In the golden memory of a benevolent couple...

It is a selfish world..........most people would not five a morsel to a stranger without gain..

In such scenario, when I see and savor exemplary acts of kindness....tears of joy jerk out of eyes..

Here, I will narrate the story of such a Godly couple.......

They were distant maternal grandparents of my father......

While my father was a mere infant, his mother died.....his father decided to marry again....so, his maternal folks adopted him..

They showered huge love on him...but having a lots of kids to support, it was difficult raising another kid...especially paying for his education....

In this condition...a childless aunt-uncle of his deceased mother took interest in me...

They showered love on him...sent him to good school and colleges........got him married to a nice woman (my mother)....

When my father was in college, they had a their own child..a very eligible boy...and then  many grandchildren too...

As  their family grew......they helped my father build a house for self...and gifted about 12 acres of land..

Subsequently, they cared for each of their children, including me...especially me..

I have heard that soon after I was born, my mother had a paralysis..the aging grandmother of my father ....our great-grandmother...who we lovingly called 'Badi maa' took care for me during those difficult days....

Despite having own family now, their love for us never dwindled.......every time we would visit, she would make sure to get some delicious food...a ripe guava..a mango..

Every time they harvested a crop, made anything special, or even snacks...she would our home some of them.....pea, mushroom etc....

Gifted us in each festival...

The couple were religious and pursued a very healthy lifestyle...so they lived into their 90's....but, regular fasting and rather austere life had curved the spine of Badi maa...she walked bent...almost perpendicular posture....must be painful to her...she never complained though...those were the time, no one popped pills unnecessarily..

For us, seeing them was like seeing God..

They watched wedding of some of my siblings.........I was youngest, so they never saw mine...I wounder, how Badi maa would have liked my soft-spoken spouse..

Within a span of 6 years (1999 and 2005), they died.......leaving behind huge emptiness...

Its been 10-15 years.....every time me and my mother remember them....we cry....in nostalgic memory..of a pair of great human beings...who knew the meaning of life..and found joy in giving....making the life of a orphan kid...

Trophies and shields...

A fraction of the trophies I got during my academic life......
Most of them for quiz, essay, debate, painting, poem...

My mother has treasured them......

Visit to IIT Madras....

During my visit to IIT Madras........
Near a fountain...

The pavement covered by thickets of old banyans..

Photo session with friends for fun...

I was 25-something...
yeah, the age we yearn being photographed....and stay in cloud-cuckoo land..

Night walks..

IITG campus is so serene.......it was nice to have a short walk with friends, by the lake after supper...

Water quality: Are people aware of the threats?

Bad water quality is top single-most reason of health degradation and death.
With sanitation and water supply by public health department, the pathogen threat has dropped.
However, as water level declines, people in rural areas are resorting to digging wells in their yard.
It is likely to affect the water resource and to result in unsustainability.
Our village house has a well...and so do the neighbors have.
I wonder how long it can sustain demand..
Anyway, here I aim to draw attention to another issue...
As the water drawn is directly used...they are not aware of the minerals in it..
May be too much arsenic or lead?  These semi-metals and metals have been implicated in many dangerous diseases. Even regular mineral in excess, when used regularly is unhealthy.
I wish the water quality can be tested.
I am not living in India anymore. But I do care for my country, its prosperity...above all, health of our people.

Relevance of mahua plant in the life of rural people of Central India..

Mahua (Madhuca indica) is  a keystone species of Central India.....Massive with  multiple utility....a haven for birds...

When leather-colored bud clusters appear in spring and the fragrant flowers bloom in summer...its a busy time for everybody, those who depend on it.....

People in rural areas burn down the leafy carpet at the ground, so as to more effectively collect the juicy-grape-like flowers.......at night one can see the distant hills burning.....I am not sure of its environmental impact though....

Some flowers are fermented to make beverages......elephants raiding the cottages of people to aid this aromatic drink is not unknown...

Other flowers are dried on mats in full sun to make raisins...these fried flowers are sold as a cow feed..my mother used to buy bagful of them to feed our cattle...

Our school campus had one giant tree......we used to pick the flowers...the dried mass were often sold to fund the earthen water pitchers for the summer days......it was fun...

The fruits which looked like canistels are consumed as vegetables.........I have tried a few times....though I did not like...some off-flavor of the characteristic Sapotaceae family....must be the tannin...

The seed oil was used as an skin emollient.....must better than the current slew of dangerous chemicals...

As a respect to its contribution, this plants is considered holy and its woods are used in weddings and other auspicious occasions...

And it often harbors the orchid vanda on its barks...

When I saw a Amazonian tree Ombu in California botanical garden.......it reminded me of our own mahua tree.........

Save them......its utter foolishness to topple down such nourishing plants for some fire woods or timbers.. 

Fun day at Ramoji film city...

In 2008, myself, along with a group of fellow researchers had gone to Osmania University, Hyderabad for a conference....During that time, we visited the popular tourist place Ramoji film city.....some memories...

My junior Rishi..

With Priyanka..

People who make a difference ..............

Nothing touches my heart than tales of human compassion...indomitable spirit...against odds...
Ours is  big country with such amazing people...they do not get support...common people taunt them..but they persist...to make a difference..
This man who single-handedly creates a large forest for wildlife...another converts  a barren meadow into a bird haven.......
Someone picking nails from road for years, so that others don't have to face the agony of vehicle tire getting punctured...
A lady feeding hundreds of stray dogs everyday....
Even in Odisha, my native state.........there was a poor man who, who used to visit house to house, borrowing books to create  a local library.........

Their noble ways of serving makes me salute them...Unfortunately, they do not get the fame they deserve...
Hats off to these people...we need more heroes like them.........
The best way to achieve it is to become one of these distinguished community....by finding own passion and listening to instincts...

How to tackle dengue, zika, malaria-causing mosquitoes the organic way....

Disease-causing mosquitoes are expanding their range..

not a good sign for humanity...

Zika, dengue, malaria, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, chikungunya....

Fumigation with hazardous chemicals is another danger to human health...for the chemicals are carcinogens...

From Metro city Delhi to non-descript village, no place is immune to these nasty bugs...

People should be aware of the risk and educate others as well......as fault of your neighbor can bring calamity on you....I mean sedentary water in neighbor's yard can breed mosquito, which can bite others...

Get rid of  brambles, bushes.....

Decant any standing water...

Install screens in windows and doors..

Don't through garbage in the open...

Cover the drains..

Wear full clothes and use bed nets...

For coils, repellent creams, insecticide-drenched clothes, chemical fumigation are dangerous for health..

Now I understand why my parents used to put bunch of neem leaves  and sal-tree resins (jhuna) on hot embers to drive away the flies...

Also, old folks know the use of karanj tree (Pongamia pinnata) oil as mosquito repellent...

The smell was pleasant......and they were organic....no side effects..

I wish people to realize the value of organic life.....yeah, its not a cliche..

We have evolved in nature, in the woods like all wildlife...so, nature heals us the best..

Sister's garden in Rourkela...

These are my pictures taken in my Elder sister's garden in Rourkela....

With help of a gardener, she has created a from flowers garden and backyard vegetable patch...even in the rented house...

So many varieties of roses....

Ixora, canna.....

Moss rose, clitoria and many other..
With my nephew...

This place and garden has been left long back and moved to another place...
But the pleasant memories linger..
I had posted her new garden and flowers before, in the post below
http://asiknowindia.blogspot.com/2015/09/flowers-of-odisha-part-iii.html

Calf eating chapati from my mother's hand...

Cattle and calves are integral parts of our community in India...yeah, we belong to the farming-landlord community........ 

So, we always have at least one calf in our barn....

When there are many, they play among themselves...........when alone, and cow mother goes for grazing.....the little calf comes to our house....to get some attention, food and to stay away from the tormenting stray dogs...

This little one follows my mother......one of such moments.....my mother is feeding the calf with chapati..

Here are some more shots of the same guy..

Common people in India.....

During my visit to India and during the stay with my elder sister in Rourkela, i accompanied her to the open air market....for vegetables....with camera in tow.......

As she browsed through the vegetables, I started taking pictures of people and things around......the gol-gappa vendor, the flamboyant flower, scavenging crows..........and others..

As I turned my lens to these women seller, they blushed......I captured some smiling faces...

So many problems in current India...struggle for almost everything...yet, the laughter has not been forgotten..

My IIT Guwahati days......

I spent three years in North East India...Guwahati to be precise..
I pursued my PhD.......these are the pictures towards  the end of the degree...

IITG logo..

Banana infloresence and pith as a vegetable...

Banana plants in my parent's yard in Sundargarh....opulent ruit clusters...
There are few pests...
 The fruits can be as a vegetable while raw........
Even the pink inflorescence at the tip can be processed to a delicacy...
After removing the pink petals...the white core is made into stir-fries...
Also the pith of the long stem is often cooked.......though its a tedious task to get it, buries under the layers........also, it oozes copious tannins......which can spoil your clothes with permanent stains....
During my Guwahati stay period, in the hostel canteen, it was an integral part of  menu...

Bird nesting on telephone tower...

Adaptation to changing conditions or situations in inherent trait of all living organisms.........

including this grey crane (gendalia bird)...

Every summer they pass by our village in Sundargarh...

Now some of them have built nest on the red and white telephone tower........

These highrises protect their chicks from predators and other nuisance, including human...also, dwindling trees, leave them with fewer options...

This shot was taken just beyond our house...its a BSNL telephone tower...

Greenery and waterfalls of Meghalya...........

The emerald greenery of Meghalaya.....

Clear montane rivers tumbling down the lushness........

Creating spectacular cascades......

For more on this beautiful sate visit:

http://asiknowindia.blogspot.com/2015/07/shillong-memories.html