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.

Linking this post for  Good Fences by Gosia... and you could see our sitout fence/rai in picture above

Super Blue Blood Moon and the Lunar Eclipse

Since I know that lunar eclipse is happening at the evening of Jan 31^st I decided not to miss the event and go to the beach to watch the moon across the vast sky and capture the best I could.  Likewise we checked the shoreline by 6pm and there wasn’t a sign of rising moon and the sudden clouds were covered up as well. Thinking that we aren’t chanced to witness the spectacle, went on a short ride on ECR and even checked the Uthandi beach but still couldn’t seen the moon.  At last taking a U-turn before the tollgate, received a call from cousin have we watching the super blue blood moon swallowed by the shadow of earth? We rushed to the Palavakkam beach and the moon was almost up in the sky and masked in red shade.

I actually wanted to watch the entire show (from the moon rising above the sea) but wondered what happened in middle, we could only watch the unveiling show of the moon. I captured the moon from inside the car, through the windshield I couldn’t get enough detail but I was content with the night mode I used on the moon. Though I wasn’t comfort on the position of shoot, as I captured from the sedan (car) seat that had little access for me to use the camera, I was happy with the angle of moon which only made way for shoot. Being a SUV guy, for last 9 years, with high seating position, shooting with camera was somehow comfort but the sedan’s low seat wasn’t favourable to shoot.

My brother has bought a Volkswagen Vento and he wants to take us out and with a natural event ahead we decided to give a shot. The car gives pleasant ride and soothes even on rough roads, but the only problem was, being a low seating position the ingress and egress was very difficult and taking photos too become trouble. We still have the SUV and were seriously looking for a MPV to turn it into a wheelchair accessible where I could travel without transfer into the car seat. Hope you liked the photos on the moon.

Pongal Kolams for RGB Monday

Here is mom’s Pongal Kolams that she drew for the Pongal festival. As I told in my previous post mom took enough diligence to make all the 4 kolams, two at night and another two in morning along our courtyard and gateway. I know I was pretty slow with blogging these days but hope to be active in coming days and for RGB  Monday, I think this post had more  than enough colors to keep  away the Monday blue, but I know Monday is gonna end in  less than an hour. lol

The rose flowers kolam was put on the ramp in front of the house

The Pongal pot along  with sugarcanes and turmeric plants upon which we made pongal using firewood stove.

Peacock drawing/kolam at the upstairs door front

Pongal pot and flower Kolam at our doorstep

The same Pongal pot and flower Kolam (as seen above)  before added colors

Pongal Post

(Click pics for enlarge)

I don’t think it’s too late to post on Pongal, held last week. As always it was three of us (me, mom and dad) celebrated the harvesting and thanksgiving festival by making Pongal (boiling of rice and milk) at the courtyard using firewood on bricks stove. My brother was out of town, though he isn’t interested in festivals general, I love the tradition of making Pongal esp. in mud pot in open space as a sign of thanking the foremost nature source sun. I always feel festivals are to celebrate and it’s an occasion to be happy, at least for a while keeping away things that put us down or race life. Pongal isn’t a religious festival to celebrate independently at home and some are so reserved to come out to  show up cheers while sending greetings and I believe it’s celebration of nature and thanksgiving the farmers and cattle’s in supporting the production of food crop.

From night to morning mom drew 4 kolam along the courtyard and gateway, two before went to sleep and two at early morning. I will make a post of it later and here you could see the Pongal boiling/overflowing out of the pot. The days of Pongal passed by watch few movies and TV shows, and alike last year I went around our streets to check neighbours Kolam, but couldn’t see many unlike previous Pongal. The first photo here was the Kolam of my nearby neighbour, though it’s not a colourful kolam, I like the beautiful pattern and neat finishing from this young lady. The backstreet boys conducted Pongal festival contest, just like last year on Mattu Pongal day instead on Pongal and being a weekend along with festival many were out of town and it wasn’t interesting though and contests also went on untimed for people to participate.