Sunday Photo: A shepherd

Shot from the  slow moving car on the way to Avalanche Dam, near Ooty

Life along with Maya

Though she is seven years old, Maya remains to be a child for every one of us and even for those visitors. Maya, our pet dog, has undergone a hysterectomy surgery a day before yesterday as she suffered from serious infection in uterus, we decided to let her some relief and remedy to lead further ease. We had two options then: one was to let her deliver some pups or go for a surgical removal of uterus. Though we had space outside the living home to let her breed, taking care of things mattered much and been (she) ever stayed out of certain seemed practically impossible.  So we went for the other, and she is showing very positive note on recovery within a day of surgery and   hope to see her back in normal attitude at a week’s end.

She never stayed away from us in the last seven years, and we had left her at home at only fewer occasions of traveling that too in charge of my brother. She spent two days and a night at the veterinary clinic and we heard that she was very quiet throughout the process and responded so well post surgery. We were so surprise towards her behavior, which perhaps because of fear and the new environment with other dogs (barking) around she couldn’t do anything rather accept whatever happens. Though it is not our intention to threaten her like this, certainly it gives a guilty feeling as we well know her attitude; it perhaps could have got her hell feeling. That’s what could be the reason for her to show dull feeling toward us and not responding quickly like before.

Maya is a very sensitive dog and allows no one to touch her unless she’s familiar with that person.  Being an untrained dog (and coming from a branch of wolf family), she is very aggressive toward strangers but once she smelt there fragrance she won’t do anything unless they take advantage and will also behave friendly if she likes them.  And if not, she maintain a distance and also ignore them rather inquire like other. Although she shows affection and love, she is very protective on family members, esp. she has a special care for me and allows no unfamiliar person to touch me or thing related to me in front of her.

Lhasa Apso is the name of her breed, which originate to Tibet and so has the name of the capital city of Tibet, Lahasa, and Apso is a word meaning bearded or long-haired in their language. Maya too would have flourishing hair if we allowed her to grow, but due to maintenance and hair falling we make certain cutting her hair after a period of time. Actually it is a dog not belong to hot weather conditions like Chennai, since inherent an ability to withstand bitterly cold winter of the Himalayas they have trouble with summer heat. We had no idea of rearing a dog, but it’s my brother who brought her home against all our wishes and being adamant to give up, made her life into ours.

Rearing dogs are not a bad intention and I have no different thought on it, but not everyone could afford a pup. There are certain things that need to give hand and rearing dogs is a burden for people who are already exercising enough. For a person’s desire, is it right to leave a whole family to suffer? If someone loves to have a pet, they have to be certain about their adequate and should never ignore their responsibility just because they brought it to home and things will happen on its own. Apart sparing time to take care on their (dogs) needs, the most difficult thing about rearing pets was if anything goes wrong with them we can’t tolerate easily. I think just having a kind heart isn’t enough to accept a pet, but need a very brave heart to withstand vibrations that went wrong with them. 

A lighthearted moment with DI

Usually we go to a destination, but will you believe me if I say a destination came in search of me? J But you have to, because, it happened to me. Such incredible will happen only with people like us, who are challenged or differently abled. Hehehe… But one small correction in this term is, the destination is not a place but a person called Destination Infinity! Shortly referred as DI, is the identity of this blogger in blogosphere. 

Usually we invite someone into our house from being inside. But for a change, he invited me with a charming smile sitting inside our home, as I came little late while back on a ride on ECR. Though coming back from the same, with a different destination, he was on time at home. But well knowing about his visit, I decided to make a quick hop on and off on ECR. Glad I didn't miss the opportunity as I assured our meeting and it was a moment I could cherish for very long time.

I wasn’t certain will I meet him in person until that day. But I was quite amazed when I saw his mail that enquires the opportunity of meeting me at home that evening. I would have easily missed this chance if I haven’t login my Gmail on Sunday and went on my way leisure on ECR. I know Rajesh for a long time and came to visit his pages through fellow blogger Rakesh’s blog. Initially I showed interest on his posts on places of interest, but gradually stared to follow his every post as I find it simple yet interesting. Though it a personal blog, his way of writing sounds professional… perhaps because he also make blogging as his profession with another blog.

Apart scrolling back his personal diaries, he is a brilliant writer on short stories and reviewing books and movies. He also lately established himself as a published (self) novelist. The Archers Revenge (his book) is a very interesting crime fiction set in India. He is a wonderful event manager, as he covers many events happening in and around Chennai through his blog. We share a similar passion for blogging, which I think made us quite travel by blogosphere.

I was happy meeting him and it was a lighthearted moment, and I think he also felt the same. Our conversation was almost around blogging, places of interest and traveling. I too learn something about him and the meeting was a great transformation on the perception I got on him. To be frank, I thought he must be someone uncertain talking about, but I saw an amusement guy in him, who giggles and shows great conscious about things. More than happiness it was a feel pride moment meeting you DI! Thank you so much J

A glance @ Kasimedu Fishing Harbor

A fishing boat arrives at harbor

Few Sundays back I had been to Kasimedu in north Chennai, but I couldn't make into the fishing harbor (one of the major fishing grounds for catching fishes in Chennai) which I have done twice long back. The Ennore High Road was pretty much busy even being Sunday, the containers kept moving in and out of the Chennai Port (which seems active 24/7), forced us to take U-turn at the entry level of the harbor since we don’t want to take risk of getting struck with those heavy duty trucks.

A ship anchored at mid-sea, seen beyond the pretty  neat harbor pier

When I was back in 2004 (a month ahead to Tsunami attack, which sent great destruction towards the fishing harbor) the road had been so empty and we managed to drive till the end of Ennore High Rd that leads up to Thazankuppam, a fishing hamlet. The road travels almost close to sea, experience wonderful splashes of water as waves crash the rocks and concrete blocks that make seawall. It was great excitement then, when we were allowed driving into the concrete fishing pier that surrounds the harbor, and got the opportunity to see boats enter and exit as we come to halt at the mouth of the harbor.

Boat building and mending yard

A boat number

The Kasimedu fishing harbor located north of Chennai Port (under the administrative of same) is also facilitate of building fishing boats, and the harbor has a capacity to handle about 575 fishing craft, is used by over 1300 boats. Renowned as a retail fish market, Kasimedu has 90 stalls located within the fishing harbor complex adjacent to the auction shed. On the day of our visit, and due to some work going within the harbor pier couldn't make us drive into and the police had also made some block preventing vehicles.  But somehow managed to get some pictures shot from the Ennore High Rd, which u see here.

This photo was shot from the Royapuram flyover, overlooking the Chennai Port (container terminal) and what you see there was one of the huge cranes that transfer containers. Actually it was on the move while shot this picture and it makes siren sound as it progress. 

Thandikudi – A place where I felt quite tranquil!

Nestle amid the mountains of Palani Hills, at a range of about 1500m on the Western Ghats; Thandikudi is a pretty small village encompassed by coffee plantations, dense forest and mountain peaks keep it always cool and comfort weather to stay forever. I was so glad exploring this place last summer in June (2013) and the most fascinating thing I find there was bird watching. Though, Thandikudi is famous for Murugan Temple, coffee plantations and archaeological significant site, where Pre-Iron age burials are found. The pleasant weather and quite calm environment (where melodies of birds resonate) was something I never used before and deserves peace at best.

Panoramic view on the Thandikudi village

Thandikudi is about 45 km northeast of Vathalagundu in the lower Palani Hills in Dindigul district of Tamil Nadu. The village is on half the mountains of Kodakanal, hence named as half Kodai, was reached partially driving on the Kodaikanal Ghat Rd and then take right near Ooothu and drive past Pannaikadu. Thandikudi is about 10 km from there. Though there are also alternate routes via Palani and Oddanchatram, apart Pattiveeranpatti which I preferred during my course of travel, since I sought for a change, this road comes as an isolate, fresh and traffic free unlike Kodaikanal Rd. It’s a pleasure on its own driving past dense forest and coffee plantations with few mountain villages making mild voices amid the chirping of birds.

Close-up on the village residence 

We reached Thandikudi in the evening, since began to climb the hill between 4-5pm driving all the way from Chennai. It started to drizzle slightly as soon we are on the narrow mountain road, and looking down the plains was then a sight of active rainstorms playing on the ground. Past Dindigul, the weather has been stormy making it only more exciting. We made a leisure drive across the winding ghats, just being cautious at the occasional opponents since the road is sufficient only for a vehicle to pass at a moment. The slightly wet condition then made pretty cool as the elevation rises slowly, we stop at the Mangalamkombu, a small village near Thandikudi, to pick a person who booked rooms for us at the Panchayat Kudils (concrete huts) for accommodation. 

Mountains of Palani

Derived from the belief of people here that during the fight with monster Idumban, Lord Muruga jumped over the hill to reach Palani and thus obtained the name “Thandikudi”, which is a two, conjoined Tamil words meaning “cross-jump”. According to an archaeological survey, there’s one more reason to call it Thandikudi. The Kulasekhara Pandya inscription issued during the 12^th regnal year (1280 AD) records this village as Tanrikudi. Where “Tanri” is a variety of tree (termenalia bellarica) famous for its medicinal value and found in abundance in this region and “Kudi” means a clan based settlement. The archaeological survey also suggests that the site lies in a perfect ecological background, which helped to occupy continuously for more than 3,500 years.

Coffee beans at Thandikudi

Thandikudi is a coffee hub, where the famous Leo Coffee brought their base there. The central government has also established a Regional Coffee Research Station (the sole kind across the state) there in aim of evolving suitable practices for the cultivation of coffee, since this areas come under the North-East monsoon influence with low rainfall and hence require set of package for cultivation. The Panchayat run cottages or huts (made of concrete) had also built their premises among the coffee plantations and canopy of trees provides quiet environment and enrich with birds sighting. Black pepper, orange and jack-fruits where also among the plantations thrive aside coffee in Thandikudi, the silver oaks too rooted strong base abundantly across the mountains.

A screen of silver oaks

Thought Thandikudi is not a tourist destination, it too has places at receiving end. Except for the Balamurugan temple and certain view points (that come along roadsides) which we covered during our sightseeing, most of the places are pedestrian based or hiking. Although we managed to cover the area within a day, I still believe there’s much to experience and enjoy through personal exist. The Thandikudi chapter doesn't end here, but there will be more come into the blog through some other pretty posts.