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Rayachoti (Annamayya district), Andhra Pradesh):  The Rayachoti Veerabhadra Swamy Temple is one of the oldest and most famous Veerabhadra Swamy temples in Annamayya (earlier known as Kadapa) district. Just like Shiva temples spread across the country, Veerabhadra Swamy shrines are abundant.  A deity of Veerashaiva-Lingayats:   Although Veerabhadra Swamy is attributed to be a fierce, wrathful form(avatar) of Shiva, it looks strange enough that, by and large, only the Veerashaiva-Lingayats among the Shaivaites worship him. For many of them, Veerabhadra Swamy happens to be the family deity. Found prominently in South India: Veerabhadra Swamy is said to have been created by Shiva to avenge the destruction caused during King Daksha's yajna, or fire sacrifice. Veerabhadra Swamy temples can be found prominently across South India, and more so in Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu, attaching greater significance to the Veerashiva-Lingayat traditions. Guggala during marria...

Mahanandi  (Nandyal district), Andhra Pradesh:  Mahanandi is another sought-after pilgrimage centre in Nandyal district, Andhra Pradesh, commonly visited by  Shaivaites. It is also part of the temple run circuit, along with Srisailam and Rachyoti. Nine Nandi shrines: By and large, devotees of Shiva prefer to pay obeisance to the main Nandi temple in Mahanandi, although there are eight other shrines of Nandi within a distance of 15 kilometres. Mahanandi is just one of the Nava Nandis, also known as Nava Nandulu. These nine temples are Mahanandi, Sivanandi, Vinayakanandi, Somanandi, Prathamanandi, Garudanandi, Suryanandi, Krishnanandi (also called Vishnunandi) and Naganandi. 1,500-year-old ancient stone marvel: The Mahanandiswara Swamy Temple in Mahanandi is an important pilgrimage centre, especially for the devotees of Shiva. This ancient temple dates back over 1,500 years. The inscriptions on 10th-century tablets speak of the temple being repaired and rebuilt several ti...

Bengaluru: Three women artists held a group exhibition of their paintings at the Karnataka Chitrakala Parishat here. A common bonding factor for all of them is that, unlike most of the present-day practitioners with professional degrees and postgraduate degrees in fine arts, they have learnt the art by doing some basic courses out of passion to excel in the art form.  Excited at the response: Anjali Harlalka, one of the three artists, is excited about the 'lovely response' to the group show. She hails from Delhi, and I did my graduation in Textile Designing from Lady Irwin College.  A lot of galleries near college:  Anjali Harlalka recalls: Near my college, there are a lot of galleries like Triveni Kala Sangam, and in Connaught Place also, there are so many galleries, and from a young age, I used to visit these galleries and always be fascinated by, you know, the display there by big artists like M.F. Husain and Anjoli Ila Menon, and so many artists used to display ...

Niš (Serbia): The Skull Tower is a stone structure embedded with human skulls, located in Niš, Serbia is said to have been constructed by the Ottoman Empire following the Battle of Cegar in May 1809, during the first Serbian Uprising. Mass killings: In the battle, Serbian rebels under the command of Stevan Sindelic were surrounded by the Ottomans on Cegar Hill, near Niš. Fearing that he and his fighters would be finished if captured, Stevan Sindelic detonated a powder magazine within the rebel entrenchment, killing himself, his subordinates and the encroaching Ottoman soldiers. Tower from the skulls of rebels: Hurshid Pasha, Governor of the Rumelia Eyalet province, ordered construction of a tower with the skulls of the fallen rebels. The tower is 4.5 metres(15 feet) tall, and originally contained 952 skulls embedded on four sides in 14 rows. Order to dismantle the tower: Midhat Pasha, the last Governor of Niš, ordered the dismantling of the Skull Tower in 1861. However, following the w...

Srisailam: Srisailam Mallikarjun Temple is a household name among the people of North Karnataka for its ancient background and serene atmosphere, giving a memorable experience to visitors. People from North Karnataka have visited this temple for generations, with some making it a regular practice once a year, especially during Shivaratri, Ugadi, and Kartik festivals. Srisailam, in addition to being a Jyotirlinga shrine, is also a Shakti Peetha because of the presence of Goddess Bhramarambha Devi. Among all the 12 Jyotirlingas, Srisailam is the only sought-after pilgrimage centre to boast of a Jyotirlinga and Shakti Peetha. Relocation to be close to son: The legend claims that during an impromptu contest to go around the universe, Ganesh did so by encircling his parents, while Kartikeya, the younger brother, lost the same, leaving Mount Kailash in anger to settle down on the Srisailam hills. It was at this juncture that Shiva and Parvati took the form of a luminous Jyotirlinga nam...