The old walls: Part 1

A sudden and unplanned trip to Hampi was something that I will cherish forever. It was a desperate attempt to go somewhere with friends and Hampi happened because we couldn't manage any other place due to last moment planning. And trust me, it was worth, Hampi happening to me. Right from my first step to this small place that served as the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire, every part of this place have made me fall in love with it. Each piece of ruin stands for the grandeur and rich culture of the glorious empire that ruled India for more than 3 centuries. A mesmerized me, so overwhelmed with the trip and still admiring what my eyes could behold!

The Stone Chariot inside Vittala Temple campus (Little blurred I know. This is what my phone camera could manage). 

Pencil on paper

Hope to share many more renditions of my wonderful trip to Hampi, soon!

The hill top & a little pencil jamming!

The thought of getting up early in the morning scares me; but then, I decided to give it a try on one fine Sunday and joined an immensely talented group to a trip to the beautiful Nandi Hills in Bangalore. And trust me, it was worth the try. Missing those long hours of sleep on a lazy Sunday and instead, joining a group to a wonderful trip to the hill to capture the breathtaking views of nature in a canvas was not painful at all. Lot of mystery surrounds the name of the hill. Legend has it that Nandi Hills got its name from Yoga Nandeeshwara who had come here for mortification. Yoga Nandeeshwara also has a temple dedicated to him.

Another very popular reason behind the name is the fact that the hill looks like a sleeping Nandi (bull), the vahana (which carries) of Lord Shiva. The place is equally interesting, just like the myriad legends behind its name. And we went there to enjoy nature and do some sketching. Believe it, what spectacular show of Mother Nature it was! The sun and rain playing hide & seek and the lush green meadows dancing with the wind!And those old walls of Nandidurga (fort) built by Tipu Sultan that served him as a summer home during the Ganga period completed the picture...Lovely it was!

Finally, I managed to divert my mind from the surrounding and pay some attention to my artbook...It's blank pages were looking at me for long while my heart was busy cherishing every bit of the view :P

:)

The new painting

Yes, it's been a little late that I am posting and the reason being it took me some time to finish this painting. And then, there is whole lot of other works to do, especially when you stay away from the comfort of your home.

Sometime back, somebody send me a link of his blog that featured some interesting posts about Indian heritage and culture and this is where I first came to know about Shri Yamunaji. It is said that Shri Yamunaji is the Queen consort to Lord Krishna.

After reading the entire story about the origin of Yamunaji and saw the lots of pictures as well, I got so attracted to this interesting character that I finally decided to paint her. Read how interesting is the story behind the origin of one of the greatest rivers, Yamuna. 

And here it is...my rendition.

Hope its a proper justice done. Feel free to write your reviews...

Stay blessed!