The weekend has finally arrived, and that means fun. Time to explore the touristy sites of Pune.
First stop is the
Raja Dinkar Kelkar Museum, home to a wide variety of ancient Indian artifacts. Here are just a few of the displays I thought would be nice to share:
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| Rawr. |
The lion-esque figures in the above photograph are mythical creatures known as Yali. Bestowed with absolute supremacy in the animal kingdom, you will commonly find these standing guard in and around temples in South India. Yali are usually carved upright, with some demonic head under their feet - a symbol of all evil spirits or thoughts entering a holy ground being crushed.
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| A kumkum box. |
What exactly is a kumkum box? Simply, it is a holder for kumkum, A.K.A. kumkuma. By grinding tumeric or saffron into a fine powder (which is subsequently dyed), kumkum is used as religious markings by people throughout India.
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| A cutout used for shadow puppetry. |
Next stop is the
Shaniwar Wada, an 18th-century fort built in the middle of the city by the Maratha Empire. Now, it is a popular tourism site.
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| The most photogenic people I have ever met. |
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| Shaniwar Wada courtyard. |
Our last stop of the day is
Aga Khan Palace, an incredible piece of architecture built in 1892.
Mahatma Gandhi was imprisoned here during the Indian independence movement in 1942. Gandhi's wife, wife Kasturba Gandhi, passed away in the palace in 1944.
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| Overlooking Aga Khan Palace. There were also fish in the fountain. |
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| Feeling fabulous... |
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| ....and then some. |
Next post: Temples and religion!
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