A festival that enthuse me

While nearing Deepavali (Nov 10), the enthusiasm about the Festival of Lights ignites inside. When it comes to Deepavali, the thing that comes to mind first was fireworks.  Though fireworks aren’t the only thing or matter of celebration, apart sharing sweets and snacks and greeting each other for the well being and lighting lamps to drive away the darkness that not only surrounds the environment but also the wicked mentality. Fireworks has been the main intention and attraction for me from the childhood and I couldn’t image a Deepavali without fireworks and the noise of crackers, and I think there will be a feel of something missed if there isn’t crackling sound of crackers and colourful display of fireworks at night.

I sense the eagerness of celebrating the festival of light (also the other kind of festivals) has been coming down by each passing year and the gadgets keeps people away from any part of activities.  Whether I ignite crackers are not, going through the festive feel is something I cherish within myself, as I could not force anybody to share my season’s joy, I try to enhance the festival mood in whatever possible way I could and going out in the evening of and a day early to Deepavali is a part of my celebration to get a glance on things happening around my neighbourhood related to the festival. The only Deepavali I couldn’t take part in firework, though I could not ignite anything other than sparkles, it was the year 2013 and because of my fracture I couldn’t even come out of home.

When we were residing in the apartment, we had wonderful opportunity to share the festival feel with our neighbours by exchanging sweets and snacks and it was good to see kids come together to fire fireworks in colourful attires.  Being shifted to couple of houses in last two year, we miss the sharing opportunity and before we become familiar with neighbours the time to move out comes earlier. Though we moved back to our native area now, the feeling wasn’t quite familiar and strangers to many, this if first Deepavali we suppose to celebrate here after 10 years. Among the festivals, I find Deepavali as more social and apart various belief and faith people celebrate it with great happiness and when lighting crackers over life somehow gleam colorful.

P.S. For those who don’t know about Deepavali, also called as Diwali, is an ancient Hindu festival celebrated every year and it is one of the largest and brightest festivals in India that signifies the victory of good over evil. 

Highways Divider

Every time I was on National Highways, I try to capture some images on the road and like taking long angle shots for a wonderful perspective on the pretty neat lanes... somewhere there are dividers in flowering plants, bloom in dazzling colors seems picturesque to shoot.

The eye-catching yellow dividers here is on NH 46 – Chennai-Bangalore highways. I shot these photos long back when driving back from Bangalore and this part of road is somewhere between Ambum and Vellore, I guess.

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

Demonte Colony

Horror is the trend (successful trend) in the Tamil cinema and this year, number of films released under this genre and almost tasted the success.  I haven’t watched many films of this genre, but from the few I checked and heard about, humour has been the main source for the success of these films except the movies – Maya, Strawberry and Demonte Colony (which I watched last weekend) are suppose to be serious. Demonte Colony grips watching throughout without got to be disturbed by the commercial factors anywhere but it was entertaining in a different way and it has an interesting screenplay set between four friends fighting against the spirit within four walls of their bachelor room.

Though the film doesn’t expose any scary images but got to experience a real thriller through the characters expression and haunted feeling. Inspired from a real time rumour related to the Demonte Colony, in Alwarpet, Chennai, though I don’t know what history the colony holds, the director’s creation was superb and the time period he capture through the scene was another impressive part. Arulnithi dictated the leadership well, and the other three friend characters are greatly supported the venture and has put a realistic effect while exploring the ghost bungalow as well fighting against the fear of being killed. The director has put the story simple to understand by everybody and though intellectually played the scenario there are certain moves confuses the naive while the focus is on fatality or escape.

Demonte Colony is tremendous and gives a bit of realistic feel among the horror films!

RGB Monday

I got to capture a photo yesterday when there was a downpour, following the presence of northeast monsoon. The rain created a pool across the courtyard, though it drained after the downpour ceased I want to make an image out of it and coincidentally the image got the colors of red, green and blue, which I come to know only later. So how can I miss the opportunity rather posting it on RGB series?

Here: Red bricks of the under construction building across the road, Green foliage of the neighbor's house and our Blue plastic drum, which was placed under a roof drain  for storing rainwater. The rainwater drain through this was pretty cleaner and we redirect it to our sump later for domestic use.    

Garden Lizards

The garden lizard that I shot, while it climbed on the Neem tree, in front of our home, doesn’t seem to be the same (in the picture below) I encountered earlier. I saw a garden lizard in the courtyard few months back and while I was watching it, another came from a direction and both started to fight each other. Standing on the rear legs, and in the support of their tail they clashed using their front limbs. I was quite amazed at the sight as I never seen garden lizards fighting. Not liked to miss the chance, I rushed inside to take the camera but when I was back both decided to separate and moved on their way and I could only shoot/focus on one to let other escape.

During the childhood, when visiting the village I have seen boys trying to catch the garden lizards along the fences, using a knot at the end of a thin stick and try to fasten the neck of the lizard... though I haven’t seen one being caught by them, I find it memorable. It is also fun to watch the garden lizards doing push ups like men work out at the gym – a study say that lizards doing push-ups mean display of strength and indication of get out of my territory.

P.S. The northeast monsoon is here, the earth becomes cooler and moister in weather. Downpour in Chennai makes us all feel happy and cheerful due to the showering.

Linking this post with SATURDAY CRITTERS