The temple of Jagannath at Puri is one of the four most important temples across India. Sometimes called the Char Dham – Badrinath in the north, Rameswaram in the South, Dwarka in the west, and Puri in the east – these temples mark four corners of our country, and each of these temples has a connection to Adi Shankara. He is said to have travelled to each of them, thus marking a sacred geography of India, long before the country actually existed. Among these 4 temples, 3 are dedicated to Lord Vishnu, while only Rameswaram is dedicated to Lord Shiva, though the lingam there is said to have been installed by Rama. Further, Shankara set up Mutts at 3 of these sites (or very close to these sites, like at Badrinath, where the mutt is at Joshimutt), while the mutt in the south is at Sringeri in Karnataka, quite a distance away from Rameswaram. Coming back to the topic, I have visited Rameswaram most often, Badrinath during my childhood, and Dwaraka a few times, but Puri had stayed out of re...
If it's Friday, it's time for Skywatch! Wondering what I was going to post today, going through my photos, I realised that when I looked out of my window, at the sky, more often than not, I saw birds! So, here are some birds that I see quite often. These are just common birds, but each of them is a joy to watch...
The Red Vented Bulbuls are the most frequent visitors, and I have loads and loads of photos I have clicked of them. This one happens to be my favourite, because of the odd expression he seems to have on!
The Red Whiskered Bulbul is also a regular visitor, but this one is a little more shy of my camera, since he flies off before I can focus!
And then there are the sunbirds - We dont get to see the Purple sunbird often, but the Purple Rumped Sunbirds are regulars.
Capturing them is a challenge, since they flit so quickly between flowers, and hide amidst the leaves.
But there are those rare times when they stay still on a branch long enough for me to click...
or I manage to capture one mid-flight...
Monsoons bring the Egrets in dozens....
and the White Throated Kingfishers....
The Water Hen is also a frequent Monsoon visitor...
And then we have the Tailor birds....
I first mistook them for the sunbirds.. they are just as small... and look quite similar to the females, but now, I see them often enough differentiate between the two.. but not often enough to get some really good photos..
The Coppersmith Barbet is a bird I hear more often than I see! Their distinctive call is heard from quite a distance, and I don't often figure out which tree they are on. No surprise then, that this is one bird I have photographed rarely... Just last week, I managed to see one sitting for quite a while on a branch, but it flew just as I clicked....
And then there are of course, the Parakeets, which I have written many posts about!!
With so many birds around, don't you think the sky seems a wonderful sight?
So, what do you think of my version of the Skywatch this week? To see photos of beautiful skies from around the world, go to the Skywatch Page..
The Red Vented Bulbuls are the most frequent visitors, and I have loads and loads of photos I have clicked of them. This one happens to be my favourite, because of the odd expression he seems to have on!
The Red Whiskered Bulbul is also a regular visitor, but this one is a little more shy of my camera, since he flies off before I can focus!
And then there are the sunbirds - We dont get to see the Purple sunbird often, but the Purple Rumped Sunbirds are regulars.
Capturing them is a challenge, since they flit so quickly between flowers, and hide amidst the leaves.
But there are those rare times when they stay still on a branch long enough for me to click...
or I manage to capture one mid-flight...
Monsoons bring the Egrets in dozens....
and the White Throated Kingfishers....
The Water Hen is also a frequent Monsoon visitor...
And then we have the Tailor birds....
I first mistook them for the sunbirds.. they are just as small... and look quite similar to the females, but now, I see them often enough differentiate between the two.. but not often enough to get some really good photos..
The Coppersmith Barbet is a bird I hear more often than I see! Their distinctive call is heard from quite a distance, and I don't often figure out which tree they are on. No surprise then, that this is one bird I have photographed rarely... Just last week, I managed to see one sitting for quite a while on a branch, but it flew just as I clicked....
And then there are of course, the Parakeets, which I have written many posts about!!
With so many birds around, don't you think the sky seems a wonderful sight?
So, what do you think of my version of the Skywatch this week? To see photos of beautiful skies from around the world, go to the Skywatch Page..
Great Captures, Anu.
ReplyDeletehttp://rajniranjandas.blogspot.in/2012/10/gokarna-ten-things-to-dosee.html
Thanks Niranjan!
DeleteLove those sunbirds. I get to see only the purple sunbird here!
ReplyDeleteI see those rarely, Mridula... these are abundant here..
DeleteWonderful shots of the birds.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carver!
DeleteAnd you get to see them all in the concrete jungle of Mumbai? Wonderful!
ReplyDeleteYes, Zephyr! we are lucky to live in an area which is sort of like an oasis in the concrete jungle and we get to see all these birds...and many more, actually.... just that i havent been able to capture those :D
DeleteFabulous shots of that adorable face.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ladyfi!!
DeleteWow! What wonderful captures of those cute little birdies! Love the shots of bulbuls and the kingfisher. Awesome
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!!!
DeleteNice clicks
ReplyDeleteThanks Jaleela!
DeleteNice clicks.. and I appreciate your patience .
ReplyDeleteMany of those birds I never saw..
Please can u tell from which camera you took photos .. Dr.A