in Kathmandu
Yeah, I am so lame. I haven't blogged in nearly a month. But I have been playing Tour Guide to a number of friends tripping through the Du. Literally every time you go to an historic site, you see some new detail. Here are a few I've noticed this past month:
At the entrance to Mhyepi Ajima Buddhist temple. Just an archetypal female figure seated in something like Padmasana, and a bell to call her with. I like the way it's so worn down with centuries that nothing remains but the basic shape. 
The torana (carved archway) of Sweto Kali or NarDevi temple, in the heart of Old Kathmandu. If you want to find her, the neighborhood is actually named after her (NarDevi). The white stuff on her mouth is milk-sweets (people "feed" her). Inside the temple are three more Devis. The torana is just a sort of "signboard" heralding the gods that live inside.
An unusually sensual statue of Sri Vishnu, Hindu god of preservation. He obviously seems "glad to see you." My friend Sean in California observed, "instead of sporting a Woody, he's sporting a Stoney."
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7 comments:
I think this is probably the only statue of Vishnu "standing" in a sensual state anywhere in India or Nepal. Do you know of any other?
Thanks Vinod. Nope, never seen another so explicit!
hey, good to see ya back, SS! love the Kali image...I just had a half-sleeve tattoo done on my left arm...vines, flowers, and Kali's eyes peeking thru....love it!
Your blog is awesome... I dont know any Indian with more cultural perception than u..keep posting
@Ravi: Wow, thanks so much. Mercury is retrograde, my laptop has crashed and my camera has disappeared...in short it hasn't been a good Navratri so your comment means a lot. Shubh Kamana.
Would love to links to other quality blogs written about India in English (all subjects: news, politics, art, culture.)
For a research project, international news organization based in USA.
Thanks!
@Carol Lieb: There are a few in my sidebar...otherwise, you can hire me for very cheap (Indian rates). ;-)
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