My desired destination today was some place else, but I was unfortunately unable to locate it 
But since I was out anyway, I ended up going to the The Square at Novotel instead. This is of course one coffee shop that every Hyderabad resident has been too, if not for any other reason, then for the fact that being located in a five star, it is open at all times 
I ordered a cup of filter coffee. The coffee is good, and it is served in utensils which reflect how filter coffee is actually had by South Indians (supposedly!) While it is supposed to be poured out into a bowl to help cool the coffee, the coffee was not hot enough to require any such cooling 
I did however come out poorer by 175 bucks!!
April 16, 2011 | Categories: The Coffee Project, Travel | Tags: Beverage, Coffee, Cup, Depth of Field, DOF, Filter Coffee, Food, Hyderabad, Novotel, South India, The coffee project, The Square, Travel, Travel Photography | 2 Comments »
Pattadakal is a small village in Karnataka, India. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, located about 22 kms from Badami. It has a collection of ten temples from the 8th century, built by the Chalukya dynasty.
The temple complex
Galganath Temple
Virupaksha Temple
Intricate carvings
Puja in one of the temples
April 10, 2011 | Categories: History, Travel | Tags: Badami, Carvings, Chalukya, Chalukya dynasty, Galganath, History, Intricate, Karnataka, Monuments, Nandi, Pattadakal, Puja, South India, Temples, Travel, Travel Photography, UNESCO, Virupaksha, World Heritage Site | 1 Comment »
Aihole is a small town , about 50 kms from Badami. The interesting thing about this place is that the village settlement is sprinkled amongst the ruins. Various temples and structures are located behind the villagers’ huts, and it’s easy to find locals sitting in these ancient buildings for a leisurely chat
Villagers in Aihole -
Our local guide, who went by the name of Prabhu. He wasn’t really an official guide, but then he was very eager to show us around
Prabhu and his friend Nagarjuna -
Trying to show us something called “Ulta Pulta” Still can’t figure out what that quite was…
Rock cut caves in Aihole -
Structural temple architecture -
April 8, 2011 | Categories: History, Travel | Tags: 7th century, Aihole, Architecture, Badami, Chalukyas, Children, History, India, Indian, Karnataka, Kids, People, Rock cut caves, Ruins, South India, Temple, Travel, Travel Photography, Village | Leave A Comment »
Met a great set of kids on my recent trip to Badami Though they spoke only Kannad, making any conversation very hard, a helpful Kannad lady willingly translated in which standard was each of them studying A very happy and enthu lot overall
April 6, 2011 | Categories: People, Portraits, Travel | Tags: Boys, Children, Expressions, Happy, India, Indian, Kids, People, Portraits, Smile, Smiling, South India, Travel, Waving | 6 Comments »
Looking at the monuments in Warangal does leave one wondering about the tremendous patience those workers must have had back then to carve out such intricate forms in stone! Here are some examples of what you see in the ruins of Warangal Fort -
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January 17, 2011 | Categories: History, Travel | Tags: 13th century, Andhra Pradesh, Carvings, History, India, Indian, Intricate, South India, Stone work, Travel, Travel Photography, Warangal, Warangal Fort | Leave A Comment »
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April 16, 2010 | Categories: Nature, Travel | Tags: Alleppy, Backwaters, Holiday, India, Island, Kerala, Nature, Nature Photography, Palm Trees, Sonali Mangal, South India, Swing, Travel, Travel Photography, Vacation | 3 Comments »
Mountainside covered with tea plantations
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April 6, 2010 | Categories: Nature, Travel | Tags: Beautiful, Green, Greenery, India, Kerala, Lush, Mountains, Munnar, Nature, Nature Photography, Plants, Scenery, Sonali Mangal, South India, Tea, Tea Plantations, Travel, Travel Photography, Trees | 5 Comments »
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March 19, 2010 | Categories: Nature, Objects, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Boats, Flowing, Forest, India, Indian, Leaves, Nature, Nature Photography, Scenic, Sonali Mangal, South India, Srisailam, Stream, Travel, Travel Photography, Water | Leave A Comment »
Recently I’d gone to Medak (some distance from Hyderabad). Got these inside the kitchen of one of the roadside restaurants there. While taking shots with a DSLR, I had to clarify I wasn’t a reporter
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March 2, 2010 | Categories: People, Travel | Tags: Chapatis, Cooking, Food, India, Indian, Kitchen, Medak, People, Roadside, Roadside Stall, Sonali Mangal, South India, Street Photography, Streetside, Travel, Travel Photography | 2 Comments »
Chilkur Balaji Temple is located on the banks of Osman Sagar Lake, near Hyderabad.
Quoting Wikipedia: “Approximately, 75,000 to a lakh devotees visit the shrine during the week, but on Fridays and Saturdays, the temple gets close the cumulative of a week. Many of whom come to pray to Balaji for visas to travel or move to the US and other Western countries. And its head priest Gopala Krishna is instrumental for the temples popularity as Visa God.
It is also the only temple in India that does not accept any money, does not have a hundi, from the devotees, no green channel or privileges for VVIPs and it fought and won the right to stay out of government control.”
Apparently if you go around the inner shrine 11 times and make a wish, that wish will definitely come true. When it does, you’re supposed to come back to the temple and go around the shrine again, but 108 times now!! As you go in, you can see a big throng of people going round and round the shrine:
Top view
Top view showing a part of the circle people move in
Friends and relatives wait and look on
Taking a break on the sides. Wonder what he's thinking...
Numerous coconut and 'prasad' sellers outside
This corner is designated as a "coconut breaking place"
But you still have notices like these. Notice the reference to God.
February 14, 2010 | Categories: Hyderabad, People, Temples, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Chilkur Balaji Temple, Hyderabad, Indian, Indian culture, Indians, People, Religous, Ritual, Sonali Mangal, South India, Temple. India | 4 Comments »
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February 10, 2010 | Categories: Nature, Travel | Tags: Beach, Holiday, Huts, Ocean, Panoramic, Pondicherry, Scenic, Sea, Sonali Mangal, South India, Sun kissed, Tamil Nadu, Travel, Travel Photography, Vacation, Weekend getaway | 2 Comments »
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December 15, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, B&W, Birds, Black and White, Black and White Photography, Char Minar area, Chowmahalla Palace, Fountain, History, Hyderabad, India, Indian, Nizams, Silhouette, South India, Travel Photography | 2 Comments »
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December 13, 2009 | Categories: Hyderabad, People | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Cooking, Cuisine, Dosa, Food, Hyderabad, Indian Food, South Asian cuisine, South India, South Indian Food, Sreet Food, Street Photography, Travel Photography, Yummy | 4 Comments »
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December 9, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Arch, Architecture, B&W, Black and White, Black and White Photography, Char Minar area, Chowmahalla Palace, History, Hyderabad, India, Indian, Indian Heritage, Nizams, Palace, South India, Travel, Travel Photography | 4 Comments »
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December 8, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Architecture, Chandeliers, Chowmahalla Palace, Details, Doors, Endless, History, Hyderabad, India, Indian, Indian Heritage, Infinity, Luxurious, Nizams, Opulent, South India, Travel, Travel Photography, weekend getaways near hyderabad, Window | 2 Comments »
Quoting Wikipedia: Chowmahalla Palace or Chowmahallat (4 Palaces), was a palace belonging to the Nizams of Hyderabad state. It was the seat of the Asaf Jahi dynasty and was the official residence of the Nizam.
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December 7, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Beautiful, Chandeliers, Char Minar area, Chowmahalla Palace, Crystal, History, Hyderabad, Indian Heritage, Luxury, Nizams, Opulent, Palace, South India, Travel Photography, weekend getaways near hyderabad | 6 Comments »
Posting some last remianing shots of Bhongir Fort…
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Stairway to Heaven ?
Bhongir Fort
November 23, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Ancient, Andhra Pradesh, Bhongir Fort, Big, Blue Sky, Clear Sky, Deccan, History, Igneous, India, Indian Heritage, Old, Path, Rock, Ruins, Skies, South India, Stairway, Travel, Travel Photography | 4 Comments »
Few structures on the way up
View of the plains as you go up
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Finally the fort...with a TV Tower (?) next to it
November 20, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad, Travel | Tags: Ancient, Andhra Pradesh, Bhongir Fort, Blue Sky, Clear Sky, Clouds, Deccan, Fort, History, Hyderabad, India, Indian, Old, Path, Rock, Ruins, Scenic, Skies, Sky, South India, Travel, Travel Photography, View | 3 Comments »
Bhongir Fort is about 70 kms from Hyderabad (from Gachibowli area). It’s pretty much a single structure that’s the remnant of what-was-a-fort, built atop a massive rock. While the fort itself is okay-ish, the climb up the rock to get to the fort is pretty nice.
Here’s what Wikipedia has to say: Bhongir Fort was built on an isolated monolithic rock by the Western Chalukya ruler Tri-bhuvana-malla Vikram-aditya VI and was named after him as Tribhuvanagiri. This name gradually became Bhuvanagiri and subsequently Bhongir. It has a unique egg-shaped construction with two entry points protected by huge rocks, so the fort was considered practically impregnable by invading armies. The Bala Hisar or citadel on the top of the hill gives a bird’s eye view of the neighbouring area. According to legend, there once was an underground corridor connecting Bhongir Fort to Golconda Fort.
As you enter the gate
En route going up the rock
Halfway up
November 17, 2009 | Categories: History, Hyderabad | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Bhongir Fort, Big, Blue Sky, Clear Sky, Deccan, Gigantic, History, Hyderabad, Igneous Rock, India, Indian, Indian Heritage, Kakatiyas, Large, Nature, Old, Path, Rock, Ruins, South India, Stairway, Steps, Summit, Travel, Travel Photography, Way | 4 Comments »
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October 29, 2009 | Categories: Hyderabad, People, Shilparaman | Tags: Andhra Pradesh, Anxiety, Backstage, Children, Culture, Dance, Dancers, Drama, Girls, Hyderabad, Indian, Kuchipudi, Performance, Shilparamam, South India, south indian, Stage, Theatre, Tradition, Waiting | 2 Comments »
Posting some last remaining photographs:
Virupaksha Temple
Virupaksha Temple close-up
Mango Tree restaurant on the bank of Tungabhadra river
Sunset on the rocks
October 15, 2009 | Categories: History | Tags: History, Architecture, sunset, Sky, Travel, India, Dusk, Hampi, Karnataka, World Heritage Site, UNESCO, Vijayanagara, 16th Century, Temples, Indian Heritage, Krishna Deva Raya, Stone Architecture, Temple, Food, Virupaksha Temple, Tungabhadra River, River, Restaurant, Rocks, Evening, Deccan, Deccan rocks, Rocky Terrain, South India | 4 Comments »
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Carvings show women warriors
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Stone slab at Krishna Temple
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October 15, 2009 | Categories: History | Tags: 16th Century, Ancient, Andhra Pradesh, Architecture, Carvings, Hampi, History, India, Indian Heritage, Monuments, Old, South India, south indian, Stone Architecture, Stone Carvings, Temple, Temple carvings, UNESCO, Vijayanagara, World Heritage Site | Leave A Comment »
Hampi is scattererd with half burnt structures – buildings that were destroyed by invaders, leaving only a few traces behind as reminders of the glorious structures that once stood there. Posting some snapshots.
Near Ugra Narasimha
At the underground temple
On the way to zanana
At the zanana
Near underground temple
At Vittala Temple
At Vittala Temple
October 5, 2009 | Categories: History | Tags: 16th Century, Destruction, Hampi, History, India, Indian Heritage, Invasion, Karnataka, Monument, Photography, Photos of Hampi, Ruins, South India, south indian, UNESCO, Vijayanagara, World Heritage Site | 2 Comments »
I have some more pictures of Temples, but I can’t seem to remember the name Even so, posting them here (This may have been Varaha Temple, but I’m just guessing here). Hampi is a wonderful place and I would definitely like to go back there sometime.
Also posting photographs from the Zanana, which housed the women’s quarters (for all the king’s wives and her lady companions)
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Inside Lotus Mahal, Zanana
Elephant Stables
Lotus Mahal
Elephant Stables
October 4, 2009 | Categories: History | Tags: 16th Century, Architecture, Carvings, Elephant Stables, Hampi, History, Indian Heritage, Karnataka, Krishna Deva Raya, Lotus Mahal, Monument, Queen's quarters, Ruins, South India, south indian, Stone Architecture, Temple, UNESCO, Vijayanagara, World Heritage Site, Zanana | 2 Comments »
