GIRAFFE IN THE ZOO

I happened to visit the zoo and preferred to photograph  this giraffe in the zoo rather than the living creatures kept in pathetic conditions.

HIDDEN JEWELS

Old cast iron work seen at jijamata udyan mumbai.

HERITAGE STRUCTURE-MUMBAI

On a busy weekday while waiting at the crossing  near victoria terminus station in mumbai I got the opportunity to photograph this heritage monument which is the head office of Brihanmumbai municipal corporation.

SAREE TENTS

I was passing by this playground and noticed a nearby school was having some school programe on the ground for which they had erected these tents made of sarees.Notice the top of the tent where they have put a inverted steel water pot.Something similar to the gudis one erects in ones house during the maharashtrian new year called gudi padve

CREATIVE WEEKEND

Was getting bored on weekend when I came across the cardboard box at home and decided to do something  creative on it. You can call it best out of waste.

Godhadis.

Yesterday I came to know that I won a quilt as a giveaway gift on a blog.That’s when I realised this is the first time I will be having a readymade quilt.

Since childhood I have always used quilts made by my mother.We call them godhadi.My favourite were the ones made of old used cotton sarees.They were very cosy and comfortable.Many quilts were made of new materials,polka dots,checks,stripes,printed and plain fabrics which were purchased specially  for the the quilts.After purchasing the materials they were washed to see that the colour does not run.Then all were cut to required size,first stitched by hand and then by machine.Some quilts had geometric patterns,some dolls,some flowers,and some cathedral window designs.

My mother is a doctor who was attached to a hospital.Evening after coming from work she used to indulge in her hobbies-quilting,crochet,embroidery,knitting.She is a master in it all.Today when she is eighty three years old she finds it difficult to hold the needle in her hand for a long time but still she keeps herself occupied by doing small pieces.Her quilts are my favourite as when I sleep with them I can feel her warmth and love.It is like sleeping in her lap.

Below are photos of some of the quilts my mom has made.

CATHEDRAL WINDOW DESIGN

WOOL WORK

CATHEDRAL WINDOW DESIGN

MIRACLES OF NATURE

After a few months of compulsory break (Mumbai rains ) I have again started my morning walk.

My early morning walk is one of the activities of the day I thoroughly enjoy.

It is quiet,no traffic,no crowd very few people on the streets mainly morning walkers,milkman on cycle,newspaper distributors and few people leaving early for work.

It is at this time I witness the miracles of nature.The cool breeze touching my skin,birds chirping and the sun getting ready to spread its wings.I witness the seasonal changes of the trees and shrubs,Few trees are in full bloom,few fruiting,few have shed their leaves and on some trees leaves changing colour.Many times I am walking on a carpet of flowers ( mainly peltophorum ) and sometimes I stop in search of flowers whose fragrance I just smelled.

As I take my morning walk I see the world with new eyes.

Today as I was walking all of a sudden  I noticed a tree in full bloom.When I stopped  to observe it the tree was Alstonia scholaris also known as saptaparni.( if you wonder how I know the botanical names let me tell you I design landscapes.).

I have seen this tree many times in many places,it is very common in Mumbai but never in full bloom.I was so thrilled.standing near the tree I could smell the fragrance of the flowers.What a beautiful start to my day.Later in the day when I had time I went and clicked photos of the tree.

Alstonia is a beautiful evergreen tree with greenish white flowers.Its common name in Sanskrit is saptaparni because of the seven lance shaped digitate leaflets at the end of the stalk.The name alstonia is after the Scottish botanist Charles Alston and scholaris because the wood is used to make slates and blackboards.

It will be nice if everyone spends time alone in nature and while you are there in nature remember that you too are part of this miracles of nature.