627 - 11th - INRI

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 11th June'10

557 - 25th - In the name of the father

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 25th Jun'09

296 - 7th - Cristo Rey

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 7th Oct'08

One of the most important religious monuments in all of Mexico, Cristo Rey (Christ the King) is an impressive 20-meter bronze statue of Jesus set atop the summit of the mountain Cerro de Cubilete. The colossal monument was constructed in 1950, replacing the smaller, original statue that was destroyed during the final stages of the Mexican Revolution.

The statue allegedly marks the exact geographical center of Mexico, and for religious Mexicans there is something to be said in having Jesus in the very heart of their country. As such, the statue is a popular day-trip destination for Mexicans visiting Guanajuato.

I took many different pictures of the statue from near and from far. Click the links below to see some more photos.

Click here to see the full sized image
Click here to see the church
Click here to see a distant view

272 - 13th - Presentacion de 3 años

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 13th Sept'08

There are two important points in a girl's life among orthodox Christians in Mexico, when she is presented before the society. First when she is 3 years old and second when she is 15. When the girl turns three, she is dressed up the way you can see in the image and taken to the church to perform some rituals. When she is 15 she is presented in front of the family and relations to mark her entry into adulthood.

I took this image at a local shop which was selling the dresses for "Presentacion de 3 años". Once I was done clicking, I ended up talking to to shop owner for aorund 20 minutes discussing all sorts of random things; from religion to indo-mexican trade to India's surge in BPO :)

Click here to see the full sized image

238 - 10th - In the name of the God

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 10th Aug'08

Have you ever realized (only the religious & faithful among you) that your head bends down by itself as soon as you come in front of God or to say literally, in front of any of his material existences like in a temple, mosque or a church ? Some may explain this as a mere habit we have developed, but I really think otherwise. For a not-such-a-firm-believer like me - who is still struggling to find out whether he really believes in God or somewhere deep inside he is an atheist - its really surprising to find myself standing "head down" in front of the almighty before I even realize that I am actually doing that.

I've been to many churches lately & observed the above mentioned phenomenon closely. Whether God exists or not, people who are really devoted to his existence surely find tremendous peace and solace in his so called abodes.

Click here to see the full sized image

235 - 7th - Basilica of Ocotlan

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 7th Aug'08

Ocotlán (from the Nahuatl ocotl ("pine tree"), meaning "place of pines") is a city in the Mexican state of Tlaxcala, located in the centre of that state within the conurbation of the state capital, Tlaxcala de Xicohténcatl. The Basilica of Ocotlán, dedicated to the Virgin of Ocotlán, a 1541 Marian apparition, is a renowned site of Roman Catholic pilgrimage.

I had a chance to visit this church last weekend. The place was beautiful and had a festive atmosphere on a Sunday morning. I explored the church from inside and then savored on the local delicacies which were being sold in small shops around the place.

Click here to see the full sized image

233 - 5th - Biblical patterns

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 5th Aug'08

This is the view of the ceiling of Ocotlan church in Tlaxcala. Due to some high end contacts, we managed to enter a room where access is denied in normal course. The room was glittering with the fine golden decoration it had on all the carvings on its walls and ceiling. There was a table in the center of the room, which supposedly had traveled to many important museums around the world before landing in this church. This room was like the sanctum-sanctorum of the church. It is prinicipally used as a back-end access to the "virgin's" statue whenever it needs to be dressed and flowers need to be offerred on special occassions.

Being at the place was really an experience to cherish. Click on the image to see the fine artistry. It is really amazing.

Click here to see the full sized image

227 - 30th - San Jose

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 30th July'08

San Jose is a one of the churches present in the heart of the city of Tlaxcala. Its beautiful building and the picturesque surroundings make it a photographer's paradise. Situated right in the center of downtown Tlaxcala, the church premises is surrounded with small hawkers who sell breads, corn and many other delicious local sweets & snacks.

I went there immediately after having my lunch but that didnt stop me from feasting on almost everything which was eatable & vegetarian of course :)

Click here to see the full sized image

226 - 29th - Standing tall

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 29th July'08

This tower like structure attracted my attention in the first look itself. I saw it and I knew I am going to click it. It seemed like a considerably old structure but didnt seem to loose its charm. Given the bell hanging at the top, it surely was a part of some old church.

Click here to see the full sized image

219 - 22nd - Chamundeswari temple

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 22nd July'08

I know a lot of my posts have come related to Chamundeswari, but I think this is going to be the last one :) This temple is situated on top of hill on the outskirts of the city of Mysore. You can have a picturesque view of the whole city from the top of the hill. The statue of Goddess Chamundeswari is made of solid gold while the doors at the entrance of pure silver. Devotees can be seen flocking the temple right from 6 AM in the morning. Most of them trek the hill barefoot to show their devotion towards God.

The typical temple architecture evident in the image is the most common way in which the temples are built throughout Southern part of India. A huge pyramidal dome on top of the temple with intricate artwork consisting of big and small idols of different gods and goddesses. If you see the full image, you can see the art work more closely and admire its beauty.

Click here to see the full sized image

217 - 20th - The giant demon

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 20th July'08

This giant idol of the demon "Mahishasur" stands tall at the entrance to the Chamundeshvari temple in Mysore. The legend says that goddess Parvathy reincarnated in the form of Chamundeshvari to bring the end of the demon who was causing havoc on earth.

Though many temples in India are made based on the same concept - some god demolishing some demon - but this was the first place where I saw such a glorification of the demon himself in the form of a gigantic idol.

Click here to see the full sized image

215 - 18th - Nandi

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 18th July'08

Nandi the bull, is considered to be the carrier of lord Shiva according to Hindu mythology. Though associated with Shiva, it enjoys a separate 'holy status' of it's own. You can find people worshiping the nandi idols in most of the Shiva temples throughout India.

This giant Nandi idol is situated on the Chamundi hills in Mysore. I was amazed by the sheer size and magnanimity of the statue. I wonder how they would have brought this giant thing up on the hill, or did they carve it out there itself?

Click here to see the full sized image

206 - 9th - Akshardham

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 9th July'08

I have posted the image of this temple before too, when I took it from a bridge far far away. Today as I was passing by this temple, I decided to go inside and take some nice shots. I walked around a mile to reach the entrance of the temple only to find out that no photography or videography is allowed inside.

It is such a shame that a spectacular work of art like this is kept away from a photographer's lens. I managed to get this one from outside the front boundary.

Click here to see the full sized image

203 - 6th - Bless thy all

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 6th Jule'08

Each time I used to cross the bridge near Chennai central, this statue mounted on a tall minaret used to remind me of the famous statue of Jesus in Rio de Janeiro . Almost the same posture, but a bit smaller in size & darker in shade, Jesus in this stance seems to give a message of universal acceptance.

Click here to see the full sized image

198 - 1st - The holy offering

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 1st July'08

Religion is very tightly interwoven in the Indian social fabric. India is home to all major religions of the world - Islam, Christianity, Buddhism & obviously the one followed by the majority; Hinduism. Hindu temples can be found almost every 200 meters all over the country.

Presenting Gods with different offerings is one of the Hindu rituals. These offerings vary from flowers to fruits & all other kinds of eatables and non eatables. As is true with other aspects of Hinduism, there are no rigid rules or guidelines for these offerings.

I clicked this one at the Chamundi temple in Mysore. These flowers and coconuts were kept on display at a small shop, waiting for some devotees to pick them up and take them on their journey towards God.

Click here to see the full sized image

138 - 2nd - Chariot of darkness

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 2nd May'08

She is the Mexican goddess of darkness & she is believed to ride a dark chariots pulled by ferocious lions. Mexicans, like all other faiths in the world, have their parallel embodiments of good and evil.

This particular idol installed at one of the road roundabouts in Mexico city was looking simple awesome with lush green surroundings and fountains splashing all around it.

Click here to see the full sized image

88 - 13th - Engraved

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 13th Mar'08

Man has found many different ways to symbolize his faith. God can be seen residing at all imaginable places, on the road side, in parks, deep in jungles & any other nook & corner you can think of. After all, God is supposed to be ubiquitous.

I took this photo at a beach in Mahabalipuram, where a small statue was engraved right in the heart of this huge rock. The golden rays of the rising sun were hitting the rock right on its face to give it a magnificent shine.

Click here to see the full sized image

80 - 5th - The sea-side temple

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 5th Mar'08

An ancient temple, standing on a tall bed of rocks, overlooking the vast stretch of blue sea, flooded with hundreds of tourists - a perfect combination for a picturesque landscape.

This is one of the popular tourist attractions in the small city of Mahabalipuram, some 60kms from Chennai. From a distance you can see this perfect scenery in one eye span. It looks like a page torn from a calendar of natural sceneries.

Click here to see the full sized image

67 - 21st - Compact Churches

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 21st Feb'08

Kerala is the only part of the country where I have seen this "compact" form of the Church. I can actually draw a parallel between these small churches in Kerala and the sporadically spread small temples all across Tamilnadu. At a distance of every 500 odd meters, you can find one of these dwarf churches standing as symbols of faith for the most widespread religion of the world. It is really amusing and fascinating at the same time to see such beautifully painted buildings scattered everywhere you go.

Click here to see the full sized image.

45 - 30th - Giant symbol of faith

Originally clicked and uploaded by - Pratosh Dwivedi - 30th Jan'08

Akshardham temple in New Delhi has recently earned the distinction of being the world's largest "Hindu" temple. Situated on the banks of river Yamuna in east Delhi, this temple provides a magnificent view to the people touching the adjacent highways and connecting roads. A huge lush green premises and a monstrous concrete structure, the whole view is hard to be contained in a one complete eye-span.

I was passing through the area when I stopped on an adjacent flyover and took some photographs. Though I couldn't capture the temple right from the front due to angle restrictions, the side-shots didn't come as bad as expected :)

Click here to see one more shot of the temple.

Click here to see the full sized image.