Ghumakkad Harsh: Women Warriors

Monday, 6 July 2020

Ghumakkad Crosses 200,000 - So What?

Ghumakkad@200,000. So what?

200,000 page views is no big deal.

Internet is full of sites, posts, videos which have millions of views.

So what if Ghumakkad's blog has crossed 200,000 views! It is a miniscule count. Agreed.

Numbers don't matter to us. What gives us joy is our readers' feedback and the fact that Google searches have repeatedly put us on top!

We get a kick when a reader plans a trip to the Andamans after reading our stories of the islands.

We get a high when Google Search selects our story on top! See below three search results two to three years after posting the stories:

We feel excited when readers exchange 'live' messages from places like Bhutan after browsing our stories of the Himalayan Kingdom.

We feel thrilled when readers go to a Tiger Reserve and share their account of first-time-lucky sightings!

We feel humbled when fellow teachers appreciate the use of 'Live' cases (shared by us in the blog) in their MBA classes.

We feel elated when stories like 'Dancing at Eighty' inspire the younger generation of dancers.

We feel blessed when our story of a Covid survivor appeals to 2000+ readers who feel reassured.

We feel great to publish guest stories from teenage readers and senior citizens alike!

A Squirrel Gets A Home by Rohini Tiwari

Fallen but not Forgotten by Trixie Asirvatham

We get a sense of fulfillment when my former-students-turned-entrepreneurs make a mark in their lives!

Proof of the Pudding

Week after week, Kaun Banega Ghumakkad online Contest triggers inquisitiveness and learning about Nature, Wildlife and Travel. Readers wait anxiously once the next Contest date is announced.

Gratitude

We express our gratitude to each one of you. We wouldn't have travelled this far without you.

The first 100,000 views of our blog took five years. Whereas the next 100,000 came in three years. All because of you. Take a look at our growth and other statistics below:

For those readers who are new to our blog, you can browse to see the spectrum of our stories in the recent post 'Ghumakkad is Eight'.

We firmly believe in sharing of knowledge and experiences as depicted in the PQ- picturesque quote below.

Once again, a big thank you to each one of you!

Stay connected, stay safe and stay healthy.

- Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 6th July 2020

#ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #200000pageviews #bloggers #travelblog #wildlifeblog #natureblog #picturesquequotes #pq #blogreaders #thrillofsharing #gratitude #joyofsharing #knowledgesharing

Thursday, 27 July 2017

Women Warriors of Hampi

Women Empowerment is a fashionable word with sociologists, business leaders, economists, politicians, governments, United Nations and the like. But the Vijayanagara Empire in India knew how to empower their women 500 years ago. Yes, Hampi has proof of it. This story captures the theme 'Women Warriors' through pictures.

Those who came in late and have not yet browsed our earlier stories on Hampi a World Heritage Site, here are the quick links:

Hyderabad to Hampi- Where Ghumakkad got lost in time
Vitthala Temple and Royal Chariot
Hiking in Hampi
Confusion at Hampi- Ugra or Lakshmi Narasimha
Coracles not for the weak hearted
The Lotus Mahal
Charm of a Sunset at Hampi

A tourist guide map of Hampi coutesy www.hampi.in for those who haven't yet been there:

Besides portraying the women warriors, Ghumakkad also takes you to the following 15th century monuments in Hampi:

Queen's Bath
Royal Enclosure including a video clip
Mahanavami Dibba
Cabinet Room
Pushkarni
Public Bath including a short video
Troops Barracks
Queen's Dance Hall

Let the pictures do the talking.

The menace of defacing historical monuments, public places, escalators and even tree barks persists across the globe. But in India, they take their time to scratch and dig their names into walls like in Hampi. As if the defacers will become immortal!

These pictures were taken in Feb-17 when four of us visited Hampi.

Royal Enclosure

Credit goes to Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) for making the whole Hampi site 'disabled-friendly'. See the braille signage below and a ramp for wheel-chair bound tourists few pictures later.

Mahanavami Dibba- Ceremonial Platform for the King

See the sheer size of the royal platform! A man on top of the platform dwarfs in comparion.

Here is a short 20-second video showing the carvings. Granite unlike sandstone and marble, is not easy to carve!

A woman warrior riding a battle horse! More sculptures of women warriors to come.

Pushkarni- Step well and water reservoir for inmates of royal enclosure

Public Bath

Feel the size of this 500-year old swimming pool with diving boards too, in this short 20-seconds video. Please ignore the howling wind in the background.