Tranquil Reverie

Peaceful Palakkad

Amidst stately hills and endless stretches of velvety paddy fields is the quaint town of Palakkad. Although Palakkad does not scream its presence in promotions of Kerala tourism, it has a steady inflow of patrons who enjoy coming to this unassuming town and its welcoming people. I was in Palakkad to unwind in the peaceful environs of Kairali, an Ayurvedic Health Resort.

Kairali was ranked amongst the top 50 wellness Meccas in the world by National Geographic Traveller in 2008.

For more info log on to www.kairali.com

One of the thirty cottages at the resort.

A mechanized threshing machine in the paddy fields.

A pineapple in Kairali's organic garden. It also had gourd, chilli, tomato, banana, greens, brinjal and ladies finger plants.

On our way uphill to Neliampathy.

At the Malampuzha Dam, the largest reservior in Kerala.

A rainbow in a fountain!

This is a rivulet that runs by most of the cottages at Kairali Ayurvedic Resort, Palakkad.

The poolside.

Chasing Butterflies...

If you have ever tried chasing butterflies and tried capturing these beauties on camera, you might understand why I am so elated to share these pictures... Butterflies have always been so near, yet so far. As I got close and made an attempt to click they would flutter their wings vigorously and take off, leaving me waiting and wanting time and again. I have patiently trailed them with optimism. I got lucky this time around. Here are some winged wonders that posed for my camera.

SHOT AT KAIRALI RESORT IN PALAKKAD, MARCH 2010

This is a Monarch Butterfly

SHOT AT LAL BAGH IN BANGALORE, JANUARY 2006

This is another Monarch

On An Indian Beach

You can feel the pulse of a coastal city or town on its beaches. Like stars that pepper the sky on a clear night, clusters of people swarm the beach on a clear day. Its a riot of colours, of people, of contrasts. Its amazing how each one seems to find their own space amidst the chaotic crowd. The peddlers on the beach tempt the crowd to buy the mouth-watering savoury snacks that tickle the taste buds. As the heat dies down the beach turns into a special economic zone. It is a unique experience to wade through the multitude on a beach in India.

Here are some snapshots from the Besant Nagar Beach in Chennai.

Fresh corn being roasted. The corn is dabbed with a mix of salt, chilli powder and lime.

Sad but true. A little girl made to perform stunts on a thin rope.

A bundle of joy. This is a pretty little girl who obliged to pose for my camera.

Chilli bhajjis. Its hard to go past this stall without grabbing a few steaming hot bhajjis.

The best seat. Not quite sure who was drawn towards the ice-cream stall...

Waiting for customers... Flutes on sale.

Hand in hand... A family enjoying the waves caressing their feet.

Can't beat this! Raw mangoes with a spicy masala.

Electric. A game of beach volley ball.

Take your pick. Masks for sale on the beach.

This is called "Kili Josiyam" in Tamil. The parrot will pick a card that predicts your future.

From Vine to Wine

Karnataka, follows Maharashtra and ranks second in the highest wine producing states in India.

The 2009 Wine Mela in Bangalore was an initiative by the Karnataka Wine Board. The pleasant weather and the lush greenery made the botanical garden of Lal Bagh a great location for the inaugural wine festival. Grover Vineyards, Nandi Valley Vineyards and Naka Vineyards had stalls which were doing brisk business. Sizable crowds piled up at the wine tasting outlets too. The festival was given a thumbs up by wine enthusiasts and was decried by environmentalists.

The Spirit of Bangalore

The colours of Bangalore and the spirit of its enthusiastic citizens brightened a gloomy Sunday morning. Scores of people turned out to support various causes. Here are some snapshots from the 5.7Km Majja Run of the Sunfeast World 10K event held on May 31st 2009.

From the Noah's Arc by Cupa...