11-2-11, Eleven two Eleven let’s take a ride to heaven Mt. Abu

What’s so special of 11-2-11? It can be read from  left  to right  and in reverse and it would still be eleven two eleven. Abu is akin to heaven right now, the winter has left this abode and it’s real pleasant right now. I took a drive down to Oria on the 8^th in the afternoon to see if the ducks were still there. It was an exhilarating trip with little or no traffic on the road, the overcast sky and a cool breeze blowing through my beard.

I took some snaps on the way and was happy to meet some tourists who were also busy enjoying themselves picnicking at the mini Nakki Lake. I was quite disgusted to see the litter and broken bottles left behind by the tourists who drive down to the bottom to enjoy themselves. If only some sense of responsibility prevails with these visitors we would be a happier town. Have a look at some of the snaps I clicked that day.

 Black-winged Kite

 Looking for prey

 Still searching

Ready for the plunge

Common Stone Chat

Common Stone Chat

Basking

 Indian Roller

Indian silver bill

Ducks mixed bag

Mixed bag

Pintails

cemented road all the way to mini Nakki lake 

Mini Nakki Lake

Scarecrow

Another Scarecrow

something that caught my fancy

Nakki Lake The spectral Green lake Mount Abu

The spectral Green lake Mount Abu

Plummy the guardian looks down on the lake,

A mammoth whose forte is at stake

He’s perceived the birth of the lake,

A sheer human force, that put it together by sweat and rakes.

It’s a manmade lake, the largest artificial sparkling body ever made

Its beauty inspired the poets and the sages, and Plummy smiled

That smile has now grown into a scowl; the spangled lake now lies strangled

By the very humans who gave it its birth.

Nakki Lake one of the biggest manmade lakes is rapidly losing its grandeur. In spite of the wonderful parks and gardens surrounding the lake, the lakes banks are a sight for sore eyes, the stagnant water which has given the lake its unique green colour is littered with plastic bottles, plastic bags and a host of other debris.  The stench at the moment is quite unbearable but by summer walking around this beautiful lake would be pure hell.

The municipality and the other government agencies are far too busy at the moment knocking down buildings to care two hoots for the lifeline that in dire drought supports the people of this town and the tourists that visit this oasis. A number of hotels and restaurants on the boundary of the lake should be monitored strictly to see that they do not dump their solid waste into the lake.

Over the years, thanks to corrupt and uncaring lake authorities, encroachers in nexus with authorities have practically legalized their encroachment through pressure. The health of the lake has reached an epidemic level. Tourism has played no less a role in contributing to the pollution and contamination of the lake. To read more on the condition of the lake read the blog I posted here. http://footloosenfancyfree.blogspot.com/2008/06/abus-mystical-nakki-lake-misconceptions.html
The Latest snaps of our grand lake the one and only Nakki Lake

Nakki Lake

Abu gone Green So have I

Stars by day

 OH Gosh my interior has just thrown up

Forgive me for the Stench I did not cause it Human

When the light is right, dancing in Abu by moon light, makes one Light

Coming home on the 19^th of this month, I witnessed groups of tourists making merry on the streets of Abu. I wondered what the occasion was all about; on approaching the group they told me it was poonam and a day for celebration. Now poonam means the full moon, so I smiled and went on my way, and while driving home I recalled quite a few folklores associated with the rising Full moon.The Twilight Saga: New Moon (Two-Disc Special Edition)

Poonam in this land of umpteen gods is a big occasion, each Full moon has some auspicious occasion associated with it .Even in the western world it is normally associated with the Werewolf   and Vampires, to us simple folks it a lovely bright night, a night for mooching and necking and gazing at the wonder of nature. I recall vividly the wise word of my mentor while in school when he would give us a lecture. “Boys do you know what a lunatic means”? He would continue to proceed and explain to us that it was Luna in the upper attic. The upper attic was apparently the human brain and Luna, light in the upper attic. This is what drove humans to becoming lunatics.( Luna in one’s upper attic)

I guess the effect of Luna  from the moon does have an effect on my upper attic as come every full moon night I’m out merrymaking or on some occasions clicking merrily away at the  appearance of this lovely celestial body that  presents itself in its full glory once a month . Here are a few snap shot of the moon and some others taken in this period

 What am I? The full moon on the 19th Jan2011.

 A grand effect

 A hole in the sky

 A near perfect shot 

 Any one for a drink

 Geese in Abu

What's that smell?

Greetings From The Abode "Happy Republic Day"

My country India today celebrates its Republic Day

I wish all my country citizens "A Happy Republic Day"

My observation and skepticism on my romp down Highway 59

Industrialization, or should I just call it the final axe that will lop off the medusas head of modern society. Today as we sped down the highway 59 in Gujarat the road going to Balasinor Palace in Kheda, I was appalled at the rape of huge Banyan and other trees along the highway. The roads are being widened and hence these trees 1000 and 1000 of them are being chopped, to find their way to the saw mills and other timber outlets for either fire wood or paper mash. What a crying shame to see such beloved tree like the old Banyan more than 100 years old being felled indiscriminately for the progress of Industrialization.

Lakhs of trees all along India’s highways have fallen to the saw, now these trees tell me  will they impact mother earth .I want go into statistics, that’s for our developers of our nation to take into consideration.   My Q to the people on the whole is what is being done to replace the loss of these precious tree? The companies that are broadening these roads are they in any way concerned about the damage they are doing to the environment. Are they planting the minimum of two trees for every one they fell to make up for the loss? I really wonder. Will the cutting of tree affect Global warming? Sure they retort, to a small extent, Nature can balance itself. Finally enough of ranting on this subject, but one last Q, do we need this kind of development that is pushing the world so much more closer to the edge of the world from where there is abs no return?

The Banyan Tree -By Tagore

Have a look at some pictures I took while whiling away my time on the day before I left for my abode.

 Blue Bull on the way to Thol

 Hamid and kids

Harkat (Full of mischief )

What a Darling

Nalini Balasinor Palace 

Vaqar 

Bhatyar Gali on the look out for a snatched meal

Rosy Starling

Relaxing 

Common sight in the city 

Searching

Wire-tailed Swallow