Devakula Yatra of Gudiya Sambhrama 2023 As part of the Heritage Parampara, a non-profit registered trust's annual programme ; Gudiya Sambhrama - the Bangalore Temple Festival', it was a pleasure to participate in the 'Temple Walk' on the final day of the 10-day programme that involved music, dance, talks and much more. Heritage Parampara has … Continue reading Temples of Bangalore (Basavangudi temples) – the ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Heritage
Vistas of Vidarbha (Part 2): The story and history of Ramtek Garh Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
I have been reading ‘History of Sacred Places’ by Hans Bakker and the chapter on Ramtek (near Nagpur) shows that it was an ancient centre of Vishnu in the 18th century. After the struggle between the Peshwas and the Mughals, the region of Berar or Vidarbha came under the control of the Marathas (Parsoji Bhonsle). … Continue reading Vistas of Vidarbha (Part 2): The story and history of Ramtek Garh Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Temples around Thrissur, Kerala (Gurvayurappan temple, Mammiyur Mahadeva Temple, Vadakkunnathan temple) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
In the five decades (plus!) of my life, I have had the good fortune of getting the darshan of Guruvayurappan many times. As we approach the end of the year, I wanted to write about this wonderful, and powerful temple on this website, as we had the good fortune of travelling earlier this year in … Continue reading Temples around Thrissur, Kerala (Gurvayurappan temple, Mammiyur Mahadeva Temple, Vadakkunnathan temple) ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Temples of Mavinkere and the Hoysala Temples in Malnad Region, Karnataka ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
A 5 am departure from Bangalore and we were on our way to the Hassan District of Karnataka on the National Highway 75. It was seat of the Hoysala Empire which at its peak ruled large parts of south India from Belur as its early capital and Halebidu as its later capital during the period 1000 - 1334 CE. It has … Continue reading Temples of Mavinkere and the Hoysala Temples in Malnad Region, Karnataka ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Temples of Bangalore- Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
The Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple, near the K R Market, Bangalore, brings back a lot of childhood memories of when I would accompany my grandmother during many Vaishnava festivals, especially Vaikuntha Ekadasi. One of the oldest temples of Bangalore, it has a lot of history associated with it. In 1686, the Mughals under Aurangzeb won … Continue reading Temples of Bangalore- Kote Venkataramana Swamy Temple ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 4) Tallapaka – the birth & seat of bhakti ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
From Attirala, our next stop was to Tallapakka, which is the birth place of the great saint and composer Annamacharya, who has written more than 32 thousand kirtanas / hymns on Sri Thirumala Venkateshwara. 6 kilometres, 12 minutes The place was earlier known as Tatipaka, which translates as people who live in huts made from … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna- Day 2 (part 4) Tallapaka – the birth & seat of bhakti ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Satiated after a Andhra thali lunch at the Hotel MGM Grand, Srikalahasti, our next stop was the town of Venkatgiri. This is a town in the Tirupati District of Andhra Pradesh. History of Venkatgiri: Venkatagiri was originally known as Kalimilli till the 17th century and was ruled by Gobburi Palaiyakkarars (or Polygars as the British called … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 2) Venkatgiri Weaves and Venkatgiri Fort ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 1) SriKalahasti Temple & Kalamkari Artists ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
The 'Pearls Across Penna' travellers in the corridor of the SriKalahasteeshwara Temple, Srikalahasti Two groups converged from Chennai and Bangalore at SriKalahasti to what was the beginning of the 'Pearls across Penna' trail. The trail was named after the 'Pennar' River, which is a unique river in itself. It originates at the Nandi Hills, which … Continue reading Pearls Across Penna Trail – Day 1 (part 1) SriKalahasti Temple & Kalamkari Artists ©Sangeeta Venkatesh
Guest Blog: Gangaur – an invocation to Goddess Parvati
Written by: Mrs. Ila Pachauri Editing: Sangeeta Venkatesh (Note from Sojourn with San : On April 4th, 2022, the colourful state of Rajasthan celebrated the festival of Gangaur Teej. On this auspicious day, Goddess Gauri, believed to be the wife of Lord Shiva, is worshipped with great devotion. The day is celebrated to welcome the season … Continue reading Guest Blog: Gangaur – an invocation to Goddess Parvati
Guest Blog: Pithe-Puli; Traditional Bengali Desserts to cherish all year long
Note to Readers: On the eve of Holi, Sojourn with San brings you a 'sweet' compilation from Bengal by Aparna Ghosh. Aparna Ghosh is a brilliant poetess who expresses her feelings largely through Hindi poetry. Her poetry has received accolades and appreciation on various online forums and have been published in popular newspapers and anthologies. … Continue reading Guest Blog: Pithe-Puli; Traditional Bengali Desserts to cherish all year long
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