Lotus Temple

The Lotus Temple, located in New Delhi, India, is a Bahá'í House of Worship completed in 1986. Notable for its flowerlike shape, it serves as the Mother Temple of the Indian subcontinent and has become a prominent attraction in the city.The building is composed of 27 free-standing marble-clad "petals" arranged in clusters of three to form nine sides.

Bonalu Festival

Bonalu is a Hindu Festival. Goddess Mahankali is worshiped. Bonalu is an annual festival of Telangana. It is celebrated in the month of Ashada Masam. Women prepare rice cooked with Milk, Jaggery in a New Brass or Earthen Pot adorned with Neem Leaves,Turmeric,Vermilion and a lit lamp on the top of the Pot. Women carry the pots on their heads and make offering of Bonam along with Turmeric-Vermilion, Bangles and Saree to the Mother Goddess across the Temples.

The history of the origin of this festival traces back to the 19th Century, and is linked with the "Regimental Bazaar" and the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad. In the year 1813, plague disease broke out in the twin cities, and this took away the lives of thousands of people. Just before this, a military battalion from Hyderabad was deployed to Ujjain. When this Hyderabad Military Battalion got to know about the epidemic in the cities, they prayed to the Mother Goddess in Mahankali Temple -Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh. History tells us, that this military battalion prayed to Goddess Mahankali, to kill plague, and if the Goddess would do so, they had decided to install and idol of Goddess Mahankali in the city. It is believed that Mahankali destroyed the disease and kept pestilence at arms length. Then, the military battalion returned to the city & installed an idol of the goddess, which was followed by the offering of Bonalu to her. Hence, from then, this had turned a tradition, which has been followed and is still being followed by all the people belonging to Telangana.

Here are some pictures shot with Nikon D50

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Golkonda

Golkonda, also known as Golconda or Golla konda ("shepherd's hill"), is a citadel and fort in Southern India and was the capital of the medieval sultanate of the Qutb Shahi dynasty(c.1518–1687), is situated 11 kilometres (6.8 mi) west of Hyderabad. 

Golkonda Fort was first built by the Kakatiya dynasty as part of their western defenses along the lines of the Kondapalli Fort. The city and the fortress were built on a granite hill that is 120 meters (480 ft) high, surrounded by massive battlements. The fort was rebuilt and strengthened by Rani Rudrama Devi and her successor Prataparudra.

The mud fort was expanded by the first three Qutb Shahi sultans into the present structure, a massive fortification of granite extending around 5 km in circumference. It remained the capital of the Qutb Shahi dynasty until 1590 when the capital was shifted to Hyderabad. The Golkonda Fort used to have a vault where once the famous Koh-i-Noor and Hope diamonds were stored along with other diamonds.The fortress-city within the walls was famous for diamond trade. The fort finally fell into ruin in 1687, after a year long siege leading to its fall at the hands of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.

The pictures were shot with Nikon D300 and Tamron 17-5-/2.8 lens.

Please click on the pictures so see bigger versions for better appreciation.

Cape May Bird Observatory

New Jersey Audubon is a privately supported, not-for profit, statewide membership organization. Founded in 1897, and one of the oldest independent Audubon societies.

New Jersey Audubon fosters environmental awareness and a conservation ethic among New Jersey's citizens; protects New Jersey's birds, mammals, other animals, and plants, especially endangered and threatened species; and promotes preservation of New Jersey's valuable natural habitats. New Jersey Audubon also sponsors numerous field trips to various sites of environmental importance throughout New Jersey and beyond. Many of these trips are aimed primarily at birders, although trips focused on butterflies, dragonflies, reptiles and amphibians, hiking, canoeing, and caving, among other topics, are also offered on a regular basis. New Jersey Audubon also sponsors the annual World Series of Birding, perhaps the world's most famous birdwatching competition. 

Cape May is mecca for birds and birders. The Cape May Bird Observatory was founded in 1975 in Cape May, New Jersey,United States. The purpose of the Cape May Bird Observatory is to conduct research, encourage conservation, and organize educational and recreational birding activities. Cape May is at a crossroads for bird migration. Every spring and fall, thousands of migrating birds pass through the area. Subsequently, birders from all over the world have flocked to Cape May to witness the migrations.

Following are the pictures shot by me during my visit to to the observatory, with Nikon D300 and Tamron 17-50/2.8 lens

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All Saints Church, Trimulgiry

All Saints Church was constructed in 1860 AD to serve the British Cantonment of Secunderabad. The church was the first permanent structure in the Trimulgherry Entrenchment. It is located in the Trimulgherry locality of Secunderabad. It was originally a Garrison Church, presided by Army Chaplains but was subsequently bequeathed to the Church of South India in 1947.

The church is an imposing Gothic structure with a multitude of turrets and a tower belfry. The altar piece of the church is a beautiful stained glass window depicting Jesus carrying the cross. The stained glass window is dated 1884. Antique pews, lamps along with a baptismal font are some of the prized possessions of the church.

As most of the churches and temples in India, photography is not allowed inside the church unlike in USA where there are no restrictions either in churches or temples over there. I cannot comprehend the reasons, which are best known to the persons who choose to prohibit.

Hence I could only photograph the exteriors of this fine old church with Fuji Finepix 70EXR point and shoot camera.

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My tryst with snowfall

Being from the tropical country, I never have had the experience of seeing snowfall, Though, in places like Srinagar, Gulmarg, Shimla etc., in India one can witness snowfall in the winter, I could not go there to see that.

However, in one of the trips to USA to visit my children, I happened to stay there through the winter. And what an experience that was, exhilarating to see the snow-clad buildings, streets, trees.

Snow is precipitation in the form of flakes of crystalline water ice that falls from clouds. Since snow is composed of small ice particles, it is a granular material. It has an open and therefore soft, white, and fluffy structure, unless subjected to external pressure. Snowflakes come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Types that fall in the form of a ball due to melting and refreezing, rather than a flake, are hail, ice pellets or snow grains.

I shot extensively to capture the beautiful visuals, in my first experience with snowfall.

Here are some pictures shot in Pennington, New Jersey where my son lives in his own home.

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