India through my eyes - A performer at a temple festival

Many years ago, I had started this series called India through my eyes and had posted a few images ..The posts became a bit irregular and slowly died..When I started my 365 project a few months ago, I decided to revive it again and so - here I am with the first post

India is filled with Gods, temples , festivals and legends . Here is a temple festival which happens on my street every year in Bangalore , when a performer dons the role of Veerabhadra, an angry form (avtaar) of Lord Shiva . Was quite amazed to find some locals,  falling at his feet and seeking his blessings .

Skywatch - Standing tall

With all due respect to John Keats, my favourite poet - " The poetry of the earth (and sky ) is never dead.."

To see some brilliant skies around the world, visit Skywatch

Shatabdi musings - from jolarpettai - part 1

Sitting in an ac coach of a train and looking out thro the window , I feel like I'm living in an ivory tower watchg the world go by - yet the world outside seems to be headed nowhere - two lone people bicycling their way in opposite directions in a vast open green field ; a railway crossing where an assortment of cycles and bikes are waiting for us to pass so that they can get on with their lives : two drongos surveying the scene from the wire and some bikes and cycles parked below an old mandapa . After a montage of picket fences, old and new towns, vast open spaces, fields, dusty buildings, some huts and encroachments, lakes and trees , the train pulls up at jolarpettai for an unscheduled stop . The smell of cold vadai and upma comes in as breakfast is served .

The old and the young, the sleepy and the silent, the restless and the curious, the bored and the bores , all wake up suddenlty to attack the cold food, not necessarily out of hunger , but just to fulfil the need to do some activity .

A curious kid is still at it - the questions keep coming - idhu traina busa , namba eppo madras povam, nee enna sapre ( is this a train or a bus, when we reach madras - ok the kid said chennai , what are you eating ?)

Some phones ring and loud voices fill the air . A man switches effortlessly between kannada and tamil giving some instructions , another is talking about blackberry phones, the girl next to me is singing besura with her headphones on , aunty close by is reading her favourite magazine .

I shut my mind and look out , but the sun is shining right through . I draw the curtains, close my eyes, put the phone on silent and try to sleep or at least day dream . Another three hours to go to reach Madras .

PS - This is my first ever live post from a train and its the first time I have used my phone  - Blackberry to blog . Thankfully, the network is very good . As I travel between Bangalore - Madras (Chennai) every month , I hope to make Shatabdi Musings a monthly feature  - hopefully you enjoy reading them as much as I enjoy posting them 

Five good reasons to chill on a holiday

I don many roles when I travel - A backpacker sometime, a budget traveller next, a birder/wildlifer sometime , a heritage enthusiast  , a culture monger and sometimes an explorer . I am also a lazy bum and that  is a confession. My moods change along with the destinations and of late, I am addicted to the form of travel which has CHILL written all over it .And I am going to enjoy it while it lasts .

So why is chilling a good thing on a holiday ? Here are my reasons

1. Its good for your nerves. Even better, its good for the nerves of the person who is with you. And believe me , it helps digestion too. For someone like me who has a delicate stomach, a chilled out holiday keeps  acidity at bay !

2. On a more serious note,  travelling without an agenda helps you to discover more about a place or the people or even the culture .Many a time,  I have met interesting people who have shared far more interesting stories. If you want to travel with a purpose - say , you have come to see a tiger and then you end up seeing a jungle cat, you are bound to be disappointed . But if you travel with just the intention of just travelling , then any discovery is good - even if its five days old elephant dung

3. It keeps the surprise going. Sometimes you may just find the beautiful bird singing next to your window and that makes you jump in joy. You would have probably spent the last few birding trips, waking up at unearthly hours, plucking leeches from your feet , while looking for the bird all over the place.  Everything about the chilled out trip is a delight factor and it keeps the romance of travel going

4. Your itinerary is flexible . If the weather is bad, you can read a book or soak in  the mist around you. You can walk into a local eatery or a coffee shop and enjoy some warm conversations . Do whatever pleases you and spoil yourself in the freedom ..

5. It makes you savour your holidays more . Sometimes when you are running from one destination to another  and from one must see spot to another, you may just wonder where the holiday disappeared . Here you live every moment and eventually its those moments that count

So, there you are - would you like to chill on your next trip ?

So where would you like to be this Monday ?

I would like to be here - where I was over the last weekend -up in the hills , deep inside the forests,  on a cliff enjoying a 360* view of hills and watching the mist come and go ...

How was your weekend ? 

Here comes the tourist season..

When I was young and naive and believed everything the books told me , I learnt that there were just  two seasons - summer and winter or coming from Madras, it used to be the hot summer and the cool summer as elders in the family used to joke. Those were the days when life was in black and white . It was either Rajinikanth or Kamalahassan ,  thumps up or goldspot, idli or dosa..

I learnt about the third season a bit later in the day and that, believe me was an experience . When I stepped out of a tiny room after an entire night of editing and saw an office flooded with knee deep water , with old food floating around , I knew there was a third season called the monsoons.  It was Bombay that made me experience the fury of the Arabian Sea, the lethargy of the local government as I shivered with malaria , while the roads got flooded year after year . It used to rain heavily in Madras too, but that usually coincided with the winters,sorry cool summer .

But then, seasons to me have always meant weather conditions  - hot,dry, humid,wet, stormy, cold..but  later it came to be festive and fashionable too. And finally it seeped into the world of travel . The holiday season, the tourist season, the honeymoon season soon gave way to the Kerala season, Goa season, Rajasthan season . Every tourist worth his salt had to put his stamp in these places. You need to have those photographs against the Taj in the background, else you haven't travelled at all. 

When I started travelling, I was asked if I was going to Goa for new years eve and I would say no.( I still havent, but thats a different story ) They asked me if I had been to Jaisalmer and again the answer was negative. Thankfully I had been to the Kerala backwaters and I eventually redeemed myself by heading to Agra and got a glimpse of The Taj -whew ! that was a sign of relief.

I dare not tell them that I havent seen a single tiger or leopard in the forest, nor have I been to Corbett or Kanha. My last visit to Kanyakumari was probably when I was 15 to see the sunrise .. And yet, the eyebrows are raised..am I really a traveller ? " Maybe shes just a pretender , not really been anywhere." came the voices..

So who are these people , you may ask..People who believe that their holidays should be a list of only must see places as they keep ticking them off their bucket list. I see nothing wrong with it really as I have my own bucket list too and I will probably visit all the places mentioned above "whenever I feel like .." And that to me , makes me a nomad.  

I choose my destinations - I travel where I want to, when I want to - not because its the season to go there. I travel within my own city, around the outskirts of the city and sometimes to a getaway outside the city . And when I feel like its time to have a date with a destination , I check out my bucket list and go..

Meanwhile I realize I am a bit outdated still. Seasons have changed again -  you now have a tiger season, an angling season and a migratory season too and I will soon be hibernating to run away from all of this 

Since when did travel become so stressful, I wonder ! 

So where would you like to be this Monday ?

In Pulicat - not just looking at birds, but at some ruins ..Pulicat has a rich history from ancient times to colonial era and you can still find some of the monuments and houses around,though in crumbles . When asked where the fort is, I was shown a marshland with trees and you could squint through the woods to see some bricks..Here is a door,sorry window closed to the past

Guest post - Enjoying Toronto from the perspective of a local

Hello folks  - here is a guest post after a very long time  . Fellow traveller Priyank Thatte writes about Toronto and shares some lovely photographs here  . You can follow Priyank through his blog, twitter and facebook profiles too 

Toronto skyline - CN Tower and the Sky Dome being the distinguishing landmarks

Toronto, the largest city in Canada and the capital city of the Ontario Province, has been my home for over four years now. Top tourist sights include the CN tower, museums and art galleries, and so on. But like most other cities in the world, Toronto's 'real' charm lies in its other, ordinary, non touristic areas. My single most favorite leisurely activity in the city is to randomly walk around and discover new neighbourhoods. It's amazing what you end up finding!

Street signs

The name "Toronto" is derived from a native language and its exact meaning is being debated to be either "the place where trees stand in the water" or "the place of meetings." From 1793-1834, Toronto, the capital of Upper Canada was called York. The neighbourhoods around just to the east of downtown are identified today as NOld Toronto�. This block is relatively less developed and still retains some of the 20th century feel to it.
Distillery District - A lane in the Distillery
Located on the edge of Old Toronto neighbourhood is the Distillery District - formerly world's largest whiskey distillery. Now the industrial activity has ceased and the old factory buildings have been converted to a beautiful space filled with art galleries, boutiques, specialty restaurants, etc. It's a great car-free zone for getting in touch with Canadian artists and spend a day in outdoor caf�s - very popular with the tourists too.
Streetscape - Just another street 
Toronto streetscape is filled with murals of all possible shapes and sizes. From the random punk graffiti to exquisite promotional murals, the city was leave you quite impressed. Unlike several cities in the USA, Toronto's graffitis are considered to be an expression of art, not a sign of a run down neighbourhood. In fact, every year the city holds a graffiti festival, during which a whole alley is opened up for local artists to get creative with their cans of spray. The result? A free open air museum showcasing our talent all year long!
Toronto's architecture is mixed, but most of it has been influenced by European and US styles and ideas. Some distinctly French and British influences can be seen on some of the older neighbourhoods and houses. Styles vary depending on the income level of the residents and some of the social housing blocks are simply functional modernist high rises. As per the current trend, latest residential towers being erected in downtown have a distinct green-blue glass look. Building designs of Museums such as the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Royal Ontario museums seem to suggest a growing push towards bolder ideas.
Queen Street tram
Toronto is among the few of cities in the world that still have trams serving core areas. Since I prefer rail over bus, the trams (or "street cars" as we call them) are a nice way to explore the city without too many distractions. The Queen Street route is the longest single route in North America and a a ride in it is quite interesting and educational. As the streetcar passes through residential neighbourhoods to commercial downtown and back to upcoming residential areas, one cannot but admire the transition in scenery.
Street Festivals - Crowds during Nuit Blanche
The city is relatively quieter during winter months with the exception of few festivals, most notable of them being "Nuit Blanche", a French term that means "White Night." On this night, the city gets converted to a museum, celebrating contemporary art and inviting people from all walks of life to appreciate it. Art galleries open their doors, artists setup street exhibits, parks and squares showcase creative productions and the streets gets immensely crowded.
Near Dundas Square
Summer months are packed with festivals with about a dozen activities going on in different parts of the city each weekend. The joy of the sunniest season of the year can be multiplied by attending these celebrations, a lot of which are thematic - Greek food festival, Indian bazaar, Gay parade, Bicycle rides, Marathons, Jazz festival, and what not.
CN Tower and rail lines from Bathurst bridge
As I write this article, I realise that I have only scratched the surface of what makes Toronto's neighborhoods so charming. Have you visited Toronto yet?

Skywatch - The journey so far in 2011

I have been travelling a bit around India in the last three months - Forests,lakes, hill stations, birds,flowers, temples, , monuments, forts and people ..the list goes on. I have not had the time to blog much , but here are some skies from some of the places I have visited

It started with a birding holiday in Thattekadu and then to the tea plantations of Munnar

Next came Goa with its birds and snakes - a truly wild experience . Here is a purple heron that we spotted when we went birding in Zuari

More birding again near Sira in Karnataka where we saw some painted storks in a small village called Kaggaladu.

Then came Sira's fort and Dargah and Sibi's Narasimha temple .

Back to Tamil Nadu in March with birding in Pulicat lake and the ancient Dutch cemetery in the town

A visit to Nilgiris and her hill stations  followed . A visit to the Lawrence School., Lovedale, the alma mater of my dad was on the cards

And thereafter I went to Thirumalai to see some ancient jaina shrines and cave paintings

Madras or Chennai has been my regular port of halt in the last few months. The Marina has been my focus for a while and while I am at home in Bangalore, I have been treated to some gorgeous sunsets as well.

Where would you like to be ? To see more gorgeous skies around the world,  visit  Skywatch 

Where would you like to be this Monday ?

The Marina by moonlight . I am very much in Bangalore this Monday, but am headed to Madras/Chennai tomorrow..As summer sets in and both cities are getting hotter,I wouldnt mind some cool sea breeze ..

Where would you like to be this Monday ?

For a change, I would like to be no where - just be at home,enjoying a sumptuous Ugadi  lunch at my in laws place and gaze at sunsets from my balcony, like I did over the weekend

Skywatch - climbing up hill on a hot summer day

We were about four hours from Madras(Chennai ) in Thiruvannamalai district in Thirumalai . This is an ancient Jain heritage site and we were here to look for rock caves , cave paintings and old temples of Jains . I will post a detailed article in some time, but I took these pictures as we climbed uphill to see a 18 feet monolith of Neemnatha , the 22nd Teerthankara and a few other temples  . It was noon and the sun was rather merciless  , but the trip was well worth it ..

For more summer and winter skies around the world ,visit Skywatch