Podar Classmates' Meet (1961-71)

January 26, 2014

Endless affection and love flowed during our Podar classmates' get-together yesterday evening.

40+ years between then and now simply did not exist. It is a long time to remember many things as I am speaking of our time during adolescence and our early teenage years.

The world was very small then. My biggest embarrassment was facing mother when we did not reach home before 7 pm for prayers and greatest anxiety was whether I would be able to exchange my duplicate stamp next day in the classroom with the one that my friend possessed. My idea of pranks was sitting at the bench near the window at the back and produce smoke by training the magnifying glass on a paper and the fear was when I also burnt the wooden bench.

A sort of melancholy would descend upon me if I go on reliving those innocent days any further. Just posting the pictures from our meeting yesterday.

Regulation Group Photograph

A usual disarray just before the final setting

The gracious hostess regaling her audience

Ravi catching someone unawares

Sanjay explaining his painting 

Some one-to-one meetings

Of Green Hills and Other Colours

Sahyadri mountain range or the Western Ghats running along the west coast of India is a great place to be during and soon after the monsoon season. Pictures speak for themselves and the one I love the most out of my pictures is this :

 

We spent our time at Tapola village, about 25 Km from the popular tourist spot of Mahabaleshwar in Maharashtra. The resorts of Mahabaleshwar pride on swimming pools, multi-cuizine restaurants, fun-zones and spas to pamper the city guests where as this place boasts of nothing but peaceful time with Nature. 

The above picture was shot from the lush green (should have I said that !) hillock just behind our tents. We were at Nisarga whose name easily pops up on search engines. Basic tents but spacious enough for 3, clean rooms and attached toilets which work efficiently and hot and homely food made to our order. Would any one want to spend a week doing nothing except lazying around on a cane jhoola or going for leisurely walks on empty roads or a boat ride in blue calm waters of Koyna river very close to the confluence of 3 rivers ?

The route to this place passing through Mahabaleshwar is also not less enchanting :

This place is quite close to Kaas plateau known for the tiny colourful wild flowers that grow only for a few weeks during  August / September. Declared now as Biodiversity World Heritage Site by the UNESCO. We did not make it to Kaas but flowers were all over wherever we set our eyes and wherever they managed a slightest foothold even on the rocks on the roadside.

 

 

   

So close to Mahabaleshwar, we did make our regulation visits to number of 'Points' and a few names still in the memory are Wilson, Babington, Kate and Lodwik Points. There were few more like Arthur and Savitri  where the fog totally overwhelmed us and could not do anything but enjoy the local ''bhutta'. Very vitalizing. And as we drove around without any map in hand or with no particular destination in mind, it was just impossible not to take a few stops wherever we sensed photo opportunities :

 

Needle Hole at Kate Point. Can you also imagine elephant ? In fact I can see more than one.

Lastly birds, which I do not like to miss whenever I go to a place with or even without vegetation. Plenty of them were spotted but the one I would post here is a Malabar Crested Lark enjoying its time on Panchgani Table-land.

Thank you.

Rocks That Stood Apart

As we were driving back from the industrial town of Toranagallu (not far from Hampi in Karnataka), we came across these small hillocks made of bare rocks. Each cluster of these rocks had one or more rocks who stood apart from others and you will see why.

If they could talk, I am sure they had a story to tell from the past millennia . . .

 

Saturday afternoon Siesta

I was contemplating a Saturday afternoon siesta. Casually slid the window curtains and what do I see ? A Rose-ringed parakeet also has the same plans !

 

A Yesteryear Well

Here is a stone stepped well atop Nandi hills, about 60 Kms north of Bangalore and about 30 Kms from Bangalore airport. The well itself was not open to visitors and am not sure if this is a right way to maintain our heritage.

A man made construction, whom are we saving it from by not opening it to the public !

Could not find much information about its history. Can anyone help ?

I often try to visit this place when I am in Bangalore for bird watching but spend some time around this well.

Hypnotised by Hypnotique

I was hypnotised recently by this colour shade when I was moving around Bangalore.

I remembered my good friend talking once about this shade Hypnotique when it came to Lipstic, Nail polish and wall shades.

See if you agree.

This fort called Devanhalli Fort about 60Kms north of Bangalore built in 16th centure is also known to be the birth place of Tipu Sultan

Big Banyans in India

Giant Banyan trees in Botanical Garden in Kolkata, Theosophical society in Adyar, Chennai and then the ones near Ananthpur, Andhra and Bangalore are all 400+ years old and are spread over a couple of acres. But even the one below ( seen near Barrackpore near Kolkata ) and many others which are seen all over India are no less spectacular.

Given Time and Care, they all would grow into Giants.