Home > Magazine > Desi World > A Trip to Ancient India
Shirdi is a well-known town in Maharashtra, drawing from
all over India the devotees of a 19th century and early 20th century mystic
saint. Kaneri, also in Maharashtra, is not so widely known, though the
Siddhagiri ashram there is over 1000 years old.
It could change, now that an “ancient” village has sprung up on eight acres of land in Kaneri, taking visitors on a trip to India’s pastoral past. The village is actually an outdoor museum showcasing the lifestyle of rural Indians from a bygone—and current, some would say—India. Over 100 sculptors from Karnataka worked on about 700 statues, highlighting the work of farmers, craftsmen and traders. There are close to 80 scenes of villagers as they celebrate festivals, worship in their shrines, socialize at home, and perform daily chores like fetching water from the well and milking cows.
The other statues in this museum, whose focus is on pre-Mughal India, depict the astronomers Aryabhata and Varahamihira, musicologist Bharata Muni, king Bhagiratha, philosopher Kanad, sages Kapil and Kashyap, author Vishnu Sharma, metallurgist Nagarjuna, healer Charaka, strategist Chanakya, yogi Patanjali, and mathematician Bhaskaracharya. There is a nominal entry charge, and the proceeds are used for operating a local hospital.
blog comments powered by Disqus
A Trip to Ancient India
November 2010
It could change, now that an “ancient” village has sprung up on eight acres of land in Kaneri, taking visitors on a trip to India’s pastoral past. The village is actually an outdoor museum showcasing the lifestyle of rural Indians from a bygone—and current, some would say—India. Over 100 sculptors from Karnataka worked on about 700 statues, highlighting the work of farmers, craftsmen and traders. There are close to 80 scenes of villagers as they celebrate festivals, worship in their shrines, socialize at home, and perform daily chores like fetching water from the well and milking cows.
The other statues in this museum, whose focus is on pre-Mughal India, depict the astronomers Aryabhata and Varahamihira, musicologist Bharata Muni, king Bhagiratha, philosopher Kanad, sages Kapil and Kashyap, author Vishnu Sharma, metallurgist Nagarjuna, healer Charaka, strategist Chanakya, yogi Patanjali, and mathematician Bhaskaracharya. There is a nominal entry charge, and the proceeds are used for operating a local hospital.
Enjoyed reading Khabar magazine? Subscribe to Khabar and get a full digital copy of this Indian-American community magazine.
