Riot of Colours

What are Indian festivals without it's riot of colours, ambrosial food and family gettogethers. Deeply entwined with mythology and religion, festivals are nothing but a  means to human bonding...This pic was taken at our home during Ugadi.

And on this Independence Day, I am proud to be a part of our country's rich and varied heritage

Party on the Papaya tree

The cacophony outside drew me to the windows. Behold! On the Papaya tree, a noisy party was going on. I saw the female spotted koel feasting on the golden papayas. Soon an Indian tree-pie flew in to join the noisy party. It kept a skeptic eye on me, as it relished on the fruity delight. I clicked a few pics and left them to a peaceful feast. Half an hour later, I came back to find a lone male koel perched precariously on the tree, finishing the last morsels of the fruit...

Papayas when they ripen, are party-time for birds. Our neighbouring house has many papaya trees in their backyard. And when the fruit ripens, I will pray fervently that the neighbours shouldn't notice the ripened fruit and pluck it away :-) Otherwise, I will miss my golden bird-watching opportunity.

Discovering Ice

"Many years later, as he faced the firing squad, Colonel Aureliano Buendía was to remember that distant afternoon when his father took him to discover ice." These are the opening lines of Gabriel Garcia Marquez's  famous book One Hundred Years of Solitude.

As for me, I vividly remember that Christmas eve when I discovered ice for the first time.  Living in a tropical place, lashed by torrential monsoons and dotted with evergreen forests, winter and snow were but sheer magical fantasies for me. Gentle snow flakes dancing in the air, the heavy blanket of ice covering rooftops, chimneys and pine trees  were still pictures out of a childhood story book. Then, when in the Himalayan valleys of Manali I experienced snow, it was breathtakingly beautiful despite the bone chilling cold. When I gathered snow into my gloved hands for a snow ball fight, it was every bit of what I imagined it to be.. The snow capped mountains  resembled an enormous yummy black forest cake, with rocky parts exposed in between the expanse of ice. The leafless apple orchards, the Buddhist prayer flags fluttering high in the wind and the pack of donkeys transporting the people uphill added to the magical aura of the Himalayan Valley...

After the Rain

 It was a refreshing long walk...The earth was still damp from the night's rain..Air was still crispy cool.. Tiny yellow blossoms from the tree blown out by a strong gust of wind had carpeted the earth below.. Few mushrooms had popped up around a decaying tree trunk..A  red millipede slowly slid out of a dark pod...Nature was bustling with activity.

PS: Spotted by me and clicked by my sweetheart M

Pink City

 This is Jaipur city as seen from atop Hawa Mahal. I love this pic...the bustling traffic..the cycle rikshas..the street vendors..the quintessential pink buildings from an age old era..political flag fluttering high in the wind..hazy vision of a distant hill..This is Pink City for you...

Go Green

Do you love green???
the green of those glistening leaves after the rain..
the green of the seaweed afloat on water..
the green of the mehndi adorning the bride..
the green of that grasshopper in your garden..
the green of the bee-eater bird on your guava tree..
the green of the curry-leaf garnishing your food
the green of those peas, fresh out of it's pod..
the patriotic green on our Indian tricolour..
Do you think green????
the green that is in your heart
the ever green memories in your heart...

Elemental Roar

What keeps your tired legs going during long arduous trekking? For me, it's often the rumble of the distant waterfalls. It gives me hope, a beacon of hope that thrusts my poor legs forward for the mere sight of  the waterfall, to revel in it's thundering beauty, to have it's cool water sprayed on my aching body and rejuvenate my soul...

King of Jaigarh

 

 Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur is situated on a hilltop.We found his majesty embarked on the crimson throne, surveying his kingdom from atop the hill. Unlike the lesser mortals of his clan, he never accepted random pop corns or groundnuts from arbit strangers.

Seller of Dreams

 

He strolled  through the sultry beach, weary and uninspired, painting a rainbow of colours as starry eyed kids gazed at him dreamily..

Himalayas and Spirituality

A temple at Manali and a Sanayasin at it's threshold....Slices from the memorable trip of December 2008.

What is it that links Himalayas with spirituality? Why is it that our mythologies are deeply entwined with the Himalayan ranges? I wonder..Why do yogis seek enlightenment up on the mountain peaks?  Is it about the mightiness of the mountains that makes your mere existence feel insignificant? Is it about the hard terrains and harsher climate, which makes it inaccessible to the common man? Is it about a quite place, far from the maddening crowd, where your lonely self become one with nature? Is it....