A Wandering Mind

We look forward to vacations to get away from our routine lives and de-stress, but planning a vacation is quite stressful at times too! First, there comes the ever present question – where to go! In a country like ours, there is so much to see and so much to experience that it is never easy to decide where to go, especially these days when I read so many travel blogs and wish I could visit all the places I read about. And then, there are all the places I have already visited, yet want to visit again….and again…. and again!  One such place I have visited umpteen number of times before (actually, I did count the number of visits, and it turns out that this was my 11 th ) is Tirupati. I first went there when I was about 8 or 9, and since then have gone there regularly, but somehow, the place beckons again and again. My last two visits were fleeting ones, where I barely had time to see the Lord, which left me rather unsatisfied. The desire to visit again was growing, and I finally c...

Anyone who knows me knows that there is no gift dearer to me than a book! And when I get a signed copy of a newly released book from the author himself, it becomes the best possible gift ever! When I commented as usual on Ashok Banker’s blog, I didn’t even think of the contest he had running, and winning a copy of his latest book - Slayer of Kamsa - Book 1 of the Krishna Coriolis -  was just too thrilling for words. It arrived just after Diwali, and was the first thing I laid eyes on when I returned from my Diwali holidays, and it really made my day! I hadn’t even heard of Ashok Banker till I stumbled upon his Ramayana series . I rented the first book in the series from Librarywala , wondering what it would be like. I was hooked from the first page, and just couldn’t keep it down! In fact, I remember that of the six books in the series, I managed to rent five from the library, but the sixth wasn’t available, so I placed a request for the book. However, I was unable to...

I am finally back , after a short break, and it has been wonderful. As usual, though, now that I am actually sitting down on the computer, I don’t know where to begin! To start with, for those of you not in the know, I spent the Diwali holidays at Tirupati, managing to escape from the pollution and noise the festival brings along. Of course, no place in India can remain immune to air and noise pollution during this one festival, and Tirupati was no different – well, maybe a little less polluted than Mumbai, and certainly a lot quieter! Most of the bangs we heard were from quite a distance, which actually helped us enjoy the spectacle of firecrackers, which were too far away to pose any danger! So, yes, we enjoyed Diwali, and spent the entire day visiting temples big and small in the vicinity. An auspicious way to celebrate the festival, wouldn’t you say????? I spent almost 10 days at Tirupati this time, something I have wanted to do for a long time, and thoroughly enjoyed it. If yo...

One festival is scarcely ove r that its time for another! Its now time for Diwali - the one festival which is celebrated over the length and breadth of our vast nation. While for some, it is the beginning of the new year, the day to start new accounts with, for some it is the day they welcome the goddess of prosperity into their homes. For some, it is the day Lord Rama entered his city after vanquishing the asuras, a day to be celebrated by lighting  up the house, while for some, it is the day Krishna defeated Nararakasura, and thus to be celebrated by having the purification bath and celebrating the dawn of a new life. For most, it is simply the best festival, the one where you get to wear new clothes and burst firecrackers.  What does Diwali signify for me? Well, for me, the attraction of the festival lies in the simple clay lamps or diyas, which I love to buy,decorate and light. Not for me the wax candles or the electric lights. The simple mud diyas filled with oil seem t...

These days , Samhith runs to get the camera the minute he sees an insect in the house! Of course, since he is not yet allowed to use it, it is me he pesters to take photographs! Here is one which turned up yesterday taking advantage of the window Samhith had conveniently left open. It looks like a cricket, but don't know exactly. I tried to ID it, but to no avail. Any ideas, anyone? I was especially intrigued by the yellow spot on the side.  P.S. I am out of town, and will be back soon. Please do leave your comments and I shall reply when I get back.

For the last few days , I have been awakened at dawn by birds instead of the irritating alarm clock. Wondering about which bird is making the noise has proved to be far more effective than waking up wondering about all the things I have to do that day. Anyway, a few days ago, I managed to find out at last the one who was making all that racket at the unearthly hour of dawn - it was a pair of drongoes! Here are a few pics I have managed to click over the last couple of days..... and here is a sample of the sound which makes all the noise. They seem to be really perverse birds, making so much noise that I wake up, and then shutting up when I get my camera ready! P.S. I am out of town and will be back in a few days. Please leave your comments and I shall reply as soon as I get back.

This one i s a permanent resident of our colony, and can be relied on to appear every now and then, reminding us of his presence, especially as a warning to kids not to venture into the bushes! Capturing him on camera has never been easy, even though he comes out to bask in the sun,  because he seems to be more wary of the kids than they are of him, and he is the first to disappear when they mark their arrival with whoops and shouts. I saw the chap this week as I left to collect Samhith from school, and he didn't seem to be bothered much by me, and continued to absorb the warm sun rays after a sudden spate of rainfall. As I clicked on and on, happy that I had my camera with me for once, he turned to regard me, as if wondering what I was doing! Incidentally, for those of you who are interested, this one is an Indian (or Oriental) Garden Lizard , also called a Changeable Lizard . It is NOT a chameleon, though it does change its colours, but much more slowly.