Gloriosa Lily – The state flower of Tamil Nadu

During my Sunday outing last weekend, I was surprised to see the state flower of Tamil Nadu – Gloriosa Lily – which I was looking for some time. Alike it’s other common names including flame lily and fire lily; the flowers bloomed like fire flames on the fence of a farm house near Kovalam.

Kaanthal, the flower called in Tamil, has six tepals each extends up to 5 to 7.6 cm long and generally looks bright red to orange and sometimes with yellowish bases. I found two flowers; one with yellow base and the other quite bright red makes nice difference between the young and old that exhibits wavy margins.

Gloriosa is a perennial herb, native to much of Africa and Asia, climb or scramble over other plants with the aid of tendrils at the ends of their leaves and can reach 3 meters in height. Despite its showy and ornamental flowers as it was cultivated worldwide and also as a medicine, the plant is poisonous and toxic enough to cause human and animal fatalities if ingested. 

Linking this post with Floral Friday Foto  and contribute to Good Fences conduct by  new hostess Gosia at looking for identity blog

Chennai turns Chill

It’s supposed to be a downpour season in Chennai, of course across the state of Tamil Nadu, due to northeast monsoon, but what’s happening was cool enough. For more than a week the weather feels unusually cold (even cooler than Bangalore), and in place of rain, the winter took advance, and when we were thinking that rains have concluded the tidings report of rain in few days since the low pressure in ocean turned cyclone "Nada". Even at this time of mid noon the blowing wind was cool enough to make feel goose bump and reminding the vacation times in Ooty and Kodaikanal.

Though the weather was cool enough, I sense dryness during the nights and my throat get intensely dry by the time of dawn and I was forced to wake up and take some glass of water. Being a type 2 diabetes, dry throat and water loss is a common thing, but these days it has been intense and mildly interrupts the breathing. Though it sounds unlike a serious problem, the unusualness makes me feel difference and I was glad that something disturbing me mental let me go off for last few days… and i hope it disappears soon.

Still I feeling wonder about the weather and the much anticipated northeast monsoon (since the widespread southwest monsoon failed to live up to) seems to be unfair this year, unlike the torrential rains that stroke Chennai and Cuddalore at this time last year and created a historic flood. First it was predicted to be an average rainfall this year and later it was announced to be less than normal and now it becomes obvious there could be minimum rainfall with the arrival of low pressed.

The year has almost come to end and there wasn’t even minimum rainfall to feel happy.  Even though abundant rain may cause problem, apparently we could not live without it and a small kind of suffering couldn’t be avoided sustaining for a year. Right now I am enjoying the weather that seems to be nostalgic i.e. after long time I sense refreshing through the weather of Chennai. Even at the time of torrential rains (the unforgettable Dec.1) it wasn’t cool enough… if you are in Chennai don’t miss to exit whether you in office or home, just chill outside the door. 

RGB Monday

A colourful textile shop @ Thiruporur, near Chennai

Yesterday I went for an outing along with my family, driving through the ECR (east coast road) and back via OMR, passing Mamallauram and Thiruporur. During the drive I got to shoot number of photos, varieties of scenes, taking all the opportunities that come pass by. While mom and aunt stopped at Thiruporur to purchase fresh vegetables and greens harvested from the nearby villages, I kept clicking photos on things happening around from sitting inside the car. And the textile shop is one of it, as I find many colorful dresses esp. shirts hanging outside the shop, the bulb for RGB blinked! Lol 

Roadside garden Chain-link fence, dedicated to Tex Girl on bid adieu

Last week I was close to Elliots Beach in my powered wheelchair, testing the battery stability, as I have a doubt about its duration, come across a stretch of chain-link fence, protecting a roadside garden along the 4^th Avenue of Besant Nagar, Chennai.

A photo posted by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Nov 12, 2016 at 8:34am PST

This stretch of road is popular among the local photo enthusiasts and film crews to take photo shoots, perhaps, because of less traffic; wider in space and almost quiet among the neighborhoods. The well laid fence on one side of the road, along the high wall of Olcott memorial school or Besant Garden, with nicely maintain garden and different kind of trees stretching out the garden is an additional attraction to this road.

As I carry mobile along with me, I took few photos along the road particularly the chain-link fence attached to green poles along the roadside garden with colourful bougainvillea, lookout of the compound wall take my attention. In evening I see many taking walk on the road (perhaps more in morning), but little cautious is much, as the road is almost empty the vehicles speed at their own.

A photo posted by Jeevan Kumar (@jeevan.grp) on Nov 24, 2016 at 1:53am PST

Linking this post for Good Fences by Run a Round Ranch, for last

P.S. This is supposed to be the last Good Fences link-in by Theresa (known by her profile nameTexWisGirl) of Run a round ranch, as she decided to bid farewell to her blog with this link-in for last. She has requested her link-in followers to carry on the meme… I hope someone take in charge of. Either it happens or not, I will continue to post under this meme on my personal interest. Thank you TexWisGirl… you will be remember always thought the good fences meme, and not only that way, but your support and sharing all these years in blogging. Hope you reconsider your decided later and turn back to blogging to share your support and interest. 

Grandeur of Big Chola Temple

It was a dream come true for me visiting the Big Temple of Thanjavur in year 2010 – the millennium year of its built, by Raja Raja Cholan 1. The sight of the magnificent temple tower is quite remarkable which proclaims one of the significant identities of Tamils to the universe. Standing beneath the marvelous Vimanam (the main temple tower) and known to be tallest among south Indian temples, it feel spellbind and I quite admired the structure in true amazement thinking about the narratives of history describing the building process of the temple. Each and every direction of the building exhibits the scholars of the Cholas and their thoughts, art and culture to be brought into a structure.

The Big Temple also known as Brihadeeswara Temple is part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site "Great Living Chola Temples". The Vimanam (temple tower) is 216 feet high and is among the tallest of its kind in the world and the Kalasha (apex or the bulbous structure on the top) of the temple is carved out of a single stone and it weighs around 80 tons.