Karimutty Waterfalls, Marayur

Following Thoovanam, we checked the Karimutty waterfalls on our travel to Munnar. The beautiful, fresh and natural waterfall is located on the end of Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary and 3km earlier to Marayur, the only town between Munnar and Udumalpet – from where we started our journey. The waterfall makes an impressive fall right next to the road and one could get a full view from the bridge across the waterfalls.

Few kms ahead to the waterfalls, we saw the water flowing down the mountains through thick vegetation and grasslands and the water is believed to have medicinal values as it passes through lot of herbs. Since it was slightly wet and drizzling weather, the waterfall makes feel cool and refreshing. There is a stair leading down to the waterfalls, provide a secure platform for people who desire to take bath and beside the falls there’s a room which I believe to be built for changing cloths.

Adjacent to the waterfalls, there’s a huge sculpture of an Indian Star Tortoise. I actually thought it was built to enhance the waterfalls but we find it was an Eco shop with an opening in the side, sells products made by the local tribal communities. The eco-shop also sell tea, coffee, biscuits and snacks along with some organic and herb products with the help of forest department. The Indian Star Tortoise structure here marks the existence of the endangered species more on the rivers along the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

My dad stood at the side of the falls, and our car parked aside the road (pic right above) and water running down across the bridge on other side of the waterfall 

This place is also facilitated by homestays and accommodation in forest guest house, from where one could take forest trek to Thoovanam waterfalls and Ancient dolmens and rock paintings date back to the Stone Age. Marayur is the only place in Kerala that has natural sandalwood forest from where one could learn more on the fragrant trees and is also popular for jiggery. Karimutty waterfall is located at a height of 500 meter, is a tributary to Pambar River flowing through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Bird Watching and Red Whiskered Bulbul

Western Ghats is a great stretch of mountains, including valleys, dense forests and plantations of tea, coffee... according to the circumstance of height, soil and weather condition. It’s also home to innumerable species of trees, plants and shrubs and variety of birds and insects and wild animals. For the people of south and west coast of India, Western Ghats plays an important role as summer vacation with many parts of mountains or Ghats becomes a hill station where people visits when the plains turn hotter.

The view from the balcony on the rear side of my uncle's  woodhouse

Kodaikanal is one of a blissful part of the Western Ghats, comes under the Palani hills range and it’s the only hill station where I have been to more than 10 times. Since my uncle built the woodhouse (Smokey Haven) in the lower Palani hills or to say as half Kodai, staying atop the mountains has become easy and for last couple of years we have been visiting the mountains twice a year. Nestled amid woods, natural vegetation and coffee plantation, the place provides lot of opportunity to bird watch and listening to distinct note of birds. I call it as bird paradise but birds most of all smaller in size are difficult to find out but I try my best to capture birds every time I visit there.

Though there are number of birds in the vicinity of woods, adjoining the woodhouse, some birds are frequently spotted or to be a residential birds of woods. I have spotted even migratory birds flying all the way from Himalayas, which are difficult to believe looking at their tiny size. The bulbuls, magpie robins, eagles, woodpeckers are commonly found there but for me who sees once or twice a year turned to be surprise and blissful to watch and shoot. During my visit in December, it was raining and full of fog and mist but it didn’t stop me looking for birds and the Red Whiskered Bulbul was the one I able to shoot as it came perching the wire outside the woodhouse, despite light showering.

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Gates and Fences

During an off-roading to Adukkam on the eastern slope of Kodaikanal hills, we find some beautiful private guest houses around the coffee and orange plantations which are nicely fenced and gated to look out for. This is one simple gate and chain linked fence along the house that overlooks a valley.

Many traditional houses in Kodaikanl have a upper floor to dry coffee seeds and store things

Below is another beautiful house I simply like to own and it has elegantly designed gate and my favourite kind of driveway along with garden. Last month during my visit to Kodaikanal, I find some roadwork is going on the stretch and soon the road will be suitable to drive by cars. So far only SUV/MPS were able to venture this road that doesn’t play buses. The road through Adukkam village is the first motorized road to Kodiakanal, which has been abandoned so far after couple of better roads laid to the mountains.

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Sunday Photos: Fern House, Ooty

(click pics for enlarge)

The Fern House in the Ooty Botanical Garden is a glass house we checked last year during the visit to Ooty, aka Nilgiris, is home to many species of ferns and orchids. This house (established in 1894) is dedicated to W.C. Mc. Ivor, in whose response the Garden has been developed to this stage from the then a patch of vegetable garden and wilderness of Shola and shrubs and the lower part as a swamp traversed by deep ravines.

Mr. W.C. Mc. Ivor who had his training at the Royal Botanical Gardens, was able to transform the steep slopes into walks and terraces, lawns and flower beds for growing choice selection of plants. He also improvised ways and means by which he could reclaim the lower part of the garden and converted into undulating and sloping lawns with pockets of ponds left at convenient places to add chart to the landscape.

We just took shots of the fern house from outside during our previous visit in 2008 since the house was locked. Last April there wasn’t much people visiting the garden and the fern house was also opened to visitors and allowed to take photos. Though these pictures are shot from mobile, as my camera was dropped down that previous night, I really liked the outcome and detail on ferns.

My grandmother watching the ferns

Master Health Check-up

I underwent a master health check-up and back x-ray as I was going through some symptoms and posture imbalance more lately. Though I already have scoliosis and lordosis which is a commonest cause in muscular dystrophy and due to long seated in wheelchair, the x-ray doesn’t make a significant impact but still some different impressions have found which our doctor will reveal when we check tonight. The diagnosis with complete blood and urine profile doesn’t show great differences except few crossing its border which I am sure isn’t a matter to bring control, but the ultrasound scan thrown away the stones. Actually they mentioned it as cysts in kidney and not stones. I come to know that cysts are fluid pouches form in kidney, but I don’t want to go deep on it leaving doctor to reveal himself. Lately I find particles in urine, though it haven’t blocking its way but making feel so, so I took the chance to examine which comes as part of master health check-up.

The blood and urine for the diagnosis was collected from home by the lab person in morning (like usual) and I check the lab for X-ray, ECG and ultrasound scan in evening. As I have took ultrasound already I known drinking plenty of water is must while examine, but last time I didn’t find difficult as it was only the scan this time along with X-ray, ECG I struggled with bladder, though I have drink only enough water, the a/c rooms trigged the bladder  and made feel  anxious and painful. Glad I took my urine bottle along so I was able to pass on immediately after the scanning. My mind was thinking anything at that moment, and this is my second time experiencing the same as 2013 when I first time took the ultrasound. I felt a great sign of relief after passing this exam and I know it’s my fault to drink water at home rather after going to the lab. Perhaps this could be the reason to show high heart beat rate at ECG and I really hope it’s because of the tense moment with bladder. Now looking forward to hear from the doctor…  

Thoovanam Waterfalls

During my travel to Munnar, through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary, we got to see this awesome waterfall from the road we are traveling between Udumalpet and Marayoor and it was flowing gracefully down the valley covered in dense forest. Thoovanam, meaning drizzling sky, is one of the beautiful waterfalls I have seen and though it flows far from where we stood watching its majesty, we could hear the rushing water cascading from a height of 82 feet.

Thoovanam could not stop us from thinking about Athirapally, the largest waterfall in Kerala on the Chalakudy River, which we checked while staying from Valparai in 2008. Though Thoovanam isn’t big as Athirapally, the way it looks resembles. Actually we missed a stop earlier on road, where we would have got a whole view of the waterfalls, but I was truly content from the location we stopped to watch and take photos as it gave a bit near view.

Thoovanam waterfalls from on the Pambar River that run down along the valley between the hills and dense forest, and the highway between Udumalapet and Munnar travels along the river which supposed to be originated at Anaimudi, the tallest peak of  South India. The Chinnar wildlife sanctuary offers trekking to the waterfall and the forest guided trek takes about 2-3 hours to cover 4km of stretch through wild forest and hills.

The valley view where the Pambar river winding through thick forest after magnificently fall as Thoovanam

Apt. to the name of waterfalls (Thoovanam) the weather was drizzling sky as we passed the mountain Ghats. Though our entire trip to Munnar in November was drizzling, rainy and foggy for the most gave far refreshing sight of many waterfalls and cool weather along our travel, Thoovanam as it flows through a pristine cover of forest green is spectacular to be watched again and again.

RGB Monday

A colourful gate of an industrial unit on the outskirt of Chennai! And it’s an instant click from one of my outing.

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

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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.

Greeting for Women

What I think about women is right or wrong but I have thoughts about women who are our profound desire and without whom any man survive in this world and they are our source of life which dwells around them. First as a mother she couldn’t be compared with any other relationship and she’s so special in many ways and in various stages of life and from womanhood to motherhood she’s consider to be so sacred and venerable and according to a child she’s a livelihood.  There is no way a man could live without women and he need to come across her at every instance as a mother, sister, wife, daughter and overall as a friend man’s life depend on women and of course women to men. 

Being a son I couldn’t stop related by my mother, who’s behind and in front of my life to make sustain there’s sunshine and I couldn’t think a world without my mother and even in my dream I couldn’t survive without her, because she’s my life and nothing could part me from her in this inevitable world. Though I don’t have a sister to personally make life better and sweeter, my cousins fill the gap and there’s nothing communicating with them and they add an ingredient of sweetness to my world through their immense concern, care and love which exuberate me to a height   invisible. My grandmother at other hand is a transformation of love and there’s nothing concern for her other than the welfare of us, following the footstep of our late great grandmother. Anyone related with her would have disliked her and there wasn’t a hardworking woman like her, who has been busy all her life upbringing her children and looking after the dairy business. 

My aunts are all cool and always come with special care and attention and at the midlife I see a balance at their approach with either the young or old, it’s always fun being with them. And about a life partner or wife it’s never in my list of concern or wish or desire but as always keep dreaming or imagining which is common among men or women, the thinking inspires writing and although impractical I continue to script down the desire. I never think women is lesser than men but only more sufficient and incredibly mysterious to bear immense trouble or pain we would only fail to realize or try to understand. 

I do have friends in women, who were all such nice personalities distinct by their liberal thoughts, what the world really needs now to improvise the gender and not only as professional women or mother, but as student has the response to teach the parents the changes we really need and as a mother bringing up the boys reliable to women and treat with same regard.  Rely by true friendship; I admire the women here who create an impact in my lifestyle which I consider fortuity to understand (a bit on) women and their point of views. On this Women’s Day I greet all the women   there to look forward in life against all the hurdles and you were the most wanted women in our lives, where our hopes and desire for future is defined and designed by you. Love you dear women!

Travel through Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary

A continuation of travel to Munnar…

Following Anamalai Tiger Reserve, we entered the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary as well as the state of Kerala crossing the border check posts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is facilitated with ecotourism where tourist can stay and enjoy wildlife from their rest houses and take safaris and hiking through forest. The Chinnar got its name from the river Chinnar, meaning small river, which travels long the northern edge of the sanctuary defining the state boundary of Tamil Nadu/Kerala by East-West.

(the monkey leaped on our car bonnet and we're force to roll up the windows)

It continues to be cloudy and slightly drizzle to keep environment wet as we travel for about 13km through the sanctuary and few kms from check post the Pambar River joins for company along the left side of the road and as we continue to elevate through hills the river travelled against us as gorge. We stopped at few places to watch the river flowing amid the wild forest and hills and at some places making beautiful waterfalls. Near the check post of the Sanctuary we are attracted to the handing bridges made for monkeys to cross the road, and we find couple of monkeys using the bridges, which remind me Valparai, where I saw the bridges made for same to the endangered Lion tailed macaques.  

With Eravikulam National Park to the south and Indira Gandhi Wildlife Sanctuary (Anamalai Tiger Reserve) to north and Kodaikanal Wildlife Sanctuary to east, Chinnar forms an integral part of 1187 sq. km of protected forests. The road from Udumalpet-Munnar passes though the sanctuary, divides it into nearly equal portions and the Chinnar and Pambar rivers being a perennial of the sanctuary leads to Amaravati Dam after merging at the interstate boundary. The Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary is home to 34 species of mammals including Tigers, Panthers, Elephants and Nilgiri Tahr and Indian star tortoise and mugger crocodiles live largely in the sanctuary.

A forest camp site is down the valley and close to the Pambar river

The Ecoregion of the sanctuary comprises mostly grassland and wet grasslands vegetation with 965 species of flowering plants and some South Western Ghats montane rain forest and moist deciduous forest and high sholas. The Maraoor sandalwood forest or reserve is located close to the sanctuary and Thoovanam waterfalls is a must watch for anyone on this route. More on later…

Pambar river creating little falls like flow

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Yellow Gate

Captured the gate during a detour around Vellore and the yellow gate, radiate through sunlight, caught my attention at glance, as I shot (using iphone) from moving car. The  gate lookalike belong to a residential or farm house since the road we took take us through hills and villages, flourished by farm lands.

The bush of orange flowers bloomed beside the gate is an additional attraction to the scene, enriched by coconut palms and banana trees proves the wealth of fertile soil, and being a hilly terrain is pulse to the environment.

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Summer Poem

P.s. The background image was shot around Nemeli in ECR (east coast road) during an evening.  

Pancha Pandava Hill Cave, Vilapakkam

Click all pics for enlargement

Following Delhi Gate, our next halt was at Pancha Pandava Hill Cave and Rock Sculptures at a small town called Vilapakkam, about 6 km travel on state highway 129 from Arcot towards Kannamangalam. About 25 km from Vellore, the hilly area was a flourishing Jain centre between 9^th and 11^th centuries which is evident from the inscriptions and Jain figures found on the caves here.

The name Pancha Pandava Hill is associated with Pandavas from Mahabharath, although the hill is locally called as Tiruppanmalai meaning scared milk hill. The rock cut cave temple is a large excavation, carved on the eastern side of the huge hillock. We couldn’t get close to the rock cut cave due to the development work and pavement building, but my mom managed to capture few shots on the face of cave from a distance.

There's a Jaina tirthankara figure on the top of the rock face (click pic) to see him seated in yogasana. And it suggest how strong the Jaina influenced this part of  Vellore

Built in Pallava style, the cave has a large mukhamandapa or hall supported by twelve pillars in two rows, but in picture above only the front pillars is visible. The pillars are uniformly square from top to bottom and have curved corbels above the pillars and pilasters, which is another style mostly seen in Mahendra caves. Except seven niches carved on the back wall of the cave is empty cells with square uncarved blocks as side walls.

A beautiful lily pond next to the rock cave 

Situated right beside the road, the hill and cave is hard to miss and the site is protected by fence on roadside with two small gate entrances. Apart the cave, there’s a natural cavern atop the hill which is converted into a tarn by the construction of a retaining wall and rest is turned into mosque that seem to attract local people for worship.  The staircase to the mosque is carved on rocks and at some places arranged with rocks.

The white building on  the left image is the mosque, shot from the rear side of the hill and rock cut stairs on  left images.

The rock cave and sculptures is protected by archaeological survey of India. And the development process right now hopes to attract more people to the site and make access easily, which perhaps get me closer if checked later.

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RGB Monday

One of the neighbour’s colourful Kolam drawn for the Pongal festival. I really liked the way they created a Pongal pot boiling over the firewood stove aside their colorful Kolam and I took this shot  in evening while  coming around our street and the Kolam should have perhaps drawn in the morning to look little  distorted.

Delhi Gate, Arcot

I wanted to check some places around Vellore and was planning from December to do the same but for some reasons it kept postponed. Finally on Sunday we made a trip.  Vellore is usually known for hot weather, due of the rocky terrain and hills surrounding the city, I don’t want to be burned visiting it rather than in winter or rainy (beginning from Oct to Jan) though the summer haven’t  kick started yet, we could feel the hot enough.

Our first stop was at Delhi Gate, near Arcot on the bank of river Palar. Delhi Gate is part of the fortification of Arcot, a region that has been battle ground for number of times, which result in construction of the fortress around Arcot. There were prolonged disputes between different dynasties fighting for the control of Arcot, also inspired the British and the French, however their battle was only for control of south India, the battle fought by the British using handful troops and Indian solders under the leadership of Robert Clive (to capture the Arcot) was claimed to be a remarkable battle in Indian history.

The side view of the delhi gate and the stairs lead to the room atop gate, shot from road

What’s really amazing about this battle was, Robet Clive, a clerk, who did not have any military experience and along with 8 inexperienced officers, won the battle against enormous forces using the strategies rather than his strength. The Siege of Arcot lasted fifty days beginning from Sep. 23, 1751 CE become a turning point in his life and later rise to become the Governor General of India. And he laid the foundation of the British Empire in India and ruled most of the country as the governor general.

You could see the inside of the arched gate, with a storeroom gate and boying playing cricket. Click the image to see the fortified ruins behind the fielding boys. 

Now, except the Delhi Gate, a gateway structure with a room atop and some ruined fortified walls and basement shattered around, there isn’t a trace for fort, or perhaps some other ruined parts may visible around the Arcot. The fort originally built by Mughal governor, Daud Khan Panni, in early 18^th century was destroyed by Tippu Sultan in 1783. And one of the remaining gates of the fort, called Delhi Gate, was named after to signify the beginning of the capture of Delhi by the British and the room atop the ached gate was the room of Robert Clive.

It was about 11 am when reached the Delhi Gate, but I didn’t get into the fort, which was fenced on the road side and have huge steps to climb in out. During the time of visit many youngsters were playing cricket between the gate and ruined fort walls, against the warning board place by the ASI   instructing that misusing the monument shall be punishable with imprisonment.   The Delhi gate has two storerooms inside the archway and two staircases, from outside leads to the room atop the gate. Locals believe there’s a tunnel from here goes up to Delhi and thus named after it, but it’s unproven.

Pongal Pot Light

During the Pongal festival I was thinking to do something different and got the idea of putting led lights on an old Pongal pot. It was the same serial light I used on the Christmas tree, and I put the rice led around the pot and cut pasted cello tapes here and there to keep the wire on place. For the overflowing part of the pot, I blocked the mouth of the pot with a bunch of white paper and stick lights around it.

First I placed it on the windowsill outside the home and then shifted it to the brick stove, that we used to make Pongal in morning with firewood at the courtyard. And it looked really good lighting from the shutdown brick stove and we left it that way for the four days of Pongal festival and people passing by the road too would have got a glimpse.

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