Feline Musings

We saw an indigenous fish net made of twigs and branches, caught amazing glimpses of the Jahangir fort, and the Cenotaphs of the Queen and her maids, and of course missed our cameras because we realized that the middle of the river gave the most amazing panoramic views of the Chattris. The trip was made enjoyable by the historical narration of our guide. Rafting in Betwa is not a regular feature and is seasonal and totally dependent on the volume of water in the river. If you want to take a raft tour of the river, and then ensure that you make the enquiries beforehand, else you may be disappointed.

The lake looks its best when visited after sundown, with the reflection of the Eucalyptus trees that line the side, and the pale yellow of the moon, and a silhouette of one of the temples in the background, lend an illusion that is best seen in the dark. Like most illusions, the lake becomes just another water body in the day.

Khajuraho has been misinterpreted by tourists as the “kamasutra temples” because of some of the erotic sculptures and sexual postures depicted on the external walls of the temples. It is noteworthy that while erotic sculptures form only one-tenth of the total sculptures, the greatest emphasis is on the celebration of womankind, in her myriad moods and facets. Hence, there are carvings of a woman writing letter, applying makeup to her eyes, combing her tresses, dancing, picking a thorn from her foot, and playing with her child – all depicted in intricate detail, sharply etched, sculpted with consummate skill. There are scenes from daily life, of warfare, of musicians and potters, and various forms and facets of animal and human life. These temples are built to commemorate life of the commoners, and sexual union being one of the important aspects of existence, receives an apt representation on the temple walls.

 The world went gaga over their tattoos – Saif’s love tattoo, Sanjay Dutt’s colorful shoulder tattoo, the ink-stained torso of Arjun Rampal, not to forget Rakhi Sawant’s oh-so-conspicuous tattoo and the “kaanta-laga” girl, Shefali Zariwala and the arrow piercing her heart tattoo – the list is endless.  
Tattoo amongst modern youth and their icons is yuppie, [...]