Welcome 2014

         Ready to bid a good bye to 2013, a year of so many pleasant memories , abundant blessings of God and a couple of disappointments in the matter of extending the family tree.Otherwise a big thanks to God for making the year, a peaceful one.We look forward to His Blessings in the coming year in reproducing the missed fruits.
       I pray and wish 2014 to be a year of prosperity, peace and acceptance to each and every individual of this planet.
      May we all join together with cheers to welcome 2014!

Happy Children's Day !

                        We can really be proud that our country is unique among the other nations to celebrate the Children's Day on the Birth Anniversary of our charismatic Prime Minister Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru.
                 
                  The children,the symbols of joy, happiness,love, innocence and purity really deserve all the days as their days.Yet for practical reasons and celebrations, Nov.14 is ear marked for them.There is a popular saying that as God cannot be present everywhere, he created mothers to take His place.

                Similarly,God must have sent children as His substitutes,well illustrated by the meaningful adage,

                        Kuzhandaiyum Deivamum Ondru ! - God and a Child are the same !

                           A Happy Children's Day to all my dear children over the globe !

Sangadam Theerkkum Sani Bhagawan

                                   My long desire of nearly ten years to visit Kuchanoor, the seat of the temple exclusively for Sani Bagawan became a reality with a momentary decision.

                              A comfortable and pleasant drive of nearly 4 hrs. and 30 mins. took us to the abode.We started at 6 A.M. and reached Kuchanur, a very small village at 10.30 A.M. nearly 220 kms. from Coimbatore without any break.This small yet powerful and the only shrine, exclusively for Saturn is situated on the banks of a perennial channel named Surabi.
                           
                         The crows,the Vahana of Sani Bhagawan looked so cute and greeted us as we alighted from the vehicle. The people with belief, buy those crows, made of clay and baked and offer it as Parikaram. A click of those lovely flocks of birds available with almost all the vendors was missed by me, to be regretted even now.

                         The Sani Bhagawan is a Suyambu in the shape of an Achu Vellam circular in shape, broad at the bottom and narrow at the top , about 5 inches tall. The eyes, the nose and the mouth resemble the Sivan of the Kerala style.The namam fixed on the forehead, typical of the Vaishnavite traditions is surprising.A Devi is also seen along with the the Saneeswarar in the main shrine but the name could not be found.

                        Despite the day being a Saturday and a small queue, the darshan at the main  shrine and two small shrines, one each for Vinayaga and Muruga at the back and four shrines, one each for Karuppasamy, Saptha Kannigaiggal and two others in the front
took only 45 mins.

                      The abode, 20 kms. from Theni is scenic with the canal, green trees and as usual, the majestic Vinayaka on the banks of the canal.Extending the drive just by 30 kms., the religious trip becomes a pleasure trip and picnic with the landing and bathing at the enchanting Suruli Falls.

An Angel is Born

                               An Angel is born.That is how, she exactly looked liked, clad in a pink dress with a cute little pink face, tiny hands and legs.Everything about her was so pretty and tender.
                          I bent down to look at her, the new born baby of my niece on Thursday, Sept. 19.She immediately opened her eyes, as if happy to see this grandma.Excitement and ecstasy radiated through me.After the birth of jiji nearly two and a half years ago,only now,there was an occasion for me to be delighted at the sight of a just born baby.
                         Another pleasant surprise was that the baby exactly resembled her mother,the very same nose and mouth.She has taken after her father in the height.
Whatever may be the advancement and facts in Science about the genetic factors in the exact resemblance of the off springs, 
                        Only the greatness and the role of God in all creations, including Nature is obvious to me.I always visualise God in Nature.

Three in One

                                      Three in one,visiting a religious place, enjoying a tourist place and attending a marriage all with in 30 hours from 6.30 A.M. on Saturday to 12 Noon on Sunday driving nearly 650 kms.The good condition of the roads except for a few kms. in between and the condition of the car,though an ordinary 800 c.c vehicle made the travel comfortable and pleasant.The condition of the energetic and enthusiastic driver deserves a special credit. He is none other than my better half.
                           Worshipping the Saneeswarar at Kuchanoor, 3o kms. from Theni was a long time desire of me. An article published recently in the Tamil Magazine Kumudam, about the Suruli Falls just 20 kms. from Kuchanoor and attendind a marriage in Madurai on Sept.15 being mandatory enabled an easy decision to undertake a tour of religion, tourism and social obligation.

 

Obeisance to my Gurus

September 05, 2013.
                                Today is Teachers' Day and my obeisances and salutations to my teachers who had a great role in imparting knowledge and worldly wisdom to me.
                               Firstly, my tributes to my Gurus of the great St. Ignatius' Convent High School, Palayamkottai, including the Mother Superior and the Headmistress of the
institution.They had been real role models in inculcating values, cleanliness, discipline
etc. etc.I am are really indebted to God to have blessed us with an opportunity to study there.But my mother comes before God as she was crazy about her children's education in the convent, a privelege,she regrets to have missed, even today.Madha,Pidha,Guru, Deivam !
                              The Belgium sisters who taught us embroidery can never be forgotten.
Cleanliness was really next to Godliness for them.Before getting inside the arts' class, it was imperative that the students had to wash the hands with soap.The table cloth embroidered by me in class ix with laisy, daisy stitch is still fine with me.I could still remember the Headmistress picking up any paper in the ground and dropping them in the nearest trash.Pages can be filled about their great qualities and listing their names would be endless.My regards to them.
                            Next to be revered are the highly learned Professors of the Sarah tucker college, the first women's college of south India.People, not familiar with Palayamkottai may think this is far from the truth.Wikipeadia is now in defence of my statement.
                          The eminent faculty of the Madurai kamaraj University, from where my
higher degrees at Post Graduation were awarded, ignited the spark  of literture in me to radiance.
                         My regards, respects and obeisance to all my teachers.
                          

Search for a Stranger

                                     This true short story, purely autobiographical by Dr.Gordon Livingstone is one that moved me very much among the hundreds of short stories read by me in the recent years.The impact was so great that it led to two or three readings .The story packed with passions,emotion and anxiety with the subtle element of thrill seemed to echo in my memory for a couple of days.A few touching sentences could be quoted with ease from memory. The story would be indelible in my mind or ever.

                             A Tamil movie which became a hit, directed by Mr. Maniratnam
might have its roots from this story or a similar one.

                              After reading the story, one cannot be free from the reflections, that counselling, guidance or advice may be good,easy and soothing as long as the giver is outside the issue; once he or she becomes a part of it,acceptance is not immediate.
                            To quote the writer,
    "------- were no longer theories, absractions: they were real problems-they were mine !"

                            Later on googling about the writer, it is known that, besides, being a ssuccessful psychiatrist, Dr. Livingstone is the author of several books including some best sellers.
               The text of the story has been inserted for reminiscence.
                          

                              
                                
                                                                  

Know your city

                           Most of us dream and desire to go far and wide to explore Nature or to visit the places of historical, religious or commercial importance , just ignoring the hidden treasures of the city or the town, where we live.The reason is either procrastination or their value is overlooked just because of their close proximity.
                       It is often humorously remarked that the Taj Mahal, one of the wonders of the world is rarely frequented by the local population of Agra ; the enchanting  Falls of Courtallam attracting hosts of tourists from across the state may not be of any interest 
 to some of the residents of the township.
                       This truth seemed to enlighten me as a vacation of two weeks was nearing in the month of May. That enlightenment may also be an outcome of the awareness about the thronging of the tourists to the hills stations like Ooty or Yercaud during the vacation, being the places, we had planned to visit.
                        The Botanical Gardens of The Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, the Gass Museum of The Forest College , Marudamalai, Kasturi Srinivasan Art Gallery , Anaikatti and the recently developed Baralikadu became our choice.Already some of them had been visited by me ; yet I decided to rediscover them. 
 

Just For Twenty Rupees

                                                    According to Mathematical calculations twenty rupees may be very less in value compared to two hundred US Dollars; but the joy born out of just twenty rupees can never be duplicated by the pleasure trips costing two hundred or even two million dollars.
                                          The most happiest moments of joy for Jiji, my grandson, on his visit to India during the last three months of 2012 was his ecstatic ride in a toy aeroplane of the Merry Go Round in an Exhibition.He was about twenty months old and just casually his mother made him sit in the single seater toy plane of the merry go round and made him go for a few rounds at a cost of twenty rupees.

                                           Being a single seater none of us was able to sit beside him to hold him for support.Today it is a matter of wonder how we permitted such a small child to go alone,without the provision of even a belt for fastening. The joy and cheer on jiji's face could never have been anticipated by us. As he went around in " his own plane " he looked for all our faces from the crowd at a distance and waved at us with the pride of a globe trotter.Sometimes he became intoxicated and yelled at us.

                                     Refusing to get down after his first set of rounds, he had to be allowed to go for a second time and once again a third time.In between when his plane was stationary,curiosity made him bend and analyse the inside of the " giant plane ". All this from Jiji ,who, just a couple of months back had flown in four planes from Kansas City to Coimbatore with three transits,two of them in the busiest airports of Chicago O 'hare and London Heathrow, watching with excitement the landing and take off of several planes. At times his anxiety turned into an embarrassment for his mom on showing his protest to board the plane even after the announcement.

                                  The same predicament had to be faced amidst the other visitors to the exhibition on his declining to step down after the third round and later pacified by his grandpa. We took him once again to the same exhibition next week.

                                 Happiness, for the elders is always a state of the mind. But even
for a child money seems to be immaterial, many a times, for experiencing joy. 
                                  

  

Back To Sweet Sixteen

 Saturday,  June 29,   2013

                                       Carefree and fun loving school girls of sweet sixteen emerged from the women in their fifties. The drawing cum dining hall of the residence was over flowing with nothing but fun, frolic and loud laughter for nearly three hours before, over and after lunch.

                                        Rejuvenating and recharging was that Saturday, the occasion being, a get together of  eight students of the same batch of class XI, the year of the school final, three decades ago in St.Ignatius Convent High School,a land mark of education till date in Palayamkottai.Going down the memory lane, the young girls in their, " pavadais and thavanis " were personifications of joy, pride, appreciation and also chiding at times.To the astonishment and surprise of the others,some of the friends with sharp memories could reminisce particular occasions of mischief,the characteristics of some of the faculty and their peculiarities.

                                      Unanimous was every one about the effective teaching of all most all the staff members expressing their gratitude and also subsequently very proud to be the alumnus of such a wonderful institution.

                                     A big thanks to my cousin who celebrated the wedding of her son the previous day, Friday, facilitating my trip from Coimbatore to Tirunelveli, enabling a happy reunion of the good old friends.Taking leave of them but carrying the rejoicings
over the recalling of the fond memories seemed to be too powerful to take my medicines of hypertension for a week.

                                    Finally,our love,cheer and applause to the friend,one among
the eight for organising an informal gathering of delight along with lunch at a short notice.My sincere thanks to the other friends for making it a memorable Saturday.

Akshaya Tritiya

                                                MAY 13, Monday was Akshaya Tritiya.Being in our hometown last year on that day,I was very happy to take part in a Homam and Kubera Laxmi pooja conducted in the Somasundara Vinayakar temple near our house.

                                    Advertisements galore during this occasion luring people to buy gold.That business tactics has the least impact on me.Till last year we used to buy salt and turmeric.This year, with yet an year of maturity, that was substituted just with the joy of giving.

                                   Not being carried away easily by any thing, just because of its worth in terms of money, I feel ,is an attribute of our friendship.But a word of appreciation never fails on seeing something beautiful and captivating. Ironically a sense of pride surfaces musing about our friends who are all simple but elegant.The friendship that blossomed during the school days continued through the college days and is still continuing even today after four decades.

Mother's Day

       May, 12 was Mother's day.Pressing the rewind button, the Mother's day Celebrations of 2011 in U.S. with my daughter and my beloved Jiji flashed in my memory.Very special and precious was the day to her as she got promoted as a mother that year and had the joy of being with her mother, me, after a break of four years.Balloons,sweets,cakes,gifts,dinner and Jiji made our day.A laptop and a camera ,the gifts, received on the day contribute a lot in pursuing my passion of sharing my thoughts and recipes through my blogs.

            This space is also used by me to honour my mother who is in her early eighties.All mothers are special to their children.Still our mom,a mother to eight of us is an epitome of selfless love, patience, courage,innocence,positive attitude,wisdom and practical knowledge.Till a few years back,she was after her interests in all sorts of hand works like making dolls,fur dolls,bead works, making wire baskets etc.

             A mother's love may seem to be inversely proportional to the number of children she has.It is absolutely beyond truth.Her love for us is as ' big as ' our family.In those days of letters,worried she would be, if there was a delay in a communication from any one of us.Today the same with the telephone calls.

             My mother discontinued her schooling after class five ;she regrets for it even today, so, she wanted all of us to excel in our studies.My father,busy with his official work, five decades back,entrusting the two small kids in our grandma's care,she stood in a queue to get the application,to get it filled with the help of some unknown saviour and get me and my immediateyounger brother admitted in the reputed Loyola convent,the primary wing of the St.Ignatius' Convent Girls High School,Palayamkottai,Tirunelveli.Those days happened to be golden days with no donations, no recommendations,admissions on merit basis with written tests for classes other than the " baby class " and a meagre fee for an English medium.

            If I am ,what I am today, at the least a good citizen,the entire credit goes to her and  the school.

         That day of admission must be a foundation stone in the career of  my younger brother who is a corporate giant with many ranks,distinctions and a product of India's premier institutions.

         My mother's innocence is a bliss to her but her soft nature at times seems to make people exploit her on occasions for which I used to feel much.Literally without education and with no knowledge of English,on date she goes to the bank,goes to the railway station to book her tickets, can travel alone and twice went abroad alone.

            Our mom is a Padikkatha  Medhai, meaning an " unlettered genius ".

             My dear mom,I dedicate the day to you.
        

Summer,so cool

                                  Summer can become so endearing to us,once we are ready to think differently.

                                 Summer is so special that it is the season in which many colourful and attractive flowers bloom giving us a lot of joy.It is only during the summer month of May, Flower Shows are conducted in the hill stations of Ooty,kodaikanal,Yercaud etc.
                             Summer season sets in bringing along with its arrival, the scarlet water melons, the tender cucumbers, the tender coconuts, and the delicious mangoes.
                            Summer gives us the women folk a wonderful opportunity  to wear the elegant cotton sarees , salwars and kurtis and men the colourful cotton T shirts.
                             Summer is the favourite of the students with the long summer vacation and for the family to plan the family tours and visit the friends and relatives.
                              Summer is once again well accepted by some of the students as they can have the thrill of earning during learning during the vacation.
                            Summer is the time we rejoice the Chithirai Thiruvizha in Madurai and the Panguni Pongal and Chithirai festivals of Goddess Mariamman in several towns and cities across Tamil Nadu.
                             Summer may seem to be cool with little acceptance, making us cheerful.

                            Born are not the cheerful people,
                            But they make themselves cheerful,
                            By thinking differently!
                             
                         
                        
                           
                                             

Think Differently - Mathi Yosi

                        Summer is going on and Agni Natchathiram  starts from today and we can hear the murmurings, " How hot this summer is! unbearable ! " The inner and outer fire is fuelled by the reports in the media, " Sutterikkum veyil, 105 degreeyai thandiyathu , makkal avathi ! " It may be factual but are such sighs going to reduce the temperature? Then do we give a red carpet welcome to the other seasons?
                     During the rainy days, the utterances" O, this rain has spoiled all my plans!The clothes don't get dried ; the roads are full of mud and slush ! " are common.
                    With the onset of winter, are also the onset of the dialogues ," This winter is very worse !Last year it was not so severe. Getting up early in the morning is difficult; cough and cold add to our woes . "
                     We are not great saints to accept everything.Letting out our feelings is a natural human tendency.But repeated pourings only worsen our body condition without any say in the weather conditions.
                     Think differently! MATHI YOSI !
                     Summer becomes endearing !
                
 

Special Fortnight

                   Today is May 1 and it is a holiday again after working for two days. The fortnight from April 20 to May 5 is something unique and adorable for me and similar employees of the organisations, which follow a five days week and which have also declared holidays on Wednesday,April 24 for Mahaveer Jayanthi and again on the next Wednesday, May 1. It is a rare coincidence, I think,two consecutive Wednesdays happen to be holidays.Holidays declared on Wednesday has the great advantage of the working days, being equally distributed, two days before and after that Wednesday.This time, by virtue of two consecutive Wednesdays being holidays, from April 20, onwards, every third day is a holiday till May 5, making us happy and free to complete our personal works and of course to relax.May Day is fixed on May 1 but Mahaveer Jayanthi, I think is declared on or before the Full Moon Day, following the lunar calendar.This type of intermittent holidays may not be suitable for planning an outing of 3 or 4 days as done during the extended weekends.Still the Moon Goddess and Mahaveerji deserve a big thanks from us.

Wayanad Welcomes - Day III

      Soojipara Falls :

                        If Meenmutty Falls can be called a ferocious but a handsome king, this Soojipara Falls is like a tender and charming prince.Unlike the king, the prince can be approached easily,walking a distance of about 850 metres through a path, made of levelled steps of stone.For people like us, accustomed to the huge crowds at our Courtallam Falls, taking a bath at this beautiful falls just with our family and a few others was a pleasant surprise.A big congrats to the Kerala Government,especially the forest department,maintaining the sanctity of Nature with the forest guards, sincerely checking the tourists for carrying the plastic bags and bottles.

Pookot Lake :

                          This lake is a perennial fresh water lake couched in the laps of Mother Nature.One can enjoy a refreshing walk around the lake.Both rowing and pedal boating facilities are available.Lavender coloured beautiful lily flowers, floating in the lake were unique, reminding me of the Daffodils of William Wordsworth.An aquarium with coloured fishes, a children's park full of attractive flowers and a handicraft emporium were added attraction.

Kozhicode Beach :

                         Unwilling to leave this most beautiful and lovely hillstation,we bid a good bye to Wayanad,hopefully to come back once again with our son and daughter's  family.While getting down,we had a brief halt at the CHAIN TREE,immortalised by the Nijam program of the Sun TV.
Lucky were we, to have a cordial driver, who also took us to the Kozhicode Beach to enjoy the waves of the Arabian Sea before boarding the train.Several trips might have been taken by us but this was something very special with the beautiful scenes of Nature,flashing in our memory.

               

Wayanad Welcomes - Day II

     Wayanad  Wildlife Sanctuary                         
                      This sanctuary is located at Tholpettah, 59 kms. from Kalpettai.It was a wonderful discovery of the fauna and flora of the lush green jungles with tall trees and groups of bamboo trees, in the jeeps of the forest department,escorted by forest guides.The humming of the insects was pleasant to hear and mountain squirrels were spotted on the trees.Several groups of spotted deer,on hearing the sound of the vehicle would run for a few metres to be safe and then give a look at us. The tigers eluded us but their pug marks were visible on the muddy path.An elephant with its calf seemed to relaxing at a distance.The moving of the bamboo trees in the wind was weird and musical.It was a real retreat into the world of Nature and entirely different and enchanting than the sanctuaries visited earlier.

Kuruwa Island :
               Again simply exotic was this uninhabitated island, either accessible by boat or by crossing the river Kuruwa.This wooded strech of land,thick with green vegetation and bamboo trees is the home to the rare species of birds,herbs and orchids.Walking through the enchanting woods for a distance of nearly a kilometre, we reached the river,where a bath was most refreshing.Inside this island,amazing was another island, to be reached by boat or by crossing the river.

Banasura Dam :
                   Awestruck,were we by the grandeur of this dam,said to be the largest in Asia and the second largest in India.Boating across the background of tha dam was superb.

Wayanad Welcomes - Day 1

Day  1

Edakkal Caves :
                        Our first destination was the Edakkal caves, about 28 kms. from Kalpettai.We have to change over to jeeps to cover the last 2-3 kms.uphill.Thereafter, it is climbing up the hill through an enchanting path of Nature to reach the top.The steps are nothing but rocks and at times just iron boulders.On the top, two big rocks form the caves and pre historical writings are found on the wall.Looking down from the top was awesome.

Heritage Museum :
                    On the way back from the Edakkal caves, we had a brief halt at the museum.As suggested by the name, it is a display of the ancient articles used by the people of the region.

Meenmutty Falls:
                  This majestic, spectacular and wild Meenmutty Falls is deep inside the jungle and  can be enjoyed only after trekking for nearly an hour with the escort of the forest guides ( mandatory ) by paying around Rs. 300 for a group of ten.Exotic, was the trekking through the jungles of the Western  Ghats to access the falls.Yet it was also little tedious and at times seemed to be dangerous at some points, with the paths being only 3 feet wide with a deep ravine on one side.In a few places,holding on to thick ropes,was the support.The grandeur of the Meenmutty Falls,falling down in three parts, from a height of nearly 1000 metres was simply captivating and worth the trouble.

Karapuzha dam :

             On the way to Kalpettai for the night stay, just 15 kms. before Kalpettai,we halted to visit the Karapuzha Dam,one of biggest dams in the country.
          
           

Wayanad welcomes

                       Waynad may not be as popular, a tourist destination, as Ooty or Kodaikanal but this hillstation is simply exotic.Now it is emerging as a favoured hill resort and thronged  by people.Waynad, nestled in the laps of the majestic western Ghats, situated at an altitude, ranging from 700 metres to 2100 metres can be called the hill district of Kerala, rightly hailed as God's Kingdom.Kalpettai is the district headquarters,where most of the tourists stay to explore the beauty of the region.We made it as a family tour to enjoy this great gift of Nature.It was a package tour which included the train journey, the van facility, boarding etc.Kozhikode Junction is the nearest railway station and the driver was ready to pick us up from the station as early as 4.30 A.M. when Mangalore Express arrived there.Atleast three days are the minimum to unwrap the precious gift from God in the form of Nature. 
                As usual in the case of most of the tourists,we stayed at Kalpettai,about 72 kms. from Kozhikode.Just with 12 of us in the Tempo Traveller luxury coach,we could sit comfortably.Going up the hill, the green trees and vegetation on both sides of the ghat road were refreshing,giving us the much needed break from the concrete jungles.It is a 2 hrs. journey through the intoxicating hills to Kalpettai from Kozhikode.Just 10 kms. before Kalpettai,most of the vehicles stop at a view point to enjoy the floating silver clouds.After bath and breakfast,we were ready to visit the Edakkal Caves.

Hearty Welcome

                             I am happy to give a hearty welcome to the  Tamil Puthandu, Vijaya varudam, atleast a few hours before its birth, as it has become habitual of me to offer only a belated welcome to 2012 and 2013 in my posts.

                           This Tamil New Year's day is celebrated by me in Coimbatore after a couple of years.Last year,it was an opportunity to be in our hometown.Before that,the birth of Jiji, two months prior to the birth of the Tamil New year gave me an occasion to rejoice the twin births in the distant land of U.S.

                         As this  Tamil New Year is greeted with the fruits and vegetables,we pray that the coming New year be a year of prosperity and plenty for the farmers who are the backbone of our nation.Our happiness is assured in their happiness.

                         Happiness. in seven words is found,
                         Think not of thyself, but of others.
 

Salutations to Ancient Women

March  8
                             The celebrations of the International Women's Day provided me a platform to share my views on the topic, " Empowering Women is Empowering the Nation "and also win a prize.
                             Pondering on the given topic, gave me a new insight about our very ancient women who were empowered nearly eight centuries ago.Even in the thirteenth century itself, Rudrambal ruled over Warangal, maintaining peace and order in her kingdom.She was followed by courageous women like Velunachiar of Sivaganga, the great Jansi Rani Laxmi Bai, Sultana Razia Begum and so on. The women of present advanced countries, a few centuries ago,I believe, were not so empowered like our women of early days.As far as "my small brain " knows, England had queens like Queen Mary, Queen Victoria, Queen Elizabeth in the past history.May be a few women would have wielded power in the other nations also.So it is an occasion for us to feel proud of our valiant women who made history ,several centuries ago.
                              As the saying goes, Pen is mightier than the sword, the popular women poets like the legend,Avviaiyar, Kakkaipadiniyar and Nappinnai steered the nation in the righteous path through the wheels of the king with their verses in the Before Christ era itself.
                            Let us take this opportunity to salute these brave ancient women who can be our role models. 

Kudos to Kumki

                  
                                     A big congrats and applause to the entire team of the Tamil movie, KUMKI;Manickam, the elephant of course, is also included as he is one of the indispensable and unforgettable characters in the movie, with the movie named after him.It is three months since we watched the movie; yet it deserves an acclaim in this post.
                                     I was simply excited on seeing the film.At the outset, what impressed me most was the excellent cinematography of the lovely forests and the exotic Jog Falls by Sukumar.Equally good were the performance of the hero and heroine,Vickram and Lakshmi Menon,both new faces, the other supporting actors,the story, the music by Imman, the lyrics and the songs.Director Prabhu Solomon has carved a niche for himself with his superb direction.
                                    The movie makes it evident that Nature has got plenty of wonderful locations to offer for its lovers in Tamil Nadu and the neighbouring states of Kerala and Karnataka, though the accessibility may be little difficult.The lines from Robert Frost's popular poem, "Stopping By The Woods On A Snowy Evening" flash in my memory.As already mentioned by me in my first post, the title of my blog is a modification of the title of the poem.

        The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
        But I have promises to keep,
        And miles to go before I sleep,
        And miles to go before I sleep.

                                No other camera man, earlier could have captured the beauty of the Jog Falls from various angles, making us thrilled.The song and the music add to the charm of the photography.Every thing about the film was echoing in my heart for a couple of days, recalling the lines of the great poet William Wordsworth.Apologies to the Poet of Nature for taking the licence to alter a few words
        
     " The film in my heart I bore
         Long after it was seen by me. "
 
    
           
 

Looking Forward With Hope

                                      Today is Feb.7, 2013. Yet, this is my first post in the New Year.Taking a recap. of 2012, the three decades pending, renovation of our ancestral house at Sattur, resuming my career after a break of 18 months, the joyous occasions of the Sathabishekam of my paternal uncle and aunt,the wedding of my nephew, niece and the happy days we spent together as a family with my son, daughter in law,daughter and my sweet little Jiji flash in my memory.I look forward to the days ahead with hope for peace,prosperity and happiness.