Fresh Waterfall

Driving from Athikadavu to Ooty, passing through Manjoor, we find some pristine waterfalls and freshwater streams/spring during the course and a part of my road less travel. This’s a route that passes through wild forest and private vehicles are allowed only after thoroughly checking or enquired which has been tightened since the intrusion of antisocial.  

Actually this is a river sourced from mountain sholas and it flows like a waterfall at a point where we stopped on the bridge across the river to watch the waterfalls in step format. I think this should be a check dam but in long run the washed off rocks and sand raised the river floor and from the bridge it looked awe with a pool and huge bounder beneath.

Since we drove slowly enjoying the pristine natural environment and forest along, we stopped at many places to watch and capture the nature and manmade that wonder us. I really don’t want to reveal much about this route and let people know themselves if they are interested because we really need to protect these areas and prevent anything disturbing. 

Close up on the falls

Touch-me-not

Was fondled to whine 

stretching arms together, she 

confined further touch. 

Lovely Sky Watch II

Following my earlier post, I’m sharing another set of sky photos from the travel (to Kodai in July) further on the NH 45 passing Villupuram and Perambalur districts, the sky you watch here is above Trichy. These photos were shot while traveling on the bridges across Cauvery River and railway crossing and I find these spots apt to shoot as it kept away the building interrupting the scene. The sky came up with different shapes of fluffy cumulus clouds that keep inspiring to shoot and watch with interest. But it was the sky between the Trichy and Dindigul that fascinated me a lot and it could be my next sky watch post. 

 

 

 

The pictures were all shot through the windshield 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Idol Procession to Immerse

After long time, went for an outing on Sunday traveling around the southern outskirt of Chennai taking some road less travelled. When nearing Medavakkam junction we come across rows of Ganesh procession, where the idols are transported in mini tucks to immerse in Palavakkam Beach. There are three places allotted in Chennai for the idols brought up from the places nearby Chennai to immerse and Palavakkam is allocated to the southern region. Few years back I used to go to the beach to watch the procession and immerse of idols, but this time it came across my way and while moving in traffic I got to capture some photos on the idols transported in trucks. Many of the idols were facing back while coming opposite and I managed to take some using the iPhone. 

This idol is decorated by coins and rupees

The procession passed very quite with few beating drums and sounds

There was many walking with flags along the procession

A small collage  on the procession

NEET Dispute

Suicide is undoubtedly unacceptable whatever reason has been told behind one. Anitha’s suicide due to unable to attain medical course because of less marks in NEET (National Eligibility and Entrance Test, for Indian students who wish to join medical course) has gripped the entire state of Tamil Nadu. She didn’t give up just by that but has fought against the NEET, arguing in the Supreme Court, impleading herself as a respondent demanding an exception to NEET for Tamil  Nadu  when the state govt. let down the state board students without aid them in anyways.

The 17-year-old Anitha from Ariyalur, the most backward district of Tamil Nadu has scored 1176 marks out of 1200 in her 12^th board exams and was determined to be a doctor with cut off mark of 196.75 out of 200. But her NEET scores couldn’t make the cut as she scored only 86 out of 700 in the newly introduced entrance exam. It’s obvious that it wasn’t her fault in anyways and for the girl who scored top in board exams, NEET couldn’t be a trouble if she instructed properly.  Not only she, all students went to write the exams with a confused state whether the central govt. will waive or not for Neet in Tamil Nadu.

It’s completely failure of the deal between the state and central govt. and the education system with different syllabus for each state, how could they go for a common entrance exam when there’s lot of differences between the CBSE (central board of secondary education) and state boards.  Neet could be a better option only in the future when there’s a common education system and syllabus cross the country.   I think Neet isn’t’ included as a subject in schools and one has to take special coaching classes to train themselves to write the exam.

One of my nephews wrote Neet and they paid about 25000 for just a month course of Neet. Because of difficulty and to score high he shifted to state board after studying up to 10^th in CBSE to join medical course and in belief Neet will be waived off Tamil Nadu. Though he scored high marks in 12^th and less in Neet unable him to attend the council but without delay he joined engineering. Anitha seems to be intense about joining medical course despite the fact that she had an Aeronautical Engineering seat at the prestigious Madras Institute of Technology.

For the middle and above classes, taking the special coaching for Neet couldn’t be much difficult¸ but for a daughter or son of labour (alike Anitha) or farmer isn’t same. This isn’t the state of only Tamil Nadu, but all states face the difficult when the coaching for Neet doesn’t come free. A competition could be fair only if both sides are strong enough and CBSE consist of high standard compare to state and matric syllabus how could NEET be justified and be common to all. India is a diverse country and each state has a different language and syllabus to read and when things was like this the state wide entrance exam could be the right unless a common syllabus spread across India. 

Neighbourhood Fences

During an evening walk at neighbourhood last week I shot on few fences and gates using my iPhone Se. Usually I don’t take my phone while going for walk and this time purposely took the iPhone to test the camera and I could manage taking photos from single hand and the picture outcome is better than my previous mobile at this position.

The fence belong to a newly build house and I really liked their simple and neat design protecting their garden plants. Following the fence I stopped to take shot of a simple wooden  gate and gateway décor of a house next to it. 

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia 

Cart procession from our street temples of Ganesh

On the evening of Ganesh Chaturthi, there was couple of cart procession from our street temples.  There are two Ganesh Temples in our area and one was at the end of our street and other in the back street. Each year on the evening/night of Ganesh Chaturthi the temples out here come up with their own cart procession of decorated idols of Ganesha and prior to the festival an amount is collected from the residents by the organisers of the temples and the money is spent on the occasions for special rituals and cart procession.

Cart from back street temple (click all pics for enlarge)

Since shifted to our native area 2 years back, we got to see both the processions again and the temple at the back street was familiar to us then and the temple was built upon the stone sculpture of Ganesha that was brought by my grandfather. The first cart came from the back street temple but due to loud band played in front of the cart I didn’t come out to check it and I really hate such loud bands and what they played was worst because it was a funeral beat. Playing such band for an auspicious event like Ganesh Chaturthi is quite senseless.

Cart from our street end temple

The picture on the cart (first one) was shot by mom on the back street temple and she went out for few minutes of worship and she too hated the loud band. Usually Nadaswaram Melam or Thavil (the traditional instrumental of Tamil Nadu, played for special and auspicious occasions) takes place in front of the cart procession but what they did squirm the faces of residents and many didn’t come out to receive the Lord. But the cart from our street end temple was right opposite and made a peaceful entry into the streets playing my favourite Nadaswaram Melam.

The cart procession by this temple went at leisure pace and I took many photos when it come closer and stop in front of our house. They did nice floral decoration for Ganesh and other two idols and the installed focus light helps capture decent photos. I also got interested shooting the players of Nadaswaram Melam sending beautiful notes to ears and the street was lit by tube lights on one side along with color flag poles. 

Nadaswaram Melam or Thavil playing in front of the cart procession

Home Ganesh and Reason to Immerse

Ganesh Chaturthi was celebrated at home on Friday and as usual parents bought clay idol of Ganesh and after the worship the idol was immersed in a tub of water in the evening. For last 10 years we have been immersing the idol in same way rather dropping at sea or river (what many others do), and the muddy water is later used for watering plants.

Actually the clay idols should be immersed in rivers, where those days there used to be flood in rivers during this time and the running water wash away the sands on river bed to let water flow easily into the sea instead of slow and steady progress which rise up the groundwater table. The dissolving clay idols control the flow of water by blocking and turning it harder and the dry clay idols suck the water at the floor of river help increasing the groundwater level.

The clay idol put into a bucket of water to dissolve

Our ancestors had a reason to celebrate Ganesh Chaturthi and the practice of dissolving clay idols was beneficial then, but what we dissolve these days only pollute the water bodies. The clay was transformed into various toxic substances to give colors and different shapes to Ganesha. These days all rivers run into the state are dry but the reasonable practice, which supposed to take a break turned into a ritual where the choice of immerse becomes anything and most of the times it was sea or lakes.

For those unaware: Ganesh Chaturthi is a grand festival in India, devoted to Ganesha – a prime deity worshiped by Hindus. It is celebrated as ten-day festival in northern states of India and is usually celebrated privately at home as well in public, and is organised by local youth groups mostly where they collect money from public to form pandals (temporary shelters) to install Ganesha idols. 

Yellow Mike

A yellow Dahlia bloomed near my uncle’s woodhouse in Thandkudi and the way it rose up from a long stem reminds me the standing mike in stage play.

Dahlia is a genus of bushy, tuberous, herbaceous perennial plants native to Mexico and it is related to species includes the sunflower, daisy, chrysanthemum, and zinnia. The flower forms are variable, with one head per stem; these can be as small as 5 cm diameter or up to 30 cm. The dahlia was declared the national flower of Mexico in 1963.

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto 

Excess of anything is unhealthy

We could not put a boundary for human’s desire but understanding life brings control towards self and teaches others. Sometime the desire overtakes to meet trouble where we lost control of thinking and go ahead preventing things that preserve life and being sensible. Not only desire, any number that outfall into account is excess and sometime overly attached relationships (either friendship or kinship) makes trouble when one could not spent fair amount with other or excessively cared to disregard another. Everyone has right to choose their relationship or give prior but always being immersed disconnects from other worlds.

I feel the young people these days take things excessively whatever it is. Perhaps they anticipate instant results and taking extensive amount make them feel quickly reach the target. Avoiding everything in name of diet only ends in lack of nutrition. I believe the best diet could be to eat as per you work or work as per you eat and taking excessive protein is also unhealthy. Balance is something everyone needs in the world, which itself spins on certain angle for the balance. If we are concern, everything is important for us and balancing things give peace to all. I think this is a formula that could not apply easily, but practicing makes it possible. Doesn’t it? 

RGB Monday

Dustbins

During a visit to Elliot’s Beach in neighbourhood I saw these dustbins in color of red, green and blue and instantly captured it with the intention of sharing at RGB Monday.  The dustbins are installed to segregation of waste, where red belong to garbage and blue to recycling and green for organic waste.  

My first iPhone (SE) experiance

Just two weeks back my brother presented me a Gopro Hero 5, action camera, as my birthday gift while I turned 32 on July 31^st. This week I bought an Apple iPhone SE through a great Indian offer from the online giant Amazon. Though I am not a fan of apple products and had any thought of buying it earlier as I find their product costlier, but when I learned lately that iPhone SE comes with least weight of 113gm and advanced processor as iPhone 6s want me to go for it. Actually I was thinking about 16GB gadgets which come around $311 and I wasn’t in hurry, but the offer advanced my purchasing option and what I got was a 32GB iPhone at the cost of 16 GB!

image courtesy: google

IPhone isn’t new to my family and my brother had used iPhones for many years, but I had no interest of picking it up and I bought my first smartphone only in 2015 and my Samsung galaxy S4 mini is still doing well and smart enough. IPhone SE was in my mind to buy in future if I need an altar, but I didn’t want to miss to offer and to connect GoPro I need an advanced smartphone and SE is more than enough. In between my dad was complaining his mobile is very slow, so I thought why not give my phone to him and get myself an iPhone because he uses social network rarely and my phone is speed enough for his usage and this also one of the reason for purchase.

I am not a person who like big screen smartphones and the screen size beyond 4.5” is out of my comfort and difficult to hold. This’s the main reason I’m sticking to 4” display and I have searched a lot on internet but I couldn’t find an alternate to S4 mini and 4” category lacks great processer and has limited features to access and more over wasn’t weightless. I feel iPhone SE is designed for me personally because it fulfils my priorities and many reviews has praise the iPhone SE for holding a beast within a small cage of 4”. SE has the same technology as iPhone 6s and is operated by the most advanced iOS 10 and I really liked the classic look of this iPhone that comes from 5s.

Thanks to iCloud,  i could easy use the images shot from iphone directly from laptop  and one such picture was this

The iPhone has 12 megapixels camera with 4K video capture and to my surprise this is my third gadget with 12MP camera following my Canon Powershot SX 220 HS and GoPro hero 5. The iPhone camera is really superb and delivers an impressive DSLR quality images with quick shutter. The face detection and autofocus increases the desire to shoot. It has fingerprint security system but what amazes me atop all was the stability of the battery. So far I have charged the battery twice, and the one time change stands two full days for me using internet. Unlike my previous phone I haven’t switched off the wifi once stop using internet and it takes only 2 to 3% of power for the whole night.

Not to forget the iPhone Se is superb easy to use and instant response at the touch make feel awesome. The Space Grey color is admirable overall and l love the rear fining of the iPhone, so I have ordered for a transparent case cover for the iPhone to keep it visible. I’m happy about the real handset and it’s inspiring to use it more. 

RGB Monday

Splash of colors

It seems sometime i did RGB monday post, and when i think what to post today, the led blinks. The photo was captured on the national highway 45, while coming from Trichy towards Chennai and I liked the design or stickering of colourful water splash on the boot of the bus. I cropped the picture just to highlight the splash of colors and the bus belong to Pondicherry seems to drive towards the state. 

Lovely sunset @ Palavakkam Beach

Following the lovely sky watch last week, I joining Skywatch Friday again with a set of sunset photos from the Palavakkam beach in the neighbourhood. I last went to the beach in June and these were photos from one of the evenings and it was pleasant to watch the sun from normal setting to turn dramatic with golden shades in later minutes. Palavakkam beach is one of a best place to watch sunset, as you could see from the photos below the beach has a wide open sky with houses at distance, the sunset last enough to watch. 

Sunset before it turns much darker

Glorious moment

Sunset through half scrolled window of the car 

Church of Our Lady of Good Health, Aruvankadu

During my travel to Nilgirs, I come across this simple yet beautiful church at a small town called Aruvankadu, located between Ooty and Coonoor. The pyramid like architecture of the church was the first to attract me to take photos and thanks to the bit traffic that helped getting some decent photos from the slowly moved car.  

I had no idea about the church when clicked but a Google link tells that Aruvankadu is a part of Holy Spirit Parish since 1967. As the residents of this area found it very difficult to go there due to the distance, a new location with a house was found close by known as Boys’ Company where liturgical celebrations were conducted. On April 14, 1977, it was erected into a new parish and dedicated to Our Lady of Good Health. The construction of the new church was completed in 1994 and the consecration and blessing took place on 29th May, 1994.

Aruvankadu is an importance place in defence which houses the cordite factory, one of the 40 Indian Ordnance Factories. The cordite factory established in 1903 by the then British govt. on a huge campus, still caters to the defence services by manufacturing cordite (gunpowder, as it is generally known) which used in manufacturing arms and ammunition and also as a propellant in various armed tanks. Aruvnkaduu is also connected by the Nilgiri Mountain Railways. 

Green Hearts

Heartins grown in green

spreading the love like a vine

climbing on the tree.

Happy Friendship Day

Ps. Found these cute little heart shaped leaves at my uncle’s woodhouse/cottage in Thandikudi, where we spent our vacation two weeks back. 

Lovely Sky Watch I

During my recent travel to Thandikudi for vacation, I was fascinated by pretty skies once passed Villupuram on the national highways 45. As usual sitting from the front seat I kept clicking several photos on the move and on the sky but as we keep moving further the sky continued to enhance. Beyond Tiruchi the fluffy cumulus clouds turned the sky more wonderful, and in between there were few spells from the passing dark clouds. The sky continued to change its pattern as we kept moving, it was interesting to watch and I was dealing with the camera all the way taking photos. I took many photos, so I decided to share it by few posts and here are some photos shot around Perambalur. 

The above  two were shot around Ulundurpet

 

Linking this post with Skywatch Friday

Vikram Vedha

I wasn’t sure to write a review on the interesting action crime thriller Vikram Vedha, because many have given great reviews about the Tamil feature film, but like to note down few things that impressed me. The title itself would give clue that the movie is based on the concept of Vikramadithyan Vedhalam ghost story, where Vedhalam ask questions hugging from the back of Vikrama, the king to quest answer through the stories he narrate.

Vikram Vedha has Madhavan and Vijay Sethupathi and it isn’t a regular cop movie but a very interesting and different level of play between an encounter specialist and notorious gangster. First thing I felt watching the opening scene (shooting between police and gangsters) was Gautham Menon’s movie, though I know it was Pushkar-Gayathri’s combo (who made Auto and Va Q cutting) the action sequence were such casual that no one could expect at such a venture.

The name Vedha continued to travel for some time into the movie creating hype and sounding demon, were all broke into particles the way Vijay Sethupathi entered the scene in his own idle style of walk. What applaud from the audience! He appears in front of cops and escapes, revealing a story with questions to let Vikram answer through his investigation and at the end of each story Vedha escapes leaving a clue to glue on seat. 

The balance between the Madhavan and Sethupathi had been handled well and they played an excellent teeter-totter entertaining the people. Madhavan on his side exhibits great body language and his rough tone is apt.to the role of cop and Sethupathi, as young and mid-age did effortlessly the job of gangster and those watched his movies could understand what I mean the effortless i.e. natural acting.

Though not so parallel to the male dominate subject, the female characters of the movie do speak even it’s for few scenes. Shraddha Srinath and Varalakshmi have raised their voice and hand as well   protecting their rights and liberty as advocate and love affair of Kathir (of Kirumi fame) who played Vedha’s brother. Shraddha is a wonderful choice for the wife of an encounter specialist, acted pretty and though working again him their not let down relationship was impressive.

Through Vikram Vedha, Pushkar and Gayathri (the director duo) has touched an extremely high level and also raised the expectation which I’m sure going to give them more pressure to retain the success, although I don’t believe well done movies are the best. Alike everyone else and being concerned on the interesting screenplay, the songs and music doesn’t take attention and the BGM also resembled Miruthan.

Vikram Vedha - a nice suspense movie to watch in theatres and it’s a blockbuster already. 

Turned 32

My dear ones arranged for a mid-night birthday cake and I had no idea they planned to surprise me, but I found it when my parents delayed to go to sleep even the time crossed 11 pm. My cousins residing in next street came with the cake minutes before to 12 and it was a small celebration of cutting cake by just six of us. It was a little moment of happiness to be share and I’m glad for them to turning it into special. Following is a collage on the moment :

Quick bath by babblers

The Yellow Billed Babbles visiting the birdbath has become regular, though I don’t check them out daily, I’m sure they are there almost every day and if not for bathing, at least to take few sips and forage on the gain we left on the compound wall. I hang a birdfeeder outside my home but these birds (and any other birds) ever took seeds or grains from it, perhaps the height or getting balance through the feeder keeps them away but babbles being mostly forage on the grounds with short flights expecting them to pick from feeder is not possible.

A bang usually marks the arrival of the babblers and the noise increases when they are near the birdbath. Yesterday a couple of monkeys came drinking water from the birdbath, scattered the grains all over after filling their mouths, the babblers were on the ground again to pick grains. The grains were kept on a plastic bowl and they didn’t touched it last few days, but now going on ground to pick from muddy.

Usually I take photos, but this time I also tried a short video on the birds with quick dips. Follows the video:

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS

Delete a Photo

One of the difficult things for me was to delete a photo. Taking photos isn’t pretty easy for me but the passion keeps me engaged and clicking while traveling in car is really difficult though I try my best taking clear photos, many go out of focus or shaken when in move. I know this is a normal thing to happen with normal people, but what matter was deleting those taken with great effort. I used to take many photos during my travel and back at home I had to filter/delete many photos that weren’t good to maintain space in laptop.

During the travel we capture many interesting places, moments and sight, but not everything comes under well focused and deleting it for some interruption is really difficult.  By this way I hold lot of photos and some were quite blur that no one could identify except myself who experienced the shoot and the picture continue to be a reminder of the moment or significant of the place or subject. We take random shots on things to be deleted, later keeping the good ones but the thing was coming to the term of deleting we continue to like the image for some reason.

Few such photos are here where I have no mind to delete. First one was cropped from a picture and i was impressed by the scene but it was gloomy and bit more grainy, so I applied oil paint. Second was doped in same, where the focus went wrong, instead on capturing the pretty colourful temple I only got blur as the focus went on steering. Not to forget it was drizzling outside. 

I ever over edit my photos or want to showcase what is not there and I believe editing of any photo works only if there’s something in the picture. I’m using Photoshop from very long time and my editing of photos always remain mild with brightness contrast, exposure, sharpening and reduce noise but these help hand only to a level. I just want to show how it really looked rather adding extra effects. Now I started to experiment with photos that went wrong and its really interesting to play with various filters which I don’t use mostly. 

A brief on my vacation

I’m back from the vacation two days before and it was indeed a wonderful trip/time except for couple of my cousins and aunt/uncle who couldn’t make up to the vacation. We spent 8 nights at my uncle’s woodhouse/cottage in the Kodai hills or half-kodai, what Thandikudi is called and it is one of the longest vacations I had in my life apart staying at our close relative’s house during school days. Unlike last year we planned this trip earlier due to one of my cousin’s college reopening but at last they postponed the opening, so we went along our family 3 days before my uncle/aunt (who owns the cottages) arrives.

A new woodhouse being build up by the uncle at the Serene Woods

As usual this time too (staying from my uncle’s woodhouse/cottages, the Serene Woods) I got to explore and experience some new place and routes to keep it interesting. By this travel I have covered all motor accessible roads to Kodaikanal, though it was a link road for about 35-40km, I felt  awesome taking  this road that take me through some pristine falls sight and  environment that many unaware about. I’m someone always look forward for something new and different even if the destinations were same to make my travel interesting. I explored couple of mountain villages taking a road less travelled, with scenic mountains and fascinating houses to view.

Winding though woods and forest

During my stay I visited the Berijam Lake, in the wildest part of Kodaikanal, after a gap of 8 years. I have been to the placid lake area couple of time in the past and I truly love the enriched natural environment of flora and fauna. We went through really a tough experience obtaining permission to visit the lake as it was in a protected area, though there wasn’t trouble in getting permission but we were a bit careless to become exhausted. Other day I was on my favourite road (Dindigul to Kumily) to visit a scenic village on the foot hills of Bodi aka Bodinayakanur and it was a popular shooting spot where the Tamil movies Kumki and Myna has been shot.

One of the scenic roads i traveled

I always prefer for a relaxed travel and plan according to it because I couldn’t over strain myself and I can’t check various places at a time. Thanks my uncle for building a woodhouse/cottage on the lap of mountains bestows me with abundance chances of exploring various places around the Kodaikanal, Dindigul and Theni regions. The woodhouse and cottages named as Serene Woods, is a fabulous place to stay and relax and enjoy nature at bay. Amid the woods I truly enjoyed having breakfast listening to the sound of birds unlike watching TV at home. It was blissful spending time with cousins at my favourite environment of woods and visiting places around. 

More on the vacation and travel later…