Rangoli-20

Here is one more design.

I have collected many other traditional as well as new patterns on my recent travels. But I need to pen them down properly, before I can post, so that it would be easy for you all to follow. So keep a watch on my blog......

Quotes

I have this habit of collecting quotes when I come across them. Iremember them when I come across something which triggers my memory. Recently I have been clicking away in my garden and on my travels. Some of the pictures have made me remember these words... So I have written them on those pictures...

Here I saw a little fellow in one of the flowers in my garden. So I carefully clicked him. How I wish I could also rest in such a beautiful place. Wish I were Thumbelina. But actually this little one was feeling threatened  and was sending warning signals. LOL! He didn't attack me though.

This is a bud of Pomegranate. I love its flowers. There is an Indian love story of Anarkalli -means the bud of Pomegranate)-name given by the great king Akbar who ruled India, to a beautiful girl from Kabul who later fell in love with Prince Salim, son of Akbar. Their love came to a tragic end when she was sentenced to be put into a tomb live. This has been made into movie in Hindi and Telugu languages and was a great hit.
Some say this tree had come from Afghanistan to India. Well I have some in my garden which give out very beautiful and tasty fruits.

Catching a butterfly on camera is easier said than done. Its very difficult unless its resting. But what I observed is in winter time early in the morning they sun themselves to dry their wings or perhaps bask in the warmth. It was then I captured him.

Hope you like them...some more next time

Heat N Dust

It was back to traveling during the last week. Its so hot and traveling in summer is really difficult. But still there is no way out. These places are not connected with A/C coaches and it becomes so difficult to travel in the hot Sun. The Driver of the bus, and the poor rural folk, still go about it cheerfully. Though we do see a lot of flare ups in this season due to heat and dust.

Drinking cool water, coconut water, eating water melon and drinking iced lemonade..but nothing seems to beat the heat. This only beginning of the April. I fear to think of what comes next . Its summertime till June mid month and many places till July, if the Monsoon arrives on time.

But here are some of the pictures I took early morning. At least its cool and pleasant during that time.

This is the reason for the drastic climatic changes. Mountains are turned to dust, for stone and concrete material, as the building industry is on the boom. I dont know whether these do get permits to do so. How does one give them permission to mindlessly break down hillocks? This will definitely spoil the Eco system. Without mountains and hills, how will we get rains? I just shudder to think. There has been a lot of change in the surroundings in the past decade or so as I travel frequently around these areas. Less and less greenery and more and more barrenness in the name of development. Trees which are old and huge are cut down in no time. 

Where as when it comes to planting new ones, the number is far less when compared to those which are cut. Even after planting, no one is bothered to check up how many are surviving.

Hmm..I can go on ranting and raving like this. But is there any use? I only do my part and maintain greenery as much as I can and try to educate people on this.

Doesn't this look so beautiful and peaceful. I just pray that these too don't disappear with time.

Goats grazing on peacefully. You can see the mound of the remains of the crop after harvesting. This would be dried and used as feed to cattle in the hot summers when green feed may not be available.

Blue skies and green fields...I love them. Tall Palm trees give, palm fruits, leaves for thatching, wood for fuel, boats and other purposes. But the reason these are still surviving though in few numbers are for the Palm Toddy, to which some of the rural folk are addicted to. It does help them in earning some money perhaps, apart from providing them a drink.