Srirangapatna

Yesterday's excursion took me to an ancient island fortress town on the banks of the sacred Cauvery river known as Srirangapatna. This little town's origins hail from the 10th century when it was the center of Southern India's political development. There are ruins of old forts built in the 1400s, the backdrop for the bustling activities of this current-day pilgrimage site. The temples that I visited (Ranganathaswamy and Lakshminarasimhaswamy) were very special - but as with all of the Hindu temples we've visited, no cameras were allowed inside. That leaves me with only memories and mental pictures, and that's ok. Putting down the camera and allowing myself to be present and soak up the energy of the people who flock there to pray and gain blessings was pretty wonderful. I'll just have to hope that my memory will serve me well in the years ahead so that hopefully I'll never lose those "mind shots" of the stunning altars, shrines and the accompanying ceremonies. Admittedly, it's been very hard to not have the ability to take photos of some of the most photogenic places we've visited, but am guessing this is the lesson I am here to learn. Be here now.

The town also had a wonderful mosque, where I somehow timed it right and arrived as young boys were assembled for their lessons, and a thriving fresh market, where everything from kohlrabi to cauliflower was on display. Here's a selection of photos from the day.