World Through My Camera Lens

Happy New Year 2012

2012-01-01T08:30:00.003+05:30

A new year for the script of life, a fresh new balance sheet of existence .. Wish you all a memorable new year 2012 !!

Merry Christmas !

2011-12-25T23:28:00.001+05:30

I like this picture in spite of the blur. Shot in Shivajinagar St Mary's Basilica - Aug 2011. Merry Christmas 2011 !

IISc mornings !

2011-11-20T18:24:00.002+05:30

Back to the morning ways after getting my cycle revamped with a personal touch! Cheers to the winter. Shot in IISc - Nov 2011.

Gloomy Nandi

2011-10-05T16:21:00.002+05:30

Pics of Nandi hills captured almost a year ago. Shot in December 2010.

Sticks of Fragrance !

2011-09-30T20:11:00.000+05:30

Shot in September 2010!

Enjoying the Sun !

2011-08-23T07:44:00.007+05:30

Egrets making the most out of the sunny December day. Shot in Sankey - December 2010.

Meenakshi Temple

2011-08-15T07:40:00.002+05:30

Meenakshi Temple near IIMB - Shot in May 2010.

Nandi Boys !!

2011-07-13T07:56:00.003+05:30

The young nandi boys, shot near Nandi hills - Dec 2010

Green Home !

2011-07-10T22:57:00.004+05:30

Shot this early morning inside the GKVK campus in July 2011.

KA-03 Z-665

2011-06-23T07:31:00.003+05:30

Our sturdy powerful 2004 model Honda City EXI. Shot in Srirangapatna, Tippu Summer Palace - July 2010

Chandraprabha !!

2011-06-14T22:21:00.006+05:30

June 14 2011 - I picked up the camera after many many months as the Moonbeam Chandraprabha swept across my house and mind, as if a bright sea of milk had been poured upon it. Shot from the terrace top.

Chandraprabha ... Moonlight will always be that one prominent highlight in my existence. So far away and yet a part of everyday life!

Lepakshi !

2011-06-03T08:23:00.002+05:30

Evening shots in Lepakshi temple, Hindupur. Shot in September 2011.

Wheels !

2011-05-03T08:22:00.002+05:30

The stone wheels in Boganandiswara temple in Nandi village. Shot in Dec 2010.

Sankey Ducks !

2011-04-03T08:20:00.000+05:30

Shot in December 2010.

Awakening

2011-03-29T11:01:00.004+05:30

My body starts to droop and withdraws into a shell of lethargy, laziness and slumber when I am in-disciplined . Finally after the 4 week lag, I am back gradually to the routines I like. This time, it will carry on and on. Shot before 6 AM in Sankey sometime during the start of 2011.

BIAL

2011-02-27T20:34:00.003+05:30

Bangalore International Airport Limited. Shot in Dec 2010.

L D G

2011-01-13T21:55:00.003+05:30

Tanqueray London Dry Gin, my favourite hard alcohol. Gifted by my friend from the U S A. Shot in Oct 2010.

IISc

2011-01-12T21:27:00.002+05:30

The majestic IISc main building, housed in the 400+ acres Island of Greenery in the heart of Bangalore is no less compared to any of the world famous education institutes like the Stanford University (which I have seen first hand)

The statue of the founder Jamsetji Nusserwanji Tata is installed in front of the building.

Pedaling my Way !!

2011-01-11T21:07:00.003+05:30

Cycling in the early morning, breathing (gulping) in gallons of unpolluted air amidst serenity - A truly invigorating experience. IISc and Ganganagar-Sanjaynagar bypass - Shot in Jan 2011.

Headshots

2011-01-10T21:21:00.006+05:30

Chiuaua

Great Dane

Pug

Doberman Pinscher

Labrador

Great Dane

Miniature Poodle

Great Dane

Mudhol Hound

Handlers !!

2011-01-10T20:30:00.008+05:30

Back to the Mysore Kennel Club Dog Show in UAS Grounds Hebbal after 4 long years. Shot in Jan 2011.

Great Dane

Irish Setter

Poodle

Boxer

A Winter Morning Walk !

2011-01-09T18:26:00.005+05:30

A very elderly man probably a Scientist, walks in the IISc (Indian Institute of Science) campus. Shot on Jan 2011.

New Year 2011

2011-01-02T11:25:00.018+05:30

After six long years on Dec 31 2004, It was back to Bangalore - Brigade Road on the eve of year 2011. The last six new years have been Bangalore - Orissa - Coorg - San Francisco - Las Vegas/Los Angeles - Minneapolis/San Jose - Bangalore. This year looking forward fot the cricket world cup and on a personal front no expectations whatsoever - live on a day to day basis. Oh yes, looking forward for the coming Dec 31 2011. Cheers and Happy new year to me and the world !

The Last Holy Bike Ride !!

2010-12-27T14:12:00.017+05:30

6 AM Friday start on a cold foggy December morning - Helmets, sweaters, backpack, music and my Horse - Two ghastly accidents, one of which killing two on the spot - An excruciating but satisfying climb of the seven hills after the 7 hour backbreaking ride - Seven ascents on the bike in the 3 motorbiking rides to the lord in the last 6 years - An unconventional breather to sign of the year.

A fog filled NH4

The mild sun revealing the mountains hidden behind the fog.

The Third & Last motorbiking ride from Bangalore to Tirupati Tirumala.

Cucumber time to the Deer !

Abode of Lord Venkateshwara !

A HDR image

Lost in Devotion.

Ocean of humanity !

Bags of prayers & wishes !

'Yelu kundala vada (Lord of Seven Hills) Govinda.. Govinda !!!'

Chandragiri Fort dating back to 11th century AD - Raja Mahal !

Headless statues !!

The scenic Chandragiri water body !

Three storeyed Raja Mahal - now a mueseum

Highway Decorations !

Vigneshwara temple - Kanipakam Ganesha temple

Sankey Splendour

2010-12-06T10:48:00.003+05:30

Sankey captured in the dusk on the eve of The Morose Number 28. Shot on Dec 05 2010.

Sankey Moods !!

2010-11-29T13:31:00.002+05:30

Pigeons of Sankey Tank, captured in May 2010.

Breaking the rules !

Odd one out !

Breath control !

A memorable Saturday Debacle !

2010-10-19T10:23:00.009+05:30

2010 Saturday Ayudha Pooja on the highways with my best bud - first time on the NICE road - Flat tyres twice - peaceful laid back rural life - tasty roadside food - a visit to the scenic Mekhedaatu left incomplete, were perfect ingredients for a memorable day.

The first flat tyre, being fixed by Karim Bhai. As luck would have it, the shop was within a few meters where the tyre flattened out. It was not a surprise as Harsha was expecting this even before we set out.

The little girl next to the puncture shop, only about 10 years young, was managing her dad's grocery shop all alone.

We could just get a glimpse of the place, as the tyre went bad again, very close to the destination. This time we had to wait for a couple of hours before we could hitch a ride in a 10 seater autorickshaw along with Harsha's bike. We were left off to the nearest village 10 Kms away. After getting it fixed, we set off to Bangalore.

Happiness Always .. Nithyananda !!

2010-10-19T10:18:00.007+05:30

Curiosity led me to Nithyananda's ashrama in Bidadi about 30 Kms from Bangalore. Calmness emanated from the huge peaceful environs of the ashram. This time was out curiosity, next time it most probably will be for a deeper inspection.

WoW - Weekend on Wheels

2010-10-18T10:21:00.002+05:30

The 2010 Dasara weekend was spent mostly on the Bangalore - (Kanakapura) - Mysore highway. After many years, I got back to my old ways of random bike rides. I got a glimpse of sangama - mekhe daatu, Innovative film city, Nithyandanda ashrama. Kamat in Ramanagara and my good friend Sharaths house in Mandya served as break points where I had some sumptuous food. 400+ Kms on the wheels in two days resulted in a crazy unplanned random ride.

UVCE - KR Circle Bangalore

2010-10-03T21:50:00.005+05:30

Ten years since I set foot into my engineering college in late 2000 AD. Some wonderful mixed memories. Pictures shot on an early Sunday Morning in May 2010.

The graphics hall in the Mechanical Building.

Workshop Labs!

Sunfeast Marathon 2010

2010-09-23T20:24:00.000+05:30

It was the perfect third Sunday in May [May 23 2010], when I accidentally met, interacted and captured the political power, glamor and the atmosphere of Sunfeast Marathon in the Kanteerava Stadium, Bangalore.

Karnataka Chief Minister B. S. Yeddyurappa

Pooja Gandhi

Gandhi Sisters - Pooja and Radhika

Gul Panag

Rahul Bose

Yours Truly posing with Gul

Ride to the sacred Hills !!!

2010-08-16T21:40:00.007+05:30

Almost six years since that youthful crazy ride on the wheels to the Tirumala hills with my ever reliable closest buddy. I had vowed to never ride on two wheels along this side of the NH4 to South India's most thronged pilgrim place, after that unforgettable trip had almost cost us our lives.

When I failed to find harmony with my Dad, I decided to break my vow and find solace riding to the lord, on my horse. I was in great turmoil whether to do it or not, more so after the rains, the night before I left. Leaving everything to the lord, I embarked on the solo journey to the hills at 6 AM on the Friday August 13 2010. Despite the consistent drizzle, I galloped steadily on my CB Twister. The difference between the 2004 and 2010 ride was that I was well equipped with the right safety gear necessary for such long rides. The drizzle turned into a steady incessant downpour which almost threatened to make me head back home. Something made me persist and ride along. By the time I reached Kolar at about 7-30 AM the rains had completely stopped. Overall the 300 Kms ride to the hills on my bike with the music from my IPod for company and the huge trekker backpack serving as a cushion for my back, made the 6 hour ride quiet a comfortable experience. There was this one stretch somewhere in Andhra Pradesh, where butterflies came crashing on to the helmet visor and many wasps collided, stinging through the jacket. Amidst all this, the wonderful music and myriad thoughts all along the way, made it a rejuvenating ride.

It was at about 1 PM that I reached on top of the Tirumala hills. I discovered that there was no accommodation on the hills for single visitors. I had to get down and luckily found a nice lodging just at the very foot of the hills. After some rest and bath, I went on top for the Darshan of the lord, which was the best I have had till date. It is a very touching experience every time you get to see the lord. Those few seconds that we get to see Lord Venkateshwara, notwithstanding all the hardships - the long queues et al, makes it worthwhile and fulfilling. I came back to my room for the night. Early next morning, I rode to the hills for the third time within 24 hours and I should say it was a heavenly experience. I left back to home at about 11 AM. It was 4 PM before I reached Bangalore. All in all, the 700+ Km ride was an experience to cherish and there might be an another one coming soon !!!

Honda CB Twister

2010-07-30T19:41:00.004+05:30

1500 + Kms and going.. my new horse which gallops at not more than a moderate 80 Kmph. My old Hero Honda gave way for this new Honda CB Twister after close to a decade of faithful service. Shot in July 2010.

Glam Dog !!

2010-07-29T19:33:00.000+05:30

I captured this camera friendly dog during a early morning visit to my Engineering college UVCE sometime in May 2010.

A Monsoon Tale in Tadiyandamol - Part 1

2010-06-21T08:56:00.004+05:30

Text Courtesy - Naveen S L [IAS/IPS]

Climb the mountains and get their good tidings. Nature's peace will flow into you as sunshine flow into trees. The winds will blow their own freshness into you, and the storms their energy, while cares will drop off like autumn leaves. ~ John Muir

God writes the gospel not in the Bible alone, but on trees and flowers and clouds and stars. ~ Martin Luther

As TV channels showed clippings of notoriously Unpredictable yet essential Indian Monsoons hitting the coasts of Kerala, I felt increasingly restless about our weekend plan to scale Coorg's Tadiyandamol. Monsoons meant slippery grass, leeches and more importantly thunderous rainfall for which our group was ill prepared for. After consultations and discussions, however, we unanimously decided to go ahead and do the thing. So the customary marketing and enlistment turned up 7 volunteers.

Me - Naveen (Bodybuilder), Sunil (Body breaker), Karthik (Expert Photographer), Ajith ( Yoga Expert), Babu (Founder member of our group), Harsha (Karthik's best pal), Deepak (My gym mate).

We quickly assembled on the designated June 4 2010 Friday night at the "Satellite Bus station" on the Mysore road. Apparently , all buses on route to Mysore , Coorg etc were now being serviced from this station instead of the "Majestic" one. Me, Sunil, Deepak and Karthik had dinner at this Fast food joint near the bus stand, however the quality of food was far from satisfactory. Later we met up with the rest of the gang at the Bus Station and quickly alighted the waiting bus to "Napoklu". Since our travel Policy strictly forbids "Luxury", we settled for a Rajahamsa bus which is sort of stretching the Upper limits of our acceptable travel in terms of comfort.

The Bus ride was rather uneventful, with only exception being the lovely Coorgi ladies sitting beside Karthik, who lost no time to attract them with his Yankee accent and over the top accounts of his Stay in USA. Karthik and I have similar policy when it comes to girls, "No matter what the odds and how disgusting it may seem, attracting a beautiful gal is definitely worth it" We hardly got 5 hours of sleep as we were dumped into this quaint little Bus station in Virajpet at the wee hours of Saturday.

We quickly made good use of the Bus Station's Taps as we refreshed ourselves and made ready for the journey ahead. Karthik got increasingly fond of a haggardly looking chap and got busy taking his snaps while we redistributed the load and repacked the bags.

Napping near Virajpet Bus Stand in the wee hours !

Later, not without my persuading, we moved out of the station and started walking to a nearby Private Bus station from where another bus would take us to Kakkabe. It was here we met a certain Macho man from Coorg, about 4 feet tall, who lived all his life in Coorg but apparently wouldn’t know the route! Eventually we found this dreary looking private bus station where I took a quick nap while others made local forays doing everything from buying vegetables to drinking local Tea.

It was still around 5 Am in the morning and only living things apart from us were the rather plum looking dogs of Coorg.

As dawn broke, we had tea and breakfast at the local station, took a couple of pictures of increasingly cloudy Coorg, relieved ourselves beside a picturesque lake, had a quintessentially Coorgi breakfast and then Boarded the just arrived bus to Napoklu.

Macho Man in the center

Around 30 minutes later, we were dropped nearby the "Aramane Cross" from whereon we were to ascend the peak of Tadiyandamol. The road from the cross to Palace is a tarred one, and with its slight gradient, was good enough to warm us up while we enjoyed the exquisite beauty of the place.

The Tarred road it seemed was punched right throughout the thick maze of flowers, trees, grasses and tiny animals, and we felt quite elated at the prospect of better things to come. What dismayed us, however, was the increasing commercialization of the place with several Concrete Resorts springing up aside the lovely road.

As we reached the Palace, we noticed Tadiyandamol chain of mountains in background, and needless to say, we were awed by the nascent beauty of it.

There was a pretty little school aside the "Palace", which although closed momentarily, was pretty functional. It could be straight out of Malgudi days it seemed. We lured all the kids playing around the school playground with the prospect of a "Picture" and took a snap with them. I promptly sought out a cute girl in that group and held her hand while we took the picture. It is my Avowed policy to help protect the endangered girl child and to give her requisite tools to combat discrimination which is so rampant in this country.

Then we frantically searched for drinking water, and failing to do so decided to buckle up and get ready for next phase of trekking. The initial climb was rather steep, but since the trail was still tarred, we felt it was unnecessarily laborious. The Steep Tarred trail started sucking the wind out of certain members of our group, as i too felt uncomfortable with the heavy backpack that I had. As we reached the end of the Tarred trail, the regular muddy trail took over and it was time to have fun.

We noticed a small mansion on the right side of a forest department employee complete with gardens and fields. We marched on along the rather broad trail (indicating it’s been pretty run down) as we met certain "Suicide dude". Apparently this guy was dressed like a beggar, had a physique that would shame a TB patient, but spoke excellent English in the most depressing manner known to mankind. After seeking his advice on the trail ahead, we kept marching.

Lack of good breakfast started having its toll, as we rummaged through the bags of everyone gobbling up everything from chips to chocolates. We occasionally took pictures of the group as we kept the pace ahead.

As the dense foliage cleared at certain point, what we could behold was the most glorious sight a man could see. It was a dense chain of mountains clothed in the most intricate of greens.

A couple of meters ahead we met this amazing little dog who relished the sight of us.

It was a Bitch and Karthik promptly named it "Julie". We got pretty fond of Julie and it started following wherever we went. As we marched along, sometimes it made a mockery of our pace by racing ahead and then watching, impatiently it seemed, us joining it.

Then we reached this clearing on the foot of the mountains which was most certainly a Base camp. Remains of numerous campfires could be clearly seen and I had read accounts of a certain water source nearby too.

I requested Babu and Ajith to seek out this water source and report me the finding. They managed to do it within minutes, not of course, without a few leeches sticking to their boots.

Having decided to Camp at the place tonight, we decided to march ahead to the peak which was visible ahead. Dense and amazingly endowed with vegetation, it was almost hidden by the lovely veil of clouds as it bewitchingly allured us boys to scale it.

As we marched ahead, we met a point where 2 trails emerged, and as luck would have had it, we choose the wrong one. This one led right into "Leech Zone" identifiable by the numerous trees and fallen leaves with wet moist layer of dew covering them.

As we traversed through it, Ajith and Babu screamed out that they had been taken by leeches. As we emerged out of this forested zone, most of our shoes were sprawling with leeches.

Ajith became all the more vociferous about leeches, and resorted to amateur theatricals to convey his point, at one time holding up entire group with his shoes in hand. Babu had to calm him down with his profound litany of unmentionable expletives. After rummaging through grass trying to find way ahead, interspersed with Ajith's "expert" guidance of route ahead, we decided to back track and retreat back to the camp.

At the camp, Karthik now screamed out like a ravaged woman pointing to leeches on his shoes. Sunil too started screaming vociferously as he noticed a few leeches feeding on his socks. Me and Babu were incredibly calm as we admistered salt to everyone in group before turning attention to ourselves. Later I and Babu checked each other for leeches and oddly enough, found none.

We quickly regained our composure as we decided to re-seek the trail from the cross-section ahead. Incredibly, as we reached the intersection, we realized that we had missed a straight forward trail ahead!!

As we took the right trail now, we quickly ascended into the most amazing view I had ever seen. Nestled amongst mountains, Tadiyandamol was almost covered fully in clouds now. Julie kept faithfully following us as we kept halting at picturesque "Pit-Stops" along the way.

We felt it apt to reward her with a part of our precious chocolates and biscuits, which was approvingly lapped up by her.

This is where the climb got challenging, and reminded us of Kumarapavata in terms of gradient. We passed through another leech infested forest again, but having learnt our lessons now and without heavy gear, we managed to quickly pass through it without attracting the creepy crawlies. As we emerged out of forest, what we saw both excited and dismayed us, the original "Peak" revealed several larger hills behind it and the real peak was much further than we thought.

As climb got steeper, Deepak found it increasingly hard to sustain his energy levels thanks to an incident of diarrhea a week earlier. Mahesh Babu, who does excellent job of making sure the rear of our group never gets lost, requested us to let go of Deepak while he camped below with all our gear. Facing no other option, we decided to dump all our gear with Deepak as we marched up ahead.

Now the trail was typical Tropical savanna, low lying grasses and shrubbery. As we traversed the hillocks, i fell behind as a fitter Ajith and Babu took lead and reached the peak a few seconds ahead of me. What we saw on peak was the most incredible sight we had ever seen.

It was pure geography in action. It was a wall of clouds trying to get past the glorious mountain ranges of Western Ghats, of which we were part of, and being unsuccessful, pouring all the moisture they have on the plains below. The area behind this "facing" side naturally was so called Shadow area, where rain was scare and vegetation scrubby. It was almost as if gods were playing games on a celestial scale and we, mere mortals, getting a chance to view this miracle first hand.

After fully living the ecstasy derived from scaling the peak, we took a few cursory pictures as we contemplated what a Wonderful world it was. Me and Karthik unanimously agreed that modern advents like TV had basically ruined people's lives, with most preferring to park themselves firmly in couch instead of being part of this wonderful real world that god made for us.

Ajith at this point plucked out his phone and played a song, something which was not appreciated by me back then.

Nature has a way of conveying messages through its perennial peace and tranquility I felt, and should therefore not be polluted with the cacophony of modern gadgets.

As we reluctantly descended from the peak, we met another group of trekkers from Chennai, who seemed to have wind driven out of their sails quite effectively.

We met up with Deepak and our faithful dog Julie who kept watch over him and recollected our bags. We descended back to base camp where our weary bodies quickly scaled Campsite's "ROCK" before playing dead for a couple of minutes. A couple of us then headed out to a little stream beside the campsite and got lost bathing and frolicking amidst freezing waters.

As we headed back to camp after an hour of fun and frolic, we found guys starving and least amused by our recent travail. We quickly cooked food on our carried stove as winds tried their best to douse the flames. After a quick meal, I ordered the tents to be pitched up, which were, considering the discipline of our group, done quite well. I made sure the pitched up tents were up the mark, by correcting the deficiencies and drilling the nails to the ground.

Heating the MREs

As we contemplated our surreal surroundings, we were passed over by many weary looking trekkers on the way, and were met by us with usual mix of disgust and fascination. Some girls too hankered along with one group, and Karthik made sure sufficient attention was drawn to us with his dramatics.

Eventually our tents were put to use with the rain coming down all of a sudden. We excitedly barged into our tents while Julie bore the brunt of the rain. Poor little doggy was all wet by the time the rain ceased.

Inside the Tents ... Part 2

A Monsoon Tale in Tadiyandamol - Part 2

2010-06-20T21:15:00.005+05:30

As rain ceased, the guys wouldn’t come out and Babu had already started on his usual chit chats with guys inside the tent. Apparently the luxury of warm tents had gotten to them. After "persuading" them to shovel their bums out of the tents, we quickly weighed options of staying here tonight.

Felicitation on the ROCK !

The monsoons were hitting with full fury, but it was the cold which bothered me. So when the Watchman of the forest dept came along later and said the camp was unsafe because of elephant activity, we really had to rethink now.

Bottling the pellucid stream water !

The watchman's offer of inviting to his cozy mansion and arranging a campfire eventually turned out to be too much to refuse as we repacked our tents and descended on to his abode. His place was around a Kilometer below the peak and was a rather picturesque house complete with his own backyard and gardens.

The descent to his House below was quick and uneventful, but by now the clouds were amongst us and it had started to drizzle profusely.

Walk in the Mungaru Male !

As we reached Thammanna's house, we quickly put away our gear and tents as the man himself got busy preparing us "Tea" out of his rather smoky kitchen. Apparently he had large stash of firewood in his backyard as fuel.

Having drunk our tea, we got down to a more "refined" task of setting up campfire, not a easy task considering the light drizzle then on. However, we eventually got one fire up and quickly gathered around it.

We started off with our usual doses of SOMA and it was then when ALL HELL broke loose. We opened up and coughed up our pathetic stories of love, retribution and failures. There was a highly vociferous debate as to whether true love existed with some amongst us comparing love to pure chemistry. Naturally, it turned out to idiotic cacophony interspersed by unmentionable expletives. We then tried our hand at singing song, which sadly is the unfortunate side effect of such gatherings. Realizing the futility of this painful exercise, however, we quickly gave it up.

We then sent a message to Deepak's love who was already engaged to someone else, asking for her forgiveness and acceptance failing which he was to, on our "Suggestion", commit suicide. Luckily the pathetic signal reception there made sure the message didn’t reach the poor lass. Karthik meanwhile had to be dug out of the little depression in kitchen in which he fell into, apparently in an inebriated state. I knocked my head on one of the nastily low doors in the house. Sunil kept harping about potential snakes in the room while Deepak just couldn't recover from his tragic love story. It was a scene right out of "Hangover" movie.

Night passed in Tammanna the Forest guard's house rather uneventfully and only thing we remembered next day was the frigid cold the night before.

As Dawn broke, the teetotalers amongst us woke up early and ventured around to explore Thammanna's fabulous outhouses and gardens in which he had reared everything from pigs to acre nuts.

When senses came upon the rest of us, we quickly gathered for Ajith's Entertainment Event. Apparently it was decided that he would entertain us with his yoga antics, something which invited sniggers as well as admiration from our gang. As Ajith wiggled and twisted onto his numerous poses, discussions raged as to how it enhanced "Performance" amidst counter claims of it leading to impotency.

Then, it was time for another tea, before and we quickly had breakfast out of our MRE's. After that, we quickly buckled up and got cracking on our gear, for it was time to head back. After a generous "Tip" to Thammanna, we left, rather reluctantly, his guesthouse and headed back down.

Within a short time we reached the Nalknad palace, which now open, provided us ample opportunities for our exploration. We found a guide in its curator and we happily clicked away pictures of everything from the king's bedrooms to a secret torture chamber below.

After finishing palace detour, we all descended quickly to the cross section where buses to our next destination would show up. A pair of cute Coorgi girls at bus stop invited glares and profound speculations about their "availability" from some among us, while others washed their faces under a nearby tap. From there, as the bus came, we headed out to a discreet place called Chey-und-ane. It was from there we embarked on a 4 km Road trek to a rather disappointing dry water falls called Chelavara. However, such as it was, it offers a refreshing bath to our weary bodies. The road trek was naturally a bit too much for us so we opted for an Auto ride back to the Point where the bus dropped us.

An old lady in the bus shelter !

As we waited then for the next bus to take us to Virajpet from where we were to head to Bangalore, we gorged ourselves onto the snacks offered by the nearby Bakery. So when the next bus came, we readily barged into it. A delectable gal next to our seat offered plenty of excitement to me and the boys as we reached the destination in about 30 minutes.

On the streets of Virajpet en route to the Green Bar & Restaurant for some authentic Coorgi Pandi Cuisine.

From there, we were to spend rest of our time in Bus station witnessing a horrific skirmish of local Kodagu landlord and his fellow Laborers leaving the town. We imagine they were treated badly whilst they worked for him.

Tyre punctured on the way to Mysore

Eventually, we got on to a bus to Mysore and finally bid Adieu to a wonderful journey to Coorg that was....

Creatures of God

2010-06-13T08:59:00.001+05:30

Shot in UAS campus and near Malur Kere. Shot in April and May 2010.

UAS Dairy

2010-06-12T09:12:00.000+05:30

Scenes from the UAS Diary. Shot in Apr 2010.

Village Drive

2010-06-11T08:50:00.003+05:30

A May Day drive to my mothers village. The Aparameya Swamy Temple and Kengal. Shot in May 2010.

This Ganesha temple is somewhere near Kengeri.

Homeless

2010-06-07T09:02:00.002+05:30

This will be my last snapshot from the land of USA for the time being until I visit the country again. Shot at a traffic signal from the car, this gentleman is asking for help. This is quite a common sight at the exits and signals. Shot in Mar 2010.

Self Service

2010-06-01T08:58:00.000+05:30

Costco Gasoline Self Service - Shot in Mar 2010.

Bed Lamp

2010-05-31T09:05:00.003+05:30

Shot in Jan 2010 - San Jose.

Lamp Post

2010-05-31T09:05:00.002+05:30

A lamp post in Minneapolis on a December flurry morning. Shot in Dec 2009.

Stream

2010-05-30T09:09:00.000+05:30

A stream along the Berreyesa Park. Shot in March 2010.

Berreyesa Duck

2010-05-30T09:07:00.001+05:30

Shot in March 2010.

Vietnamese

2010-05-29T09:14:00.001+05:30

Vietnamese around the Bay Area. Shot in Berreyasa Park March 2010.

Junkyard

2010-05-28T09:03:00.003+05:30

Too precious to be scrapped for the sentiments it holds to the owner in a Shot in San Felipe farm.Feb 2010.

Fall

2010-05-27T09:00:00.000+05:30

Symbol of Fall. Shot in San Jose Oct 2009.

Church

2010-05-26T08:57:00.001+05:30

Abstract church scenes in St Paul Cathedral. Shot in Dec 2009.

Berreyasa Road

2010-05-25T08:49:00.000+05:30

Oh how I miss these wonderful roads and the discipline on the roads - The most I miss of USA. Shot in March 2010.

An Evening Silhouette

2010-05-24T09:00:00.000+05:30

Shot in early Feb 2010.

Hellyer

2010-05-23T09:01:00.001+05:30

A father playing sitting as his son plays along the bank of the Hellyer. Shot on a December 2009 afternoon after I was back to the Bay Area from Minneapolis.

No Trespassing !

2010-05-22T09:10:00.003+05:30

Signboards in the San Felipe farms. Shot early Feb 2010.

Slipper

2010-05-22T09:08:00.003+05:30

One of the first shots with my then newly aqquired 50 mm prime lens. Shot in Nov 2009.

Bare

2010-05-21T09:50:00.002+05:30

Twilight sky during an evening stroll in the Santa Clara University. Shot in Feb 2010.

Yellow

2010-05-21T09:15:00.003+05:30

Shot in the Silver Creek Park in Dec 2009.

Fire Hydrant

2010-05-20T09:03:00.002+05:30

A Fire Hydrant on a snow covered road in Minneapolis. Shot in Dec 2009.

Halloween Pumpkin

2010-05-20T09:00:00.003+05:30

A Halloween Pumpkin in the Pond View Condo I lived in Minneapolis. Freezing unforgettable winter memories. Should experience that for longer sometime. Shot in Nov 2009.

Raw Beauty

2010-05-19T11:06:00.001+05:30

I came across this natural beauty during a meet with a friend in Rajmahal Vilas (RMV) extension area. She was a part of a nomadic construction worker family, with roots in Belgaum speaking fluent Hindi and Kannada.

Her striking photogenic face caught my attention immediately and had I been a film maker or a model agent I would have shortlisted her immediately. Anyone seeing this picture? Shot in May 2010.

Tiller

2010-05-19T09:05:00.000+05:30

A plough which caught my eye during an evening stroll in the countryside San Felipe. Shot sometime in early Feb 2010.

Evergreen Hills - Spring 2010

2010-05-18T09:09:00.001+05:30

I miss seeing this view which I was so used to every time I took the Yerba Bueana Road to merge onto the 101 North Freeway. Evergreen memories of the Evergreen Hills. The name should not be mistaken - the hills are lush green only for a few months in the Spring and goes completely dry in Summer. Shot in Feb 2010.

Hero Honda Dhak Dhak Go

2010-05-17T08:56:00.011+05:30

My Hero Honda CD100 has been with me through the entire last decade and cruised smoothly into the new one. My Dad gifted this in the year 2000 after my 12th grade just before I entered into Engineering. During the first 6 years I never wore a helmet which seems so very foolish now. I had a minor fall in the first year sometime in 2001 July which led to quite a serious surgery in the head and I was hospitalized for 10 days or so. Even after that I shied away from wearing a helmet. After that fall I gave a break of a year to this bike during which I had switched to my Hero Puch. Even after I started driving a car from 2005 my CD100 was used for local drives and it also saw a makeover from its original form. From 2007 August to 2010 April I was separated from my bike which I lovingly reffer to as my horse. When I came back on April 2 this year I was disillusioned driving in the Bangalore traffic in my Dads car. It seemed like being confined in a prison on four wheels in the snail paced Bangalore traffic. It then occurred that my horse was asleep in the stable and was waiting to gallop guided by his master. Some of the most memorable trips on this bike are to Tirupati - Journey to the hills, Belur Halebid Shravanabelagola and many trips to my mothers native place Chennapatna. I look forward everyday to ride my horse to office and it seamlessly emancipates me from the shackles of the infamous Bangalore traffic. 13 kms in 30-40 minutes at any time of the day in my customized route to the office is by any means a jiffy in Bangalore. Shot in Byrapatna village, Chennapatna on May 1 2010. Thanks Dad (with whom I have had a slight difference of thoughts from these past many days) for gifting this to me.

Toyota

2010-05-16T08:56:00.000+05:30

My companion for most of my 32 months in the America spread across four glorious years 2007 - 2008 - 2009 & 2010 - Toyota Camry LE. Driving at 60-80 miles per hour / 96-128 Kmph was an everyday affair. Shot in Oct 2009

India Shift

2010-04-30T19:25:00.000+05:30

Its been sometime since the last post. Exactly one month ago I made a move to back home to Bangalore after 32 months in the USA. The 32 months have some fantastic memories. Had I visited just once for a fly back trip I guess I would have chosen USA for some more years for the quality that it offered. Anyway its been 1 full month in Bangalore which just flew away and I am enjoying 'my' life thoroughly.

These are shots on my way back from San Francisco waiting to board the Cathay Pacific to Bangalore via Hong Kong. Shot on March 31 2010.

City Lights

2010-03-23T10:19:00.004+05:30

The night lights of the Silicon Valley from the Evergreen - Skydrive hill top. The lighted path in the left is the Freeway 101. Shot sometime in March 2010.

Mission Santa Clara de Asís

2010-03-15T09:25:00.009+05:30

The two silhouettes were shot in Feb 2010. Mission Santa Clara de Asís was founded on January 12, 1777 .

Santa Clara Palms

2010-03-12T09:56:00.005+05:30

Evening sky from the road across the main entrance of Santa Clara University. The building seen in the background is the Leavey school of Business which was opened in Fall 2008. Shot in Feb 2010.

Full Moon

2010-03-02T04:21:00.006+05:30

The Beautiful Full Moon which I used for 30 minutes of experiment with the tripod and a couple of camera lenses which included a 17-55 wide angle and a 75-300 telescopic lens. A much sturdier tripod and a telescopic beast of about 500 mm or 600 mm will produce a more captivating picture. Shot on the last day of February in year 2010 in San Jose

Coupe

2010-02-27T11:05:00.005+05:30

A Vintage Coupe on a hill top on Yerba Buena Road. Shot in Feb 2010.

Autumn Leaves 2009

2010-02-26T09:54:00.004+05:30

Shot in Hellyer Park in Dec 2009 after my return from Minneapolis. Dec 2009

Signs

2010-02-23T11:24:00.004+05:30

San Felippe and Hellyer - Shot in 2009 and 2010.

Colors of Nature

2010-02-09T10:51:00.005+05:30

This is the super colorful visual outcome after the heavy rainfall this season in the Bay Area. Shot in Feb 2010 in San Felipe. An earlier Colors of Nature Post back home in Bangalore in Aug 2007.

Towering Palms

2010-02-07T23:17:00.001+05:30

The Towering Palms alongside the SCU Campus caught with a brilliant evening sky. Shot in Feb 2010 on the Superbowl Sunday.

Minneapolis Explored - A frigid fantasy !!

2010-02-05T05:25:00.021+05:30

Without getting into any minutia I present the pictures of my visit to Minneapolis during the last two months of the year 2009. Something about the travel did not seem right and it remained that way. Reluctantly though I made the most of my visit by venturing outside into the cold with my newly purchased photographic arsenal and made the most of my presence in that place.

First stop from the airport in a rented Chevrolet Aveo Allianz Life, 5701 Golden Hills Drive, Minneapolis MN 55416

Followed by the inspection of the Pond View Condominiums

The night was spent on the 17th floor of Wilson Park Tower apartment high rise at the center of the Minneapolis Downtown. Hospitality galore by my Chinese housemate Lena.

1400 Dakota Ave S St Louis Park Mn 55416 Condo complex home for the rest of the stay

Thanksgiving shopping

Freezing cold - running fever - botched up plans - Wi-fi Non connectivity was the saga for a few days

Out into the streets

The pond across the condo

Whitewash after a night of flurries

Lake Calhoun

The cold wont be a hindrance for the determined

Huge mansions

The Cathedral at St Paul

When it gets cold it is to the malls where they go - The Mall of America - as wide as the North America

Christmas spirit everywhere

A bridge on the way to the Stone Arch Bridge which turned out to be more glamorous than its famous counterpart

The old and still functional mills of the Pillsbury company

St Anthony Falls - Mississippi River

The Stone Arch Bridge with the Downtown in the backdrop

Old city charm

Basilica of St. Mary in Downtown Minneapolis

An evening visit to the St Paul

State Capitol - Saint Paul the center of governance

Enthralling views of the Cathedral

At the festive holiday parade in the downtown

Some where over the Rocky Mountains between State of Colorado and Utah - during my return back to home away from home California State.

A Winter Break

2010-01-28T06:30:00.010+05:30

No frostbites at all for these birds at sub zero temperatures. Lake Calhoun again in Mid December 2009. An unforgettable experience !

Happy New Decade - 2010

2010-01-01T00:00:00.006+05:30

Wishing everyone a very happy new decade and year 2010 !!!

A Wintry Teaser

2009-12-08T03:35:00.020+05:30

A Snow covered path along the Lake Calhoun, Minneapolis. Temperature : 20 degree Fahrenheit / - 7 degree Celsius. Shot in the first week of December, it is just a preview to the upcoming severe cold snowy winter. Picture posting will resume in the last week of December, until then have a great holiday season and enjoy viewing the archives.

Transamerica Pyramid

2009-12-06T07:00:00.002+05:30

The most recognizable and the tallest skyscraper in the San Francisco skyline - Transamerica Pyramid.

Walk

2009-12-05T07:00:00.001+05:30

Walkers around Foster City, California - Oct 2009

Glare

2009-12-04T07:00:00.001+05:30

Glare in the eye - A carpet o display in the San Jose Flea Market, Berryessa.

Dawn

2009-12-03T07:00:00.001+05:30

Break of Dawn - Oct 2009 - Foster City Shoreline

SF Streets

2009-12-02T07:00:00.001+05:30

Different moods in the San Francisco streets - Oct 2009.

Quick Bites

2009-12-01T07:00:00.001+05:30

Evening scenes of the San Francisco hangout restaurants/bars.

Slopy Abode

2009-11-30T07:00:00.001+05:30

Homes on the most famous streets of San Francisco.

SF Roads

2009-11-29T07:00:00.001+05:30

Slopy roads of SF - Oct 2009.

SF Dwellings

2009-11-28T07:00:00.001+05:30

A glimpse into the homes of the people in San Francisco.

Graffiti

2009-11-27T07:00:00.001+05:30

Graffiti wall art on a San Francisco street.

High Rises

2009-11-26T07:00:00.004+05:30

High Rises of San Francisco seen on the way to Coit's Tower.

Church

2009-11-25T07:00:00.003+05:30

St Peter's Church San Francisco - Shot in Oct 2009.

Puppy

2009-11-24T07:00:00.001+05:30

A puppy doll displayed in a shop - San Jose Flea Market, Berryessa.

Prayers

2009-11-23T07:00:00.001+05:30

Devotees offering prayers on Diwali day inside the San Jose Sikh Gurudwara - Oct 2009.

Knick Knacks

2009-11-22T07:00:00.003+05:30

Knick Knacks in a shop - San Jose Flea Market, Berryessa.

MJ

2009-11-21T07:00:00.002+05:30

A portait of Micheal Jackson [1958 - 2009] for sale in San Jose Flea Market, Berryessa.

Shiva - Vishnu Temple

2009-11-20T07:00:00.003+05:30

Shiva - Vishnu temple, Livermoore. My first visit in two years on the Diwali day - Oct 2009.

Khalsa

2009-11-19T07:00:00.003+05:30

A Khalsa Sikh originally established as a military order of "saint-soldiers" seen in the San Jose Flea Market, Berryessa.

Gurudwara

2009-11-18T07:00:00.003+05:30

A Gurudwara in San Jose. Shot on Diwali day - Oct 2009.

Bridge

2009-11-17T07:00:00.001+05:30

A small Bridge in Foster city seen from the Beach Cover waterfront apartments.

San Jose Flea Market

2009-11-16T07:00:00.008+05:30

Market moods - A day in the San Jose Flea Market Berryessa - Oct 2009.

Hellyer Ducks

2009-11-15T07:00:00.002+05:30

Hellyer on a sunny Fall early evening. Perfect weather for the Ducks. Shot in Oct 2009.

Dora

2009-11-14T07:00:00.002+05:30

Dora Marquez, A Latina fantasy character of an American animated television series - Dora the Explorer