Oppana dance at Dakshin Chitra, Chennai

For those who are visiting Chennai and always asking the one big question – so what else is there to do or see around here? I have quite a few things on my “list of places to see and things to do’”. One of them is to visit Dakshin Chitra. I have been here numerous times, with family and friends, for family functions [yes an uncle had his 60^th Birthday celebrations here] and other times for a photo shoot a friend was doing. The most recent of them was on 12^th Jan with a bunch of friends. There were a few in this gang who were here the 1^st time, so we spent a leisurely 2 hours strolling around, checking out the various houses, the activities and few even did some shopping at the store in the reception area.

As we were completing our tour of the place, we noticed the area near the entrance all set and ready with chairs. There was going be a Kerala dance performance called Oppana. This is a dance specific to the Muslim community of Kerala. A bridal group dance, it is typically performed the day before the wedding day.  The bride dressed in all finery and covered with the finest jewellery sits in the center while all her friends and family dance around her in a circle.  Here we noticed one girl decked up more than the others, and she sat in a chair in the center while the others danced around her. There were 2 women singing on the side. It was quite a beautiful dance. Oh and the best part about this dance is that it is often made up of words used to tease the bride and the theme is around innuendoes about the bride's anticipated nuptial bliss. The songs are composed in a mix of Arabic & Malayalam. Apparently, there have been times when this dance was performed by men for the bridegroom, just before he leaves to bring his bride over.  

We watched this dance for a few minutes and then bid adieu to the beautiful place, making our way towards Mahabalipuram. 

Relishing The challenge- Fly like a bird

If you were to ask me- What is that one thing which when done you would say "ah that was what relishing the challenge was all about"?, I wouldn't bat an eyelid before answering. For as long as I can remember, there has been just one wish in my mind. One daredevil act that I want to do before I bid adieu to this beautiful world. One that I have seen being done a million trillion times by others, on TV, in movies and reality shows. 

I want to go to New Zealand. No, that is not the challenge. I want to go to New Zealand and do Bungee jumping. Yes. 

Sounds crazy? Hell no! I have no idea when this desire crept into my soul, but it has been slowly eating its way within me and is now ready to come out bursting like a volcano. Incidentally I have a dear friend in New Zealand who has done this act once, a few years ago. I recall having a conversation with her about how i long to visit her country for this very purpose. She keeps pulling my leg saying "you don't want to come here to spend time with me, you only want to come here so you can complete your wish?"

Image courtesy- google.

Will it happen? I don't know

When will it happen? I got no idea

Why no skydiving? I might do that as well 

Aren't you afraid of heights? Nope

Why do I want to do this? I cant really put a finger on it, but probably just to feel the rush and do it in a place where it is most famous.

What if I die during the act? Well, so be it.. at least I gave it a shot :)

No matter what anybody says or does, this is a wish that will always linger on in my mind. It holds the Numero Uno spot in my Bucket list [yes, I do have one] and shall be ticked off before I complete the journey called Life!!

Wish me luck!! oh and if you want to send me flight tickets, or contribute to the "aarti wants to go bungee jumping fund, please do" :D 

Skywatch Friday... Dutch live on

After ages, am back on the Skywatch Friday wagon today... All thanks to a conversation I had with a friend about Tranquebar. It has been over 2yrs since I was there last, and I do wish I get to do another drive down the Coromandel Coast... [Fingers & toes crossed]

Tranquebar (Tharangambadi as it more commonly known) is a small town in Nagapattinam district, about 45kms from Chidambaram and 15kms north of Karaikal. The name literally translates to "a place of the singing waves". It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and today a getaway destination for many. There is a Danish Fort, Church and the Governor's Bungalow to see, apart from the shimmering ocean. 

The architectural journey of Tranquebar can be traced back to the 14th century Masilamaninathar Temple built during the Pandya Regime. Then come 17th century colonial fort and 18th century churches. 21st century sees the crumbling heritage structures being restored by INTACH. This involves The Bungalow on the Beach , Gate House, Shiva Temple, façade restoration of St. Theresa’s Convent, former Danish governor’s residence and Goldsmith Street houses. Entry to this town is through an impressive two hundred year old Town Gate built with a Danish allure.  [Info courtesy : Tranquebar.in]

Canon facing the ocean in front of the Fort

 The Dutch Fort, as you enter the complex

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Relishing the Challenge- Chugging along the coast

It was around this time 5yrs ago when my friend called asking if I would like to go to Goa? I was excited and replied "ofcourse". She then went on tell me about her dad's timeshare in Sterling and promised to get back to me with dates. After a few emails, the dates were finalised- 30th Oct to 5th Nov. She then forwarded the email her dad received from the resort with the confirmation details. I was eagerly looking forward to the holiday and had informed another friend of mine about the same. She chimed in saying she would like to come with me. Since her contract at work was coming to an end around the last week of Oct, she was all set. It was around 4th or 8th Oct when I began looking for flight tickets, found them expensive, went on to look for train tickets and nearly booked them when she dropped a mini bomb. Her contract was being extended and she couldnt take time off. 

Yikes, what do I do? Do I go alone or cancel the reservations and think about it at a later date? These were the questions running in my head. I spoke to my friend who was gifting me the holiday and came to a conclusion. I was going to go ahead, albeit alone! I dint know if this was going to be Relishing the Challenge or dreading the same. But all I knew was I was back to being excited. I packed my bags, including the laptop [yes, I carried a bit of work with me], camera and just about everything else I would need. 

Want to know the highlight of the trip? The train journey. I had booked myself on the only direct train to Goa. The train leaves Chennai every friday around 2pm and reaches Goa the subsequent day 1.30pm. Yes, you read it right. 23hour journey. And I was booked in a sleeper class compartment [meaning non AC].. People around me looked at me as if I had lost my mind. 

"You are going to Goa alone?"

"You are going to be on the freaking train for nearly a day, and that too alone?"

"What? non ac , that too nearly 24hrs- you are mad"

"How will you manage in Goa alone? 

"Cancel the trip and go later"

These were some of the not so positive comments I received. And there was this one friend who called asking what I was upto. I did not tell her about my trip till nearing its end. I knew she would give me a earful for going alone. No, she is not the "women should not travel alone" kind of person. She worries about me and smothers me with love, so would be freaking out had I told her ahead of time... 

And so there I was, in the train, in a near empty compartment. There was a lone guy besides me, he was sleeping in one of the berths in the next booth and looked like a vagabond/drunk/tramp.. I was a wee bit scared, especially since I had quite a bit of luggage with me and there was no way I could even go to the loo without worrying about my stuff. 

Luckily, another couple boarded the train just as it was about to pull out of Chennai station and it was good to see other faces. The tramp guy was chased out by the TTC. 

What a train journey that was. I enjoyed every minute of it and now when I look back, I wonder what I did to kill those 23hrs.. I must have listened to music for a while, read a book, slept, walked up and down, observed the people around in the platforms and stared at the watch to see how much longer was left before the train came to a halt at Margao. I do remember sitting on the steps near the door as we approached Dudhsagar falls and gaped in awe at the beauty. 

This was one memmorable journey that I shall remember for years to come. Who knows, I might even end up sharing this tale with my grandkids.. :D 

Relishing the Challenge- Race home

Invariably every week I manage to meet up with this gang of friends. We either meet for a cup of coffee or dinner or a movie. During one such meet I was whining about how I've been grounded for too long [2months] and was itching to get back on the road. A friend Nagarajan countered saying he had been grounded forever [since his accident a few months ago]. And that  is when we decided to share interesting incidents from our trips. Couple of us took a go at it, but Nags's story takes the cake. Here is what he went through... 

The background: Nags works for a leading IT company and was being sent to Canada on work. To complete the Visa processing, he had to go to Delhi. 

I was in Delhi, but was missing my home terribly since I had not been away much and was very close to my family members. I had booked train tickets for the subsequent not knowing how long the Visa processing formalities would take. But then, I was done within a few hours and instead of spending the rest of the day exploring Delhi, I decided to get back home. Alas, Chennai isnt a hop skip jump from Delhi. I wondered what would be the easiest quickest way. Flights were not an option, I had no intention of shelling out 10k to the airlines. Instead, I threw caution to the wind and got to the station and looked for an alternative. 

I managed to hitch a ride from Delhi to Bhopal thanks to a physically challenged person in the handicapped compartment. From Bhopal onwards, I shared seat with zillion others in the compartment reserved for army personnel. I sat the entire journey, with not a wink of sleep. And finally I had made it to Chennai. The entire journey was with an unreserved ticket but without getting into the unreserved compartment.. I consider this quite an achievement. Who would have thought ~ Talk about Relishing the Challenge of not having a ticket but just the drive to get home :-) 

My family was surprised to see me home earlier than what I had told them and when they heard the tale, they dint know if they should scream at me for being so reckless or be happy that I persisted and got home 

Adults in the Toy Train?

After a good 4hours walking around Coonoor, we were making our way towards the exit at Sim's Park when my friend was telling her daughter about the Toy Train. The Kiddo looked up at us and said with all innocence "but how will you all fit into it, how will you come to Ooty?".We laughed and then explained to her that though it was called the Toy Train, it was for people of all ages and sizes...

 

A steam engine takes place of honour outside the Coonoor station after having given years of service to the railways. 

 It was my last day there in Ooty and my friend's husband [well, he is also a dear friend now] suggested we explore Coonoor and maybe try the Toy Train from Coonoor to Ooty. We all chimed in "Yayy", but then came the question of how do we do this? logistics? I suggested Bus or cab, friend's hubby A said "We'll drive down, you guys come by train, I'll drive back to Ooty and pick you up". I screamed at him saying that was a stupid idea and no fun. Finally, we hired a cab from the resort, picked up tickets for the train journey from Ooty station and headed out.

 A church i spotted while waiting at Coonoor station

The clock was about to strike 4.25 as we rushed into the station, spotted the TTR and found our compartment and seats. It was very different from the Mettupalayam Ooty train, probably cos we were in the  2nd class compartments. The seats were wooden planks, and small cubicles with small rickety windows. Anyways, we were all excited and quite high :-)

The train took one hour to complete the 18km journey, but the sights were worth the time. The lush greenery, endless mountains with green fields, clouds gliding across the mountain tops, and the herds of Bison that were grazing along the railway track that paused to give us a look [ i kid you not, they stared right at us as if to say Whats up?]  and ofcourse the 16 tunnels. Our cab driver had mentioned that some parts of the Chaiyya Chaiyaa song from Dil Se had been shot here on the tracks and we wondered where.

We crossed Wellington, Ketti Valley, Lovedale before pulling into Ooty station. The kids were excited to spot our cab driver on the platform. What a fun journey that was!!

The train operates through the day, about 4 times, from Ooty to Coonoor and back. The last on schedule is

4.30pm departure from Coonoor to reach Ooty at 5.25pm. You will see a chart with timings in Ooty station,  and the counter opens 45mins before the train departure time. 

The cost of ticket for the 5 of us in 2nd class was Rs138/- .. If you go early, you can grab a seat in the 1st class.

This post is also an entry for momentum of moments contest of www.redbus.in

Skywatch Friday- God meets Crowds meets Currencies

There we were, partying away amidst friends and strangers, while the clocked ticked away. Around 11pm, a friend came over and called us aside. "The cab is here and so is R, quickly have some dinner and we shall hit the road". Where were we off to? We were going to go on a road trip to a few places, not too far yet not too close. 

We were in Delhi, and our agenda was to visit Ajmer, Pushkar, and Jaipur over the next few days. I had travelled from Chennai to Delhi, while A had come from Bombay and D from Bangalore. R was D's friend from Delhi who had initiated the plan. It was supposed to be D & R doing a trip, but we girls had invited ourselves to the gang... 

Around midnight we hopped into the cab after shifting our bags from the friends' car to the cab and got set for the journey ahead. R told us we should reach Ajmer sometime in the early hours of the morning and that we should get some shut eye during the drive. We did, probably slept for about 2 hours, but luckily we were neither hungover from the party nor groggy from lack of sleep. We reached Ajmer around 5am, and the car came to a halt within walking distance from the Dargah. The men told us to stay put in the car while they scouted for a "decent" room. It was so sweet, they would go up and down hotels, checking out rooms, coming back to give us a quick review of each. During the wait, quite a few women and children came knocking on the car windows begging. One woman refused to go and kept throwing curses at us as we dint offer her anything.

Finally, R came over and said "there is a nice hotel few buildings away, but there is only 1 room available". The two of us chimed in " oh, cool, so lets take it". R was stumped " you gals are ok with that?" .. "yep, we are just going to shower, freshen up and head out, so no big deal" we replied. He dint quite get it, but i guess was glad that his running around was over. We spent about an hour getting ready and then landed at the Dargah's door steps. Out of the corner of my eye i spotted that beggar woman sitting near our car giving us angry glances... I wondered if she was going to haunt us till we left Ajmer. 

Breaking into my thoughts, a man wearing a white kurta pyjama came over, introduced himself and said he would be our guide. He insisted we girls cover our heads with our duppattas, while the men had to purchase a cap [doppa- hope i got the name right] and also asked us to purchase a few items at the store within the Dargah Complex. 

The Dargah [Tomb of the popular 13th century Sufi saint, Hazrat Khwaja Moinuddin Hasan Chisti] campus was huge. It is the place where the famous Sufi saint has been buried and is a placee where people of all religion visit. it is said that you pray here and your wishes shall be fulfilled.  I was reminded of Jodha Akbar and the song "Khwaja mere khwaja" where all the cast is wearing those long flowy gowns and tall caps, twirling.. 

 

The guide kept rambling on, he told us that Chaddar, Neema and Ghilaph are the most common offerings made by devotees here.  I tuned out and started observing the place, the architecture and the people who seem to be everywhere. The entrance is richly decorated with gold and enamel work as well as with Belgian crystal chandeliers. As we walked towards the main part of the Dargah, we noticed quite a crowd milling around. There were also many standing within the center [almost like priests in our temples calling out to devotees, collecting the offerings and then demanding money].. pretty much the same thing happened here. We were asked to walk around the main site and then offer money, and told that 500 or 1000 was the best offering... ;o) [ya right, God wanted nothing less, am sure].. 

 

The view of the tomb  from the room we used

 

 The guide also told us that the crown on the tomb's summit is made of solid gold and the open space in the foreground is a mosque built by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan. I also saw a huge well of sorts near the entrance, where we noticed sand filled 1/10th of the pit and on top of it was money, coins, jewellery, clothing, and just about everything else you can think of. This is where people made their wishes,  and on top of the well was a long rod that was fixed from one end of the mouth to the other on which people had tied little things with a thread- shoes, keys, boxes and so on. Depending on your wish, you could tie something or drop in some money into the pit.

 

 

As i walked around, i couldnt help but notice the small hillock behind the Dargah, and that the land seemed to stretch forever. There was a small village of sorts behind the Dargah, and people were walking in/out/ from every direction possible. It was amazing.. And here i had thought this was a dead end road with the Dargh being the last structure on the street.  

 

 

After spending nearly 3hours, the lack of sleep was finally catching up and we got back to the car after saying our final prayers. I wondered what lay ahead on our journey as the car exited the narrow lane.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Skywatch Friday, The sun rises over Tranquebar

I havent done Skywatch in weeks and so decided to resume today. Last year around this time was when i did the Coromandel coast trip, and what a journey it was. I spent a few minutes reliving the memories through the pictures and these few caught my eye. 

I was in Tranquebar, and it was the day before my Birthday. Woke up early [for some reason, i always rise earlier than usual when am travelling] and was standing in the Balcony looking at the ocean, and caught a peek of the Sun as it was rising. Quickly rushed down to the beach to see if i could capture it all as it happened. 

Tranquebar (Tharangambadi as it more commonly known) is a small town in Nagapattinam district, about 45kms from Chidambaram and 15kms north of Karaikal. The name literally translates to "a place of the singing waves". It was a Danish colony from 1620 to 1845, and today a getaway destination for many. There is a Danish Fort, Church and the Governor's Bungalow to see, apart from the shimmering ocean. 

The architectural journey of Tranquebar can be traced back to the 14th century Masilamaninathar Temple built during the Pandya Regime. Then come 17th century colonial fort and 18th century churches. 21st century sees the crumbling heritage structures being restored by INTACH. This involves The Bungalow on the Beach , Gate House, Shiva Temple, façade restoration of St. Theresa’s Convent, former Danish governor’s residence and Goldsmith Street houses. Entry to this town is through an impressive two hundred year old Town Gate built with a Danish allure.  [Info courtesy : Tranquebar.in]

The Bungalow on the Beach, the Neemrana property is so palatial, it had me feeling like a Royal Princess- a 4 poster bed, huge room, high ceiling, antique furniture and every room opened out to the ocean. What a beauty the place and experience was.

 

The property from the beach.

As i walked along the shore, letting the waves wash over my feet, the sun rose slowly and steadily. It appeared as if the sun was emerging from the waves going up into the sky. Was quite a moment.. The cool breeze, silence all around me [apart from the few kids who were running around]. Was a magical moment, i was lost in my own world... almost like floating away in a bubble.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday

Talacauvery, where Cauvery is born

The journey to Coorg was very special, it was happening after years of dreaming and a few cancelled plans as well. We were 3 friends, one from Bangalore and us from Chennai, driving down to Coorg from Mysore. We had booked ourselves for 3 nights at a homestay- CoorgHallimane, in Kushal nagar. As we reached, we discovered the place was quaint, quiet and perfect. They have about 8 rooms in the main building and a few cottages scattered around, and we got to stay in one of those. On opening the window all we saw were mountains on one side and green fields on the other. There was also a swimming pool in the homestay with a small mushroom style fountain in the center. What fun we had playing around in it unwinding after the long drive to Coorg. 

We dint have any set agenda, but knew there were a few places we would visit for sure. Talacauvery was one of them. It is a good 4500 ft above sea level, and this the where the River Cauvery is born. It is said that the river disappears underground before surfacing again at Naga theertha near Bhagamandala.  Infact, Bhagamandala, about 8kms ahead of Talacauvery is where one witnesses the confluence of three rivers, Cauvery, Sujyothi and Kanike.  

During the drive from Madikeri, cloudy skies and mist was all we saw outside. There was the occasional light drizzle sneaking in through the window.  Drizzle turned to rains and it kept up with us through the journey. We had reached Talacauvery as rains lashed away. We braved the rain and walked on, freezing and soaked to the bone, looking for hot tea or any sign of shelter. The only thing we had were the akki rotis and chutney that the staff had insisted we carry along when we left the homestay. What a godsend it was, especially since we had been on the road long and not had a bite since morning.   

We were so glad to have chosen a Homestay in Coorg instead of a resort, as this experience was so much more homely and comfortable...   And like many destinations there are many Coorg Homestays that one is spoilt for choice..!!

 Rain did subside as we walked towards the shrine and the big tank near the Gundike, where I noticed many visitors taking a quick dip. From there, it was up another set of stairs to visit the temple of Lord Agasthyeshwara [Lord Shiva] and Lord Ganesha.

Taking shelter from the rain, we walked along the mandap surrounding the temple, when towards the end I thought I saw a flight of stairs leading to heaven. Well, that’s what I thought till my friend brought me to down to reality. Those steps were to go up Brahmagiri Hill, from where one got a panoramic view of Talacauvery and the city beyond. A lady passing by told us the story of how a special yagna was performed by the Saptha Maharishis up in the hills. Had it not been for the rain, we would have made our way up there.  What an experience this had been. On the drive back to Kushal nagar to the homestay, there was silence in the car, with all of us still lost in the beauty of Talacauvery.

Napier Bridge, Madras

Yet another famous landmark in Chennai,my home is The Napier Bridge. It is also known as the "Iron Bridge" . This bridge was constructed in honor of Lord Napier who was the Governor of Fort St. George , Madras Presidency.

It was built in 1869 across the Coovum river by Governor Napier who held this office from 1866 to 1877.

The bridge connects the Marina beach with Fort St George....

Today, every time you drive past the bridge towards the beach or away, the architecture, the sunlight streaming through the gaps will make you pause and reflect....

Where the Lord Rests-Thirumalpadi

It was 10.30am and the priest told us he'll come open the temple only after the funeral procession had gone by, which would be around 12.30 or so... Arvind then suggested we drive over to another temple, and come back here, but as we got on the road, we called the priest to reconfirm the time when he suggested we visit the Ranganatha swamy temple close by where the Lord was lying down almost like sleeping.

 

That is how we ended up at  Thirumalpadi , very close to Seeyamangalam, Vandavasi in Tiruvannamalai district. We drove by a small lane, and stopped near what looked like a priest's house. I got out of the car, went over and enquired if the priest was in. The woman who said she was the priest's wife said he'll come to the temple in a few minutes and asked us to go wait there... 

Parked the car at the foothills of the nealty laid out steps, we waited patiently.... This was a Ranganatha swamy temple that had been built during the Chola times. We were the only ones there and so got the privilege of going right inside and getting a good look at Lord Ranganatha Swamy resting... 

As we made our way around the main sanctum, it was visible that the temple has gone through many renovations. The most recent one had almost buried its antiquity, the inscriptions and sculptures aroudn the wall. 

The floor level around this beautiful temple had been raised and the floor cemented, all this burying a few rows of inscriptions. The other remaining inscriptions around the current level had been painted over.  

The Hanuman idol in this temple is facing the east, which is a rarity,said the priest. Similarly, one of the pillars inside the main sanctum had a Lakshmi Narasimha on it. He then took us around to show us the various other shrines that were in near ruin stages, home to a few bats and cobwebs. The temple had its own water resource, tucked between two small hillocks.

The view from the top  was breathtaking... All we saw were greenery, and a few small hills yonder. The day was quite hot, and so we quietly bid adieu to the priest and made our way back to Seeyamangalam wondering what other rich heritage sites were hidden away like this temple..

Deja vu - Singaperumal koil

On April 14th, Tamil New Years Day, uncle came home and exclaimed - your manni wants to go to a Lakshmi narasimha temple today.. She is talking of a temple in Sholingur, can you find out about it or other temples? After a quick on my ipod touch, i read out some facts about that temple, distance etc... Given the heat, uncle said -no way, thats too far off and climbing a hillock in this blazing sun is just out of the question.. Any other options?  

 The hillock on which the temple sits

[Ding Dong ]Thats when it hit me..  Singaperumal koil, near Chengelpet.. I had been there with Lakshmi about 7months back and it was a Narasimha temple, and i was very sure we saw a Lakshmi narasimha idol there.. Narrated in detail to uncle and then to aunt about the temple, how far it was, and how it was built inside a mountain, and the giri valam or pradakshanam was done around the temple, on the hillock... Managed to find the number and found out that the temple is open till 12noon and then 4pm onwards.. 

The tree where people worship and leave something on - pile of stones[homes], cradle[babies], thread[marriage]

Post lunch, we hit the road around 2.30pm and as we were driving along, aunt wanted a detailed version of  what i had spoken on the phone earlier.. I went on to describe our journey, starting with the time we left home to where all we visited .. She was fascinated and had a gleam in her eye, but uncle clearly cut her off saying - today you want to go to this temple, we do only this and get back home!! :)

We reached the temple at 4pm, but the priest came to open the doors only around 4.30pm. Aunt had a bit of doubt if there was an idol of Lakshmi narasimha, but that was put to rest as we proceeded towards the main sanctum... I quite like that temple, there is soemthing peaceful and powerful about the place!!! 

A sense of Deja vu hit me as we passed along familiar places and paths... Kept remember bits and pieces of conversation Lakshmi and i had had earlier... the car, AC not working, all of it came flooding like as if it was a trip taken few days ago!! 

Its beautiful how a visit to the same place with different people can add to our experiences!  For more pictures from our earlier trip, click here

Untill next time!!

 

Dreams do come true..

"Someday I will be a beauwtiful butterfly and then everything will be better." -Bugs life... 

My love for butterflies began...err.. actually, i have no clues when, but i just fell flat for these pretty evasive creatures.. The way they fly about, free, looking so beautiful  and mysterious....  The 1st sign of my love was getting a butterfly tattoo - yep, the day after my Bday i went right ahead and got myself one!! :) [now, dont ask me the cliched - did it hurt, yes, initial 5-010secs did hurt, but beyond that i just needed patience to sit still for a good hour! if its true that your tattoo does have an impact on your personality, then heck, am a living proof for that... my life changed, am so much more free now than i was earlier... ] ok, anyways, am digressing!!! 

Butterflies held me captivated wherever i spotted them and i had been wanting to visit the Bannerghatta Butterfly Park for nearly a year now, but everytime i visited Blore something or the other happened and i couldnt make this dream come true... Maybe the time hadnt come, and this time when i went to Blore on work, i told myself, i wouldnt think about the park and voila, the dream did come alive!! 

Happiness is a butterfly, which when pursued, is always just beyond your grasp, but which, if you will sit down quietly, may alight upon you.  ~Nathaniel Hawthorne

While talking to a friend of mine, we touched upon weekend plans and he said "So, do you wanna go to the Butterlfy Park saturday morning? " and thus began the journey that made me smile , actually grin. Saturday could not have dawned brighter, for i was up and ready armed with camera and heart beating faster at the prospect of being amidst a zillion butterflies.... 

The hour long drive to the Bannerghatta park went in a whiz, only pause was breakfast at Sri Krishna Bhavan across the road from IIM[B]. From there, it was straight to the park, and much to our surprise we saw the parking lot was near empty. My friend knew the Butterfly park was across from the zoo, and we kinda made out way towards the park. It was isolated and quite empty. The minute i saw the Butterfly Park board, i knew i was content~!!! The place looked pretty deserted, except for a few other souls like us with cameras and water bottles.

Actually we were surprised to see a few wanderers, again only those interested in Photography. In a way i was happy, cos crowds meant mess, and disruption of the natural habitat that the Butterflies enjoyed...

Opening the doors to The Conservatory felt like i was opening the doors to heaven... A gush of cool air welcomed us and then i saw nothing- only flutter of wings all over, here some, there some, everywhere some... wow,what a sight it was... Completely lost in the world, a sudden spray of water jolted me to reality. There was a guy who was watering the plants and  cleaning the place. Had my friend talk to him a bit, watched him place cotton dipped in honey on a fake plant kind of setting created in the center of the enclosure and watched the Butterfliy beauties flock towards it... The environment has a tropical setting — complete with the humid climate, an artificial waterfall on one end and plenty plants and shrubs that attract butterflies, 2 small bridges, and some fish floating beneath.

Spent over 2 hours wandering about, enjoying the beauty, watching the Pretty colorful butterflies flit about, some sat still as if waiting for us to click,while others ran from flower to flower thirsty for nectar..... An experience i shall cherish for years to come and i know now i will make repeat visits to this place!

As we walked out, back towards the car, the JLR[jungle lodges] restaurant caught our eye, and we made a beeline to grab a cup of Tea before driving back home~!! 

There is nothing in a caterpillar that tells you it's going to be a butterfly.
Richard Buckminster Fuller 

A day like no other... Words and laughter was all i felt within me!! Perfect!! :-))

Coromandel Coast... Mahabs!!

It was a bright cool saturday, i was all excited for i knew it was gonna be a fun weekend! my bag was packed, camera battery charged and all pepped and ready to go!!! There came the call i was waiting for -

"lets meet for lunch at 1 at New Woodlands and then can scoot from there", he said..

"Wokie dokie", i chirped... before bidding adieu to all at home and stepping out!!!

Antique car parked in New Woodlands parking lot...

As we drove along the ECR after a fun meal, the cool breeze kept us company, soothing music from the radio and our phones/ipods kept us in high spirits..!! We had no agenda, dint have any plan of any sort, but all we knew was it was going to be a good weekend...!! Woohoo... :-)

Pretty butterfly art on a rock near the toll booth on ECR

Now, have i known these looney bins long? nope... 2 of them I've known little over a year, and the 3rd, the Senor ;o) well, met him thru the other friend sometime in Aug and we just hit it off...

Where were we headed? Not far... Mahabalipuram aka Mahabs.....

 Interesting stall, dont u think?

Only smart sensible thing about this trip was Senor and moi had done a bit of research and i had called ahead to check if Golden Sun Resorts had rooms, which they claimed they did and we could just drive in, and no advance booking was required!! Oh well, we sure hoped their word was good..

 Terracotta horse standing tall outside our room

Drove on past the Golden sun, reached A2B -adyar ananda Bhavan - had a coffee and fed the kiddo some dosa... experimented some with our cameras and were on the road once more, this time back to the resort to make sure that room was available.. after a quick tour, peek a boo, we found a room.. Room 14, alas, discovered the front door wouldnt shut...up we went to Room 12, and there we found key wouldnt work in the lock.. what a bummer , right? nope, we were enjoying this!!! :D

playing around with the lights in the beach

Finally settled into Room 11, the one we saw 1st.. the french door opened out to the pool, and a few steps away was the ocean.... beautiful.... we were 3 and half happy contended souls !!

Why not check out the Shore temple? we thought and made our way out the resort towards the beach... it was nearly 7pm, dark and so couldnt shoot any pics, but the place was beautiful.. could make out the silhouette of the shore temple against the night sky...

Pathway to the ocean

The mommy and kiddo took a ride on a friendly horsey called Santhosh.. the horsey took liking to senorita, licking her hands like Floppy does to me..hehehe..following which we had a bit of adventure..Mommy discovered her phone was missing, and we set about looking for it in the beach, while a brainwave struck me and i called her number only to hear a guy's voice telling me he had the phone and had just called her home, told her mom the same thing!!

 The 3.5 stooges

Phew.. such a relief... but that kinda took the zing off the evening, and we walked back to the car park to return to the room...

Golden sun reception area

Armed with camera, and our wacko mood, we walked to the beach.. playing , cracking up, clicking pics... playing in the swing.... grooving to the romantic numbers that floated in the air... What timing- hunger bells were just about starting off in our tummies, as took us to the open air restaurant.... The buffet was what we had opted for, Rs200 per head- naan, a kebab kinda starter, couple of side dishes, rice, pappad, and curd rice with pickle were the order of the night.... lazing by the pool, just letting our thoughts flow, we were chilled out completely.....

Pic of Shore temple a friend had taken during her visit a year or so back...

We were tucked in by 9, but sleep was nowhere in sight... Senorita suggested we play cards, and that we should go buy a pack[ well, what happened there shall remain a secret, that is until any of the looneys come around reading this post....:D] ... which ended up on me, the brave one! hehe... so, out i went into the dark night to buy a pack of cards... the game began around 10, and suddenly the pros wanted one more pack, so off they went this time... we played Rummy for an hour or so... before calling it a day, or rather night and snoring away.... :-)

The next day dawned bright and early... 5.30am.. Senor and moi, took our cameras and headed off to witness the sunrise, capture the moments on our cameras... It was beautiful, breath taking and an amazing sight that never fails to leave me speechless... !!

Sunrise at Mahabs beach

Time sure flies when you are having, a phenomenon that i see happening over and over and over again!!!  it was 9 by the time we showered, and got ready to hit the road.. back to Chennai.. not before making a stop for breakfast at A2B... that place is just amazing - hot food, good quality and not very pricey... right next to the Radisson Temple Bay and walking distance from the Shore temple, it draws quite a bit of crowd...

A pic by senor...

Savoured the ride on ECR... laughing, having a good time we reached the city... That was one fun weekend... sometimes, it pays to just up and go, esp with a bunch of equally nutty adorable caring sweet nuts called friends... :) Thanks guys for yet another rocking trip!!! :)

Trying my hand at clicking diff kindsa pics with my camera!

[Next time, lets do Mahabs and actually get around to visiting the heritage sights and beaches]