Ipsita Contemplates

An engineering and architectural marvel, Konark Sun temple, has much more in store than just what the eye meets. It associates tales that span multitude domains and harbor significance in every walk of life and can mesmerize any soul who wishes to seep in the enigmatic charisma of this masterpiece. Many a times, I have thought of jotting down my thoughts on this. However, I have always found myself mesmerized by its enchanting mystery so much so that I end up forgetting the line of thoughts. Its happening now as well, but I will try my best to capture as much as I can. The stories wrapped around the temple have situations of varied fields in them, which includes but are not limited to Philosophy, Science, astronomy, cosmology, architecture, and engineering. Primarily, one tale surfaces around this. For the uninitiated, I would try to give a quick preview of it without going into much details of the play of emotions, sacrifice, motherly love, and the likes.  The construction of the...

It was almost twilight. The rains had slowed down a bit by then. I was jostled with apprehensions and was juggling myriads of thoughts and emotions until I reached the cottage hotel. On reaching the hotel, the host and his team welcomed us with the warmest of smiles, some amazing home-baked cookies, and a comforting cup of hot Kashmiri Qahwa . The warm reception by the team and the steaming cup of Qahwa melted all my apprehensions and worries. That was the first food that welcomed me to Kashmir. And what a beginning it was! Splendid, in every sense! In true way, it set the tone for the rest of my stay in the valley. After the quick snack, we retreated to our room. After an hour or so, one of the staff members came to ask for our choice for dinner. There was no menu to choose from, just like we do not have in our homes. We could request for anything as long as the requisite grocery is available in the kitchen pantry. On further discussions, we got to know that Kashmiri rajma (kidney...

Most often than not, I end up not clicking pictures. I would end up eating the food or spend hours together brooding over a scene and the thought of an "instagram worthy" picture would not even cross my mind. The same happens when I'm travelling or visiting a place of interest. I tend to experience the place or the moment more through my eyes than through the camera lens. Not that I never click pictures... I do and I have a fair share of those too... but there are not as much photos as there could have been.  That day I was visiting an aquatic museum. You know those kinds where you walk through the glass tunnels with the marine life swimming over your heads... yes, those ones.It was a surreal feeling. You very well know that you are not inside the sea, but that won't stop you from the feeling of being underwater. I feel, going alone to such places is a big perk because, that allows you to experience the place solely, while taking all its essence as it was meant to be....

For here the sun might be setting But the promise of a new day Must also be fulfilled The other side waited eagerly As the sun was making the transition From a mesmerizing sunset here To a glorious morning somewhere else. Copyright © 2020 Ipsita Contemplates. All Rights Reserved.

Embracing the warmth of the infant sun, And holding on to the calm of the velvety night... Ethereal feelings some such and more, Defines life and experiences, that I live for. Copyright © 2018 Ipsita Contemplates. All Rights Reserved.

If I must classify the places I visited in my last trip, it would be two basic categories; one which was flocked by tourists, locals, and travelers alike, and the other which was not. In the first category places (the popular sightseeing places, shopping streets, malls, a few very famous museums (not many people visiting though), and the like), you could witness the visitors glued to their electronic gadgets. You would rarely find anybody who is “actually” there. It is such a situational irony. Why is it an irony, you may ask. That is because, most of these visitors might have planned their visit by probably looking it up in the net (virtual world). They probably found the place interesting enough to explore it in real. However, after getting to the “real place”, they got glued in to the virtual world. Let’s assume a situation, wherein a person gets interested in The Louvre by reading or listening about it. It might inspire the person to explore the place and see what it feels li...

I did not have a plan for that day. That is why I did not set up my morning alarm. However, I woke up a few minutes before 6 in the morning. That was strange, considering I was dead tired from the previous day and still I woke up refreshed. I was in Pondicherry and it was day 1! I sprang out of my bed and looked outside the window. Probably most would not call it a “perfect sunrise time”! Then again, perfection is just a state of mind. It was not late enough, and the view was still breathtaking. I moved out of my room to the beach (I just had to cross the road to reach the beach). The smell of the sea in the warmth of the infant sun can elevate anybody’s spirits. The serenity of the water dazzling in the golden sun was amazing! As the sun started its ascent on to the sky, I returned to my room, prepared myself for the day and moved out. It was around 7 in the morning. I decided to go to Baker’s street for breakfast and set on foot for that. The streets were calm and beau...

I have been often asked, after a trip, “How was the place?” or “Which all places you visited?”. Most often than not, I find myself capable of answering these questions, at least to my satisfaction. It was different this time. This time I visited Kashmir. I remember the day when my parents suggested the trip. It was unexpected. I never thought we will ever be going to Kashmir anytime soon. The primary reason for this being two factors: the weather and the political conditions. It's not that I never wished going there, for who would not! Especially if you are a dreamer. But it was more like one of those wishes that you just have, but you never worked on it to make it happen. It was raining when we landed in Srinagar. When we moved out of the arrival gate, the cab driver of our cottage hotel, and some other people (who just happened to take shelter there for the rain) started loading our luggage in the cab. I was apprehensive of the fact that some complete strangers are ju...