Cheers to the New Year 2013!

Wishing all you there a very happy new year 2013.

Each year brings a lot of memories with it. Hope the year passing by has left you with lots to cherish and let the one beginning in a few hours bring in all joy and happiness. The only reason people hold on to memories is because memories are the only thing that don't change when everything else does.




This is my 200th post . So there is a second reason to cheer for. Happy reading and bearing with my nonsensical posts as well.:)



"LIGHT" ~ Thursday Challenge

"LIGHT (A Two Week Theme)" (Photos of beautiful light, reflecting, shining through, colourful,...) 

This is a click from the botanical garden in Bangalore. Love the colors and the light it eminates.



To view photos from around the world on this theme please click here.

Glass Painting ~ color fills waste.


Fresh green garden salads are a part of my meal. Here is how I love it. Strands of carrots,raddish, finely chopped tomatoes or cherry tomatoes would do even, a few leaves of purple cabbage or lettuce,some olives(green or black), bell peppers(red , yellow and green) - chopped, jalapenos. Toss in a bit of olive oil.
Sprinkle a pinch of salt and half a tea spoon of black pepper powder(Some spice for life)
Some American Ranch or french dressing would do it all.


To quench this craving of mine we had two whole bottles of olives and jalapenos brought home. They got emptied and I did not want to let go such cute bottles go to bin. Here is what I did with them. Why not paint them ? A thought just stuck in my head. What you see is the outcome of the thought?


Thursday Challenge - Good!

This makes an excellent place to have a good time with dear ones or alone.



To view other captures from Thursday Challenge click here.

Not wise anymore!


Now the question was I ever wise to lose it. Wisdom as the dictionary puts - is the quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment or the quality of being wise. Also known otherwise as sagacity/sapience/prudence/intelligence.

Okay let me put it straight, I had my left lower and upper wisdom teeth extracted last week. That's how poor me lost wisdom.:(

Sometime in 2002 or 2003 I had got the right ones extracted and so was already half wise when I went in for this surgery. Doctor was sweating up while I rest patiently watching the entire extraction process in the mirror. The sight of pliers , bone-cutters, the syringe did not bother me much this time. It was the lower one that tested doctor's patience. Grilling and cutting continued while I rest there with numb lips and jaw. He was talking dento-medical terms citing the details of the wisdom tooth - I vaguely remember the word -
"Distangulared"

People who know me well know the fact that I don't give up easily. While I had some time yesterday I thought of looking up what did the doctor actually mean. Was it worth a removal?

Wisdom teeth commonly affect other teeth as they develop, becoming impacted or "coming in sideways." They are often extracted when this occurs.

Impacted wisdom teeth (i.e., those that have failed to erupt through the gum line) fall into one of several categories:

Mesioangular impaction is the most common form (44%), and means the tooth is angled forward, towards the front of the mouth.

Vertical impaction (38%) occurs when the formed tooth does not erupt fully through the gum line.

There you go the its Distoangular Impaction that the doctor was referring to.
Distoangular impaction (6%) means the tooth is angled backward, towards the rear of the mouth.

Horizontal impaction (3%) is the least common form, which occurs when the tooth is angled fully 90 degrees sideways, growing into the roots of the second molar.


The typical me photographed the extracted teeth on my cellphone.


Coffee Anybody?



Weather has been awesome here in Bangalore today. The skies are dark and surroundings gloomy making it no good day to work. When that being the case I have loads on my plate to finish up. In order to clear the pile thats stacked in my box I should keep myself up and awake. Brain and fingers are out of cordination. Sleep says the brain, key in says the fingers. Am stuck here. A cup of hot coffee!! Yayyy that is exactly what I need to keep my mind fresh and running.

Coffee @ local hotels.



Mind you they are so refreshing.I am going out to grab a cup from our local cafeteria.




Good read in the recent times...


I have been reading a lot these days , rather months. The list has a lot in the pipeline. Not that I am a voracious reader neither fan of top selling books. I walk into a bookstore , check the rack that contains new collection, pick a book that my bed doesn't own currently, turn to the blurb , read the few lines, if it sounds interesting - hits the cart.

One of my recent reads , the "Life of a Software Engineer [LOSER]" by Dipen Ambalia.

I don't recommend this book if you are looking for great English or High Vocab. Its a light read with a little fun. I am not marketing this piece of work nor do I get any benefits in posting about the book down here. Thought I should put my frank opinion of the book and here it is.

Loser was hilarious.  I could relate almost every word he has put into it. It really talks of the industry I and many like me come from. Dipen has the guts to word everything that he has in this book. I loved the way he compares simple little things like desi roads with the videsi 4 lanes and kinds of movies the Non onsite guys watch and those movies the onsite returns watch.

I bet this is a book that every software engineer need to read. Thanks for the wonderful read Dipen.

Courtesy: Google images.

Thursday Challenge : "THANKFUL" (Things to be thankful for...)

Offerings to GOD/GODDESS - To thank him/her for the blessings showered on us.


To participate or to view captures from around the world on this theme please visit url: Thursday Challenge

ಕ್ಷಮೆ ಇರಲಿ! ಸವಿ ಇರಲಿ !


ಅದೆಲ್ಲೋ ಮುಳುಗಿದ ಹಾಗೆ ನೆನಪು 
ಸಂತಸ ಸಂಭ್ರಮ ಸಡಗರ 
ಇದರ ನಡುವೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಮರೆತೆ 
ಕ್ಷಮೆ ಇರಲಿ 

ಈಜಿ ಹೊರಬಂದ ಹರುಷ 
ಹೊಸ ಲೋಕ ಹೊಸ ಪ್ರಪಂಚ 
ಖುಷಿಯಲಿ ಸಾಗುವೆ ಈ ಪಯಣದಿ 
ಸವಿ ಇರಲಿ 

Thursday Challenge : Orange!

Back on the challenge after a while.. Here is a bang on the color : Orange.

Hope you like it. If you want to view more clicks of Orange from around the world visit: Thursday Challenge : Orange


Cent Story 2: Hurricane


US: A stormy night, the clouds dense, early November. Prabhas started walking towards the subway station to catch his usual train back home. He was soaked completely before he made his final call to his wife Meenaakshi describing the beauty of the huge wave that would gallop him in a few seconds . It was only beeps she could hear after a minute of talking with her husband . Before she could digest what she had heard on the phone, she almost visualized the same scene outside her portico , back home in India. Indeed a huge wave it was!

Halloween memories.

Halloween is here! Oh no .. are the days spinning faster than it should. I remember the Halloween of 2009 crystal clear. Admiring the colors of fall in West coast of the states , walking down in the chill weather with a camera in my gloved hands, trying to capture the beauty of nature, accompanied by a friend who was even better when it comes to photography.

The very thought of Halloween brings back so many memories of the far land that was my home for a year. The trick-or treat was the best part when kids from the neighborhood knock at your door threatening you to hand over candies else to be ready for their mischief and pranks.

Its Halloween and how can you forget Yellow pumpkins. I remember the carvings made of them and placed in all the shopping malls and markets. I could find a click of uncarved huge pumpkins and here it is.

Copyright: A.N Photography

Happy Halloween!

Navraatri.


Navraatri - "Festival of Dolls" is what I have known this festival for however it is literally translated to "Nine Nights".
I come from one of the southern states of India ~ Karnataka, where these 9 auspicious days are termed collectively as a festival of the state - naaDa Habba ~ Dasara.

This year's Dasara was special for me for a simple reason that it was the first festival I celebrated at my in-laws.[So that gives away the reason for my absence from blogging arena].

I had no time to set up anything great but did not want to let go the festival dry. So finally managed to find the Royal wedding dolls[Pattada Gombe ~ as we call them ] - which denotes the bride and groom from Mysore empire. I love the way they are decorated. The lady is adorned with a red saree and the jewels neatly placed  made her look more than perfect. The groom wears a mysore peta to match his silk kurta and dhoti.

Navaratri in Karnataka is not just about the pooja and rituals but more of fun and activity. In several homes  the dolls are collected year after year and arranged in a fashion that it speaks a story by itself for all its viewers. School kids have their mid-term vacation. The older generation pour in information from history and mythology while they involve the kids in the process of decorating and prepping for the Navraatri. That's how the facts trickle down the grape vine. Every evening there is a pooja done for the Dolls set and the prasad [naivedhyam] is distributed to all the kids who visit  to see the dolls.

This year I've planned to make 9 different variety of savories/sweets, 1 each day. The first day I made Coconut barfi - a simple Indian delicacy. Here is a click after the pooja on the third day day - thats when I made KodubaLe.

Copyright: A.N. PHOTOGRAPHY

Technology and its fate.


There was a time when owning a transistor was termed a luxury. Then came in the radio, television, telephone and then the era of mobile/Cell phones evolved.

Today even a school going kid holds a fashionable latest model cell phone. So that is where the technology stands in today's world.

When I talk about mobiles I don't miss an opportunity to mention the brand that ruled the market until recently in the mobile world ~ Nokia. I prefer them even though I don't own one today. The sturdy break-free phones if ever manufactured, it is from the Nokias. How many of you remember those initial days phones which resembled the cordless phones - huge and bulky. I don't have to mention the call cost . Hell we were charged even for the calls we received. Forget about getting charged for receiving calls, we even had to shell out for the messages received. Do you believe that. You have to!

Now why did I start writing about the mobile phones...
After seeing the below picture I don't have to explain much. These two cell phones are owned by the same colleague of mine. He does not want part with the one that's glittering all blue, however he is in love with the Samsung galaxy tab he bought recently :)

Copyright: A.N Photography


Missing in Action


I know I've been completely off from blogging.. Past couple of weeks have been hectic - both in my personal and professional front. Will be back soon with all the pending stuffs I need to rant about.

Dropped here to say a hi to all those friends whose blogs I crave to read. I'll be hopping there soon.

I'd like to share a photo from one of my archives till I get back to routine blogging.

This photo was clicked on my mobile. A rainbow on the wheel is what I call this capture.A busy market lane, on a Saturday evening is a feast for any amateur photographer. I'd love to head back to those streets with my camera.

Copyright: A.N Photography.

Cent Story1: Engrossed!


There she lies on bed reading the thriller she'd borrowed from Mrs. Iyer living next door.

Her gaze stuck to the mid pages, Krupa was completely engrossed in the chapter "Theft".

Dwaraki returned from work early that evening. There was no response from Krupa in spite of numerous door bells.  He opened the window of drawing room, tried to get the spare keys that lay on the table, by stretching his hands. There was a sudden shriek of a known voice. That's when Krupa realized her folly.

Dwaraki was discharged a week later after his forelimbs were back to normal.

Cent Stories: I have seen people writing Fiction 55's and similar short stories with fixed minimum words. So in the same lines cent stories are those with an exact 100 words. This is the first one. There will be more coming.

Thursday challenge - Wonderful

Here is what to me is wonderful. A beautiful nature and the wonderful creature that she beholds.



To view more on thursday's challenge visit here.


Onam - a fresh one this year

The season of festivals is just round the corner. It was Onam last week. Last year I had a story of how different onam had been to me. Come this year, it was no less. It was a fun filled day at office.

So what was unique that made the day stand out from the rest. With a mail sent out to everyone in the organization about just 20 hours before the events brought a rise in activities on all floors. I could hear whispers, tittles and tattles about each of the 3 events - Pookolam, No-fire cooking [yes literally no fire was to be used, no microwave too :) ] and Best traditionally dressed person.

It was decided that a group of 6 would make a team for both pookolam and no-fire cooking competitions. I was a part of the latter group and I tell you leading a project is cent percent easier than thinking something on the fly to cook without fire. Finally we had a menu fixed just before we left from office but was not sure how we'd pull it off. The plan was to have a fruit chat as the starter, a bread dahi vada and a biscuit sweet to finish it off . If that sounds interesting so be it. Check the photo to increase your craving. Let me tell you it did taste great too.Oh well we did not win because there were two more teams who proved their culinary skills slightly better than us.


A glimpse of the flower decoration or the pookolam is here to share.




And what made the day even more eventful is me winning the best taditionally dressed lady. Now don't ask for a picture as I dont have one that can be put up here.


In front of the comp!

There are days when there is absolutely not a moment to walk out of the cubicle and there are days when you need to find tasks to kill the time.That is corporate life or I'd say that is exactly the world I'm from. The nothing to do days are needed as a reviving factor when your energy has burnt out and you need some time for healthy relaxation.No it isn't the vacation time that is being talked about. I would like to tell how to use the no-work time while you have to still sit in front of the mother of inventions - Computer.

Okay, make sure you are aware of where you are positioned on the floor before you even try the tips below. These are especially for the ones who sit in a remote corner and their monitors are so placed that it cannot be viewed from any angle except from the front(that's obvious I know).

1. If you had to rush to office with the thought of avoiding the peak-hour traffic then I bet you have not peeped into the morning newspaper. Now don't ask me if I'd tell you to open up the online newspaper and read through every bit on it. Pick a online headlines flasher and keep yourself updated of whats happening around you and in the world. Pour in half an hour into this so called- "updating yourself with the world" and see how well you can connect to the GK guru's of the company in a couple of days

2. Social networking - It isn't easy going when things are not spicy on your side, you you have the feeling of being lost in the crowd, lonely and left out.social networking sites as the survey states degrades the situation even more. So check status messages, photos and the new feed for not more than say about 15 min.

I know that's hard but give it a shot guys.It definitely works unless you have turned a complete addict.

3. Walk over to your peers desk and check if he/she needs assistance in completing a deadlined task. If they deny do not mull over it. Walk back to your desk and be happy about the fact you spent a few minutes in the team strenthening activity and better if this was noticed by the manager. You know what I mean!

4. Brush your skills in the technology you master in. Enhance your knowledge on the functional domain of the project. Its going add values to your career growth. Its an advice out of experience.

5. This is getting too serious a post. Okay now for the fun part of it. You want to bring some fun at work action in your company. Check with your HR and the managers and let them know you'd like to invesst time and energy on it. If you get a nod of YES, then what are you waiting for. Get going!
Design some online fun activities like - online quiz about your company, online treasure hunt etc.
Be an organizing committee head and see the difference you make in the company.

Well be ready for the rejections that comes up!

6. You have a talent but you are shy putting it up in front of an audience. Say you paint or you write poems but have not shared them to the world. Here is a chance for you to utilize the time. Build a website or a blog and post every bit you want to share. I'll tell you this makes you the happiest person on earth. Been there done that and so I tell you!

7. If your cubicle is just so cornered that no one see what you are upto, then dont waste time, complete the novels that are on your to do list. More if you are a crafty person and do a lot of stiching and knitting it isn't a bad idea to do some designs and patterns too. Be careful and make sure no one is watching you :)

Out of the blue why, the heck did I start writing this post . Let me tell you folks about what I found. Yesterday when I was cleaning up my system of the junk to make some sapce for a new software install at office I found an old mspaint art I created a while ago (maybe an year ago). Those were the initial days in the new office. Had little work or no work at times. This was the best way I utilized my time. What do you think about it?


Thursday challenge - Growing

In the garden while I was clicking photos of flowers here is what I found. A bug/insect that was just born.


2 Days later I went to see if luck permits to capture the bug fully grown in size. Here is the capture.


For other takes on the theme from around the world please visit here

ಟಾಂಗ/ಜಟಕಾ ಗಾಡಿ!

ಜಟಕಾ ಗಾಡಿಗಳು ಇನ್ನೂ ನಮ್ಮ ರಸ್ತೆಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ಓಡಾಡ್ತಾ ಇದ್ದಾವೆ ಅಂದ್ರೆ ಅದು ಒಂದು ಆಶ್ಚರ್ಯದ ಸಂಗತಿ ಅಂತಾನೆ ಹೇಳಬಹುದು . "ಚಕ್ರ/ಗಾಲಿ" ಕಂಡು ಹಿಡಿದ ನಂತರ, ಮನುಷ್ಯ ಹಿಂತಿರುಗಿ ನೋಡಿಲ್ಲ. ಗಾಡಿಗಳ ಅನ್ವೇಷಣೆ/ಆವಿಷ್ಕಾರಗಳು ದಿನೇ ದಿನೇ ಹೆಚ್ಚುತ್ತಲೇ ಇದೆ. ಈಗಂತೂ ಮಂಗಳ ಗ್ರಹಕ್ಕೂ ಗಾಡಿ ಕಳುಹಿಸಿ ಬಿಟ್ಟಿದ್ದಾರೆ.

ನನಗೆ ಟಾಂಗ/ಜಟಕಾ ಗಾಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋದ ಅನುಭವ ಇಲ್ವೇ ಇಲ್ಲ. ಒಮ್ಮೆ ಹೋಗಬೇಕೆಂಬ ಆಸೆಯಂತೂ ಇದೆ.ಅದ್ಯಾವಾಗ
ಕುಲಾಯಿಸತ್ತೋ ನೋಡೋಣ.
ಈಗಿನ ಇಂಧನಗಳಿಂದ ಚಾಲಿತ ವಾಹನಗಳ ಸವಾರಿಗಿಂತ ಟುಕ್ಕುಟುಕ್ಕು ಅಂತ ನಿಧಾನವಾಗಿ ಸಾಗೋ ಜಟಕಾ ಬಂಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೋಗೋ ಮಜಾ ಸವಿಯಲು ಕಾತುರದಿಂದ ಕಾಯುತಿರುವೆ .ಸಧ್ಯಕ್ಕೆ ಈ ಆಸೆ ಯಾಕೆ ಬಂತು ಅಂದ್ರೆ, ಇವತ್ತು ನಾನು ಆಫೀಸಿಗೆ ಬರೋವಾಗ ರಸ್ತೆಯಲ್ಲಿ ನಮ್ಮ ಟಾಟಾ ಇ೦ಡಿಕಾ ಗಾಡಿಯ ಮುಂದೆ ಸಾಗುತಿದ್ದ ಜಟಕಾ ಬಂಡಿಯೇ ಕಾರಣ.

ಅಲ್ಲೇ ನನ್ನ ಸೆಲ್ ಫೋನ್ ನಲ್ಲಿ ಕ್ಲಿಕ್ ಮಾಡಿದ ಫೋಟೋ ಇಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೆ.



ನಿಮಗೆ ಟಾಂಗಾದಲ್ಲಿ ಸವಾರಿ ಮಾಡಿದ ಅನುಭವ ಇದ್ರೆ ಹಂಚಿಕೊಳ್ಳಿ.   Gist: I want to know how it feels to get a ride in a "Tanga". I have not had an opportunity to sit in one of them all these years. I'd want to do this sometime in the future. That picture was clicked today on the way to my office. Yeah we still have a few Tanga's running in the city mainly to ply some passengers at times and luggage/carton boxes or parcels at other instances.

Thursday Challenge - {LIESURE]

A perfect relaxed evening is waiting here. Its the park-bench that shares lot of stories of thousands who come sit there , talk, discuss or simply enjoy the beauty of nature.

"A throne is only a bench covered with velvet " ~ Napolean Bonaparte.



For more on this theme check here

A day out in the botanical garden.

Come again August , the plan to visit Lal Bagh for the Indepedence day flower show is one that I wouldn't want  
to give a miss. And waiting for "The I Day" makes it impossible to soak in the right essence of the show. The crowd is getting intolerable on weekends and public holidays over the week-long festival year after year. I generally pick the weekend before "The I Day" to avoid bit of a crowd. If you are lucky enough to breathe through the hustle bustle, grandpas, grannys, lovey-doveys who seem to be inseparable, recent fathers pushing the trolleys of their babies while the mom is capturing some macro flower snaps, the school outing team, then I'd say you are a perfect Bangalorean. And me one such Pakka Bangaloored lady take this challenge every six months.

The adventure this time did not please me much, may be my expectations were high.
It was plain and simple.
Some attractions in the glass house are - Panda made of pink flowers
     - Dinosaur and swans/ducks
     - Tree house
The entry fee is 40/- Rupees. I would not recommend this seasons' flower show to my readers however if you are genuinely interested in getting yourself ready for sweating out this is the place.

Some clicks I managed inspite of me carrying 2 bags. Is the effort worth it?








A journey from horoscope to horrorscope.

The title suggests something fishy. Don't panic. On a lighter sense I put that up based on the suggestion from the team in office.

Let me dwell a little more deeper on the subject I am going to write in here. Every company/organization has an appraisal process. What's new about it - you may brag. The story goes this way. A resource joins a company , performs his duty sincerely, does not have any escalations in his/her name for the entire year, fulfills all the policies and norms of the company and now on the day of the appraisal talks - he/she is curious to know his/her results from the mouth of his/her superior. He/she is satisfied with the grades/ranking provided. Don't get me wrong when I say Grades/ranking it does not mean the designation. I am referring to the points - its going to be on a scale of 1 to 5 or something similar.

Okay now, after all the management decisions, budget available, the bell-curve analysis and a HR drill for about a couple weeks comes "The day" - Letter hand over day.

This year our fellow team mate had to rush to a hospital to donate blood due to an emergency that cropped up. He was feeling a little dizzy after the renowned hospital had already drained out a qaurter litre of blood from his body. He decided to take off for the rest of the day but not after he had heard about the letters
getting distributed that afternoon. On reaching office and collecting his letter he did not seem so good. Not that his expectations were high but his horoscope for the day had turned sour - rather as he named it - A horror-scope.

It is not that he is a great believer in the daily horoscope but just that his luck wasn't that great. That doesn't mean rest of us folks got a great hike either.
This post does not mean I am against what my company does and what other companies do during appraisals but in general talking about the experience one goes through every year no matter how great or how bad his/her appraisals are.

Thursday Challenge 7 - [MODERN]

Some style quotients are seen in the classic capture below. Hope this does some justice to the theme.

For more of thursday's challenge visit here

Cease and Chance.

The title of the post says cease and chance which are actually two titles. To know more please read on the snippets.

Cease!


A stroll in the evening rain
To binge on Hot samosas down the lane
A combination of Chitter chatter
Fun and laughter
Makes it worth living
Each day - every moment.

Can the time cease forever
Do something, what-so-ever
Halt everything , as they are


Chance?

Thousands come and Thousands go
A mark - only a few make Though
How I wish I am one of them
Not a normal stone but a precious gem

Lot of hammering shapes me through
I stick to my goals, heavily glued
Perfecting my stance
Guess, I stand a chance?

Thursday Challenge 6 - [TOUGH]

Tough are the tiny ants who strive hard to save for a rainy day. A click that shows the sturdiness of the little ant.


To view images on this theme from around the world or to participate in this challenge please click here.

August 2012 calendar shot!

Well its August 1st - So am back with the calendar shot for the month.



August 7 1944 : The world's first program-controlled calculator, popularly called the Harvard Mark I was inaugurated. The machine was built by Harvard researcher Howard Aiken, supported by IBM.

August 19 1888 : The first world beauty contest was held in Belgium, an 18-year-old West Indian woman won.

August 25 1814 :The British burnt Washington, D.C., however, the Patent Office was saved by the British Superintendent of Patents, Dr. William Thornton.

There are many more such informative details in the below mentioned link.
Information credits: http://inventors.about.com

Have a wonderful August.

ಗೆಳತಿ!

ಅದೊಂದು ದಿನ, ಹೀಗೆ ಕುಳಿತು ಮನಸಿಗೆ ಬಂದಂತೆ ನಾಲ್ಕಾರು ಸಾಲುಗಳನ್ನು ಗೀಚಿದ್ದೆ. ಇಂದು ಅದು ನನ್ನ ಕಣ್ಣಿಗೆ ಬಿತ್ತು .

ಕಾರಣವೇನೆ ಇರಲಿ 
ನೀ ನನ್ನಿಂದ
ದೂರವಾಗದಿರು ಗೆಳತಿ


ಬಿರುಗಾಳಿಯೇ ಬರಲಿ
ನೀ ನನ್ನ ಕೈಯ
ಹಿಡಿದು ನಿಲ್ಲು ಗೆಳತಿ

 - ಅಶ್ವಿನಿ

Empty Throne! ~ Fiction.

Note: This folk tale is based out on one of my recent glass paintings.

3 Princess Glass Painting with Kundan work.[This is yet to be framed]


Once upon a time, when HarshaVardhana was reigning in PushpakaNagar a wild dream haunted him on the full moon night. He had been a great devotee of goddess Durga all his life. That night the mighty king woke up confused after what he had heard in his dream. He would be dying soon and had only a couple of weeks left in this world.


King Harshavardhana had 3 daughters all of whom had mastered martial arts, learnt various skills a ruler of a kingdom should eventually know. They were wise and extremely beautiful. When the news broke in the kingdom that their beloved king would be gone in a few days, there came a need to choose the new heir to the throne. It became difficult to choose the right one to be successor of such a mighty king Harshavardhana.
Minister Chatrapati and Maharaja Harshavardhana discussed of a plan where all the three gorgeous princess would be tested of their values and beliefs. They kept the mission a secret so that they would be able to judge them on par.

Next day, the King called his daughters Menaka, Maanvika, MaaLavika to his private room to discuss about whom he would hand over the kingdom before he died. When all the three arrived, he turned to them and said “I would like to give the kingdom to my daughter who has the most beautiful hands”. The minister told them that King would declare the best hands on the day that followed and asked them to come prepared.

His daughters were equally thrilled and happy to hear the deal. Menaka, the eldest of all, applied sandal-wood paste on both her hands, later washed it with rose water. She applied a soothing nail colour that would match her royal outfit. She was well-prepared for the show next day.

Maanvika got the best of perfumes from the land of Sumadhura Nagari and cleansed her hands with fresh fruit packs. Maanvika made sure her soft hands glittered with Gold jewels making them the best hands seen ever.

MaaLavika, a young pretty girl applied almond oil to smoothen her hands first and later washed her hands clean with water that had fresh flowers soaked in it.

Early next day all three young ladies assembled in the royal Puja room to seek the blessings of Goddess Durga Devi. The priest sprinkled holy water on all of them while chanting the mantras, that he usually did on any auspicious day. The princess bowed to him and walked towards the Royal court where King Harshavardhana was supposed to meet them.

On their way to the court, in the garden, they heard a moaning of a poor kitten. The little one had slipped and fallen in a pit dug up to plant a coconut tree. Menaka and Maanvika shooed away the kitten as they feared of dirtying their hands and loosing the chance to the throne. A soft hearted MaaLavika stopped by to rescue the kitten and thereby uniting it with the mother cat. She was very happy to see it jump and play with its siblings. Her sisters laughed at her and teased of her muddy hands. MaaLavika did not bother much about it.

When they reached the entrance of the palace where the royal hearings happened every week, a maid carrying a basket of food slipped and fell down. The curry and rotis she was taking for her husband who worked as a guard in the west-gate of the palace, fell on the ground. Menaka and Maanvika shouted at the hapless maid and mocked at her situation and hurried to the Court. The little one was compassionate and helpful in nature, gave support to the maid and cleaned the basket too.

The maid was happy and thanked MaaLavika profusely. Looking around and noticing the fact that her sisters had left her behind, she ran inside.

King Harshavardha was eagerly waiting in the court with his minister Chatrapati. Menaka and Maanvika entered with a smiling face as if they had already won the title. However noticing that the little daughter was missing, King questioned them about MaaLavika. Both replied in unison "My lord, she is delayed due to some disturbance at the entrance. You can first see our beautiful hands and decide the best among us" replied Menaka.

King obliged to the request. On seeing the pretty hands of Menaka he said " These hands are as soft as silk and they look very pretty." Next it was Maanvika's turn and she was very keen on displaying the ruby studded ring on her fair complexioned soft hands. King appreciated her hands too and turned to see if MaaLvika had made it to the hall. "Ah there she is , Dear what took it so long for you. Come show your pretty hands." said the king.
Maalavika apologized for being delayed. She initially hesitated in showing her filthy hands and later when demanded, she reluctantly opened her fist. King was relieved and praised his daughter. "These are the most caring hands I've ever seen . They know to care for the needy and help the ones in problem. They will serve a kingdom best, where people need these wonderful hands that can give all the love and care. These hands are the best one can have. Dear MaaLavika, you will be the next ruler of PushpakaNagar." declared the King.

Menaka and Maanvika were perplexed on hearing the declaration. When asked about how King chose those dirty hands to rule a kingdom , Minister Chatrapati revealed the secret mission of deliberately having the kitten kept in the garden's pit and how the king had advised the maid to slip and fall while she saw the three of you at the entrance. Menaka and Maanvika felt dejected but they had learnt a lesson to share and care.

MaaLavika ruled the kingdom efficiently. PushpakNagar was a happy Kingdom ever after.

Thursday Challenge 5 - [MOVEMENT]

dO I nEED tO iNTRODUCE yOU aLL tO tHIS sPECTACULAR mUSICAL fOUNTAIN?

Okay its the famous one that thrills every passerby once in every 30 min who walks past the Casino Bellagio on Vegas Strip. I had goosebumps all the three times I watched water curving its flow to match the music played. The evening breeze and a perfect dance of this breathtaking fountain was a no less a treat to my eyes.


Next one here is an aeroplane[probably a jet] leaving its trail in the clear sky. Love the blue!!


To view images from around the world with this theme please visit : Thursday Challenge

Complete the kahani... 1!

Many a times I would start with a story and wind up half way thorugh as I dont know how to take it forward or the plot becomes too complex, rather I am bombarded with hell lot of other stuff to do. Thats when an idea struck which is the sane reason of why am writing this post. I'll post the unfinished story here and will leave it upto you readers to finish it up. Lets see if this brings in some fun. If it does will continue else stop the kahaani marathons.

Responses are deliberately kept in moderation and you'll have to wait until I post them all on next monday. *Wink* *Wink* *Wink*
Folks we also need a Tiltle for the Kahaani ! So here you go..


"The month of July was fast approaching and GP Iyengar's apartment was filled with a mixture of feelings ~ anxiety, happiness and celebrations. Sreelatha the youngest daughter of the couple GuruPrasad Iyengar and Subhadra Iyengar, was to be married off to an NRI guy who is more than settled in the far west of America, a small town in the bay area. Vignesh Murthy the current prospect talked about, lived there from almost a decade now. Having seen the ups and downs of the market, he had also survived the worst hit recession two years ago. Murthy had met Sreelatha's elder brother Mukund in a Indian food joint "Cafe bar-India" that hosted a variety of south Indian delicacies ranging from Dosas to idlis, vadas to pakoras and what not.


Two years ago Mukund had been sent to his office headquarters located at Main street, Sunny vale. He worked in Chennai most of his tenure, but was sent to the headquarters for the annual conference summit almost every year since his joining. It was during one of those conference trips where he happened to meet Murthy in a small accident. He actually bumped onto Murthy while placing an order for a butter masala dosa at "Cafe bar-India". After apologising for the nasty quick turn he took which spilled the masala curry from Murthy's plate all over his trousers, Mukund introduced himself and offered Murthy the charge for the laundry. Murthy accepted the apologies but refused to take the money. His humble nature striked his personality and Mukund immediately shook hands with him. Little did they know of each other, however their gestures got them comfortable at the first go. They exchanged numbers and Mukund was invited over for dinner the next day.


Mukund made it right in time for the appointment. He was welcomed by a cheerful Murthy who helped him to be comfortable around. Murthy rushed to check the rice that was cooking in the kitchen He handed Mukund a glass of Californian fine prune juice to sip on until dinner was ready. Murthy had managed to buy a simple villa in the Mission hills which had great connectivity to the caltrains.The house wasn't great as one of those homes shown on famous TV shows. Yet it had a beautiful lawn, spread in front of the entrance door. The red brick wall gave a rustic look on the front view. The interiors were carefully hand-picked by him on various destination visits both while in India and in abroad. There was an antique chandelier at the center of the living room which when illuminated brought a royal touch to the space he lived in. Mukund's cell phone cut through the soothing music that filled the room. It was GP Iyengar's long distance call. Mukund picked with a "Good morning". He conveyed his schedule for the return journey, also made a note of all the goodies he needed to carry back. 

Murthy got busy with the final touches to his recepies. After his quick little chat with his father, Mukund explored the portico and viewed the sun set behind the hills. That was a best view for a photographer to click his masterpiece, he thought. Murthy joined him to see the royal sun calling it a day rather late during this period of the year. The clock showed 10 past 8 PM. They spoke about family, traditions and US most of their dinner time. Mukund left on a happy note leaving behind the number he'd be using back in India."

'Art' n 'Me'

From childhood I have an inclination towards creative activities or a piece of artistic work that can be regarded as a medium of artistic expression. In short, I have a liking to art, whatever form it may be.
Here are some of my artistic ventures or atleast the ones I have captured.
1)Diya Art from the past.

The year 2008, we decided to give a kind of makeover to the age old DeepavaLi diyas. With not having gone to any school of fine-arts I try putting up a design that just spurt out of my head. My sis and my cousin took the thick brush and painted the diyas in colors of blue and yellow. Once the paint dried I made those delicate curvy strokes using a thin brush. The end product is what you see in the picture below.









We use them as decorative pieces in the yearly flower rangoli hosted for DeepavaLi. Take a look at some of our designs.:) Glad to have the collection intact.



2) Glass Painting:
Most of you who have been a regular on my blog definitely have an idea as to what I am talking about here. I love free hand sketching no doubt, but doing them on a glass with some splash of colors is a different story altogether.

A new one is are here for you to look at.



3) Mehendi/Henna art:
Henna is a natural coloring agent which leaves a reddish-brown color when applied on skin and removed after drying. Mehndi is the application of henna as a temporary form of skin decoration. I have always wondered when I see those little lads down the street who apply such beautiful designs given that they do a full hand in about half an hours time.

Timeline - 2 yrs ago..

It was one such afternoon when I saw a mehendi cone lying on the table. I picked it up and started curving the cone with simple designs and here is the outcome.











There's another picture of my sis's hands - one hand after the dried mehendi is removed, the other hand still freshly applied design. She insisted on getting the same design on both hands.



I love the mango design.:)

4) Of late I've been getting a hang of nail art! <3

Recently on FB, one of my friend liked a page called Nail it!
That is when I got curious of this form of art. There is no harm in trying it thought I. So here are some of my first trials on my nails..


I'd love to do stitching and embroidery some day. Will keep you posted of what I'd come up with. Hope I've not loaded you with a lot.

Thursday Challenge - 4 [BEVERAGES]

Coffee shop wonderful art! ~ Random clicks at a fav cafe in Bangalore.


How about some cheers with a glass of wine?


I just pulled this out from the other blog of mine @ Unveil the Colors


To view photos from around the world who take part in this Thursday Challenge visit here

July 2012 calendar shot!


July 2012.

Its anniversary day for this calendar posting I've been doing here. I started this last year on the very same day and was just wondering how quick the days roll by, the time doesn't wait for anyone.

I'd not repeat the quick facts of each month. But give me some suggestions as to what I'd post along with this calendar shots every month.

Happy July !! Enjoy the month.


Thursday Challenge - 3 [Wooden]

Huge Wooden structures in one of those long allies of Seattle.

The next one here are wooden OAK Barrels from a distillary. It contains one of the finest Bourbon. Lucky to have visited one of the distillary while in the States and it was very interesting to know the history and process of making Bourbon whiskey. Do you know how the whiskey actually gets that pungent smell?? - Of course the fermentation but there is yet some credit charred Barrels. You can read more here.

That is how you stack the barrels over X's which withstands the weight for longer periods.
















And now the last one from my collection is a wooden dry-stand[that's what I call it] built to sun-dry either fish, clothes or any find from the sea. It was a wonderful piece of work to find.



You can find more photos on the theme at "Thursday Challenge".

Schoolhouse in the nature~ Fiction

 In a quaint rural village nestled amidst the lush greenery of Karnataka, there stood a small schoolhouse where Teacher Radha imparted knowl...