Mithun Kundu's Blog: April 2011

Friday, April 29, 2011

Merry go round @ night

Merry go round @ night, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

This shot was taken from our hotel room @ Murdeswar beach North Karnataka, India.
We were extremely lucky to have experienced a beach side fair.And a merry go round @ night with dark background. The atmosphere was amazing.

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Kalyana Mandapa coloser view- Vijay Vittal Temple

Kalyana Mandapa coloser view- Vijay Vittal Temple, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

Kalyana Mandapa - Vijay Vittal Temple

Royal Marriage & Ceremony used to happen here.

Gorgeous architecture.

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Musical Fountain at Tungavadra Dam

Musical Fountain at Tungavadra Dam, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

Musical Fountain at Tungavadra Dam

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Wheels of Stone chariot at Vijay Vittala Temple

Wheels of Stone chariot at Vijay Vittala Temple, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

In the front of the temple is the famous stone chariot or ratha. This is itself a miniature temple, carved out of a single rock, to resemble the temple chariots or rathas in which temple idols are traditionally taken out in procession.

Sunday, April 24, 2011

Lotus Mahal

Lotus Mahal, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

Lotus Mahal

A palace for the queen that has, among other things, pipes with running water. A construction of the later Vijayanagara period, this structure shows Islamic influence in its arched gateways and vaulted ceilings; its construction entirely in stone is a clear deviation from conventional Vijayanagara palace and house construction that used wooden structures on stone platforms.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Lakshmi Narasimha

Lakshmi Narasimha, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

Lakshmi Narasimha

Also to the south of Hampi is this massive rock cut idol of Narasimha, the fierce aspect of Vishnu, 6.7 m high. Originally the idol bore a smaller image of Lakshmi on one knee; this had fallen off, probably due to vandalism. The Lakshmi statue is now in the museum at Kamalapuram.

Narasimha is depicted seated on the coils of Shesha. Shesha is shown here in a form with seven heads, the heads arching over Narasimha to form a canopy. The statue has recently been restored. The granite strap binding between his knees is a recent addition to stabilise it.

The donation of this work is ascribed to either Krishnadeva Raya, or to a wealthy merchant during his reign.

Friday, April 22, 2011

Kalyana Mandapa - Virupaksha Temple

Kalyana Mandapa - Virupaksha Temple, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

Kalyana Mandapa - Virupaksha Temple
Virupaksha Temple : The magnificent Virupaksha Temple lies at the western end of the famous Hampi Bazaar. On its eastern entrance the temple has a 120 feet high towers. Virupaksha temple houses the shrines of Shiva, Pampa and Bhuvaneswari. Some portions of this temple are older than the Vijayanagar Kingdom, dates back to the 11th or 12th centuries. Close to this temple is the 6.7 m tall monolith statue of Ugra Narasimha. According to a nearby inscription it was hewn from a single boulder in 1528 during the reign of Krishnadeva Raya.

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Rajanigandha

Rajanigandha, originally uploaded by Mithun Kundu.

The tuberose (Polianthes tuberosa) is a perennial plant of the agave family Agavaceae, extracts of which are used as a middle note in perfumery. The common name derives from the Latin tuberosa, meaning swollen or tuberous in reference to its root system. It consists of about 12 species. Polianthes means "many flowers" in Greek language.
The tuberose is a night-blooming plant thought to be native to Mexico along with every other species of Polianthes. The Aztecs called it Omixochitl [oh me' zu che' tl] or bone flower.
It is a prominent plant in Indian culture and mythology. The flowers are used in wedding ceremonies, garlands, decoration and various traditional rituals. Its Hindi name is "Rajnigandha", though it is sometimes mistakenly referred to as "Raat ki Rani" ("Queen of the Night"), which is really Cestrum nocturnum. The name Rajnigandha means "night-fragrant" (rajni=night; gandha=fragrance). In Bengali, it is called "Rajoni-Gandha", meaning "Scent of the Night". In Marathi, it is called "Nishi-Ghanda". In parts of South India, it is known as "Sugandaraja", which translates to "king of fragrance/smell". In Chinese, it is called WanXiangYu 晚香玉, which means "night fragrance". In Indonesia it is called "bunga sedap malam", meaning night fragrant flower. In Tamil Nadu it is called as Sambangi or nilasambangi, in Andhra Pradesh it is called as "Sampangi" and traditionally used in all type of garlanding especially in south Indian marriages. In Cuba it is called "azucena" which is the name given to amaryllis in Mexico.