If mesmerized can mean anything better?

precisely why it doesn't stop charming
people from across the globe.
It is Ooty though and not the Ootacamund
that we grew up to, but it is still dearer to
us. It is said that John Sullivan
(founder of modern Ooty) first viewed
Ootacamund from around this place and
fell in love with it and the rest
is.....................

(shot taken from Gorishola)

Playing to the Nature's Tune

The Indian Scimitar Babbler
Pomatorhinus erythrogenys.

Bird again but a special one at that,
resident breeding bird
shy, rare to sight and having an unusual
calling - so musically synchronized
to hear the male and female babbling's.
These avians plays a crucial role
in the ecosystem as seed disburser,
scavenger, preying on insects and
above all it is a vital sign denoting to the
ecological health of area.


(shot near Doddabetta Nilgiris)

Left out in the Vision 2020 bandwagon!!

Panthi

a irula herds women in Hallimoyar, Nilgiris
for her and many others in her community -
life is all about cattles and Hallimayor seldom venturing
beyond, weathering the sun, rains and wilderness they
survive on meagres of the low milk yielding cows
(stock mainly reared for their cow dung).
With the bovine stock rearing discouraged in this area,
there is a dilution in their culture and loss of livelihood as their
grazing lands,come under the Nilgiri Eastern Ghats Elephant
Reserves preview. Hence they are marginalised
for the sake of greater common good! on the other
side in the name of development, the fringe areas of these
forests are vanishing.
Now is their loss of livelihood and culture justified?

The Valley View Mornings

A panoramic view of Ketti Valley on a winter morning, with the
the mist anchored to the mountains it gives you a
breath taking view to see the sun rise with a halo effect.

The day abstract got better of me !

Yes i have always wondered why these abstract photography
are the most admired ? Well ahh it is an essential interpretation of art.... you know
blah blah.... nay i am not good at that, Folks.
However one thing about these
abstracts, they can be passed on
with some props mounts and processing
(as i have done here)
to others, to decipher what the heck it all interprets.
For me these abstracts are visually appealing
may be this is what they interpret?
Why bother, it gives me that soul searching
sense - me too can churn out some
abstracts. amen.

(a crop of the iron arch at St Stephan's Church.Ooty)

Lets get down to comparative perspective's

Defying the warnings from my last post. I got succumbed to the imagination to go and shoot from the place around where Richard Barron should have sat to paint his visuals.(I had my own constraints framing the whole perspective due to the buildings obstructing the view, this is the best possible view i got)

To the scenic visuals that Richard Barron's saw then and what I am withnessth to now. It sums up what Nilgiris has inflicted upon itself over a century. It is irony that development is the way ahead but at what cost?

Ooty as we really need to know and see

let your imagination run riot yes this was what Ooty looked like in 1837!!!Don't dare to compare it with the current visuals of what is supposed to be panoramic view of Elk Hill and Bombay Castle from the Will Bund Road.The life and timesof Neelgherry Hills (as it was called) was so serene andbreathtaking to be called rightly as Queen of Hill Station.

This plate from Richard Barron's 'Views in India, chiefly among the Neelgherry Hills'. It shows a view from across the lake in Ootacamund. Barron writes that the "small cottages dispersed in the wood are the property of Dr. Glen, an officer on the Bombay establishment, and the Parsees' shops, of which there are two, and one European, are large and good, and any thing, either dress, furniture, or supplies, can be procured, without incurring the unnecessary expense of bringing up what the great change of climate requires."
Most of the biggest shops in Ootacamund were branches of large establishments in Madras, and were situated at a convenient distance from European residences. Amongst the biggest and best-established traders were the enterprising Borah Saits of Bombay.
Thanks to British Library.

Marlimund Lake.

In literary sense this Dam is the over head tank of Ooty.
This dam's scenic beauty apart has been one of the
main source of water quencher to Ooty town.
The heartening news now - this dam is filled to the brim
after 17 long years. Such has been the fury of the Monsoons this year.

Where is the ginger beer?

what remains of the bygone era of this colonial hangup, a legacy
heard and savored, Ooty had all the essence of English be it in culture, setting,
climate and architecture.

Pied Bush Chat

A resident female pied bush chat basking in the sun.
Birding is a an aquired interest for me, it is
a boon for those who love to be among the
wilderness and do the waiting game for that
appropriate moment for the bird to show up.
It is an euphoric satisfaction of having seen a rare migrant
bird again that came visiting last year,
it can be equated to not less then sighting a tiger these days.

The feather flurries

Eurasian Black Bird (Nilgiri Race)

With the monsoons behind us (hopefully). It is raining of birds now, there is a spurt of avian
presence in the fringe areas of Ooty, orchestrating delightful symphony
to discerning ears and colours to the eyes.

Cattle Terrific

Herd crossing River Moyar (near) Tengumarada a predominant pastoral village.
However they have taken more towards agriculture now as cattle
herding is discouraged by the forest department as they annihilate the shrub growth in the surrounding forest area where these herds are taken for grazing.

And the Winter is here !!!!

Mukurthi Peak with Ooty perspective.
Winter mornings dawning with frosted window panes,
and harsh Sun rays filtering thru Cyprus branches.

Nilgiris (un) limited

The mention of Nilgiris evokes the thoughts and memories of mountainous ranges, the nilgiri mountain railway, salubrious weather and tea gardens
but then even this is Nilgiris as well!! you bet?
A beaten scenario in most of the south Indian villages in the lower altitudes.
A herder in the road leading to Thengumarada.
This is why Nilgiris is a unique hill district, encompassing diverse land mass of ever green forest, grass lands, dry deciduous shrubby forest vegetations and culturescapes.

The life line of Tengumarada

This! the world of Thangan, the humble courteous coracle contractor
of Thengumarada, coracle is the sole means of transport
for 1000 odd people living on the other side of the river.
They have to cross the River Moyar to reach the motorable road
to Bhavani Sagar.

Downstream Moyar

The River Moyar - in its monsoon vigours gunning for
Bhavani Sagar Dam.Thengumarada NBR

Cash (not enough) cropping

A proper subsistence farming. A small patch of paddy cultivated
in the outskirts of Thengumarada for the farmer consumption with
the water scarcity and resource being concentrated in cash
crops this is all he can manage.

The Mysore Halla

Shrubby tropical expanse with the River Moyar (not seen) cradled
in the valley below, uniquely named the Mysore Halla.
near Shanda Mattam Sigur Ghats NBR.

Walking the Wild Gaur Way

The wild gaur herd shying away from us near Blumeen Kadaavu
these stock have much lesser exposure to the human presence as
they dwell in the core area of Sigur Forests
NBR

Zillionth Drop.

again a take on the monsoon. Ooty Eithalar Road