Monday, June 11, 2012

Deep stambh

This is the area leading up to a temple on a small hill called Chaturshringi in Pune.   It's a temple to the goddess '"Chaturshringi".  Quite an old temple that is flourishing now.  This area is lined with shops and eateries for the faithful before and after their visit to the see the temple deity.
The stone post on the left with the many protrusions is old ( possibly sixty to a hundred years old) and used to be lit up with oil lamps.  A small lamp was placed on each of the "holders" during certain religious festivals .  It was carved from basalt, the native stone of the Deccan trap.  Sadly, now it serves as a holder for a modern spot light placed on it and as a general purpose post to tether shops and what nots.
The grotesque Mickey Mouse bounce house is the star attraction.

Marriott






















Came out of the Crossword book store on Senapati Bapat road and looked directly ahead and saw this large crane at the construction site between where I was, and the Marriott.  It was dusk and the rain clouds had come in. In the grey and deep blue gloom the Marriotts neon was the only color in the depressing landscape.  "... and the land is dark and the Marriotts neon is the only light we'll see... stand by me." Sorry Jerry Lieber and Ben E. King.