A Wandering Mind

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The Elephant of Elephanta

The first time I visited the Elephanta caves , I remember being told that the caves were so named because the island on which they stood resembled an elephant. It was only much later that I learnt that the name came, not from the imagined shape of the island, but from the sculpture of an elephant which once stood at the jetty welcoming visitors to the island.

Wooden Toys

I can't go to Nashik without thinking of toys. This was where we bought the first wooden toy for Samhith - a train - and today, we have a huge collection of these wooden toys. mostly vehicles.

Book Review: Maps for Lost Lovers by Nadeem Aslam

Imagine a town called ‘ Dasht-e-Tanhai ’ (Desert of loneliness), a town with Pakistani, Indian and Bangladeshi immigrants... A town whose residents struggle to hold on to their customs, beliefs and traditions in the face of changing times and circumstances... and you can be sure that the story will be one that is familiar... it doesn't matter that the town is in England.. Far from the roots of the immigrants who have rushed there to escape their fate in their homeland, and yet struggle to grasp the frail threads that tie them to their origins. Yes, the story is familiar. We have heard, or at least read in the papers, about the young lovers who are killed for going against the wishes of their elders.....we are so aware of the fear parents have, that their children will fly the coop someday... find their wings and live their own life.. their own way... Today, as I opened the newspaper, the first article I set eyes on, was one of a minister suggesting that the best way to avo...

Wai - An image of Kashi in the heart of Maharashtra

Our first visit to Wai was by chance. We were on the way to Satara, to attend a festival at the temple there. I was then pregnant, and my tendency to throw up on the road was higher than normal, which led to frequent stops on the highway. One such unscheduled stop found us near a board that said, ‘Wai – 10Km’. My father-in-law suddenly remembered a visit he had made to the area almost half a century ago, on his first job in the PWD. “There is a river there, and lots of temples” he said, and we decided to take the turn and see if they were still there. The river turned out to be almost completely dry... and what was left of it, extremely dirty... but the promise of temples was true. The whole riverbank was dotted with temples of all shapes and sizes, and there were also tiny shrines on the bed of the now-dried-up river, which obviously would disappear when the river filled up in the monsoons. I made a second trip to Wai some years later, but the river was just the same. The te...

Skywatch Friday - Birds From My Window

If it's Friday , it's time for Skywatch ! Wondering what I was going to post today, going through my photos, I realised that when I looked out of my window, at the sky, more often than not, I saw birds! So, here are some birds that I see quite often. These are just common birds, but each of them is a joy to watch... The Red Vented Bulbuls are the most frequent visitors, and I have loads and loads of photos I have clicked of them. This one happens to be my favourite, because of the odd expression he seems to have on!

A New Visitor to my Backyard - Long Tailed Shrike

I have been getting a bit bored of the bird photos I have been posting.... I have loads of them, but they are of the birds I see every day.. and I am losing my enthusiasm for them. I was just sitting at my desk looking at my bird photos and wondering which one to post today, when I heard a sound. Now, I have often run to the window at the slightest sound, wondering if it was a bird, but I have often been wrong, or just got a glimpse of a bird as it flew away before I could identify it. I was therefore not too excited or hopeful. However, there it was, perched on a tree on the other side of the jogging park. I could barely get a glimpse of the bird, but it seemed busy calling out, so I took out my camera and got clicking. This is what I saw...

The Meeting of the Rose Ringed Parakeets

I just realised that I have not posted any bird images on my blog for quite a long time. One of the reasons for this is that the tree opposite our house has been pruned, which has led to fewer bird arrivals. The ones which do come, don't wait long enough for me to get my camera. However, I have managed to capture a few here and there.... Here are a group of Rose Ringed Parakeets which seem to be having a meeting... At first there were just two on the lamp post...