Colors

prayers

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Wed, 10 Apr 2013 20:09:00 +0000

this photograph was shot @ Chennakeshava Temple, Belur with Nikon D5100 & 35mm prime

struck by grief

in a stone, he found solace

with petals of flowers he drew

the story of his troubled heart

caught in raging summer heat

tears soaking his skin

unaware of the rush around

he whispered his heart to the stone

I cannot say my soul is pure

I dare not think I made no sin

I held myself for love my lord

please do not leave me desolate!

a mild breeze dried his tears

sun was no more harsh

basked in divinity, he smiled

his heart was calm, eyes closed

raised by the rhythm of his prayers

the heaven seemed to near.

This is my contribution to this week's 3WW (Three Word Wednesday)

destiny

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Mon, 08 Apr 2013 22:37:00 +0000

when dreams turnout to be destination

imagination becomes the guiding star;

when our life changes into the leading path,

destiny appears to be the hardest thorn in it!

Revisiting the heritage of Hoysala Architecture - The Chennakeshava Temple, Belur

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 19:40:00 +0000

The drive from Shravananabelagola (read about this trip here) was relaxing. Even the afternoon sun could not take away the soothing feel the wind brought along after a tiresome trek. We reached Hotel Mayura Velapuri at around 1 in the afternoon. Mayura Velapuri at Belur is located within a close proximity to the Chennakeshava temple complex and is run by Karnataka State Tourism Development Corporation. For a non kannadika like me, the lunch was a north karnataka feast! I wonder how many kannadikas would agree that Mayura served authentic kannadika food. I remember every time I visit Hyderabad House in Bangalore, I used to fight with my friends that they do not serve "hyderabadi biriyani" - call it arrogance of some one who has stayed in Hyderabad for 5 years and have had the honor to taste authentic Hyderabadi Biriyani!

We had our lunch and was back in bus by 2 and thus began the journey to one phase of my life which I would always want to re-live! One breathe taking architectural masterpiece waited to greet us.

The Chennakeshava temple is a supreme example of Hoysala temple architecture that leaves one spell-bound with its incomparable structure. It was built on the banks of the Yagachi River in Belur, by the Hoysala Empire King Vishnuvardhana in 1117 CE. A culmination of over hundred years of painstaking craftsmanship, the Chennakeshava temple is decorated with stories from the Puranas, the Upanishads and the epics of Ramayana and the Mahabharata.

Chennakesava means “handsome Kesava”. Lord Vishnu is worshipped in this temple. The temple entrance itself speaks for the grandeur of the Hoysalas. The sacrosanct platform of the temple has a golden horse along with the temple chariot. Lord Vishnu’s carrying the Garuda is at the entrance and faces the temple. The temple structure has exclusive filigree gleams which shine like metal. Soapstone which is light greenish in colour has been used to create the Chennakesava temple.

Smaller temples of Ranmaganayaki and Soumyanaki, the beloved of Lord Chennakesava lie within the temple premises.

The Legend

Jakanachari a famous sculpture leaves behind his wife and unborn child and travels far and wide to gain name & fame. Sculpting beautiful statues, constructing temples over a long period of time he forgets his family. He reaches Hoysala kingdom where he agrees to sculpt deity Lord Channakeshava.

His son, Dankanachari leaves home in search of his father. On the day before the Channakeshava idol has to be installed in Belur, Dankanachari reaches the place & claims that there is a flaw in the idol, Jakanachari refuses to accept that there could be a blemish and proclaims that he will cut off his own hand if a flaw is found.

A test was conducted and the statue was covered with sandle paste, and for his surprise the paste dried up everywhere except in the navel area.They find a live frog living in the sand and water nestled inside the cavity. Jakanachari cuts his hand after his son finds the flaw. Hence the statue become famous as ‘Kappe Channigaraya’ (Kappe means Frog in Kannada).

Later Jakanacahri gets a vision to construct a temple at his home town. Both father-son duo move to Kaidala where it is said that Jakanachari got back his hand after he completed the Chennakeshava statue.

The worshipped deity of the temple is Chennakeshava or Vishnu and the sanctum contains a 2 metres high Keshava image of touchstone. The star-shaped temple also has images of the 10 incarnations of Vishnu accompanied by those of his two wives- Bhu (earth) and Lakshmi (goddess of wealth). Friezes of charging elephants, mythological figures, military scenes, musicians, and elaborate decorative motifs adorn the walls of the Chennakeshava temple.

Hoysala dynasty is believed to be named after the words ‘hoy Sala’ meaning ‘Strike Sala’, which were called out to Sala, the legendary head of this dynasty. When he was combating a tiger single handedly. Sala killed the tiger and this act of bravery was immortalised in the royal emblem of the dynasty. The Hoysalas ruled the Deccan and parts of Tamil Nadu between the 11th and 13th centuries. They had their origins in the hill tribes of the Western Ghats converted to Jainism in 10th century.

The Huntress

The most popular among the pillars inside the temple is the Narasimha pillar which at one time could have revolved on its ball bearings. According to the historian Kamath, there is a rich diversity about the pillar styles here. While all the forty eight pillars are unique and the many ceiling sections are well decorated, nothing surpasses the finish of the four central pillars and the ceiling they support.

These pillars may have been hand chiseled while the others were lathe turned. All of these four pillars bear madanikas (Salabhanjika–celestial damsels). There are 42 of them in the temple complex. They are also called shilabalika and represent the ideal female form. They are depicted in various forms, such as dancers, musicians and drummers, and are rarely erotic in nature.

This is a lady holding a mirror admiring her beauty. There are attendants on her either side. The one on the left is offering her vermilion to apply on her forehead and the one on the right carries a monkey and a bunch of grapes to lure it. The poor monkey is disappointed and is licking its finger with a sad face. All this has been carved on a single stone.

---->

It was a feast for the photographic eye in me. If you want to learn how to exploit your camera and your creativity, visit this place during morning or evening. I could not play with shades of light since it was afternoon that I visited this place and the Sun God was not at his best mood :)

I left the place by 4 in the evening. I just got 2 hours here and the 2 hours was worth every second! I took the "prasadam" offered and walked back to the bus making a mental note to spend some more time at this place some other day. Next visit - Halebidu. More about that coming up :)

For more photographs I took on this trip, please visit this link: Chennakeshava Temple

Disclaimer: Data used here has been taken from couple of books sold there and from word-of-mouth knowledge. I do not take any responsibility or claim on facts presented. In case of a dispute, kindly mail me and the data shall be removed/corrected.

an ode to movies

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Mon, 22 Oct 2012 06:40:00 +0000

photo taken from : http://www.blackclassicmovies.com/images/istockphoto/film_abstract.jpg

In loving memory of Yash Chopra, an ode to movies.

Curtains roll with a muted silence

the drama unveils before the world.

Your quest to hide, thus begin

camouflaging the reality around!

To explore the emotions, I was born

not the esoteric, but you.

Conceived, contemplated by a mass

who seldom speak of this mundane life!

Tears, laughter and cheer

its bliss to see you sway.

Rejoicing my birth, you dance

fervent admirers of art!

Fuelled by your verve, I breathe

in your thoughts I live.

I am your soul, your reflection

your incarnation, I am YOU!

women

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 07 Jul 2012 16:00:00 +0000

photograph blurred and vignetted for this blog. Copyright lies with the model.

dedicated to all the women i know.

drenched in nostalgia, she smile

the fog indeed does magic to her

and she knows the time has come

sleepy eyes, incomprehensible

the greenery, teasing her senses

she walks, admiring her abode!

showered in bliss, she laughs

her head held high, daring a fight

assuring its alright, hiding chaos

soft and tender, she carries her warmth

expresses herself in a language unknown

among an austere crowd, aloof she lives!

Revisiting the heritage of Hoysala Architecture - Shravanabelagola

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sun, 20 May 2012 19:31:00 +0000

The weekend of mine was dedicated for 'heritage tourism'. A term that had very less significance to me when I thought about it for the first time. But a visit to some heritage places in Karnataka depicting the Hoysala Architecture changed my perception completely. In this post, I talk about one such visit to Shravanabelagola to experience the statue which was voted by Indians as the first of Seven Wonders of India On August 5, 2007.

I started my trip from Bangalore at about 6:30 in the morning. There was minimal expectations and I was looking forward to get a break from the usual lifestyle. I preferred a bus ride for two reasons : (1) I wasn't going with a group of friends (2) I did not know the route. There was excitement for visiting a place for the first time! I still remember when I was a kid I woke up at 3:30 in the morning one day and got ready for I was told that we were going to Chennai for some function. That was my first train trip I could remember of!

I had the morning tea at some place named Singonahally. The breakfast served there was bad :( I reached Shravana Belgola at about 10 in the morning. The summer heat was catching up. The bus took us through a small street and I could see the magnificent hills and a stream of pilgrims trekking to her heights.Shravana Belgola is a Jain pilgrim location located at 13 km to the south-east of Channarayapatna of Hassan district of Karnataka. The town is wedged between two rocky hills- Vindhyagiri and Chandragiri. It is at a distance of 51 km south-east of Hassan, 78 km from Halebidu, 89 km from Belur, 83 km from Mysore and 157 km from Bangalore, the capital of Karnataka. The name means "White Pond of the Shravana", an allusion to the pond in the middle of the town.

His-story:

According to legend when Emperor Vrishabhadeva renounced his kingdom to lead a life of penance, a mortal conflict originated between his two sons over his empire which led to bitter battle. The hard fought battle was won by the elder son Bahubali (Who later became the second Tirthankar). At the moment of his victory Bahubali realized the flesh of revelation and the shallowness of the materialist world. He gave away the kingdom to his younger brother Bharata and moved for a life of an ascetic that continued for thousands of years. It is believed that he stood motionless in meditation for so long that anthills formed at his feet and vines grew around his body.

The moment I stepped out of our bus, we were surrounded by street vendors selling socks, books about this temple. For a moment I thought about the rigorous training we go through for our graduation, post graduation, specialized marketing and business strategy degrees. Here we have a set of less privileged people who knew what to be sold to a bunch of tourist and no MBA degree gave them this idea! The temple is built on top of Vindhyagiri hill. The hill is one solid rock. It must be climbed barefoot. The statue stood approximately 470 feet above us and we had to climb almost 660 steps to reach there (618 to the base of the temple and rest to the statue)! It must be climbed barefoot. Socks were allowed!

I left my shoes in the bus, saving the coins I had to pay at the shoe counter on the base of the hill. The sun was kind for the moment, the road was not as hot as expected. I followed the small crowd who came along to experience the breathe taking sight I was about to have! The street was buzzed with activity. There were small vendors selling books, table-tops, gift articles, souvenirs, bags and prasad.

I was not prepared for the sight of the steps which would lead us to the temple! The steps were cutout in the rock and it crawled like a snake to the top of the hill. The sight was scary and tiring! I was sure that a few of them who came with me would not complete their visit to the temple and would go back to the bus satisfied with the view of these steps. I wasn't wrong! Trekking was tiring. I took small breaks in between and gave life to a few photographs. Marasimha's Manasthambha was visible on the opposite hill. The scenic beauty of the place is amazing. There are two sets of steps at this main stairway: one set to go up, and one set to come down. The climb is very steep and the older people or the ones with cardiac/blood pressure related problems are advised against it. There is a palanquin service available to them on request and usually they charge 300 Indian rupee for one ride to the temple (up and down).

The 57 ft. (17.5 mt.) tall magnificent monolithic statue of Gommateshwara Bhagawan Bahubali reside above the hill. It was consecrated by Chavungaraya, the Prime Minister and Commander-in-Chief in the Talakad Ganga Kingdom in 981 A.D. The statue, considered to be the world's largest monolithic stone statue, was built in 12 years. It is estimated to weigh approximately 80 tons. The base of the statue has inscriptions in Kannada and Tamil, as well as the oldest evidence of written Marathi, dating back to 981 AD. These inscriptions are protected and covered with Glass (looked like glass to me) sheets. The statue is carved beautifully from a single block of rock with accurate sense proportion and expression. Gommata has curly really nice hair in ringlets on the head and long, large ears. His eyes are open as if viewing the world with detachment. His facial features are perfectly chiseled with a faint touch of a smile at the corner of his lips and embody calm vitality. His shoulders are broad, his arms stretch straight down and the figure has no support from the thigh upwards.

There is an anthill in the background which signifies his incessant penance. From this anthill emerge a snake and creepers which twine around both his legs and his arms culminating as a cluster of flowers and berries at the upper portion of the arms. The creepers encircling the arms and legs are artistic and beautiful. The nude north facing, stand upright stone sculpture of Bahubali (Lord Gommateshwara) in the posture of meditation known as Kayotsarga, symbolizing renunciation, self-control and subjugation of ego as the first steps towards salvation. The digambara (nude) form of Bahubali represents the complete victory over earthly desires and needs that hamper spiritual ascent towards divinity. The entire figure stands on an open lotus signifying the totality attained in installing this unique statue.

Beside this is the Odigal Basti. The Odegal Basti is so called because of the odegal or stone props used for strengthening against its basement walls. In the literary works the temple is known as the “Trikuta Basti” It’s the only Trikutachala (triple shrine) at Shravanabelagola. This Basti or temple is also known as Trikuta Basti because it has three cells facing different directions. It has a fine granite structure of the Hoysala period with a plain exterior. It consists of three cells and three open sukhanasi with a common navaranga and a mukha mantapa.

The navaranga pillars are cylindrical in shape and the central ceiling has a lotus pendant. The main cell contains a fine figure of Adinatha with a well carved prabhavali, flanked by male chamara bearers; the left cell has a figure of Neminatha and the right a figure of Shantinatha. Adinatha or Vrishabhanatha was the first among the twenty four Jinas. He is also known as Purudeva. He was the father of Gommata.

This place is a photographer's haven. The best time to go is early morning since I couldn't capture many shots because of the high exposure due to the harsh sun light. Blame it partly on lack of my skills :)

The climb down was bad! The rocky stairs were very hot. It was nearing to noon when I climbed down and it was really hard to keep the bare foot on the hot rock. I had to take breaks in between and I also washed my feet with cold water - wrong idea! Please do not wash your feet with water in between since it is going to make your feet more sensitive to heat. I learned it the tougher way. I reached the bus at about 12. I could not visit Chandragiri hills :( That visit would have to wait. In the bus, I had a quick look through the photographs and was happy to have visited this place. It was time to continue the journey. The cool air in the bus was much relaxing as I closed my eyes on my way to the next stop - The Chennakeshava Temple, Belur. More about that coming up :)

For more photographs I took, please visit this link: Shravanagolabela

Disclaimer: Data used here has been taken from couple of books sold there and from word-of-mouth knowledge. I do not take any responsibility or claim on facts presented. In case of a dispute, kindly mail me and the data shall be removed/corrected.

External Links you might be interested in:

http://shravanabelagola.net/history

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mahamastakabhisheka

dazzle

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 21 Apr 2012 21:32:00 +0000

my eyes fail me today, misleading

for i see the shades not meant for me

the ardor of the rays blinding me

and all i see is you - mirage!

the vacuum ahead blow my sense

memories flash before me

on a blurry canvas

i stand searching your face

the moment i held your hand

remember the rush around?

and yet we felt our eyes talking

everything around, slowed down for us!

broken thoughts invade my mind

hazy lines of vision stares at you

leaving me stumble through the dark alone

its all about you and me.

a drop of tear, love

cleanse me from my sin

some day our auras will merge

and it will never be too late.

the butterfly story

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 20:04:00 +0000

through the mist, a colored hue

flickered at a whim, she flutter her wings

stripes and colors brightening her day

she wakes the flower with a kiss on his cheeks!

tender and fragile, she touches the petals

he sways at her music, dancing in the breeze!

vibrant orange rimmed her wings

orchid dark purple rings.

she sang and danced to his favorite tune

enjoying the breeze against her wings

and as he closes his eyes, poised

sinking in the love, she flies!

for this life is too short to stay

counted in moments, it has its pace

fluttering her wings she has to leave

across the horizon, where her heart is calm!

just like that

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 19:54:00 +0000

SP showed their metal in UP polls!!

today is celebration time in Lucknow. I am not a die heart supporter of SP, but I genuinely wish I was in Lucknow today!

I wish i was part of the celebration that's going to happen In Lucknow today!

Merry Christmas

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Fri, 23 Dec 2011 21:20:00 +0000

shepherds

while in their fields

a bright glow hit the sky

then angels came to calm their fears

in life

singing

in words they shared peace, love and joy

night never seemed so bright

His soul was pure

Amen.

Attempted a Mirror Cinquain for the first time.

Cinquain -> a form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of two, four, six, eight, two.

Reverse cinquain -> a form with one 5-line stanza in a syllabic pattern of two, eight, six, four, two.

Mirror cinquain -> a form with two 5-line stanzas consisting of a cinquain followed by a reverse cinquain.

dilli reloaded

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 19 Nov 2011 18:01:00 +0000

A year back I was in Delhi and that was my first visit to the capital. Today I live her again.

There is something that connect November, Delhi and myself! I've loved this month last year and I love it this year. The chill in the morning, the crowd,cycle rickshaws, a/c marcopolos! I was in new Delhi metro station at 6:45 in the morning and there was this big queue for the security check! 6:45 in the morning! When I was in Hyderabad, 6:45 was still considered as night.

Every single soul is busy. No one even has time for a smile! Autorikshaw stand is a place where you could learn your basics of bargaining and amateurs can sharpen their skills! You might not see high rise buildings as often as you expect to see in a place like Delhi. But, do not go by the shape and size of the shop. I saw this one shop which looked like a part of a row house and I wont think twice before labeling it as a place were you would get average quality shoes : a place were you could bargain for pretty looking shoes but not branded ones - you get the tune, don't you? My friend says she checked out a sandal there and it seems that the one she saw was worth 8000! I learned not to label a shop with its looks :-) its Delhi, luxury comes at different size and package :-)

Chole Batura is one thing I don't miss eating when I am in Delhi. The best Chole I've had, I've had it from Delhi. Any one who love food should definitely visit Karims! Dilli is incomplete without visiting this paradise of food. The journey itself is such a change! The rush at chandni chauk, the rikshaws, the life - its something you should experience. I loved it! Know dilli well? More suggestions? Pour it out, I am game for food :-)

I couldn't travel much this time and I don't regret! I've had my share of happiness and excitement, more than I could ask for. If you are some one who would appreciate modern architecture, you might not want to miss Gurgaon. Especially the metro tide to Huda. The moment you enter Gurgaon, you could feel the difference. All what you see is buildings, elegant ones.

Any one who knows Delhi from soul is welcome to send me a list of places I should visit - places to see, food to experience, culture to feel.

I've experienced this south vs north fights or rather south vs Delhi fights, but if I have to associate one word with Delhi - it would be LOVE. Today I live my life, tomorrow I die again! But that would not be the end. its just the wait for life and the wait - its really exciting I tell you :)

My First Car

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 29 Oct 2011 11:30:00 +0000

The firsts are always special for us. The first photograph, the first school, the first friend, the first love, the first fight, the first vacation, the first date, the first what not! We never run out of words when we talk about our firsts :) So here I am, writing about my first car. Yes, I am excited!

Hyundai EON is small for sure, but it still looks like a car (unlike Nano). It competes with the entry level segment that includes Maruti Alto and Chevrolet Spark. So why didn't I go for Alto or Spark? Alto looks more like a refined version of Maruti 800 and honestly I was bored looking at it for 10 years. It was a tough choice to leave the Maruti family and enter the Hyundai for one reason - Maruti had never let us down. Be it the maintenance or the performance it has always lived up to the expectations. Spark - I never got a convincingly positive feedback. However I would refrain from giving a negative feedback myself for one reason - I have not driven a Spark.

Hyundai EON inherits its looks from Hyundai i10 and Verna. The fluid look definitely has not lost its grace in the small package. The plastics used are of fair quality and the AC is incredible. The higher end variants Magna and Sportz houses advanced features such as power steering and power windows, in built stereo system with ipod connector and aux cable. Safety features including Anti-lock Braking System, EBD etc are missing from Hyundai EON although driver side airbag on EON Sportz ensures that EON is the safest car in its class. The unique digital gear shift indicator helps attain maximum optimum gear usage and best possible fuel efficiency. Alternate Management System allows control of power supply to a battery depending on the load and thus reduces fuel consumption and improves entire performance.

The post wouldn't be complete without mentioning the staff of KTC Hyundai. They were extremely supportive and helpful during all the phases including selection / decision making / buying. On a special note, I would thank Sreekumar (staff of KTC Hyundai, Palakkad) for making this entire process easier! Hopefully the relationship with the Hyundai family would GO ON smooth :)

Ex Show Room price of Hyundai EON:

Hyundai EON D Lite Rs. 2,73,599

Hyundai EON D Lite Optional Rs. 2,95,761

Hyundai EON Era Rs. 3,16,027

Hyundai EON Magna Rs. 3,41,360

Hyundai EON Magna Optional Rs. 3,51,494

Hyundai EON Sportz Rs. 3,76,827

Na Tomatina for Bengaluru

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sun, 18 Sep 2011 14:27:00 +0000

Karnataka Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda has ordered cancellation of ‘La Tomatina’ fest scheduled to be organized at Bangalore Palace Grounds on September 18 and also at Mysore. There is a huge cry on this in social media with people debating for and against the fest.

I am sad that this fest stays cancelled.

Its not because I cant throw tomatoes; throwing tomatoes is still not banned in India! There would always be a chunk of senseless people forming a group against anything that's happening, regardless of its impact - that's politics. But then, the educated youth? At least they should have the sense of understanding the effects and implications before crying out loud.

Yes, I agree that we are talking about wastage of Tomatoes (for the sake of a debate, lets forget the fact that the event was using tomatoes which were not edible).Alright, so all you humanitarians gather and cry peace. Help the poor, feed them and stop wastage. Noble indeed! The event stay cancelled. Now what? How many do I see feeding the poor? How many of you noble souls fed 1 poor today? I would really love to know.

The event stay cancelled. All the farmers who were expecting huge profits by selling off tons of market rejected tomatoes would not get the money promised. The tomatoes would still go waste, not in palace grounds though. Victory for the poor! In a country where food grain is stored by the government only to be disposed off as waste, at least tomatoes had to be saved. For those noble souls who doesn't read the news completely (as rightly suggested by my friend, Mr.Blunt) and react by reading only headlines - food wasted in FCI godowns in the last few years could have fed 2500 lakh + families for 10 years or more.Now do your best, google it and please read it completely this time.

I appeal to the representatives of Kolar district tomato growers, the few environmentalists and the NGOs who called on the Chief Minister in Bangalore on Friday to request cancellation of the La Tomatina festival to please distribute 60,000 kg tomatoes (the expected wastage as suggested by Jayanagar BJP ML B N Vijayakumar) among the poor and prove the passion and dedication they have towards their fellow beings. You owe at least that much to the farmers and the poor!

My sincere sympathy to the organizing committee of the fest and to all like minded souls in and around Bengaluru.

Green-O-Con(test) – Week 2

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Wed, 14 Sep 2011 15:05:00 +0000

entwined is our life, like this path - parting ways in hope of meeting again!

Camera: Canon Powershot SX 125 IS

Location: Malampuzha, Palakkad District, Kerala.

EkTitli.Org is a unique voluntary initiative where we showcase all the Positive and Constructive work happening in the ‘Green and Clean Space’. [Know More, Follow Us] Rustic Art is a brand of Organic, Natural & Handmade products in exotic fragrances. They are here to spread the ‘organic’ word. [Know More, Follow Us] GingerChai an online magazine brewed by passionate writers. Join,Let’s sip thoughts! [Know More]

Samsung Galaxy Tab IndiBlogger Meet #galaxytab750

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 08:08:00 +0000

-> the poem is an acrostic <-

sailing through the crowd unknown,
amazed by the energy in me
meeting friends was on the cards!
sanctity is how I feel today
unsung tales of affinity.
novus ordo mundi awaits,
gathering of bloggers, I say!

goldfinch stole the show for the day
amassing the brains behind the blogs
love for the t-shirts and tabs talked
a few hearts smiled meeting friends
xenophilics had their best time,
young minds interacting with vibrant souls!

technology beautifies our dream
arouses imagination and make us crave.
beauty as it is, the tab won my heart!

I got a chance to have a look and feel of the newly launched Samsung Galaxy Tab 750 at the indiblogger meet Sep, 2011 held in Bangalore. Android Honeycomb 3., multi tasking & split view support should tell you what Galaxy Tab 750 means! For some one who live a social life 24*7, this 10.1" piece of gadget is like a dream come true! 3G support, HPSA, WXGA TFT LCD, NVIDIA Tegra 2 processor are just words which would be forgotten, but the feel you get when you touch this beauty would remain! The Social and Reader hub just enriches the experience. Its like the engineers were in a good mood while designing this wonder! Its a piece made with love and happiness 'cos it shares a smile on every face who feels it.

*'novus ordo mundi' (latin) means 'new world order'. the phrase has been used here hoping that events like this would help the blogger community to unite and evolve thus giving rise to a dramatic change in the world's social thinking.

phoenix

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 16:48:00 +0000

photo courtesy: a friend
(this poem is written from a girl's perspective)

you held me when i was low

showed me the beauty of the world

stole colors from the rainbow

fuelled my dreams with it

the rain drops doesn't amuse me any more

bound by your love, i cant free myself

my screams went unheard in the darkness

the silence, the desolation is alarming

those mushy songs which kills me now

filled me with you when my days were green

your heartbeats made me feel secure

when i got suffocated within my walls

you held my hands, made me yours

promised to share your surname

what do i call myself today?

i forgot that i too had a name!

this smoke filled room reminds me of you

smothering, tears blurring my vision.

the smell of whiskey still lingers

the unfinished bottle thrown casually

with every passing day my life unfolds

my friends help me regain the trust

i loved you and i still do

but you went off when i told you not to

i pity you if you feel you've won over me

the wounds have only made me stronger

i would rise like a phoenix and i would stand

i trust my love, myself. i breathe.

the Dancer

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:12:00 +0000

expression of passion, rhythm in her moves

language of her eyes, wail of desire!

mudras - blessings of the divine

the smile on her lips, it soothes me.

jhumkas, aesthetic ornamentation to her face

swaying to the tune of my heartbeat

her feet, soft yet in pace

swinging to the music of her mind

the garment - red, gold and black

enriching the grace of her aura

the dancer who set the stage on fire

she is beauty personified!

the girl i met in train

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Mon, 11 Jul 2011 12:31:00 +0000

curly hair, crimson shades

conscious, composed, elegant

wouldn't smile, i wasn't that scary!

long slender legs, turns every head

'a cup of chai' rests on her lap

a few pages turned, keystrokes on her cell

nails, finely shaped, miss the paint

fingers without rings, single?

plays with her hair,

big wide eyes, calm, gorgeous

the checks on her shirt

casual, reflects her persona

wonder what's her name

wonder how she sounds

the one who made me write,

the girl i met in train!

a bridge to hope

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Thu, 19 May 2011 22:51:00 +0000

photograph courtesy: Khushboo Pandia

its been almost five months that Ive blogged. It's pure lack of inspiration or blame it on my mechanical life which refuses to see inspirations. Today, I felt a need to communicate to a friend. What better way than my blog :) Ive tried to play with numbers here. The note consists of ten stanzas starting with a stanza of 10 lines and ending with one with a single line.Hope you like it :)

to breathe was an effort

my lungs bled in strain

twines held my hands in place

depriving the freedom it pleads

the room was dark, as dark as death

or so my blindfold sang

i quenched my thirst, with wine red blood

which oozed out of my soul

in pain, in fear, I found retreat

wrapped my anxiety with a smile

memories - i talk to them till i bleed again

the pain, the blood, the helplessness -

is fate, they convince me

I laughed and cried, I loved my world

the darkness shielded me from truth

you talked to me, spent days with me

yet lived in a world apart

you heard me laugh, thought i was blessed

but failed to see my tears

then he came, broke my shield

took me to his world so bright

my eyes bled, not in strain

in fear of facing the sun

the twines were gone, the blindfold too

he held me facing this bridge

the wind was mild and smelled of rose

his breathe had a rhythm divine.

i held his arm, looked below

for the heat was burning my eyes!

golden yellow leaves veiled my scars.

the butterflies smiled,

bees sang a song in my ears

the road was wet, so was trees

did the sky weep for me?

the birds put me in a trance

the lake took away my past

the dying woods healed my anguish

rays of the sun were now soothing

warming me from the chill of darkness within

i felt the beauty of my heartbeats!

'this is the bridge to hope', he said

waking me from my thoughts

'walk through this and you'll be fine,

your faith shall show you way'

his voice faded away.

my trembling legs took a step

the wood responded with a screech

I held the rail, another step

and I felt the joy of a smile

he was true, my world has changed

the steps i took with him,

its beautiful; i love my life for sure!

a few steps back, darkness ruled

now its bright and warm and gay!

be with me; open your eyes my friend!

at times all you need is a little trust, self respect and confidence on your decisions. It's easy to see the beauty of the world, you just have to open your eyes :)

untitled

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 21:34:00 +0000

picture courtesy : http://sumaspage.wordpress.com/

a time to forget whats gone by

to relish the presence and look forward

when few drops of whiskey take your nerves,

last thing to happen was to loose your morale!

fireworks depicting art in the sky

cheers and cries ringing in my ears

cameras flashing, strangers hugging

when the world uttered one loud phrase

a perfect beginning is what i wished

a new year with happiness all around!

but alas! you had a different reel in hand

a crowd hungry for the heat of fantasy

when all around prayed for a better tomorrow

some, in the crowd, prayed for some mercy!

a mob, u feel, is your strength

pity on your manhood and self respect

she might be divorced, widowed or alone; but

she is a woman, not a toy of pleasure!

those few seconds changed my prayers

a perfect beginning is what i wish

a new year with happiness all around

where men of honor make me proud!

TOI Bangalore edition, on 31st December 2010 had warned all girls not to be on MG/brigade road after 5 in the evening. Despite the warning some girls did show up and the night of celebration turned ugly for them. Helpless souls could do nothing but to silently witness these girls being molested by a crowd of hooligans. Men in uniform did come for their rescue, but by that time some minds were left shaken. its still a man's world, sadly not every man act like a MAN!

dilli

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Mon, 13 Dec 2010 21:26:00 +0000

lost in dreams, i fly

over the city that bridges two different worlds!

vanity in her eyes made me prurient

enthralled by her antiquity!

yester-years have failed to possess the

opulent wisdom and plush historical wealth!

urbanization has bruised her face

revealing the brutality she has gone through.

serenity is bliss!

monuments that depict love

interiors which tease our creativity

lanes unwinding scrolls of myth

embracing a culture, history left for us.

shades of winter showed its charm

woollen clothes were new to me!

a paradise I'd love to re-experience

the capital city was a dream,

I'd love to watch again!

A tryst with the city of pearls

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 07:27:00 +0000

Six months after moving to Bangalore, today I am back at the city of pearls! So, how does it feel? Amazing! Hyderabad has something attached to it which makes it special. The wider roads, the garden of chillies, rocky hills, water bodies, hoardings in Urdu, every view from the bus as we entered the city, gifted me memories.

The first time I visited this city in early 2006, I did not like it much. It was summer and people who have visited this place during summer would know the reason! It took more than a year for me to get accustomed to this place. Five years after my first visit, it was hard for me to relocate to another city. The language - Hyderabadi Hindi, the people, the kebabs, world famous hyderabadi biriyani, those gorgeous eyes hiding behind the hijabs, how could anyone not fall in love with this place?

I cant wait to savour each of my moment here. Lots of people to catch up with, some work and loads of food! How I missed the nawabi khana! I am here for two days. I ll head back to Bangalore on Sunday evening. So till we meet again, miss you Bangalore :)

-title unknown-

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sat, 06 Nov 2010 04:04:00 +0000

picture courtesy : http://bit.ly/KWwe7

colors, sprayed along the canvas of the sky

tune of the crackers reverberating in my ears

the clouds of smoke camouflage this world,

another day spent in your thoughts!

Bangalore IndiBlogger Meet 2010

noreply@blogger.com (Anil Sawan) — Sun, 03 Oct 2010 23:20:00 +0000

Five months after I attended the first Indiblogger meet of my life, in Hyderabad, today I walked in to the seventh floor of Fortune Park JP Celestial, Bangalore to meet Renie and team yet again! The first impression was not as good as what I had in Hyderabad - thanks to the 60 minutes motorcycle ride through the unknown streets of Bangalore, struggling to find our way to the venue.

It was a pleasure to meet Renie, Anwin, Anoop, Vineet, Bala, Rashmi and the entire team yet again. Was Nafisa in there? :O The reception looked more techie with the presence of gorgeous gadgets with HP label printed on them! The registration counter sure looked better than what we had in Hyderabad and looked lovely with the presence of the bubbly young ladies of the Indiblogger team!

The hall was as expected, crowded. 274 registered entrants - now that's what I call a real offline meet! Being new to the city, the excitement of being with so many fellow bloggers was building up. To add to the excitement, I spotted Vinay, Shravan and Aparna in the crowd. Ive known them only through their blogs, meeting them in flesh and blood was an experience worth mentioning! Abhinav and I found ourselves seated towards the farther row from the screen.

The '30 seconds of fame' made us clap at commendable introductions, laugh at ridiculous self promotions and drool at gorgeous girls. The youngest blogger present was 14 years old and the oldest has seen 62 years of life. I got a chance to meet the brain behind "asklaila.com" and his cute little one. There were professional content writers, creative managers, photographers and a handful of people who respected their work. As an irony, most of the people present described their work as "crap", something which I found sad to hear.

I am still in love with the interface Indiblogger has created lately. This screen inspired me to fiddle with my phone a few times. Amazing is the advancement of technology in the communication arena!

I took a few minutes break from the session to appreciate this beauty. The HP ePrint web-connected all-in-one cloud printer is a marvel of technology. Think of a situation were you click a photograph with your mobile phone, forward it to an email id and the photograph gets printed on a stand alone printer! No more laptops or software, no restrictions on proximity - printing is a breeze, just like sending an email! I tested this machine personally and verified the quality of the prints. Its amazing!

This time the event was not all about fun. There were a lot of "gyaan" sessions as well. People talked about technology, languages, civic sense and responsibilities, helping RTO find polluting vehicles and what not. The Indiblogger team made sure that the microphone passed hands before the crowd gets bored, something which made the sessions more effective!

The introduction rounds have made people glue to their seat. It was time to take a walk, to meet people and to say 'hi'! Yes, the Interaction round was on its way, with yellow chart papers and sketch pens. When it comes to sketch pens, there is only one name which comes to my mind, Rashmi :)

It was a wonderful experience to meet such a diversified crowd in such a short time! This half day experience has added at least two more names in my friends list - something which I appreciate about such an event.

The tiring interaction session was followed by a coffee break. I had the best coffee in my four months of Bangalore life, thanks to the catering wing of Fortune Park JP Celestial. The samosas weren't bad either! :)

Thats Abhinav, myself and Shravan sharing a lighter moment. The best thing about any bloggers meet is the awareness it create, the thought that it shares suggesting that there indeed is life among the words shared in the lifeless medium. To meet the person who wrote the poetry which stroke a chord in your heart, to meet some one who shares his/her thoughts with you, to meet some one who made you think you are in love - its an experience enjoyed by blessed souls. Next time you get an opportunity, DO NOT miss it.

This post wouldn't be complete without this photograph. R, if you read this, know that your smile is contagious. It makes the people around you feel good. It wraps you with an aura of friendliness. Thanks for the extra t-shirt :) Bless you!

The major attraction of the event! I loved the wordings in this edition of the t shirt. Quality wise, I would stick to the one I got in Hyderabad. Having said that, I am happy to have received my share of the symbol and I am waiting eagerly for a chance to flaunt it :)

With that its time to ring the closing bells. Time for me to hit the bed! You guys wait, you got to comment before you leave!

Have a good day folks. Communicate, Smile and Live your life!