Village Theru thiruviya

Temple car festivals are unique as they imbibe a sense of togetherness of the village community, making the culture alive and overall a sense of anticipation, excitement, devotion and all the above sense of fulfilment, on the last day,  once the Car function sucessfully ends after 10 days of different idols procession with the participation of volenteers..


Some pictures of Sri Venkatachalapathy temple, car festival at Nellicherry village Palakkad. I had the blessings and privilege to partake and participate in the recently concluded Theru thiruviya!!!

oh.. Looking for Showers....

This pic clicked on 24th April 2016.. the Scorching heat continues and no heavy rain for the past one month, this is quite unusual... As last year between 22-24  April 2015, If my memory is correct it rained in the evenings, and on this period there were sporodic hailstorms in Bangalore in 2015, and it rained very heavily with hailstorm in Marathahalli and due to squall all the telephone lines and electricity was disrupted for two days... but this year 2016, no rain and heat waves continues.. and we are awaiting for the first rains...

awaiting for the smell of rain...

This year 2016, Bangalore is witnessing one of the harshest Summer... probably beating all the records as in many days in this April it crossed 35deg C mark. Also unlike normal Bangalore weather, as it used to be, whenever temperature increases, it used to rain in the evening. I heard from Old Bangalorites, in Pre 1990's it used to rain almost daily in the evenings in Summer. Bangalore is called the Pensioners Paradise and Garden City !!!

One of the beautify city in India and I remember when I was young, we used to consider Bangalore as a cool place to pamper during School Summer holidays... Bangalore in my mind is comparable to hillstations and colonial style building and landscape and weather like Ooty, Kodaikanal...

However till 1995 it was nice and cool, once the Y2K problem and the opportunity it posed, the development of IT Sector industry begun to descent in Bangalore, and things starts changing.. 

For employment purpose, Bangalore developed rapidly, people from all parts of India start coming to Bangalore for a better Career, many MNC companies, particulary IT starts opening their centres in Bangalore, and quickly bangalore become Cyper city and window of opportunities and talented manpower makes Bangalore one of the fastest developing city in India.. Apart for IT, Business process outsourcing industry, KPOs, LPOs, and many MNC R&D centres starts operations in Bangalore. 

The main reasons attributes initially was the advantage of fabulous, meditarian type of climatic conditions... Cloudy skies, average temperature, round the year rain, moderate cold and one of the few cities in India which have all the four+1 seasons, Winter, Spring, Summer, Rainy , and autumn. As Bangalore used to have rain almost round the year. It used to get

Jan- March- Mango showers,

April -June- Premonsoon showers, 

July - Oct- South west monsoon rains,

Nov-Dec- North East monsoon rains.

Bangalore was called Lake City, In the 1960s the number of tanks and lakes was 280 and less than 80 in 1993. However, now it is having on 17 good lakes., rest all encroached and building and high rises filled the lakes.Most of the lakes have vanished due to encroachment and construction activity for urban infrastructure expansion.

 Also the city's green cover has been cleared for development and rapid urbanization. According to a research study the Green cover in Bangalore has decreased by 66 per cent and water bodies by 74 per cent in the last 40 years. The mindless cutting down of trees for construction of building has reduced green cover with has serious implications for the city’s environmental and ecological health.

It appears Bangalore has crossed the threshold of urbanization, which is evident from a range of psychological, social and health impacts on residents including dramatic increase in obesity, asthma, traffic problems, road accidents etc. As per the experts opinion a city must maintain at least 33 per cent green cover to maintain ecological balance. 

It is time to wake-up, this year 2016, Summer has shown to us, that Bangalore is no more "Old Bangalore" and for the first time in history Bangalore has crossed 40 deg C this summer and entered into the 40C club. This is not a good sign., 

All citizens and NGOs should educate the common people and the admistrators to plant more trees, to increase green cover and to preserve the existing lakes and the gardens...but it is too late..as there is no space in the city for traffic and where can they plant trees!!??

But let us be Optimistic, as they say, BETTER LATE THAN NEVER...

writing this, looking forward to have the first real Summer Showers at Bangalore.. will post when it rains....

Cherry Blossom April 2016

It is cherry Blossom season at Bangalore... flowering season, with birds, insects, squirrels busy with bussing activities around the flowers., very interesting to watch...

cat on the wall

Today afternoon near HAL Veg market, I saw this cat having siesta in the afternoon, on the wall, a cool and shady place under a big tree. It was blissfully sleeping, when  I tried to click the Cat opened its eyes and posed for my mobile.

Temple visit

One of my wish is to visit, Meenkulathi Amman Temple, Located near Palakkad. The Meenkulathi Temple is located in Pallassena, a village in southern India. I took an auto from Palakkad and reached the temple. It is around 25kms from  Palakkad. The route to the temple is fabulous, green paddy fields, greenery, natural reserves, forest kind of landscapes, water bodies, channels and hills around.
On reaching the temple, there were many devotees from Tamil nadu as well as Kerala. The temple tank is magnificent. Herewith posting some pictures. The village ambience during the travel and the serene and green rural environment and the divine feel after visiting the temple is unforgettable...

Kabini - pride of India

Visited Kabini River Lodge this weekend (23 & 24th Jan 2016) and I can say, it is one of the best in India.   Kabini is a visual treat, a pradise for nature lovers, and it is a place one can find wild animals face to face... Sambars, Elephants, Gaurs, wild boars, leopards, tigers, spotted deers, and many more. Birds are plenty...The resorvoir is surrounded by Bandipur, Nagarhole, Mudhumalai and this Kabini is one of the last protected habitats for endangered species like Elephants and Tigers, I pray and would like to see this place as prestine as now in future also, so that our next generations can see the wild animals in their natural surroundings..

Also the Kabini River Lodge is one of the best maintained Resorts, though out of reach of common man, the location and the service is unparallel. Particularly for Bird Watchers, this resorts is a heaven.. Some of the birds are Magpie Robin,  Crow Pheasant, Coppersmith Barbet, White-Cheeked Barbet, Koel,  Red-whiskered Bulbul, Brahminy Kite, White-browed wagtail, Little Egret, Purple-rumped Sunbird, Little Cormorant, Large  Cormorant are easy sight. Many varities of butterfiles, big bats.. Inside the Lodge one tree holds more than thousand of Indian Flying fox.. we could spot many mongoose and otters in the side banks...

Some sample pictures..

visit to Tiruchengodu Sree Arthanadeeswarar temple

I was reading tamil magazine kumudam, and based on the writings on Parigara Stahlangallum athan belangalum, with a belief I visited this Temple is on the hill which is red in color. One can take on 1206 steps ( 1154 upto the Temple) to reach the top of the hill to worship the Lord Shiva-Ardhanareeswarar. Cars and taxis are available to reach the temple. But when I visited yesterday, due to rain the old bridge was damaged and repair work is going on. So we climtbed to reach the temple. 
Those who wants to climb- have few extra water bottles as there is no shops on the way. And the steps are steep and climb slowly.

The nearest railway station to reach the temple is Sankari Durg.. around 10 kms..

Nov rains

The North East Monsoon is a boon to South India, normally every year during Oct to Jan, Chennai, Nagapatinam Nellore, Kakinda, Visakapatinam used to get battered by heavy rain, which may be as a result of NE Monsoon or the associated depression / cyclones.
Many times, Cyclones crosses AP Coast or Orrisa Coast, but during the depression to the development of Cyclone, Tamil Nadu coast gets good amount of rainfall.

I vivedly remember the fantastic NEM at Chennai, dark clouds from the Bay, painting the horizon like a wall paint and clouds slowly and steadily invade the landmass, turning the lower portion grey colour and starts pounding rains...It is a delight to watch pouring rain in Chennai.

Ofcourse, I can say the rain experience of Chennai is different from Hyderabad, wherein, the parched lands gets mesmerised after rain with strong petichor and release of bettles and the bees!! During November Hyderabad used to get micro-showers, litterally the size of shower is very minute and it was a pleasant experience to get drenched in the micro-shower, of course you will not get fully drenched !!

Mumbai rain is torrential, it used to pour during South West monsoon season. There would be any theaterics prior to arrival of rain, all of a sudden the western horizon darken and within few minutes, it starts downpouring... and Mumbaikars also won't  bother much, and people do their work as if it is another working day.. But whenever it rain, Chennaites make it big and Schools and Colleges remain closed if it is heavy rain...

Baroda the rain is fascinating. January to May, it used to be scortching heat in Baroda, and people are really looking forward for the arrival of Monsoon rain. The first rain would be invariably pre-monsoon showers, which happen during mid of May. Threatening dark clouds from western horizon sweeps the city, pounding heavy downpour with thunder and lightning. Invariably it swept out dirt and dust and the next day city glitter with fresh aroma of the soil and gives a pleasurable experience and expectation of the arrival SW Monsoon season. When the SW Monsoon rain starts Barodians welcome it with fun and frolic, they go to the terrace, mainly kids drench in the rain, followed by
parents and at one stage, whole family enjoys the rain in the terrace. I observed the rain watar also little warn at Baroda and Mumbai.

Bangalore., round the year pleasant weather, cool and air-conditioned city. Bangalore enjoys both the impact of SWM and NEM rain. Though the intensity is not as much as any of the city as mentioned earlier like Mumbai, Baroda or Chennai, Bangalore is no lesser in terms of total average rain fall, as Bangalore at an average crossed 100cms of yearly rain fall. The rainfall in Bangalore is distributed uniformly throughout the year.
This year 2015, the NEM just sets in. Also compounded by Low pressure area in Arabian sea., 03rd November 2015, the Low pressure system generates good amount of moisture and clouds., some sample picture cliced around 2.00pm at Sarjapur area.

Welcoming the NEM rain, the elixer of life, as this rain will help the agriculture to sow, to sustain and to reap..and essential for irrigation and for drinking water storage.

some snaps

Last week I had been to Mumbai 19/20th October. The weather this time is hot and humitd, temp touching 35 Deg, sultry and uncomfortable. While approaching near the new worli sea link bridge, clicked the following few snaps, beautiful sea and well maintained lawns and sitting place similar to Marine drive...

this year 2015 and memories of TS

The South west monsoon rain in Bangalore -June - Sep 2015 according to IMD 501.5 actual as against Normal average of 451.9, with an positive departure of 11 % ( refer link http://www.imdbangalore.gov.in/monsoon.pdf  ) .

Overall the Bangalore city did not experience the Summer heat, and  invariably if there was no rain for two days, then there will be evening showers on the third day to cool off the heat.. that is the peculiarity of Bangalore... Such a nice and pleasant weather Bangalore is gifted with...

We the Citizens should realise the balance of nature and try to preserve the Green cover to enable the nature and weather to sustain itself in coming days.. I heard from the Old Bangaloreans that in olden days, it invariably rains in almost all the days in the evenings in Bangalore.. Due to development of the city, there is substantial removal of greenary and there could be some effect in the rainfall patterns.

Of course, I was looking for the perfect evening Thunderstorms, the one similar to one I used to enjoy when I was a young at Chennai.. Darkening somewhere in the western horizons, gloozy sunshine in the Coconut leaves, murmering and a sense of something going to happen, a strange smell (Petrichor!!!), and the far away clouds turns darker and darker, cover the whole sky in a rapid speed, covers the western sun, and head of the dark clouds develops, and gives a feel of a dark umbrella is covering the earth., the western end of the dark clouds turning into a grey shade indicates rain at the horizon, and gradually the grey area covers the whole earth with the arrival of torrential rainfall, and the rain lasts for 20 to 30 minutes and the western horizon clears and the sunshine peeps through the west, and in the mean while, the earth gets whitewashed and every thing, the building, the trees, soil, grass appears and look super fresh., and in the late evening, clear skies, and all the bulbs, tubelights invites insets and eeasals... That is the peculiar and ideal Thunderstorm I used to cherish when I was young !!! Nowadays, seeing such a storm is very rare, in Bangalore it is still rare, because, it used to pour instantly in Bangalore ( maybe due to its elevation!!). and location wise rainfall varies in Bangalore...

I still remember one of those fantastic Thunderstorm when I was relocating, ie the last day when I was driving back home in the evening from Office at Vadodara...

Now it is Northeast Monsoon season..looking forward for wet and more rainy days...

This picture was clicked in the afternoon,On 5th Oct 2015, Monday, however in the evening,  there was good development of Thunderstorm and it rained very heavily at Marathahalli around 7 cms within 30 minutes.. a perfect Thunderstorm with lightning and Thunder...