Bengaluru city centre

Last trip we have finished following the holy cows. Tracking them we arrived to the Bengaluru city centre and its main building as the capital of Karnataka state.

Ladies, gentleman and horses, welcome to Vidhana Soudha, the building of the Karnatak state perliament. You can think it is "just" a state legislature, but remembering about Karnataka population of over 60 million inhabitants, its decisions influence a population similar to those of largest European countries. As everything in India it is huge, 700 m long, 350 m wide and 50 m heigh.

Just in front of the building there is a statue of the father of Indian constitution, B. R. Ambedkar.

On the other side of the street stands the seat of the High Court of Karnataka.

Next to it comes also an entrance to the Bengaluru metro.

Coming back to the parlimant buidling, you can admire its interesting style, sometimes described as Mysore Neo-Dravidian. It incorporates elements of Indo-Saracenic and Dravidian styles.

South of the central building you will find the Sri Chamajarendra Park.

Great place to rest from the rush, noise and heat of the city.

Some of the trees are really impressive.

This is also the case for some of the avenues.

In the middle of the park you will find the State Central Library of Bengaluru. I really think this is a great idea to be able to borrow a book, lie on the grass and rest in the shadow.

The park ends just next to the Bengaluru Town Hall.



Quite close, at least by Indian standards, there is a memorial of all the brave Indians, that lost their lives in the First World War.

And the place where the next generation of soldiers can present to the society.

  

It is really hot in India. Before we move to the next attractions I suggest that we take a sip of fresh coconut milk.

Varna

From Aladzha we will drive only a few kilometres to the main city of the region - Varna. The history of human settlements in this region dates back to Antiquity. The city has been destroyed, burned, conquered and rebuilt several times, belonging in different periods to Romans, Bulgars and Turks. Actually more than once to each of them. Today, it is a nice coastal town, best know for its beach resorts called Golden Sands.

If you want to spend some time in the city rather than on the sand, you are likely to choose one of the city parks that offer the blessing of shadow.

You can sit on a bench.

Or take one of those pedalos if you wish to be close to water.

The small pond is supplied with water by a small river that runs into the sea.

You can also use this opportunity to learn more about Bulgaria and its sacred places and famous people.

Under each marble plate lies the soil from sacred Bulgarian places. Like here - the soil from the Dryanovo Monastery.

Down the lane, you can meet and greet some of the national heroes of different backgrounds. Vasil Levski was a revolutionist who was one of the fathers of the movement that led to the freedom of Bulgaria from the Ottoman Empire.

On the other hand, Simeon was a bishop of the Orthodox church taking care of the Varna and Preslav metropoly.

On a warm summer day, the city of Varna is of course very hot. I would still invite you to take a few steps out of the park and see some of the main landmarks.

You will undeniably find some churches ...

... a theater ...

... and nice residential buildings.

If you wish, you can greet the fisherman and his golden fish. Who knows, maybe she will grant you a wish if you are kind enough?

Or you can shake your hands with this nice gentleman. It is the architect Dabko Dabkov, who has designed and created over two hundred buildings in Varna in the beginning of twentieth century. The statue is placed in front of a building designed by Dabkov.

As we move down the pedestrian zone, we reach two more amoung the most important buildings in the city. First, the clock tower, built in 1888. The fire brigades of Varna used it to monitor the city from its top. If they spotted a fire during daytime they were passing signals with flags. At night, they used lanterns. The process stopped in 1898 when the fire brigade received a telephone line.

On the other side of the street you will find the second largest church in Bulgaria - the Cathedral of the Dormition of the Mother of God. It belongs to the Bulgarian Orthodox church that was established back in 870 AD. 

Inside, the church is indeed very vast. It is also beautifully decorated.

In the main dome you will find, as in most of the orthodox churches that I have visited, a painting of Christos Pantocrator or otherwise Christ Almighty.

We cannot leave Varna without seeing one more place or one more personality. It is the horse of emperor (tsar) Kaloyan. In the twelfth century he carried his master to the independence of Bulgaria from the Byzantine Empire. We horses have always been vital to the freedom of nations!

Aladzha Monastery

Today I will show you a new way. A new way of living.

Near Varna we will find a park that is qualified as a natural reserve.

But we will not simply hike in nature. My friends welcome to the Aladzha Monastery.

When I entered the Aladzha complex, my first thought was that it is one of the most serene places I have ever visited. Very feng shui, if I can share a feeling maybe slightly out of place.

As we move on, you probably notice a cliff rising ahead of us.

So, you think that the monastery is on top of the twenty five meters high cliff? Well not. It is in the cliff itself!  

The Aladzha Monastery was hewn in the karst cliff in the Middle Ages. The medieval construction industry had limited tools and resources. But karst is a type of rock that is prone to alterations and sensitive to water so smaller and larger caves from naturally.

The caves that form the monastery are spread on three levels.

Aladzha housed a hesychasm community of monks who focused on contemplation and prayer. Hence the chapel was rather large.

The monastery covered a three levels. Let's go down to where the monks lived.

The cell of the abbot was modest.

This is what it is believed to have looked like in the twelfth century.

If the cell of the abbot was modest then I am not sure which word to use to describe the cell of a monk. I think the space is only sufficient to lie down and sleep. No personal belongings, no privacy.

At least the refectory and kitchen were large.

The highest floor includes a smaller corridor. I would expect the monks did nothing but kneel there - it was probably 1.5 meter high.

But the best reward from climbing up the cliff is the view. With the see in front and the mountain behind - it is very feng shui in the end.