A trip to the Royal city...
The trip was great.
I remember those trips to Sariska,Dehradun,Mussorie,Naintal,Kulu-Manali et al when we used to openly drool at those families having a sumptuous home prepared home meals.Now it was my turn to see those hunger stricken masses and say..."Look at what I am eating!!!".The trip had the added significance of being long due,and a one we all would take together, for aleast sometime to come.
We started at about 9 30 from bangalore,all breakfast and lunches prepared,a typical postcard family outing.We reached Ranganthithoo by noon.
It is a picturesque bird sanctuary, my first visit to one.(Ironic considering the other ones in India are Bharatpur, and Vedanthangal, in Rajasthan and Tamil nadu, places I lived a considerable portion of life in !!!)A boat ride on the Cauvery took us to huge community nests of the black egret, white egret,the Cormorand,wagtails and much more.It was an amazing sight to see swarms(pardon the bad grammar, the cerebrum doesnt retrieve the specific name for "a collection of bats" real-time now!!!!) of bats sleeping upside down on treetops.As we peered through the binoculars,we also saw crocodiles,sunbathing on rocks,snoozing with their mouths open.(Amma of course,panicked because the boat "went too near the rocks" and that her two daughters were "sitting at the edge of the boats"!!!).It was quite a sight to see them swish their (lethal)tails in self-defence.After gulping down home made picnic lunch, we headed to the Mysore Palace.
Having seen the palaces of Jaipur, and spending that unavoidable half hour for the entire course in "Heritage of India" classes meant I could actually try and see structural similarities and differences between the South Indian and North Indian styles of architecture.(Well well.. do we see a budding Howard Roark in offing!).But the highlight of the palace was those wonderful paintings,depicting the life of those days.Every army man,every hawaldar was described to perfection.We then visited the museums which displayed tons and tons of silver and gold ornaments and thrones of the Wodeyars.The sheer enormity , the opulence of medieval India,inspired some sort of an introspection into why India was robbed in broad daylight by all and sundry-Mughals,chinese,french ,portuguese,british,well..almost anyone who could lay his dirty hands,seems to have plundered this abundance.
We then went to Brindavan Gardens and Krishna Sagar.The whole place was, however under massive reconstruction,and we tired souls couldnt really appreciate those manicured bageechas from "Aradhana" days.
As we were about to exit ,we saw a 7 feet tall person, at the entrance,doing some sort of a routine posing for snaps,earning a living by the odd tourist benefactor.We could recall him as India's tallest man from Limca book of world record days.It is indeed a pathetic sight.Couldnt the wealthy Limca do something about him??
Overall, it was an amazing trip.Poor Jeeju is alone in Maryland,we promised that the next trip to DC,New York,Niagra, we would surely pack sevai,puliyodarai,papads - all things families do !!!!
PS :I know that is not much of a picture,but with all the pentaxes and HP photosmarts rendered unusable by yours truly, this is the only shot we could manage on a polaroid!!!!
Now listening :"Kaiyil mithakkum" in a playlist titled "6apr2003".I am reminded of Saif crooning to Rani in "Ladki Kyon" in "Hum Tum".Really man!!!How different gals and guys are !!!!
"Jaane Kaun Kaun Se Din Woh TumkoYaad Dilaayein
Pyaar Ko Chahe Bhool Bhi Jaayein
Taareeqein Na Bhoolayein
First March Ko Nazar Milaayee
Chaar April Ko Main Milne Aayee
Ikees May Ko Tumne Chuwa Tha
Che June Mujhe Kuch Hua Tha"
In fact the entire song is very cute and so true.Infact I sometimes think it is a direct take from "Men are from mars women are from Venus".The full lyrics are here.
I remember those trips to Sariska,Dehradun,Mussorie,Naintal,Kulu-Manali et al when we used to openly drool at those families having a sumptuous home prepared home meals.Now it was my turn to see those hunger stricken masses and say..."Look at what I am eating!!!".The trip had the added significance of being long due,and a one we all would take together, for aleast sometime to come.
We started at about 9 30 from bangalore,all breakfast and lunches prepared,a typical postcard family outing.We reached Ranganthithoo by noon.
It is a picturesque bird sanctuary, my first visit to one.(Ironic considering the other ones in India are Bharatpur, and Vedanthangal, in Rajasthan and Tamil nadu, places I lived a considerable portion of life in !!!)A boat ride on the Cauvery took us to huge community nests of the black egret, white egret,the Cormorand,wagtails and much more.It was an amazing sight to see swarms(pardon the bad grammar, the cerebrum doesnt retrieve the specific name for "a collection of bats" real-time now!!!!) of bats sleeping upside down on treetops.As we peered through the binoculars,we also saw crocodiles,sunbathing on rocks,snoozing with their mouths open.(Amma of course,panicked because the boat "went too near the rocks" and that her two daughters were "sitting at the edge of the boats"!!!).It was quite a sight to see them swish their (lethal)tails in self-defence.After gulping down home made picnic lunch, we headed to the Mysore Palace.
Having seen the palaces of Jaipur, and spending that unavoidable half hour for the entire course in "Heritage of India" classes meant I could actually try and see structural similarities and differences between the South Indian and North Indian styles of architecture.(Well well.. do we see a budding Howard Roark in offing!).But the highlight of the palace was those wonderful paintings,depicting the life of those days.Every army man,every hawaldar was described to perfection.We then visited the museums which displayed tons and tons of silver and gold ornaments and thrones of the Wodeyars.The sheer enormity , the opulence of medieval India,inspired some sort of an introspection into why India was robbed in broad daylight by all and sundry-Mughals,chinese,french ,portuguese,british,well..almost anyone who could lay his dirty hands,seems to have plundered this abundance.
We then went to Brindavan Gardens and Krishna Sagar.The whole place was, however under massive reconstruction,and we tired souls couldnt really appreciate those manicured bageechas from "Aradhana" days.
As we were about to exit ,we saw a 7 feet tall person, at the entrance,doing some sort of a routine posing for snaps,earning a living by the odd tourist benefactor.We could recall him as India's tallest man from Limca book of world record days.It is indeed a pathetic sight.Couldnt the wealthy Limca do something about him??
Overall, it was an amazing trip.Poor Jeeju is alone in Maryland,we promised that the next trip to DC,New York,Niagra, we would surely pack sevai,puliyodarai,papads - all things families do !!!!
PS :I know that is not much of a picture,but with all the pentaxes and HP photosmarts rendered unusable by yours truly, this is the only shot we could manage on a polaroid!!!!
Now listening :"Kaiyil mithakkum" in a playlist titled "6apr2003".I am reminded of Saif crooning to Rani in "Ladki Kyon" in "Hum Tum".Really man!!!How different gals and guys are !!!!
"Jaane Kaun Kaun Se Din Woh TumkoYaad Dilaayein
Pyaar Ko Chahe Bhool Bhi Jaayein
Taareeqein Na Bhoolayein
First March Ko Nazar Milaayee
Chaar April Ko Main Milne Aayee
Ikees May Ko Tumne Chuwa Tha
Che June Mujhe Kuch Hua Tha"
In fact the entire song is very cute and so true.Infact I sometimes think it is a direct take from "Men are from mars women are from Venus".The full lyrics are here.
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