stepping on the sandakada pahana (moonstone) at srilanka

i visited sri lanka last year and that is the first time i came across a sandakada pahana or moonstone in english.

this is a semi-circular stone that is seen at the entrance of the temples at anuradhapuram and polonnaruwa.

buddhism flourished during the anuradhapuram. this is when the moonstone was supposed to have developed the most and become the most elaborate with intricate carvings. prior to that it was a square slab of stone.

carved in stone, the moonstone embodies the teachings of buddhism.

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bhavaniNovember 15, 2012July 24, 20145 Comments

culture, india, nature

can i walk out of my house during a solar eclipse?

there are many beliefs about solar eclipses in india… superstitions. i had heard all these growing up!
bad time. deformations. don’t go out. don’t look at the sun. stay indoors. don’t go out!

in 2010, when the annular solar eclipse was passing and would be visible in india, i decided to go and watch. the inspiration came from a friend who was planning to come down from pune for this, but cancelled her trip. i am no star-gazer, or astronomer. i have studied about eclipses in school, but forgotten most about it. i went because i was curious – to watch a total solar eclipse, to visit rameswaram again.