Last week over-flowed with fantastic destinations, people, food and stories. One of our stops was at Shravanbelogola in Karnataka. Shravanbelgola is a very significant Jain site, most famous for its 17.38 meter (58 ft) high monolithic stone statue of the Lord Gommateshwara, also referred to as Bahubali dating back to 981 AD. The main statue, statues of other Tirthankaras and Yakshis (most notably, Padmavati Yakshi) are incredibly beautiful. The surrounding temples radiate peace and a certain stony equanimity, which reassures the spirit.

Here is a little excerpt from Wiki:

The statue is located above this hill which is called Vindhyagiri or Doddabetta or Indragiri hill. It is estimated to weigh approximately 80 tons. The stone statue was installed and consecrated by Chavundaraya, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief who served under the successive rulers- King Marasimha II, Rachamalla IV and Rachamalla V of the Talakad Ganga Kingdom in 981 A.D. The base of the statue has inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating back to 981 AD. The inscription praises the Ganga king who funded the effort, and his general Chavundaraya, who erected the statue for his mother

 Thanks, Taal Inc.!

From Taal Inc.'s website:

What is a drum circle? A drum circle is a situation where a group of people come together in the physical form of a circle for the purpose of drumming. A wide range of drums ranging from hand drums (namely: the Conga, Djembe, Bongos, etc) to frame drums and stick drums are used. A facilitator in the centre of the circle usually is the one who draws the invisible energy graph for the circle; complete from a calm, trance inducing level to a loud cathartic high. A facilitator is not a conductor; he is only a catalyst in the group activity of drumming. 

Group drumming is a powerful music-making experience that is used as a therapeutic intervention for achieving health-oriented and group-oriented, non-musical goals. In a drum circle, participants experience both the creation of group rhythms and a sense of community. 

Since time immemorial, drumming or the 'Shaman Horse' has been used extensively for the purpose of healing (through rituals other metaphoric tools). However, it is only more recent that the therapeutic elements of group-drumming have been explored, with recent research studies beginning to provide an evidence base for considering drumming as a therapeutic intervention in its own right or as a part of other programmes (Bittman et al., 2001a, 2003; Friedman, 1997; Stevens & Burt, 1997). Based on current findings a new trend in corporate America is the employment of musical management consultants who build team spirit through drum workshops (Apple, Motorola and AT&T have reportedly tried it).

From The Guardian:

The end of October marks the winter closure of the Schweizerhaus, a Vienna drinking institution in the city's 2nd district ... so get there quick. The outdoor beer hall is of distinctively Bavarian stock serving giant barbecued sausages, chunky goulash, pork knuckles and fried chicken and lashings of beer to the thirsty hordes of the city, whose numbers are soon to be boosted by the Viennale film festival (viennale.at), running from October 19 until the end of the month.

If you don't make it in time, or if sloshed outdoor sausage munching isn't your thing, November's offerings are a touch more refined. The Wien Modern (wienmodern.at) is one of the widest ranging contemporary classical music festivals in the world, during which concerts are held in various historical venues across the city.

Opening on November 8, The Ring hotel could be a suitably discerning bed for the night, with a plush bar, fireplace and antique furniture in the lobby behind a historical facade opposite the State Opera.

Thanks Manasi Karia!

Out there!

From NASA:

The twin Voyager 1 and 2 spacecraft continue exploring where nothing from Earth has flown before. In the 33rd year after their 1977 launches, they each are much farther away from Earth and the Sun than Pluto. Voyager 1 and 2 are now in the "Heliosheath" - the outermost layer of the heliosphere where the solar wind is slowed by the pressure of interstellar gas. Both spacecraft are still sending scientific information about their surroundings through the Deep Space Network (DSN).

The primary mission was the exploration of Jupiter and Saturn. After making a string of discoveries there -- such as active volcanoes on Jupiter's moon Io and intricacies of Saturn's rings -- the mission was extended. Voyager 2 went on to explore Uranus and Neptune, and is still the only spacecraft to have visited those outer planets. The adventurers' current mission, the Voyager Interstellar Mission (VIM), will explore the outermost edge of the Sun's domain. And beyond.