October 31, 2010

Halloween Fun


It's Halloween time....again!


A year has flown by since I spent Halloween
walking around in the streets of New York.


Happy Halloween....
to all those who celebrate.





October 31, 2009, New York








October 28, 2010

Somvati Kund

Thanks to the Skywatch team members, we now have a variety of skies to enjoy. Go now and admire as many as you can.
~~~

View from Mosque to Tomb

Rainy season is a good time to explore the beauty of Mandu in Madhya Pradesh. There are a number of interesting places to see in Mandu.

Whizzing past

Slightly to the left, off the main road is Darya Khan’s Group of Monuments. Darya Khan is known to be an officer in the court of Sutan Mahmud II who ruled in the 16th century.

Here's the sky..in the tank!

This Group includes the Darya Khan's Tomb, a mosque and a water tank called by the name, Somvati Kund.

October 25, 2010

A Rural Experience



My World is a place where you show visitors to your blog the area around you and become their virtual tourist guide.
~~~

I was in Ajmer last month, and got an opportunity to spend some time in a few villages there. Gudi was one such village.

Greenery of Gudi

In Gudi, the villagers were seen working hard, whether it was with their agricultural jobs, or taking care of their simple homes and families. Others looked busy either milking a cow or tending to their fruits and vegetables garden.

Gourd Creeper

At the sight of freshly picked vegetables (perhaps botanically, fruits) I was tempted to taste the stuff.

Fresh vegetables and legumes

When told that it needed to be cooked, I grabbed the opportunity to cook it in an open air fire-place situated at the edge of a vegetable patch. The vegetable dish was bitter, but fresh, and I did end up eating quite a bit of it.

Fire made from lighting dry sticks

All along, there was a cute little fellow looking down at us from a nearby tree.

Curious parrot...

In addition to tasting a few more varieties of local delicacies, I also got a chance to enjoy some delicious home-made lassi (yoghurt) and dal baati (lentil soup with steamed balls of cereal) along with generous servings of ghee.

...and inquisitive neighbors

The residents of Gudi looked self-sufficient, and it made me feel their peaceful life in the village made them content, and healthy in mind and body. Look at the serenity on the face of this woman, who has quite a few grandchildren living with her!

Grandmom

It was good interacting with the village folks. Their simplicity and warm hospitality is a typical characteristic of rural values. It made me wonder if it is a good idea for us to switch to a simpler urban life. What do you think?

October 22, 2010

The Goat at the Fort

View images from around the world at SkyWatch Friday.
~~~

One day on my way back from exploring the magnificent Amer Fort in Jaipur, I heard this little fellow asking me to shoot a picture of him...

I did, and then he asked if I could take a shot of him gazing at the Aravalli hills...

Then he gave a pose of his side...

Then one more with the background to the entrance to the Fort...

And then when I muttered something to the effect that I've had enough of similar shots, the little fellow nicely changed direction and posed for me...

I descended with a smile after thanking my cute little model.