Hyderabad

As I smell your flavours..

I think of a Persian’s endeavours

He made Golconda his fort

And your glorious destiny he wrote

And I taste your spices

By the river, a city rises

A beautiful charminar

and it's colourful bazar

Then the raitha cools it down

Qutub Shahs, as they were known

Sultans of sword and splendor

Lie in tombs of muted grandeur

A dash of mirchi ka salon

But the siege went on and on

Aurangazeb coveted you

Like a prize long overdue

I savour your morsels and meat

The palaces are indeed a treat

Your Glory under the Nizams

Riches without qualms

After Pathar ka Gosht

Came Baingan ka..british

Qubbani ka meetha

What a treat ah ! 

Telugu Marathi Arabi and Turki

Like Swirling flavors in your Biriyani

People pearls diamonds and art

You're the city of my stomach 

                                  ….and heart !

PK

Kerala backwaters

Watery Dawn

The stillness of watery dawn, rippled only by your boat 

The gliding water snake turns back, only to check you out

The pond heron takes off, as you look startled at what was Hyacinth 

You know it's a feast, as hundreds of Cormorants duck underneath

The toddy trees in stupor, seem to topple over the edge,

As the deft fisherman ties his mundu, and gives his boat a nudge

The hazy monstrous tentacles , are Chinese nets that stretch to horizon 

The red-ball suddenly appears, like a jewel to adorn 

The lilies open up, and birds get chirping

kettuvallams get started, and temples get chanting

As the backwaters wake up, to a beautiful morning 

You can't help but wonder, if you had been dreaming !

Hampi

City of the dead ?

They said it was the city of the dead

Long before the people had fled, the rest bled

The glorious nagar, now lay in ruin

No King to rule, not even a queen, so they said

Not quite I would say, if you opened your heart

There is life to see, in every nook and art

The grounds tremble at the marauding hordes

Temple and sculpture feel their clanging swords

Wines rustle, the beautiful yakshis sigh

Easy to miss, if you carelessly pass by

Yazhis leap off pillars, as stones come to life

With stories of the yore, valour and strife

A thousand heroes,  come alive on a temple relic

Not  far, are temples of Jain and indo-islamic

From the mountain, the beautiful river is a sight to behold

Eons ago, a blue prince sought  people to his fold

Thunder and lighting, so you think

It is but Anjaneya's war cry, to rally his ilk

On these banks the Devi had pined, 

The Lord spurned, Cupid had burned

Eons later another Prince made this his glory

The greatest empire ever, went the story

Portuguese to Persian,  in awe of this Maya

Waxed lyrical of this marvel, by Krishna deva raya.

Praveen Kumar KL

Ajanta

I seek you.. 

As I descend the beautiful waghora I see

What the captain had, much to his glee

Chasing a tiger he had stumbled across

What would have been mankind’s loss

An amphitheater of basalt and green

With caves dotted in between

Monks of the yore had carved and painted

Years on the rock face, they had meditated

Solemnly, I enter your cave

Suddenly, I am in a rave

Pigments black brown and yellow come alive

Fighting the ravages of time, they still thrive

Mythical, religious and floral designs

Reach out to me across timelines

In your stories, I search for meaning

The kernel of truth, always eluding

Dancing girls, and talented musicians

In symphony, with other apparitions

The swooning princess, beautiful maidens

Soulful princes, renounce their affections

Hawk in pursuit, the sacrifice of King Sibi 

So broke his heart, the benevolent Kapi

Sorceror Mara, his demons and desire

Scorched with his sapphires and empire

Elephant amok here, illuding deers there

A peacock somwhere. You, I seek in despair

Alas I see you, simple and sublime

Goosebumps. Cast in a spell I am

Neither symphony, nor the cacophony

heart and breath, in silent harmony

The elegant stance and the inward gaze

I follow your cue, into my minds maze

Lost in that tempestuous deep

Lot of faith, but nowhere to leap

As I surrender, the illusions dissolve

A sea of compassion ready to absolve

That graceful visage, devoid of wrath

A brief lull, and a glimpse of The path

Uncertainly, I had set upon this journey

Glad to have found you

                        … O Lord Padmapani 🙏

PK

Introduction

Sanskriti translates to Culture in English

 Culture:

The arts and other manifestations of human intellectual achievement regarded collectively. Including the ideas, customs, and social behaviour of a particular people or society.

This blog is about my personal discovery of India through its Arts, culture and history. I write these not as an expert, but merely as someone who is curious about this county's fascinating culture. The intention to share here is to evoke an interest in the reader's mind, rather than any scholarly ambition or agenda. The reader is requested to read this in the same spirit, especially when they come across any errors or ideas that they disagree with. 

As I will be writing retrospectively as well as prospectively, I realise that it is not likely to be chronological.... Nevertheless, I do hope that you will enjoy the journey! 

UDAIPUR

Udaipur - 23/5/22 to 26/5/22 - PK with Sans and Sid

Mewar was a Rajputana state of which Chittorgarh was the capital. Chittorgarh had been beseiged many a time, and once when Udai Singh II was rendered homeless, he decided to shift his capital to a place where Udaipur is located now, giving his name to it.

Nestled between the Aravalli hills, it proved to be a safer capital against it's enemies. His successors over generations built multiple places and lakes, making it a beautiful city that it is now.

His son was the famous Rana Pratap Singh who fought the battle of Haldighat (1576) against the forces of Akbar, led by Man Singh, another Rajput from Amber. Though he lost the battle, Pratap Singh remained uncaptured through out his life. His guerrilla tactics were supposed to have inspired Malik Ambar, who was an inspiration for Shivaji. Udaipur did come under the Mughal suzerainty, then became a princely state under the British (1818) and finally joined independent India through an instrument of accession (1947). 

PK