The lawn

While it dawn
the dewdrops widespread the lawn
the sun rises
down, to break the yawn

Fresh in the morning
the mind rejuvenates,
while the mild sunshine
back with hope rays

Lass and kids
kiss the droplets at feet
while hanging around
lowness at lawn

In spirit and pride
like a crowned queen of hills
in the little feet
march-past the little myna
- in the lawn

A note on Bangalore trip

The city elevated from nearly thousand meters above sea level has very pleasant weather to stay among cities and even the sun beats down, the cool wind blows off the trees in and around the garden-city maintain the temperate but the critical and worst part was traveling within its boundary. No one stops the vehicle for any reason unless forced to stop it and it’s a challenge to outsiders to drive into the city and tough moving without guidance, it seems like conducting a race among the residence is easy and thus how rashes they drives. I know I know… Bangalore isn’t an only city to experience the worst traveling and many metropolitans perhaps more or less produce a similar challenge for riders but compare to Chennaites, Bangaloreans are fast moving and whatever the means of source it showdowns the worthiness of life and things.

Lal Bagh Glass House

Leaving away the nonstop challenge on roads in Bangalore and any other cities in India, it was very pleasant staying at a friend’s place in their care and comfort and guidance. Karthik’s mom who invited us to her home in Bangalore take care our complete stuff single handedly and arranged for a guided tour into the city, which helped us in checking out the Cubbon Park, Visvesvaraya Industrial and Technological Museum, HAL Aerospace Museum, Ulsoor Lake and Lal Bagh.

To say about the places visited, everything has something interesting and worth visiting esp. the Visvesvaraya and HAL museums are remarkable by its facts and figures at display and operating each simple mechanism and instrument was fun. To say the most beautiful thing about Bangalore was the Lal Bagh, which brings the garden city feel within its premises unlike Cubbon Park which is parted by inner roads used by public vehicles.

Captured at Karthik's home

We stayed at Karthik’s home in National Games Village, Koramangala, which he bought before his depart and now his mother takes care of the things along with his memories and she never fails to visit his home ones in a month and she feels completely with his son the times being there and it’s the only solace and depression she bears in life. All over her home it was Karthik’s photos and she arranged his things and awards in the hall along with his bike he used at last.

Apart constant and carelessly driving fast, few are people friendly and helpful knowing we are from other state by indentifying our car number guide us at few places and on other day when we are on our way to Nandi Hills, a man in his middle-age drives beside us in his Maruti 800 until we take diversion to Nandi hills and his advice to maintain less than 80kmph helped us from getting fined. It was very difficult to find route on our own in Bangalore which hold partially Tamil speaking people and even they know Tamil they are avoiding to speak – may be they hesitate that it will affect their living.

Roses bloomed in Cubbon Park

We could see many luxury cars used as taxies in Bangalore alike in foreign countries and it was wonderful seeing Bangalore leading a international living in country and thus could be the reason everyone movies very fast in making money and lack giving due attention to others while driving and just moves fast even dash with other or make accident with lives. We witnessed two incident where both were taken casually and moves faster even someone bleeds. I wonder what a life they are living, keeping their everyday life as a bet to survive with money. I’m not complaining but just say what I think about.

Leaving to Garden City

The garden city is the nickname of Bangalore which has many gardens to derive its names from. I have come across Bangalore couple of time but only now got a chance to stay over and discover the places those are familiar with names of garden.

One of our friends, who come to know and become familiar via blog, had invited us to her home in Bangalore. The plan has been on consider for very long time and only get approved by us now, so leaving to Bangalore tomorrow with a list of places to visit and take rest in the presence of much better and very pleasant weather unlike Chennai, and moreover it’s the warmth and care wanted us to stay at her place.

Here I come up with few pictures captured from the Botanical Garden in Ooty, from our latter visit.

The Fern House (above pic) in the Ooty Botanical Garden is home to many ferns and orchids. Established in 1894, this house is dedicated to W.C. Mc. Ivor, in whose response the Garden has been developed to this stage from the then a patch of vegetable garden and wilderness of Shola and shrubs and the lower part as a swamp traversed by deep ravines.

Green lawns of Ooty Botanical Garden

Display of flowers : Ooty, famous for its annual flower show had begun recently in the botanical garden, with varieties of roses and flowering plants at display, and creation of sculptures using colorful flowers. Keeping in mind of India won the World Cup in cricket, a floral replica had been created which expected to attract more visitors this year.

KO - my view

Being a cinematographer himself has taken the photo journalism as the plot for his movie KO; K.V. Anand had directed a superb movie where I could see similar thoughts and dreams take stage on screen. As a believer in young people could change anything, with their tireless, energetic and exuberant I could follow my dream until the climax where things change with intend to end the story. Many scenes reflect what is in my mind and the camera played an important role rolling parallel to the fast track screenplay and discloses the media’s interface in bringing change in society.
As a photo journalist, Jeeva had a wonderful opportunity to play an ever powerful role as a smart hero with an introduction by chasing a tempo traveler to shoot the photos of the bank robbers and further blocking their progress, was a fantastic action scene could easily challenge the Hollywood. I think there couldn’t be a perfect time to release the movie which revolves around the media and politics what played a revolution recently in the rule of TN. The media had been portrait well and its importance and risk involved in collecting news and producing the result give an idea how things happen.

Ajmal in a young leader character who want to bring change into politics resemble how someone would be in near future if youngsters enter politics and rule the govt. Not to forget the two sweet and cute heroines, Piaa and Karthika – the daughter of latter heroin Ratha, wasn’t just pretty, but exhibits really good expressions to be real in acting and cheerful in songs. The Piaa was as sweet as pie and best suited for a girlfriend character that anyone would like to have one alike her.

A movie from a cinematographer turn director doesn’t need a thing to say about how picturization would be, it was fantastic and outstanding. The song related sequence and actions are excellent and capturing exotic locations esp. the places around the cliff of Prekestolen of Norway for songs are fabulous and treat for eyes. To say about songs and music, it’s rare to come across a whole album which quite delights and to become all my favorites. To watch a decent political related feature and to experience the worth of delight in photography, KO is recommended.

The title slides resemble the flicker stream! I watched the movie yesterday at a night show in Drive-In.

Kotagiri – at arrival

Leaving home in Chennai at 7 in morning and reaching Kotagiri about 8 at night, the whole day went on traveling via en route Dharmapuri, Mettur, Sathyamangalam... it was partially wonderful as we travelled half the way through state highways which are my favorite routes that goes through small towns and villages. We stopped at Mettur Dam to have our fish fries for lunch and the home we know through our past visit treated us with fish fires identifying our latter visit.

While the fish fries get prepared; we explored the nearby shops by buying sweet corns, murukku, color candies… and the mobile vendor who selling porridge got lot of attention from people and being a hot summer day cousin’s chose to have it. We moved further from there and stopped for our lunch break under a shadow tree and after sometime leave to Sathy in search of rooms as we had book for only 3 days in Kotagiri and wanted to stay in Sathy and go to Bhavanisagar and Bannari temple, but we couldn’t get any rooms in ground floor so called the Belair cottages in Kotagiri and they were glad to advance a day in our booking and we went directly.

From Sathy to Mettupalayam, it was a wonderful evening time passing through the winding roads and Eastern Ghats followed by the Western are very pleasant while the sun settle down with different shades and shapes of clouds at various moment. After reaching Mettupalayam we took the Kotagiri road directly without going through Coonoor and the adventure begins here as we passed through the forest road that bears the warning signs of elephant crossing. As we were looking for something interesting, a wild elephant come into our way and it wasn’t hindering but standing beside the road eating bamboo leaves and leaving the dung on the road as a sign of exist.

We didn’t expect an elephant to be standing on a bend and we managed to pass him without fear unlike either vehicles standing on road to let him move and the thrilling part was when a guy suddenly tries to turn his car in scare of seeing an elephant interrupted our path with elephant behind. Parents and the drive come cousin whose fear about wild animals got little tension over this and I and other cousins who were expecting something like this – I mean the elephant, were excite more seeing a wild elephant.

The cold increases in atmosphere as our elevation rise, we had our coffee at a roadside shop near a small village, where a Toda festival was going on and the speakers were singing aloud a Badaga song which we couldn’t understand anything but my cousin identified it was Badaga as he’d studied a year in St. Jude’s public school, Kotagiri. The adventure doesn’t stop and it continued this time in form of mist and it was enormous to quite hide the road for a while nearing Kotagiri and nothing could be seen opposite except a gray screen. We stopped somewhere to let it clear, but it never seems to be so we moved slowly following the road studs laid on the center of the road.

Even it is difficult to dive in mist I feel wonderful moving into enormous mist and cloud that last for nearly an hour, sitting next to diver seat. It was very cold and lightning crosses the sky with thunder when we reached Kotagiri and things become normal soon and we felt very comfort at the Belair cottage. We were allotted to stay at the main building built in British period which is at ground level with couple of steps was very easy for my wheels to get in and the new blocks were at elevation. The people at Belair are friendly and lean any help and in order base they provide lunch, dinner and breakfast and on the opening night we had chappathi-kuruma. The preparations and serving are made by Manipur guys.

mom in front of Belair cottages in Kotagiri