Last Day of November: Reflections by the Lake

The legend of the lake, once firm, which states that the lake overflows only after claiming a soul in tragic sacrifice, may be waning. With the November rains, I had thought this tale would resurface in full force as water levels neared the top. But, here we are—a full foot below overflowing, leaving the myth a step from reality.

The lake’s familiar visitors, the cormorants, have returned, ready to roost. This year, though, they’ll miss their usual rocky perches, now hidden beneath the water. This serves as a stark reminder of nature’s shifts and our need for action. Urgent lake maintenance is crucial: the floating debris and scum form a film on the surface that churns the stomach just to look at. Winter has begun, and already a slight, unsettling odour exists. What will this place feel like when the summer heat sets in?

As I walked by yesterday, I captured a few curious monkeys in my lens—a playful interruption in a scene otherwise shadowed by decay and neglect. It’s a beautiful yet fragile time for the lake. Here’s hoping we take on its care with the urgency it deserves, so it can thrive once more.

Took this threesome at the Lake

Seems the crocodile got this poor fellow's tail

Monsoons Mount Abu 2010.

The monsoons have not been too bad this year; we are now nearing the fag end of the monsoon season. There is still some bite left as it's only September 10, 2010. Abu monsoons normally end by the end of September, with an occasional shower in the first week of October. According to legend, the lake must overflow this year whenever a life is lost to the lake by drowning, suicide, or the sacrifice of a human being. The lake overflows. Abuites believe that since the lake claimed its victim a few days ago as suicide, it will now have to puke its belly out as an overflow. I will keep you updated on whether the legend is true. Posting some photographs taken these last few days of scenes of Abu,