Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog

The Glory of Hampi

Posted on: February 4th, 2010 in Around Bangalore, Experiences, Travel, Weekend Trips | 52 views

Hampi (Kannada: hampe) is a village in northern Karnataka state, India. Located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, Hampi is the former capital of the Vijayanagara Empire. Predating the city of Vijayanagara, it continues to be an important religious centre, housing the Virupaksha Temple, as well as several other monuments belonging to the old city.

As the village is at the original centre of Vijayanagara, it is sometimes confused with the ruined city itself. The ruins are a UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed as the Group of Monuments at Hampi.

Hampi is identified with the historical Kishkindha, the Vanara (monkey) kingdom which finds mention in the Ramayana. The first historical settlements in Hampi date back to 1 CE.

Hampi formed one of the cores of the capital of the Vijayanagara empire from 1336 to 1565, when it was finally laid siege to by the Deccan Muslim confederacy. Hampi was chosen because of its strategic location, bounded by the torrential Tungabhadra river on one side and surrounded by defensible hills on the other three sides.

The site is significant historically and architecturally. The topography abounds with large stones which have been utilized to make larger than life statues of Hindu deities. A structure of historic importance appears every quarter of a mile.

The Archaeological Survey of India continues to conduct excavations in the area, to discover additional artifacts and temples.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampi

The People

Birds of Winter

Posted on: January 1st, 2010 in Around Bangalore, Travel, Weekend Trips | 102 views

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Location: Ranganathittu» , Karnataka, India.

To know more about Ranganathittu, check out an earlier post, Leg 1: Ranganathittu.

More From Vivek Dhage's Portfolio and Photoblog

A bird sanctuary in Karnataka, India.

Life around Bombay Ducks

Posted on: December 10th, 2009 in Experiences, Travel, Weekend Trips | 193 views

Location: Uttan, off Mumbai, India

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Info on Bombay Ducks here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_duck

A Beach Full of Fish

Posted on: December 10th, 2009 in Experiences, Travel, Weekend Trips | 95 views

Location: Uttan, off Mumbai, India

Life

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Kids

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Bombay Ducks

The Bombay duck or bummalo (Harpadon nehereus, Bengali: bamaloh or loita, Gujarati: bumla, Marathi: bombil) is, despite its name, not a duck but a lizardfish. It is native to the waters between Mumbai (formerly Bombay) and Kutch in the Arabian Sea, and a small number are also found in the Bay of Bengal. Great numbers are also caught in the China Sea. The fish is often dried and salted before it is consumed. After drying, the odour of the fish is extremely powerful, and it is usually transported in air-tight containers.

Despite the rather unpleasant odour of the fish, it is often considered to be a delicacy by connoisseurs of Indian cuisine. If freshly caught, it is sometimes eaten fried in a batter; and in its dried form, it is commonly eaten in a curry. It is also prepared as a pickle. The bones of the fish are soft and easily chewable.

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bombay_duck

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