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2023 - The Year That Was

Places impact you for a variety of reasons. And the same place impacts different people in different ways. This is especially true when it comes to spiritual experiences, where every single person’s experience is unique. And personally, every spiritual experience is unique, the same person can have different deeply spiritual experiences at different places, at different times. This thought has emerged because of my own experiences over the years, but especially so this year, with different and unique experiences at various places I have visited recently. I began this year with a visit to Baroda (Vadodara) with friends. It was meant to be a relaxed trip, a touristy trip, with our sons. We enjoyed ourselves to the hilt, but the highlight of that trip was a visit to the Lakulisha temple at Pavagadh. It was the iconography of the temple that I connected with, and I spent a few hours simply lost in the details of the figures carved around the temple. There was an indefinable connect with

Skywatch Friday - Sights from my window

As the summer sun rages, I hide inside the house while Samhith makes the most of his summer vacations playing outside with his friends, unmindful of the heat. I have been busy though, for the last few weeks, and haven't been able to write at all. Today, for Skywatch, are some images I clicked in these past few weeks... my only respite from the sun and the pending work....





The gorgeous Golden Laburnum has bloomed outside my window..... Right now, they cover just a few branches.... in a few weeks more, the tree will be filled with these beautiful yellow flowers.


Right opposite are more trees, the yellow flowers providing a bright contrast to the shades of green...



Summer is the time we see a lot of sunbirds.... this Female Purple Rumped Sunbird is just one of many...


A pair of Red Whiskered Bulbuls visit the tree every morning...


And this Red Vented Bulbul looks like it has had a hair-raising experience...



A pair of Tailor Birds have arrived to, but I haven't yet been able to discover where they have set up shop...



White Browed Fantail Flycatchers.... four of them are here, and they create such a racket, and seem to be playing, hopping from one branch to another, spreading their feathers and putting on a show! Now if only I could capture that!



Pigeons are common, but in the last few weeks, we have been noticing this white one, which seems to have set up house in the building next to ours.... it looks so pretty, doesnt it?


The Coppersmith Barbet is one bird whose call I have now begun to recognise... I hear this one calling out almost all day.... though I see him less often.... so good is he at blending with the leaves.


The sight of these beautiful flowers and birds has really helped make up for the terrible heat, and all the work I have been stuck with. However, what is really helping me get through all this is the thought of the trip coming up...... Next week, I am off again, first for a wedding, which is the best excuse for a family gathering, and then, for a short trip with just Samhith for company. Yes, mother and son are looking forward to a week of travel... without dad in tow! That should be interesting, don't you think? 

Comments

  1. wow Anu, loved all the pics, but that pair of red whiskered bulbuls is just awesome... I too find these birds near my place, but camera matters a lot, with my digital cam, i don't think i can make justice to their beauty....

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    1. Thanks Meghana. yes, you do need a better camera for capturing birds, but even I dont have a dslr yet... managing samhith is quite enough at the moment, and i dont want to handle a camera just as carefully for now :D

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    2. But all your pics are awesome, i always thought you carried a dslr...

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    3. No Meghana... if u see my oldest posts, the first ones were taken with the kodak.... and then about 6 years back, i bought a canon powershot.. which i used till last year.. i now have a nikon p510 which is just one year old!!! i did think of buying a dslr, but travelling with my son, i neither have the time, the patience or the inclination to keep changing lenses. maybe when he grows up!

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    4. No Meghana... if u see my oldest posts, the first ones were taken with the kodak.... and then about 6 years back, i bought a canon powershot.. which i used till last year.. i now have a nikon p510 which is just one year old!!! i did think of buying a dslr, but travelling with my son, i neither have the time, the patience or the inclination to keep changing lenses. maybe when he grows up!

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  2. Fabulous shots! That pair of red bulbuls is fabulous.

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    Replies
    1. Thanks so much, Ladyfi!! thats one of my fav pics too!!

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  3. Have a good trip and look the birds that come to visit you!

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    1. Thanks Mridula!!!! we are really lucky to have so many winged visitors!

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  4. Oh the beautiful Cassia flowers... The whiskered bulbuls look in conference mode

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    1. Thanks Desi Traveler!oh they were more than in conference mode... flying all over the place together.... but this was the best capture of the lot!

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  5. As Meghana has said the Camera matters a lot, not demeaning your efforts in capturing those beautiful birds so beautifully. Amaltash (Konnai) is very soothing. Here at Chennai I am practically living in a Jungle for the last two months but the digital camera I have, proves inadequate.

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    1. thank you, PNS! and as I mentioned to Meghana, I dont yet have a dslr.. its too much trouble!!! and i envy you living in a 'jungle'....would love to see ur pics , even from your digital camera!

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    2. thank you, PNS! and as I mentioned to Meghana, I dont yet have a dslr.. its too much trouble!!! and i envy you living in a 'jungle'....would love to see ur pics , even from your digital camera!

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  6. I am jealous that you have this beautiful view. Happy sky watching.

    My sky.

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  7. beautiful clicks......
    I love to click birds

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jidhu! Your photos of birds are absolutely beautiful!!

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  8. Lovely photographs.

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  9. Really nice blog and very well managed. I am read this post and find this is well written and nice use of different nature pictures.

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  10. Hi
    Very good Collection Of Birds Pic.I like Pics Very Much.
    Very good Job,Keep It Up.

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  11. Lovely pictures, all.
    Love the Cassia Fistula. It's an important display item for the Vishu Kani. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thank you, D Nambiar! its much in demand here thanks to the number of Keralites in our building. unfortunately, this tree is a late bloomer. the flowers are never on during Vishu, so they stay safe :D

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  12. Hi Anuradha,
    You see all these birds from your window? That's amazing!
    Enjoy the trip with your son :)

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    1. Yes, Neeraj, we are indeed lucky to see all these from our window!

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  13. The Article was good.Thanks for sharing fabulous post.

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  14. Lovely series of bird portraits. The red-whiskered bulbuls have posed beautifully for you.

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    1. Thanks Thomas! nice to see u here after so long!

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  15. The yellow laburnums are so beautiful, Anu as are the yellow Mayflowers. Nothing like the colour yeallow to perk up my day :-)

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