“The Light of India”
“You are the Light of India” the Rough Tough Big Man called after Raja as we moved down the isle of the supermarket. The Bas supermarket in a suburb of the great port of Rotterdam is an unlikely location for … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s Mahabalipuram, part 6
Jacob Haafner was deeply fascinated by the ancient ruins of Mahabalipuram. He visited often, he tells his readers, while living in Sadras. Here he speculates about it having been the great city of Yudhisthira, the hero of the Mahabharata. Even … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s Mahabalipuram, part 5
Now Mahabalipuram is a famous Unesco Heritage site and tourist destination. The first traveller to write about is extensively was Jacob Haafner, a scribe with the VOC living at Sadras. Herein this blog his description is translated into English for … Continued
The Antiquity of Ellora
This is an excerpt of what is possibly the first ever Western witness about the cave temples at Ellora. This letter dated 1794 from one C.W. Malet to Sir John Shore, President of the Asiatic Society, was published in the … Continued
The Sphinx of India in Pattadakal?
There is still so much mystery surrounding the Sphinx of India and its history and tradition. Originally overlooked in the first centuries of study and research, often almost forgotten by the living intangible heritage preservers, only discovered a few decades … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s Mahabalipuram, part 4
In the 18th century Mahabalipuram was one of the ancient sites for which Jacob Haafner had a lot of respect and enthusiasm. A Dutch VOC employee and traveller he wrote about it in one of his travelogues. Here he describes … Continued
Chidambaram’s Golden Roof
The temple of the Dancing Shiva in Chidambaram is an ancient tirtha of great spiritual power and wonder. Among the many wonders is one that is both exceptional in its spiritual as well as its scientific value. That is the … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s Mahabalipuram, part 3
Mahabalipuram’s seven pagodas were still visible above the waves in the latter half of the 18th century. One of the first travellers to describe them was Jacob Haafner. He often visited its ruins while living in Sadras. He worked as … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s Mahabalipuram, part 2
In the 18th century one of the Westerners who lived on the Coromandel coast of India and wrote about his experiences was Jacob Haafner. He lived in Sadras for some years where he worked as a bookkeeper. Here I bring … Continued
Chidambaram Ani Thirumanjanam Festival 2016
This year the Ani Thirumanjanam Festival (Utsavam) of the Shri Shiva Nataraja Temple of Chidambaram is scheduled to take place in the first eleven days of July. July 1st, Friday, Flaghoisting ceremony in the early morning. The official start of … Continued