Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Thirumalai Nayak Palace was built in the year 1636 by king Thirumalai Nayak, designed by an Italian architect. The courtyard in this palace is 3900 sq meters and is surrounded by massive pillars. The courtyard was mainly used for daily dance and music programmes. Continue reading
A Vishnu-Lakshmi sandstone sculpture, one of three stolen from India, is seen during a repatriation ceremony of the artefacts at the Indian consulate in New York on Tuesday. Photo: Narayan Lakshman
For those contributors to Raxa Collective based in India, but of USA citizenship, it is no stretch to say that Indians in India have treated Americans in India with the same friendliness as ever, and then some, in spite of a recent diplomatic spat between the two countries (if you were not aware of it, don’t bother, as the storm appears to be passing). Ladies and gentlemen of India, we salute you. Now, news of gentlemanly behavior on the part of authorities in the USA, with uncanny timing as it comes on the heels of that diplomatic problem. The return of these antiquities is a seriously good thing on its own, but we would be happy to think that cultural heritage plays a role in improving relations between two countries:
The U.S. handover to India this week, of idols worth more than $1.5m stolen from temples in Rajasthan, and Bihar or West Bengal, marked what seemed to be a gradual thaw in bilateral frost following a month-long diplomatic crisis.
In a repatriation ceremony at the New York Consulate of India, where the diplomat at the centre of the crisis, Devyani Khobragade, used to work, the U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement (ICE)’s Homeland Security Investigations (HIS) on Tuesday returned two sandstone sculptures of “Vishnu and Lakshmi,” respectively weighing 159 and 272 kg. Continue reading
Photo Credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Sri Krishna Temple of Ambalappuzha is situated about 12 km south of Alleppey. Dedicated to Lord Sri Krishna, the temple architecture is a mixture of Keralan and Dravidian styles. Continue reading
Sarvani Sadya (Food served by the Royal Family)
Kerala is known for its culture, traditions and festivals. After a gap of 2 years, I had the chance to attend our family festival at Nilambur Kovilakam. Normally people from outside the family are not allowed to enter the temple, since it is my family’s, but this festival, called ‘Nilambur Pattu’, gives a chance for all to attend and seek the blessings of our family God ‘Vettekkorumakan’. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Kerala has a rich mural heritage dating back to the 7th and 8th century. These early wall paintings were characterized by their elaborateness, symbolic coloration and ornamentation, and ability to display emotion. The murals were painted using natural dyes extracted from plants. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidngoor
Badami, situated in modern Karnataka, was once the majestic capital of the royal Chalukyas between the 4th and 8th century — now it is a rural town famous for the monuments and remnants that remain. Continue reading
Penguin Books India recently published this book about the Mahatma’s earlier years, which is reviewed here and publisher’s blurb provided below:
Gandhi Before India
In 1893, when Mohandas Gandhi set sail for South Africa, he was a 23-year-old briefless lawyer who had failed to establish himself in India. The two decades that he spent in South Africa were to be the making of the Mahatma. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Sree Padmanabha Swamy Temple is believed to be at least 2,000 years old, and is a Vedic Temple dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It rests in the heart of the city of Trivandrum, Kerala. Treasures with an estimated value of around US $18 billion make it one of the richest temples in the world, if not the richest. Continue reading
Herd of Sambar Deer
Sightings in the Periyar Tiger Reserve can sometimes be a difficult task owing to the rich flora of its landscape, but with the promise of water from the Periyar lake it is habitual for the animals to come near the lake hence giving an opportunity to spot them while they quench their thirst and rest. Here are a few such sighting on the lake shore. Continue reading
Photo credits: MN Shaji
In India there are numerous classical dances and quite a few of them have originated from the state of Kerala. These dances are not only entertainment but rich in history into which mythological stories of centuries ago have been depicted. The artists pay tribute to the brave and the bold, and the battles that shaped our present way of life, culture and heritage. Continue reading
Photo credit: Dileep Narayanan
Theyyam is one of the most popular ritualistic dances of Kerala. Of the variety of performing arts, most have roots in folk tradition and are often related to religious rituals and mythological stories. Theyyam is a devotional performance with surrealistic representations of the divine. Continue reading
Navajo activist Klee Benally chains himself to an excavator on the San Francisco Peaks, which he and 13 tribes consider sacred. Ethan Sing
We are encouraged to see more coverage of these important cultural-ethical issues:
The Paris auction of 27 sacred American-Indian items earlier this month marks just the latest in a series of conflicts between what tribes consider sacred and what western cultures think is fair game in the marketplace. Continue reading
Photo credit: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Ananthapadmanabha Swami Temple is situated in Kasargod district in the midst of a serene natural lake. The temple, rich in murals, is believed to be the original seat of the Sri Ananthapadmanabha Swami Temple in Trivandrum. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
The Ettumanoor Mahadeva temple is one of the most revered temples of Hindu worship in Kerala. Built in the 16th century, the presiding deity is Lord Shiva; it is believed that the Pandavas and the sage Vyasa established this shrine. This traditional Kerala style temple has a conical roof above the main shrine which is copper plated — exquisite wooden carvings of scenes from the Ramayana and Krishna Leela are depicted within. The temple is also rich in mural paintings depicting various Hindu myths and lore. Continue reading
(A man looks at an antique tribal mask, Tumas Crow Mother, circa 1860-1870, revered as a sacred ritual artifact by the Native American Hopi tribe in Arizona, displayed at the Drouot auction house ahead of its sale in Paris December 9, 2013. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann)
Reuters reports today on a remarkable act by a foundation to restore cultural artifacts, at long last, to their rightful place (click the image above to go to the source):
An American foundation bought nearly two dozen Native American artefacts and will return them to the Hopi tribe in Arizona, which had mounted legal challenges to their planned sale by a French auction house. Continue reading
Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor
Palayam Mosque is located in the heart of Trivandrum, the political capital of Kerala. Typical of Kerala’s comfortable blend of religions and cultures, a temple and a church stand in its vicinity. Continue reading
Photo credits: Binu Kumar
Gangaikondacholapuram temple is situated near the city of Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. Dedicated to Lord Shiva, King Rajendra Chozlan built the temple 1020 -29 AD. The main Mandapa is two storied structure and dotted with pillars with exquisite carvings. There are many beautiful sculptures on the walls of the temple and its enclosures. A huge Nandhi (Shiva’s bull) made of brick and mortar presides in front of the main edifice. Continue reading
Artisan at Work
At Cardamom County we’ve been supporting the fine arts in our community and beyond for many years. For the past few seasons we’ve invited a young man from Odisha to showcase his workmanship at the entrance to our restaurant All Spice. His handicrafts are amazingly detailed drawings carved onto palm leaves and then painted. Continue reading
Photo credit: Abhinavmnnit
If you are looking for a wildlife sanctuary with a blend of rich history, Ranthambore National Park is the national park for you! Inside the park, the formidable Ranthambore fort lies overlooking the entire park area. There are three Hindu temples inside the fort dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and Ramlalaji constructed in the 12th century. The fort itself was built in the 10th century and played a critical role in the historical development of Rajastan. Due to its strategic location between north and central India, many rulers coveted and fought over the area. Continue reading
Click the image above to go to the video, and the blog post, highlighting this couple’s approach to the entrepreneurial conservation of heritage, practically in the form of a sacrament:
“I remember when Alice, at Chez Panisse, switched to grass-fed beef. It seemed so crazy at the time,” Chad Robertson, the co-owner of San Francisco’s Tartine Bakery, says between bouts of kneading dough. He stands at a long wooden counter toward the back of the bakery, where bins of various heights populate the shelves and floor. Inside the containers are grains of assorted colors and sizes, waiting to be sprouted or ground into flour and then transformed into hearty loaves. “Now look at grass-fed beef,” Robertson continues. “The price has dropped. It’s in the restaurants, and it’s everywhere. The same seems to be happening with these grains.” Continue reading
Organikos 
