DO YOU LIKE FLOWERS? HAVE A LOOK !

                             'Tis my faith that every flower
                              Enjoys the air it breathes!'        

                                                                              William Wordsworth




Wherever there are flowers my attention is caught up immediately. As if, I instinctively manage to look at the place, corner or anywhere, where these beauties shower their freshness and gaily spirit. Flowers  inspire, heal, create well being and symbolize boundless joy and hope.

These red flowers were beautifying the surroundings in Tamil Nadu's foothills near Kodaikanal where we stayed for a few days. Strangely enough they open up upwards.

This orange one was shyly looking down but winked at me in the park, close by our house.


A flower blossoms for its own joy.       Oscar Wilde

Sighted in somebody's small front garden  in Tamil Nadu.

This plant doesn't give flowers yet its leaves are fascinating.We were told by the locals that its leaves are used for cooking also.

Lovely combination of fresh green leaves and and bell shaped yellow blooms in Tamil Nadu!

 Bright red bloom looks like posing seductively in the park near by our house at Patiala.

A bed of yellow blossoms steeped in golden sunshine in Tamil Nadu.


Friends welcome here as always!

Linking to:Our World, image-in-ing,
Seasons,
Travel Tuesday
ABC Wednesday H is for heal.
Out Door Wednesday
Nature Notes
Wednesday around the world

GOLDEN TEMPLE AMRITSAR: A PHOTOGRAPHIC TEMPLATE

“Sacred places are physical and geographic anchor points for our psychic and cultural imaginings, the stories we tell about ourselves, the world, and the relations between them.”
Adrian J. Ivakhiv


'Sri Harmandir Sahib (The abode of God) (Punjabi: ਹਰਿਮੰਦਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ), also Sri Darbar Sahib (PUNJABI: ਦਰਬਾਰ ਸਾਹਿਬ,  and informally referred to as the "Golden Temple" is the holiest Gurudwara of Sikhs, located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab, India. Amritsar (literally, the tank of nectar of immortality) was founded in 1577 by the fourth Sikh guru, Guru Ram Das. The fifth Sikh Guru, Guru Arjan, designed the Harmandir Sahib to be built in the centre of this holy tank, and upon its construction, installed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of Sikhism, inside the Harmandir Sahib. The Harmandir Sahib complex is also home to the Akal Takhat (the throne of the timeless one, constituted by the Sixth Guru, Guru Hargobind). While the Harmandir Sahib is regarded as the abode of God's spiritual attributes, the 
Akal Takht is the seat of God's temporal authority

'The construction of Harmandir Sahib was intended to be a place of worship for men and women from all walks of life and all religions to come and worship God equally.' Wikipedia.


'GOLDEN TEMPLE' complex has recently been renovated  with state-of-the -art infrastructure. 500m stretch around the temple has been widened. An elegant corridor around the Gurdwara has been put up. Flooring has been laid with beautiful tiles and the facade of close-by establishments have been done with terracotta stone color in tune with the new embellished look.

Visiting 'GOLDEN TEMPLE' on 17th Feb., 2017 was an exhilarating experience. Very different and unique. The grandeur is humbling. You become  part of the sea of humanity, lose yourself and blend with the aura of religiosity for a short period. Intoxicated by the religious fervor, the visitors seemed to be in a state of spiritual abandonment. It was like a melting point of rich-poor, high-low of multiple faiths, from all over the world. Nobody seemed to care who the other was. Everybody appeared to be suffused with an overwhelming feeling of inner devotional passion even amidst the noisy throngs of visitors. Young married couples ( girls wearing their traditional Churas- red ivory bangles) in a joyful togetherness added to the universality of reverence for the holy shrine.

The sanctum sanctorum and the rows of devotees waiting for their turn to pay  obeisance.

Throngs of people doing parikarma ( going around) of the holy sarover (tank).

 Another view of the Darbar Sahib from the right side.

Darshani Deorhi ( entrance to the Sanctum Sanctorum)

The sacred AKAL TAKHAT- the symbol of temporal authority.

In the middle of this structure is one of the gates to the complex, adorned with magnificent domes

                                  Hubby and me  in the holy precincts.                      


The authorities have established a corridor around the complex to make  the surroundings look more graceful and representative of Punjabi culture and heritage.


 

Above young girls enjoying KIKLI.   'It is more of a sport than a dance for young girls. Two girls stand face to face, close to each other and hold their hands, crossing arms, their bodies inclined back. In this positio,n their arms are stretched to the maximum and hands interlock firmly. Then they wheel round fast and continuously, with their dupattas floating in the air and anklets making tinkling sounds. The other ladies encourage them to go faster and faster by singing songs and clapping. Sometimes it is done by four girls. The folk songs related to the dance have much variety.' Behind them, two girls are doing GIDHA Punjabi folk dance of women.

Friends, I also used to participate in this sport with my bubbling young friends in the long past old days.

FIGURINES carved out of black marble showing young men dancing to BHANGRA tunes. Note the mirthful couple clicking the selfie.

The drummer to whose beats BHANGRA is performed.

High on the pedestal is the statue of great MAHARAJA Ranjit Singh, the last Sikh ruler of Punjab before it was annexed by the British.

Friends welcome here as always!
Linking to:

Our World 
image-in-ing
Trave Tuesday 
Seasons
ABC Wednesday   G is for grandeur
Out Door Wednesday
Wednesday around the world

 

TRAVEL TALES AND TREATS

“Every man can transform the world from one of monotony and drabness to one of excitement and adventure.” – Irving Wallace

'BAHRI BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY'

              F is for  ' Future perfect'

Spotlessly clean and wide inner road overlooking the hills.

Traveling is  a treat. It feeds your wanderlust. It enables you to weave tales in your life experiences. It enriches your memory bank. It ennobles your consciousness to see the world as a pulsating entity. You amble about exploring new horizons, taking in surprising experiences. Your creative juices rejuvenate. Amazing ideas fuel your imagination. Excitement and childlike urge to enjoy takes over. Not only this, the natural beauty of the place, you choose to visit mesmerizes your senses. Your inner voice exclaims, “Oh, there is so much of grandeur and heavenly repose here. Is it of this world? Yes, it is here and now, but hidden from the world." Such experiences are the stuff of inspiring tales. For a few days, at least you forget the mundane monotony and rejoice in the bandwagon of delight and freedom.

 

“For my part, I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake. The great affair is to move.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

Many times, you plan a tour with some specific purpose. Other times you wish to move out of your comfort zone. You welcome a short period of continuous adaptability and challenges in new environs. Unexpected situations, you face in plenty. Sudden encounters replace the status quoits mindset.

Every travel experience carries a reservoir of new terrains. If you are capable of, you can share them with the world and spread joy through your narration.

.......

Another view of the stunning hills.

By the way, my outing this time had both elements. Some purpose and a desire to leave home for some days and come back with renewed energy. My destination after due recce on the net zeroedin on a place called ‘BAHRI BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY’ in TAMIL NADU. It is one of the large states of Southern India. The particular place stands about 95 KM from the temple town Madurai.

 

Here the purpose was to find a retirement community, where the weather is wholesome throughout the year. We desired  a  place of peace and tranquility, far from the maddening bustle of urban life. An escape, from the extreme weather conditions of our home state Punjab.

A landscaped area (the work is only in the initial stages yet.)

My boyfriend/ dearest hubby and I reached this beautiful place late one night. Next morning opened large vistas of beatitude all around us. It came out to be a retirement community with a difference. Marvelous as it is, it also happens to be the only one in India of its kind. Nestled in the foothills, with its vast open spaces, wide roads and breezy climate, it is a paradise of sorts. Panoramic view of the hills on three sides is breathtaking. Coconut and banana plantations charm in their stately presence. It is like a dreamland.

The boulevard like  magnificence of the entry point.

The sun rise looks like a magic so near. Photo capture from the front verandah of our unit.( not visible here.)

Another inner road with cute looking villas on both sides.

My photographs of this place express the splendor, no words can do. Pl. click on the pics to see the larger view.

Friends,welcome here as always!

To be continued:

Linking to:
Our World
image-in-ing
 Nature Notes 
Outdoor Wednesday 
ABC Wednesday