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Beautiful mud houses with natural air conditioning

2012-01-24T15:56:00.000-08:00

Near Kuldhara, we saw these amazing houses made of mud, covered with cap of wild dry bush sticks. It's said that these houses remain cool in desert summers and warm in desert winters! Amazing, isn't it? I feel, these are beautiful as well.

Photos of Makar Sankranti, Uttarayan, Pongal, Utaran, Uttaran, Utran, Shishur Saenkraat, Magh Bihu, Bhogali Bihu, Maghi, Makara Vilakku Festival, Khichdi, Maghe Sankranti, Maghe Sakrati, Songkran, Moha Sangkran, Pi Ma Lao, Thingyan

2012-01-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

Albert Hall Museum of Jaipur

2012-01-10T08:21:00.000-08:00

We went for some night photography yesterday, and here is one of the monuments we photographed — the beautiful Albert Hall Museum of Jaipur. I hope, you will like the photos.

Kites ready for Makar Sankrant

2012-01-08T05:26:00.000-08:00

It's a big upcoming festival in India. Every 14th January, kite festival is celebrated in India on the occasion of sun's transition into Makar rashi [Capricorn]. The sky will be filled with kites. Some kites have started to show up already!

Turbans on sale in the market of Jaipur Wall City

2012-01-01T02:36:00.000-08:00

Chrysanthemum flowers - Guldaudi flowers - Beautiful - Simply Beautiful

2011-12-11T21:15:00.001-08:00

Last week, we went to an exhibition of Chrysanthemum flowers in Jaipur. Locals call the flowers Guldaudi — it's said that people with surname Daud from Saudi Arabia used to trade these gul in the old times. Gul is an Urdu language word for flower.

The beauty of Chrysanthemum flowers is breathtaking; the photos I've published in this post will speak on behalf of these gorgeous flowers. Passing by each flower-pot, I was getting mesmerized more and more by the beauty. I hope, you will enjoy the photos as much as I enjoyed noting the Chrysanthemum flowers on pixels.

Yellow Hues of Flowers at Birla Temple [Jaipur]

2011-11-29T06:55:00.001-08:00

Have you seen my post on Moti Doongri Ganeshji? Just beside the Moti Doongri Ganeshji Temple is Birla Temple. In the premises of Birla Temple, there are different sorts of trees planted, bordering the pathways and gardens. Looking at camera in my hand, one of the trees offered me some good pixels! My appreciation resulted in the photos of yellow hues that follow below. I hope, you'll enjoy the yellow hues as much as I did.

Yellow Hues

Yellow hues of beautiful flowers

Yellow hued flowers on a tree near birla temple [Jaipur]

Tree with flowers of yellow hues

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World

2011-11-27T05:27:00.001-08:00

Note: I received the below photos of 14 most beautiful birds of the world in an email forward. These are not photographed by me. The copyright and credit of these photos remain with the original photographer[s].

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Bleeding Heart Pigeons

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Flamecrest

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Formosan Magpie

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Golden Pheasant

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Green Jay

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Himalayan Monal

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Kingfisher

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Lady Amherst's Pheasant

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Lesser Bird of Paradise

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Nicobar Pigeon

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Peacock

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Quetzal

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Silver Polish Chicken

14 Most Beautiful Birds of the World - Winson's Bird of Paradise

Cute street puppies playing at Parvati [Pune]

2011-11-14T18:37:00.001-08:00

We went to Parvati a few months back. It's a small hill in Pune city. A few steps up, and nice views of the city are in front of you. Climbing up, there were a few puppies that caught our attention. We told them, "you all cannot run away from our cameras", and voilà!

2 Cute Street Puppies

Cute Street Puppies - Doing Rock-n-Roll

Cute Street Puppies -Giving an innocent look

Cute Street Puppies - Looking for something

Cute Street Puppies - Playtime

Cute Street Puppies - Small big step

Cute Street Puppies - Thinking

Cute Street Puppies - What a pose!

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis]

2011-11-10T06:56:00.001-08:00

What a beauty! Sheer beauty, I must say. Indian Roller [scientific name: Coracias Benghalensis] is truly exquisite in terms of looks. I am sure, you will understand what I mean to say looking at my minor efforts of taking photographs of the gorgeous bird. Look at it; don't you think that Indian Roller is a true beauty? If you agree with me, you will not be surprised to know that Indian Roller is a symbol of many Indian states!

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis]

3 Indian Rollers [Coracias Benghalensis]

Beautiful Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis] looking up

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis] found something

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis] in flight

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis] sitting on an electricity grid wire

Indian Roller [Coracias Benghalensis] thinking about something

Shikra AKA Little Banded Goshawk [Scientific Name: Accipiter Badius] - Bird of Prey

2011-11-05T23:10:00.000-07:00

On way to Veer Dam, where Megha photographed me as One Man Crowd, a Shikra, not Shakira ;) caught our attention.

Shikra is a small bird of prey, of hawk category. In some parts of the world, Shikra is called Little Banded Goshawk [in fact, may be considered a sub-species]. Shikra is found almost everywhere in Africa and Asia. Frankly, when I saw the Shikra for the first time a few years back, I thought that it was a falcon! Fool me :)

Monkeys of Jaipur - Funny Terror!

2011-10-23T19:53:00.000-07:00

Monkeys of Jaipur - Adult monkey grooming baby monkey

Monkeys of Jaipur — they are funny, but they are a terror; they are stealers and nasty. People literally run inside their homes, and close all doors and windows seeing these monkeys, because open doors and windows mean invitation for the monkeys to steal away refrigerated items, grocery, fresh fruits & vegetables, and everything these monkeys can steal and eat. If you don't allow, they will tear your clothes, scratch you, bite you!

Monkeys of Jaipur - Babies and mother

The funny terror monkeys I photographed were a bit away, and did not look like those stealers in groups. I cautiously snapped some photographs. It was a family of 4. They were relaxing.

Monkeys of Jaipur - Baby hiding behind leaves

Usually, these monkeys travel in huge groups, and are unstoppable. They have at least one leader male called Bhadu by locals. He's the biggest one with reddest face and reddest base. Locals say that these monkeys are way more intelligent than you can think of them to be. In fact, the family I photographed was no less. In front of my eyes, they climbed the top of the bungalow, opened the water tank, had dips inside, etc.

Monkeys of Jaipur - Baby monkey is sitting like a cat

Monkeys of Jaipur - Baby monkey looking for something to catch

Monkeys of Jaipur - Baby monkey scratching its back

Monkeys of Jaipur - Bhadu stretching before rest

Monkeys of Jaipur - Bhadu - the terror

Monkeys of Jaipur - Enjoying leaves

Monkeys of Jaipur - Foody monkey baby

Monkeys of Jaipur - Monkey family

Monkeys of Jaipur - Terror on prowl

Table Flower Decoration - Classic Style

2011-10-05T22:10:00.000-07:00

Have you seen the Orange Bouquet that I published a few months back? I feel, there's a similar raw rusty classic style in the below photo of table flower decoration. What do you say?

Narrow lane of Jaisalmer [India]

2011-10-03T08:36:00.000-07:00

What a place this is! The narrow lanes of Jaisalmer take you to the old times, the very different times where life had leisure more than than rush.

I think, one must have time to realize the self and achieve inner peace. Life has more meaning than what we people are believing in this era.

What do you feel looking at this photo of a narrow lane of Jaisalmer?

Mother sparrow feeding baby sparrow

2011-09-21T10:59:00.001-07:00

Megha did wonders again! I returned from the office, and below are the photographs she gifted to me. These beautiful photographs of a mother sparrow feeding its young one swept off all the tensions of the day. I hope that your tensions and worries also get wiped off looking at these truly breathtaking photographs.

Baby sparrow fed by mother sparrow

Mother sparrow feeding baby sparrow

Sparrow filling beak to feed its baby

Sparrow ready to feed young one

Sparrow feeding young one

Baby sparrow demanding feed from mother sparrow

3 cheetahs and a young impala deer - Unusual photographs by Michel Denis-Huot

2011-09-18T02:40:00.000-07:00

Note: I received the below unusual photos of 3 cheetahs and an impala deer in an email forward. These are not photographed by me. The copyright and credit of these photos remain with the original photographer[s]. It was mentioned in the email that these photographs have been taken by Michel Denis-Huot.

First shot of a coconut tree

2011-09-12T19:15:00.000-07:00

Recalling the old times, I'm publishing the first photo of a coconut tree I took using my first digital camera. Recent conversations with another coconut tree are published by me at Leaf of a coconut tree and Flowers of coconut, and baby coconut.

How is the first coconut tree shot below?

5 of the Oldest Hotels in India

2011-09-11T01:01:00.000-07:00

Some of India’s most popular hotels are not just lodging facilities, they’re historical landmarks! Often referred to as heritage hotels, many of these historical establishments opened their doors a century, or more, ago. Most have been renovated to include more modern accommodations than those original to the facilities.

Great care was taken to preserve the historical integrity of the hotels while updating them to cater to today’s travelers. India’s magnificent historical hotels are located all across the country so vacationers can enjoy a rich cultural experience, no matter where in the country they’re visiting!

1. The Oberoi Grand - Located in Kolkata, the City of Joy, the Oberoi Grand is one of India’s oldest and most renowned hotels. Over 125 years old, the Oberoi Grand features a stylistic mix of classical Victorian style and traditional Indian style, making for a beautiful representation of the Kolkata’s colonial history.

Located in Kolkata’s major business and shopping district, the hotel is within walking distance of most corporate and government offices and convention centers. The hotel is also within close proximity to banks, clubs and other offices and consulates making it an ideal destination for business or leisure travelers.

2. The Taj West End - Bangalore’s Taj West End first opened as a boarding house in 1887. Opened by Mrs. Bronson, an English lady, to meet the increasing need for lodging in the booming city, the hotel was eventually purchased in 1912 by the Spencer family. The Spencers updated the grounds and facilities to give the hotel a country club feeling that fosters rest and relaxation for guests, adding features such as a dining room, billiards room and stables. Outside the 91 rooms and 26 suites, the grounds offer 125 years old Banyan trees and a 20 acre garden for recreational guests, and, for the business travelers, there is a 24-hour business center equipped with modern amenities and conveniences.

3. Clarkes Hotel - A heritage hotel since 1889, the Clarkes Hotel is located in Shimla, the capital city of Himachal Pradesh. Only 10 minutes from the Shimla station and 45 minutes from the Jubbarhatti Airport, the Clarkes hotel is conveniently located near the area’s major attractions and destinations. The grounds offer guests recreational activities such as badminton, basketball or ping-pong.

The city itself is world renowned for its building style, an imperial style architecture that dates from the Colonial Era. The Clarkes hotel is keeping in this style, making for a truly breathtaking escape. Many of the spacious rooms offer magnificent mountain views while others feature amazing city views.

4. Maidens Hotel - The Maidens Hotel is one of Delhi’s oldest hotels, opened in 1903. The hotel boasts colonial style architecture and several acres of lush gardens and trees. Guests at the Maidens may choose lodgings from a standard room to a full, luxury suite. There’s a restaurant, coffee shop and bar located on the grounds for convenience.

The Maidens Hotel is near the Civil Lines Metro Station as well as several of the Mughal monuments and the famous Chandni Chowk shopping center. Set in North Delhi’s residential area, the hotel is also close to the bank of the Yamuna River and the University of Delhi’s campus.

5. The Taj Mahal Palace - Located in Mumbai, the Taj Majal Palace is the creation of Mr. Jamshedji Tata. Opened in 1903, Mr. Tata built the hotel to rejuvenate Mumbai’s image and attract visitors. The hotel has undergone renovations and additions over the years and now offers 560 rooms, 44 of which are suites. The Taj Mahal Palace is built on the sea front and it overlooks the Gateway of India as well as the city’s historical and commercial hub.

The goal of the Taj Mahal Palace is to provide guests with modern amenities and to maintain the elegant old-world style it is so famous for. The hotel now offers a concierge service as well as business and fitness centers.

This guest post was written and provided by Erica Gustafson who is a freelance writer and consultant for Expedia.

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis]

2011-09-08T08:49:00.000-07:00

Can't tell you how much research had to be done to find out the name of this really cool dragonfly that we photographed near Bhuleshwar Temple. What a beauty, really! The Ground Skimmer, scientifically named Diplacodes Trivialis, must be a low flyer as the name suggests. That is the fact in fact! For the complete time of half an hour we applied to take these photographs, this Ground Skimmer was close to the surface of a small pond. The time we gave with patience was worth these photographs. Do you like these takes?

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis]

The next one is sort of a funny photograph. Look at the front two legs. It seems that the Ground Skimmer Dragonfly is calling for a fight. Remember those calling fighters who pose their forearms exactly the same way when they call for fights?

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis] - Calling for a fight

Isn't this dragonfly a perfect machine in itself?

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis] - Diagonal beauty

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis] - Flying forward

Ground Skimmer [Diplacodes Trivialis] - Taking high

Ganesh Utsav 2011 - Ganpati face made of hair strand

2011-09-01T10:03:00.000-07:00

Today is a big day for many in India, especially for the residents of Maharashtra. Today is the first day of Ganesh Utsav [festival of Lord Ganesh/Ganpati], which starts from Ganesh Chaturthi [4th day of moon] that is Lord Ganpati's birthday, and lasts for 10 days.

Thinking about what to publish this season — Ganesh Utsav 2011, while having a cup of tea, a strand of hair automatically made a great shape of Lord Ganesh's face. I added another strand to make its eye. How's it? Indians will easily recognize the face of Lord Ganesh!

Ganpati face made of hair strand - Ganesh Utsav 2011

Oh yes, for those who want to see how Lord Ganesh looks, see my post from the past named Dagdusheth Ganpati. I had photographed it 2 years back.

Deer in Katraj Zoo

2011-08-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

Just a casual photo this time with a meaning, probably. It seems that the deer is in search of an unending land to run on at its full speed. I photographed this deer in Katraj zoo.

There are many deer in Katraj zoo, all beautiful and healthy, but they need freedom. Those who are regular visitors here on my blog might recall that I had published Wednesday Wallpapers of this deer in the past, and it was liked very much because of the details, good color contrast and adequate icon space on the left side.

I hope you like the photo of this beautiful deer.

Flowers of coconut, and baby coconut

2011-08-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Have you seen Carmen's [RNSANE] comment on my previous post on Leaf of a coconut tree? My reply was that I would publish the next post with the flowers of coconut as the coconut were babies when I photographed the leaves of coconut tree with a different perspective. Here it is — a post showing the beauty of flowers of coconut tree. Am I dumb? The flowers are hardly visible. Most of them have turned into baby coconuts. They look so cute and soft as opposed to their grown ones!

Broad views are also necessary I think!

Leaf of a coconut tree

2011-08-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

From our only 2 rooms within 7 hills in a forest of Konkan, the view was something out of the world people have forgot and left-habit to live in. My post named In darkness has a link showing where we were.

You will have to come back to see the view in its global definition :) For now, see some other views I have from the same rooms. A few coconut trees were in a different perspective for me because seeing them from a diagonal top standing at a touchable distance is a rare opportunity. Normally, we see coconut trees from either their bottom, or from a high roof way above them. Getting a different view is less possible. See the photographs below. What do you have to say about these views of leaves of coconut trees?

Waterstream in Okayama Friendship Garden in Pune

2011-08-17T19:22:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday was a great time for us at the beautiful Okayama Friendship Garden

A waterstream in the garden is one of the main attractions. Walking along, there was this beautiful view of the waterstream. I hope you "like" it :)

4 Black-winged Stilts AKA Common Stilt (Scientific Name: Himantopus Himantopus)

2011-08-11T19:33:00.000-07:00

Black-winged Stilt is a beauty. Even though it is not a rare bird, for me it is rare because I do not remember seeing any black-winged stilt any time until about 1½ years back. We went to a bird-watching spot named Kavdi last to last December, where the abundance of birds almost took our breath away with their sheer number and unbelievable beauty. We spotted many different species of birds, one of them was the black-winged stilt.

A natural set-up of 4 black-winged stilts caught our sight. I turned my back towards them and started moving backward giving no clue to them that I was closing in. Megha and Deepak indicated to me about the right time. I slowly turned myself facing them and voila! I got a good shot :)

Here is a close-up photo to show the beauty of black-winged stilt

Get out of the scene you other bird! Are you a piper?