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#Karnatakatrail: Dusk on a Dec evening found me exploring the Bahmani tomb complex at a village called Holkonda, north of Gulbarga. Structures here being swallowed by the vegetation. 
#Karnatakatrail: The fort at Gulbarga, being gradually swallowed by vegetation. Rusting cannons, crumbling walls. A difficult task for the resource-strapped ASI.
#Karnatakatrail: Unlike neighbouring #Bijapur where stepwells, pleasure pavilions have survived, Gulbarga is dotted with tombs, which are literally everywhere. Like ghosts of a forgotten past! This huge structure looms up in a residential area called Santraswadi.
An interesting recent addition to the collection, a book that plunges into the historical linkages of a mammoth epic. The connections are perhaps easier to make as I have visited most of the excavated sites mentioned, esp Kaushambi.
More recent additions, these from the world book fair, in Delhi. A massive 3-volume listing of #hiddenheritage monuments in #Odisha. Amazed that the govt's publications division was giving this set away at a throwaway price.
More from the book fair: the memoirs of Britain's best known WW II commander and a book on personal anecdotes from the war.
A linga surrounded by 108 miniature lingas! Carved on rock on the banks of the Tungabhadra. Those who haven't been to #Hampi have missed the finest Indian heritage site of all. #Karnatakatrail.
#Karnatakatrail: One of the finest heritage sites of the state at Kanaganahalli, near Sannati, #Yadgir. Excavated stupa comparable to Sanchi. Remains frm Mauryan-Late Satavahana period, frm 3rd cen BCE. Grt set of carved columns, cant be photographed though. Under restoration.
#Karnatakatrail: The excavation of the Adhaloka Mahachaitya, over 2 decades, has thrown up over 200 Brahmi inscriptions, depictions of Ashoka & of several Satavahana monarchs, stories frm the Jatakas, of the Buddha and more. Remains show a sculpted circle similar to Sanchi.
#Karnatakatrail: Another fascinating figure from my fav place in #Hampi - the 16th century CE Achyutaraya Temple. 3-headed octopus like figure, the headbands looks distinctly like those of #Inca figures.
Attended an eye-opening talk last week by historian Dr. Vasundhara Kavali-Filliozat with the most interesting input being that 'Vijaynagara' is an incorrect name for the empire. The real name was 'Karnataka Desha'. We have been using an incorrect name all along! #Karnatakatrail
If what Dr. Filliozat and other historians say is indeed correct, it seems we have been calling the empire by a wrong name right through. Also, the capital has been known at diff times as Vijaynagara, Virupakshapuram and also, Hampi. #Karnatakatrail
Inspired by the Persepolis pic, sharing a few 'pillars' seen in India. This set is of the Heliodorus pillar, a stone column in #Vidisha, MP. Could have been part of a Vishnu temple that was once at this site. Indo-Greek, dated to 113 BCE, rediscovered by Cunningham, 1877.
This pillar is a virtual witness of Indian History - bearing inscriptions of Ashoka, Samudragupta and Jahangir. Originally Ashokan, was moved from Kaushambhi to its present day location inside the fort at #Prayagraj to commemorate Jahangir's accession.
#ExploreUP: Kaushambhi is one of India's finest excavated sites. It still retains one Ashokan pillar which stands amidst green fields.
