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Nisha

Story of Meissen Porcelain, the White Gold of Dresden

Strong man covets the white gold

Augustus II the Strong, the Elector Prince of Saxony and the King of Poland was an avid patron of arts and decided that Dresden would be the cultural center. He also had a great liking for gold, real yellow ones. His great love, bordering on avarice, resulted in him recruiting a young alchemist work on the Goldmacher Tinktur or the Gold making formula to convert base metals to gold.

meissen porcelain white gold saxony dresden Albrechtsburg
Meissen Cathedral seems to grow of Meissen Castle. This was where it all started. Meissen Manufactory. PC Saxony Tourism

You may say, oh not another of those stories but hold on.

Adalaj ni Vav in Ahmedabad

Adalaj ni Vav Ahmedabad or Adalaj stepwell was the first place we visited after landing in Ahmedabad the previous evening. We were staying in a Heritage house in old town and were advised to hire an auto to take us places to see in Ahmedabad.

I had heard about its magnificent carving but did not know it has a very interesting story behind it as well!

My instant reaction on seeing it was a “Wow” instead of Vav. 🙂

Adlaj vav @lemonicks.com

Adalaj stepwell or ‘Vav‘ or or ‘Vaav’ as it is locally called, is a five-storied beautifully chiseled step well in a small sleepy village Adalaj, about 18 km from Ahmedabad. It is intricately carved and is a fine example of magnificent architectural form. The designs as leaves, flowers, birds, fish, women performing daily chores, scenes of court and kings and other breathtaking ornamental designs on its walls and pillars have made Adalaj Vav a popular tourist attraction of the city.