

This photographic trip would not have been possible without Rajesh and Geeta Bhargava at Agra. Special thanks to both of them. For those readers who would like to read the history of Taj, may browse Wikipedia. Suffice it to mention that it was built in 1632 by Mughal Emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. Taj gets close to 10-million visitors every year!

We end with Tagore's famous quote on Taj which says 'Taj Mahal rises above the banks of the river like a solitary tear suspended on the cheek of time.' Here is the PQ- picturesque quote- superimposed on a picture taken from the river bank.

Thanks for browsing. We would love to share any pictures of the Taj in different lighting conditions from our readers- with due credit of course!

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 11th April 2018

#TajMahal #Agra #MarbleBeauty #PhotoWalk #NatGeoIndia 

#LonelyPlanetIndia #IndiaTourism #TajAtDawn #MagicOfDawn

#GhumakkadHarsh #GhumakkadHB

Ranakpur- Marvel in Marble

Ranakpur Temple is a marvel in marble. Built using light coloured marble, it casts different hues during different parts of the day. Pillars, beams, domes, ceilings, walls, elephants, arches-- everything is in marble. A photographer's delight, it is a must for visitors to Udaipur in Rajasthan India.

Fact File

• Located 90 kms north west of Udaipur, 2 hour drive; regular buses and taxis available
• Built in 15th century
• Took 22 years to build
• Women of neighbouring village donated 90 ounces of gold for construction of the temple
• Chief donor: Mr Dharma Shah
• Chief Architect: Mr Deepaka
• Has 1444 pillars, 80 domes, 360 statues of Gods
• Each pillar different from the other
• Also known as 'Chaumukha' temple or four faced temple- one facing each direction East, West, North and South
• Open for public from 12 noon to 5 pm every day
• Entry Free for Indian nationals
• Camera/Cell phone fee: Rs 100
• No leather wallets, belts, bags allowed inside.
• Local priests coming down 18 generations, can guide the visitors if requested
• Audio guide also available
• Veg lunch in Temple prenises at Rs 50/-
• Resorts around Ranakpur for those wanting to stay overnight
• Temple dedicated to Lord Adinath the first Tirthankara

Another tourist attraction nearby is Kumbhalgarh Fort. Ghumakkad's story on Pride of Mewar can be accessed here.

This picture story takes you around Ranakpur Temple as explained by the priest there. Four short video clips are embedded. We were a group of 24 friends from the Navy, called FFA. Click to know 'What is FFA'? 

Enjoy the pictures and videos.

For those readers not familiar with Jainism here is a quick note courtsey Ami Bhat, a travel blogger. Her story 'Five reasons why you should visit Ranakpur' makes interesting reading. In Ami's words, "Jainism is quite similar to Buddhism. It talks of inner peace, non-violence, tolerance and renunciation. The scriptures and teaching of Jainism talk of how the various preachers attained their Nirvana and various stories from their lives. This is what is carved on to the ceilings and sculpted pillars of this Temple."

 Here is what the priest explained about the temple and its history. Short 1:35 minute video for you:

Ranakpur temple had a tunnel as a safe escape route for the idols as well as the woshippers in times of an invasion. Perfect example of a Contingency Plan 600 years ago!The tunnel has since been closed. A short video clip for you.

 The temple has two huge bells which are rung only during the  time of 'Aarti' आरती. Interestingly one bell has been categorised as a male bell and the other female? What basis? Perhaps its size, tone, frequeny emitted etc. Never heard of temple or church bells being classified as male or female! Video clip for you.

The ceiling at the entrance is decorated with akichaka, a bearded man with five bodies representing fire, water, heaven, earth and air. It is an iconic carving of Ranakpur.

The most popular carving in the temple is of the serpent that protected Lord Parshwanath. Legend has it that a snake was trapped under some wooden logs that were piled up for a 'Yagya' यज्ञ by a Sadhu. Taking pity on the snake Parshwanath set him free. Later the same Sadhu wanted to kill the prince (Parshwanath) by drowning him through his powers to usher a storm. The same snake rescued Parshwanath by enveloping him and spreading his protective hood around him. The carving of the story in Ranakpur is so intricate that you cannot find the ends of the snakes. There are 108 heads of snakes in the carving. But no tails! You may try finding the tails in the picture below.

One last bit about Pillars of Ranakpur. There is an unfinished pillar in the temple. Why couldn't it be completed? Because of Rana Kumbha's 'ahankar' अहंकार  meaning uncontrolled ego, arrogance and narcissism combined together. 'Ahankar'  destroys logical reasoning and good governance. Short video clip:

Hope you enjoyed the marvel in marble-- as I prefer to call Ranakpur Temple.

Ghumakkad's next stop is an Island Palace in Pichola Lake. No, not the Lake Palace but another island close by called 'Jagmandir Island Palace'. Owned and managed by the Royal family of Udaipur, it is an exclusive venue for 'destination weddings'. We all spent an evening there. Preview picture for you.

Bye till the next story. Do share your comments/impressions.

Thanks for browsing

     -  Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 12th October 2017

#Ranakpur #JainTemple #Mewar #MarvelInMarble #Adinath #Parshwanath #Rajasthan #TravelIndia #NatGeoIndia #LonelyPlanetIndia #WanderTrails #GhumakkadHB #108Snakes #WanderLust #IncredibleIndia