Gates on Pvt. Beach lanes off ECR

Last Sunday I went for a brief drive on ECR (east coast road), with one of my visiting cousin and the other who drive me always, and as a part of ride, I come across few by-lanes (between VGP and ECR Link Rd) that led to private beaches. I like visiting these lanes from very long back, and I enjoy the quietness and isolation provided by these lanes, all lead to deserted beaches.  Couple of times, during the days I used caliper shoe, I went there to practice some walk in the empty roads and have taken trails in my power wheelchair when it was newly bought.

It’s been long time I checked these lanes and beaches, so decided to do it in the afternoon of Sunday. As we turned into one of the lane, I was left in awe to see the road that were once pretty, was almost damaged (due to work on underground drainage) and looked uneven to drive. But I enjoyed doing off-road on the cut across road in our mini cooper (Suzuki Swift) and spent some time on the end of sandy beach. I find at least a couple of eatery, ice-cream vendor and a balloon shooting at the end of few lanes that open to beach.

While come back from one of the lanes, I suddenly got an idea why not capture some of the gates on the lane to use at the good fences meme. There are many farm houses and private guesthouses on these lanes, and each enclosed with a pretty/neat/variant gate for each of the entrance. I captured about 10 gates, but all from the slowly moving car as I hesitate to halt in front of each gate and to be not warned by the watchmen or captured by the CCTV! So only half the photos came out decently to share here: 

A planked gate gives a look of modern  

Gate in style of picket 

Gate to an open plot

A sliding gate... adorn by a beautiful kolam/rangoli

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Haiku Moon

Against the blue sky

though not yet fully flourished

outshines the night moon.

Pretty earlier

a faculty to arrest

before night warrant. 

Anegan - Survives on love

There are certain creations we don’t want to miss and in the field of filmmaking, as a director, K.V. Anand has created a place for himself for us to look forward to watch with interest. Anegan is one of an interesting Tamil movie (I watched last week) from the director, and as a wholesome entertainer, is based on memories of previous birth, not one, but multiple! Although it is only a part of the film, that traces and survives on love on each birth, the director has a different phrase to communicate the reason which perhaps due to hallucinations or use of drug to enhance dreams. But what highlight was how the illusion becomes clue to explore a mystery?

Dhanush and debutant Amyra Dastur as lead, appears in four difference characters, look, period/age. Dhanush seems to have not much works to do to in showcasing the difference in looks, which was slightly altered by pretty shaved and grown beard – resembles one of his earliest and in beard he reminds the dancer-actor-director Prabu Deva. One could see a usual Dhunush in the sequences relevant to current situation in the film, and I don’t find it quite impressive. But who steal the screen/show was, Amyra Dastur.

The beautiful actress does not only appear prettier, but her performance outshines the star cast and quite admirable. According to the period, her transformation has been done well and though not so highly differentiated, her expression and attitude conveys much to not to believe she’s debut. And another notable thing about Anegan was veteran actor Karthik’s re-entry, but as anti-hero, he acted pretty cool which suppose to be his usual/casual character in movies as well in reality.

I think the concept of this film (with two more situations happening at different periods and traced as previous birth memories) was pretty new for the Tamil audience, even though it was conveyed in a lighter way, I feel some people will find it hard to capture quite. Among the two different eras, the film that begins in Burma (today Myanmar) in 1960s is very beautiful and heightened the interest of watching. As a migrant worker Danush stunned with action and the love with Amyra is impressive than other two.

The music and songs of Anegan is chartbuster even before its release and Harish Jayaraj has touched the peak with both melody and local genre – but the most popular Danga Maari, doesn’t lived up to the expectation that created though music. Being a great cinematographer himself (though K.V. Anand is not the cameraman of the film), his perspective and locations selection always fascinated and in the songs of Roja Kadale and Aathadi the beauty of nature and Amyra stunned.

There’s also limited fight scenes to keep pace and sustained on tack with love genre, which is the centre pole of the film. Like his previous movies (Ayan, KO and Maattrraan) that open door to some daring issues, K.V Anand has focused this time on the rising depression among corporate workers, though the film deal with gaming company, it almost indicates the same and pulled the trigger to dread. Anegan is a must watch for many reasons and also way being different! 

A gap between the fences

During my visit to Kukkal, a village near Kodaikanal, I come across this interesting fence built using firewood’s or bunch of sticks accompanied by some shrubs lined along. The gap between the fences captures my attention to click photo.  

Although it is the not view (picture above) capture thought the gap, but it’s the same that behold behind the fence... the villages, along with terrace farming, was covered by mist while we visited. Being afternoon time, the village looked like taking nap under the blanket of mist J

Linking this post for Run a Round Ranch's Good Fences

Sri Veera Anjaneyar Temple, Puthuppakkam

Last Thursday my father suddenly decided to visit the Thiruporur Murugan temple and by afternoon, along with my uncle’s family we head to the temple. And btw my uncle suggested checking the Anjaneyar temple on top of a small hill near Kelambakkam – about 35 km south of Chennai, which my parents and others wanted to do for a long time.

In front of the temple, from left: parents with uncle and aunt 

Sri Veera Anjaneyar Temple in the village of Puthuppakkam is 5 km from Kelambakkam, on the road towards Vandaloor, is the beautiful small temple situated atop a hill called Gajagiri hills. We know this temple from a very long time and those days it can be reached only by steps, that too in pathetic condition, never gave us a thought to  try  although we have passed this hillock many times.

A view from hilltop towards east... stretching across OMR and ECR and  far end with sea. 

My cousin who visited this temple few years back comes to discover a road has been built up to the hill top. And from that time onwards, I wanted to go to this temple to get some views around the area from the hill top, with SIPCOT IT Park as its backyard. So taking this as a wonderful opportunity, I also find it little exciting take the small road up the hill with couple of hairpin bends! It was cool and breezy, and awesome with views once atop.

The temple is told to have a strong connection with the Nithiyakalyana Perumal Temple in Thiruvadanthai, next to Kovalam in ECR. It seems, every year they set/said to follow a custom of carrying certain things as procession from the Anjaneyar Temple to Nithiyakalyana Perumal Temple in times of festival.  Thiruvadanthai being my grandmother’s native village, my mom used to indicate it always when coming across the temple.

As soon we reached the foothill, I was amazed, not just looking at the two big colorful statues of Hanuman and Karudazvar that stands upright on the either sides of the footsteps leading to the top. It was the place only recently I saw in a Tamil movie, where an action scene took place. There are 108 steps to reach the temple if one decides to take by foot, while enjoying the nature.

The temple believed to be 500-1000 years old, is also said to be that while carrying the Sanjeevi Hill to save Sri Lakshmana, Sri Anjaneyar stopped here for a while to perform Surya Namaskar. So he become so powerful at this place to named Veera Anjaneyar. The temple was quite calm and clean when we visited, but I couldn’t take more photos as I left my camera at home. Here are photos shot from my sister’s mobile. 

Temple torch on top of the hill, which is suppose to lit during special occasion