Peacock at Indore

Peacock at Barli Development Institute for Rural Women - a non governmental organisation at Indore in Madhya Pradesh which is helping empower young rural and tribal women to become agents of social change. They have beautiful self sustained campus in the Indore city and is host to these peacocks.... (photo-anil)

Bhopal marks tribute to India's first war of Independence

Tribute to martyr's - Bhopal city paid homage to 1857 war of Independence, While Bharat Bhawan of Bhopal had host of programmes like music festival and painting exhibition, squares of city with statues of freedom fighters were decorated and lit with earthen lamps as a mark of respect to Great War of 1857.

Aaj ki taaza khabar !

Man reading newspaper early Saturday morning on a wooden bench in a park overseeing upper lake of Bhopal. Though interestingly ad in the newspaper which he may be reading says 'all news are missing' !!

Hum Tum !

Comic characters Hum and Tum as shown in the film Hum Tum, painted by 'DS' on a rock in the walking lane at Bhopal's upper lake . Hum Tum were comic characters which have their own animated sequences in the movie 'Hum Tum. Hum Tum was the movie which was directed by Kunal Kohli, produced by Aditya and Yash Chopra and had Saif Ali Khan and Rani Mukerjee playing the lead role as Karan and Rhea. The movie is about the encounters of the two main characters until they, after several years and various meetings, become friends and finally fall in love at the end of the movie. Their state of relationship is also shown in the movie in form of Hum Tum animated characters, as Karan the main lead (played by Saif) was the cartoonist in the film.

Mobile companies paint the farm fields blue...

Mobile subscribers in India are growing at fast pace and rural subscribers are major share in it, may be reason for mobile companies like Reliance to use houses in the farm field for its own advertising. Reliance is painting available places on farm field like storage houses blue on Indore - Bhopal highway to reach out to people. May be it's a 'double take' - to reach out to people travelling on highway as well as rural mobile users with its brand. In marketing terms they say Reliance wants to reach to the deep pockets to penetrate into this “bottom of pyramid” market, where lies the real cash cows. Interestingly on other hand Reliance is calling other companies to use their mobile service to advertise to rural hinterland..... ?

Bhopal's Deewan-e-khas

Sadar Manzil - a view from the gate

Sadar Manzil at present houses office of Bhopal Municipal Corporation but at one point of time this red building was Hall of Public Audience. This building was built in 1898 AD by Nawab Shahjehan Begum and was converted as Durbar hall of Bhopal by her daughter Nawab Sultanjehan Begum. The building was beautiful but now with Municipal Corporation office running in it, it is losing its glory, unless the same is removed from there.
The mosaic of this building akin to Deewan-e-Khas of Red Fort in Delhi.

Under tree's shade !

A person sleeping under the shadow of the 'Jhirni Tree', which is about 100 years old at Iqbal-e-Maidan, Sadar Manzil, Bhopal. Mentioned on the parapet under the tree is the famous couplet by Iqbal.

Seeing this pix, remembered a saying 'Every man has a different idea of what's beautiful, and it's best to take the gesture, the shadow of the branch, and let the mind create the tree'..... a point to ponder !

Sirpur lake leasing to life

SIRPUR LAKE is based on the outskirts of Indore, it was virtually dying two years back but is now leasing back to life, thanks to the efforts of an NGO ‘The Nature Volunteers’ supported by Environmental Planning & Coordination Organisation and the Municipal Corporation of Indore. As of now it attracts many migratory birds, which pass through Indore and has a great avifauna.
The Nature Volunteers (TNV) of Indore, is a volunteer group that advocates environmental issues and has been raising concern on the condition of the lake. It has been relentlessly trying to save the Sirpur Lake.

Bhalu Monde a volunteer with TNV’ says that it took an effort of many years to shake the system so that we could reach this level, where it is reviving back. But this is the start we will make sure that this lake becomes the pride of Indore, which it is. ‘Indore is a fast emerging metro, this lake is like nature’s life line for us, and indeed was important to save this’ adds another volunteer of TNV. I was at the lake recently, early morning with my D 70 camera and was impressed by the efforts put in by TNV to save this wetland. It was great to see purple moorhens, coots, cormorants, grey horn bill, whistling teals and common teals which are some of the birds there.

Sirpur Lake is a rain fed lake and about 100 years old. The Holkars, the erstwhile rulers of the Indore state, created it. It has an ideal environment for birds and hosts many insects and fishes which form food for the resident and migratory birds. It was virtually getting converted into sewage and part of its land area was illegally being occupied during summer season and slowly this lake would have died down. Now fencing has been done around the lake to save it, and a jogging track is being developed, surrounding the lake. But still, open defecation and water pollution are many of the issues, which are affecting the lake and its avifauna.

Salutation

Is she greeting us ? - a bird at Van Vihar, Bhopal

Spotted dove

The spotted dove is pigeon which has black and white chequered patch on the neck sides and buff scaling on the upper parts. Spotted Doves eat grass seeds, grains and other vegetation. They are fairly terrestrial, foraging on the ground in grasslands and cultivation. It breed all year round with nests commonly found in trees, edge of buildings or even on the ground. This photograph has been taken at jeevan vatika alongside upper lake of Bhopal

Sunrise at Bhopal

Sunrise over city of Bhopal - photograph has been clicked from kaliasoot dam.
As people do their daily (weekly walk - like me !) on the undulating lanes of kaliasoot and as Bhopal marks its second day of its carnival, sunrises over Bhopal at 5.55 am to bring a wakeful hope for its people. Sun calculator points out that Sun rise will be at 5.54 am, a minute earlier tommorrow and then it goes in accordance a minute earlier every day till April 26, 2008, except on 22nd and 23rd April wherein it will rise at 5.53 am on both the days.
blogathonindia, blogathonindia1

Hey wait - let me cross !

Peacock crossing the road in the van vihar on a Saturday morning

The Indian peacock,Pavo cristatus (Linnaeus) is national bird of India. It is most recognizable colourful, swan-sized bird, with a fan-shaped crest of feathers, a white patch under the eye and a long, slender neck. Normally they do most of their foraging in the early morning and shortly before sunset and retreat to the shade and security of the Van Vihar for the hottest portion of the day.

The straw cap !

A man wears a straw umbrella cap which is homemade, eco friendly and offers protection from sun and the rain while he works at his job of grazing cattle in Umaria District, Madhya Pradesh, India. While as we in cities move towards Reeboks and Nike's of the world... traditional caps do retain their charm and use at least in rural India.

Sun bird ?

Am not sure probably it is a purple sun bird ? on a tree at bhopal's upper lake...enjoying the afternoon. In case you can help identify the same or share more on it, do contribute by email or add the same in comments column.. ..will duly acknowledge your support.

Virat temple at Shahdol, a specimen of Kalchuri architecture

Virateshwar temple of Lord Shiv in Sohagpur Vanganga, Shahdol. It is said that Kalchuri King Maharaja Yuvraj Deva had got it built between 950 A.D. and 1050 A.D. to present it to the Acharya of Golkaki Math. Many Archaeologists consider this temple as the temple of Karn Deva. Temple has height of about 125 feet and provides a glimpse of Kalchuri Age architecture. The temple is place to visit when one goes to Shahdol a district with richness of natural wealth of coal and minerals.

Baiga, some photographs

Photographs are of baiga's tribes in their usual traditional dress at an event in Bhopal. They had performed their traditional dance 'Saila - Reena'. Baiga is one of the primitive tribes of Madhya Pradesh anFarmers here (on Indore – Bhopal highway) shared that wheat acreage had suffered this year due to sudden rainfall and drop in temperatures in last two months. Water crisis also had impacted on the crop in other districts. Framers from Astha on Indore Bhopal highway are already harvesting and collecting the wheat to sell it further. They share that acreage per biga is down this year. Though figures stated in official releases state that wheat acreage may be able to achieve the target while what farmers in Astha shared was different – may be case in MP will be different due to the impact of weather on the crops this year. They even shared that price what they are fetching is quite lower as the damaged crop gets almost half of the fixed price. d reside mainly in mandla, dindori, shahdol, anuppur and balaghat districts of MP. They live in forest areas and prefer jhoom cultivation.

Contributed by Prashant Kumar Dubey

Gharials at van vihar

Van Vihar is situated in the heart of Bhopal City. 445.21 hectare degraded hillock along with private Village land was initiated in 1980 and finally notified as a National Park in 1983. It has seven gharials and about 15 crocodiles as shared on its web site. According to the lUCN's Red list, the gharial is the most threatened of all crocodilian species. Recently this species has moved from Endangered to Critically Endangered.

Gharial or Indian gharial, is one of two surviving members of the fanily Gavialidae, a long-established group of crocodiles like reptiles with long, narrow jaws. Wikipedia says that Gharial is not a man-eater. (I dont have any experience, neither did I try ?) Despite its immense size, its thin, fragile jaws make it physically incapable of devouring any large animal, including a human being.

Sunset at Dhupgarh, Pachmari

Sun sets at Dhupgarh - The Dhupgarh Peak is at 4,429 feet [1,350 metres]), in Pachmarhi and is the Madhya Pradesh's highest point. If one is in Pachmarhi, a visit to Dhupgarh is must. This is a place to witness the morning sunrise and a spectacular sunset. I could see the sunset and it was fascinating...

I failed !

This is a photograph of Indian Purple moorhen at Sirpur lake, Indore. Though I tried but could not get the better shot........ it is a shy bird and flies away. I failed ! may be have better luck next time till then thought let me share this at the blog...

Purple moorhen is of size of a village hen. It looks beautiful purple-blue in colour with long red legs and toes. The bill is also red and the head is bald. Both the males and the females look alike. It is also called Purple Swamp-hen. Large flocks can be seen near wetlands. It’s food consists primarily of shoot and vegetable matter, but also eats insects and mollusks. It is a little unpopular with the farmers as it affects the young paddy crops...

This deer barks...

Muntjac deer or barking deer as it is commonly called can be sighted in the Kanha and Bandhavgarh national parks of Madhya Pradesh. (in pic at Kanha national park) They are called ‘barking deer’ due to their alarm call, which seems very much similar to the barking of a dog. They are also called by some as 'Kakad deer'. They can be easily distinguished from the other deer. The deer have two raised dark ridges on their forehead, which extend till their antlers. One of their unique features is that they have both, a pair of antlers as well as overgrown canines (tushes). They make use of the tushes mainly as weapons in a fight.

They are shy and prefer to live in isolation. One rarely finds them moving around in groups. The Barking deer are mostly seen inhabiting dense forests of India. Muntjac are the oldest known deer and are of great interest in evolutionary studies because of their dramatic chromosome variations and the recent discovery of several new species.

A shattered heritage

This is a photograph of Benazir gate at Bhopal. It is on the backside of Benazeer palace, a palace built by Shahajehan Beghum as the summer rest house in 1877 . Local people here share that this was a three storey building and now only has one storey, rest all has gone in debris. The one story left out too is lying in devastated condition with no one to care...

Had this been in another state or country it could have been renovated and made an important landmark of the city, but in Bhopal it lies shattered...

let's see bhopal !

In picture 'White throated kingfisher' bird at bhopal's upper lake ready to fly

White throated kingfisher, a bird with beautiful bright plummage is a breeding resident of Bhopal. It can be easily sited near upper lake, kalisoot and shahpura lake. Their flight is fast, direct and often very low over the water, hence one can see a bright blue flash as they fly by. One can sometimes hear their shrill whistle "chi-keeeee" if one is strolling around the place where they are.

Scientifically speaking it is a member of the genus 'Halcyon'. There are approximately 210 species and subspecies in this genus. As per birdlife international this species has a large range, with an estimated global extent of occurrence of 1,000,000-10,000,000 km² which means it has a large global population. Despite this water pollution still remains a threat, including at bhopal wetlands.

Rahat, an old water drawing heritage in Bhopal

Rahat is an example of old technique of drawing water. The artificial water way was constructed in Bhopal (now next to lake at police officer mess, Bhopal) to carry water from lower lake to the Noorbagh which was the garden of Nawab Jehangir Mohammed Khan Palace. There was a 20 meter high wall along the bank of lake with an open drain in the upper portion to carry water to Noorbagh. Water was carried to upto 2.5 kilometers by the force of gravitation. Water was drawn by persian wheel which is no more, but Rahat which was worked with help of oxen still exists here. This is an example how in earlier times one used to transport water using gravitational force to an advantage. 'Rahat' as it is called is a heritage where garden exists but the water in the lake nearby stinks. If you happen to climb the stairs, you will feel hurt to see the way lake is getting polluted, but probbaly authorities dont care. May be call to all of us to speak out.

Good morning bhopal !

Tiger at Van Vihar, Bhopal

It was great site to see Tiger waking up to Sunday morning sun in Bhopal. Probably wishing bhopal wala's good morning in his own style !!! (pic @ anil gulati)

Bhagoriya, a unique tribal festival

Story - Sanjay Sharma, Picture - Prakash Hatvalne

The Bhil tribals in the West Nimar region and the Jhabua belt of Madhya Pradesh organise the Bhagoria Haat a week before Holi, the festival of colours that fell on Saturday. The haat, or country fair, is special for the community because this is where young men and women look for soul mates. Bhils constitute around 22 percent of the state's 60 million population. During the festival men and women interact freely, dancing to the beats of dhols and thalis, the melody of the shehnai and bansuri amid the fragrance of tadi and mahua, two types of locally brewed liquor.

During the colourful tribal festival, which allows young people to choose their partners, boys and girls from far and near gather in large numbers. They eat, drink, dance and then elope as part of the wedding rituals. Changing times, however, have caught up with this strange ritual. While earlier they would dress up in all their tribal finery, today Bhil men wear Western-style shirts and trousers and come to the haat. The women have started applying lipstick and talc in a show of modernity. And how do they woo each other? "The boy applies 'gulal' (coloured powder) on the face of the girl and if she reciprocates then they move towards a secluded place deep inside the forest to know each other better," said Bhil youth Digraskar, who chose his life partner in one such haat.

Young men and women interested in each other also exchange betel leaf as a declaration of love.
Couples who elope according to the Bhagoria custom (bhag means to run) are then accepted by society. "A woman and a man who decide to elope come back to a tumultuous welcome and are pronounced wife and husband by their elated families," the Bhil youth said. The Bhagoria Haat, which coincides with the end of the harvest season, is also a platform to resolve old disputes. The festival assumes additional splendour if the crops have been good.

They sleep in air !

If you happen to be at Bhopal's lower lake, and Kamlapati Palace park, just have a look at the tree above and you cannot miss bats in numbers which inhabitate the trees there as of now. One could see few of the flying and hundreds of them hanging on the trees (upside down) during the day time. (In picture - a bat is flying to reach out to others who are hanging - look like sleeping upside down in air ? ) As per the staff members of the palace 'these chamgadars (bats as known locally) come in thousands here during this period and will be there till July'. Their are many stories on bats and some even consider them as bad omen, but in reality it is an helpful and important animal of the eco system. It is the only mammal which can fly.

Website on information on bats state that tropical rainforests could not survive without bats. Bats are responsible for controlling pest insect populations, pollinating flowers, and dispersing seeds. One insect-eating bat can catch 500-1000 insects in one hour! Many plants must be pollinated by bats to produce. Though there are many species of bats but for simplicity they could be categorised into two main groups of bats - the large "flying foxes" that eat fruit, and the smaller insect-eating bats. (pictures by anil)

Wish i was on the boat !

I have never been into sailing but these boats always fascinate me and probably that is the reason I enjoy taking their photographs. Wish I could be on the boats ! It is beautiful site now a days at Upper lake in Bhopal to seeing these boats cruising along the waters of lake during afternoon and sunset. Experts tell me that a sailboat's course is the direction it is heading. The skipper usually sits on the windward (upwind) side of the boat, and the sails are on the leeward (downwind, pronounced lew' ard) side. The wind direction is named for its source. A west wind comes from the west.

Bhopal upper lake has India's first National Sailing Club on its Eastern side. This club offers various options of water sports including sailing. (pic - anil gulati)

The agile mongoose

Mongoose at park on upper lake, Bhopal.

As per wikipedia, Mongoose is a member of the family Herpestidae, a family of small like carnivores. The word Mongoose is derived from the marathi word mangus. In India, Mongoose

are popularly used to fight and kill snakes particularly king cobra. They are able to do this because of their agility and cunning, and their thick coat, but typically avoid the cobra and have no particular affinity for consuming their meat. One can easily see many of them in park and bushes in the walking lane over upper lake.

The sunset

In picture sunset from Upper lake, Bhopal.

The Upper and Lower Lakes of Bhopal are kind of the pride of Bhopal, though now they are being faced by problems of pollution, detoriation of quality of water and siltation. Both these lakes are man made reservoirs. Upper Lake was created by Raja Bhoj, Dhar king in 11th century by constructing an earthen dam across the Kolans River.The Upper Lake has catchment area of 361 sq. km and water spread area of 31 sq. km. The wetland area of these lakes supports a wide variety of flora and fauna. Diverse flora provide ideal habitat in the form of food and shelter for a large number of avifauna, a delight for nature lovers. Sunset at upper lake especially in summers is thing to watch - probably that is the reason Bhopal Municipal Corporation has named one corner of the lake which has a park as 'Vardham sunset point'. One could also see Takia Island, in the picture. Takia Island is a small island on upper lake which has a mazhar of the Shah Ali Shah Rahamatulla Alliah and has religious significance.

The spotted one.....

This is picture of spotted deer at Van Vihar, the National park at Bhopal. A nervous animal, is camera shy and always alert. It is most commonly found member of the deer family in India. Spotted deer is herbivores and loves grass. Van Vihar is great habitat for them in Bhopal. It does not have any enclosures except the outer boundaries of Van Vihar, hence they can freak out. Grass and other plant species growing in Van Vihar are sufficient for these herbivores except in harsh summer when grass just dries up, they need support which probably Van Vihar staff does for them.

It's a water day !!

In picture birds enjoying in water at a park near upper lake. Well they are celebrating Rangpanchmi in their own way !!!. As summer moves in this part of India birds and other animals were also seen hiding in for shelter or near wetlands that too are drying up in Bhopal.

Bhopal marks Rangpanchmi

On the fifth day after Holi, in Madhya Pradesh "Rangpanchmi," is celebrated which marks end of festivities involving colours. People apply colour on each other and enjoy the day as summer moves in central India. Being a state holiday state offices in the capital city of Bhopal were closed. Shops in Bhopal were closed during the day but some will open up by evening. For some like nationalised banks, media offices, and central government offices it was working day as it was a state holiday not at the centre.

Youngsters had fun and enjoyed the festivity. For some it is an opportunity to have bhang or beer. For many who do not prefer colour and but had a holiday were seen at places like upper lake or were at home. Bhopal police was in full colour to prevent any untoward incident event and had put both personnel and barricades at many important points in the city. Though some policewala could cough up some extra bucks from younsters driving cars at a high speed or either without licence.

Chidyatol, Raisen

This is a picture of a water body in Raisen district of Madhya Pradesh. It is popularly known as Chidyatol. It is near Bhopal and is place to go for many especially during monsoons.Research work is underway recently on such bodies and structure in the same region.

Recuitment ad !

Recruitment ad - reaching out to right people is crucial hence choice of media becomes vital in recruitment ads. Well one needs to be creative as the placement of advertisement should entice people for job.

An ad for support staff in medical center in the Mandla district written by a chalk piece was displayed on a bin placed right at the footsteps of the staircase in Narmada ghats, Mandla. May be right placement to make sure that many read this ad, off course was free of cost but very much gender insensitive !

The first holi wish !

Juvenile common Iora at kaliasoot forest area wishing citizens of bhopal - happy holi with her beautiful voice!!

It's summer time !

As temperature soars in Bhopal, one can see road side shops selling caps coming up. This marks arrival of summer in Bhopal. With Bhopali's two wheeler not preferring helmets ; caps do sell in numbers here. It helps in preventing, blocking sunlight from the eyes. Caps starting from Rupee twenty onwards in various combinations are available on these shops. Though temperature is soaring but sales still have not, shop owners say it will do after holi. Earthen pots with and without taps which help to keep drinking water cool could also be seen at the road side shops in bhopal.

Museum of man celebrates its foundation day

Indira Gandhi Manav Sangrahalaya (Museum of Man) Bhopal is illuminated as it celebrates its 32nd foundation day. A two event on March 19 & 20, 2008 had many cultural events, musical programmes, and special exhibitions to commemorate the same.

Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manav Sangrahalaya is an autonomous organisation of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India and is dedicated to depict the story of mankind in time and space. Set up in April, 1979, is spread in 197 acres of undulating land, in front of the Bhopal's upper lake. It has natural rock shelters with prehistoric rock paintings, going back to mesolithic period, and evidence of other ancient human habitations

Scaring the crow away !

Scarecrows are an integral part of the rural landscape. Made of stick, hays and clothes, with a cap or turban as headgear, these contraptions have been in use for centuries. Farmers need to adapt constantly to keep the birds away.

THE WORD ‘scarecrow’ literally means ‘which scares away crows’, hence the name scarecrow. Traditional scarecrows remain the best; it’s economical, affordable and an integral part of our rural life.

If you’re traversing across various part of Madhya Pradesh or that matter rural India, you could encounter variety of scarecrow in the fields with sown in rabi crop. Scarecrows are kind of an essential part of the rural landscape. Though with reeling water crisis many districts of the state of Madhya Pradesh are witnessing drought hence may not be having crops but if fields are sown, and / or crops are there you will find scarecrows.

Gardeners’ Dictionary defines scarecrow as a crude image or effigy of a person—often entertainingly dressed—that is set up in a farm field or garden to scare crows and other birds away from food plants. These are used to prevent crows and birds to feed on recently cast seed or fresh crops, and also to prevent them to flock over the fields.

Normally farmers use old clothes and straw to create a menacing looking figure that they hope would frighten crows away from the freshly planted crops. Scarecrows date back several centuries in India and across the globe. Answer.com describes that the earliest known written fact about scarecrow’s are from the year 1592. One of the oldest designs of bird scare is the scarecrow is in the shape of a human figure, which is used till date. It also has different forms and some are real creative.

In Madhya Pradesh too one might notice its different forms. Some use painted earthen pot with a human face and place it upside down on the wooden pole; others may have human figure with a traditional turban on its head or may have a cap if they intend to give it a modern look! They say crows and birds adapt get adapted to the designs, hence one needs to innovate its shape and designs and even use number of scarecrows in the fields. Sizes vary depending on the field size. Normally they use clothes that are bright so that it is visible from a distance.

Though many question effectiveness of these scarecrows to frighten away the birds. But, with technology coming in options like flexible bird netting, motion sensor combined with a sprinkler system and reflective PET film ribbons are some of the available options but for many of us, like me, traditional scarecrows would remain the best. These are economical, affordable and are part of our rural life. Scarecrows are known throughout the world, although they called different names in some counties.

In Scotland, for example, a scarecrow is called a tattie bogle while in Sommerset, England scarecrows are commonly referred to as Mommets. While one is talking of scarecrows it is necessary to mention ‘klopotec,’ which is a wooden mechanical device on a high wooden pole, resembling a windmill. It is used as a scarecrow in wine growing landscapes of Slovenia, Austria and Croatia.

Anil Gulati

Bole Chudiyan !

Colurful glass bangles (chudiyan) on sale in the recently held Bhopal mela. Available from as cheap as Rupees five for a dozen to fifty or even more but still were a fast sell - an appeal for visiting girls and ladies !. Various types of bangles were available this time varying anything made of glass to metal to lac and even plastic. The rareness of a color and its unique value mattered when it came to its price tag.

Bagh prints – herbal touch, tribal creativity

‘Bagh prints’ are trendy, cool and comfortable cloth material and off course if you visit MP you should buy Bagh prints. An array of products are now available made from Bagh printed fabric - be it ladies suits, sarees, dress material, dupatta, bed-covers, pillow covers etc. one can find all. Bagh prints have unique hand block printing, printed using vegetable dyes. The fabric used originally was cotton, but now saw tassar, crepe, and silk are being used with excellent results. Bagh layouts are dramatic with use of black and red alternately on a white background. Production process is painstaking and manual. Though the techniques and designs are age old but the prints retain its contemporary appeal. Bagh prints derive its name from a small tribal town in Dhar district of Madhya Pradesh. Bagh's proximity to the river was an important reason for its choice as flowing river water is vital to the process of printing. The black colour is prepared with ferrous sulphate mixed with tamarind seed powder and glue which is cooked in water and stored for use. Each sari takes a minimum of three weeks to complete after the design is printed. During his period it is washed at last three times and sent to the bhatti or oven at least twice. Two persons stand knee deep in water to wash the fabric so that superfluous colour is removed. The fabric / sari are boiled in a cauldron of water on a bhatti with regulated heat for the colour to emerge.

Bhopal haat, the handicraft- handloom place in Bhopal which now is trendy, normally has a bagh print counter whenever there is any festival or event. Plans are their to set up a permanent counter not only of Bagh but also of Maheshwari prints in the same place, keeping in view of the demand.

Lesser Whistling Duck in Bhopal

Lesser whistling ducks (whistling teals) at Bhopal's van vihar. For more info on lesser whistling ducks please scroll down and have a look at Whistling away from camera !

Phadke studio, Dhar

Dhar, a district of state of Madhya Pradesh hosts a studio which not only has a history but offers learning and has many interesting sculptures lying in a closet. Phadke studio was established by Raghunath Krishna Phadke, an artist and sculpturist who came to Dhar in the year 1933 from Mumbai on a call from the Dhar King. Later on he established his studio in Dhar in Khanderao Tekri, which now is called ‘Phadke Studio’. He was awarded Padma Shri by Government of India in the year 1961 for his contribution in field of arts. In the year 1971 he was awarded Doctorate in Arts. Statues made by him are established at Dhar, Indore, Dewas, Ujjain and Mumbai. Presently several statues made by him and his successors (in pic) are lying in the closet of the studio, which now is in dismal condition. Dr Phadke died in year 1972.(blog welcomes more information on the studio)

In flight stork

Lesser Adjutant Stork in a flight over kalisoot dam lake in Bhopal. Lesser adjutant stork is a large stork bird whose upper body and wings are black, but the belly and undertail are white. It feeds on reptiles, frogs and fish and can be sighted near wetlands.

Red vented bulbul at van vihar,bhopal

Red-vented Bulbul is a member of the bulbul family. It is common Indian bird, vivacious, widely distributed in India and can be easily sighted in Bhopal. A highly adaptive species and can be found in both cities and in deep forests. Red-vented Bulbul is about 20cm in length, with a long tail. This dark and crested medium sized bird has black head and throat and red under the tail coverts. Red-vented Bulbuls feed on fruit, nectar and insects.

Wikipedia states that The Red-vented Bulbul is incapable of synthesizing vitamin C. It shares this feature with a very limited number of other animals, among which are certain fruit bats and primates (including humans) as well as the guniea pig.
(pic @ anil, van vihar, bhopal)

Bhopal Gate

Bhopal gate ((martyr's memorial), Bhopal.

'Golden Shower' in Bhopal

‘Golden Shower Tree’ (Botanical name - Cassia fistula) Bhopal. The tree flowers every year during middle of March, giving Bhopal lanes a yellow lustre. This flowering plant belongs to the family Fabaceae. It also popularly known as Amaltas and Laburnum.It is an ornamental plant but many of its parts have medicinal properties. (pic @ anil gulati, place - arera colony, bhopal)

In Ayurvedic system, the seeds are recognized as antibilious, carminative, and laxative while the root is used for curing burning sensations, leprosy and skin diseases. Leaves of the tree is used for treating malaria, rheumatism, and ulcers.

Dhuandhar falls in Jabalpur

The Narmada river, while making its way through the marble rocks river plunges through a narrow rock in Jabalpur giving it a powerful roar and smoking cascade. It is called Dhuandhar falls and the plunge is powerful, roar is audible from a far distance. The fall and the breaking of the volume of water at the crest present an awesome spectacle.

Statue of liberty in Guna !

If you are passing through Guna, a district in state of Madhya Pradesh you may encounter and get attracted to replica of New York City's Statue of Liberty - a universal symbol of political freedom and democracy. One can see the same in Royal Homes complex on Guna road in the Guna district. Though the photograph shown was taken sometime earlier, as of now statue is bit damaged.(pic @anil gulati)

Some more interesting facts about Guna

Guna, is a district in north-eastern Madhya Pradesh. The district is home to the heritage citadel Bajrangarh fort, though now it is lying in depilated state. It is also had religious places such as Bishbji and Jain shrines besides a few other interesting places. Though it's not on a tourism map, neither many people know much about it, except in political circles. Guna was once famous for saris from Chanderi block of the district which recently became part of the newly formed district Ashok Nagar. The information superhighway (web world) reveals that Guna was also the birthplace of one Vijay Kumar Patodi, a mathematician who died at the young age of 31 but attained fame for his papers.