Kolam Wall Art- Vertical Rangoli.

I grew up watching my late grandmother dexterously decorate the space outside the main entrance of the house, each morning, with 'kolam', the South-Indian term for rangoli. In Palakkad Iyer homes, as well as in some other South-Indian communities, kolams are drawn with rice flour, either dry or wet, and 'kaavi', which is a soft red brick with lends the bright red-oxide colour. Hence kolams are usually white and red. The designs are mostly geometric designs, ranging from simple to complex, doubling up as mandalas, to converge positive energies in homes and keep out dense energies. One variation is the dot kolam where dots are drawn first and then they are either connected or looped across. It symbolizes the interconnection between everything in the Universe. For auspicious occasions like weddings and festivals, kolams run into several feet in length and width, drawn by skilled women, to whom it is second nature. I had to practise this many times in my note book to get the dots and loops right. I wish I had taken an interest when my grandma used to urge me to draw and learn the kolam designs from her. When, at a community centre I was asked to do a wall-art next to the gate, I thought of a vertical kolam/ rangoli on the wall, which blends perfectly with the stone idols of the Gods, reminiscent of temples in South India. That, with the bamboo trees around, to make the setting perfect. :-) I dedicate this wall-art to my dearest Grandma.

Wall Art for the Entrance of a Community Center- Pune.

A couple who run a community center in Pune requested if I could spruce up and add some colour outside the entrance of their home before Diwali. So I happily did. I painted my own version of giant morning glory flowers and bright orange butterflies. Total painted area was approximately 6.5 feet height x 13 feet width.

Bhimashankar Forest Trail: In Search of the Giant Squirrel.

The Giant Squirrel: Photo by Shweta Ramappa.

One of the benefits of living in Pune is its proximity to forest reserves within driving distance. The forests enchant me like no other place. The sunlight streaming in through multiple shades of green, the twisted, gnarled roots and branches, flowers in a thousand hues, a perpetual orchestra by the birds, and so many interesting creatures that reside there, the forests make me feel at home.

Multiple shades of Forest green!

We decided to make a one day trip to the Bhimashankar Forest Reserve, which is located at around 3100 feet above sea level, in the Sahyadris, in Pune district. We went with The Western Routes, and such a fulfilling trip it was. Even according to Jayesh, the founder of TWR, it was the most amazing trip. For the first time, he said, in all these years and times he has visited, he as well our group were fortunate to see all the main species of beautiful creatures that inhabit the Bhimashankar forest, namely, the Malabar Giant Squirrel, the Bamboo Pit Viper, Blue Mormon butterflies, The Atlas Moth,  the Hawk Moth and the Moon Moth, all in a day! 

The Bhimashankar Temple.

We were doubly lucky as we also got to enter the 13^th century Bhimashankar temple which houses one of the sacred 12 Jyotirlingas. I had read on tripadvisor.com that on weekends, one has to wait in queue for almost four to five hours to enter the temple.

Beautiful carvings of deities on stone.

And we were going on a Sunday. I'm not an avid temple goer as such but have a fascination for ancient ones. The forest reserve is beyond the temple and when we were passing by, we noticed there was no queue at all. So we quickly went and paid our obeisance at the sanctum sanctorum. The entire temple is made of stone, although it’s not a monolith. The interiors are also made of stone with simple yet beautiful carvings of deities and temple motifs. Photography wasn't permitted inside, so there are no photos of the interiors.

An Indian Gargoyle. 

The main temple and sanctum sanctorum is believed to have been built in the 13^th century in the Nagara style of architecture, and the structure above the sanctorum and other extensions were built by the Peshwa minister Nana Phadnavis in the 18^th century.

Statue of a Rishi.

Outside the temple, we saw many vendors selling roots and herbs collected from the forest. For many villagers who live on the fringes on this forest, selling these herbs and roots is their livelihood.

Medicinal herbs, roots and leaves being sold outside the temple.

This is a medicinal giant onion called the 'rankanda' or the Wild Onion.

There were also various stalls selling flowers, sweets and items for offering the deity. 

These flowers are called 'Tadtadi' and last a couple of years without drying. 

Items to be offered to the deity being sold outside the temple. 

Various kinds of milk cakes and pedhas being sold. 

Mighty pleased with our luck, we had a spring in our walk as we proceeded to the forest. A few steps beyond the temple, is the origin of the Bhimashankar river, which flows through Karnataka and Telangana before entering the Krishna River. The area around the origin of the river was strewn with garbage. After wading through this eye sore, we were in for a visual feast inside the forest. 

The Blue Mormon Butterfly: Photo taken from Delson Roche

Even before entering the forest area, Blue Mormon butterflies flitted past us gracefully as an indication of more beauty that awaited us inside. The Blue Mormon is commonly found in the Western Ghats and is also the state butterfly of Maharashtra. As is my wont, upon entering a forest, I did a mental jig and a hi-five with the forest fairies. And lo behold! When I took my first picture to capture the green trail, I was thrilled when I saw these two blue blobs of light. They look so beautiful! This was a good sign, I thought to myself!

My favourite picture with two blobs of blue light. 

The entire trail passes through lush greenery, a million shades of emeralds, jades and green dipped in sunlight. We were accompanied most of the time by the sound of the gurgling water from the river and its streams that criss-crossed the forest. 

You may like my post on bird watching in Sarmoli.

An old stone carving of a deity near a stream.

Right from the beginning we were on the lookout for the Giant Squirrel, for that was the main reason why we had come. 

A large nest of the Giant Squirrel: Photo by Omkar Nikam

We saw huge nests of the Squirrel but not the creature itself! Jayesh had told us to watch for sounds resembling the shooting of pellets, for that is the sound they make when threatened. We decided to keep walking and watching out. When we had crossed a stream and walked ahead, Shweta, one of the members of TWR informed us that she had spotted a Bamboo Pit Viper  just near the stream and it was slumbering. 

The beautifully pleated trunk of a tree. 

We were far ahead but like excited children who had been promised boxes of Ferroro Rocher, we gleefully retraced our steps, keeping our fingers crossed that the snake would still be in snooze mode. Luckily it was! It was a juvenile snake but so beautiful with its leaf green scales and yellow underside. Like paparazzi, a few members of our group shot away with their fancy lens at the napping snake, which was quite oblivious to its new celebrity status. But five minutes into the photo-shoot, it opened its eyes wondering about the ‘funny humans’ who had disturbed its siesta!!

A closer look of the Bamboo Pit Viper: Photo by Shweta Ramappa.

A few more yards ahead, there was sudden hushed excitement. We had spotted the Giant Squirrel. Now, the Giant Squirrel is a herbivorous, large squirrel found on the Westen Ghats in India. It is called ‘shekru’ in Marathi and is the state animal of Maharashtra. It is arboreal, which means that unlike some animals which may occasionally climb trees, these squirrels live on trees and may only occasionally come to the ground to forage for food, if at all. 

The cutest!! The Giant Squirrel nibbling away at a fruit. 

The first sight of this squirrel sent a shiver of joy through me. It is incredibly cute, with a rust-red-brown body, two small flaps of velvet for ears and an off-white furry tail, a little longer then the length of its body. This one was nibbling on a fruit high up on the branch. The paparazzi was again at work! After spending some time with the first squirrel we saw, we proceeded ahead. We saw many squirrels thereafter, each, invariably nibbling away at some fruit. One squirrel that we spotted was just about 15 feet away, on a low branch. It was nibbling on a fruit, looked up at us, from time to time and nibbled away thinking we were not much, worth giving attention to! 

The Karvi flower which blooms once in 7 years. 

We saw purple Karvi flowers which bloom only once in seven years. I didn't know these grow in forests too and had thought it was unique to Kaas. Different kinds of fungi made me stop and marvel at Nature’s infinite beauty. 

Fungus on a log of wood resembling a cluster of crystals. Photo by Shweta Ramppa.

Water collected in a bracket fungus. 

Another interesting insect was the Jewel Beetle. My college campus abounded with these insects and I used to spend long hours gazing at them on the pretext to studying in the garden. With an iridescent green with tinges of yellow body and a bright orange belly, it is indeed a gorgeous self-propelled jewel.

The Jewel Beetle. 

After walking in the forest for four hours, we went to the Blue Mormon resort for lunch. After we had finished eating, the staff of the resort alerted us about an Atlas Moth which was resting in the backyard. We scampered to where it was resting. 

The Atlas Moth. 

I had seen the Atlas Moth earlier too in The Rainforest Retreat in Karnataka. Atlas Moths are amongst the largest with a wingspan reaching upto 12 inches. They have stunning intricate patterns on their wings and live only for upto two weeks of spreading their wings.

The Moon Moth. 

Just as we were satiated with the Atlas Moth, another staff member informed us about Moon Moth, named so, maybe because of its soothing moon-like appearance. There were other brilliantly patterned moths on the same wall of various colours and sizes.

Talk about Aztec prints on a moth!! 

Feeling deeply grateful to the main forest creatures that presented themselves to us, we left in the evening with contented hearts, smiles on our faces and cameras full of pictures. It was indeed a memorable trip. 

Pune Heritage Walk

In 2011, when my husband announced that his company is transferring him to Pune, I jumped with excitement. The first thought was, Pune is where the Maratha warrior king Chatrapati Shivaji grew up in, and freedom fighters like Veer Savarkar had their base in, and I'm going to be in that place. I had enjoyed history immensely in school, so much so that while the History teacher narrated tales of wars and freedom struggle, I almost went back in time, lived the story and came back fully charged. 

When I got to know that The Western Routes organizes the Pune Heritage Walk, I was eagerly waiting to join. That time finally came in February this year. My husband and I, along with an Indian friend, his Japanese wife and adorable child set out on a fine morning to discover the heritage of Pune. The walk was conducted by the founder of The Western Routes, Jayesh Paranjape, a very friendly and informative person. Do dig up information on the best places to eat in Pune, if you ever happen to meet him..:-) 

The trail took around 4 hours and Jayesh took us to some wonderful places to eat too. (read misal pav, sabudana wada, aloowadi and endless glasses of fresh sugarcane juice)

This post is more of a picture story, for I strongly recommend that you participate in the trail yourself if you get an opportunity, for all the juicy details from history..:-) 

The entrance to the Shaniwarwada fort, which was constructed in 1746 and was the seat of the Peshwa rulers. The houses inside were made of wood and were destroyed in a massive fire in 1828, so one can see only the foundation of the buildings which were made of stone. The foundation stone of the fort was laid on a Saturday that is why the name 'Shaniwarwada'; 'Shaniwar' meaning Saturday and 'wada' meaning , houses.

This is the close up of the gate of the Shaniwarwada. There are huge spikes on the surface to deter the elephants from the enemies side from tearing down the gates.

Inside the fort...

The events pertaining to Shaniwarwada  listed chronologically on a marble stone. It's an interesting piece of information that the ruling Peshwa, Bajirao, had a second wife, called Mastani, and since she was not very welcome in the family, there was another entrance gate made dedicated for her, and she could not enter the fort from any other gate. Their story had now been made into a Bollywood movie by the name 'Bajirao Mastani'.

The family tree of the Peshwa rulers..

The stairs leading to the upper floor and rampart..

The picture below is of one of the houses in Kasbapeth. Notice the old Pune style of architecture juxtaposed with Queen Victoria's image on the metal railing.  This was to show the family's loyalties to the British during the pre-Independence era.

This is the Kasbapeth Ganpati, which is a 'swayambhoo' Ganpati, meaning the stone naturally assumed the form of the Elephant headed God, Ganesha. It is said that when Shivaji along with his mother, Jijabai, arrived in Pune to settle down, the Ganesha appeared around the same time in one of the ministers backyard. When the news was conveyed to Jijabai, she took it as an auspicious sign for her son, to make Pune as one of his main bases to rule the kingdom. Photography was not permitted inside. The architecture and the wooden carvings and beams inside are still well preserved even after 400 years.

Notice the inlay of brick work. Pune, in those days was known for brick making and bricks were custom made according to its use. You will also notice how the bricks are arranged, some vertically, some horizontally. That was unique to the houses of old Pune. It was only after the British arrived that the brick size was standardized, as was the laying of, of the same.

One of the wadas in old Pune..

Nanawada, where one of the important Peshwa ministers, Nana Phadnavis lived. It was built in 1780 and now the building functions as a school.

Look closely at the photo and you will see the image of a banana flower (kelphool) carved on wood. This is a recurring motif in Pune's old architecture and was used in all the houses, temples and forts.

This is an unusual image of Ganesha, killing a demon with one of his tusks.

Loved the brick patterns...:-)

The riot of colours in Mandai, the wholesale market...

 An old library ...

The entrance to Visharmbaug wada, which was home to Peshwa Bajirao, the second.

The place was being renovated so we could see the upper floors, but I loved the vibrant colours and the wood work from whatever I could see...

An old well inside..

The Indian gargoyle outside Vishrambaugwada..Notice the motif of the banana flowers here too..:-)

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