Taken at Hampi in March of 2014.
This banyan tree at Hampi had hundreds of sachets tied to its falling roots. The tree is considered sacred and people put prayers in the sacks with small symbolic objects in hopes of seeing their wishes granted.
Taken in March of 2014 in Hampi
Taken in July of 2014 in South Karnataka
Kalari Margam by Ranjan Mullaratt
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This is one of the few books on the Indian martial art of Kalaripayattu–particularly written in English. [There are English and Kannada editions–Kannada being the language spoken in Karnataka, the state where the book was produced.]Kalaripayattu is believed to be one of the world’s oldest martial arts and many believe it to be an ancestor to many popular Asian martial arts.
This will be a quick review because this is a pictorial book–i.e. like a coffee table book. While there is text throughout, the book primarily seeks to convey the feel of the martial art through photographs. In that regard the book succeeds tremendously. The photos, often full-page format, are vivid, engaging, and bring Kalaripayattu to life. The photographer, Arabind Govind, did an excellent job, as did all of the practitioners who served as demonstrators for the photos.There is pleasing use of natural lighting for both the photos taken in the kalari and outdoors. The acrobatics are awe-inspiring.
The text is well-written and concise. There were a couple tiny typos that didn’t detract from the meaning in any way. (It’s a first edition and a photo book, so I don’t grade hard there.) The text is most extensive and useful toward the front of the book in the discussions of history, philosophy, and mythos of the art. Throughout most of the rest of the book the text consists of sparse paragraphs used to give a little additional information on the weapons and techniques–including the massage style.
The book starts with background, then it delves into the physical exercises that are used to build fitness, then the unarmed fighting approach, followed by the arsenal of weapons employed in the art, and it concludes with a discussion of vital point massage.
I’d recommend this book for students of the martial arts who are interested in Indian martial arts, or who are just interested in martial arts generally.
I will say that the book may be difficult to get one’s hands outside of Bangalore because it is self-published by the Kalaripayattu Training and Research Center. I will, therefore, give their address: Kalari Gurukulam, 102 Maple Meadows, Chikkagubbi, Bangalore, India 562149.
Their website is www.kalarigurukulam.com
Taken in November of 2013 at Agra Fort
This photo was taken at Agra Fort, and I believe was in the Jehangiri Mahal.
Taken in November of 2013 at Fatehpur Sikri.
This elaborate lattice is carved out of white marble. It’s part of the Tomb of Salim Chishti, a Sufi saint, and is located on the grounds of the Jama Masjid (Mosque) at Fatehpur Sikri.
Taken in March of 2014 in Munnar
It was a damp and dreary day, but colorful nonetheless.
Taken on October 25, 2014 in CMH Park, Indiranagar, Bangalore
Swami Vivekananda is one of India’s most famous yogis, though he lived only to the age of 39 and died about 112 years ago. Considering his short life, he was quite prolific and wrote a number of important texts on yoga. He was also instrumental in introducing yoga to the Western world. He was the chief disciple of Ramakrishna, and founded the Ramakrishna Maths and Missions. His name and image are ubiquitous throughout India.
Taken October 3, 2014 in Mysore.
I took this at the Dasara Flower and Garden Show in Mysore. The elephants were mostly constructed of peppers.
Taken October 3, 2014 in Mysore
Tiger Riding for Beginners 