MyRulesNewRules

::peevee pictobrowser::

2008-03-04T08:11:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Sharanya (Panache) for introducing me to PictoBrowser website.

:: PerGram10Paise ::

2008-02-28T22:24:00.000-08:00

Bangalore is my second home, and that doesnt mean I'm blessed with some home made food all these years. In fact, im living outside home eating only Hostel / Hotel / Mess food for the last 14 yrs. In this long period of time, I had come across so many food items and payment options.

But.... here is a strange (rather interesting) practise of serving food at Nilgiris, Brigade Road, Bangalore. Recently Nilgiris, rebranded their Kurunji restaurants to "Masala Bread" in the Underground space of Nilgiris, and serve breads, cakes, pufs, cool drinks, milkshakes and buffet meal as well. They started the buffet meal with "Buffet Small for Rs.39" and "Buffet large for Rs.49" and given an option of choosing between Veg and Non-Veg.

For various reasons (Including, bored of Andhra meals from Avakkai / Nagarguna and liked the ambience of Masala Bread) we (my colleagues and I) started visiting "Masala Bread" regularly for Lunch. All of a sudden, couple of weeks back, we could see a weighing scale, next to the food counter. It took few minutes for me understand and digest the concept of serving / selling food by weighing in grams.

Each gram costs you 10 paise. Here is the Flow....

You choose what u need.... from the option of 2 variety rices, 2 kurmas, 2 subzees and 2 kinds non veg dishes.

Then... she weighs it and make an invoice....

Collect it and pay at the counter....

Though it looked weird for me on day 1, we still visit this place for 3 reasons.
1. We still like the food being served with all mothers love and awesome ambience.
2. I eat what i feel like eating
3. I pay, only for what i'm taking.

Guys... you can also check this place in leisure, some time....
Thanks to shivu for the pictures.

~ peevee.

:: MyFaveBrands::

2008-02-26T20:46:00.000-08:00

We had a discussion on our fave brands in BWS* group on flickr. Thanks to Sharanya(panache)for making me think on my faves...

Here are my faves for you to see and get inspired..
mine here....

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I Will obviously.. add more.
Till then... revert with your fave brands...

~ peevee.

::InSearchOf ::

2008-02-20T06:19:00.000-08:00

The life on earth is not so easy for men and women and children. We all are working like dogs, day through night for that extra pie.

Here is a women, who do work as a maid at few homes and work at agriculture fields as well. But.. This scene is for an extra Rs.20 income a day. with a magnetic rod in hand, she collects iron particles from a burnt dump yard in the out skits of Bangalore.

How do you feel now?

~ peevee.

:: transaction ::

2008-02-18T23:08:00.000-08:00

City Market, Bangalore is not new to me and i had been there for almost 6 times in the 30 months of my stay in Bangalore, especially to do some photography.

But.. this time.. it was very special, as we had a huge gang of BWS members, shooting around. Guess.. im lucky as well, as i got this frame.

Share your comments and critiques.

~ peevee.

:: peevee @ THE PCA ::

2008-02-06T03:32:00.000-08:00

Got an opportunity to showcase one of my favourite pictures in a photography exhibition organised by the PCA, on its 4th Anniversary celebrations at Ahmedabad.

@ Flickr...

@ the Venue...

Guys at Ahmedabad, said, my picture got some decent / great comments from across the members of the PCA. On top of all this... this was published in DNA newspaper on 4th February 2008. Check the Frame here...
http://www.flickr.com/photos/23421119@N05/2243023483/sizes/l/

Thanks to Milip / Aamir for their support and Special Thanks to Priyanka for her help in sharing the pictures and newspaper copy.

~ peevee.

:: flower zone ::

2008-02-06T03:07:00.000-08:00

This Circular... Flower Zone is one of my all time favourite pictures, shot at City Market, Bangalore.

Posting here for "http://photography-in-tamil.blogspot.com/"

~ peevee.

:: Belur and Helebid ::

2008-02-04T06:45:00.000-08:00

These two names Belur and Halebedu with Somnathpur, are just synonyms to the excellent hoysala architecture. With a bunch of friends, visited the first 2 towns in Hassan District and wanting to visit Somnathpur as soon as possible. We hired guides in both these towns and these towns are not just towns.. The temples are not just temples. You must visit these places at least once in the lifetime to understand the craftsmanship.

Now Straight to Belur...
Belur was the early capital of the Hoysala Empire, with the main attraction in Belur being the Chennakesava temple complex which contains the Chennakesava Temple (dedicated to Lord Chennakeshava , meaning handsome Vishnu) as the centre piece, surrounded by the Kappe Chennigraya temple built by Shantaladevi, queen of king Vishnuvardhana. The temple is one of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture, built by king Vishnuvardhana in commemoration of his victory over the Cholas at Talakad in 1117. Yet another explanation pertains to Vishnuvardhana's conversion from Jainism to Vaishnavism, considering this is predominantly a Vaishnava temple.

It was said, that it took 103 years to complete and Vishnuvardhana's grandson Veera Ballala II completed the task. The facade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes with no portion left blank. The intricate workmanship includes elephants(depicting strength), lions(depicting courage), horses(depicting speed), episodes from the Indian mythological epics, and sensuous dancers (Shilabalikas). Inside the temple are a number of ornate pillars. Darpana Sundari (Lady with the mirror) carved on walls of Belur Temple is one of major attraction in complex. There are in total (around) 16000 status small and big in this complex. The temple is complete with a royagopuram constructed later by Vijayanagar kings in the dravidian style.

Few of my frames from Belur here....

Then to Halebidu....
Halebidu (Means Ruined city) is just 16 km away from Belur, was the 12th century capital of the Hoysalas. The Hoysaleswara temple was built during this time by built by Ketamala and attributed to Vishnuvardhana, the Hoysala ruler. It enshrines Hoysaleswara and Shantaleswara, named after the temple builder Vishnuvardhana Hoysala and his wife, Queen Shantala. The Hoysaleswara temple, dating back to the 1121 is astounding for its wealth of sculptural details.

The temple complex comprises of two Hindu temples, the Hoysaleshawara and Kedareshwara temples and two Jain basadi. In front of these temples there is a big lake. The town gets its name the from the lake, Dhwara samudhra which means entrance from ocean. The two nandi bull statues which are on the side of the Hoysaleshwara temple are monolithic. soap stone or Chloritic Schist was used for the construction of these temples. However a number of sculptures in the temple are destructed by invaders. So the temple is incomplete. The walls of the temple are covered with an endless variety of depictions from Hindu mythology, animals, birds and Shilabalikas or dancing figures and postures from kamasutra as well. Yet no two sculptures of the temple are the same. This magnificent temple guarded by two Nandi Bulls (the 7th and 8th largest monolithic nandi structures in the country. Largest Mahanandi is in Lepakshi, Andhra Pradesh) was never completed, despite 86 years of labour.

Few frames from Halebidu...

Our guide Mr.PuttuSwamy, finished his service saying "Belur is famous for its internal beauty" and "Halebidu for its external beauty". He also remembered to tell us that as many as 40 stone statues were taken away by Britishers before Indian Independence. It was not at all a surprise when he said Halebidu temple got more than 20000 statues, small and large inside the complex. Every single visitor including us, were so very happy, as we were allowed to shoot indide/outside/anyside in the temple complexes.

More pictures at....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peeveeads/sets/72157603832502905/show/

~ peevee.

:: Bangalore Turf Club::

2008-01-23T00:39:00.000-08:00

History
One morning in December 1 1920, four stewards met at the grandstand of the Turf Club's present location in High Grounds. They were: Major R.H.O.D Paterson, Sir Leslie Miller, Major J.M Holmes and C.N Suryanarain Row. These gentlemen approved to form a race club in the city.There were to be 30 club members. The Stewards could elect an unlimited number of stand members. The admission charges for both types of memberships was Rs 20. Men were required to pay while entry was free for women.

How it works now?
I happen to visit this place on 19th Jan 2008 with Greeshma, and did some decent photography as well. It was a Saturday afternoon, where they had 8 races with a time gap of 30 minutes between each race. When we entered it was already 3.10 and three races were over. The race extends to a distance of 1200 metres and lasts only for 2 minutes (actually less than 2 minutes) and they need the balance 28 minutes to prepare for the next race.

The horses with their jockies were taken to the paddock, to show to the people, who are involved in the betting, before they were put on to the Race Course. This is in a way helps the betting guys to check their horse and jockey and always shout and clap and motivate these jockies before they go on to the actual race. I could also see people in suit talk to these jockies in the paddock. Guess, they are the owners of the horse or the big level betting guys.

Here are few of the pictures from the visit...
Paddock

Walks deciding Runs..

Expectations:

Got to know some sad story as well.
A person by name vinod, came with Rs.1000 at 2.00pm and lost Rs.900 at the end of 5th race. He was talking to us, saying few days, they win and most other days they loose money. Another person, was very happy when his horse (horse number 2) won the race in the 5th race. He wanted us to test our luck as well. I had to tell him and convince, that i know my luck and i was there for a different objective and not to bet. I remember, there is a horse statue under the Anna Flyover (formerly Gemini flyover) in Chennai, which was installed in the remembrance of stopping horse races in TamilNadu. But.. thats a forgotten history now. The rich becomes rich and the poor becomes poor in the race course.

Do you think, you and I can do something about it?

~ peevee.

:: its my day ::

2008-01-18T05:37:00.000-08:00

Jan 18 2008. Another usual 24 hrs passes, afterall its my birthday.
Actually this was one of the longest days in the recent past, as i was sitting with my phone continuously attending calls from 11.50pm(17th Jan 2008), when Raghuram Ashok called me first. Unlike previous years, this year therz no Egg / Cream Abhishekam. Slept around 1.30am, after answering couple of calls, with alarm set at 6.30am.

Guess.. i woke up ar 6.20am, thanks to my sister's call.. Wishes started pouring in from mom, dad, sisters, uncles, nephew, niece, friends including, couple from BWS. Lot of Mails, Messages, scraps, cards, gifts and Calls made me feel proud that i too have a set of caring people. LOL.

Then.. a breakfast at Sangam on the Residency Road, First client call from UdhayShankar of Intel, First client brief from Gunjan Rawal of Intel, Few creatives, few picture uploads to flickr, lunch at Nilgiris, on the Brigades, some cash deposits in bank, online update on the Ind-Aus Cricket, few more calls/chat with fellow friends and finally a call to Lions Eye Bank, JC Road, to understand pledging eyes. Yes.. gonna sign the form to pledge my eyes tomorrow.

Thanks to Sara for this picture...

I thought i may be going for dinner with few friends in the evening, some TV, some more mails, some more flickr... there ends the DAY. But.. at around 8.00pm.. there was a sweet surprise... Chaithu/deep/sow/aanu came to Residency Chambers. Had a Cake Cut.. few clicks and got my fave color long Kurtha. Thanks guys. It was already time for Dinner and headed to Tandoor on the MG Road.. Had dinner with all strange named dishes.

Post dinner headed home, to cut one more cake, few snaps an Excalibur shirt. So the time is 12.08am(19th Jan 2008) and time to sleep...

So... its not just an other day in my life.. Thanks all for the wishes and prayers.

~ peevee.

:: jallikattu ::

2008-01-16T06:02:00.000-08:00

Do we need Jallikattu even in this 21st Century? Every year, i think on the same lines, when i see the news/article with sad/bad news coming from Madurai and few other parts of TamilNadu. Every year, i expect that the event will be banned atleast from this year.

What is this event all about?
1. Jallikattu is wild bull taming sport ( first place can we call this a sport?) played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebration.
2. Have 2 other names like MANJU VIRATTU (chasing the bull) / YERU THAZHUVUDHAL (hugging the bull).
3. Its one of the oldest events, as old as 2,000 B.C. to 1,500 B.C (found some paintings on caves, in a village near kothagiri in Nilgiris, TN)
4. According to legend, in olden days the game was used by women to choose their husbands. Successful "matadors" were chosen as grooms. And men also tame the bull for the bunch of coins tied in the horns of the bull.
5. The Majestic Kangeyam bull is involved in this game by Jameendar's, as they are naturally more ferocious and muscular than any other of its species.

Is it relevant now?
1. Is this event relevant for the current scenario?
2. How many women select the matadors as their grooms?
3. How do we call this as the sensible tradition?
4. Why should we harm the animal and harm self as well?
5. What is the kind of pleasure men get out of this horrifying act?
6. Don't we have better entertainment/work to do, other than jallikattu?
7. What is the lose, if we ban this? May be Some bull owners will incur some monetory losses.

Why should we BAN?
1. No relevancy to the current scenario. We should be Sensible enough to understand the issue.
2. No tradition is good, which permits us to harm anybody, human or animal.
3. No Safety / Security for the men cos of animal and vice versa.
4. No humneness, when the bulls are allegedly made to drink arrack and chilli powder is sprinkled into their eyes to make them ferocious.

Why should we NOT fight against BAN?
1. Jallikattu is just an other practise followed in few disctricts of TAMILNADU.
2. We are gonna loose nothing, if we ban this activity. TamilNadu will get its own Foreign investment / Number of tourists etc.
3. Check the list of abolished Senseless Traditions to quote a few from the country. Sati Pratha / Child Marriage (to some extent) / Caste System (to some extent) / Devadasi System (are we arguing that Jallikattu is older than Devadasi System?)

Few pointers to note:
1. Im a TAMILIAN and I seriously dont feel BAD that im loosing an AGE OLD Tradition, If we ban Jallikattu.
2. Looking for a Socio-Cultural Revolution to evaluate several old age practises.

~ peevee.

::Fear::

2008-01-09T05:26:00.000-08:00

Hmm... Finally i got this image in place, after thinking for minutes together.
Here are the doubts i had before going to the Center Spot under the Windmill tower.
1. Thought, what if i get electocuted, if i go close to the tower. (Im lucky)
2. Thought, what if the blades on my head. (LOL)
3. Thought, what if some security shoots me, from otherside.. (Fortunately NO one)

I must thank Suruchi for her bold act of going to that Geo Spot and make us also move to the zone. Here is the RESULT.

~ peevee.

:: Chitradurga::

2008-01-08T05:21:00.000-08:00

Chitradurga: City of Fort and Windmills
Chitradurga is a city located in Karnataka and gets its name from Chitrakaldurga, an umbrella-shaped rocky hill found here. According to legend the Chitradurga district dates to the period of the Ramayana and Mahabharata. The whole district lies in the valley of the Vedavati River, while the Tungabhadra flows in the North-West.

The Fort of Chitradurga with seven circumambulations surrounds the seven hills of Chinmuladri range. Though the construction of this fort commenced during 10th Century A.D it was completed only in 18th Century A.D during the rule of Palegars, with the latest additions being in the years leading to the 19th century, during the reign of Hyder Ali and later Tipu Sultan. According to one estimate the total length of the fort is about 8 kilometres. Of the seven lines of ramparts 3 are built at the base of the hill while 4 rows are on the rocky slopes. The inner fort is like a bowl with a cup shaped valley that is more like a plateau, in the middle.

There are four main entrance gates with the walls built out of gigantic brown granite stones, and though irregular in size these are cut and placed in such a way that there is hardly any gap – somewhat like a jigsaw puzzle after it is completed. Constructed in a slightly pyramid-like shape ensures its stability. The lower three ramparts are protected by moats guarding the outer approaches. The Fort has never been overrun.

There are 14 temples inside the fort and the most prominent of these are those dedicated to: Ucchangamma, Sampige Siddeswara, Gopalakrishna, Subrahmanya. Sanctums of Ekantaeswara, Phalguneswara, Hidimerareswara are also established here pointing to the broad minded and tolerant nature of the community.

The city is also famous and in controversies cos of Windmills. In Chitradurga, windmills, built to tap a sustainable source of power, is threatening the environment. Scores of windmills have been built in forest areas and this has affected conservation. Windmills have been set up in at least two major reserve forests of the district - akkihalli and Jogimatti — allegedly against the norms.

According to the sources in the Forest Department, cases of encroachment and violation of the Forest Conservation Act have been booked against two major windmill operators in the district. The villagers of Gounahalli and surrounding areas in Hiriyur taluk opposed the construction of windmills in the Lakkihalli Reserve Forest and brought civil works related to them to a halt. Following the protest, forest officers rushed to the spot and filed cases against a windmill company. They reportedly seized vehicles and machinery.

Few pictures here shot during my recent visit to the city. Its worth a visit to this city and is easily accesible from Bangalore and is just 4 hrs away (198kms on the NH4)

A view from Fort:

Wind Power:

Temples:

~ peevee.

Sources:
http://www.hindu.com/2005/06/27/stories/2005062706940500.htm
http://www.matrimonyxpress.com/2006/12/travel/chitradurga-fort-%E2%80%93-a-medieval-wonder/

:: CIRCA 2008 ::

2008-01-03T05:38:00.000-08:00

Its been a long time wish to visit atleast 60% of South India (viz. AP/TN/KA/KL States) and lemme try to do that this year.
My wish list goes like this...

TamilNadu / Kerala / Karnataka / Andhra Pradesh Circuits:
1. Chennai - Pulicat - Kanchipuram - Mahabalipuram - Thirukazhukundram - Uthiramerur - Vedanthangal
2. Pondicherry - Chidambaram - Gingee - Vellore - Nagappattinam - Karaikal - Thanjavur - Kumbakonam - Seerkazhi - Vaideeswarankoil
3. Thiruchirappalli - Karaikudi - Madurai - Thenkasi - Kutraalam - Kulasai - Tiruchendur - Rameshwaram - Kanyakumari
4. Ooty - Kodaikanal - Yercaud - Elagiri - Kolli hills
5. Walayar - Pollachi - Theni - Kambam - Munnar - Periyar - Thekady
6. Coimbatore - Palghat - Adhirapally - Cochin
7. Srirangapatna - Somanthpur - Mysore - Wayanad- Calicut
8. Madikeri - Bylakuppe - Mangalore - Kundapur - Udipi - Malpe - Maravante - Jog
9. Gokarna - Goa
10. Hampi - Badami - Aihole - Bagalkot - Belgaum - Bijapur - Gulbarga - Hyderabad
12. Chitradurga - Chikmagalur - Belur - Helebedu
13. Sringeri - Dharmstala - Shravanabelagola - Melkote
14. Vishakapatnam - Machilipatnam - Warangal
15. Srisailam - Mahanandi - Ahobilam - Kailasanadhakona - Suruttupalle - Talakona - Yadagirighutta

Apart form these mentioned above, the list goes like this for the REST of MY LIFE..
1. Mumbai/Pune/Ajanta
2. Pushkar/Jaipur/udaipur
3. Leh/Ladakh/Srinagar
4. Bhuj/Ahmedabad
5. Dehradun/Mussourie
6. Varanasi/Allahabad/Lucknow
7. Kolkata/Darjelling/Patna/Ranchi
8. Majoli and entire NE
9. Gwalior/Bhopal/Raipur
10. Bhubaneshwar/Puri/Cuttack

I guess.. I need 365 FULL days to finish this, though i have covered many places earlier without my NIKON toy.... I have 20 days of Leaves and of course 52 Sundays.

I know, im very ambitious.. and lets see.. where it ends.. :)

~ peevee.

:: My 2007 ::

2008-01-02T06:20:00.000-08:00

Year 2007 was great for me in terms of Travel and Photography.
The Travelogue 2007 here.

January 2007:
2: Alampara Fort:
The ruins of Aalampara fort on the shores of bay of bengal, near Kadapakkam, Kancheepuram district, TamilNadu. Story
Pictures at.... Alampara Fort

14: Kokkre Bellur:
Team of 7 on an early morning, been to Kokkare Bellur Village.... 14th Jan 2007. Lots of huts, Lots of trees... lots of nests.. lots of colorful birds... pelicans, painted
starks, lot of tourists with lots of cameras around.
Pictures at... Kokkre Bellur

15: Kelavarapalli Dam:
Been to Kelavarapalli dam near hosur, on Jan 15th 2007 and with all nostalgic moments, roamed around the town.
Pictures at... Kelavarapalli Dam

April 2007:
2: Mysore / Bluff / Talakad:
Team of 5 on a two day trip to Mysore-Talakad circuit.
Pictures at... Mysore / Bluff / Talakad

6: Lepakshi:
Images shot during a mini trip to Lepakshi, AP on 6th April 2007. The village is 120 kms from Bangalore city and houses Veeranadra swamy temple. The village can be reached at the 20th km just after crossing the Andhra Border via NH7.
Pictures at... Lepakshi

21- 28: Delhi and Beyond:
The set of images shot in Delhi, Kullu, Manali, Shimla, Chandigarh, Haridwar and Rishikesh on a ten day trip, April 2007.
Pictures at... Delhi and Beyond

May 2007:
26-27: Coorg:
On an official visit to coorg.
Pictures at... Coorg

June 2007:
17: Melkote:
One of the BEST TRIPS I have ever had with BWS. 3 Nikonian Shutterbugs.... 330 Kms... 13 hrs.. 400+ clicks....
Pictures at... Melkote

24-25: Madurai:
Been to Madurai City on a personal visit, Last week of June 2007. Visited Thirumalai Nayak Mahal(More Details @ en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thirumalai_Nayak_Palace), Meenakshi Amman Temple and American College.
Pictures at... Madurai

June 30-July 1: Alappuzha:
Alappuzha, Kerala - The Venice of the east. Been on a two day trip, visiting Champakulam Boat race and Alappuzha Backwaters.
Pictures at... Alappuzha

July 2007:
June 30-July 1: Alappuzha:
Alappuzha, Kerala - The Venice of the east. Been on a two day trip, visiting Champakulam Boat race and Alappuzha Backwaters.
Pictures at... Alappuzha

22-23: Mumbai:
Been to Mumbai, the Commecial Capital of India on an official trip for 2 days. (22nd July 2007 - 23rd July 2007).
Pictures at... Mumbai

August 2007:
4-5: Talakona Falls / Horsley Hills:
The team of six on a weekend to the beautiful Horsley hill station of AP and the neighbouring Talakona waterfalls.
Pictures at... Talakona Falls / Horsley Hills

19: Kunigal:
Been to Kunigal town on a sleepy sunday, a bike ride with pradeep, my colleague. 19th August 2007.
More pictures at... Kunigal

26: Ramanagaram:
A team of 7 shutterbugs biked to ramanagaram, 45kms south of Bangalore on a sunday, 26th August 2007.
Pictures at... Ramanagaram

September 2007:
2: Manchinbele Dam:
A team of 13 BWS shutterbugs at manchinbele dam, 35kms south west from bangalore, through big banyan tree.....
Pictures at... Manchinbele

15: Krishnagiri Fort/Dam:
On a Lonely Saturday at the town of Krishnagiri, TamilNadu, 15th September 2007.
Pictures at... Krishnagiri Fort/Dam:

29-30 September - 1,2 October: Gokarna
Team of 20 on a 4 day trip to one of the beautiful towns in Karnataka. GOK is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre as well.. in particular for Final Rites. September /
October 2007.
Pictures at... Gokarna

October 2007:
29-30 September - 1,2 October: Gokarna
Team of 20 on a 4 day trip to one of the beautiful towns in Karnataka. GOK is a famous Hindu pilgrimage centre as well.. in particular for Final Rites. September /
October 2007.
Pictures at... Gokarna

28: Nrityagram:
On a trial travel to Nri...
Pictures at... Nrityagram

November 2007:
3-4: Mahabalipuram:
A day spent at a small village called mahabalipuram (once the major port of Pallavas), on the eve of a get together.
Pictures at... Mahabalipuram

10-11: Thiruvannamalai:
A temple town with Lord Arunachaleshwara temple. Thiruvannamalai also houses the famous Ramana Ashram.
Pictures at... Thiruvannamalai

December 2007:
15-16: Mangalore/Bekal:
On a mini trip to Mangalore, Karnataka and Bekal, Kerala.
Pictures at...
1. Yakshagana
2. Kambala
3. Mangalore
4. Bekal

24-25: Pondicherry:
Trip to pondicherry on the Christmas Eve.
Pictures at...
1. Christmas Eve
2. Misty Morning

Have ambitious plans for 2008. Will write ASAP.

~ peevee.

:: Whats in Store - 2008? ::

2007-12-31T18:24:00.000-08:00

Whats in Store for you in 2008?
1. 2008 - International Year of Sanitation.
Proper sanitation: It’s a seemingly mundane thing that most people in the developed world take for granted. But at least 2.6 billion people – some 41 percent of the global population - do not have access to latrines or any sort of basic sanitation facilities. As a result millions suffer from a wide range of preventable illnesses, such as diarrhoea, which claim thousands of lives each day, primarily young children.

Improving access to sanitation is a good investment because:
a. Sanitation is vital for human health,
b. Sanitation generates economic benefits,
c. Sanitation contributes to dignity and social development
d. Sanitation helps the environment
e. Improving sanitation is achievable!
To put the spotlight on this issue the UN General Assembly declared the year 2008 the

International Year of Sanitation. The goal is to raise awareness and to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to reduce by half the proportion of people without access to basic sanitation by 2015.
Source: http://esa.un.org/iys/

2. 2008 - Year of the Frog.
In 2008, AArk will lead zoos, botanical gardens and aquariums in a globally coordinated public awareness campaign “The Year of the Frog.”

The main goal of this campaign is to generate public awareness and understanding of the amphibian extinction crisis which represents the greatest species conservation challenge in the history of humanity.
Source: www.amphibianark.org

3. 2008: Year of Information Overload?
Interruptions aren't merely annoying; they're also bad for productivity. And when you multiply the interruptions made possible by email, phone calls, text messages, and Twitters across the entire US, the result is lost productivity on a massive scale: $650 billion in a single year.

That's according to research firm Basex, which chose "information overload" as its 2008 "Problem of the Year." Failure to solve the problem will lead to "reduced productivity and throttled innovation." The situation is dire enough that Intel's Nathan Zeldes estimates "the impact of information overload on each knowledge worker at up to eight hours a week."

This is hardly a news flash, of course. Multitasking has long been recognized to have deleterious effects on productivity. The great irony is that multitasking is meant to improve productivity, but the human brain turns out to be bad at rapid task switching. The Atlantic ran a lengthy piece on the false promise of multitasking in its November edition (subscribers only), using as one of its epigraphs a line by Publilius Syrus: "To do two things at once is to do neither."
Source:http://arstechnica.com/news.ars/post/20071226-interruptions-info-overload-cost-us-economy-650-billion.html

4. 2008: Year Of The Location Based Services?
Americans are buying global positioning systems (GPS) for their cars in large numbers, reports AdAge. The NPD Group says that revenues are up 214% and GPS unit sales up a whopping 488% over last year.

The M&A activity in the sector is on an upswing, and the primary driver being location-based and mapping services on the mobile phones, the latest being NXP Semiconductors’ $85 million buyout of GloNav.

As new network-enabled Dash devices and more mobile phones come to market in 2008, next 12 months will see an upswing in news and noise around location-based services.
Source: http://gigaom.com/2007/12/24/2008-year-of-the-location-based-services/

5. 2008: The Year of Micro
This was an exciting year in online technology. If you look at it from a 10,000 foot view, humans are really still blazing a trail on how to utilize this relatively new medium, the Internet. Perhaps it’s obvious but I believe 2008 is really the year that applications and strategies go Micro.

The evolution of the social web (Web 2.0) is now moving rapidly into new, targeted territory. The massive, one-fits-all solution will be evolving to provide you with the right connections to the right people and the right content… at the right time.
Source: http://www.douglaskarr.com/2007/12/26/2008-year-predictions/

6. 2008: International Year of the Potato.
The year 2008 has been declared the International Year of the Potato by the United Nations, noting that the potato is a staple food in the diet of the world’s population, and affirming the need to focus world attention on the role that the potato can play in providing food security and eradicating poverty. Food and Agriculture Organization is invited to facilitate its implementation.
Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Year_of_the_Potato

Now... Turning to my 2008....
7. 2008: Year of Empowerment in Photography.
I have declared this year as an Year of Empowperment in Photography for myself , considering the FACT of pursuing photography seriously from the serious hobby
photographer status.

Having said this as the vision, here are the missions to be accomplished.
1. Learn the MATHS of the aperture / shutter better.
2. Look for more contacts in the photography world, get to MEET more Pros and wanna be pros.
3. Organise a SOLO Exhibition in Bangalore in the next 6-8 months.
4. Work HARD to make all the above possible.

So lets have a sea of change in everyone of us,in the next 12 months. All the BEST. Let's jointly welcome 2008.

~ peevee.

:: New Year Again: My Resolutions ::

2007-12-29T05:36:00.000-08:00

I have been tagged by Kuttibalu to list my new year resolution.

The Wikipedia and other online dictionaries explains New Year Resolutions... as...
A New Year's Resolution is a commitment that I make to a project or a habit, often a lifestyle change that is generally interpreted as advantageous. The name comes from the fact that these commitments normally go into effect on New Year's Day and remain until the set goal has been achieved, although many resolutions go unachieved year after year and are often broken fairly shortly after they are set, over a period of time.

It is just an example of the rolling forecast-method of planning. So, the plans are established at regular short or medium-term time intervals, when only a rough long-term plan exists. So... I believe, every resolution should have a rough long-term plan (vision) to take it forward by various Missions.

1. I DONT Drink / Smoke... so no resolution to quit drinking / smoking.
2. I DONT eat Non-Veg, by choice, so no turnback.
3. Im NOT fat... and Im NOT thin... So no need of for Gymnasium, my regular walks help me maintain.
4. Im NOT Lazy...and i sleeps less than 6 hrs a day, where is the neccesity for a wake up early resolution?

So.. this year too.. I actually dont have any resolutions.. but hell a lot of BIG wishes, apart from few small ones.
Few BIG ONES to quote here...
1. Medical Students must accept to go to villages, as a part of their course curriculum. Bouquet to Dr.anbumani Ramdoss.
2. Indian parents must understand the neccesity of having ONLY one child. We could not achieve this for the lasr 24 yrs, after the 20point plans by Mrs.IndiraGandhi.
3. Software Companies must stop paying the FRESHERS, hell a lot of Money, which for sure kills the value of MONEY.
4. Srilankan Government must give way to a separate Tamil state for LTTEs, during the reigns of Velupillai Prabhakaran.

Few SMALL ONES to quote here..
1. Wanna do a solo photo exhibition on or before August 15th 2008.
2. Need to add an SB800 Flash to my Nikon Kitty.
3. Have a Dr. instead of Mr. before my name (too much? and is not possible in 1 year!)
4. Wanna capture the whole south India, through my third eye. (hope im not copying from kuttibalu!)

So... lemme hope for the BEST... All the best for you guys TOO..

~ peevee.

:: Laksha Deepam ::

2007-12-26T08:41:00.000-08:00

One of the important form of worship is prayer to a lamp, to the flame or Jyothi, instead of a Vigraha or a picture, worshiping it as a form of the Deity of their choice.Vedas say that God exists in the five elements. Aagama Sasthra and Bhootha Suddhi Manthra say that God manifests in Sky[Space] as Sound, in Air as Sound and Sense of Touch, in Fire as Sound, Sense and Shape of things, in Water as Sound, Sense, Shape and Taste of objects, in Earth as Sound, Sense, Shape, Taste and Smell. As light or fire, the Deepa Jyothi represent one of the five elements as a manifestation of God.

Many people perform prayer rituals to the lamp, "Deepa Jyothi" as an alternative to the traditional Vigraha worship of the devotional path. There is a practice of offering prayers to Sri Ganesha, Durga, Devi, Lakshmi, Saraswathi, Ayyappan and many other forms of Deities in the form of Jyothi in a Deepa pooja.

The following pictures were shot at Kodanda Rama temple at Bangalore. 1,00,000 Lamps were lit as a part of the annual procession.

~ peevee.
TEXT COURTESY: REDBULL

:: H D R ::

2007-12-20T09:07:00.000-08:00

HDR Images (High Dynamic Range Images) were originally developed for use with purely computer-generated images. Later, methods were developed to produce a high dynamic range image from a set of photographs taken with a range of exposures. With the rising popularity of digital cameras and easy-to-use desktop software, the term "HDR" is now popularly used to refer to the process of tone mapping together with bracketed exposures of normal digital images, giving the end result a high, often exaggerated dynamic range. This composite technique is different from, and generally of lower quality than, the production of an image from a single exposure of a sensor that has a native high dynamic range.

Though i have shot a lot of bracketed images quite a long time back, have not processed them then. Recently, got an opportunity to process my first ever HDR, after the trip to Bekal Fort Beach.

Processing HDRs is actually as simple as 1...2...3 points...
1. Open 3 bracketed images in PSCS2 / PSCS3 / Photomatix.
2. Merge them after aligning
3. Tone mapping and save as JPEG.

My first image here.....

I'm not sure about more HDRs coming from my NIKON TOY.
Comments and Critics... expected as usual..

~ peevee.

:: Yakshagana ::

2007-12-18T09:31:00.000-08:00

Yakshagana is a traditional theater form combining dance, music, spoken word, costume-makeup, and stage technique with a distinct style and form. It is a theater form mainly prevalent in the coastal districts and adjacent areas, in Karnataka. It is closely connected with other forms prevailing in other parts of Karnataka, and its neighboring states of Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamilnadu and Maharastra. We used to call this in TAMILNADU as THERU KOOTHU(தெருக்கூத்து) - Performance on the roadside.

Got a lovely opportunity to shoot the back stage during one of the yakshagana performances at Mangalore, Karnataka. These artists perform for more than 20 years and for many of them, this is the only avenue for food. Every team will have some artists performing regularly as women artists / comedian or Villian.

Few of my pictures here...

~ peevee.

:: Tabebuia Impetiginosa ::

2007-12-07T23:10:00.000-08:00

Tabebuia impetiginosa or pink lapacho is a native Bignoniaceae tree of America, distributed from northern Mexico south to northern Argentina. It is a common tree in Argentina's northeastern region, as well as in southeastern Bolivia.

No idea when and how we got this species in India. It flowers between July and December, before the new leaves appear. Lapacho flower is large, tubular shaped, its corolla is often pink or magenta, though exceptionally seen white, about 2 inches long.

We are lucky enough to capture them in action today... Hope you guys too like this.

~ peevee.

:: Christian wedding ::

2007-12-04T13:47:00.000-08:00

The Christian views of marriage historically have regarded marriage as ordained by God for the lifelong union of a man and a woman. This foundational principle was first articulated biblically in Genesis 2:24. Later, Jesus set forth his basic position on marriage by bringing together two important passages from Genesis (1:27; 2:7–25). He pointed to the completion of the creation — "male and female he created them." Then he described marriage as a relationship, a union, so intimate and real that "the two become one flesh." As persons, husband and wife are of equal value. In truth, they are one.

In Roman Catholicism, the Church teaches that marriage is God's doing: "God himself is the author of marriage," which is his way of showing love for those he created. I happened to attaned one of such RC marriages.. the couples entering into a mixed marriage are allowed to marry in a Catholic church provided they have embraced the following principles:
1. They have chosen to marry of their own accord with no external pressure
2. They intend to remain together for life
3. They intend to be faithful to each other
4. They intend to have children if the bride is of childbearing age

Then comes the exchange of rings and the Sacramental bread and wine, wishes and photo sessions.

I really enjoyed my time, understanding the process, as i was attending a christian wedding for the first time.

~ peevee.

:: Memories ::

2007-12-03T01:25:00.000-08:00

We met this granny (very sorry.. missed her name) in her small 10x20ft house cum floor mill in Begur village. She must be more than 60 yrs old and carrying memories of her sister, who is now in the US. Ya.. She is holding a photoframe, which was shot some 35 yrs ago, which showcases her sister in class 8 and all her sister's friends and teachers.

This Granny is waiting for her sister, who is coming in JUNE 2008, and invited us as well to meet HER.

I wish and pray GOD to keep her MEMORIES alive...

~ peevee.

:: Begur ::

2007-12-01T08:27:00.000-08:00

Begur, which forms a part of South Bangalore, was also known as Behur, Veppur, Bempur. Some records refer to Begur as Bhaskaraksetra and an Agrahara. The Karnataka State Bangalore District Gazet-teer mentions this place as a pre-historic site since fields full of ash pits containing centuries-old bones and pottery pieces were found. There is an interesting Panchalinga monument (890 AD) belonging to the Ganga period here. But the general tendency to whitewash the outer walls, colourfully paint the deities in front of the temple in Eastman colour or concretise the exterior, takes away the antiquity and the old world charm of monuments, especially temples.

This temple is under renovation/beautification now... with the raised funds from public and goverment as well.

One of my pictures....

More about this temple at....
http://www.puzha.com/puzha/selfpublish/1092802792.html
http://www.deccanherald.com/Archives/oct31/spt8.asp

~ peevee.

:: Angles ::

2007-11-30T09:16:00.001-08:00

I was honored today with the first place for the first time in my life.
This honour came from THE PCA (The Photography Club of Ahmedabad) group of flickr.com for their weekly photo contest.. titled "PCA-Angles".

The judge of the contest DIVS Sejpal quoted the picture as....
"This top angle photo is top one. Textbook composition of 1/3rd – 2/3rd ratio, limited objects and yet very effective. Nice details of water shapes and colours. There could not be better angle to take this one."

Here is the picture, which was shot at the KRISHNAGIRI DAM, TamilNadu...

The Contest and otherwinners.. at...
http://www.flickr.com/groups/thepca/discuss/72157603331816247/

~ peevee.

:: Nrityagram ::

2007-11-20T02:41:00.000-08:00

Guys have to believe me. This was the fourth time, i headed towards Nrithyagram as i could not enter even the Campus for the last three times.

First time, I went on a Sunday, last year, at 3.05pm and they were closed by 3.00pm itself. Second time, this too last year, my bad luck the students were on some holidays, that too again in a Saturday. Third time, i took a decision of Bunking my office on a Thursday, and again in Vain, they were on their pooja holidays, this year.

After three failure attempts, I'm Sure, I'm Lucky enough, (that i have not made 17attempts like Gajini Mohammed) to get into the Campus and do some serious photography as well... It was a nice Sunday and spent 5 complete hours in this beautiful place.

Few of my pictures here....

NOTE ABOUT NRITYAGRAM:
Nrityagram , is India's first modern Gurukul, set up by Odissi danseuse Protima Gauri in 1990. It is situated 35 km away from Bangalore. Nrityagram has a perfect village ambience with mud buildings, greenery, shady trees etc.

If you plan a visit around spring, make sure you are there during Vasantahabba-spring festival-an annual celebration of dance and music where maestros from all over the world come to perform. This festival, considered the Woodstock of classical dance and music in India, is a dusk-to-dawn show at the open-air amphitheatre in Nrityagram.

~ peevee.

:: Mahabalipuram ::

2007-11-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

Mamallapuram or Mahabalipuram, a town panchayat now, was a 7th century port city of the South Indian dynasty of the Pallavas around 60 km south from the city of Chennai in Tamil Nadu. It is believed to have been named after the Pallava king Mamalla. It has various historic monuments built largely between the 7th and the 9th century, and has been classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

One of them is The Shore Temple....
The Shore Temple - a structural temple along the Bay of Bengal with the entrance from the western side away from the sea. When lit by moonlight, it is one of the most beautiful locations in the region. The best time to visit is November to March.

Few of my Frames here...

~ peevee.

:: DEN KANI KOTTAI ::

2007-11-05T05:29:00.000-08:00

Denkanikottai (தேன்கனிகோட்டை), really don't know the reason behind the name of this town. The name in tamil literally means HONEY(THAEN) FRUIT(KANI) FORT(KOTTAI), when was broken into three words.

This small temple town is situated in the Thally Taluk of Krishnagiri District, TamilNadu. Arulmigu Bettarayaswamy Perumal temple with its beautiful Pond is awesome and is the crowd puller to this town. This temple dated back to 4 centuries or so, is an artistic colorful temple. Even today, people from the nearby villages use the temple tank water for drinking purposes. This town is 25 kms from Hosur and 65kms from Bangalore.

Few of my pictures from my recent visit to Denkanikottai.

~ peevee.

:: Colors of Life ::

2007-10-30T23:04:00.001-07:00

Colors are more than a combination of red and blue or yellow and black. They are non-verbal communication. Colors have symbolism and color meanings that go beyond ink.

Cool Color Meanings (calming): Blue, Green, Turquoise, Silver
Warm Color Meanings (exciting): Red, Pink, Yellow, Gold, Orange
Mixed Cool/Warm Color Meanings: Purple, Lavender, Green, Turquoise
Neutral Color Meanings (unifying): Brown, Beige, Ivory, Gray, Black, White.

Whats your color?

~ peevee.

:: Environmental Refugees ::

2007-10-29T03:42:00.000-07:00

MORE AND more people are being rendered homeless by environmental problems created by global warming. The number of "environmental refugees" is likely to rise steeply in the coming decade, which could result in a development and poverty alleviation programmes going awry.

According to a Commonwealth study based on the United Nations research, nearly 50 million people may be forced to abandon their homes by 2010. This has forced the UN to devise fresh strategies and norms to recognise and support this new class of displaced persons. "Environmental refugees" at present do not have rights similar to those enjoyed by political refugees.

Developing and Third World countries, mostly in the tropical and sub-tropical region, will face major problems if they do not take immediate precautionary measures. Lets fight together to stop GLOBAL WARMING.

Here is one Indian Example, on the MG Road, Bangalore.

~ peevee.

:: Model in the Making ::

2007-10-26T09:06:00.000-07:00

Who is a good model?
Is she/he the one who is looking good OR one carrying herself/himself good?

Who is a good fashion photographer?
Is she/he taking good photographs OR one making her/him a model?

Please... I dont have answers for these questions... But have few pics to share...

Please reach me if you have an answer. :)

~ peevee.

:: Durga Puja ::

2007-10-22T06:20:00.000-07:00

Durga Puja is the biggest festival of Hindus in Bihar, West Bengal, East Bengal, Jharkhand, and Bengali Hindus all over the world. It is also called Akalbodhan, Vijaya Dashami, Dashain, and Dussehra.

The worship of Durga in the autumn ('Sharad') is the year's largest Hindu festival of Bengal. Durga Puja is also celebrated in Nepal and Bhutan according to local traditions and variations. Puja means "worship," and Durga's Puja is celebrated from the sixth to tenth day of the waxing moon in the month of 'Ashwin', which is the sixth month in the Bengali calendar. I was lucky to be a part of the celebrations organised by the Bengalee Association, bangalore, on all these 5 days. Singing, dancing, sweets and gaiety are an integral part of this festival.

Few of my frames are here...

:: Yaana ::

2007-10-16T05:49:00.000-07:00

Yaana's major attraction is a pair of tall, pointed rock formations, called Mohini Shikhara and Bhairava Shikhara. There is a legend behind these rocks attributed to the destruction of Bhairavasura induced by Mohini. I don't have the entire story about this... but have a picture to share.

We, the shutterbugs, took more than 4 hrs to cover a distance of 8 kms, stopping at every single inch to capture something or the other and reached the summit. After spending 30 minutes there, we decided to return to the basement without even taking the camera out. It was about to POUR and fortunately, we escaped with little drizzles. I should say.. I was very lucky to capture this misty forest space in the hills of YAANA, on our way back.

:: Indian Coffee House ::

2007-10-13T03:39:00.000-07:00

You get to see this SCENE in every single Indian Coffee House Restaurants in the Country. Im proud that i had an access to ICH's across 4 cities and towns so far, Puducherry, Neyveli, Chennai and Bangalore. We just have to accept the fact that the Tradition and Taste of ICH and food remains the same, even after 7 decades.

Here is a bit information on ICH.
The India Coffee Houses were started by the Coffee Board in early 1940s, during British rule. In the mid 1950s the Board closed down the Coffee Houses, due to a policy change. The thrown-out workers then took over the branches, under the leadership of the communist leader A. K. Gopalan and renamed the network as Indian Coffee House. The Indian Coffee Workers Co-Operative Society Federation was founded in 1958 in Thrissur, to manage the Coffee Houses. Gradually, the Indian Coffee House chain expanded across Kerala, Bengal and Delhi.

The above picture was shot at ICH, MG Road, Bangalore.
Whenever time permits... please visit.. :)

~ peevee.

:: Child Labour ::

2007-10-11T23:01:00.000-07:00

Interpolation of census figures by the National Labour Institute indicates that out of 203 million children between the ages of 5 and 14, 116 million are in school, 12.6 million are in full-time employment, and the status of 74 million is unknown. Most, if not all, of the 87 million children, not in school, do housework, work on family farms, work alongside their parents as paid agricultural labourers, work as domestic servants, or are otherwise employed.

Here is one of the 87million children, not in school, sweeping the floor of a hotel in Bangalore city.

How many more children you wanna see?

~peevee

:: A Small Town... GOKARNA ::

2007-10-11T09:58:00.000-07:00

The last weekend of September 2007 is a memorable weekend for my lifetime, when I made it to Gokarna, a small town in the north western karnataka, a long awaited trip in the recent past. The town, mostly with Traditional Brahmin Settlement living in old, heritage houses, is famous for its Hindu Temples and Final Rites. A frame from the town visit, which depicts the actual Gokarna is here.....

More at.....
http://www.flickr.com/photos/peeveeads/sets/72157602266350868/

~ peevee.

:: Testing Waters ::

2007-10-11T09:12:00.000-07:00

This is not the first time... i'm working to create a blog for myself. One other day, just visited blogger.com, some time later, registered some blogspot (which i completely forgot), and later some time, thought of writing in my mother tongue (but failed) and now.. let me test the waters....

Please expect more from me...

~ luv..peevee.