A few more winter photos from Kashmir. Continue reading
Tag Archives: contemporary india
Downtown Ajmer and Pushkar
The present urban fabric of many cities and towns in India have their roots in the late 19th c and early 20th c, especially the “old town”/”old city” parts of town. Individual structures in these places may be older, but as functional urban entities, this is usually how old the urban landscape is. I’ve become really interested in these parts of town, and while visiting Ajmer recently sought it’s “downtown” out. Pushkar as a whole seems to be from that era. Continue reading
Khatu
Khatu is the location of one of the four mosques I had discussed in my Four Ghurid Mosques post. The mosque is of significant historical importance, but the rest of the town is pretty intriguing as well. For me, Khatu is an example of the hundreds of small towns across India that have enough going in terms of architectural and urban history to warrant interest by conservators (and even tourists). Unfortunately the town lies in the middle of nowhere both literally and figuratively. Continue reading
Srinagar’s Mosques and Shrines
Most of Srinagar’s most famous shrines and mosques lie within or close to the old city. The architecture of these monuments is unique, mostly constructed of wood and brick/stone masonry, with multi-levelled sloping roofs and tall spires reminiscent of Hindu and Buddhist religious structures from the western and central Himalayas. They have elaborately and beautifully ornate polychromatic interiors finished with wood and papier-mache. Continue reading
Walking Through Downtown Srinagar
I visited Srinagar in May/June and walked around the old part of the city. This is where most of the famous shrines and mosques of Srinagar are located, but from what I saw on the day I was there (in the middle of tourist season), it’s not much visited by outsiders. This post though focuses on the houses and streetscapes of the old city. Continue reading
Jageshwar
I had visited Jageshwar around 10 years ago for a short while on the way to Pataal-Bhuvaneshwar, and always wanted to get back there because I remembered the setting and temples to be beautiful. The main Jageshwar temple complex consists of a collection of large temples and smaller shrines all in close proximity, and it’s really nice to walk and sit around the temples. Continue reading
Chamba, Bharmour and Chhatrari
I had heard a lot over the years about the temples at Chamba and Bharmour in their mountainous Himalayan settings, so went in May to see them for myself … Continue reading
