How I met Steve Waugh?

April last year, I was returning from Tokyo and I had a connecting flight from Singapore. We were busy taking photographs at Changi Airport, when my friend spotted cricketing legend Steve Waugh. Thrilled, we wasted no time in reaching him. Without knowing what to speak, I asked him 'Where are you heading?' I felt apparently that did not go well with him as he questioned me back - where was I going, bit arrogantly in a typical Aussie attitude. I replied back that I was travelling to Bangalore. But how could I miss a chance of taking a picture with cricketing world's all time hero. So, without bothering about his response to my first question, I asked him whether he would allow me to take a photograph with him. He obliged saying 'Make it quick man, I have a flight a catch'. My friend took two shots of me with smiling Steve Waugh and I was on cloud nine. After he took the photograph, my friend laughed and said this will be for your Facebook profile. It was indeed true and no doubt it received maximum likes and comments so far in my album! This photo is like a treasure and I have it on showcase at my home.

Though Steve Waugh did not reveal where he was heading that day, it was IPL season last year and he was spotted in IPL matches couple of days later. I am pretty sure, he was travelling to India that day.

Me with Steve Waugh(former captain of Australian Cricket Team)

Around Tokyo : Tokyo Imperial Palace

Tokyo Imperial Palace is one of the prime tourist attractions in the capital city of Japan. But the public entry is restricted to East Garden. The guide who lead us to the garden carried a flag, so that we can spot her in case we lost our way. I thought that was impressive. Here are some shots of the place.

Pond in East Garden, Tokyo Imperial Palace

Variety of flora in East Garden

Japan style roof amidst greenery

Nature blended with modernity

Sculpture of Fish at the entrance of East Garden

Garden lamp in East Garden

Visit to Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha

One of the high points of last year's Odisha/Orissa trip was visiting Sun Temple at Konark. The name Konark reminds me of Odissi performance in front from Sun Temple in one of those national integration songs in DD in early 90's. 

Kamats at Konark

Kamats : Since we reached Konark early in the morning, we were looking for a decent restaurant for having breakfast.  To our surprise, we found Kamats there. Whether it is the same Kamats as in Bangalore I am not sure. But what caught my attention was the menu items on offer - Indian thali, South Indian thali, Bengali thali, Marwadi thali, Gujurati thali. I could guess any regional thali(meals) but what is a Indian thali in India?

Ornamental wheel of Sun Temple, Konark

The Wheel : Konark Sun temple is a imposing structure, not to forget the intricate carvings which are hallmarks of any ancient Indian temple. What is distinguishing here is the carvings of wheels of the chariot which is driven by Sun god. You can find this as a cultural symbol everywhere you go in Odisha.

Sun Temple, Konark, Odisha

History (from the ASI board) : The magnificent structure was built in 1250 AD by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva-I(1238-64 AD) to enshrine an image of Sun(Arka), the patron deity of the place. The entire complex was designed in the form of a huge chariot drawn by seven spirited horses on twelve pairs of exquisitely carved wheels. The sanctum symbolizes the majestic stride of the Sun-god and marks the culmination of the Orissan architectural style. The vimana of the deul has collapsed while that of jagamohana and the nata-mandap are better preserved. The walls of the temple contain superb carvings of  divine, semi-divine, human and animal figures amidst floral and geometric ornamentations. Sculptures of mighty simha-gajas welcome the visitors at the porches.

One big disappointment in Konark is that you cannot get inside the majestic temple, since it is filled with sand bags by the British to prevent the collapse of the structure!

Sculptue of mighty simha-gaja

Sculptures at Sun Temple, Konark

Malabar Coast Photos from 2012 Year End Trip

I had been to Kerala in December 2012. Here are some of the photos from the Malabar coast or shall I say our own west coast! :)

Talangere Railway Bridge seen from Chandragiri Fort, Kasaragod

View of Chandragiri river from Chandragiri Fort

Men and boats, Bekal Fort, Kasaragod

View of Bekal Fort Beach

Talangere, Kasaragod

Fishing Waters, Talangere, Kasaragod

Talangere, Kasaragod

Can you identify the bird?

Simple Aagond Love Story Review

Yes, it is simple and it manages to hold the attention of the audience for most part. Catchy dialogues laced with sakhath Bengaluru lingo set laugh riot. You savour  those moments when your thoughts turn into words on screen instantly.

But at sometimes you feel out of synch with the outburst of words as the background commentry snatches your reaction time and it becomes even more difficult with the giggling crowd. It is a good show by the team keeping in mind that there are only few characters and they don't make you sleep. You feel boring only when the simple story takes the usual complicated twist in the climax. Though I did not fancy the climax I must appreciate director's efforts in making the audience watch the final scenes standing.

Gudiya Sambhrama at Malleshwaram

Last weekend, during a casual conversation with Sandeep, he mentioned about Gudiya Sambhrama he was attending. Curious to find more about the event, I went ahead. So, last Saturday evening I was in Malleshwaram.

Telugu Bhagavatha Mela at Malleshwaram as part of Gudiya Sambhrama

Negotiating the heavy traffic on Sampige Road when I reached the venue(Sri Lakshmi Narasimhaswamy Temple), crowd had gathered for Prahalatha Charitram Bhagavatha Mela. Since the performance was in Telugu, I did not understand the dialogues. But I must applaud the efforts of organizers to save our heritage.

Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple - Utsava Murthy

Performance and the setting reminded me of the vibrant chariot festivals back in my native, held every year. Though one cannot compare the scale of these festivals, one can feel the vibe in culture scene. Of course, the churumuri stall near the venue, spiced up the nostalgia! At this time, I also visited the famous Kadu Mallikarjuna Swamy temple nearby for the first time.

Sri Gangamma Devi Temple, Malleshwaram

I was impressed by the tagline for this year's Gudiya Sambhrama - Vruksho Rakshathi Rakshithaha(Trees protect who protect it) in the lines of Dharmo Rakshathi Rakshithaha(Dharma protects who protect it). In big cities like Bengaluru, this means a lot.

Lakshmi Narasimha Swamy Temple, Malleshwaram