Hogenakkal Falls - The Niagara of India

Early March is normally not considered the best season to visit Hogenakkal Falls, but then for a trip with friends such things often don't matter. Known as the Niagara of India, this popular waterfall is located around 46 Kms from the town of Dharmapuri in Tamil Nadu and around 160 Kms from Bangalore. Exactly on the border of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, it can be approached from both sides. So it was kind of funny when we ended up on the Tamil Nadu side after a good scenic drive form Bangalore. It seems the boatmen here adhere to some dressing norms, the ones on our side were dressed in blue while the ones on the opposite bank were attired in yellow.

The name of the waterfall is derived from two Kannada words, hoge which means smoke and kal meaning rocks thereby translating to Smoking Rocks. The Carbonatite rocks at this site are considered to be the oldest of its kind in South Asia. At Hogenakkal, the river Kaveri drops and creates numerous waterfalls as the water cuts through the rocky terrain. The thunderous sound of water crashing down from over 60 feet is something to experience. After this point the river spreads out over a wide area of sandy beaches. With its fame for medicinal baths and coracle boat rides, it is a great draw for tourists.

Boating is a major attraction here. Coracles, locally known as Parisal, are round boats made of bamboo with the bottoms covered by hide or plastic, with a single paddle for steering. We chose a parisal ride and the boatmen took us on a ride through the gorge right up to the waterfalls. He even got the boat under one of the falls. It was quite exhilarating despite the risk of getting my camera drenched. Sitting in the boat, looking at the water and the sky, the great rocky walls rising up on both sides, the play of light on the water surface, the wind, watching patterns, don't be surprised if the tranquility gets you doing a Rodin's The Thinker. As per the boatmen, the water in this channel can be fairly deep, up to 100 feet in places. It’s not unusual to see shops on water as hawkers move around on parisals selling snacks and soft drinks.

One unpleasant experience of the ride is the strong smell of fish that stays with you for almost the whole trip. Fishing is quite popular here and you can get tasty freshly caught river fish deep fried and smeared in all kinds of aromatic spices at reasonable prices. The river water is also considered medicinal and hence many tourists prefer taking a bath post a rejuvenating oil massage. Special bathing enclosures have been created for safety while bathing in the waterfall. Alternately, one can even head out to the sandy beaches for some fun in the moderate currents. Evening, we found ourselves busy taking pictures of the waterfall as the sun gradually sank below the horizon. Almost, lost one of my lenses to a monkey who seemed quite interested in photography.

Flowers in the Garden

Feels good to be back home in time for Diwali. And more so as its my first Diwali at home in 4 years. As is the norm during festivals in India, there's a lot of frenzy activity as everyone gears up for the decorations, pujas and the Diwali night. Thought will post some pictures of flowers from the garden.



There are still some who have never learnt to see the beauty of flowers. They are unable to appreciate this beautiful gift of nature. In his poem "Flowers", Edwin Curran writes

Flowers are the music of the ground
From earth's lips spoken without sound.



Flowers have been a source of inspiration to people from all walks of life, whether a florist, a gardener, a painter, a photographer or a writer, all can draw inspiration from flowers. There's nothing like a walk in the garden to lift up sagging spirits. It lightens the heart, brings a smile to the face and a twinkle to the eyes.

Visit to God's Own Country Kerala - Wayanad

A longish weekend owing to Eid-ul-Fitr and Ganesh Puja. I only had to take one day off to make it a five day weekend. Perfect for a getaway from the hustle and bustle of corporate life. Wayanad, in God's Own Country Kerala, was the chosen destination.

True to style, we tried booking bus tickets at the last minute. It was just past the peak of the monsoons, but still not a recommended time for visiting Kerala. The state is known to get more than its fair share of rainfall. So we were quite optimistic of getting tickets. However, all the travel agents we visited had the same answer, "No tickets to Wayanad, sir!" Somewhat discouraged we were on our way back when I had a brainwave. I called up another friend to check if any tickets were available online. My friend was at work, but reported back in a few minutes that tickets were available in some private travels which we asked him to book.

The travel fixed, we had to come up with the itinerary for sightseeing. Wayanad as such, is a whole district and the attracions are scattered all around. Kalpetta, the district headquarters, was in the bus route. So we decided to set up our camp in Kalpetta. Once, the journey started, I realized we were yet to make any hotel reservations. The bus was expected to reach Kalpetta in the wee hours of morning when finding a hotel will be difficult. So another SOS call to more friends to get some info on local hotels from internet and send me the contact numbers by SMS.

We disembarked from the bus at Kapetta around 5 am and were welcomed by a light but persistent drizzle. I started dialling numbers from the list sent across by my friend. None seemed to have any rooms available. We managed to flag a passing auto and convince the gentleman to take us on a hotel hunt. After visiting almost all major hotels in the area, there was just one hotel left on our list. The auto dropped us outside the hotel and left. I will say one thing for the service here, the auto-wallas are pretty decent. They don't charge anything more than the fare value. This was very surprising to us, being used to the ways of auto-wallas back in Bangalore. Unfortunately for us, this particular hotel opened at 7 am while it was still 6 am. We whiled away the time watching the rain which had now worsened. It didn't seem to be a good indication for the trip. Whoever heard of treks and hikes with the rain pouring down. There seemed to be a temporary lull in the rain and I stepped out in search of a cup of coffee. After walking some distance and getting some directions, interacting with folks in a language I could neither speak nor understand, I managed to find a chai-walla who had his small shop under a makeshift waterproof roof. I managed to get under the roof and enjoyed my first coffee of the day.

Back at the hotel, we were in for another disappointment. There were rooms available but needed prior reservation. Trying to think out alternatives, I remembered the JustDial service launched in India a few years back. Deciding to give it a try, I dialled the helpline number and requested for hotel numbers in the area. The gentleman, at the other end of the line, had my name wrong, but did sent across a long list of hotel numbers along with their addresses. Looking through, I started crossing out all that we had already checked. And found one that we hadn't enquired yet. I guess, this was the start of our good fortune.

We found rooms in the hotel and checked in. After breakfast, we went down to reception and the friendly staff provided us with an itinerary and arranged a Jeep, complete with driver, for our sightseeing. The Jeep proved really indispensible as most of the roads in and around this place seems to be in dire need of repair. And the driver was very knowledgeable about the routes. We finalized on all the places we wanted to cover over a period of two days, after which we planned on travelling back to Bangalore.

As it turned out, the trip was a real success and will be memorable for several reasons. The scenic beauty of Wayanad is incomparable. It reminds you why this place, cradled in the lap of the Western Ghats, is known as the God's Own Country. There are majestic mountain peaks, placid lakes, awe imspiring waterfalls, lush tea gardens, coffee plantations and lovely forests. Some of these are wildlife sanctuaries where one can go on a safari while a few are totally wild and no visitors are permitted. There is also a very popular bird santuary for people interested in the feathered kind. It's also a trekker's paradise. The trek to Chembra Peak, the highest and most difficult in the area, is quite popular and promises a fantastic panoramic view of the surrounding countryside. Then there are prehistoric rock carvings and cave paintings in Edakkal Caves. Wayanad has it all!! Will be posting some more pictures of this beautiful place in another post.

Miami Skyline

It's been quite sometime since I posted something to the blog. My schedule at work may have contributed to it, but I mostly blame my lazy self for this hiatus. And I had to break it somehow and again get back into the habit of posting. Browsing through my picture collection I came across one from a trip to Miami in September last year. Miami is a great place with its fabulous beaches and fantastic night life. And being with college friends added to the fun.

While driving over the causeway on Key Biscayne I got my first glimpse of the Miami Skyline. The view from the place was really superb and I loved it. I could imagine the view as day turns to night and the lights come on. We were back just after sunset and the view was truly spectacular. We turned off the road on to a type of park almost at the entrace to the key.

There were a few people around enjoying the cool breeze. A smell of barbecue wafted in the air to the accompaniment of foot-tapping Carribean music. It was a great atmosphere and I loved the setting. I took a few long exposures and then we had a fun session taking pictures with the whole gang using the new remote I had recently procured.

I loved the Miami skyline and sitting there under the tree line, chatting with my friends, I certainly didn't want to be any place else.

The Enchanted Woods!!

October is a symphony of permanence and change. Autumn's fire burns slowly along the woods while day by day the dead leaves fall and melt. The changing leaves of autumn colored brightly red, yellow and gold either dance in the golden sun-light or lie on the tired forest floor as a pile of dried up leaves.

A forest of these trees is a spectacle too much for one man to see. Their elegant shape, showy colours, and slow, sailing mode of flight, make them very attractive objects, and their numbers are so great, they easily compensate for the scarcity of flowers. Autumn can be equated to a second spring where every leaf is a flower, blissfully fluttering from the autumn tree.

Listen!! The wind's rising, the air wild with leaves. Leisure summer evenings gone, days grow shorter. Soon it will be dark.
Listen!! With faint dry sound, like steps of passing ghosts, the leaves break free from the trees. And fall.

Stanley Horowitz has said, "Winter is an etching, spring a watercolor, summer an oil painting and autumn a mosaic of them all". I couldn't agree more.

Sunset at Lake Wylie

Sunsets at Lake Wylie are usually impressive; beautiful golden sunsets over the rippling water of the lake. From the western horizon, like a magician, the sun extends his golden wand over the lake water. At the touch, the sky and water seem to catch fire, melt and mingle togather. Sometimes passing clouds catch pink and purple hues from reflected light making for absolutely scintillating and serene sunsets.

Everytime I look at a sunset, I sit back and watch the magic unfold. I don't find myself saying, "add a little more red on the left corner, and put some more purple along the base, and use a little more orange in the water colour..." I don't find myself trying to control the sunset, but watch it with awe as it unfolds. I wish I could fully appreciate an individual the way I appreciate a sunset. Still working on it...

Full moon at Lake Wylie

TGIF!! Last day of the week, start of the weekend. With fall seaon in full swing, its natural to head out to catch some colours every opportunity that one gets. Charlotte is always a bit late for fall and it may be two more weeks before we see Charlotte in its full splendour. But there are some places that get colours early. Lake Wyile is one such place.

Swamy, Praveen and myself headed out to the lake to catch some colours before the sun sets. On reaching the place we realized, it was still early for the full fall splendour. But we did have some colours. Much to my surprise and amazement, it was full moon night. It was a beautiful sight to see the moon shining brightly over the colourful tree line. As it was lower on the horizon, it looked huge. I captured some shots of the treeline and the moon separately and later merged them to create a composite image (learnt couple of days back). Not bad for a first attempt!! :-)

Sunset at Lake Norman!!

Been a while since I last posted. Actually its been quite a while since I went out with my camera. The past couple of weeks have been hectic. Weekends have been good but it takes effort to get the lazy bones moving. Anyway end-result no new pictures.

So thought why not take the opportunity and post some pictures from my backlog. And I do have a big backlog. This is from a sunset I took on Lake Norman. This is the largest man-made lake in the entire state of North Carolina. To be precise, the photo was taken in Jetton Park on the lake. On previous two occasions I had made futile attempts to reach this location on my motorcycle. Fortunately, I was third time lucky.

Jetton Park has a small artificial beach where kids can be found playing. A nice tree shaded shoreline and a beautiful view of the setting sun.

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden

Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden is a botanical garden located in Belmont, one of the suburbs of Charlotte. It includes manicured gardens, natural surrounding areas including woodland trails, sparkling fountains and an Orchid Conservatory. During Christmas and New Year, nearly 60,000 holiday lights are on display at the garden transforming the garden into something ethereal. Just 30 mins from home, we visited the place on a evening. The holiday lights were beautiful but the heavy fog somehow dampened the visit.

Two angles at the entrace welcomed us to the Visitor's Lobby of the Daniel Stowe Botanical Garden.

There was some Irish music along with some traditional dancing in the lobby. Some traditional Irish intruments were playing out beautiful tunes.

They had a full christmas tree made up of orchids. But then this place has an Orchid Conservatory.

Managed to capture the holiday lights decorated here from a good angle giving a different perspective.

There were lights of different colours. Some red, some blue, some yellow, some green. And some were white.

The beautiful lighted tunnel leading to the fountain.

Another capture of the lighted tunnel leading to the fountain.

The lights were decorated in the shapes of trees and birds. Saw one in the shape of a large butterfly.

Some christmas lights in the shape of flying birds.

Some in the shape of trees and colourful flowers.

Soldiers standing sentinel infront of lighted christmas trees.

There were some lighting in the Orchid Conservatory as well.