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!! :-)