bansktblog http://www.banskt.com/blog Online journal of a research scholar / graphic designer Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:51:17 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 If you love movies http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/QrS3N_bcQP8/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/if-you-love-movies/#comments Wed, 01 Feb 2012 22:44:51 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=401 Here’s a quiz for you. Can you name the famous movies from the graphics and the initials?

Graphics and alphabet using initials of famous movies of 2000s.

I came across this interesting illutration in the Friday Project of graphic designer Stephen Wildish. Here’s more from the different decades:

1990 movies

Graphics and alphabet using initials of famous movies of 1990s.

1980 movies

Graphics and alphabet using initials of famous movies of 1980s.

1970 movies

Graphics and alphabet using initials of famous movies of 1970s.

1960 movies

Graphics and alphabet using initials of famous movies of 1960s.

Interesting, isn’t it? So, how many could you answer? Let me be frank, I could answer only 26 movies at the first attempt.

Reference:

To see more works of Stephen Wildish please visit: www.stephenwildish.co.uk

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/if-you-love-movies/feed/ 1 http://www.banskt.com/blog/if-you-love-movies/ London 2012 Paralympic Games tickets campaign http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/7jNrMCYKoFs/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/london-2012-paralympic-games-tickets-campaign/#comments Tue, 13 Sep 2011 18:22:11 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=378 Image: Poster for the ticket sale campaign of London Paralympics 2012 - Athletics

Movement, action and energy — there is all that is needed for a Paralympic Games campaign. McCann Worldgroup unveiled a campaign for the promotion of ticket sales of London 2012 Paralympic Games. The posters feature the detailed and stunning illustrations of HelloVon. The copies are exciting.

Image: Poster for the ticket sale campaign of London Paralympics 2012 - Basketball

Image: Poster for the ticket sale campaign of London Paralympics 2012 - Equestrian

Image: Poster for the ticket sale campaign of London Paralympics 2012 - Wheelchair race

Image: Poster for the ticket sale campaign of London Paralympics 2012 - wrestling

Credits:

Creative directors: Simon Butler, Geoff Smith
Copywriter: Chloe Grindle
Art director: Michael Thomason
Illustrator: HelloVon

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/london-2012-paralympic-games-tickets-campaign/feed/ 0 http://www.banskt.com/blog/london-2012-paralympic-games-tickets-campaign/ ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 logo: Maori Tohora and aboriginal art forms http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/JlN_vhFzo2U/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015-logo/#comments Wed, 07 Sep 2011 18:21:41 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=338 Logo of the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015, to be jointly organized by New Zealand and Australia.
On April 3rd 2011,International Cricket Council (ICC) unveiled the logo of the next edition of the Cricket World Cup, to be held in Australia and New Zealand. It is, indeed, a vibrant, colorful and catchy logo. There is, however, more to it than is apparent from a first look. The ICC received applications for the design from across the world before awarding it to the international agency, FutureBrand, whose Australian arm was invited to produce the logo for the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015. It in turn commissioned graphic consultancy, the Jumbana Group/Balarinji to create both Australian and New Zealand cultural motifs so as to reflect the two indigenous countries’ cultural identities.

The result was this brilliant logo. A cricket player in action made of the cultural traits of Australia and New Zealand. There are two selected motifs: the torso made of the Maori Tohora symbolizing toughness, pride and tribal culture, and the legs and bat incorporating a familiar aboriginal motif, symbolizing the spirit of the land. Together the logo design is meant to symbolize toughness, glory, resilience, connection and belonging.

Overall, I like the logo very much. It is very well planned, and greatly executed, though I could not be a fan of the font used.

Maori Tohora

Maori are the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand, and their story is both long and intriguing. On the basis of oral records, archaeological finds and genetic analyses, historical treatises place the arrival of Maori in New Zealand in the thirteenth century AD (more on wikipedia). Over several centuries in isolation, they have developed an indigenous culture, which have been portrayed in the above logo. Tohora in Maori language means whale. In Maori myth, Tohora or whales are the descendants of Tangaroa, the spirit of the oceans. Tohora were thought of in awe, as supernatural beings, and often deemed tapu, or sacred. Using the peculiar-but-beautiful twist patterns, the Maori Tohora looks simply awesome, as illustrated below.

Image: Tohora or whale draw by twirls and twists in Maori art form

(Originally illustrated by DragonAotearoa of deviantart)

Aboriginal Art

Once, I had the opportunity to design the logo for Northern Territory Cricket of Australia. And hence, the opportunity to study the aboriginal art form. The aboriginal art form includes works in a wide range of media including painting on leaves, wood carving, rock carving, sculpture, ceremonial clothing and sand-painting. It would be much difficult to explain in words the deep-rooted cultural elements and the particular form of art using dots, lines and a very few colors. Below I show some nice patterns of aboriginal art.

Image: Aboriginal art form of Australia

Image: Aboriginal art of Australia

Well, the aboriginal art form is very much intriguing and requires a study in itself. However, here are some art forms with dots to show how the idea for the logo originated.

Image: Showing dots in aboriginal art of Australia

Image: Showing dots in aboriginal art of Australia

References:

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015-logo/feed/ 1 http://www.banskt.com/blog/icc-cricket-world-cup-2015-logo/ Brand makeover of Hero MotoCorp: the Hero in every individual http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/43BRRYgwi3c/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/brand-makeover-of-hero-motocorp-the-hero-in-every-individual/#comments Tue, 06 Sep 2011 06:36:39 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=280 Hero Cycles and Honda merged to form Hero Honda in 1984. (Incidentally, I was born in 1985) I remember when I was a small child, there was a TV commercial of Hero Honda, that was very catchy and ended with the line, “We Care”. I am talking of the early 1990s. Much has evolved since then, and Hero Honda has become one of the leading, if not the numero-uno, two-wheeler manufacturer of India. When I first listened to the tunes of “Dhak Dhak Go”, it became one of my favorite TVC’s ever. That was the answer from Hero Honda after the “Hamara Bajaj”.

I was a bit sad when I heard Hero is breaking up with Honda Motors, and really wished it would not happen. But after it really did happen, I was eagerly awaiting the brand makeover. They changed their name to Hero Motocorp, and roped in Wolff Olins, part of the Omnicom group, to work on the new brand identity. They also engaged Law & Kenneth as a creative partner to give shape to the communication for launching and establishing the new brand. Hero MotoCorp has been trying its best to convey that Hero Honda is now Hero MotoCorp.

The new elements

On August 9, 2011, Hero Motocorp unveiled its new logo at the O2 arena on the bank of the Thames.
Image: Comparison of the logos of Hero honda and Hero MotoCorp

The new TV commercial was soon launched. It was created by Law & Kenneth and directed by Anurag Kashyap. The music was composed by none other than A. R. Rahman. The new mantra of Hero MotoCorp became “Hum Main Hain Hero” (translated, it would mean, ‘there is a hero in every individual’).

No doubt, it has become tremendously successful banking on Indian-ness. The launch timing of August 15th is also a reminder of the historic day when we (India) became 100% Indian. In mind, body & spirit. No different from the split of Hero from Honda, to build an independent identity that smells of a bold Indian flavour.

The new website was designed by Digital Law & Kenneth. On the digital marketing side, its facebook, twitter profiles have been very active & this helps it connect more with the customers. This is a good move by the company as it helps in brand makeover. They have also launched a downloadble mp3 version of their song.

Digging deeper

The new brand, according to Mr. Pawan Munjal, Managing Director and CEO, Hero MotoCorp, epitomizes and symbolizes continuity and change. “The new logo stands for the new face of India — that youthful energy and 'can do' spirit. It is in true sense the "Indian catapult", which signals that while it is deeply rooted in Indian values, it is also poised to go for global expansion — a Leap of faith,” he said.

Charles Wright, managing director of Wolff Olins explained, “The color red in the logo depicts continuity and change. It also depicts confidence. There is an 'H' formed in the logo. The angular formation of 'H' symbolizes that Hero is no longer dependent on foreign expertise for its brands. It will be focusing on its own engineering capablities.”

At the first look, I could not really find any similarity between the logo and the explanations provided at the release. The logo is definitely contemporary, has a 3D effect. The best part of the logo is that it is simple, and is easily reproducible. The beauty is in the negative space of the graphics which shows an 'H'.
Image: Explaining the 'H' in the negative space of Hero MotoCorp (previously Hero Honda) logo

However, there remains some aspects which I did not like. The colors have been retained from the old logo as a visual connection between the once-famous Hero Honda and the newly-born Hero MotoCorp, but I am not convinced that this is a good thing. Especially, the use of black color. It could bring a negative connotation in the Indian context, where black represents death, sorrow and grief. Have you noticed the black arrow in the logo (lower right of the graphics)? Moreover, I find that the 'H' in the graphics is a little bent. It’s my fault that I could not find a possible explanation for that. The typography is also very weak. Come on, please … an uppercase 'H' and lowercase 'ero' of the same height using a slightly-modified Harabara font? I think it is not a joke for a brand with a solid and integrated name – Hero MotoCorp. Seriously, it’s the Wolff Ollins – one of the best brand consultancies, that designed the logo and not a freelancer like me.

Was the money well-spent? What’s your verdict?

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/brand-makeover-of-hero-motocorp-the-hero-in-every-individual/feed/ 0 http://www.banskt.com/blog/brand-makeover-of-hero-motocorp-the-hero-in-every-individual/ How to add Indian Rupee symbol in HTML in blogs and websites http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/IX3BPpJxrX8/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/how-to-add-indian-rupee-symbol-in-html-in-blogs-and-websites/#comments Sun, 31 Jul 2011 16:55:45 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=239 I came across a strange problem while designing a website. I needed to insert the rupee symbol, and got stuck. First of all, I rejected the idea of using an image since it is not at all a viable solution for an e-commerce website. I started searching for the HTML unicode. Wikipedia guided me to use the unicode &U+20B9; but the problem is it requires Unicode Version 6.0 for the rendering of the font. It may however take some time before the major font families are upgraded to support the Unicode Standard Version 6.0.0. You can use this page to determine if any of the fonts installed on your machine are capable of rendering the new Rupee character. The HTML decimal code ₹ also did not work. Well, are you one those lucky few who can see the font in HTML decimal code: ₹?

Nothing to panic. There’s an alternate solution — a simple cross-browser method provided by the WebRupee. It is a web API for the Indian currency symbol. Let us first look at a sample output: Rs.

Now, how do we do it?

1. Add a stylesheet link in the head section of your webpage:

<link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="http://cdn.webrupee.com/font"></code>

2. Add the following code enclosing your “Rs.”

<span class="WebRupee">Rs.</span> 200

OR, you can use javascript:

1. Just include the following javascript and it will update all the Rs / Rs. for you

<script src="http://cdn.webrupee.com/js" type="text/javascript"></script>

That’s it. Simple, isn’t it? I will update this blog post when most of the fonts are upgraded to support Unicode Version 6.0.0

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/how-to-add-indian-rupee-symbol-in-html-in-blogs-and-websites/feed/ 0 http://www.banskt.com/blog/how-to-add-indian-rupee-symbol-in-html-in-blogs-and-websites/ Golden Ratio in logo designs http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/B9d-eVC5fgY/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-logo-designs/#comments Fri, 29 Jul 2011 15:21:11 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=116 Beauty and aesthetics have been praised from time immemorial. But little did people know that the most effective, perfectly balanced, and visually compelling creations followed the tid-bits of mathematics. At least not until 1860, when German physicist and psychologist Gustav Theodor Fechner proposed that a simple ratio, an irrational number defines the balance in nature. The Golden Ratio! Fechner’s experiment was simple: ten rectangles varying in their length-to-width ratios were placed in front of a subject, who was asked to select the most pleasing one. The results showed that the most favored choice was the “Golden Rectangle” (with ratio 1.618).

Golden Ratio

Golden Mean, Golden Section, Divine Proportion are all common names for what is known as the Golden Ratio which is based off the number phi (φ) = 1.61803398874… discovered by Italian Mathematician Fibonacci. Phi (φ) is the ratio between the number sequence 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21 etc. where the next number in the sequence is derived by adding 2 numbers together. So, 1+1 = 2, and 1+2 = 3, 2+3 = 5 and so on. When we divide two sequential numbers i.e. 5/3 = 1.67 and 21/13 = 1.615 Fibonacci Blocks and Fibonacci Spiral the ratio between these numbers soon become very close to φ (1.618). Fibonacci’s 1202 book Liber Abaci introduced the sequence to Western European mathematics, although the sequence had been described earlier in Indian mathematics, by Brahmagupta in 598 almost a thousand years earlier.

What’s so amazing about this number? Some believe that it is the most efficient outcome, the result of natural forces. Some believe it is a universal constant of design, the signature of God. Whatever you believe, the pervasive appearance of φ in all we see and experience creates a sense of balance, harmony and beauty in the design of all we find in nature. It should be no surprise then that mankind would use this same proportion found in nature to achieve balance, harmony and beauty in its own creations of art, architecture, colors, design, composition, space and even music. From the Parthenon to Monalisa, from the Egyptian pyramids to credit cards, φ has been there, always.

Logos with golden ratio

So, it was not surprising when I found the invasion of φ in logo designs. Let us have a look at some of the most popular brands which have used the golden ratio to induce the perfect harmony and balance in their logos.

National Geographic

Remember the yellow square in the National Geographic logo? Have you ever wondered why that simple logo appears to be so appealing? The answer is, as you might know, the Golden Ratio! The length and width of the square have a ratio of 1.61. It is quite fitting for an organization with a motto of “inspiring people to care about the planet” to have a logo based on the golden rectangle.
The yellow square in the National Geographic logo is a golden rectangle, with length:breadth = 1:1.61

Pepsi

The new logo of Pepsi has been much simpler and effective, characterized by spare, pure design. It looks intriguing and beautiful. Almost like a laughing emoticon in red and blue. But did you know that the underlying backbone of the Pepsi logo follows the golden ratio? The Pepsi brand is created by intersecting circles with a set proportion to each other. And, the proportion: Golden Ratio (φ) !
The two circles that form the backbone of the Pepsi logo have diameters with golden ratio, phi = 1.618

Apple

Apple is one of those very few companies that do not have the company name in their logo. Yet, the Apple logo is one of the most recognized corporate symbols in the world. The logo is perfectly balanced, and the outlines that map the logo are circles with diameters proportionate to the Fibonacci series. Did Rob Janoff really considered the Fibonacci series while designing it, or is it a coincidence? Well, somebody needs to ask Mr. Janoff. Interestingly, in a different context, in an interview, Rob Janoff said, “… and years later you find out supposedly why you did certain things. And, they are all BS. It’s a wonderful urban legend.”
The diameters of the circles that form the structure of the Apple logo has ratios according to the Fibonacci series (golden ratio). This image clarifies the circles used.

iCloud

Another product from Apple, and again a masterpiece of design. The ripples on the cloud are made up of circles whose diameters are proportional to the you-know-what number. Also the containing rectangle, as shown below, is a golden rectangle. In fact, most of the Apple products, ranging from ipods to iPhone are golden rectangles. These amazing Apple designers!
The diameter that forms the ripples in the cloud of the logo follow golden ratio. The containing rectangle of the cloud form is also a golden rectangle (length:breadth=1:1.618)

BP

BP is one of the world’s leading international oil and gas companies. They launched their new logo in 2000. What appears to be an attractive logo, however, turns out to be formed of concentric circles, again proportional to the Fibonacci sequence. Is it a mere co-incidence or a planned execution?
The diameter of the concentric circles that holds the petals in BP logo follow the Golden Ratio.

Toyota

The logo of Toyota consists of three ovals. “The two intersecting ellipses are intended to represent the customer and the product… and the importance of that relationship”, according to an e-mail from Mike Michels, VP of Communication at Toyota Motor Sales USA, Inc. “The outer ring represents the world and the global nature of our business.” On a closer look one can easily find a grid based on φ in their logo. The phi-grid is formed by gridlines at certain separation – the separations being in the ratio of the golden ratio φ.
This image shows the overlay of phi grid on the emblem of Toyota logo.

Grupo Boticário

The logo of the Brazilian company Grupo Boticário was designed by the Brazil office of Futurebrand. This logo uses a golden spiral. In geometry, a golden spiral is a logarithmic spiral whose growth factor is φ, the golden ratio. That is, a golden spiral gets wider (or further from its origin) by a factor of φ for every quarter turn it makes. The golden spiral is very closely approximated by the Fibonacci spiral (shown above). The golden spiral is very common in nature, for example, the spiral galaxies and mollusc shells. Do you like the use of golden spiral in this logo?
Grupo Boticário logo derived from the golden spiral.

Golden Ratio in nature – a short film

I sincerely do believe that any discussion on golden ratio or the Divine Proportion (a name more appropriate) remains incomplete without showing how accurately the number φ finds its way into a plethora of natural creations. I found this nice and short video on the interwebs to do the job easier for me.

References

Utilities

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-logo-designs/feed/ 18 http://www.banskt.com/blog/golden-ratio-in-logo-designs/ 5 keys to work with a graphic designer http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/eOh5LF1NPs4/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/5-keys-to-a-working-relationship-with-a-graphic-designer/#comments Sun, 17 Jul 2011 09:45:46 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=74 So, you are an entrepreneur and you have an awesome idea. Now, you need to work with a graphic designer to convey the message to your audience. The graphic designer will guide you through the unfamiliar world of design. They will help you communicate with the audience. But getting the proper design solution is not as easy as it might seem. By understanding the designer’s perspective you might save time and money while getting the best solution. Here are a few keys to maintain a successful working relationship with a graphic designer.

Know your needs

Research and undestand the message that you want to convey, know about your competitors and audience
It might sound obvious, but you would be amazed to know how many job requests designers receive that lacks this information. The first thing that you should need to know even before approaching a designer is your marketing needs. “Marketing needs” does not refer to a logo or a print ad campaign. They are the ‘obvious’ needs. The designer would ask you about the message that you want to convey. The designer would ask you about your competitors and audience. It is very important to identify all these marketing needs before you start talking with the designers. You have to do some research.

Know your budget

Tell your budget to the designer upfront
Being an entrepreneur, you already know the importance of a budget, and you know it better than me. Once you have a budget, you could find the best designer who would be willing to work within your budget. You are not willing to spend more than your budget, or working with a designer not skilled enough, are you? Similarly, a professional designer does not want to work on an under-budget project. But you have to remember that in this field, you generally get what you pay for. If you have a budget constraint, tell the designer upfront.

Talk with the designer

Without conveying your needs properly, one cannot expect the designer to comeup with magical solutions.
Graphic designers cannot read your minds. You have to talk with designer, discuss over things, so that you can convey your requirements properly. The more you describe, the easier it would be for the designer to come up with a practical and suitable solution.

Give freedom

Give Freedom
There are some things which the designer knows better than you. Please respect that. I have seen a lot of people who like to direct the designer at every step. This hinders the creativity of the designer. Definitely, your opinion counts and the designers respect that. We are professional designers. So, if you give the directions, we will definitely agree to that, but the results could have been better if we did that ourselves. What do you think?

Do not request spec work

No Spec Work
Have you ever gone to your dentist and asked him to try his skill on your aching teeth before paying? Designers are also professionals, and they do not work for free. A professional designer does not engage in speculative, commercial projects. The portfolio of the designer reflect his skills. You can always review that before signing the contract, but please, do not ask for a specimen design. Support NO!SPEC.

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/5-keys-to-a-working-relationship-with-a-graphic-designer/feed/ 1 http://www.banskt.com/blog/5-keys-to-a-working-relationship-with-a-graphic-designer/ Wondrous Wayanad http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/uxVgN74_xho/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/wondrous-wayanad/#comments Sun, 12 Jun 2011 00:36:58 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=29 And behold! We just entered the Nagarhole forest, and there they were. A family of elephants crossing the road in search of Saturday morning breakfast. The car stopped. I was sitting still on the back seat – a bit frightened and amazed. It took a few seconds to realize that we had run into a group of wild elephants.

We knew that wild life was pretty dense in this part of the forest region of Nagarhole-Bandipur-Mudumalai. A family of elephants crossing the street on NH212, en-route Bangalore to Kalpetta
And that the road remains closed at night. So we started early at around 4:00 am on a fine Saturday morning, 28th of May. We chose the route via Mysore-Gundlupet-Muthanga-Sulthan Bathery to reach Kalpetta in Wayanad district of Kerala. The 50 km stretch from Gundlupet to Sulthan Bathery is mostly through the forests. And it was a nice journey in the morning. We had a pretty warm welcome! Though we were a bit frightened in the beginning to meet those elephants, we realized very soon that it was a great experience.

A photo of the road, NH212, near Gundlupet. The road passes through the Nagarhole forest

The scenic road through Nagarhole forest, en-route Bangalore to Kalpetta (Photo Courtesy: Saurav Bhattacharya)

It was a tiring journey, as I had not slept in the previous night due to some urgent work, and I had planned to take a nap en-route. But, I could never achieve that. We reached Kalpetta at 10:00 am. Getting an accommodation seemed to be tougher than what we had expected. PPS Tourist Home had no vacancy, and so was Affas Hotel. Finally, we got accommodation at M.H. Residency. This is a new hotel and the people were very good.

City of Kalpetta in Wayanad district, Kerala, in the morning.

Kalpetta in the morning

After lunch, we headed towards Lakkidi. “Wayanad is a nice place, and its going to be a nice trip” – that’s what we had in mind, but we never expected it to be a fantasy world of mesmerizing tea gardens and misty clouds. A dead tree at the Banasur Sagar Dam, Wayanad, KeralaSo you could imagine our ecstasy and excitement as we were moving up the hairpins through the tea gardens. And, all of a sudden after a sharp bend, the whole mountain range with all its glory was beyond us. That was the Lakkidi view point. The beauty of nature is sometimes beyond our imagination. Saurav got busy with his DSLR and tripod. We spent some time there, and then went to Pookot Lake. That was an overcrowded small lake, completely commercialized. A bit of disappointment. But a red hat that I bought there turned out to be the most important souvenir of the trip. We decided to go to Banasur Sagar Dam. We stopped at a tea garden on the way. Workers were busy pruning the leaves. We had a small photo session there. We reached the dam at around 3:30 p.m. Banasura Dam is the largest earthen dam in India. We spent a nice evening there. The soft and cool wind was refreshing after a tiring day. Though we missed out the speed boat ride, we really liked the place. It was calm and serene. Undisturbed and engulfed among the hills. We took a lazy stroll around the place, as though we were going to stay here forever. On the way back, we visited the Kalrad Lake, a lesser known lake, frequented mainly by bird-watchers.

A tea estate near Kalpetta, Wayanad, Kerala

Tea estate near Kalpetta

The misty clouds covering the hills beside the Banasur Sagar Dam, Wayanad, Kerala

Scenic beauty near Banasur Sagar Dam, Wayanad (Photo Courtesy: Saurav Bhattacharya)

Just as we were thinking that it was the end of Day 1 at Wayanad, and we were heading back to our hotel, Sandip Mukherjee spotted ‘The Walnut Cakes’ on the roadside, and you-know-what-happened. As we were going back to our bed, everybody was full appraise of this nice little place called Wayanad. Wayanad is beautiful.

Well, the very first destination on the next morning was Soochipara Falls. Soochipara Falls near Kalpetta, Wayanad, KeralaIt is ~22kms from Kalpetta. One has to reach Meppady, a small hill town, and take a right turn. Then starts the journey through the tea estates. We were glad that we started early. The sun was just rising, and the soft sun-rays of the morning made those lush green tea estates seem all the more beautiful. Like a green carpet over the hills. Soft and smooth. Fresh and clean. In God’s own country.

We reached Soochipara at 8:30 a.m. From there, its a 2km walk to the falls. There are stairs all the way. I took a nice bath at the falls, and we spent some time together. The return walk was definitely tiring. From there, we went to Kanthapara Falls. The thickness of the crowd was much less, and we enjoyed much more. These sort of water falls are much more common in the Western Ghats, Nilgiris and Eastern Ghats, as compared to the mighty Himalayas. That makes this place very much interesting inspite of the lack of those snow-clad peaks.

The stone-paved way that leads you to the Soochipara Falls, Wayanad. A small hut is built for the visitors to take rest.

The stone-paved path to Soochipara Falls

A view enroute Soochipara Falls. The sunlight enlightens the tea estate against a dark backdrop of the cloud-capped peaks.

The tea gardens, Wayanad, Kerala

The full view of the Kanthapara FallsFull view of the Meenmutty Falls

Kanthapara Falls, Wayanad

Meenmutty Falls, Wayanad

People bathing at Kanthapara Falls, picture taken from the top of the falls.

Kanthapara Falls from the top (Photo Courtesy: Sandip Mukherjee)

Our final destination for the day was Meenmutty. The trek to the Meenmutty Falls was a bit challenging. Though there were ropes all along the way to assist the trekkers, it was a bit dangerous at times. But when we reached there, it seemed to be well worth the tough journey. The mighty falls was roaring down the cliff. The clouds were floating around. It was awesome. But we could not spend much time there due to the threatening rains. It would have been very difficult to trek back, if the rains had started. Coming back, we had lunch at the Homely Hotel. Very nice food, and damn cheap.
The green, the cloud and the falling water makes up a picturesque landscape at Meenmutty Falls, Wayanad

Pristine Nature (Photo Courtesy: Saurav Bhattacharya)

End of our trip. We are now heading back to our hotel, and there we see The Walnut Cakes, and we are not going to miss it. Everybody says a lot about Wayanad, aptly so, but one thing I should add – Do not miss the Walnut Cakes at Wayanad.
People eating at Walnut Cakes, Wayanad

Walnut Cakes, Wayanad

]]> http://www.banskt.com/blog/wondrous-wayanad/feed/ 5 http://www.banskt.com/blog/wondrous-wayanad/ Welcome to bansktblog http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/bansktblog/~3/09ukkIiasXU/ http://www.banskt.com/blog/welcome-to-bansktblog/#comments Thu, 02 Jun 2011 10:34:42 +0000 banskt http://www.banskt.com/blog/?p=9 Hello and welcome to the blog at banskt.com. All over this site you can delve in and find all the nitty-gritty about me, so I won’t bother going into that here, especially on my first blog post ever.

Hello World text in a technical photoshop background

I am not sure what the future holds for this section of this website. Maybe, I will treat this as a place to publish slightly longer tweets, or rants of my daily life. Maybe, some ecstatic spurs of those “Eureka”-moments, that paves the path of a successful(?) thesis. Maybe, some designs that I feel worthy of mentioning to my friends and well-wishers.

The development of this part of the website is not complete yet. After hours of researching WordPress and trying to figure out how to display the comments and categories, I just decided to just go ahead and launch; ready or not. There will be bugs found and tweaks needed, but if I don’t go ahead and make this live now, I never will. If you do find any bugs, please report, and I will try my best to solve it.

I think it’s going to be good for me to write on a regular basis. I will come back to this post from time to time, and re-evaluate the purpose of this section. Hopefully, I’ll see a progression in my thinking, writing skills, storytelling skills and communication in general. Yes, I think this will be good for me.

Cheers,
banskt

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