Tag Archives: history

Jagannath Temple-Rath Yatra- Chariot Festival

Posted on August 15, 2013 by annetbell

From the break of dawn, a massive procession of devotees gather at the Jagannath Temple. Large chariots carry idols of Balaram, Kirshna and their sister Subhadra through the narrow windy streets of old Ahmedabad. Afterwards the idols are bathed in … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Uncategorized | Tagged Ahmedabad, celebrations, elephants, faith, festival, Hinduism, history, India, Mr. Modi, photography, religion | 10 Comments

A 15-Minute Concert

Posted on August 13, 2013 by annetbell

You can experience a music tradition that has been heard in Ahmedabad for nearly 600 years or the founding of the city. Past through the hustle and bustle of Manek Chowk, and just before The Kings’s Tomb, is an small … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Uncategorized | Tagged 15 minute concert, Ahmedabad, history, India, music, Persian tradition, Sultan Shah, tradition | 4 Comments

Albergo Sole, Roma

Posted on August 12, 2013 by annetbell

Just an ordinary hotel and restaurant in Roma, right? No, this is the oldest continuous run albergo in the Eternal City. Visitors have been housed here continuously since 1460 which is 30 years before Christopher Columbus discovered the New World. … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Albergo Sole, architecture, Campo de Fiori . Bruno, history, Italy, opera, Piazza Novona, Puccini, Rome, St. Andrea dell Vale, St. Peter's Cathedral, Tosca | 17 Comments

The Sultan’s Langar

Posted on August 5, 2013 by annetbell

Sultan Ahmed Shah was a pious and generous ruler who founded Ahmedabad in 1411 as the capital city of Gujarat. He introduced the idea of a langar or community kitchen as he decreed that no on in his city should … Continue reading →

Posted in India, Uncategorized | Tagged Ahmedabad, faith, feeding the poor, Friday mosque, Hindus, history, India, Jains, langar, Muslims, Sikhs | 11 Comments

Teen Darwaza

Posted on August 3, 2013 by annetbell

Teen Darwaza or the Triple Gateway is almost as old as the city of Ahmedabad. It is the only surviving and intact secular building built during the Mogul Ahmed Shah’s regime. The three arches are 24 feet time and built … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged Alhemedabad, architures, celebrations, entrance gate, faith, Hindus, history, India, markets, Muslims. religion, Teen Darwaza, The Pols | 12 Comments

Off to “The City!”

Posted on July 31, 2013 by annetbell

I hope that you all know that I am not arrogant, or I certainly hope you do. But I have to say that I love New York…the state yes, but especially The City! Living in New York state and sharing … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized, USA | Tagged 9/11/01, architecture, Chrysler Building, Empire State Building, France, history, Megabus, New York City, Statue of Liberty, World Trade Center | 23 Comments

Dogs and Rabbits Behaving Strangely

Posted on July 16, 2013 by annetbell

Picture by Ambika Sambasivan, Yali Books, 2013 If you look closely at these pictures, you see a most astonishing scene. . . .a rabbit chasing a dog. This is what Sultan Ahmed Shah saw while he was resting on the … Continue reading →

Posted in India | Tagged 2011, Ahmedabad, animals, art, Best City in which to live, Bhadra Gate, blogging, history, India, legend, paintings, Sultan Ahmed Shah, The Pols, trading crossroads | 70 Comments

IN THE GARDEN OF BEASTS by Erick Larson

Posted on July 12, 2013 by annetbell

Erik Larson’s narrative history is set in Berlin in 1933 and is told through the eyes of a visiting American family. Not just any family, but Ambassador Dodd and his wife and two children. The ambassador was a Professor of … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged author, Berlin, Book, Erik Larson, film, Germany, history, HItler, Natalie Portman, nonfiction, Third Reich, Tom Hanks | 6 Comments

Mark Twain’s India

Posted on July 5, 2013 by annetbell

“This is indeed India, the land of dreams and romance, of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty, of splendor and rags, of palaces and hovels, of tigers and elephants, the cobra and the jungle, the country of a hundred tongues, of many … Continue reading →

Posted in India | Tagged contrasts, history, India, literature, Mart Twain, travel, Twain's India | 8 Comments