If wishes were horses...

This was taken at Dakshin Chitra on ECR nearly a year or more ago. A lamp inside one of the model houses.. :-)

Submitting this for Wordless Wednesday theme by Chennai Bloggers Club

Skywatch Friday... Going back in time

There we were in the crowded area in Hyderabad, Charminar. After walking around the monument, we spent about half an hour in the Choodi Bazaar [ my friend even convinced me to buy a few pairs of glass bangles, some that wore with the help of moisturiser]. Proud of herself, we walked away from the jam packed alley towards the car park but not before picking up a glass of chai and some boiled peanuts from a street side vendor. She then suggested we visit Chowmahalla Palace, which was nearby. 

The place looked deserted, we parked her car and made our way to the gate. The watchman said the place was open and we were free to roam. The first step into the gates and all I saw were open spaces, lush gardens, and a huge palace of sorts at the very end of the road. It was almost beyond eye range. We walked towards the side column of buildings and noticed it was a row of rooms that were probably used by either soldiers to stay in or as storage rooms. Most of them were open, but empty. And then there was the garden in the middle with a clean water way. There were also a few fountains, and friend mentioned they turned on the lights and fountains later in the evening. Soon, we spotted a gentleman strolling and went over to say hello. Turns out, he was part of the group that was maintaining the place. He took us under his wing and promptly showed us around the palace. 

He explained that the palace building in the front was just one of the many. It housed the Durbar hall, a majestic room with a throne flanked by beautiful chandeliers. The lights came on in a few minutes and it looked like we were standing in a room made of gold. Similarly, every corridor, every pillar, every chandelier looked so grand. I was quite curious to know how they were maintained, they looked good as new. He told us they were cleaned regularly, and time to time were polished as well.  

The palace also called Chowmahallat (meaning 4 Palaces) belonged to the Nizams of Hyderabad. It was once the seat of Asaf Jahi dynasty and the official home of the Nizam. When I probed on the story behind the name, he went on to explain that in Persian language, Chahar meant 4 while in Arabic Mahalat meant palaces, and therefore the name Chowmahallat or four palaces. As we were walking out of the building, he shared that the palace was once spread across 45acres but today only 14acres belonged to the palace.

Submitting this for Skywatch Friday and for Flower Friday theme by Chennai Bloggers Club [why? the chandelier reminds me of a flower :D] 

The title made me smile- why? Cos the post is about going back in time with respect to two things- 1. it is about a place soaked in history and 2. it brought back memories of my hydie visit [which was back in 2006 and since then, every time I plan a trip since then, it has fallen flat on my face]

White walls of St. Teresa’s Church, Chennai

The three images were taken a few seconds within each other. The skies changed, the tempo changed and the chapel looked so different.

This is St. Teresa’s Church in Nungambakkam, Chennai, bang opp Ispahani Center.  It has been a landmark of sorts from my college days and recently got a face-lift. The St. Teresa’s Church was established in 1912, houses a school within the walls helping the underprivileged  A few years ago, I also noticed a small prayer spot come up near the main entrance. This Parish was under the control of the Mill Hill Fathers until 1929. Later, it came under the control of the Diocese of Madras. The people at this parish are engaged in uplifting the poor through education.

You can read about the renovations here- The Hindu

Submitting this as part of Wordless Wednesday theme from Chennai Bloggers Club and to my Celebrating Chennai series. :-)

Salty Saturday... Battle for survival

During the Mylapore Food walk, we were walking along a narrow street, more like those alleys you see in English Cop shows and movies. It was quite narrow, and there were bikes and cycles parked along one side of the road. The other side had vendors, most of who were gypsies, selling necklaces, earrings, bracelets made from beads of all possible colours. There was one woman bang opposite the Maami's Mess and there was a little girl beside her. They spoke in a funny language, which I assume is a tribal language. 

Couple of us were standing around the stall, oggling at their wares, talking about how beautiful they were. We also tried striking a conversation with the lady, who mentioned the beads were sourced from Delhi & Agra and she sold the necklaces for Rs50-60 while few were bit higher. She mentioned how during the Mylapore festival, all the vendors are forced to move their display into these narrow lanes . Sometimes, we don't have any place and have to pack up, which means we go hungry for a few days. The little girl beside her was cute, and had a shy smile. When we pulled out our camera, the man in the next stall nudged her ahead asking her to smile for the camera. 

I wondered how hard her life was. She was all of 7yrs old, and all she did was help her mom make these pieces and guard the stall when her mother went out or walked to the streets to sell some of these pieces. The woman asked if we wanted to buy anything, a few did. She was persistent, talking about how pure the stones and beads were, how she hand made them and  that they were made with care and attention to detail. if she wasnt persistent, she would not be able to sell a thing. This was all she held onto to earn a living and care for her family. She also had a small boy sleeping behind her. 

It is amazing the different kinds of people you meet right at your backyard!! Am submitting this for Salty Saturday theme from Chennai Bloggers Club!! 

Next time you are in Mylapore, near the temple, do watch out for these women and buy something from them please!! :-) 

Flower Friday...You are a survivor!

Today is Friday, Today is also International Women's Day! And today was Flower Friday theme on Chennai Bloggers Club! 

Here are a few flowers that I came upon, that I think represent a Woman beautifully! 

Naga Pushpam- uncle brought it from the temple today. It has so many layers, the outer petals so thick protecting the delicate center from harm. The center too has multiple layers. just like a woman who has all these layers, an exterior that helps her deal with life and people... 

Frangipani- I love this flower, spotted this bunch on the tree in Tranquebar at Neemrana Bungalow on the beach. I spotted white and then I also spotted this pink, purple and yellow coloured flowers. They are always either in a cluster or single. Thick petals, an elegant shape and they stand out when compared to other flowers. Just like every woman, each one is unique, stands out and oozes with charm and strength..

Thirsty Thursday.... Salud ~

It was 2006, no wait was it 2007? The year is fuzzy.. but i do remember it was Oct 1st week and I was in Delhi with friends. We had just returned from our whirlwind trip to Ajmer- Pushkar and Jaipur and were staying at a lawyer friend's house, and were all headed to another friend's place for lunch and drinks. 

And I must mention that I was meeting most of them for the 1st time. I knew them all through Ryze, but hadn't met most of them [for obvious reasons, I lived in Chennai, they in Delhi] . 

Anyways, without digressing further. We reached Paddy's apartment complex, managed to find his apartment and were welcomed by quite a few early birds. Soon, the space was filled with chatter, there was some singing, lots of laughing and a few empty and full glasses on the table. We were not drunk, but getting there. There was beer sitting in a tub of ice, vodka, whiskey and just about everything else you can dream of. 

Suddenly, R came out screaming that she had found a bottle of Tequila [ unopened] and announced that we were going to do shooters. I was new to this whole shooting concept [not shot ducks, people, or tequila] and so approached R and shared this with her. She took me under her wing and taught me  how to shoot a tequila.

Shot glasses came out, arranged in a row, and she poured tequila in all of them, continuously without pulling back even once. And suddenly out of nowhere emerged a tray of sliced lemon and some salt.  This is when I knew it was bound to get interesting. 

And then we were told [ who am I kidding, not "we", but "I"] to "Lick the salt off your hand, drink the entire shot of tequila, and suck the juice from the lemon wedge"... Tried practicing it before the actual moment, and before I knew it, I had downed not 1 but 3 shots of Tequila. I was still standing, head was not buzzing and I was steady~!! From that day on, R became my guruji ....  hic hic

A few years down the road, Jan 2009, after a friend's wedding, we landed at her parent's house after a night show and pulled out this Sierra Tequila bottle and gulped it down shot by shot till we reached the bottom of the empty bottle... I had become a pro!

Both these apart, I remember an evening at TGIF in Bangalore with a friend. There was this guy in full Mexican attire, down to the sombrero ringing the bell and asking people if they wanted a Tequila Shot. He would ring the bell, ask the people in the table, take a small gulp and move on.... wondered how drunk he must have been by the end of the night... 

But it has been a while since I had tequila... even though the mere mention brings fond memories and a smile.. 

Submitting this for the Thirsty Thursday theme by Chennai Bloggers Club.. :-) 

Celebrating Chennai..Wordless Wednesday... Life

Putting this post a day early. Why? Because it seems apt for the Wordless Wednesday theme from Chennai Bloggers Club.

This photograph was taken during the Chindatripet Photowalk..

Serene Sunday... Fluffy clouds

If there is one thing that gets me smiling and happy, it has to be the sight of the white fluffy clouds up in the sky. I can sit and stare at them for hours together. I just stare, no thoughts, nothing in my head. And whenever i am travelling, I am always looking up to see if there are some interesting movements, or formations. I remember how when I was small I used to try to guess the shape, it could be a bear, or a heart, or a man holding a stick and walking along.

These clouds seem to calm me down, helping me deal with whatever it is that bugs me, my mind gets cleared  and worries disappear...  

Here are some skies shot in Chennai and around.. :-) 

Clouds come floating into my life, no longer to carry rain or usher storm, but to add color to my sunset sky~ Rabindranath Tagore

I'm a dreamer. I have to dream and reach for the stars, and if I miss a star then I grab a handful of clouds.~ Mike Tyson

I know that I shall meet my fate somewhere among the clouds above; those that I fight I do not hate, those that I guard I do not love.~ William Butler Yeats

Heavy hearts, like heavy clouds in the sky, are best relieved by the letting of a little water.~Christopher Morley

Submitting this post for the Serene Sunday theme by Chennai Bloggers Club

Skywatch Friday.. Flower Friday.... Roses Galore

We were in the Blue hills, the Nilgiris and this trip was with my dear darling friend and her family [who are as good as mine]. Since it was my friend's 1st time in Ooty, we decided to do all the touristy things. One of them was a visit to the Rose gardens[also called Centenary Rose Park], situated on the slopes of the Elk Hill in Vijayanagaram area. Luring the kids with a promise of a park, we piled into the car and drove down to the place. Upon parking the car, I ran ahead with the kids only to stop stumped. The Rose gardens seemed never ending. My friend's son and I tried to see far ahead and all we saw was mist and a hill hiding behind the sheet. Wow... We wondered how large the garden was and if we would be able to explore the entire space. The other interesting thing about this place is that the tiles you walk on have rose image engraved on them. :-) 

Jumping down the staircase one at a time, we kept pointing out to the largest rose in the garden. He would point to one, and I would rush over to see it; pretty soon his sister would point to one and we would tumble across. This went on till my friend and her hubby joined us and knocked some sense into our heads [atleast we let them think they did..] My friend had knee pain, and could not walk long. We asked them to rest in the gazebo while the brat and moi went ahead. The girlie wanted to join, but I knew both would be more than  a handful. I made a pact, 2 rounds with her brother and then it would be her turn to walk with me. :-) 

The roses we saw were beautiful, some were huge, bigger than my palm [yes, I have big hands]. It was such a burst of colour- pale pink, bright pink, white, red, burgundy, yellow, orange, peach, orange and red, yellow and red, the colours were just amazing. Some were small, some were large, some with pretty petals while others had small petals. Some stood tall, while others seemed to be searching for something on the ground below. 

The skies were clear and blue, the roses such a stark contrast to the soothing skies, as if they were telling the visitors "this is how life is, good and bad, bright and dull, learn to accept & move on"... 

Phew, not sure how long we were there, but we were exhausted and had managed to see about 3/4th of the place. Would need a day, but we dint have that kind of time. Suddenly, I heard my name being called out. It was time to scoot, we headed out but not before taking a few group photographs. 

PS: This garden has received the as "Garden of Excellence" by the World Federation of Rose Societies (WFRS) in 2006.. There are only 4 other gardens to have received this award. 

For more beautiful skies, visit skywatch Friday. Am also submitting this for Flower Friday, the theme set by Chennai Bloggers Club for today!