Memories of A Stray Dog

 

Memories

 

I am often reminded of this cute little black & white stray whenever I see another one of the same kind on the street. She used to frequent our place daily and it had become her shelter most of the days& night and rainy season.

She had such an angelic face and whenever she used to see anyone of us she would come wagging her tail towards us to pet her and would walk inside the gate with us.

My affection for her grew when in particular she accompanied in twice or thrice when I stepped out for some groceries / personal work nearby and though I tried to shoo her away fearing other dogs might attack her, she did not budge and kept following me. I tried hiding so that she would go away but she used to wait knowing that I was there and will come out. She would sit and wait outside till I finished and then followed me back and left me home safely and would go away.

Now its been more than 2 months and I have not seen her. I fear she is no more and it saddens me that I will not be able to pet her again or see her come running with joy when she sees me. I just hope she passed away peacefully. May God bless her soul.  

 Happiness is Gratitude

Ever since Nikki passed away, we could not gather enough courage to own another pet. But if we lose something that we miss so much, life gives back in some way or another. And so we have these couple of stray dogs that frequent our place daily. Guess they can sense it we are pet lovers. So they sleep in our house inside the gated compound.

One is a black & white female dog, a cutie pie, very huggable and the other si brown , male dog, a little aggressive but very protective. These dogs, the minute they see me or any one of our family members coming will run & come & enter the gates with us and accompany us to a short distance when we move out particularly the brown one when it concerns me.

What took me as a surprise was the other day I had stepped out for making bill payment at the airtel office which is almost a km and a half distance and this time when the black and white stray saw me she came running towards me and followed, crossed the roads, and tagged behind  me .  I tried to make her stop following me as I was scared she had stepped out of her territory and other strays might attack her.  I purchased a biscuit packet and gave her biscuits but she refused to eat and continued following me all the way to the outlet, waited outside till I had made the payment and escorted me back home for the first time.

I was so touched & felt so much joy by her caring nature. It is indeed a blessing to have someone care for so much unconditionally. Dogs are indeed the most faithful of all creatures. Just one gesture of kindness towards them and they become devoted to you completely.  

Miniature Garden- ( Pls check my page - www.facebook.com/sweetkalps786 )

 Miniature Garden 

Farewell 2020

 Farewell 2020

2020 - An year "No One Can Ever Forget Ever"  with the Pandemic, Lockdown, House Arrest , WFH,  accepting  the new normal  , Changes in work, home, social life , lifestyle , etc , etc  . 

This year has taught us wonderful lessons   that Nothing is Permanent. The lockdown Bought us closer to spend time with friends and Families and Pets , bought us to respect nature ,Believe in staying healthy ,  made us eat healthy , fitness in both mind and body , introspect , tolerance.

During the lockdown  have tried to do many things for which was not able to get time  before - indulge in my hobbies  - Painting, Gardening, Writing , connect with old friends,  new friends,  enjoy small pleasures of life , try something new like Cooking which I had never enjoyed before.

It was a way of meditation to avoid    the frustration being built up  inside from  being house arrested and also from the hectic work schedules .

Hoping 2021 , helps me pursue my hobbies with the same enthusiasm .

Wishing you all A very Happy and a Prosperous New Year

A Drive To To Kungal Betta

 

A Drive To  To Kungal Betta

Every weekend, or rather every alternate weekend the 3 of us close friend always plan out something usually a day out to beat the 5 days WFH pressure. So this week also we decided to go out for a long drive somewhere. The problem started when all 3 of us had 3 different destinations in mind and wanted to go to the place of his choice. Though we decided we will start at 11 am from my place , but due to the confusion of the place and the difference of opinion we finally decided to give in to one of us and just drove off towards Mysore Road by 12.30 pm

The place decided was in Ramanagara, some 50 km off from Bangalore. The drive to Ramanagara through Mysore road can be tiring as there is construction of Metro going on. So though it says 1 and a half hours we reached in close to 2 ½ hours. Once you cross Kengeri the traffic slows down and you can enjoy the scenery.

It was already 1 30 pm when we reached Ramanagaraards Mysore Road by 12.30 pm.so we stopped on the main road in one hotel, Gowdru Hotel where we had Veg and Non Veg both. Food was okay but too much of salt in the curry so did not enjoy much. We need to take a deviation inside which leads us to many small villages where one can view farms, greenery all around and small ponds and lakes thanks to the monsoon. It started raining so heavily making the journey so memorable and beautiful. We played the Jab We Met wala song to make the journey more interesting. We stopped at one small pond which looked simply beautiful and clicked pictures. Thanks to the weather as well ( it was full cloudy ) , we sat for some time there before we proceeded further in the car.

The road further took us inside where we finally reached the destination through the village end at 3 pm. We stopped to confirm the way to the Betta, and they showed us the way inside the isolated road leading inside. But though we can actually take the car inside, we decided against it as the road was steep and a little further the roads were uneven and bad. Coming in bikes will be a better option I feel.

So we decided to hike till the Kungal Betta. The beginning of the road to the Betta has a stone Ganapati on the right hand side and on top of it is a huge, steep towering rock formation protruding out in a small curve over the Ganapati.  We prayed to him and started our journey on feet. The weather being good, we walked slowing enjoying the woods, greenery, rock, some natural cave formations, and of course clicking pictures. We would have walked a few km or more in the woods and we reached and we reached an open ground on the hills where on the right hand side, the scenery all around was so breathtaking. We sat on some steep rocks for more than 30 minutes to enjoy the view and breeze. We had still another half the distance to climb up which looked steep and since we had come on foot and the road leading further inside was isolated and it was already getting dark, we decided against it. But the way further to the top of the cliff has some 2-3 temples which one has to go through a rough road, steep climb, in between caves, we thought of coming back again with a bigger group and of course very early so that we can spend more time there. The best part about this place is it is so secluded. One can come here if one enjoys trekking ,  to enjoy the peace, serenity one is looking for. Far from the Madding Crowd

 We started our way back from the half distance we had covered and back to our car at around 5 pm. On the way back we encountered many monkeys near the Ganpathi idol climbing their way up the cliff. On the way back I also coaxed my friend to give me the car to drive for some 200 metres or so since the roads are empty which I enjoyed. It been ages since I got my DL but not driven after my DL test We started our way back to Bangalore. Mysore road in evening is at its worst with nonmoving traffic. By the time I reached home it was 7 pm..

But the journey to Kungal Betta is worth it. Looking forward to going back there hiking again and making it to the summit to have a better view from the top.

A Drive To DR Hills- Devarayana Durga Hills

 

A Drive To DR Hills- Devarayana Durga Hills

Like any other weekend plans we decided to go out on Saturday. So I checked from my friend for suggestions of some unexplored place which I had not visited. He told me that last week he had gone to DR Hills and the place is worth visiting.  So the 3 of us friend decided to make a trip to Devarayanadurga Hills .

This place is off Tumkur road and is a temple town surrounded by forests and hills and temples. Devarayanadurga means Fort of the God and is in the Tumkur district and is some 2 hours journey from Bangalore.

We set off Bangalore at 12 pm. The drive to tumkur road is beautiful with not much traffic on this road. Our journey consists of small stops in between, to click pictures, to take a restroom break and of course for lunch. Since we had left at 12 pm, we reached the1 highway by 1.30 so decided to break for lunch. We found a neat looking place Halli Oota where we had our lunch.

Once we take a deviation off the Tumkur road, the roads become curvy as we reach the hills and forests. The drive to the place is nice and roads are good.

On the way to the DR Hills we come across a beauty full pond. A perfect place for picnic. There was a little crowd but each one was maintaining the social distance. I think once can swim in this pond but did not see anyone doing that except getting their feet wet and taking pics. But I just loved the place. We spent some half an hour there enjoying at the banks of the pond and lying on the rocks

We reached the place by 4.30 pm. We need to go up to the hills in our car where one can park. From there we need to climb up the hills through steps. And yes, on the way up there are 2 deviations each one leading to 2 different temples

It has 2 temples on the top one of Yoga Narasimha and Bhoga Narasimha and lots of monkeys. One needs to be careful not to carry anything in hand for the fear of being snatched by the monkeys. Both the temples are open from 2pm to 5 pm. Since we were late, we had time to see only one temple, we took the road to Yoga Narasimha temple. There are fleet of steep steps up the top of the hill where the Yoga Narasimha temple is situated. After some 20-25 steps, we came across Hanuman temple. We bowed our head in prayers and proceeded further up the steps. Since the steps are steep, we had to stop in between to catch our breath. Finally, we reached the summit and the entrance of the Narasimha temple. The priest told us to hurry as the temple was about to close. We hurried inside. Inside is a beautiful idol of Lord Narasimha. We offered our prayers and came out of the temple to see the view from above. The view is mesmerizing from above of the hairpin roads engulfed by hills and forests. We sat there for few minutes and started down. On the way down is another temple of Hanuman next to a temple pond. We prayed there as well and came down. It was time to start back to Bangalore. The journey back was just as beautiful with the sun setting in the jungles. We across a small hillock where we stopped and thought of climbing as it looked so inviting. Most of the other people also were stopping for the same reasons there.

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We were getting late now. We climbed down and proceeded towards Bangalore. It took us some 2 hours to reach Bangalore. But glad we took the suggestion .

Classical Indian Dance Forms

Classical Indian Dance Forms

1.  is a major form of Indian classical dance that originated in the state of Tamil Nadu hundreds of years ago. It is one of eight forms of dance recognized by the Sangeet Natak Akademi  (the others being Kathak, Kuchipudi, Odissi, Kathakali, Mohiniyattam, Manipuri and Sattriya) and it expresses South Indian religious themes and spiritual ideas, particularly of Shaivism, Vaishnavism and Shaktism

Bharatanatyam

Bharatanatyam style is noted for its fixed upper torso, bent legs and knees flexed (Aramandi) combined with spectacular footwork, and a sophisticated vocabulary of sign language based on gestures of hands, eyes and face muscles. The dance is accompanied by music and a singer, and typically her guru is present as the Nattuvanar, director and conductor of the performance and art. The dance has traditionally been a form of an interpretive narration of mythical legends and spiritual ideas from the Hindu texts. The performance repertoire of Bharatanatyam, like other classical dances, includes nrita (pure dance), nritya (solo expressive dance) and natya (group dramatic dance).

Bharatanatyam remained exclusive to Hindu temples through the 19th century. It was banned by the colonial British government in 1910, but the Indian community protested against the ban and expanded it outside the temples in the 20th century.

2. Kathak -The word Kathak has been derived from the word Katha which means a story. Kathakars or story-tellers, are people who narrate stories largely based on episodes from the epics, myths and legends. It probably started as an oral tradition. Mime and gestures were perhaps added later on to make the recitation more effective. Thus evolved a simple form of expressional dance, providing the origins of what later developed into Kathak as we see it today.

The Vaishnavite cult which swept North India in the 15th century. and the resultant bhakti movement contributed to a whole new range of lyrics and musical forms. The Radha-Krishna theme proved immensely popular alongwith the works of Mirabai, Surdas, Nandadas and Krishnadas.

3. Kuchipudi, a pre-eminent Indian classical dance form counted among ten leading classical dance forms of India, is a dance-drama performance art that originated in a village of Krishna district of Andhra Pradesh, India. Similar to all leading Indian classical dance forms, Kuchipudi too evolved as a religious art rooting back to the age-old Hindu Sanskrit text ‘Natya Shastra’ and connects traditionally with temples, spiritual faiths and travelling bards. This ancient dance form finds place in the 10th century copper inscriptions and in 15th century texts like ‘Machupalli Kaifat’. Traditionally it is regarded that the sanyassin of Advaita Vedanta sect, Tirtha Narayana Yati, and his disciple Siddhendra Yogi initiated, methodized and arranged the present day version of the dance form in 17th century. Usually performance repertoire of Kuchipudi that is broadly oriented on Lord Krishna and the tradition of Vaishnavism include an invocation, dharavu – short dance, nritta – pure dance and nritya – expressive dance respectively

4. Mohiniattam or Mohiniyattam is an Indian classical dance form that evolved in the state of Kerala, India, and is counted among the two popular dance arts of the state, the other being Kathakali. Although its roots date back to the age-old Sanskrit Hindu text on performing arts called ‘Natya Shastra’, similar to other Indian classical dance forms, Mohiniattam adheres to the Lasya type that showcases a more graceful, gentle and feminine form of dancing. Mohiniattam derives its name from the word ‘Mohini’, a female avatar of Lord Vishnu. Conventionally a solo dance performed by female artists, it emotes a play through dancing and singing where the song is customarily in Manipravala which is a mix of Sanskrit and Malayalam language and the recitation may be either performed by the dancer herself or by a vocalist with the music style being Carnatic.

5. Manipuri- one of the six classical dance styles of India, the others being bharata natyam, kathak, kathakali, kuchipudi, and odissi. It is indigenous to Manipur and is characterized by a variety of forms that are linked to folk tradition and ritual. Themes are generally taken from episodes in the life of Krishna, the pastoral god.

Manipuri, one of the main styles of Indian Art or Classical Dances originated in the picturesque and secluded state of Manipur in the north-eastern corner of India. Because of its geographical location, the people of Manipur have been protected from outside influences, and this region has been able to retain its unique traditional culture.

The origin of Manipuri dance can be traced back to ancient times that go beyond recorded history. The dance in Manipur is associated with rituals and traditional festivals, there are legendary references to the dances of Shiva and Parvati and other gods and goddesses who created the universe

7. Odissi- Odissi dance also known as Orissi is one of the eight classical dance forms of India. Its origin is traced to the state of Orissa in eastern India. It is the oldest surviving dance form of India on the basis of archaeological evidences. The classic treatise of Indian dance, Natya Shastra, refers to it as Odra-Magadhi. First century BCE bas-reliefs in the hills of Udaygiri (near Bhubaneswar) testify to its antiquity. It was suppressed under the British Raj, but has been revitalised since India gained independence. It is particularly distinguished from other classical Indian dance forms by the importance it places upon the Tribhangi (literally: three parts break), the independent movement of head, chest and pelvis and upon the basic square stance known as Chauka or Chouka that symbolises Lord Jagannath. on 23 December 2011, an Odissi performance was held with by 555 dancers both boys and girls from five countries participated. This was held at Kalinga Stadium which lasted for 28 minutes. This has been recorded in the Guinness Book of World Records.