Meghalaya memories.....

Most of North East India is blessed with serene natural beauty. Those who have savored the untouched charm of this region will never be able to escape from its spell, like me. During my three years stay in this part of India,  I got many opportunities to soak in these heavenly places.
Hre I will recount my Meghalaya memories.........
Ethereal charm of Shillong, the hilly getaway in North-East India...I have been lucky to visit twice....The pleasant memory lingers...

The mirror smooth, placid lake reflecting the overcast sky.....

Ethereal beauty of Cherrapunjee....
If a place receives  highest rain in the world, such verdant greenery is quite expected..

The low-hanging clouds feels divine..

Moisture-laden grey sky and chilly air, even in the peak of summer.....

Such a stunning place to rejuvenate the frayed nerves..

Cloud-draped lush valleys.........

More clouds....and the meandering ravine...

The freshness of verdant greenery and the veil of clouds conjure the image of paradise...

The hilltop vantage point........

The murmur of cascading waterfalls...

Vast nature....somehow yet untouched....

Are not this sculptures eye-catching? I instantly fell in love with these handicrafts chiseled from pine wood and cones. I saw these decors displayed in a merchandise stall in Cherrapunji, Meghalaya and lost no time in purchasing it.

Three vultures perched on a bare tree with sinewy branches...........

Two birds perched atop a tree house......

The sleepy Shillong city cradled by nature...

Aroma of pine forest and precious wild herbs...

Umtru is such an awesome retreat, lurked deep in the forest of Meghalaya. The craggy rocks, the milky foamy water of the rapids rushing with murmuring sound, the lush forest with diverse flora, the areca nut plantations, the sloping hills covered with tea bushes, the rope bridge, the hiking trails, the bamboo cottages and the myriad varieties of fascinating mushrooms create a paradise on earth for nature lovers.

Tea fields ..the shrubs were pruned (not in peak pf their foliage), yet what an awesome experience it was to hang out by the slopes, stroll among the neat rows and gaze at the tender leaves..

I have a strong interest for the lifestyle of tribal folks and their age-old, precious traditions and occupations. So, when a opportunity to land in the Topatoli forest  along with the picnic troupe came my away, I decided to make the most of the occasion. Accompanied with a like-minded friend, I ventured into the nearest locality. As we walked uphill along the spiraling path hugged by the hilly forests, overlooking the areca nut and pineapple plantations, momentarily our urban stress gave way to pure bucolic bliss. Soon we were at the locality. I saw this multi-purpose bamboo platform and shed in front of a house. I was impressed with the  rows of handmade grass brooms hung for drying. Some ginger roots were laid for sun drying as well. As I posed for a photograph clutching the wooden pillar, looking all content, I could not stop appreciating the sustainable lifestyle of these hard-working people..

Flora of North East India......

Flora of North East  India.....

Areca nut (Areca catechu) or betel  nut is abundantly grown in  These are the freshly plucked fruits of the palm. 

The dried and cured nuts are chewed with betel leaves as a mouth freshener. The raw nut  is locally called tambul in Assam and chewing it as a mild intoxicant is an age-old tradition. These fruits are considered sacred and essentially required for many rituals of marital ceremonies. So ingrained in Assamese tradition is this nut, the commercial capital of Assam, Guwahati city (Guwa means areaca nut) has got it's name from it only. There is a market exclusively for trading this nut in Guwahati. During my three years stay there, i have noticed these slender, lanky palms in the yard of almost every household, much like the obligatory holy basil in every household in Orissa. Not to forget the expansive areca nut palm  plantations in Meghalaya. How I frolicked under the canopy among the palms, grown in the rolling hills, enjoying the cool breeze, looking at the bunches of nuts? I call that peace and bliss....

Kasatandi flowers, the beauty of autumn ....The sweeping expanses of these feathery, long-stalked, white broom like blossoms under the azure sky graces the landscape. Indians associate these flowers with Durga Puja. During this fortnight-long festival, the fields are abloom with these lovely grasses,swaying in gentle breeze with their pleasant smell thick in the air........

Here I am in front of the feathery blooms.......

Andhra Pradesh memories..........

The massive Godavari, the second largest river of India after the Ganges. The river originating from Nashik, Maharashtra flows through Andhra Pradesh to join the Bay of Bengal. This picture was captured from the moving Coromandel Express, on my way to a conference in Vijayawada. It was a foggy, chilly morning of Late December. Notwithstanding the harsh conditions, these daring fishermen are engaged in fishing for their livelihood.

These miles and miles of palm groves dotting the Costal plains of Andhra Pradesh stood parallel to the route of train, I was traveling. As I leaned against the door to absorb the fertile, lush landscape view, these magnificent palmyra palms (Borassus flabellifer) seemed to be racing with the train. Their abundance in thousands furnished testimony to their special place in the daily life of the local inhabitants.

These charred date palms in coastal Andhra Pradesh have been struck by lightning. The strength of the strokes can be well imagined from this dismal picture of four burnt palms in a  row. Recently, I learned that the study of lightning is called fulminology.

A buffalo chomping on the grass, while a pair of cattle egret and a common myna scanning its hairy torso and limbs for any hidden ticks, for a sumptuous lunch. This heart-warming picture depicting commensalism was snapped two years ago in a small town Guntur..I had been to that city all the way from the North-Eastern city Guwahati, to attend a conference in Acharya Nagarjuna University.

Few years ago, I had visited Hyderabad, for a conference...
This trip had offered me with some opportunity to see some landmarks of this city..

Ramoji film city.....

Replica of Eiffel tower..

Hussain sagar lake....

The Buddha statue.....

Unfortunately, I don't remember this historical structure...

Barren land, so characteristic of the city...

People@North East India.......

A daily market in Guwahati city. It's an ideal place to purchase freshly harvested veggies from the vendors, unlike the cold storage preserved, stale stuffs. Added advantage is that if you are good at bargaining, you can lower the price. Though haggling is not my cup of tea, its a visual treat for me to roam in the market and enjoy the refreshing veggie piles.

A poor woman selling roasted maize in Pan Bazaar, a bustling market in the heart of Guwahati city to earn a living. It fills my heart with tenderness to see the woman struggling to burn the charcoals on the iron tray, inhaling the copious carbon monoxide fumes. I always make it a point to buy one or two of these delicious, salt, chilli powder and lemon juice smeared corns wrapped in a paper. Occasionally, a packet of freshly packed popcorn too. On cloudy, rainy, wintry evenings, these sweet-smelling roasted corn on the cobs were the most desired snacks for me.

A street seller in a bustling street of Kolkata displaying his array knick-knak merchandise. Though the well-heeled lot are not expected to show any interest for these cheap, fake ornaments, the poor people are enticed.

Punjab memories.........

Punjab soil is very fertile with high agricultural productivity due to the alluvial plains and extensive irrigation facilities. 

Sutlej river...

A glimpse at this dark, nutrient rich, well-ploughed fields and you can gauge why it yields bumper crops.

It is a field in Phagwara, near the historic Grand Trunk Road..

I used to work in  a popular University there...and often visited these fields..it was harvest time in late October...

The corns were growing...

Mustards had started to bloom, but not in their peak yet...

It was peak harvest season. The farmers were busy cutting  and threshing the crops. They were kind enough to allow us to sit on the bales, pose on the tractors and hold the crops. Though we had our own field in the village and i had seen the whole process of seeds being sown to harvested, year after year, staying away almost a decade for higher study had blurred the memories. It was refreshing to relive the past.

The farmers were busy threshing the paddy crop...

The sugarcane were ready for harvesting..the farmer was kind enough to allow us cut few stems and relish..

Enjoying the fruit of labour...

Puppet show..once, it used to be a popular form of entertainment...now its on the verge of extinction....

I saw this art while visiting Haveli in Jalandhar...the iconic food and culture haven..

I had got this opportunity to visit Amritsar, the historical border city...........

Here, at the world famous shrine Golden Temple.......

The Gurudwara....

Then I visited Jaliwanawala Bagh...the massacre site of  congregated freedom fighters..

The well, where many victims had jumped in order to escape the firing still stands there..

The building walls are perforated with bullets... 

Met these kids from near-by school...

Lovely Professional University...where I started my job life..as an Assistant Professor.. having a Popsicle on my way back from duty....

Heartwarming pictures...

Well, these are some of the heart-warming pictures I captured during my India visit last year..
One of our calf playing with my nephew..

My husband feeding the calf with lentil crepes..

Now, here the two kids are gelling well, unlike the first one..

Again , husband is feeding the stray dogs with leftover flat breads..