Reflections

Maharishi Valmiki, is one of the most revered sage of India. He lived during the time of Lord Rama around 5th century BCE. He was born as Agni Sharma to a Brahmin family. According to the legend, he met sage Narada once and discussed about his duties and dharma in life. Moved by Narada's discourse, he did penance for several years and chanted the word 'Mara' which overtime became 'Rama.' As he continued his penance, huge ant hill formed around him and became known as Valmiki, which means Ant-Hill. He learned the scriptures from Narada and became an ascetic. Their is a story how he composed his first verse in sanskrit, he was going to river ganges for daily ablutions, when he came across a stream of water. Impressed by the clarity of the water just like the mind of good man, he decided to bathe there. As he was looking to step into the stream, he saw a crane couple mating. Valmiki was very pleased to see the happy birds. Suddenly an arrow shot the male cra...

On the Independence day eve last year, me & my sister decided to visit this beautiful & unexplored place called Hampi. This place is actually like an open museum ground, where one can spend days & weeks exploring the rich temple architecture of India. Also known as Vijayanagar in olden days, in India. This was supposedly the most richest & affluent village during India's golden age. This small village had two huge Ganesha statues greeting us, just as we entered. However these are not ordinary Ganesha Statues, they are hand carved out of huge monolithic boulders measuring about 8ft. Known as Sasivekalu Ganesha and Kadalekalu Ganesha. Here Lord Ganesha appears like a huge Black Sesame seeds. The story goes that once a merchant from far away land had came to Hampi to sell his Sesame Seeds and was granted permission by the kind hearted king to set up his stall in one of the markets. There, he sold all his goods & became so rich that he wanted to give something ba...

Sharing some Nature Photography in-between Ethnic wear, Temple Jewelry and Blue Pottery product photo shoot today.. Being with nature is such a stress buster. Hasn't it become rare these days that people stop to listen to the birds, feel the breeze, soak the sun and just be... ? Ah! yes the ducks & swans also know how to enjoy on a bright sunny winter afternoon :) " Steeped in mundane we miss the beauty of the Subtle. Time & again lift your eyes to the Ethereal. The world of Gods is just inches away. The challenges we face have a purpose. Events have a message. Confusion turns into Cosmic Infusion. Suddenly everything is meaningful."  - Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Copyright @ Kannu Priya

Having spent most of my childhood in North India in the capital city, Delhi and nearby areas with frequent trips to homeland nested in Himalayas, I never imagined my first trip down south to be so mesmerizing! One of the recent places I visited was Madhurai. The name Madhurai is derived from the Sanskrit word “ Madhur ” which means sweetness. This place is synonymous with Meenakshi Amman temple situated on the banks of River Vaigai.  It has a rich cultural heritage passed on from the great Tamil era more than 2500 years old. It used to be the commercial and cultural centre for the great Pandya kings. According to the legend, the city got its name from the sweetness (Madhur) of nectar that was showered by the Hindu God Shiva from his matted hair when the city was built around this temple. The architecture of this city was built in accordance to the “Shilpa Shastras”, which are ancient texts about urban planning. The city architecture is built in the shape of lotus flower...