A visit to Sai Baba Temple

Last Thursday we went to Injambakkam Shirdi Sai Baba Temple and it’s been long time since I visited the temple and it was my parents wish to take me along with them. Few years back I used to visit Sai baba temple often and most of the time it was mylapore temple, but I like visiting this temple more because of its clam environment.

Many changes have happened inside the temple complex and couple of shrines has been grown and new pavements been laid and along the spacious car parking, the temple looks more beautiful now; and peacefully located on the east coast is chirping by birds and green yards.

Every time we come around this temple, without our knowledge the streaming theme rubs our minds and conveys peace and serenity. I have some memories that always struggle to remember the debris I go through this temple and when I think back I could imagine the hardship moments I gone through in faith then. I can walk about those days, and the main shrine is elevated by few steps and climbing on it is a task for me and dad to carry, staring the steps and image in mind revolves rather, parents come after circumambulating the shrines.

The idol made of marble is east facing the sea and a huge hall to aid devotees to settle down for prayers and a lawn that leads a path close to sea. As we near to the main shrine, two women welcomed us with warm smile and offered us tea and biscuits. One of there is so kind and facing her sense me she is perhaps in some distress and I come across her smile again and later leave home with a bye. That small gesture of smile stays with me all and I could remember her visage among few strangest I never met again, but this women’s face is so familiar.

I wished later whatever she might go through get dissolved and peace prevailed in there lives. There are many crows inside the temple complex and everywhere there mess. I heard various chirps but only could see crows everywhere. There’s a small nursery and I’m not sure but anyone can devote a plant to temple it seems.

I couldn’t take my camera along with me, so i can't share any pictures of the temple! But this temple is so peaceful and pleasant to capture.

Indian giant squirrel

When I was visiting valparai, I was seeking everywhere the rare species like lion tailed Macaque, Indian giant squirrel, Hornbill... but I could only listens to a hornbill’s sound one mid-night and it was a great perceive I received!

For me who was disappointed because of not seeing any wild animals lately, seeing an Indian giant squirrel, also called as Malabar giant squirrel was a relief and great surprise came from the late visit to kodaikanal. We’re surprise to see this giant squirrel sitting on a pear tree and tasting the fruit without fear, even we all staring and clicking pictures.

It was big with long tail and grasping the branch with the front limbs along holding the pear. In combination of black and brown, it moves here and there like mongoose and remained on the tree until we left the place. The picture was taken at berijam, in kodaikanal.

Though I Love Rain

We’re amid northeast monsoon and receiving enough rain throughout Tamil Nadu! Thanks to the low pressure that stretched along the coast of Tamil Nadu from kanyakumar to mid Andhra Pradesh, almost all dams in Tamil Nadu are filled and flood warnings have been proclaimed to dwellers along many river banks.

Two guys splashing rainwater in marina beach.

After longing and craving, the rainy season arrives two weeks ago and strikes everywhere and somewhere heavily. One of the most affected places in the state that u almost knows is Nilgiris. The beautiful hill station is now under threat and damage due to mudslide last week is slowly back to normal, but the continues rain makes people worry. At least 50 people have lost there lives in mudslide and wild flood.

After two days of sunshine and heat, the rain began to last widely in Chennai from yesterday, badly affected the normal life and many low areas and streets being under rainwater, people began to blame rain for there inconvenient. It really bothers me as I love rain and I would like to say this brief disturbance is to make comfort and fulfill our need for further many days under sunshine.

A snail and leech passes against each other at our apartment complex.

I know some people who wish to stop rain and I wonder how well they hate rain from drenching and disturbing them. I love to get wet in rain, but my parents never leave me to enjoy it. There are moments that never swept from my memories and one of it was playing in rain water that stays around the streets and terrace of our house. We used to close the rainwater pipe and create a pool on the terrace along with our sister and go and play on the water after rain stops.

When everyone’s rainwater pipe flows with water, ours would drain only later rain stops and they use to think something might block the pipe. But one day our grandpa found it and scolds us, but even though we continue to do so. It’s almost fun! There’re even times catching fish from drainage canal besides the road and we’re a team of 4 then – my bro and two friends, and can be found on streets often after rain stops.

Pursuing rain and dark clouds turning the moment happier and pleasure, thinking those moderate days I’m glad to rejoice in rain unlike today’s kids that almost sit in front of small screens and lack of interest and laziness, miss the wonderful joy of soak in rain. I can’t see any kid playing on rain these days and we can hear the sweetness only in verses alone.

i enjoy playing in rainwater

There is so much freshness in breeze and pleasure weather, the time passes simply watching rain and droplets on trees. Last week I had a brief drive into the rain and sense the cool drizzle on my face and hands which I dropped outside the open window. Taking away the risk, I went on the rainwater on my power wheels and tried to enjoy the season, but somehow I can’t go on my desire due to power wheels to avoid damage.

Sathanur Dam

Sathanur dam is a wonderful place situated about 30km from Thiruvannamalai. The dam is constructed on the river Pennaiyar or Ponnaiyar that flows from the Nandi Hills in Karnataka. The dam seems like one of the important source of water to irrigate thousands of acres of vast dry lands and it has a small hydro power plant to generate electric current.

I visited this dam on my trip to thiruvannamalai last month and it seems dry almost with less water in dam. There’s a beautiful garden stretched along the dam with various things to entertain like boating, mini zoo, aquarium, crocodile farm and small flower garden with fountains. It turned dark when we reached the dam and finding the route to the dam was a difficult task for us and there’re many speed brakes on this way gives a bumpy drive and until leaving the town, the road carries much damage.

At entry we pay a little amount as fee and drive on the other side of the dam until its end and back to garden. At the end of the dam we suddenly hear a very strange noise that could make one frighten. As it was like a forest area we can’t guess what animal sounds like that, but when we come down to garden we came to know it was the dogs that created that waves altogether.

The mini zoo was something invisible except one poor peacock inside a cage and two other empty cages. The lights were on and darkness around, there was many small insects on immense began to drive us from checking other sites, but one good thing was somehow I manage to click some pictures of the garden before it turned complete dark. This is second time I’m facing such insects next to Vaigai dam in Theni and they just blow on our face and try to enter our eyes, nose and mouth to much irritate.

There were some tall trees along the road rustle to wind and few look real statues of animals and people, and notable one was the statue of mahatma on the hill above the dam. It would be a great sight to see the water flowing from the dam if there was almost water.

The dam was constructed in 1964 and it has a capacity of 7,321 million cubic feet at 119 feet high. In late 60’s to 80’s the dam was an important shooting spot in film industries and many songs have been captured here with top heroes at lead. This is a best picnic place in thiruvannamalai and on festival days this place attracts more visitors. One can really spent a good time here and best time to visit is after monsoon when there is much water to keep fountains work.

Surprising soul

In-between the non-stop rain for the last one week, we had a small break for sometime on Sunday so I thought to go out to survey our city, but it turned as a surprising evening for me. Somehow it’s not the rain or the city! It’s a person belongs to charm.

We were yet to move out and just minutes to go, Andrew come against us to completely surprise! It sensed me like ‘not sure’ when he said he likely to visit Chennai in the first week and never informed then came before me as a quite surprise put me wordless! We really became close friends in the last couple of months and I know him for sometime through Flickr.

He is a person I never seen before being such young and enthusiastic in his age of 65! I astonish seeing his many interesting photographs and lately I become a fan of his huge zoom lens! I have talked to him couple of times and I really enjoy his gossip and he used to share stories with me about his earlier life in Chennai and busy life in pune. He’s a great example for life after retirement and more like a young man he works almost and manages a huge site project in Infosys Pune. In between he travels a lot and captures wonderful pictures.

The first thing that spots him was his coat he often wears. He hugs me before I come out of surprise and he introduce me to his friends as one of his best friend and it was dream come true for both of us. Andrew hoped to meet me, even in between heavy raining and it’s just minutes that save us together and seems it won’t be a matter even we left home, we would have returned to meet this young man and I’m so much interested to meet him.

(from left) Isaac, andrew, richard, me, dad and mom, maya is sitting below.

After sometime in home, knowing we’re going out he interested to join with us and we went to Marina beach. In between his busy scheduled taking sometime to spend with us is indeed special to me. We had a photo walk inside the service road along the lately developed nature’s pool (staying rainwater) opposite to Vivekananda house in marina beach.

He brought his huge lens Sigma 150-500 mm APO-OS especially to show me, because as I said before I like it very much. He gave it to me to click, but I can’t bear it as it weights 2kg! I wonder then, how he carries this much weight wherever he goes. Along with his friends Richard and Isaac, the evening goes off with great enthusiastic and fun and they’re like very young guys teasing each other.

Usually the marina beach would be crowded immense on Sundays, but being a rainy day and a ban on playing cricket inside the beach throws off less people. It was bikers who were like taking away the charge instead of cricketers racing here and there, splashing rainwater and gushes there joy blindfold.

There were children playing on the rainwater pool and dogs enjoying in the water, some families come across while few vehicles get water washed. First time being their after almost beautification works are done on marina, it doesn’t sense any different!

Andrew shoots some pictures with his huge lens, and one of his shot on an eagle that fly’s far away was simply awe... After conveying good bye to Andrew and his friends with huge hug, we spent sometime off the pool water with cousins and left home after an hour.