From a Jaipur Museum

 Notice the variety of sizes, postures, and purposes. 

Is he laughing?

 The expression on this elephant is so vivid as if he is laughing. This is from a painting inside a cave in Ajanta. While only few paintings remain in a good shape, the sample is good enough to imagine the evolved senses of ancient Indians. 

Ancient Elephants

 These are from the caves of Ajanta - the real poetry in stone. 

Cutie from Pattaya

In the middle of the hotel, these cuties were found playing

 

Lovely Cambodia

And this cutie towel elephant was in the hotel room in Cambodia. 

Please visit that super sweet and beautiful country with a great Hindu past and a heart-wrecking history of human evil since Hinduism diminished in that place (guess that is everywhere). 

 

Outside Philadelphia Zoo

 Although there were no elephatns in the zoo, there were these outside the Phily Zoo. 

यम द्वितीया माने भाई दूज

Fifth and the final day of Deepawali. Yamuna and Yam became brother and sister today, so all the brothers and sisters today celebrate today and in turn, Yam does not harm any of the celebrating ones today.  

 

अन्नकूट जमघट नववर्ष - आज और भी बहुत कुछ है!!

 This is a special Ganesh Ji for today. Why? Because.... !!!💖

Shubh Deepawali

This is from my small puja place at home. 

May this year bring peace, prosperity, and progress for all devotees! 

नरका चतुर्दशी

Krishna Ji defeated Narakasur today and liberated 16000 captive queens from him. That is why Ganesh Ji is playing the flute today, like Krishna Ji. 

धनत्रयोदशी

This is from the home in Lucknow. Each year, a fresh set of Murtis would be brought in. With that, the last year's set reached the ledge.

Back to home

You would ask why back to home when we just started? Well, it's Deepawali's 5 days from tomorrow and I think those will go to Ganesh ji only. So I returned to this one sitting at my home, next to my computer table.

This is a heavy bronze elephant, gifted by Masoom and Pradyun on my birthday. Crazy kids <3

शिल्पारमम

 And this was also in Hyderabad. I loved this place and frequented there, as much as I could. 

घूमते - घामते

Now, let's see some ele-phantastic pics from my many more travels. 

This used to be at the entrance of Salarjung Museum Hyderabad, circa 2007. Must have grown a lot now ;) :P :D 

बटालिक

We were in the final year of graduation. 'We' means Gun, Onu, and Sid. We did our first and only trip together - to Dudhwa National Park. We didn't spot any tigers but we played with this three-year-old baby elephant. His name was Batalik - named so because he was born on the day India won the Batalik peak in Kargil war. 

 

इस हाथी का नाम ननमुन है, उस मोर का नाम तुम रखो !

When I thought of the elephant series, I did not realise I would have so many pictures of elephants in so many different forms that I would be left totally confused. But well, let's see how far does it go, albiet in a chaotic way.

श्रीगणेश

As I said, I will post elephants in different ways for a month starting today. 

तो चलिए, करते हैं श्रीगणेश इस हस्तिमयी यात्रा का! और ये श्रीगणेश आज क्यों? 

क्योंकि हिन्दू पञ्चाङ्ग के अनुसार आज हमारा जन्मदिन है :) 

So here is the Vighn-harta Ganesh on a car dashboard - signifying the onset of an auspicious journey. 

FYI

 

I have been thinking of doing a series of elephants' pictures. I find them very much like me (fascinating and adorable and sensitive and fat and never forgetting). So with the next post around Deepawali, I will start a herd (!) of daily elephants pics for almost the whole month.

Oh my dear deer

 

How can you look at a sunflower

And not fall in love with mathematics? 

 

Tiger Tiger, burning bright

Clicked her in Ran Thambore National Park, as she was starting to feast on the sambar deer she had killed that morning. Those watchful eyes were still too full of Tigritude. Pure thrill. Pure bliss. 

Go ahead to see a man playing piano by foot!

 

Indore is the cleanest city because Chacha Chaudhary cleans it*

  Chacha Chaudhary ka dimaag computer se bhi tez chalta hai :) 

I miss those school days every August 15

 

Time to study a new field

Got another rescue call. Helped correct the identification, helped remove the wrong feeding objects, helped in recovery of the bird. All the while, felt like a quack. Time to read another set of books, so that next time, I do something right not by mere luck. Any leads are welcome. 

 

शाम

एक शाम ज़िन्दगी की 

एक साया दूर पर ,

मन पे छाया 

एक साया 

शाम एक ज़िन्दगी की 

सोच लो ऐ आस्मां

आस्मां घिर तो रहे हो मुझ पर,

 सोच लो मैं घिरा तो

मुँह किधर छुपाओगे !

हरसिंगार

 

If you watch nature closely, it will tell you when the rains are just about to arrive. 

Birthday on my mind

वो मेरी ज़िन्दगी का 

केक है ऐसा 

जिसे मैं खा नहीं सकता 

जिसे मैं पा नहीं सकता 

 गो उसका स्वाद 

मुझको याद है 

होठों पे है अब भी 

मगर अब उसको अपने 

होठों तक 

मैं ला नहीं सकता 

उसे मैं पा नहीं सकता 

... !!!

वक़्त

 इन घड़ियों का वक़्त तुम्हारा था जानम

अब तुम नहीं तो किसी घड़ी में जान नहीं है!

बटेर - Common Quail at IIMI Campus

बाज़ी

 

खो गयीं हैं मोहरें कुछ 

वो राहें चल नहीं सकता 

तुम्हारे साथ जो सोची थीं 

जब ये बाज़ी पूरी थी !

फ़क़त अब सोचता रहता हूँ 

तुम बिन है बड़ी फीकी

ये बाज़ी अब 

हमेशा को अधूरी है। 

पलट

तेरा ध्यान किधर है रे तेरा हीरो इधर है

Come to me Babe

 

Finding life in unlikeliest places

 

गिलोय

 

कपटी वासना - Nothing. Just some shops in Bangkok.

 

No more Juice NB :(

Sugarcane is a disaster of a crop, particularly for groundwater. 

Nonetheless, enjoy the sugarcane juice for now.

 

कितनी रंगीन मुर्गियां थीं वो

 

एक सुनहरी चिड़िया उड़ गयी

हर चिड़िया की एक कहानी 

हमने थी उसको जो सुनानी 

लेकिन उसको तो औरों की 

बातों से थी बात बढ़ानी 

तुम्हारे बाद ये मौसम बहुत सताएगा

 

अगर तलाश करूँ कोई मिल ही जाएगा 

मगर तुम्हारी तरह कौन मुझ को चाहेगा 

तुम्हें ज़रूर कोई चाहतों से देखेगा 

मगर वो आँखें हमारी कहाँ से लाएगा 

न जाने कब तिरे दिल पर नई सी दस्तक हो 

मकान ख़ाली हुआ है तो कोई आएगा 

मैं अपनी राह में दीवार बन के बैठा हूँ 

अगर वो आया तो किस रास्ते से आएगा 

तुम्हारे साथ ये मौसम फ़रिश्तों जैसा है 

तुम्हारे बाद ये मौसम बहुत सताएगा

चाँद ने रात मुझको जगाकर कहा

एक लड़की तुम्हारा पता ले गयी ... 

 

Need I say more :D

 

Happy Budday Maddy :)

 

Dearest M, 

Wish you a very Happy Birthday! Here is a small memory - A bird that I clicked with you, from your favorite class of birds - birds of prey. It was Bannerghatta National Park, probably our last trip together. 

It's been a while since we met or talked but you are always fondly remembered and greatly missed here. For you have been the sweetest, curious, patient, and most unique child I have ever been such good friends with. In fact, had it not been for your curious insistence, I would have given up on bird-walks long ago. Hope you are doing great and scaling new heights that you so well deserve! 

Thank you for being!! May Gods bless you always :)