Franz Kafka

When I first set my foot in Prague I had no idea about this city except that it is capital of Czech Republic. I was devouring the sights of the city at a fast rate, new things, old structures, architectural splendors… a mix of old and new.

Looking at one particular statue there, I was stunned motionless. Look at the picture. A huge sized, headless, hand less man carrying another man on his shoulder. I had no idea what this meant. I love to travel for this one reason; you don’t know what you are going to stumble on in the next street.


I came back with just the name inscribed there: Franz Kafka and lots of pictures. A museum dedicated to Franz Kafka is situated close by which I deliberately had to give a miss due to lack of time. Franz Kafka is one best writers of twentieth century. The statue was installed there in 2004 almost 80 years after the death of this writer. It is designed by sculptor Jaroslav Rona. The sculptor of the statue Jaroslav Rona found inspiration for his work in Kafka’s early short story “Description of a Struggle”. The ground under Franz Kafka statue has form resembling the legs of an insect, which recalls his short story “Die Verwandlung”. Reading this book may help understand that the man sitting on a faceless body represents the struggle with bureaucracy. Do let me know if you have chanced on this book.

Olomouc Astronomical Clock, Czech Republic

When I try to recollect memories of Olomouc in Czech Republic the first thing that comes to mind is the great astronomical clock on Olomouc’s town hall. It performs every hour and we saw its little drama twice that evening we were there. I had mentioned two other unique clocks before: one in Switzerland here and other in Vienna here.



This clock at Olomouc is unique because of its socialist look. The original clock got destroyed in WWII bombing and this look is from the touch up and repairs it got during the communist rule in mid twentieth century. The characters of the drama that takes place at every stroke of hour are not saints or kings but laborers, farmers, workers. Various characters from daily walk of life are made in mosaic patterns.


The various clocks show the day of the week, month, phase of the moon and a star map which revolves to indicate the visible part of the night sky. On the upper dial are the four seasons, and the twelve houses of the zodiac representing the twelve segments of the sky. Against this background revolve the earth and the other five planets known at the time. You can see the drama in the clipping below.

Our World Tuesday

Flowers from wild...

Let us dance in the sun, wearing wild flowers in our hair...
~Susan Polis Shutz

Today's Flowers

Faces of India - 49

My guess is: she is a he who is a she... confusing. Anyways I clicked. Shot taken at a roadshow in Hyderabad, Andhra Pradesh.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country. See more here.

Sights around Matthias Church, Buda Hill

The Buda castle hill is a great place to walk around, many old buildings and sights. The cobblestone streets here are maintained from the medieval times. The view of Danube River from here is the best.

The sight of a raven holding a golden ring attracted my attention and also of many other photographers around. I read later that King Matthias took raven as a symbol for his signet sign. The story behind this choice is that: a raven had carried off the ring which the king had removed from his finger. He chased the bird down, slew him and retrieved his ring. In commemoration of this incident he took raven as the symbol for his signet sign. And the raven is there for centuries, holding the ring in its beak!


On top of the old fortress wall is the Fishermen’s Bastion. It is a recent construction, dating to 1895 – 1902. It is named so because according to customs that existed then, this part of the fort was protected by fishermen’s guild during the Middle Ages. There are seven towers, each symbolizing the seven chieftains who conquered the land for Hungarians.


The statue depicts the first king of Hungary, St. Stephen.

SkyWatch Friday

'A' Bridge

A couple of drive by shots, these were taken on our way to Holloko from Budapest.

We crossed many bridges and flyovers, but this one was interesting. The triangular structures looked interesting from far. As we approached closer, they began to take a definite ”A” shape. Two of them one after the other; at one point, one seemed inside the other. Can I miss the opportunity to shoot!



Thursday Challenge: TWO
Sunday Bridges

St. Matthias Church Interiors (Budapest)

The interior of Mathias Church is unique. It is very colorful; this colorful character of the church is due to the beautiful cultural interchange of East and West. The various geometric and floral ornaments are a reminder of the Mosque that existed here before. The unique interiors were created at the end of nineteenth century, by Bertalian Szekely a leading painter of his times.

Our World Tuesday

Faces of India - 48

A lady winnowing her farm produce. Shot taken in Melkote, Karnataka.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country. See more here.

Matthias Church, Budapest

Yet another beautiful church of Budapest, the Matthias Church! Originally built in the year 1015, the exteriors got many restorations. The present look is the result of the extensive restoration work in late 1900s. Named after King Matthias, who ruled from 1458 to 1490, the church was the scene of several coronations including that of Charles IV in 1916 (the last Habsburg king). It was also the site for King Matthias's two weddings.



Buda was captured by Turks in 1541, during the century and a half of Turkish occupation, the vast majority of its ecclesiastical treasures were shipped to Pressburg (present day Bratislava). The church became the city's main mosque. The church was also a place of the so called Mary-Wonder. The interesting story is that, in 1686 during the siege of Buda by the Holy League a wall of the church collapsed due to cannon fire. As if by miracle an old votive Madonna statue hidden behind the wall got exposed. As the sculpture of the Virgin Mary appeared before the praying Muslims, the morale of the garrison collapsed and the city fell on the same day.


Architect Frigyes Schulek is credited with largely restoring St. Matthias Church to its original splendor. He added magnificent diamond patterned roof tiles and gargoyles. Here is a view of the beautiful tile patterns.

SkyWatch Friday

Paprika, National Spice of Hungary

Did you know Paprika is the national spice of Hungary? This post is dedicated to this spicy spice. This spice is used by Hungarians in their most celebrated dish Goulash. This fiery seasoning is devoured by Hungarians on an average of half a kilogram a year.



A note on this spicy spice reads thus: Hungarian paprika is made from peppers that are harvested and then sorted, toasted, and blended to create different varieties. All Hungarian paprikas have some degree of rich, sweet red pepper flavor, but they range in pungency and heat. The eight grades of Hungarian paprika are különleges ("special quality"; mild and most vibrant red), csípősmentes csemege (delicate and mild), csemege paprika (similar to the previous but more pungent), csípős csemege (even more pungent), édesnemes ("noble sweet"; slightly pungent and bright red), félédes (semi-sweet with medium pungency), rózsa (mildly pungent and pale red), and erős (hottest and light brown to orange). In the US, what is marketed as Hungarian sweet paprika is usually the édesnemes variety.


Almost all the souvenir shop we visited in Hungary had this spice suspended in bunches.Initially I assumed these bunches are for some kind of good luck, later I was told by Antal Halmos, it is the national spice of Hungary. In India too paprikas are consumed, these are sold in shops too but never displayed in such an aesthetic manner. I simply had to photograph. Have a good look at the last shot. It stuns me even today!

Chain Bridge, Budapest

The Chain Bridge (Lánchid) was the first bridge to permanently connect Buda and Pest.

The story of ‘the reason’ for which the bridge was constructed is like this:
A pontoon bridge on the river since the Middle Ages enabled passage in the seasons spring to autumn. During winter, the river froze making crossing possible. However at times when the weather changed abruptly and people got stuck on one side. In 1820, this happened to Count István Széchenyi, when he had to wait a week to get to his father's funeral. This experience led him to decide that a permanent bridge had to be built. He became a major advocate of the project and founded a society to finance and build the bridge.



These shots were taken from Buda Castle.You can see the parliament and St. Stephen’s Basilica’s dome. Note how they are at the same height.

Sunday Bridges

Faces of India - 47

Ringing cymbal for a living. Shot taken near a temple in Melkote, Karnataka.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country. See more here.

St. Stephen's Basilica (Szent Istvan Bazilika), Budapest

Situated in the center of Pest, eastern part of Budapest is St. Stephen’s Basilica. The grandness and hugeness of this monument simply attracts. Incredible architecture, this is an imposing building in a very central location. The Basilica is one of the two tallest buildings in Budapest at 96 meters (315 ft). It is equal to the height of Hungarian parliament. Wiki mentions: this equation symbolizes that worldly and spiritual thinking have the same importance. True or False?!

According to current regulations there cannot be taller building in Budapest than 96 metres (315 ft).

SkyWatch Friday

St. Stephen's Basilica, Budapest

St. Stephen’s Basilica, Budapest, is just 100 years old. The construction was completed in 1905; this sturdy structure housed the important documents and artworks during World War II bombings.



The dome is 65metres high and very well decorated. The grandness of the interiors is overwhelming! Many well-known sculptors and painters have contributed to the decoration of the inside of St Stephen’s. The incredibly ornate interior features about 50 different types of marble. The chapels are elaborately decorated with many sculptures, including a bust of the basilica’s patron saint, who was the first Christian king of Hungary.



An unusual experience was seeing The Holy Right Hand, the relic of St. Stephen’s right hand. This relic is considered national icon of Hungary – the right hand of St. Stephen. I got an eerie feeling seeing the mummified fist. It is one thousand years old!


One of the many stain glass windows in the basilica.

Our World Tuesday

Imre Nagy

Exiting the Budapest Parliament we set off on a short walking tour, street by street, around Kossuth Square near the parliament. To the southeast of Kossuth square we saw the statue of Imre Nagy. Imre Nagy (7 June 1896 – 16 June 1958) was a Hungarian communist politician who was appointed Chairman of the Council of Ministers of the People's Republic of Hungary on two occasions. Nagy's second term ended when his non-Soviet-backed government was brought down by Soviet invasion in the failed Hungarian Revolution of 1956, resulting in Nagy's execution on charges of treason two years later.


This statue is an elegant tribute to the great reformist. This life like bronze figure stands on a cute little footbridge over a tiny pool. Sitting on a bench there, reading about him helped me know the struggles Hungarian people had gone through to have a government of their own. It helped connect with the past of Hungary and appreciate its people better.

Sunday Bridges

Faces of India - 46

A Taekwondo Instructor.

Faces of India, a series through which I intend to portray the various characters of my country. See more here.

Mythical Turul Bird, Buda Castle, Budapest

The statue of mythical Turul bird that guards the Buda castle. The flying Turul bird’s statue marks Hungary's millennium anniversary in 1896. The Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars (Hungarian people). It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds. The Turul became a symbol of power, strength, and nobility, and it is still used today on the coat of arms of the Hungarian Army and the Office of National Security.

SkyWatch Friday

Attila József

A little ahead of Budapest Parliament is the statue of Attila Jozsef, Hungary's most loved 20th century poet.


Some his lines:

Gently place your hand upon
My brow as though your hand belonged
To me; protect and guard me as though
Your life and mine were one with no
Distinction; love me like life because
No distance divides my heart from yours.


English translated version by Stephen Capus