Journals

Praying for love at Izumo Taisha

Izumo-taisha, officially Izumo Ōyashiro, is one of the most ancient and important Shinto shrines in Japan. Located in the city of Izumo of Shimane Prefecture, the shrine is dedicated to the god of nation-building – Okuninushi-no-okami

Hinomisaki Shrine

Hinomisaki Shrine is an ancient shrine encircled by a grove of old pine trees near Cape Hino in the Izumo city of Shimane Prefecture. The vermillion-lacquered shrine, described as “Misa Gisha” in the ancient text of the Izumo no Kuni Fudoki, was built in honor of two sibling deities with a prominent presence in Japanese mythology; Amaterasu, goddess of the sun, and her younger sibling Susano, god of storms and the sea.

Exploring the Hinomisaki Lighthouse

Japan’s tallest masonry lighthouse and ranked in the top 100 historic lighthouses in the world, Hinomisaki Lighthouse is one of the unique sites in Shimane Prefecture. Situated in a quaint fishing village overlooking the rugged coastal terrain, this iconic guidepost has been aiding maritime navigation since 1903.

Sunset at Lake Shinji

Lake Shinji is a lake in the northeast area of the Shimane Prefecture in Japan. The lake is the seventh largest in Japan, with a circumference of 48 kilometres. It is enclosed by the Shimane Peninsula to the north, and the Izumo and Matsue plains to the west and east respectively.

Sunset at Nigatsu-dō

Nigatsu-dō is one of the important structures of the Tōdai-ji temple in Nara. If you are here to know more about Nigatsu-dō, you already must be familiar with the Todai-ji temple, registered as a world heritage site, and one of the most revered Buddhist temples in all of Japan. I have visited Nara Park many […]

Fall at Nara Deer Park

One of the most amazing places to enjoy fall is at the Nara Deer Park in Nara in Kansai. The lavish park contains many momiji trees that begin to turn red and impart vivid red colors to the area. The roaming deer adds to the already beautiful canvas created by nature.

Group of Monuments at Aihole

Today we drive to Aiholi, said to be one of the first regional capital of the Karnakata region under the rule of the Calukyas. The town contains a large number of early Hindu temples and shrines including some outside the walled site that mostly date from the 6th to 8th century CE when the city was at its zenith of prosperity and power.

Group of Monuments at Pattadakal

Pattadakal, also called Paṭṭadakallu, is a collection of temples from 7th and 8th century CE Hindu and Jain temples in northern Karnataka. Declared as a UNESCO World Heritage site, it is a historically significant cultural center and religious site to witness the structural tastes during the times of the Chalukya dynasty.

Hiking to the Shivalayas of Badami

Today we hike up to the Shivalayas of Badami. These shivalays dedicated to the Hindu deity Shiva are surprisingly located inside a fort protected with canons et all. On the hike, the most intriguing structures are the stone granaries located midway to the top of the hill which I have never seen anywhere else on my travels.

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