My first tourist destination

Being a Chennaitie, my first tourist destination outside Chennai is perhaps Mahabs.  But Mamallapuram being my ancestor’s town I could not consider it as a tourist destination first and I have been there countless time and many a visit to the town has sighted in any of the sculpture site. My most favorite place then at Mamallapuram was Venna Tharatna Kal (butter ball) and we frequent there esp. to have fun sliding on the rock slopes.

Krishna’s Butter Ball is a natural wonder, where a large rock boulder balance on the sliding rock surface is believed as a stone found on Krishna’s plate. The Pallava kings had tried to pull down the huge boulder with the help of their elephant force (thinking anytime the rock could roll down) but failed in their attempt. The lush green lawn in front of this rock (once an open ground for cattle to rest) take  one for pleasant calm and as a group to sit and chit chat.

I have been strolled behind the rock slopes and crossing the gaps between rocks and there was a well with green water, which was called Sita Kinaru (well) because it is believed that Sita bathed in that well. I have no pictures on them, but I still hold memories on those sight and there was also a path lead to our relative’s house then. I hope everything were blocked and fenced by ASI, doing wonderful job in protecting the sculptors and rocks. We never thought then these places will take such pleasant enhancement and flourish in green.

Another place I liked and which is close to butter ball was Arjunan Penance. It is a giant bas-relief filled with marvelous carvings of various human forms and animals; the most fascinating part overall for me personally then were the Elephants. The sculptor of elephant couple and cute calves carved on the bottom of the bas-relief could be a favorite sight for any child and the pit reveal the bottom part was something dragged me then to look what is inside.

Another pretty scene next to this site was a sculptor of monkey looking lice on another. As kids (me and my bro) we used to go and stand behind the sculptor and pose like looking lice on the monkey sculpture. Beneath the monkeys, there’s a small slide to play and a rock carved steps to climb on, but I don't like it much as the natural sliding near the butter ball. The slide was partially hid now after the earth rose because of the lawn making.

Footnote:

Just thought to write something for the World Tourism Day today and here’s a brief account on my first tourist destination out of Chennai.

A dry leaf

Wind blows away far inside
thrust a dry leaf
fragilely fall to ground
as a stranger into our home.

Wrinkles make an impression,
aged or illness drops it down
a dry leaf runaway
desire controlled by wind.

Hand pickup & drops away
sometime led to dustbin
or where it swept from
to rejoin its journey by wind.

Footnote:

The picture above was captured by me on a dry leaf, but slightly under wet condition. The poem is related to home experience. 

CSI Church, Valparai

The first time when I landed on Valparai (near Coimbatore) was a day prior to Christmas and the CSI Church in the heart of the town, was illuminated in colorful bulbs and decorated Christmas trees. We just passed the church in thought to return next day, since the sight catch-up with the festival mood and the shops were all doing bright business, selling stars and decorative item hanging around, the main road stretched in festival spirit.

                                                                         

We stayed at a house adjoined to our relative’s there, supported to take us to the church and shopping but we couldn't makeup next day as we returned to the town too late at night after visiting a faraway place into  Kerala. We could have made a visit other day, but we lost somewhere our interest due to visiting other places or various attractions.

The photos here are captured during my second visit to Valparai and we haven’t visited the church this time as well. But I was glad to capture some glimpse of this pretty white church constructed in shape of pyramid and three storeys with balconies and a clock on the top floor. 

My lazy model

The snail entered our house as an uninvited guest, without resisting I leaned a white sheet (with the help of dad) transferred her from the floor to my table to conduct photoshoot. I shot her from different angle and without hesitation or go hiding inside the shell; she copes well with the photo shoot, giving various poses exposing her glitter and glam even in low light.

I don't want to trouble her much, so finished shooting as soon possible and left outside to crawl back to her home. She wore a shell, designed spiral and color similar to her pinkish showy skin and black stripes on each side. 

Searching for something unknown using her eyestalk 

A small paradise lost in neighborhood

I know that I already miss badly the birds and green canopy that gave me great company and joy in my previous residence by shifted home, but I was glad even I can’t keep watching the birds, they cherish the green space spread over the neighborhood. Not only birds, but snakes and few reptile species and mongoose were resident of this wild vegetation that has Gulmohar, Peepal tree, Albizia saman and Camachile (which often sighted with parrots perching) to name among the number of unknown shrubs and bushes. I was shocked to know from my parents who visited our old apartment flat today, that the entire green space of our next compound where destroyed to ground level prior to building constructs.

The picture shot during one foggy morning of winter, overlooking our car parking partially taking shelter by trees and bushes.

From the time we shifted to that apartment 7 year’s back, leaving our native home in Adyar, the plot next to ours was vacant to be only occupied by wild vegetation and few flowering trees. The plot seemed to be under lawsuit, left untouched by the owners and even it went through a partial cleanup of green during our time of resident, it took a new leash of life from the debris. I used to tell to my mom that if they happen to construct the site we should look house somewhere else, because, only the environment outside the house made me sustain over there. It’s a treat to visual and hearing everyday expose to birds and their sweet twitters, kept me inspiring throughout the years.

I couldn’t digest it now hearing from mom that everything was uprooted and down to ground level in couple of days. My inspiration for bird watching was brought up from there, and I have seen all kind of birds in common there rather some regular visitors like Kingfisher, yellow billed babbler, mynahs and long time resident Asian Koels! To say in few words it’s a small bird paradise comprising birds of immigrant! Post monsoons, we get to see many water birds like Pond Herons, Little egrets, Cormorants and Water Hens visiting the plot which would look like a pond with 2-3ft in water. Two days of constant rain is enough to stimulate the sleeping frogs to raise alarms and snails begin crossing our parking a lot.

A green parrot nibble on Camachile (fruit)

The vegetation and trees had been a sunshade for our apartment, as all cars are parked beside the compound wall it provides a canopy from sunlight and heat. At the end of summer, the Gulmohar (right in front of our doorstep) would whoop red flames adding glory to shimmering green shrubs and in rain adorn by sticking dewdrops on fern tips.  The Peepal tree on its part, cheered, when I feel downfall by clapping with its palm like leaves to the wind motion and rolling on ground as dry leaves making crunchy noise as music. Apart being a dump yard in case absence of garbage collector, the open plot is a hideout for snakes and its archenemy mongooses, who make noise occasional like clashing with snakes?

A bird (mynah) amid bushes

I feel at least good, that the cleanup does not take place when we staying there and for me to see my favorite green space deriving empty. I at least hope the birds that make their way home there nestle somewhere safely. But I wonder and worry what would have happened to the snakes and mongooses that have least way of escaping, since all sides are enclosed by compound walls adjoining buildings. I was feeling somehow down for disown the green space by shifting house, but hope to develop my own green space around the new home… the cleanup has come up with least uplift in my feeling that I no more miss them, but lost entirely to its own destruction in name of development.