Lord Ganesha

Of all the Hindu deities Ganesha must be one of the most recognisable ones. He is widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences, and the deva of intellect and wisdom. Newly he is typically shown with his forward right hand towards the viewer in a gesture of protection or fearlessness; the forward left hand holding a delicacy, while the back hands hold an axe (or sometimes a goad) and a pasha (noose). Thank you Abhay for this colourful card :)

This is a post for Sunday Stamps - letter J. I was browsing trough my scans for joint issues, and came across this stamp on the right presenting Jarabe Tapatio. In joint issues there are representations of one topic by two different countries, and this way you get to see some sombreros and china poblanas alongside some more typical Indian issues. Jarabe Tapatio is internationally known as the Mexican Hat Dance; it represents the courtship between a man and a woman, with the woman first rejecting the advances, then eventually accepting them. A video of the dance would be nice to see wouldn't it...I'll have a search. And you can see more J-entries on Sunday Stamps here.

Inside The Mysore Palace, India

Checking my FB just minutes ago I came across a similar picture and thought - hey, I have a postcard from there! And jumped over here immediately to post it :) Many thanks to Prashanth for the swap.

Ambavilas Palace, otherwise known as the Mysore Palace, is a historical palace and a royal residence at Mysore in the southern Karnataka state of India. It is the official residence of the Wadiyar dynasty and the seat of the Kingdom of Mysore. The last palace, now known as the Old Palace or the Wooden Palace, was burnt into ashes during the 1896 Dasara festivities. Maharaja Krishnaraja Wodeyar IV commissioned the British architect Lord Henry Irwin to build a new palace. The initial part was completed in 1912, and it was expanded in 1940.

The architectural style of domes of the palace is commonly described as Indo-Saracenic, with blends of the Hindu, Mughal, Rajput, and Gothic styles. It is a three-story stone structure with marble domes, and has a 145-foot five-story tower. The palace is surrounded by a large garden. 

Ladakh Woman

A different postcard from India...from the very north where Ladakh ('land of high passes') extends from the Kuen Lun mountain range to the main Great Himalayas to the south, inhabited by people of Indo-Aryan and Tibetan descent. It is one of the most sparsely populated regions in Jammu and Kashmir and its culture and history are closely related to that of Tibet. 

A woman spinning wool, thanks a lot Piyali :)

UNESCO - Rock Shelters Of Bhimbetka, India

Now to some ancient humans...And first signs of their artistic expressions. The Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka are in the foothills of the Vindhyan Mountains on the southern edge of the central Indian plateau. Within massive sandstone outcrops, above comparatively dense forest, are five clusters of natural rock shelters, displaying paintings that appear to date from the Mesolithic Period right through to the historical period. The cultural traditions of the inhabitants of the twenty-one villages adjacent to the site bear a strong resemblance to those represented in the rock paintings.

Many thanks to Raghavendra :)

Dal Lake, Kashmir, India

Over 15km around, Dal Lake is Srinagar's jewel, a vast, mirror-flat sheet of water reflecting the carved wooden balconies of the houseboats and the misty peaks of the Pir Panjal mountains. Flotillas of gaily painted shikaras (gondola-like taxi boats) skiff around the lake, transporting goods to market, children to school and travellers from houseboat to shore.

Picturesque indeed, thank you Swati :)

 

UNESCO - Agra Fort, India

Near the gardens of the Taj Mahal stands the important 16th-century Mughal monument known as the Red Fort of Agra. This powerful fortress of red sandstone encompasses, within its 2.5-km-long enclosure walls, the imperial city of the Mughal rulers. Thank you Sanjay for this impressive view. I am esp happy to get Unesco from India that is not from the official series.

UNESCO - Qutb Minar And Its Monuments In Delhi, India

Built in the early 13th century a few kilometres south of Delhi, the red sandstone tower of Qutb Minar is 72.5 m high - surrounded by funerary buildings, notably the magnificent Alai-Darwaza Gate, the masterpiece of Indo-Muslim art (built in 1311), and two mosques.

Looks magnificent in the sunset colours, thank you Sita - and for lovely stamps! :)

 

Dancer At Chennakesava Temple, India

 

This beautiful intricate sculpture of a dancer is situated in Chennakesava Temple , which is part of a complex waiting on the Unesco's tentative list. Thank you very much Smitha :)

UNESCO - Taj Mahal, India

An immense mausoleum of white marble, built in Agra between 1631 and 1648 by order of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in memory of his favourite wife, the Taj Mahal is the jewel of Muslim art in India and one of the universally admired masterpieces of the world's heritage.

Many thanks to Olga and hootnoodle for sending these postcards from their travels :)

UNESCO - Mountain Railways of India

Originally it was only  the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway that was inscribed as an Unesco site (1999), but in 2005  the Nilgiri Mountain Railway was added as an extension. The 'Nilagiri Passenger' train (photo) covers a distance of 41.8 km and travels through 208 curves, 16 tunnels and 250 bridges from Mettupalayam to Ooty station.

Thank you Nagi for offering this card in the Unesco tag, and using a variety of stamps -  I esp like the one with Devika Rani, the star of the early Indian movies :))

Asiatic Wild Ass, India

Ahh aren't they beauties..?! Asiatic Wild Ass or onager (Equus hemionus) is native to the deserts of Syria, Iran, Pakistan, India, Israel and Tibet; and like with many other large grazing animals, the onager's range has contracted greatly under the pressures of hunting/poaching and habitat loss. Of the five subspecies, one is extinct and at least two are endangered.

Onagers are a little larger than donkeys and are a little more horse-like but are short-legged compared to horses, and their coloring varies depending on the season. They are generally reddish-brown in color during the summer, becoming yellowish-brown in the winter months. They are notoriously untameable.

This photo was taken in Rann of Kutch, a salt marsh located in western tip of Gujarat, north-western Indian state. The Rann of Kutch Wildlife Sanctuary is one of the amazing sites of India still on the Unesco's tentative list. Many many thanks to Sita for this truly special card! :))

Elephant Festival, India

Elephant Festival is a festival celebrated in Jaipur city in Rajasthan state in India.  It is held on the day of Holi festival, usually in the month of March.The festival features Elephant polo and Elephant Dance. The owners proudly embellish their elephants with vibrant colors, jhools (saddle cloth) and heavy jewellery.

It sounds like an event definately worth seeing! Thank you dear Sita for completing this card with an elephant stamp :))

Bathing Ghats In Varanasi, India

Varanasi or Banaras is a city in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh, regarded as a holy city by Hindus, Buddhists and Jains. There are nearly 100 ghats i.e. steps that lead to the holy river, where Hindus perform bathing rituals believing that the Ganges remits sins.

Amazing sight, thank you once again Nagi :)

Oh and how amazing is the stamp?! It depicts Rath Yatra, an annual Hindu car festival held in Puri, Orissa state.

UNESCO - Group Of Monuments At Mahabalipuram, India

Mahabalipuram was a 7th century port city of the Pallava Dynasty, situated in the southeastern Indian state of Tamil Nadu. Various historic monuments at the site are mostly rock-cut and monolithic and show the early stages of the Dravidian architecture. This picture shows a giant open-air relief called Descent of the Ganges, which measures 29 meters in length and is 13 m high.

Simply beautiful. Thank you again Anaita :)

Mother Teresa In Kolkata

"By blood, I am Albanian.  By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world. As to my heart, I belong entirely to the Heart of Jesus."

Another great portrait postcard - I think we all know about Mother Teresa and her great impact on millions of lives. I have received wonderful cards through a swap with Anaita - many thanks!

UNESCO - Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, Mumbai, India

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly known as Victoria Terminus) is a historic railway station and also headquarters of the Central Railways in Mumbai, built in 1887 to commemorate the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria. The name was changed in 1996 to commemorate the great Maratha king.

In recent history the station was widely seen on the big screen, in 2008 hit Slumdog Millionaire. Sadly, in the same year we could see it on the small screen as well, in the news about bomb attacks killing 58 and injuring 108 people...

Thank you Nagi for another swap and new stamps from India :)))

UNESCO - Hampi, India

Hampi is a village located within the ruins of Vijayanagara, once a capital of a powerful empire (14th-17th century). Situated in the Karnataka state, it continues to be an important religious centre.

I've been lucky lately to arrange private swaps with great swappers from India, who help me with the long list of (missing) Unesco sites. Thank you Nagi :)

UNESCO - Elephanta Caves, India

Just how many amazing sights are there in this world..?! Elephanta Caves are a network of sculptured caves situated on Elephanta Island in Mumbai Harbour - they are dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva and date from the 5th-8th century period. This sculpture presents Shiva as Nataraja, a Cosmic dancer.

My first private swap with Sita - thank you so much! xD

Benaulim Beach / Sadhu, India

I expected two cards for this swap and got three! And I love all three of them equally :) I will show the famous Taj mahal in another post...but here are a few different aspects of India and its culture: Benaulim Beach is one of the many gorgeous beaches in South Goa district (envious!); in Hinduism Sādhu is an ascetic wandering monk whose goal is to achieve moksha - liberation. Here they give their blessings with open hands :)

I was so happy with this swap, and to hear that you had such a good time in India - thank you Olga! :))

Ganesh Pol, Jaipur, India

Ganesh Pol, an intricately carved ceremonial gate in the Amber Fort

built around 1640

Amber Fort, situated in Amer 11 km from Jaipur, is one of the main tourist attractions in the area. It was built in 1592 during the reign of the general of Akbar's Army Raja Man Singh, using red sandstone and marble. The fort is situated on a forested hill overlooking the Maota Lake, and consists of four sections, each with its own gate and courtyard. Amber Fort is one of the seven hill forts in India inscribed in unesco's tentative list, under Hill Forts Of Rajasthan :)

Look it up, the place looks utterly amazing!

Thank you newa for sending such a lovely card from your holiday :)