The Kailasha temple at Ellora is perhaps the most enigmatic of Hindu temples in the land of India. Although it has the general form of a structural temple it has not been build, but cut in its entirety from the … Continued
The third part in the series of Jacob Haafner’s rendering of the battle at Perambani, also know as Pollilur. Haafner had a deep resentment of the British about how they treated the Indian people. And thought of Tippoo Sultan as … Continued
In this second part of Jacob Haafner’s report on the Battle of Perambani (better known as Pollilur) he describes the use of rockets by the Indian forces. The English eventually captured the technology of the Mysore iron rockets when they … Continued
Once upon a time a young Deekshithar boy in India looked deep and dreamed far, endowed with a need to know why and to understand the nature of the world around him. His life became a QUEST. Being born into … Continued
Here I continue my translation of the works of Jacob Haafner, who lived and worked on the Coromandel in the latter part of the 18th century. Haafner was a great lover of India and its people and had a deep … Continued
In a previous blog I wrote about the differences between dance, karana and tandava. I took up the subject because a good friend, Shashi Kolar, raised this question in a Facebook discussion. Dance has been a lifelong passion for me. … Continued
This blog is a reaction to the post of the Shiva Gangavatarana Tandava a while back. And to Shashi Kolar’s question about the relationship between tandava and karana[1]. The Representation of Dance in Indian Temples Now a bit over … Continued
Jacob Haafner’s deep interest and love for the Indian civilisation is expressed through his travelogues. Especially by his description of the ruins of Mahabalipuram, or Mavelievarom, as he called it in his day. Here he muses about the fate of … Continued
Today July 1st 2016 in the early morning the flaghoisting ceremony for the Ani Thirumanjanam Festival was performed in the Chidambaram Nataraja temple in Chidambaram. The first ceremony of every temple festival is the raising of Shiva’s banner in the … Continued
“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