GOD'S OWN COUNTRY_BACK WATERS

The Best part of God's own country is the variety it offers to the tourists, the famed beaches, the temples and churches, the hill ranges of Munnar, the water falls and hydels generating stations and so on.. Today its the turn of Back water, just after Kollam, this backwater off the national highway takes one to Amritapuri.

Fast moving fishing trawler

Though in motion looks as if the entire frame has come to a standstill ..

The Katu vellam or the house boat moored for the day

So are the smaller ones

Some Birds

Its always satisfying to capture a bird sitting far off in a tree, it would be even more satisfying to identifying it, but..

Butter fly on Rocks

Its common to see butterfly on flowers, but on a rock... ?

Portrait on a lazy Afternoon

On a days visit to Goa, with a afternoon to kill, the logical option would have been to rush to the nearest beach, but I choose to laze around just as Goans do, spent the afternoon in the garden opposite Margao Municipality, the traffic on the road at standstill, the shops closed. Its then I saw a dog cuddling with such love and warmth to a old man, it would have made a great picture, and I lost the moment by the time I could whip by camera out. Nevertheless the Portrait I took of this man looked great, being the most satisfactory portrait shot by me.


Look at the intense gaze

A lazy afternoon

A day in tumkur

On a day's picnic tour of Tumkur, we got to visit the Siddhaganga Math , Namada Chilume and Devarayanadurga. All these spots are in the close proximity to each other.

The Pinnacle of the temple at the Siddhaganga Math




Namada Chilume believed to be have been created by Lord Rama



A solitary lotus in the pond created by the oozing water from the chilume (spring)

Bastions at the entrance to the Devarayandurga fortress

Yoganarasima Temple at the top

A half finished job.Waiting to be sculpted at the precincts of a rebuilt 800 year old Shiva temple at Durgadahalli

Fields such as this surround the Durgadahalli temple

Chintamani, Kaivara

Place have interesting tales to tell, especially if you know a bit of Indian Mythology. I was in Chintamani and got to see the Kailash Giri caves, where a whole mountain is being drilled to house a temple, on the lines of Badami, Patadkal, but in these modern times a cave temple....... The Kaivara town I found was not only known for the 19th century saint Nayanappa, but also is the place where the duel between Bhima and Bhakasura took place.


This road leads to Kailashgiri


The Cave Temple

The Hillock where the duel reportedly took place ending in the fall of the Bhakasura from the top

Saint Narayanapp' s temple at Kaivara

Chintamani by Night-Shot from a nearby hillock

PODS

History tells us India had trade links with the Pharaohs, the Greeks and Romans for spices and which also was the main reasons for the Western occupation of our country.
Katapanna in the Idukki ranges is the trading town for the spices with all the trappings of a city. It is good to walk the streets filled with aroma of cardamon, tea, coffee and so many other exotic spices. Deep interiors will take you to the plantations, here are few the pods

Pepper

Coffee

Cardamom Pods

Chitradurga da kalina kote

This hair rising song from the Kannada movie " Nagarahavu", rings in your ears when you near the fort. Its a beauty but I am yet to admire it. This is my third visit to this fort and I am yet to explore the vast area and see for myself, the brave lady Obavva's kindi. Like always this time too I reached the fort around 6 pm, after a days work and had to be satisfied roaming around the periphery and take couple of shots promising myself a next visit.

The Bastions at the base of the mountains

The path to the summit of the fort

Harihareshwara Temple

After a hard days work in Harihara, we go to the Harihareshwara temple at about 7 pm.
The pillars of the temple are awesome and the carvings intricate , but almost total darkness and no tripod to shoot. This is probably the time one can hone their skills in photography.
For someone who loves history, this temple built by the Hoysala kings was great to admire , More so because I am yet to visit Belur-Halebidu - another beauty of Hoysala period.

Both this images were shot with the camera on a pillar with a shutter speed of 15 sec and a aperture of 4.0

The Entrance to the Temple



Lateral view of the temple

Kokkare Bellur

I had not heard of this place, until my uncle who presently resides in Maddur suggested a visit to this village of Kokkare Bellur. A pretty ordinary village, but with a difference, here the man and the beast (birds) coexist peacefully. A nesting place for the soft billed pelicans and the painted stork, these birds probably cross couple of continents are confident to build their nests right in the midst of the village. We came across a old woman who says the right time to visit is the last of January. The village kids come to you and describe the birds to you assuming the mantel of guides. For people visiting this place ( Take a right turn a little away from Maddur town on the Bangalore Mysore Highway), don't forget to carry some biscuits and chocolates for these kids.

A Pensive Pelican


An aggressive one delicately perched

Majestic in flight

A flock of painted stork nesting on a tree top

A stork in deep thought

How dare you zoom on me

Macro shots of Flowers

Close up shots of flowers are always challenging. here are some....
One of the First shot taken with my new camera

Bees on a flower, yes, But a spider???

This was taken by my daughter

HAPPY NEW YEAR

I wish a joyous new year to all of you . Hear are few pictures of the first rays of the sun on the first day of the year

Idukki hill ranges-Tea gardens

Munnar is one beautiful place in the Gods own country, largely untouched by commercialisation. Couple of days in these hill ranges would be rejuvenating . The tea gardens are a beauty, you could keep gazing at it for hours or decide to take a walk along the steep paths.

A bewitching shot of the existing tea bushes and the sprouting ones

The clouds too wants its print on the garden

Amidst all the beauty periyar flows nonchalantly

Idduki Hill Range_ Kurisumala Ashram

If silence is what one need to experience, then Kurisumala Ashram is the best place. Established by Christian monks and situated in the famous Vagamon grasslands of Idukki hill ranges , its place where silences is strictly followed and is so quiet and tranquil, you will wish to spend at least a couple of days in this place in complete silence and contemplation- tending to the cattle and participating in the chores of the Ashram.
ByLanes of the Ashram

Cattle sheds and Milk processing centre
Splendid view of the Vegetable patch and beyond

PASSING SHOW.

I have a faint recollection of a cigarette called Passing show in my childhood, This photograph of my friend took me back to those times

MIST LADEN PONMUDI

This virgin mist laden valley is just under 60 kms away from Trivandrum largely untouched and waiting to be commercialized. The nip in the mountain air gets you and you have this unmistakable exhilaration.

The majestic Kallar river flowing in the valley


Misty Breeze sweeping across the mountain side


On a trek in the mountains

Misty, misty, Misty pathway

Dhund se lipte in vadiyon mein kahin lika hai mera nam (Faintly recollect these lines were of Deepti Naval)

Cottages on the top of the mountain