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Tanjore and Mysore Paintings at the CSMVS Mumbai

A chubby, naked, fair Krishna , holding a butter ball, covered in golden ornaments, Yashoda by his side, an indulgent smile on her face, even as her finger is raised in admonition. Rama and Sita seated on the throne, Lakshmana on one side, Bharata and Shatrughna on the other, surrounded by sages and kings; Rama a distinctive green in colour. These are both popular themes in Tanjore Art. I first saw both these in temples, the Navaneetha Krishna in many homes as well, if not original, at least a recent replica or just a copy. The Ramar Pattabhishekam I have better memories of, having seen it often at the Matunga Bhajan Samaj in Mumbai, as well as at my mother-in-law’s ancestral house in Thanjavur. The latter especially is close to our family’s heart, and it’s an exquisite piece of work, the expressions on Rama and Sita’s faces as intricately done as the gold work that surrounds them. Navaneetha Krishna Beautiful as they are , to me, they are associated with divinity more than just wor
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Ghost Crabs at Cherai

Walking on the sands of Cherai Beach in the rain, our attention was captured by what appeared, at first sight, to be a ripple on the sand. A closer look revealed a tiny crab scuttling into its hole. Can you spot the crab in this photograph?




Here, take a closer look…




These crabs are called ‘Ghost Crabs’, because of the apparent ‘invisibility’ their camouflage offers. We saw lots of them over the next couple of days, both small and big…



But were especially fascinated by these huge ones…



They stayed at the edge of the water, waiting for the waves to flow over them, yet retaining their hold on the sand and staying in their place long after the waves had retreated.

Can you see the crab in the water? 


Their behavior was intriguing, and it was only after we returned that we learnt that these crabs are only partially amphibious, and breathe through gills moistened with sea water, though they cannot stay underwater for long. Therefore, they stay near the shore and regularly venture into the sea to wet their gills, taking care to stay well inland to retain their hold on land!


These crabs significantly brightened up the monsoon evening on the beach at Cherai! It only reiterates the fact that nature always has interesting to things to show us. All we need are the eyes to see them!

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Location: Cherai Beach, Vypin, Kerala

Comments

  1. BikramJune 26, 2014 at 1:31 PM

    Those are some beautiful pictures... what a beautiful creature ..


    Bikram

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 16, 2014 at 8:27 AM

      Thank you, Bikram! It is indeed beautiful, isnt it?

      Delete
  2. Empty Rucksack June 29, 2014 at 9:42 PM

    Nice pictures, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  3. Empty Rucksack June 29, 2014 at 9:47 PM

    Nice pictures, thanks for sharing

    ReplyDelete
  4. UnknownJune 30, 2014 at 4:51 PM

    Awesome post of ghost crab thanks for sharing with us.
    Wild Wacky

    ReplyDelete
  5. Marcia @ CuracaoVacationJuly 2, 2014 at 12:00 PM

    Great photos! I like how the crab has this great camouflage. You just can't even see it!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarJuly 16, 2014 at 8:29 AM

      Thank you, Marcia! The camouflage is really amazing!

      Delete
  6. Rajasthan Tour PackagesJuly 11, 2014 at 2:01 AM

    Hey thanks for sharing this information.

    ReplyDelete

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