Just About Everything

Christmas at Bow Barracks This Christmas I finally landed at Bow Barracks, I always wanted to visit Bow Barracks during Christmas but somehow I never made it there before. It is not just Bow Barracks; the entire city comes alive during Christmas. It is really-really nice. Bow Barracks is located in Central Kolkata, very close to the Bowbazar police station. The best way to reach Bow Barracks is to take the metro and get down at "Chandni" metro station. It is only 5 minutes walk to Bow Barracks from Chandni metro station.. You can't miss it during Christmas because it is lit up so well. The Barracks have been in existence since the First World War. During Christmas Bow Barracks comes alive with music, events, Santa Clause, fruit cakes, wine, merry making, and lots and lots of fun, love, and laughter. My favourite part this Christmas was to come across a vendor who was selling home-made toffee. I had last seen such a vendor when I was perhaps 6-7 years old. I used...

Amur Falcon A trip to Doyang-Pangti area in Nagaland in October is a must visit for anyone who wishes to witness these amazing migratory raptors. Amur Falcons are sighted in the Doyang Pangti area near Kohima in Nagaland. What is amazing about this migratory phenomenon is the sheer number of these birds. From a distance it would seem like the sky is full of insects and not birds. Every October these Falcons can be seen migrating in large numbers over the Doyang-Pangti area near Kohima. They fly over India from Siberia and their final destination is South Africa.I am sharing photographs borrowed from Soma Jha who was there in Nagaland in October. Because of the sheer numbers in which they migrate, the Amur Falcons become vulnerable and many of these birds do not survive this journey, not because of natural reasons, but purely because they are hunted for food. In parts of North-Eastern India, they are trapped and captured in large numbers. However, on a positive note, ther...

It is that time of the year again. Yes, Jazz fest 2014 just got over today after a three day Jazz music affair that most of us wait for eagerly. This time I got  a chance to watch Sumith Ramachandran perform. As usual I loved the ambience and the music. Here is a clipping from the Jazz fest 2014 (Saturday, Nov 29th) at The Dalhousie Institute, Kolkata Some of the the other artists who performed this time were, Four On A Swing, The Ska Vengers, Th richens Tentett, The Shuffle Demons, The Bodhisattwa Trio, Monojit Datta... You can also check out a clipping from the last year's fest at  Jazz fest 2013 Kolkata .

Sharing a very brief video of idol immersion. You will get a glimpse of idol immersion in the Ganges. The water and the lights make the whole scene dreamy and peaceful. Not a very clear video but you can make out the boats at a distance.

Flameback Woodpecker I am sharing pictures of birds that flocked around my house (South Kolkata). We don't usually get to see a Woodpecker or Jungle Maina that easily! The Jungle Maina picture is not good at all but I put it up anyway since we don’t get to sight it that often. Jungle Babbler Jungle Maina Koel

Today is Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra) and it is the last day of Durga pujas, and like every year, we think Durga puja gets over too fast and too soon L And like every year, I saw some amazingly beautiful creations this year. I will post some of my favourites in the next few posts. On the occasion of Vijaya Dashami (Dussehra), I would like to leave you with a message that I received from a friend today:- Dasha Hara is a Sanskrit word which means removal of ten bad qualities within us: Kama vasana (Lust) Krodha (Anger) Moha (Attachment) Lobha (Greed) Mada (Over Pride) Matsara (Jealousy) Swartha (Selfishness) Anyaaya (Injustice) Amanavta (Cruelty) Ahankara (Ego) So Vijaya of Dashmi literally means overcoming and defeating these bad qualities. I wish you a  life full of joy and peace. Happy Dussehra.

Hoolock Gibbon (female with a baby) North East India is amazing in terms of the diverse flora and fauna it supports. It is therefore not surprising that the only apes found in India, The Hoolock Gibbons, are found in North East India. The populations of these apes are on a decline.I am sharing some pictures of both the male and female Hoolock Gibbon. These pictures were taken by Some Jha during her Arunachal Pradesh trip earlier this year. Hoolock Gibbon male Hoolock Gibbon female

Orange Oakleaf Here is another amazing collection of butterflies from North-Eastern India. These beautiful butterflies are from eastern Arunachal Pradesh near Wakro, in India. These butterfly pictures were taken by Soma Jha during her trip to Arunachal Pradesh this year. Isn't the Orange Oakleaf butterfly(the picture on the left) amazing! It looks just like a dried leaf! Butterflies are often found around mud puddles, especially male butterflies gather around puddles of mud to get nutrition which they don't get from nectar. It seems they get nutrients and salts by sipping the moisture from mud puddles. Males transfer the nutrients during mating thereby ensuring that the eggs survive. Interesting! Common Maplet butterfly Mud Puddling  Red-based Jezebel White Dragon tail butterfly If you like butterflies, you may like my earlier post on butterflies :- Butterflies of India - Nagaland Common Birds & Butterflies in China

The world and therefore the people today are so focused on their own individual needs, and instant gratification, that it is indeed a refreshing change to come across people who are different! I thought or believed that the majority of people today and especially, the youth of today are only interested in focusing on their own needs. In a consumerist society that we live in today, it is indeed difficult to focus on anything other than accumulating more and more. But thankfully, I am wrong, contrary to what I have been thinking, there are a bunch of people, I guess in every part of the world, who are different, and perhaps that is why there is still so much good happening in the world today. A couple of days back I found out about  a NGO that was founded around 3 years back. The name of the NGO is Vijaya Agamani Foundation (Agamani) and it is based in Kolkata. It is formed by a group of bright young people who come from professional backgrounds such as Engineering, Medical, tea...

With Ganesh Chaturthi, the festive season begins, and I simply wait for this season. Not because of religious reasons ...but because of the joy festivities generally bring... people are happier, the weather improves, there is delicious food, and there are so many reasons to wait for this season... Ganesha is worshipped for wisdom, prosperity, and good fortune. But what interests me more is the deeper spiritual meaning that Ganesha conveys, and celebrating Ganesh Chaturthi is a sort of a reminder to us about the true significance of Ganesha. To me it is very simple really...whenever there is a celebration of some kind; it brings in togetherness, happiness, joy, love, and well-being. If we were to look at Ganesha, who has an elephant head, is pot-bellied, and has a mouse as his vahan, what would anyone think? Not the best looking God, right? But if I were to describe Ganesha from a more spiritual perspective, I see Ganesha as one who epitomises inclusiveness, oneness, humili...

The flower show at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bengaluru is worth visiting. It usually happens in January and August every year, and incidentally the 2014 August flower show was the 200th show! It was indeed a wonderful treat to see such beautiful flowers displayed so creatively! We also saw a wonderful collection of medicinal and herbal plants!

Pataleshwar cave temple I am deviating a bit from my US and Europe trip, I have to share this unusual ancient temple in Pune, India. Even though I have been to Pune several times, I never visited this ancient temple before, I am happy I could visit it this time. If you like ancient temples, next time you are in Pune, or if you are visiting Pune in Maharshtra, India, for the first time, don't miss this temple. This is quite an unique temple. It is a rock cut temple dating back to the 8th century, dedicated to Lord Shiva. The temple is located on the Jungli Maharaj Road in Shivaji Nagar.It is easy to locate; any auto will take you since it is quite a popular temple. I found some very interesting carvings and drawings in the temple. Entrance to Pataleshwar temple Nandi Mandapa Nandi Passage inside the Pataleshwar temple Carvings on the wall Carvings on the wall of the temple Drawings on the floor of the temple Draw...

Niagara Falls  After getting a nice dose of history we went back to Niagara Falls. I had a few hours to spare before heading back to NYC. There is a convention center right across the State Park. And among other things, the convention center also hosts events and shows. I decided to watch a live performance show called the "Thundering Water Cultural Show" based on Niagara . This live performance used dance as a medium to depict how Niagara Falls impacted the lives of Native Americans and their culture. It was quite a good show, unfortunately, I could not get a seat in the front so the view was obstructed and I couldn't quite take snaps. But I was happy to catch the show. Areas around the Falls There was still a lot of snow in Niagara Falls in May I went back to the Niagara Falls to enjoy the Niagara Falls. I still had 2 hours since our bus was waiting for some passengers from Canada. I enjoyed spending time there. The best part was the S...