Desperate leaf

Image courtesy: flickr

Strong wind fishes a leaf 

that floats in the air
taking up the chance vividly
deciding its destiny.

Birds to their part, helps
departing the desperate leaf
as a freebie ransom, troubleshoot
its relationship with shrub.

Folded to ground, the leaf
bear by the motion wind grid
dragged along to fragile
expose its veins and wrinkles.

Roll over the concrete floor
soak in rain and dry sunshine
lifted its status at each landing
before turn manure or lose to fire. 

Kadal (The Sea) View

I had a wonderful visual treat; watching the Tamil film ‘Kadal’ from my regular Drive-in Theater here late night, get me an experience of floating at a distinct yet fabulous locale. Sea, being the livelihood of fishermen had become the source of this film and characters play a powerful sail on the gently yet rough screenplay, but boarding a weak story. There are many films related to fishing folk formerly, but Kadal has been fascinating a lot among enrich showcased in location setting. I wished there was a total different story on this performance oriented on board into the sea.

There are two main characters lead the story with their impressive performance: the comeback of yesteryears handsome hero, Arvind Swamy, took crown once again representing a respectful priest and Karthik son Gautham’s debut as young hero, certainly befit to the character of young fishermen that uncertain to adapt anybody. And of course we can’t go with them alone; everybody does a natural play around the scenario and the teen heroine, Thulasi (daughter of actress Raatha), steals heart with her childish attitude and cute expressions… she has a long way to go become a mature artist.

The film almost sails on a lifeboat of characters, the sea become a backbone to this mysterious or lead to confusion subject. The Tamil slang spoken in the film was very unusual and offensive somewhere, adding chaos at understanding the phrases. The songs composed by AR. Rahman had already recognized as best, has once again confessed to stole via visuals, except Nejikkula – the one tops the album has lost track between scenes and speech – cinematography has ruled others with two excellently choreographed. The setting of the Church and fishing market and the broken ship are architecture excellence!

The most fascinating and stunning part of the film was the climax! The actions performed by the three (Goutham, Aravind and Arjun) on the ship on rough seas were breathtaking and represent anything unlike before a Tamil cinema has witnessed. I read from the acclaimed cinematographer (Rajiv Menon) interview that the awesome storm sequence at climax was shot alive during the Nilam Cyclone that landfall near Chennai in October. Taking the film crew into the sea when the storm was at its peak really needs guts, and not only our filmmakers but the actors too truly amaze me by taking such dare ventures and experimenting live action using the unpredictable terrible natural event.

Hats off to ace director Mani Ratnam for creating unique at Tamil cinema, taking each pace forward into his own standard with film-making;  Kadal is another film adds credit to his phenomenal except the disappointment with story but, technically and naturally content.  

On the road to repeater

It was neither as high, nor deep as jungle, but a feeling of embracing an environment close to the heart and challenging the evergreen passion for mountains and forest. There are wild animals too and one could hear the roar of lions to become a haunt and almost animals in the wild does exists – which is impossible with any national parks or sanctuaries – but all are fenced behind a great wall of Anna zoological park!

I was on the other side of the park hill at the evening of January first and thanks to my cousin Ashwin for introducing me to this part of hill and road which is close to his East Tambaram resident. He and his father (my uncle) used to carry waking along this hill road that extends about 2 km, climbing a moderate height leading to the Vandalur Police Repeater. It was a narrow road, a space only for a SUV to pass but once entered you left in a complete state of silence and due to rain, few days early then and being winter we cherished a cool temperature there.

Avoiding the Perungalathur traffic on GST road, we took an en route to the Vandalur hill via camp road, before dropping our cousins at their home whom had spend their half yearly exam holidays at our place. We stopped at half a km on the repeater road (what the Google maps address the hill road) and according to my cousin the road further isn't spacious to take a U turn, unless one is skillful reverse at gear, we have to park the car there and take an uphill walk or biking. Since I left my power wheel chair at home I couldn't take the wonderful trail all the way to repeater at the hill top, which I’m sure and suppose to fascinate me.

We took an off-road from there to an Ayyanar Temple inside the forest. And being New Year day, there were some people come in their bikes and walkabout to worship the deity as the year begins. Other than being a special occasion, the hill doesn't seem to fascinate many at receiving end thus leaving it to look clean and green. Even not climbing half of the hill, we find the high compound wall of the Arignar AnnaZoological Park across the hills, thrills, knowing the route of lion safari runs very close to the wall. This make obvious the sound of lion is irresistible and it is one and many a reason that wants me to be there sometime again… and the thickness of foliage and fresh air, leaves a void bestow amid rising pollution, unboundedly.

(Sorry I couldn't take my camera along with me during that evening, so can’t post any photos. Even I took few with mobile, they aren't clear.)

Flowers – never cease to amaze

Flowers are beautiful creations on earth and nature’s best bestow. Every time looking at a flower at blossom, it’s hard to deny giving away the grief and in case of deep sorry, they relieve grievance and enrich the peaceful mind that deserves calm. I wonder there could be anyone who doesn't like flowers and I guess if so, one would lack some sense of form and flowers are always my favorite and a part of my travel and wherever I go, I would like to see some flowers.

Flowers are everywhere in different shades, variety of brands and fragrance, touching our heart with their each sensible source: the soft petals conveys kind; colors add cheerful to eyes and fragrance as graceful scent to desire. Festivals or rituals, flowers lead the pace and adorn women tress esp. in Tamil culture, wearing flowers on tress back is a frequent practice that also enhance their elegance. We really need no reason to like flowers; they are just spotless and their natural tendency is flawless to suit any occasion and never cease to amaze me.

The photos captured above is a button rose bloomed from our flower pot and it is the only surviving rose plant that we bought some 6 months ago, along with few Kashmir rose plants that faced end very soon.  We bought number of rose plants in past but nothing survived long liked the button rose plant unlike the early one that flourished without any flowers.

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.