“Touring has helped me discover myself and my connect to nature, people, cultures and practices” – PK Narayanan.
PK has been driving around for 20+ years, chasing nature and heritage. All the images profiled in this website are shot by PK during his visits.
The purpose of this website is to feature off-the-grid locations; and inspire you to travel and unravel the beauty and immensity of our nature and heritage!
PK is a CEO Coach, helping Business Owners and Leaders Scale-up their Business and their Leadership Presence (https://pknarayanan.com/).
You may reach PK at pknarayanan@hotmail.com
About Temples
Many magnificent temples were built in India between 300 CE and 1600 CE.
Many ask me why ancient kings and generations invested so much money and effort in creating such large and magnificent temples. And of course followed with an added (un-informed) comment that it should have been spent for infrastructure and welfare of ordinary people!
The fact is that those days these temples functioned primarily as an energy source, but also multiplied itself as many other things:
– A place for education (equivalent to: current day schools)
– A place for discussions, debates (current day Halls)
– For conducting social functions like marriages, family functions of local community (current day wedding halls, party halls in hotels)
– For providing specific services to local community in times of calamities, disasters – such as medical services, food, supplies (Current day relief centres, dispensaries)
– A secured place to keep valuables / belongings when organised dacoits came (current day banks, locker services)
– For art, cultural shows, concerts (current day halls, auditoriums)
– For Exhibitions, festivals, melas (current day exhibition centres, grounds, such other venues)
– As a place to rest (overnight) for travellers (current day hotels)
– In some cases even as bazars (current day malls, shops, markets)
Therefore temples of varied sizes were created in every village / habitat. Indeed as a common facility, Infrastructure for the use of ordinary people and welfare of local community!
What also happened over time was that it turned out to be an expression of art, culture and architectural prowess of those times.
We need to see, understand, appreciate our magnificent temples and heritage structures in this light.