architecture – VAGABOND IMAGES

Open House Jerusalem – A lifetime opportunity to view unseen architectural and artistic treasures

Upendra SwamiOctober 17, 20191110 Views2

This one is for connoisseurs of art and some aficionados of interesting architectures at one of the holiest cities in the Israel. Some of Jerusalem’s most fascinating architectural treasures will open their doors to the public for the Annual Open House Jerusalem festival, which takes place this year from October 31 - November 2, 2019. As part of the international Open House festival, one weekend a year Jerusalem offers a once in a lifetime access to unseen artistic treasures and private spaces, including designer lofts, urban villas, unique synagogues, architecturally significant public buildings, curious construction sites, plazas and gardens. During the event weekend, the public can visit, explore and attend lectures about these sites. Edmond and Lily Safra Center for Brain Scienc...

IndiaPhotogallery

Hampi in Monsoon : Images from Hemakuta Hills

Upendra SwamiJuly 23, 20172400 Views6

We are in UNESCO World heritage site of Hampi in Karnataka and have already went through the Virupaksha temple which is considered to be the most sacred of Hampi's all temples. Right to the north of Virupaksha temple in Hampi is a big rock face which is known as Hemakuta Hill. It is not a big hill per say, but it is located very strategically. You can have a grand view of the Virupaksha temple and the Hampi Bazar from the top of the hill. There are ruins scattered all around. Also read: Hampi in Monsoon - Virupaksha Temple It is aptly also called as a canvas of rocks. And its actually a very amazing sight of the temple ruins around and the very strange rock formations. This rock hill has small temples, gateways and pavilions scattered all around. There are also remains of a forti

IndiaPhotogallery

Hampi in Monsoon : Virupaksha Temple

Upendra SwamiJuly 22, 20174646 Views8

Hampi is indeed one of the most prominent heritage sites in peninsular India. In our childhood, we all had been deeply associated with stories of Raja Krishna Dev Raya (Krishnadevaraya) and Tenali Raman (Ramkrishna). It is always fascinating to be there where all those immortal stories of Vijayanagara empire would have taken place. Hampi is also a place which can be included in our monsoon travel itineraries. Having there been in monsoon, I can safely say that it is one of he best time to visit Hampi. Summers are indeed a torture here and winter would be fun but it is the monsoon which brings the best out of this historical place in Hemakuta hills of Karnataka. So here are few images from monsoon travel in Hampi, starting with the Virupaksha temple. Few striking ones to begin with- view...

IndiaPhotogallery

A Octopussy fame to an architectural marvel!

Upendra SwamiMay 19, 20171892 Views10

I have been to this temple number of times since childhood, but never got to photograph it as extensively as I did recently. It is indeed one of the landmarks of the old city of Udaipur. Jagdish Temple rises high on the middle of a square, which is the main junction leading to Udaipur’s city palace. On this square road on two sides go downhill, while another two go uphill. So, it would have been a hillock on the banks of the lake, when this city would have been established centuries ago. Well even this temple is a few centuries old, 365 years precisely. It is temple of Lord Krishna in Jagannath form. Built in 1652 by Rana Jagat Singh of Mewar, this temple rises 125 feet from the road through steep stairs. These stairs might be having almost a gradient of something between 50 to 60 degre

IndiaPhotogallery

Obscured by an architectural wonder!

Upendra SwamiMay 11, 20173766 Views9

How often will we visit a landmark destination and return satisfied, without even knowing whether there was anything else, that we missed in the aura of that wonder! There are many hidden architectural gems in India. How often would have we noticed the shark difference between number of visitors to Taj Mahal and then to Tomb of I'timad-Ud-Daulah in Agra!! Well, this is not about Agra, but about something down west in Rajasthan, close to Udaipur. You would have heard about famous Jain Temples at Ranakpur. (Read: Going to Udaipur! Don't miss on these 10 things) This temple I am talking about, is right adjacent to Ranakpur temples and actually in the same complex. But as it happens, not even one percent of the tourists going to Ranakpur visit this quite smaller temple. Ranakpur ...

InternationalPhotogallery

Daughter breastfeeds prisoned father and gets immortalised!

Upendra SwamiJune 12, 20168204 Views8

This is the Memmelocke Statue at Botermarkt 17 in Ghent, Belgium. A classical sculpture on the top of a building which was once the entrance to the city prison and also the wardens house. This building is located between the Belfry and the Lakenhelle. In the crypt of the Lakenhelle the city jail was housed for almost 150 years from 1742 to 1902. This sculpture depicts a scene from a Roman legend that tells how a prisoner was condemned to death by starvation and thirst. The man was thrown into a dungeon by the Roman prefect in Ghent. Only his daughter was allowed to visit her. But she was not allowed to take any food or drink to her father. Daughter was an adult. The father remained alive still after six months. Apparently the daughter had just become a mother. In attempt to save her...