Happy Birthday Madras...

Woah, you are 375 years old today..

No No, you are 375 years young today....

Happpy birthday to the only city I call home... 

I knew you back when you were called Madras

I spent quite a few days here 

Holidays, so memorable

Visits to the Marina beach

Playing in the water, digging into vadai and sundal

Ice cream at Snowfield

And then time flew

you changed, but not too much

I still looked forward to my holidays here

Checking out new restaurants.

Biting into that 1st pizza at Cakes n Bakes

Japoise cake and brown bread that granpa used to bring home

from McRennett

Gulping down bottles of Gold Spot, Rush and

Enjoying the pop of the Coke cans

from Burma Bazaar 

And then we moved cities

I was left in your arms for a good 2 months

Did not like it much, 

for I was just a child...

And then a decade later, I was back here

Calling Madras "home". 

Walking through the crowded lanes of Flower Bazaar

Shopping for little trinkets along the narrow alley in Sowcarpet

Laughing with friends while we downed pani puri in Pursaiwalkam

Visiting Mahabalipuram as part of school day trip..

And exploring the Egmore museum with uncle and cousin

You sure have a lot to offer, Madras

The locals and visitors will never tire..

The hot bhajji and tea in the roadside tea shop

Checking out gold bangle designs at GRT in Ranganathan Street

Waiting patiently while mom and gramma did saree shopping at Nalli

Looking forward to catching up with friends at Hot breads after college with friends

You sure have come far!!

Whenever someone new comes to the city

they ask me "so, what is your city all about?"

I stare at them as if they are stupid and then  go on to list...

The plays at Alliance Francaise

Concerts at Venkata subbarao hall in Lady andal school

and then there are all those food festivals at one of the many restaurants in the city

The Mylapore food walks and festival

The Dastkar and Aarti Bagdy shows 

We sure have it all

Today, she is called Chennai, but to me

she is always Madras

the 10 Downing street, the Pasha, the Bikes & Barrel

the Darios, the L'amandier, the Brew room

The murukku chaat, the bonda+chutney and hot jalebis

the kancheepuram saree, the fancy lehengas and swanky jeans

the Fort St George, the Theosophical society, the Art Houz

the Churches, temples, mosque and the beaches

the IT parks, the IIT, and the Vandalur zoo... 

sema supera illa mama?!!

Happy Birthday Madras......... 

Skywatch Friday.. Blue waters in SriLanka

Ah, the memories from the Sri Lankan trip continue to linger on... I was talking to a friend about the fresh sweet Strawberries from Nuwara eliya and so decided to do a post on the place for today's skywatch as well.. 

After being on the road for the better part of the day, visiting K Galle, Kandy and Pinnawala, we had decided to halt at Nuwara Eliya for the night. We drove along the winding road, stopped at the first B & B, bargained for a good rate and tucked into the warm cozy bed. The next morning, we hit the road fairly early and as we drove down, the sun was beginning to rise shimmering in the blue lake. It was a beautiful man made lake that also had a amphibian in it [ one of those planes that flies and glides on water].. The water looked like a million diamonds had spilt.. 

Further down, we stopped at a small roadside shack for a quick breakfast- had the most yumm tasting coconut roti and the lady also told us of a Sita temple nearby which was quite a beautiful one at that.

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

Skywatch Friday.. Along the Galle Fort

We were on our last leg of the Srilankan holiday. We left Unawatuna that morning and drove towards Galle before heading down back to Colombo. Along the way, we decided to take a small detour and visit the Galle fort area. The cab driver also chimed in saying the place had some interesting architecture and quite a few shops as well. We drive inside the Fort entrance and stopped near the Fort wall. My friend and I hopped out and walked along the wall, watching the ocean, with calm waves and a man walking into the ocean to fish. The water was a beautiful emerald colour and seemed quite shallow as well.   

Located in the Bay of Galle along the southwest coast of Sri Lanka, the Fort was built back in 1588 by the Portuguese, but then over time it was fortified by the Dutch  when they ruled the region around the 17th Century. It has been over 423 years and even today the Fort stands tall and majestic. It is now protected by the Archaeological Department of Sri Lanka.

Within the Fort area we noticed the architecture was quite unique. The buildings were all pristine white and lined up in order neatly. There was also the Dutch Reformed Church and a temple we could see from the fort wall. We spotted a Roti stall and went over to check it out. Attached to it was a bed and breakfast, the owner who saw us gave us a quick tour of the place. We also picked up a cheese and onion roti from the stall [it was like a parantha and was quite good]  

What was amazing about the place was that quite a few buildings were still owned by the Dutch and the center has been recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site.  This very Fort has not only stood the test of time, but also survived the Boxing Day Tsunami.

As we drove around the place doing a full circle, we saw the Lighthouse, Court house and a Hospital. The day seemed to have been an auspicious day for we saw quite a few couples getting ready for marriage or newly married. And then along with them there was always a group of bridesmaids and best men, all dressed in matching outfits and traditional srilankan attire. The bride and groom were decked up, the bride in a white saree with jewellery that hung down her neck like curtain, while the groom in a beautifully embellished jacket studded with stones and what not [shall get the pic from friend and post it here]. 

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

Sywatch Friday-- Amidst all that Gold- Golden Temple, Amritsar

I woke up dreaming of walking through the long marble tiled floor towards the Golden Temple.  I could almost feel the chill on my feet, and my dupatta sliding off my head to lie in a bunch around my neck.  The sun peeping through the curtains woke me up from this beautiful dream and I went about the morning with a grin on my face. It was our 3^rd day in Amritsar and we were going to go back to the The Harmandir Sahib [Golden Temple] for a revisit. We had decided the previous day to do this and so we knew we had a purpose for the day. And within the next 24hours, we would explore as much as possible and bid adieu to Amritsar, heading out to Delhi.

The weather was beautiful, a subtle nip in the air which was just brilliant. Lest you wonder what is wrong with me, let me clarify-”I love cold weather”, colder the better! I keep thinking I should have been born in one of the cold countries instead of here in the sweltering Chennai.  We marched down to the restaurant for the breakfast [which had become a routine] and then headed out around 10 am straight to the temple.

We finally reached the main entrance of the temple and soon became one with the crowd.  The amazing thing was there was no pushing, shoving, screaming, arms flailing around, or people yakking away on mobile phones. There was silence and peace. The water around the path shimmered in the morning sun, and the fish swam about happily.  As the line progressed, we walked in and had a quick Darshan before going around. H and I turned to go upstairs with the other friend R following us. His wife, A and son, Ra were behind us, but they disappeared on the 2^nd floor. We reached the roof and looked around but to vain. So, R decided to go downstairs looking for her. H and I waited on the roof for a bit, walking around and finally gave up and made our way downstairs. 

The Shish Mahal (Mirror Room) is located on the second floor. As you walk around you will see the intricate patterns along with numerous mirrors that reflect the light. The topmost floor contains the main dome, along with other miniature domes, and is situated above the Mirror Room.   

We infact spent about half an hour walking up and down looking for R and co, but none in sight. We then called them to discover they were near the exit. Oh well, we followed suit and made our way out. But not before stopping for some prashad. When I held out my right hand, the man giving the cup full of "kara prashad" (a sweet made from wheat, ghee and sugar), resembling our Kesari instructed me to hold out both hands and placed quite a large portion of the prashad. It was Hot, sweet and yummy. From there, I got out to spot the others waiting in the open area. We then strolled around, clicked some pictures and finally exited the place.   

Other important structures of the temple include the Ghanta Ghar (the entrance), the Akal Takht (also known as the timeless throne) and the Central Sikh Museum.

We did walk over to the museum and spent nearly 2 hours exploring the place. There were floor after floor filled with history and art lined up on the walls. Friends’ infact said there was an entire floor dedicated to the Operation Blue but it seemed to have been shut/removed and there was no trace of it now.

As we made our way out, the chants resounded in the air, lingering in our minds long after we left the place!

Ah, I could finally tick off one more item from my Bucket List~!

For more beautiful skies, visit Skywatch Friday ... 

To know more about the Golden Temple, you can visit the below mentioned websites-

http://sgpc.net/golden-temple/index.asp

http://overseasattractions.com/asia/india/amritsar/golden-temple/