Colour of Summer

Knows as Kalyana Murugai or Mull Murukku (Erythrina Indica) is a thorny tree of rapid growth in warm regions and is planted for hedges. During March/April the tree blooms after shedding all its leaves and the crimson coloured flowers with numerous petals, spread in all directions is a feast to the eyes.

In Sanskrit, the tree is rightly called kinjukam meaning a parrot, as poet kalidasa likens the petal of this flower to the beak of the parrot. Sangam poets compare the colour and form of the petals to a claw of a lobster, blood-stained nails of a tiger, painted nails of a woman and to a cock’a comb. They have also recorded that crows, cuckoos and other birds eat the petals, filaments and pollen of this flower.

Ps. I captured these pictures during a visit to Kodaikanal, last year

Linking this post for Floral  Friday Foto 

From my Trip to Mountains

Six days passed since I climbed down the mountains and I traveled through two different parts of Western Ghats, although I have visited them already few times, I just went to see if I could reveal some more and enjoy the cool weather and nature I am always fond of. Staying from uncle’s woodhouse in Kodai Hills (Thandikudi) we relished and relaxed a while for few days before climbing down and up to another part of Western Ghats in Theni district.

My uncle's woodhouse called Smokey Haven

After a long time, I visited Bryant Park in Kodaikanal with an expectation to see Kurinji, which started to bloom after 12 years. In 2006 we saw Kurinji flowers bloomed at the popular Kurinji Andavar Temple there and at the edge of some valleys; I really wish to see its bloom again as it is the year of blooming. Although I know the peak season of Kurinji blooming begin from May to September, the time the southwest monsoon lash, I tried my chance to see the flower but couldn’t make way to one. Wish I could revisit the Kodai again later this year to see my second chance for Kurinji.

The Bryant Park doesn’t have any flowers this time and I know I’m too early to look out for flowers as the Park was only getting ready with freshly cut and planting of flowering plants to be bloomed during the summer vacation or flower show in May. The park was free of the crowd and gave amply space to move unhurried and capture landscape photos of gardens and some flowering plants. Apart from the park, I checked a couple of old churches in Kodaikanal with remarkable architectures and hidden beauty, after going through some street searching. 

Except for a day going to Kodaikanal, we spent most of the time at the woodhouse and short drives around. As usual, I enjoyed the birds chirping, and taking photos around the woodhouse. The days are sunny and cool at night helped me to stay outside the most and the travel to the hills in Theni was only somehow disappointed. I have been to this mountain in Theni twice and once have stayed at the govt. guest house at the mountain top at a height of 1500 MSL. I really don’t want to reveal anything about the place which had a new road lately what made me disappointed.

The mountain is partially leased by a private tea plantation, and other parts come under wildlife sanctuary with biodiversity. Only recently government decided and laid the road to this place which has been almost off-road for many years, where even buses played up and down through huge bumps. What bothered me was the road’s width. It was already a single road and the environment dept. permitted to lay the road for only 5 meters width, but they have widened the road to 12 meters which meant cutting down a lot of trees and many were rare species.

I couldn’t take it easy not only because it is my favorite place, but nature out there

is also incredible and untouched by many. The streams, rivers, and dams all hold freshwater, which is becoming a rare source of nature everywhere and the people here use only natural spring water that flourishes throughout the mountains. I feel so blissful every time being there, listening to birds with distinct notes and watching the sunset from this mountain is spectacular indeed. Theni is been my favorite place since visited in 2006 and I always enjoy being there whenever I get the chance. I think to make many posts out of the trip in future posts. Keep sharing

Off to Mountains

Skywatch Friday - Contrail

Jet aircraft leaving back it trail across the blue sky, iphone shots from moving car at the outskirt of the city.

An Upgrade to Real Home Theater System

I already have a DVD home theater system bought in 2011 and it’s still continue to sound good and I watch movies connected to surround sound but lately I feel it wasn’t effective or I was in need of more effect and moreover the system isn’t reading the latest video formats and I need to convert the files or play through the television port to bring the digital out and then convert it into analog and play the sound though the home theatre. I always like listening to quality content and used to buy original audio cassettes and CDs when the albums of my favourite artist release and it continued till 2010 – Enthiran was my last purchase from the shop. I slowly converted to download songs from internet and later movies, but I still maintain my policy of not downloading or watching new movies rather than in theatre and watch movies at least 100 days after the release.

I was looking for a better opportunity to upgrade my listening and lately started to dream of buying an advanced music and home theatre system and while I was into research the Amazon.in came up with offers and 10% discount encouraged me to go ahead. I really don’t want another home theatre with a playable disk which has any other option of connecting. Technology keeps advancing and I can’t keep changing the home theatres accordingly and keeping it in mind I convince myself for an AV receiver with multiple inputs and UHD out though single HDMI. AV receivers are priced high even without speakers, and the basic system is not less than Rs.25,000 and I opted for Okayo or Sony as I got good reviews about them.

 I was in idea of using the old home theatre speakers with the AV receiver, although I was in doubt I went for a powerful system with more than 100 watts per channel, keeping in mind the future setting of big screen home theatre. After a lot of conflicts within, I was in conclude of not missing the advantages of Sony which is bit better than Okayo. Though both uses the Bluetooth technology to fully operate from smartphone, the NFC and few more technology, want me to go for Sony receiver which specifically is made for iPhone and iPods connectivity. I was really amazed at how it operates through iPhone and I could listen to any song from live stream or internet. As I planned I cannot connect the satellite speakers of old home theatre and was forced to buy new speakers.

The Sony STR-DH770 is a 7.2 channel receiver and I have connected just 2 channel bookshelf speakers and a subwoofer from previous home theatre, simply rocks.  I can’t describe the feel it produces even from just 2 Ch. Speakers; I can’t image how it would sound from 5.1 Ch., the basic setting of home theatre. The receiver has given me an opportunity to relive and enjoy listening to my favourite music/songs again through this enhanced AV receiver and I love the details it reproduces via Boston speakers, which cost me Rs.10,000 a pair and I’m in need of 3 more speakers. I really loved listening to old songs than the new ones and I can’t say how amazing it feels and each song sounds alike listening for first time.

Perhaps it’s the reason for my slow blogging as I can’t stop listening or watching movie from the time connected, I trying listening to many songs and genre. The actual price of the STR-DH770 including import fee and delivery charges is Rs.41,000 but amazon offered me at Rs.27,000  along with 10% discount. This receiver is not sold in India and amazon imports it from USA and it can’t be directly plugged into the Indian socket but need a 220 to 110 volt step-down converter to give power to the receiver which is at 120 volt. I also found the receiver to be damaged at a corner for which they refunded Rs.6, 660 after I sent mail to amazon with pictures of damaged part. And in this way we save the amount and I’m quite content with the outcome which I’m expecting to improve as I use it fully.