Tuesday 8 April 2014

G is for Grandeur



There is only one scene that flashes in my mind when I think of grandeur. That view will remain forever etched in my memory, one that I will carry to my grave. It was breath taking, awe inspiring and even had the agnostic me believe in God for a moment. The only other time that I have felt that way was when I saw my little girl for the first time.

File:Crepescular rays in saint peters basilica.JPG
Source: Wikipedia
The St. Peter’s basilica. There was something about the moment that I stepped into the place. Maybe it was the light streaming through the dome or just the sheer size, the grandeur of it all. I felt light headed, like I was in heaven. I thought it was also rather symbolic to feel dwarfed in this magnificent architectural marvel. Check out the picture, look at how tiny the human beings look! We all are tiny aren’t we? Well, that's another philosophical discussion altogether, sometime later perhaps.

The Vatican skyline sports the iconic white dome, but don’t let it deceive you. For, inside the basilica it is another world altogether. I couldn’t get my head around how something could be so huge, yet so ornate. The architectural splendour, the finesse of every small detail was mind blowing. And to have done this centuries back! Phew!

If you haven’t already been to the basilica, you must. Everything else about the Vatican City is indeed grand, but this one is ethereal!

12 comments:

  1. This is awesome! Thanks for sharing. I usually see pictures of the dome, but this is the first picture I have seen with sun beams captured. Those light beams always give me a sense of feeling blessed by God (may be a a result of watching too many movies) and also goosepimples. :)

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    1. Thanks for taking out the time to comment on my blog Pratima. I completely agree with the movie bit ;)

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    1. Yes Diptee, you will love the place. You should plan your next trip there.

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  3. Wow, what a beautiful photo!

    I went to St Peter's Basilica years ago, and I have such an amazing memory of it, but no photo quite so dramatic as yours with the light streaming in.

    I have a bit of a thing for cathedrals, architecturally they're just amazing!

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    1. Thanks Celine! The photo is from Wikipedia, but this exactly captures what I saw when I entered the place. Cathedrals are beautiful indeed.

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  4. Lovely. .. gotta make that trip soon! :-)

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    1. Yes, the rest of Vatican is beautiful too. But this one was out of the world.

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    1. Yes Jyotsna, no words can do justice to actually seeing / experiencing the place.

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  6. How cool is that?

    Marie from www.everydaymiracle.blogspot.com

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