Bangalore through the lens

The Road Ahead

The road ahead is as long as we make it. It is up to us to make it worth the trip

Rainbow

"If you want the rainbow, you gotta put up with the rain".

For whom the bell tolls ...

No man is an island, entire of itself;
every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main;
if a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less,
as well as if a promontory were,
as well as if a manor of thy friends or of thine own were;
any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bell tolls;
it tolls for thee.

The Gulls

Is there a Jonathan Livingston Seagull in this flock? Wanting to break the barriers ... fly higher than anyone ever before? This snap was taken a couple of years ago at Kolthare village in Konkan on a beautiful and calm beach.

Fresh as a Flower ...

This was one of the very first pics i captured with my digicam. The vinca in our terrace was in full bloom. One of my personal favorites.

Is it Wilson??

This is my 4 year old niece's ball with a 'pretty face' drawn over it. Reminds me of Wilson, the 'ball- companion' of Tom Hanks from the movie Cast Away. Should ask her sometime what she has named her buddy on the ball.

Elements: Aether / Akash

The fourth element of nature "Aether" or "Sky". It is believed that all the other elements were created from aether. This snap was taken a long time back during some random outing and beautifully illustrates the different colours of the sky.

Elements: Water / Jal

The third element of nature "Water". This snap was taken on a recent trip to Mahabaleshwar at Tapola lake. The lake was filled to the brim with more water pouring from the skies.

Elements: Earth / Prithvi

Here is the second pic of the series, the element being Earth. The gradual evolution of earth can be seen hear in form of the layers formed over the millenniums. This snap was taken somewhere around Mahabaleshwar.

Elements: Fire / Agni

Got an idea of posting photographs of the elements of nature over next few posts. Here is the first one of those: "Fire". The snap was taken a couple of years ago on a new years eve while getting the barbecue ready.

Miindd iTT ........

Wow what a moment ... :D This is our office assistants kid who at times comes in our office. "Miindd iTT" is that what she's saying?

The Bending Road

"A bend in the road is not the end of the road... unless you fail to make the turn."

-- Author Unknown

Yummy ...

I have started to become a bit more experimental in my cooking adventures of late. This picture above is of one such adventure which was very successful. Lightly fried rice with spicy potato cutlets. MMM...... that was Yummy :)

Drops of Life

Yesterday i had gone to sinhagad along with a friend . The atmosphere was amazing with light showers sprinkling from the sky and cool wind blowing strong. The top was heavily covered with clouds and there was a pleasant chill in the air. Took this snap on our way up ... the rain had stopped and the sparkling drops of water dripping from the plants looked very beautiful.

The Rocks and the Waves

Last week a couple of my friends and me had been on a short trip to Goa. This snap here, was taken at Anjuna beach. This is the kind of beach i like. rocky and jagged... where you can sit on the rocks (ya even though sometimes they really bite into your butt...:P) and watch the waves breaking against the rocks. hear the sound of the waves crashing on the rocks.
It is interesting to watch the duel between the sea and the rocks. each wave knows that its going to be destroyed as it hits the rocks. still they keep on coming one after another. and the rocks, know that the sea is going to keep it hitting continuously, but still they stand resisting the constant onslaught of the waves. does anyone know who wins this duel? I guess this is something thats never going to end.

Thomas Jefferson has rightly said about this duel between the water and rock: "In matters of style swim with the current and in matters of principles stand like a rock." cheers...

The Harvest

A good harvest ... this is what we need now. With the world facing an acute food shortage and skyrocketing prices, i post this picture and pray that we will get over this problem as soon as possible.

The Body Outline

Poor guy ... thats what anyone would think after seeing this image. A body outline of an accident victim drawn by the police. Is that what it is? NO ...

This is work of a creative mind, right in the middle of one of the busiest roads in Pune. For the last week or so this 'work of art' is on display in the Garware Chowk on Karve road. And not just a body outline ... the helmet of the supposed victim is also lying near the body. And this is not the only one .. another of such outline was spotted in some other part of city as well which confirms that this is no real body outline by the police. Somebody out there sure has a weird sense of humor. :P

Thanda Thanda ... Cool Cool

Wow ... After a hot day there is nothing more refreshing than a glass of cold coffee. Just take some chilled milk add some coffee and sugar ... whisk it up with a blender and there you are, its ready in a minute. Add some ice cubes if you want and sprinkle some drinking chocolate on the top. This one is surely going to satisfy your soul. Cheers ....

Oranges

Why is an orange orange? Is it that the colour is named after the fruit? Or is it the fruit named after the colour? This seems to be like the chicken and egg story. But orange is not the only fruit which is also a colour. Olive and Peach are two other fruits which are also a colour. One more interesting thing about the word orange is that it is probably the only word in english which does not have an exact rhyming word. Amazing ... you never even think of such things. Language is only as interesting as you can get interested in it.

Books

This post is coming on the occasion of World Books Day. Well i wont say much on this post (maybe as i have already written a lot on my other blog). Just one quote

"Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read."

Groucho Marx

Brushstrokes

Few days back while returning home from work, i saw this beautiful 'brushwork' in the sky. With the setting sun giving the clouds a beautiful golden hue, it was looking so beautiful that i had to stop in the middle of the traffic and take a snap. However beautiful things man may make, but it is hard to come anywhere close to the nature.

Leisure

This snap was taken sometime last monsoon when i had gone on a drive. It always reminds me of a poem which we had in school, "Leisure".

What is this life if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

No time to stand beneath the boughs
And stare as long as sheep or cows.

No time to see, when woods we pass,
Where squirrels hide their nuts in grass.

No time to see, in broad daylight,
Streams full of stars like skies at night.

No time to turn at Beauty’s glance,
And watch her feet, how they can dance.

No time to wait till her mouth can
Enrich that smile her eyes began.

A poor life this if, full of care,
We have no time to stand and stare.

by William Henry Davies

Stamped

This weekend while cleaning up my cupboard i found a box in my drawer. A box full of postal stamps. Indian stamps and stamps of various countries. As kids, my friends and i were avid stamp collectors. Pestering anyone and everyone who remotely had a chance to get a mail from any other country. Spending the weekends dipping the envelopes in water to peal off the stamps. Exchanging the duplicate ones and bringing to school any new stamp we laid our hands on to show it to everyone. Squabbling over the "exchange price" of stamps , asking two or more stamps for some really rare duplicate ones. That was all a really long time back. i dont remember making any much of addition to this collection since leaving the school. And i really doubt if there will be here onwards. The internet, email and instant messaging has now made snail mail a thing of past. In coming years these stamps may become a rare commodity, probably seen only with philatelists.

Lines

Do these lines on palms really mean something? Do these lines tell us our future? What is the purpose of these lines? Do these lines really make us who we are? i don't know... But this add that is aired on the television tells us how all through our lives we are governed by some lines ... but these lines don't make much of a difference, the only lines that matter are the lines that we make. Beautiful ... isn't it?

Lines can keep you in,
lines can keep you out.

Some lines you don't understand.

Some lines you can erase,
some...you can't.

Some lines you wait for.
Some lines make you wait.

Lines can keep you alive.
Lines are with you till the end.

But the only lines that matter,
are the ones you make.

The Flowers

Yesterday evening i had nothing to do so i decided to drop by and check some books at some roadside bookwallahs around Deccan. I parked my bike and crossed the road using the Garware bridge subway. I still remember ... few years back this subway used to be so very dirty, full of filth n garbage with shady looking characters n beggars all over the place. I used to be scared to go down the dark n dimly lit corridors under the bridge then. Well fortunately things have changed a lot since then. Though the subway has become much cleaner ... got rid of the beggars and all, once you get out of the subway you can still see people selling vegetables, fruits books, CDs n DVDs and other knick knacks right in the middle of the filth. But yesterday just coming up from the subway i was greeted by these fresh flowers and for a change the subways which i used to fear looked very nice and pleasant.

The Last Dance

This snap is an old one taken at a party ... probably the last party when most of my friends were present. Since then all of us have gone in different directions ... pursuing our dreams. But i am sure none of us will ever forget those days because ...

But when I look back now
That summer seemed to last forever
And if I had the choice
Ya - I'd always wanna be there
Those were the best days of my life

- Summer of '69

Main Amitabh banana chahata hun?

This snap here was taken on a cool bright December morning when a friend and i had gone for a morning walk. While returning this morning walk was turned to a morning jog by my friend ... and after some time i was trailing behind huffing and puffing. And thats when i saw my shadow on the road ... and i remembered some lines from a song from the movie Golmal (Amol Palekar one) ...

Main Amitabh Ho Gaya ...
Ho Sapane main Dekha Sapana...

Destiny

DESTINY

Where does this path lead to? Turning and disappearing around the corner ... Isn't this similar to our destiny? We never know where exactly the paths chosen by us will lead us to. It is said that parallel lines meet at infinity. So do these rails also meet somewhere? Aren't these rails like destinies of people with us? There are so many people treading the path along with us ... our paths parallel at times ... at times going away. And some paths that meet ours ... at infinity.

Whats it all about?

Sometimes a picture says more than a hundred words. Pictures tell a story ... pictures ask a question. Pictures make you think ... pictures make you wonder. On this blog i will be posting pictures of things that catch my eye. Things that we see everyday ... but don't even notice them. Of people that we pass by ... but don't care to give them a second look. Of scenes that leave us spellbound ... and scenes that evoke some emotions.

In short there will be just pictures and more pictures. Would like your comments on them as well as any captions if you can. So keep watching this space for some Visual Rhapsody.