pumpkin bud and flower

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heritage building on Line Bazar street

For the past few months, during my early morning bicycle rides, a few well maintained older buildings have caught my attention. Of them, one is situated on Line Bazar road. The owner(s) effort is highly appreciable. Same for the workers talent behind the building's looks.

Hoping the owner(s) are okay with this blog post.

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a Native American saying

Received this beautiful card a few years ago from my friend Alexis Pilialohaeku'upu'uwai Higginbotham the ceramic sculptor.

This hand constructed card is a work of Barbara Barratt an artist from Santa Fe, New Mexico. Please do not make or produce imitations of this card.

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ಕಲಾದೇವಿಯ ಪ್ರತಿಮೆ Goddess of Art

At least once a week I pass by the art school on college road. Last week I noticed a new statue in the art school campus and went in for a closer look. It's a beautiful statue of a lady holding palette and brush. It seems the statue is just coated with primer now. Probably, a few days later this should be a colorful statue.

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bitter chocolate challenge

Recently we discovered Amul's dark and bitter chocolates. First we tried Dark Chocolate, its strong flavor was bitter-sweet. Both of us liked it but I wished it was bitterer. Then we got Bitter Chocolate. As usual after dinner, we broke off four pieces, two each. Watching 'House of the Dragon' I was enjoying the bitterness. I must admit my surprise at the intensity of bitterness, the bitterest I'd ever tasted. Then I heard Pushpa retching, she ran to the washbasin and spat out the pieces. She couldn't handle the challenge. That's when I felt that bitter food is not for all, only a select few enjoy it.

After chewing Amla we experience a mild sweet taste, right? Same with Bitter 90%.

Years ago, when we lived in Hyderabad, we had had Thai Pad instant noodles for dinner once. That was the first time we had made it and tasted it. Our mouths were on fire, the chilly flavor was really intense.  Sweat broke and eyes teared. After half a bowl, Pushpa gave up. I could handle it, finished all we had cooked. Generally I prefer moderate chilly flavor while Pushpa likes it stronger. However, when it comes to handling extreme taste, I'm the champion between the two of us.

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Pigeon

Pigeon captured on 21st Aug 2023 when was Sun was close to the western horizon.

Besides cuckoo, pigeon too seems like a lazy bird. I felt to so after seeing a pigeon's nest, a low heap of twigs positioned to prevent its eggs from rolling away. No privacy, no comfort, no security from predators, nothing. Yet, the bird thrives. Once they move into a certain space they just drive out other birds. They take over the entire space and litter it with their droppings. They appear to be cute with their cooing and grunts however they can be a pain.

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ever tasted a frozen 5 Star bar

Chocolate bars are usually placed in the fridge to prevent melting. The last time I got chocolates the thought of freezing them popped in. I left them in the freezer for some four or five hours, and then had a 5Star. It tasted better! Care to try it?

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Yekki Hoovu ~ ಎಕ್ಕಿ ಹೂವು

The Apple of Sodom is wild plant with sticky white sap and a complex looking flower. In Kannada it's called Yekki Gida, and in Indian culture it's has an ancient cultural significance. These lovely flowers eventually turn into pods. Subsequently those pods release black seeds with silky hair which are carried away by wind.

Back in July 2009 I had a chance to see Yekki seeds being dispersed.

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Ratna Pakshi

The crow pheasant stayed perched for a couple of minutes while I kept my Nikon P900 aimed at it. It's a shy bird, just doesn't stay still knowing there's a human close by. I was lucky to have got these close-ups. Of course, I have to thank my Nikon for its amazing zoom ability.

Kannada speaking people call it Ratna Pakshi which translates to ruby bird. You might've guessed why ruby. Yes, because of the crow pheasant's ruby red eyes.

People consider it good luck to see Ratna Pakshi. I guess the bird's elusive nature, it just goes out of sight the moment it knows its being watched.

Back in July 2020, I has captured pictures of another crow pheasant at my uncle's place. Do check out the pictures of that Ratna Paskshi.

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Sri Raam Mandira, Malmaddi

The beautiful Sri Raam Mandir of Malmaddi sits hidden behind a wall, away from the bustling railway station road. It looks like the structure is ancient, should be at least a hundred years old.

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two full moon in May 2026

Two full month within a calendar month is a rare happening. I happened to notice that on May 1st and made sure to take pictures of Earth's night lamp in its full glory. May 1st evening was a clear sky while May 31st the moon was behind a thin veil of moving clouds.

May 1st 2026 | Aagi Hunnime

May 31st 2026 | Khara Hunnime

In the Hindu traditions, every new moon and full moon have names. All those names are mentioned in this post: Kannada names of New moon & Full moon days.

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Costus Igneous flowers

This plant has been there in our little garden for almost three years yet I did not know it's name. The plant has several stems shooting out from it's base, grows to a height of 2 feet. The long dark green leaves form a spiral around the stem. About two weeks the plant sprouted buds which eventually flowered. That's when it aroused my curiosity. On Googling flower photos I learned that it's called Insulin plant which itself states it's importance and used by diabetic patients. Its botanical name is Costus Igneous.

A day before publishing this post, i.e. Monday early morning I found stems were missing. On inspecting the stem ends, it was clear that goats had feasted on the plant. Goats are known for eating all kinds of leaves with medicinal properties hence goat's milk is considered as a super food. Well, I felt bad to see the state of the plant but it'll grow back in a few weeks.

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fallen leaf

Found while browsing through my photo archives, this photo was shot on Feb 2014 in a Motorola EX115.

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Blue fox tail

Found this pretty little flower on the side of a road. I'm seeing this flower for the first time, I think. However, it seems like the Blue Fox Tail is a rarely seen flower, at least in Karnataka.

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King of our skies

April 28th morning. Pushpa spotted this handsome creature resting on the neighboring apartment building. In a moment I decided to take a few shots so I got my cameras. I shot 30+ shots in a few minutes and sharing four of them here.

The king of our skies heard the camera beep when it locks on the subject. The king was curious about the sound and started looking around. Is it a bird or a squirrel or some other creature. It's expressions were childlike. Ironic isn't it ironic that a predator like an Indian Kite is capable of being guileless. 

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DC Compound wall paintings

The core parts of Dharwad is occupied by government offices and educational institutions. The campus walls are decorated with paintings of authors' & poets' portraits, drawings depicting cultural heritage, rural scenes, and a few wildlife creatures. While most of the paintings are in white paint over red walls, there are a few colorful paintings as well. Here are my some of my favorite works of arts.

heron

peacock

elephant

I would like to photograph all the paintings there and, publish them too. I'm sure it would be an interesting project.

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Bulbul chicks

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when Old Monk tempts an old monk

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Devil's Ivy leaves

The plant I've always known as 'money plant' is also called Devil's Eye, Golden Pothos, or Scindapsus aureus. It's botanical name is Epipremnum aureum.

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yellow moth

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water birds at Kelageri lake

On Feb 22nd Sunday morning I had skipped a function and spent an hour at Kelageri lake park. Sitting on the low platform in the shade of a cherry tree, I watched the waters and life on it. There are several clusters of hyacinth floating close-by. On the clusters were several birds, both webbed and palmated feet. The ones spotted and shot were water-hen, grey duck, white heron, spotted duck and purple heron. All these birds were busy looking for food. They have to feed as much as possible during the day time. Unlike human beings they do not feed after dark except nocturnal birds.

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ಒಂದು ಸಣ್ಣ ಸತ್ಯದನುಭವ

ನನಗ ಗೊತ್ತಿದ್ದವರು, ಫ್ರೆಂಡ್ಸ್, ಕೊಲೀಗ್ಸ್ ಯಾರಾದ್ರೂ ಮನೆಗೆ ಬಂದು ಹೋದ್ರ, ನಂತರದಲ್ಲಿ ಸಿಕ್ಕಾಗ ಅಥವಾ ಅವರ ಜೊತೆ ಮಾತಾದಾಗ ಅವರು ಹೇಳೋದೊಂದ, ಸಿದ್ದಿ(ನನ್ನ ಗಂಡ) ಎಷ್ಟೊಂದು ಸೈಲೆಂಟ್ ಅದಾರ, ಎಷ್ಟು ಒಳ್ಳೆವರಿದಾರ ಮತ್ತ ನಿನ್ನ ಹೆಂಗ ತಡ್ಕೊಂತಾರ ಪಾಪ ಅಂತ. ನನಗ ಭಾಳ ಬೇಜಾರಾಗ್ತೇತಿ ಯಾಕ ಹಿಂಗ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡ್ತಾರ ಅಂತ, ನಾನೇನ ಭಾಳ ಚಲೊ ಅದೇನಿ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಂಗಿಲ್ಲ, ಸ್ವಲ್ಪ ಉಡಾಳ ಅದೇನಿ ಆದರ ಅವರ ಯೋಚನೆ ಮಾಡೋ ಅಷ್ಟ ಸಿದ್ದಿನು ಏನ್ ಒಳ್ಳೆವರಲ್ಲ ಅಂತ ನನ್ನ ಅಭಿಪ್ರಾಯ. 

ಒಂದ ಸಣ್ಣ ಇನ್ಸಿಡೆಂಟ್ ಶೇರ್ ಮಾಡಬಹುದು ನಾನ್ ಇದನ್ನ ಪ್ರೂವ್ ಮಾಡಾಕ.

ಒಂದಿನ ಊಟ ಆದ್ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ ಸಿದ್ದಿಗೆ ನಾನ, "ಒಂದು ವೇಳೆ ನಿನಗ ನನ್ನ  ಹೆಸರಿಡೋ ಅವಕಾಶ ಸಿಕ್ಕಿದ್ರ ಏನ್ ಅಂತ ಇಡ್ತಿದ್ದಿ?" ಅಂತ ಕೇಳಿದೆ. ಅದಕ ಅವರು, ಹೆಸರ ಅಪ್ಪ ಅಮ್ಮ ಇಡ್ತಾರ ಅಂತ ಹೇಳಿದ್ರು. ಓಕೆ ಈಗ ನೀನ, ನನ್ನ ನಿನ್ನ ಮಗಳ ಅನ್ಕೋ ಅಂದೆ. ನನ್ನ ಮಗಳ ಆಗಿದ್ರ ಮಾರಿ ಬಂದ ಬಿಡ್ತಿದ್ದೆ ನಿನ್ನ ಅಂದ್ರು. ಮತ್ತ ನಾನ ಕೇಳಿದೆ ಹೆಸರ ಏನ್ ಇಡ್ತಿದ್ದಿ ಅಂತ. ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು ಅಕ್ಷರ ಹೇಳ್ತಾರ್ ಅದರ ಮ್ಯಾಲೆ ಹೆಸರಿಡ್ತಿದ್ದೆ ಅಂದ್ರು. ಆಮೇಲೆ ನಾನಂದೆ ಸ್ವಾಮಿಗಳು "P" ಅಕ್ಷರ ಕೊಟ್ರು ಅನ್ಕೋ ಈಗ ಹೇಳು ಏನೀಡ್ತಿದ್ದಿ ಅಂತ ಅಂದೆ. ಅದಕ್ಕ ಅವರ ಉತ್ತರ - "ಪೀಡಾ." ಯಾಕಂದ್ರ ನಿನ್ ಪೀಡಾ ಅದಿ..!

ಹೋಗಿ ಮಲ್ಕೊಂಡೆ ಸುಮ್ನ...!

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crape jasmine flower

Crape jasmine is known as battala-hoovu in Kannada.

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