Indian Villages-1

I never observed that I had completed hundred posts on my blog. It was quite difficult and I had to struggle initially with paucity of time. But all you appreciation and encouragement has spurred me on.  I just dont want my blog to have posts on one or two subjects alone. It should reflect my culture, my life and my country with bits of everything a I see as I comprehend and as I feel I want all of you to share with me...

Well, in celebration of my century and of coarse my life......here is what is dear to me most...India;

India was and perhaps still is basically a country of villages. People are dependent on agriculture and related industries. With a climatic and geographical zones so different at various places, it is really a boon to India that various crops can be harvested. Kashmir has a cold climate like the Western countries. Here all the fruits like, apples, cherries, spices like cardamom, dry fruits, saffron can be grown. Punjab and other areas are fertile with water from the river sources. Hence various crops like the wheat, maize, sugarcane etc are grown in bounty.Rajasthan and Gujrath regions, are hot and covered by desserts. So we get some of the products like the dates and the dessert ber (its a kind of berry). Down South, its highly fertile and also has a very long coast line. We grow, rice, spices, coconuts, sugarcane, groundnuts and other oil seeds, tamarind, grapes, pomegranates etc are cultivated.

Well, I love our villages and village folk. Simple and frugal living, struggling lives., lots of problems like poverty,  debts, lack of even basic amenities, ...yet, there is a contentment, satisfaction, living near to nature in pollution free atmospheres which is not available in city life. Only if we can help them even in a small way....

Here are some of the scenes I tried to capture. But since I was doing so from a moving vehicle  some of them lack clarity and will be fuzzy. Sorry for that. I am a novice with a camera; even digital at that...lol!

These are the typical scenes of villages one gets along the roads, we travel.. See the rolling hills in the distance, a blue sky, various shades of greens and yellows, dotted with huge trees and tall palms every now and then and then of coarse the water and reflections of nature in the water. Oh so beautiful!

Here you can see the green fields, with the tall palms and other trees as boundaries. Some poets describe  this as Mother Nature wearing a sari in various shades of green...isnt the thought beautiful?

As my vehicle was moving with speed, I was suddenly caught with this one.  Amateur that I am,I  fumbled, mumbled, panicked and some how managed to click it. The greenery, the blue skies, the still water, the little rocks and islands in the water with greenery and little white egrets. You can see the green moss under the still water.

I think they are called egrets, they stalk the cattle along with the wild mynas and are found a plenty in our fields.

Here is perhaps a better view. Well every photographer gets caught with surprises like these. The coll and calm ones, the ones with more patience and the ones who are more experienced, but of coarse the ones with lots of LUCK in their favour can click it at the right moment. Mine was more luck  than skill. I just did not know whether to drink in the beauty of the nature or aim and get a picture. Perhaps I just did it as a reflex action? I don't remember at all accept for the fear that I passed a very beautiful chance. Until I had a look at it, I just kept on cursing myself for being so slow to react. But then I got it OK. Hey I think I did well?

Here you can see the cattle tied in ones yard, the farm implements and machinery, hay stack, dust and the greenery. You can see the a Babool trees on one side and tamarind on the other, which are quite common on our country side.

Babool trees as they are called in Hindi are the Acasia or commonly known as Gum Arabica, are called as Thumma Chetllu in Telugu. These are very medium sized, hardy  trees with long thorns and small leaves. So they are saved from the cattle and can with stand serious drought conditions. Its medicinal properties are well known to Indains since ancient times. They are used as protective hedges, help in vegetating arid and semi arid regions, used as fuel by the village folk and also give shade. Its good for teeth hence used in tooth pastes.

Well tamarind as you know are very huge trees, give shade and also the sour fruits which are used extensively in our cooking as souring agent.

The scenes are so idyllic ...Some more in my next post...Hope you have liked them as much as I do...

Please do leave your comments and suggestions.