VBO and following things – Javadu Hills

Following, checking the VBO’s largest telescope inside the Vainu Bappu Observatory, we drawn back to the 6 inch telescope for watching the celestial objects on space. This is a facility impended only if there is a clear sky and the observatory is open to public only on Saturday, to visit the telescope between 2 to 5 pm and staring starts and planet viewing adjoined for 6.30-10 pm. We waited for nearly an hour until the dusk disappeared and twinkle stars get to sight, the place sounds quiet except the resonant of our batch waiting to watch through telescope, the winter cold wraps around under the open sky and moist meadow. We saw guards wander with rifle to keep away the wild animals entering the campus: elephant, bison and wild boar are found commonly around VBO’s forest area, belong to Javadu Hills.

The observatory is located at an altitude of 700 meters and quarter distance from Bangalore compared to about 210 km from Chennai. VBO is one of the field stations of Bangalore based Indian Institute of Astrophysics, which is primarily devoted to research activates using the optical telescope. There are about 6-7 telescopes built around the campus of VBO, except for the 1 and 2.3 meter telescopes; others are small domes and shed. The 6 inch telescope that allowed viewing for public was kept inside a shed (that u see in the above picture), which top is pushed aside while using the telescope and its position is fixed to view specific celestial objects on sky. That, what has become an obstacle for me from observing through telescope; as the view point has kept high from ground, I couldn't keep up to being tough.

There were more than 100 students waiting behind us, so I kept a quick out of the shed realizing the difficult. My parents who got the opportunity to watch through telescope found Jupiter and three shining stars closer. The students who lined behind us were those exits during our entry, seemed waited for long time at the gateway to view via telescope. The security is tight inside the observatory and guards wore a moody mask, but the officers are kind enough to slender tie for me and encouraged indirectly for taking the course.

It was pitch dark, when we left the telescope shed and there were no lights to lead us to entrance. Except following the road for few hundred meters, I rode the wheel chair tracing the center white line torched by my cousin, using his cell phone. Being winter, the darkness settled early from the pink shades the sun left behind the forest scene. It was adventurous driving back to Jamunamarathur from VBO through the thick adjoining forest road where one or two vehicle only passed.  The village town doesn’t have great hotels except only one pure vegetarian mess; all are non-vegetarian teashops preparing traditional Tiffin’s like: idly, dosai, pongal, parotta… and biriyani for lunch. There are many Biriyani shops in funny names and almost different in taste from one another… u may wonder how I know. For the lunch next day, we brought biriyani from more than couple of shops to taste which is best and getting there for remain of us.

For the dinner that night, we brought Tiffin from one of the tea-shops  That wasn't so bad or good at taste but enough to keep content the stomach and somehow hygiene hopefully. Gladly the night went off peacefully and comfort since the suite and mattress become favorable, kept away the sleep difficulties, I used to experience in absence of home comfort. We also had some fun that day, watching the monkeys business while waiting at the entrance of the VBO for some time. There was this cute little monkey perched to a branch (check picture above), behold through its gestures and behavior unlike the elder one which was trying to steal something from a bike pouch. 

A piece of art

Image courtesy: tumblr

She stretched her arms 

releasing herself from attire 

to a state of beautiful sculpture 

that no one ever unearthed.

Her each gesture, entice 

to take a trail upon her curves 

outlined by silhouette shadow; 

that no one touched alive.

The wishful eyes, behold 

the beauty exposed in low light 

a feeling of embarrass, embark 

secretly watching her desire.

Staring at her shadow, eyes 

almost lose sense of gazing, relish 

upon revealing her structures 

that deserves watching.

Touching an utmost desire 

her imposing position; imprison 

leaving behind the window’s pane 

unveiled her silhouette beauty.

Pondicherry Beach

One late morning we passed the Pondicherry beach while letting us ahead to Point Calimere in Nagai District; the beach looked deserted during that day of the time last March. Guess it was a weekday, and being sunny no one were left around and the way it looked (neat and clean) impressed to shoot few shots. This was the beach shaken up during the Thane cyclone that struck couple of months early to our visit then, seems taken a quick recovery to our surprise and it looked even better than our early visits.

My first time to the Pondicherry beach was at the beginning of this millennium and that time it was only rocks left behind the corridor platform and we could enjoy the drizzle splashed by waves while sitting on the platform. Now the beach was extended into the sea, creating a corridor on the seawall to keep away the erosion and building some sand area for beach visitors. This was my third time in the beach to just pass unlike early spending some time, the beach left quite with no sound of splashing waves and sight of some sea birds at distance.

The Promenade beach, as popularly known as Pondicherry beach on the Beach Road is one of the main boulevard of the city, where one could find heritage buildings and offices of the Union Govt. including the State Secretariat.  The beach extends for 1.5 km along the shore, has the statue of the father of the nation – Mahatma Gandhi – is the center of attraction.  The four-meter tall statue was beautifully adorned by eight granite pillars, surrounding a shrine like shelter.

Being close to the old harbor, the beach holds a pretty sight of the pier extended into the bay. And the old lighthouse on the beach lane, opposite to the Mahatma Gandhi statue is a wonderful old tower installed by French East India Company in year 1836. This old lighthouse was the first modern lighthouse on the Coromandel Coast, served the mariners for almost a century and half before proudly become a monument under the Union Territory Administration – a fitting tribute to its valuable services.

The old lighthouse

Clouds form

Pic by Jeevan

Clouds form unshaped figures

for mind fishing an image
that hold close to heart
or resemble thought.

Clouds form a winter cold
from the boiling point
beneath the ground;
the moisture air frozen.

Clouds form a custom comprising
elegant to perfect blue sky
as an emblem of divine
sun shows grace from behind.

Clouds form in interesting shapes
speaking its own language
endlessly rewritten
on the board of blue sky.

Vainu Bappu Observatory - Javadu Hills

After reaching Jamunamarathur – the capital villages of Javadu Hills, and having lunch, that we brought along with us from home, we are told by the guest house care taker that they will allow into the observatory only by 5 pm,  to watch through the telescope. So he suggested leaving by 4 pm as it is 10 km from there and since having two more hours to go, we decided to explore the small lake and garden at half a km from the guest house. The lake and garden were not so attractive, and the lake is nothing but a conversion of already existing village lake that used for irrigation to the fields around. The real pretty sights are beheld around the lake, where fresh green paddy fields gleaming at us to expose to sunlight amid mild step farming.

The main course of this trip was to check the observatory and it was first time for me visiting an observatory, other than the only place I visited regard to space was Chennai Birla Planetarium. Vainu Bappu Observatory located at Kavalur village on the Javadu Hills holds the largest telescope of Asia, which was named after the great Indian astronomer and discoverer of Wilson-Bappu effect, Manali Kallat Vainu Bappu. VBO is an astronomical observatory behind many unique discoveries on space and reading remarkable cosmic rays, through the 1 and 2.3 meters telescope, the observatory has detected atmosphere around the Jupiter’s satellite Ganymded and rings around Uranus and Saturn. In 1988, a new minor planet was discovered using the 43cm Schmidt telescope and it was named after mathematics genius Ramanujam.

The observatory is isolated from any activities of being and almost surrounded by vast reserve forest, stands as a testimony to Indian astronomy. We reached the observatory early in time traveled thought the dense forest, but we were not allowing inside the campus and requested to wait sometime until the early batch comes out. I know that we need to walk nearly a km from the entrance to the main observatory; I kept my power wheel chair fully charged but enquiring a couple who came out we become uncertain about the distance. Even though we decided to progress, the guard noticed me allowed to take our car inside and we find more than 100 school students come out of the observatory.

Me and my family

First I was mislead by the white cylindrical building with dome that holds 43” telescope which resembles the 93” telescope, the largest among the observatories inside the VBO. Then we were redirected to the main building with more widely in breadth and spectacular height. The observatory being elevated from the others, cool breeze brushes once get out of the car and we were taken by the lift to the top floor where the largest telescope was assembled. The telescope was attached to a huge hydraulic machine that turns and moves up and down, manually and as well automatically sitting on two wide column. It was like a dream come true when the aluminum plated dome open to sky view, and rotate through a rack rail which could go around 360 degree.

I felt rotating along with the dome when looking above and goose bumped, stimulated by the entirely new setting and following the conversation with one of a scientist demonstrating the operation of telescope, took me to infinite stage. Many of us generally know the universe that exists within our solar system, but there could be immense such systems in our galaxy with earth like spheres where people could live and seek to connect alike. The observatory plays a vital role in studying the universe and does a front-line research with the telescopes here. It was something amazing that I couldn't even image that we were standing close to an object that beholds the mystery which is impossible through naked eyes. And I feel like touching an endless height.

The floor below the telescope has a round iron platform which I first through to rotate, but the scientist cleared our doubt later by operating the hydraulic platform that lifts to make easy the service of telescope. He explained that it is a kind of facility that any other observatory doesn't hold and they keep an eye clean on lens always. The observatory has a steal platform; going around the dome outside the building holds a 360 degree view on the landscape of total forest area. So it is out of noise and light disturbance, which is the main obstacle for reading light rays and except the entrance, overall campus doesn't have a light facility and was completely electric fenced to keep away wild animals.

I feel bad for not taking my camera inside the observatory thinking they might not allow, because of security. But some took photos with their mobiles and there were no restrictions, and I only got to capture the building and natural setting of the campus. I was really wishing to watch something through the largest telescope but these are used only at night and not for public to watch. They have a 6” telescope for public to view stars and planets after dusk and we really had to wait for an hour to watch through telescope. But for me that even wasn't a chance because the viewing point of the telescope was kept high and need to climb few steps.

[To be continued….]