Dood’s Photo of the Day

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.

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Click here to see the church
Click here to see a distant view

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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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?

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