This side of Paradise

Chimmini

2011-04-16T14:05:00.000+05:30

Chimmini is an ecotourism hotspot in Thrissur district, around 2 hours drive from Kochi. The beauty of the visit was that there were no other visitors/tourists apart from us. So it was one of those 'only you and nature' affair.

Nesting

2011-03-20T13:48:00.002+05:30

Dawn and Dusk

2011-02-13T13:37:00.000+05:30

Butter-Dragon-Fly

2011-02-03T21:10:00.000+05:30

Butterflies

2011-01-17T19:38:00.000+05:30

Mornings are fresh . .

2011-01-01T10:12:00.000+05:30

So must be every beginning. Happy new Year 2011 !

Sigma 18-200mm Opening Shots

2010-12-29T20:08:00.001+05:30

After using the 18-55mm kit lens for a reasonable period of time, bought a new lens : Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3 DC AF OS. Not sure whether this lens will be optically 'a lot' better than the previous one, but would love to make use of the extended zoom range. Being not that serious (and lazy) to carry and use multiple lenses, this was the most economical choice.

Book Festival

2010-12-03T09:52:00.000+05:30

Went to the Matrubhumi International Book Festival at Ernakulathappan Ground yesterday. Although it does not seem to have any internationality as the name suggests, there are stalls by many popular publishers from south India. Bought around half a dozen books namely 'Meeting Life' (J Krishnamurthy), 'Kailas Manasarovar Yatra through Uttarakhand' (M K Ramachandran), 3 short novels by C Radhakrishnan 'Nizhalppadukal', 'Yudham' & 'Mrinalam', Randamuzham (M.T) and Karnan (Shivaji Sawanth).

Flower

2010-11-06T11:23:00.002+05:30

Dharani Dance Festival

2010-11-06T11:21:00.001+05:30

Bharatanatyam by Arupa Lahari

Tabla - Pandit Ram Kumar Mishra, Sarangi- Sandeep Mishra

Vadakkumnathan

2010-11-05T15:35:00.000+05:30

One of the 4 magnificent gopurams of the Vadakkumnathan Temple at Thrissur. This is the one of the largest and most ancient Shiva temples in Kerala. The temple complex covers almost an area of 9 acres. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vadakkunnathan_Temple

Dew Drops - After a rainy night

2010-04-20T08:29:00.000+05:30

Return to innocence

2010-04-14T09:00:00.001+05:30

Reason : Got a pack of crayons for free with a jar of jam :)

Playing with the waves

2010-04-07T17:32:00.000+05:30

Nature always tries to embrace us. But we run away.

Flowers

2010-04-07T17:28:00.000+05:30

Walking by . .

2010-03-25T17:01:00.000+05:30

@ Haridwar

Ganga

2010-03-25T16:59:00.000+05:30

Near Ram Jhula, Rishikesh

Kappad Beach

2010-03-02T12:36:00.002+05:30

Kappad beach, of Vasco Da Gama fame.

Bekal Fort

2010-03-02T12:32:00.001+05:30

Bekal fort, the biggest fort in Kerala

Kathakali - Rugmangada Charitham

2009-12-13T14:12:00.002+05:30

India Gate

2009-11-07T20:13:00.000+05:30

The India Gate, located in the heart of New Delhi was built to commemorate the 90,000 soldiers of the British Indian Army who lost their lives fighting for the Indian Empire in World War I and Afghan wars. The Amar Jawan Jyoti is located here.

Hari-Ki-Pauri

2009-11-06T16:36:00.000+05:30

Hari-Ki-Pauri which means "Feet of the Lord" is a famous ghat on the banks of Ganga at Haridwar. It is believed that this is the spot where Ganga leaves the mountains and enters the plain lands of India. Crowded with devotees who are here to take a holy dip and to visit the nearby temples.

Ganga Arathi conducted at Hari-Ki-Pairi in the evening.

Haridwar

2009-11-02T16:53:00.000+05:30

Haridwar is located at around 200Km from Delhi. Hardware means Gateway (dwar) to God (Hari).

At Hari-Ki-Pauri, the main ghat on the banks of Ganga at Haridwar.

Dev Prayag

2009-11-01T20:14:00.000+05:30

Dev Prayag is the confluence of the rivers Bhagirathi and Alaknanda to form the Ganga. Dev Prayag is reached travelling around 70Km from Rishikesh through the Badrinath route.

Seen on the left with slight yellow color is Bhagirathi comming from Gangotri and seen on the right with green color is Alaknanda comming through Badrinath.

Jhula across Bhagirathi :

Ram Jhula

2009-10-30T15:20:00.000+05:30

Ram Jhula, the hanging bridge across Ganga at Rishikesh connecting Muni-Ki-Reti with Swarg Ashram.

Rishikesh

2009-10-29T12:50:00.000+05:30

Rishikesh is located in the foothills of the Himalaya in the state of Uttarakhand. Rishikesh means 'Lord of the Senses'. Rishikesh is also known as the 'World capital of Yoga'. This hanging bridge across Ganga is called Laxman Jhula & seen across is the 13 storied Trayambakeswar Temple.

Paramarth Nikethan

2009-10-28T17:16:00.000+05:30

Ganga Arathi at Paramarth Nikethan, Rishikesh.

Contemplation

2009-10-28T16:06:00.000+05:30

A sadhu contemplating on the banks of Ganga @ Rishikesh.

Marigold Factory

2009-10-16T13:04:00.000+05:30

Fields of marigold near Dindigul, Tamil Nadu.

Its Munnar Again . .

2009-09-30T12:48:00.002+05:30

Seller of flowers @ Madurai

2009-09-25T20:56:00.003+05:30

She was selling flowers for pooja near Madurai Meenakshi Temple.

The Transporter

2009-09-24T22:07:00.000+05:30

This is the vehicle with the most utility in Tamil Nadu. There is no limit to what it can transport. Often we can see people riding with huge luggage and some times along with their better halves !

Gopuram - Madurai Meenakshi Temple

2009-09-23T20:16:00.000+05:30

On of the 14 magnificient gopurams of the Madurai Meenakshi Sundareswarar Temple, which are elaborately carved and painted.

Pollachi

2009-09-22T17:32:00.000+05:30

Pollachi was known as "Pozhil Vaichi" in ancient times which means "The land of natural wealth and prosperity".

The Villager

2009-09-21T11:14:00.000+05:30

Near Theni, Tamil Nadu.

Misty Khandala

2009-09-16T17:02:00.002+05:30

Monsoon Time @ Khandala. Lonavala & Khandala are twin hill stations on the way from Mumbai to Pune.

Walk Way @ Kozhikode Beach

2009-09-12T16:53:00.000+05:30

Jew Street

2009-09-12T16:40:00.004+05:30

One of the most often visited places in Cochin with 'camera in hand'. The old Jew Street at Mattanchery.

Smile for no reason . . .

2009-09-08T20:50:00.001+05:30

This was really a missed chance. Would have been a better photo had I cared more. Took this photo near Kashi Art Cafe, Fort Cochin. The old man was pushing the 2 young little ones. All of them smiled while I was taking their photo. But can you see their smiles in the picture ? Well if you can't, just imagine..

The lonely fisherman

2009-09-07T17:39:00.000+05:30

At St.Angelo Fort, Kannur

Navavaranam

2009-09-07T17:29:00.000+05:30

Onakkazcha

2009-08-28T07:50:00.006+05:30

The kids are yet to wake up, but business goes on as usual ..
The flower market @ Ernakulam North is busy in the morning, in these last few days before onam, when most of the corporates/offices/schools/colleges conduct their Onam celebration day.

Coulpe @ St.Angelo Fort, Kannur

2009-08-24T21:31:00.004+05:30

'Privacy in a public place' is non-existent. Thanks to the proliferation of digital cameras, especially in mobile phones. Would you tolerate if you become the prey in such situations ? But when you are behind the lens, the urge to get that perfect shot never lets one to think twice whether to click or not. But since the subject's identity are not revealed I guess they will forgive me.

Misty Lonavala

2009-08-20T17:01:00.005+05:30

Salam Bombay : Closing Shots

2009-08-15T12:16:00.004+05:30

The Ubiquitous Bombay Taxi

Mani Bhavan. Room used by Mahatma Gandhi during his stay in Mumbai.

Street Cricket on Sunday

Father and Child @ Marine Drive

Joy for All

2009-08-03T21:26:00.003+05:30

Do we spend enough time to see and feel the beauty around us ? The most beautiful and valuable things in life comes as free, but they cannot be bought with money.

Alone

2009-07-27T20:46:00.002+05:30

At Chowpatty Beach, Mumbai

Victoria Terminus

2009-07-24T17:22:00.004+05:30

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, more commonly know as CST or VT is the historic railway station in Mumbai, which is also the HQ of the Central Railways. Built in 1888 by the British, the station resembling the St Pancras station in London, was first named Victoria Terminus in honour of Queen Victoria.

Happy Ride

2009-07-23T20:31:00.002+05:30

Another scene from Marine Drive, Mumbai

Bombay Dreams

2009-07-17T21:23:00.007+05:30

From Marine Drive, Mumbai

The Taj Mahal Palace

2009-07-16T08:49:00.002+05:30

105 year old heritage building which belongs to The Taj group of hotels. Located near the Gateway of India, the Taj Mahal Palace became a victim of the Mumbai terror attacks on November 26, 2008.

The Gateway of India

2009-07-14T07:14:00.004+05:30

Gateway of India @ Morning 7.30. The inscription on the monument says:

"Erected to commemorate the landing in India of their imperial majesties King George V and Queen Mary on the second of December MCMXI" (1911)

Built in a mixture of Hindu and Islam architecture, the Gateway of India has served as the iconic symbol for Mumbai. It is the first visible sign of Mumbai for those who reach Mumbai by sea. The last British troops to leave India passed through the Gateway in a ceremony on 28 February 1948.

Haji Ali

2009-07-10T17:12:00.005+05:30

Haji Ali Dargah is a mosque and a dargah located near Worli, south Mumbai, in a small island about 1km away from the cost. The dargah was built in memory of saint Haji Ali who renounced all his worldly possessions before undertaking a pilgrimage to mecca. The path towards the dargah from the land gets submerged during high tide. The song 'Piya Haji Ali' in the film Fiza composed by A.R.Rahman refers to this monument.

Karla Caves

2009-07-09T20:38:00.003+05:30

Karla Caves are located near Lonavala, Maharastra. There are a lot of rock cut cave complexes in Maharastra which includes the famous Ajanta and Ellora caves. Karla caves were built by Buddhists. Altogether there are 16 caves in this complex, the largest one being Cave 8 which is a Chaitya Griha (Place of worship with a sthupa). Above photograph shows the entrance to the Chaitya Griha. More here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karla_Caves

Cave No: 8 of the Karla Caves hosts this huge Chaitya Griha. Recorded as the grandest and biggest Chaitya Grihas anywhere in India, the most fascinating aspect of this structure is its 2300 year surviving wooden architectural members. The Chaitya-Chhatra standing high atop the rock-cut stupa was the object of worship during the Hinayana phase of Buddhism.

Rain Time

2009-06-30T10:22:00.000+05:30

More Misty Mountains

2009-06-26T15:05:00.003+05:30

Birla Mandir

2009-06-20T15:04:00.005+05:30

Birla Mandir, Hyderabad. Made entirely of pure Rajasthani white marble; One of the several temples constructed by the Birla Foundation. The shrine of the presiding deity is actually behind the huge rocks and cameras are not permitted inside.

From the street (Mango Sales)

2009-06-17T16:45:00.003+05:30

Monsoon Sky

2009-06-14T10:44:00.003+05:30

Blue skies here at Kochi towards the middle of June. MET says a delay of 1 more week.

Pair

2009-06-14T10:34:00.006+05:30

മഴ

2009-06-05T08:36:00.005+05:30

വേനല്‍ അവധി കഴിഞ്ഞു വിദ്യാലയങ്ങളിലേക്ക് പോവുന്ന കുരുന്നു മക്കള്‍ക്‌ കൂട്ടായി എന്നും നിറഞ്ഞുപെയ്തിരുന്ന മഴ ഇന്നു ഒളിച്ചു നില്‍കുകയാണ്‌. .

ഇന്നു ലോക പരിസ്ഥിതി ദിനം.

Munnar

2009-05-22T09:13:00.002+05:30

Natyam

2009-05-05T22:32:00.003+05:30

Saraswathi Mandapam, Kollur Mookambika Temple.

Kudajadri

2009-05-05T22:17:00.002+05:30

Kudajadri on a misty morning. Way up towards Sarvajna Peedom and Chitramoola.

Vishu

2009-04-17T09:26:00.003+05:30

Watching the Sun go down

2009-03-17T20:44:00.002+05:30

Every day the Sun runs away with a slice of our time here on earth. Every day we assume that our lives are going to last forever. Do we give enough importance for the 'life' in our lives . .

Clouds bringeth Rain

2009-03-12T21:47:00.004+05:30

Summer showers are a great relief during these hot days. At Cochin.

Childhood ~ The cost of a smile

2009-02-28T18:47:00.012+05:30

Boy Selling Peanuts @ Fort Cochin

End of a Day

2009-02-22T10:20:00.003+05:30

(Sunset @ MarineDrive, Kochi)

"The mind that dies every day to the memories of yesterday, to all the joys and sorrows of the past - such a mind is fresh, innocent, it has no age; and without that innocence, whether you are ten or sixty, you will not find God." (~ J Krishnamurti)

Sweet Life

2009-02-07T10:07:00.004+05:30

Life as a bee. A Life full of beauty and sweetness. Isn't it a matter of choice ? Isn't it what we all strive for ? But most often we are caught up in the thorns and bushes of life without seeing the flowers.

Mayil Peeli

2009-02-03T21:52:00.002+05:30

The continuous photo upload stream is now http://www.flickr.com/photos/paradiselog which includes clicks of all quality, but the favorite ones will be posted here :)

Innocence of another flower

2009-01-21T21:23:00.006+05:30

Can a flower see its own beauty ? Does it have the sense that it is beautiful ?

Well, sometimes it feels like the majority of the stuff we do is to please others or to make others believe that we are 'something' or in the worst case to make others happy (for us). Would you have behaved differently if there was none to watch your life ?

Kathakali

2009-01-14T19:37:00.003+05:30

Dushasanan & Yudhisthiran from the play Dushasana Vadham

Just walk on by..

2008-12-31T08:10:00.005+05:30

Its just a continuation. But somewhere in between we like to place those milestones from where we can look both ways. Stand we here, looking at the way we have come and what lies before us is as always..unknown. Here is a moment to wish everyone happiness and good times before we continue our journeys. Have a great 2009!

..don't look over your shoulder, keep your head up high..just walk on by..

Opening View

2008-12-26T20:04:00.003+05:30

@ Thattekad

Merry X'Mas

2008-12-24T19:35:00.005+05:30

Wishing everyone a very happy and joyful Christmas !

Innocence of a flower

2008-12-21T13:10:00.003+05:30

This was taken while trekking in the forest (well not that real forest, but sort of, but yet we could see trails of elephants and some other 'not so dangerous' wild animals) near the Thattekad Bird Sanctuary. You've got to be accompanied by an official guide to get in to this forest and this guide will do everything to make you feel that 'fear inside the forest', by giving accounts about what to do in case you accidentally encounter a tusker and such. Other than that the small trek was peaceful.

Sunset (Kozhikode Beach)

2008-12-18T19:28:00.006+05:30

How insignificant are we in this universe ? How small are we compared to its vastness ?. But then small drops of water make up an ocean.

Sunset (Marine Drive)

2008-12-15T21:31:00.004+05:30

Well, we are going through a series of sunset shots..

Sunset (Aluva Manappuram)

2008-12-14T11:20:00.003+05:30

From the street (Plastic Flower Vendor)

2008-12-11T20:48:00.004+05:30

Many subjects in the frame. The boy who sells the flowers, the girl who wants it, her father inspecting the item and the onlooker. Taken near 'Midayi Theruvu' Kozhikode.

End of a Day

2008-12-09T19:50:00.008+05:30

The lonely beach (near Vypin, Kochi) was visited a few years back. Had a chance to go there again. How does it feel to be on one such secluded beach with the clear voice of the waves lashing on the shores, the sun hiding behind the evening clouds at the horizon and the sky in all its colors. Is there a limit to the happiness which we can have in life, or are we confusing happiness with excitement for most part of our lives. Sometimes it feels like there is actually no happiness beyond a calm mind. Serenity, is the right word. A oneness with nature and the world around us. How can the sea influence your mind and thoughts...

Friends

2008-12-07T10:38:00.003+05:30

These kids were 'caught' while playing 'Eru Panthu' (the game in which they try to get hold of the ball and throw it on one another,..to hurt ;)). Taken at Vadakara.

Egret Taking Off

2008-11-30T19:36:00.001+05:30

When everything cease What remains is Peace..

2008-11-27T20:01:00.008+05:30

Church near Broadway, Kochi.

They all help us to be better, think and act better. And those who fight in their name are using their name to defend their sins.

From the street

2008-11-26T09:07:00.002+05:30

Very first attempt from the streets. I was reluctant to ask many prospective models for a pose, but finally managed to ask him and he readily posed and starting playing the flute. Taken from Broadway, Kochi.

New

2008-11-23T10:56:00.007+05:30

A new camera and so a new blog template...

The first post was made more than 3 years ago. Even though the posts were never consistent the blog did live :) . Let it live longer ! The new weapon is an EOS 1000D, thanks to the inputs from my friends which persuaded me to buy a DSLR. And hopefully I will improve as a photographer...

Flower shot : Yellow on Green

2008-10-23T20:03:00.011+05:30

From the earth to the moon

2008-10-18T20:13:00.004+05:30

While India is trying to get in to the lunar orbit....

"We chose to go to the moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard" - John F Kennedy

Being a big fan of the American moon missions of 1960's I had the oppurtunity to see all episodes of the HBO miniseries co-produced and hosted by Tom Hanks, after he had completed his Hollywood flick, the Apollo 13. The series took its name from the original science fiction novel written by Jules Verne, From the Earth to the Moon.

Did we really get to the moon in 1969 ? Seems so surreal now ! Human race haven't had a manned moon mission since 1972. (Last man to walk on the moon, Apollo 17). So was the moon landings faked as is claimed by the moon landing hoax conspiracy theories ? No.

The Apollo space program was the third manned moon mission spawned by Nasa. The first 2 being the Mercury and Gemini programs. Milestones like first man(American) in space (Alan Shepard, Mecury-Redstone 3), first EVA (Ed White, Gemini 4), first docking in space (Neil Amstrong, David Scott, Gemini 8) were accomplised during these missions.

Though Amstrong was the first to step on the lunar surface in Apollo 11, there were 4 manned missions prior to Apollo 11 and each one did something more than the previous mission. Each one was exiting and heroic and was a step in to the lunar surface. The only major tragedy during the entire Apollo program was Apollo 1. All the 3 astronauts of the Apollo 1 died when the command module of the vehicle was destroyed by fire during a test exercise. Apollo 13, though initially destined to be a major tragedy, was finally a miracle and became one of the greatest rescue operations conducted to bring back 3 astranouts from outer space to mother earth.

Apollo 7 was the first manned mission of the Apollo program. It was conduced in earth orbit.

Apollo 8, commanded by Frank Borman, had its historic flight when it went all the way to the moon and orbited the moon 10 times before sling shooting back to the earth. The crew of Apollo 8 gave the first reports about how the lunar surface looked like. They also witnessed the famous earth rise and also took the first image (by humans) of the whole earth.

Apollo 9 was performed in low earth orbit, but was one of the most complex missions of the program. While each of the Apollo missions did a thing or two more and new than the previous one, Apollo 9 did several. They include, first flight of the complete Apollo spacecraft including the Lunar Module (LM), first undocking of lunar module from command module in outerspace, first docking of lunar module and command module and first EVA from lunar module to command module.

Apollo 10 went all the way to the moon. While the command module orbited the moon, the lunar module undocked and went to as close as 15Km from the lunar surface.

Apollo 11 with Amstrong, Aldrin and Collins landed the lunar module on the lunar surface.

Nasa sent 6 more manned missions to moon till 1972 to end the space race.

When India is launching Chandrayan next week we can all wish that it will be successfull and will mark the beginning of a new era in space exploration for us. The confidence and pride which missions like these can instill upon us Indians when they become successful will be enormous. May be we are benifited by the technological partnership that we have with other countries. But to have our nation try to send something up there among the few other countries of the world is a feat by itself.

GodSpeed :)

Wearing a shadow..

2008-10-11T12:33:00.002+05:30

These rowers were taking part in the Changanassery boat race, in the canal adjacent to the Allapuzha-Chenganassery road. See the orginal image here, but then noticed the shadow on each rower's back.

Of victory and defeat..

2008-08-29T09:45:00.004+05:30

"I may say that this is the greatest factor -- the way in which the expedition is equipped -- the way in which every difficulty is foreseen, and precautions taken for meeting or avoiding it. Victory awaits him who has everything in order -- luck, people call it. Defeat is certain for him who has neglected to take the necessary precautions in time; this is called bad luck."
--from The South Pole, by Roald Amundsen

"We took risks, we knew we took them; things have come out against us, and therefore we have no cause for complaint, but bow to the will of Providence, determined still to do our best to the last. Had we lived, I should have had a tale to tell of the hardihood, endurance, and courage of my companions which would have stirred the heart of every Englishman. These rough notes and our dead bodies must tell the tale, but surely, surely, a great rich country like ours will see that those who are dependent on us are properly provided for"
-- Robert Falcon Scott, on his way back from the south pole, failing to reach there first.. a day before he died

Roald Amundsen led the first successful Antarctic expedition to the south pole. Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer & British explorer Robert Scott undertook the dangerous and brave expedition to the south pole at the same time. Scott was 5 weeks behind Amundsen's team when he reached the pole. Scott's team perished on their way back.

History, the brave 'old' world and perspectives from the 2 sides of life...

Vishu

2008-04-14T10:28:00.001+05:30

The twilight return

2008-03-30T19:06:00.002+05:30

Birds returning home after the day's wanderings. Shot from Willington Island, Kochi.

iCon

2008-03-26T20:35:00.005+05:30

iCon is an unauthorized story of Steve Jobs. The story of how he built Apple along with Woz and then how he got himself thrown out of the company which he help cofound, his journeys with NeXT and Pixar, of Toy Story and Finding Nemo, and then back to apple for iPod & iTunes. Jobs for sure is an attention grabber as is revealed from his keynote speeches, also known as stevenotes. This books throws light on a lot of not so positive aspects of his character, which inclues his egoistic behavior and some interesting things in apple folklore, like his reality distortion field.

Rainy Days

2008-03-22T10:58:00.000+05:30

Rainy Days Continue...

Before the summer showers

2008-03-18T13:30:00.006+05:30

So, its been raining here at Kochi for some days. Feels like june in march...

Sidhartha

2008-03-09T15:45:00.004+05:30

Sidhartha, the book, was picked up from a book fair and was pointed out to me by my friend who was alongside. This is the story of one man's quest for truth. The word Sidhartha means one whose every wish is fulfilled. The story teaches us a very valuable lesson:

Sidhartha when asked about his assets always gives the same reply : "I can Think, I can Wait and I can Fast" (Chintha, Kshama, Upavasa) (* The fasting part must be seen as one's ability to keep onself away/independent from the necessities of day to day life)

The story is in no way connected to Gautama Buddha but Buddha appears as a character in this story.

Sidhartha is one of the best works of Nobel laureate Hermann Hesse (Written in German). The one which was read was a malayalam translation. Since the story is back lit by ancient India, the translation felt 'at home'.

The Magic of Malgudi

2008-01-23T22:15:00.000+05:30

There is something peculiar about Swami, the young and mischievous 10 year old Swaminathan, who is one of the first characters in silver screen to attract audiences of the same age. The Malgudi Days was aired on Doordarshan in the late 80’s.

The Magic of Malgudi, the book, contains 3 stories: Swami and Friends, The Bachelor of Arts & The Vendor of Sweets. The stories of 10 year old Swami and his adventures, of the young college student,Chandran, who hopelessly falls in love and of Jagan, a widower/Gandhiyan who finds himself in a cross generation battle with his son.

Malgudi is an imaginary town created by R K Narayan to serve as the background for the short stories which he wrote, which formed a collection named Malgudi Days. This small but beautiful town is pictured beautifully by Narayan while he narrates his stories. The Kabir street, the Albert Mission School where Swami and his friends studied, the Ananda Bhavan where Chandran (of Batcheler of Arts) gathered with his friends for coffee, the Market road where Jagan (of Vendor of Sweets) had his sweet shop, the banks of the Sarayu river where Swami, Chandran and their friends spent their evenings, it is the same place where Chandran met Malathi for the first time.

Often, while reading the story of Chandran, while he walks through the road near the statue of Sir Frederick, I wondered whether swami was around there at the same time. The place called Malgudi and its people are so interleaved in imagination…

A town called Malgudi (Wiki Extract)
A railway station serves as the main entry point for Malgudi. It is here that you find Raju, the guide who will help you explore the village. On your way through Lawley's extension, you'll visit Ananda Bhavan, where you can have a sip of coffee before continuing the journey. Some of the remarkable characters you'll meet during your visit are the town gossip, the financial expert, the man who owns Truth Press, the English teacher, and many others.
Before long, you'll also come across our protagonist, the adventurous boy called Swami...

Where there is hope..

2008-01-05T15:02:00.000+05:30

There is life! Let there be light where you look, let there be a helping hand when you struggle, let the innocent smile always be on your face. Have another great year ahead!

iWoz : Story of Steve Wozniak

2007-12-15T13:12:00.000+05:30

Through iWoz, Steve Wozniak, tells his story, starting from his childhood days, his love for electronics and how that journey helped him build the world's truly first personal computer, the Apple 1. He designed Apple 1 all by himself. He even wrote the software for it. So in a way he is the first person to build as well as write software for a PC.

Excerpts :-)

"Finally I just popped in the other two PROMs, the ones with the "polling" version of the monitor program. I typed a few keys on the keyboard and I was shocked! The letters were displayed on the screen! It is so hard to describe this feeling-when you get something working on the first try. It's like getting a hole-in-one from forty feet away. I didn't realize it at the time, but that day, Sunday, June 29, 1975, was pivotal. It was the first time in history anyone had typed a character on a keyboard and seen it show up on the screen right in from of them"

"In my head, the guy who'd rather laugh than control things is going to be the one who has the happier life. That's just my opinion. I figure happiness is the most important thing in life, just how much you laugh. The guy whose head kind of floats, he's so happy. That's who I am, who I want to be and have always wanted to be"

"This became a huge part of life almost right away. I studied the kinds of circuits the VCR used, how it worked, went through the manuals. I tried to figure out how they processed color, how color got recorded onto tape, how the power supply worked. And then I would buy wooden boxes to put these naked color VCRs into. Listen, I had a working color VCR in my apartment in Cupertino when nobody, but nobody, in the world had a VCR at home"

"But Steve had a good argument. We were in his car and he said - and I can remember him saying this like it was yesterday: " Well, even if we lose our money, we'll have a company. For once in our lives, we'll have a company"

"If you're that rare engineer who's an inventor and also an artist, I'm going to give you some advice that might be hard to take. That advise is: Work alone."

"I hope you'll be as lucky as I am. The world needs inventors-great ones. You can be one. If you love what you do and are willing to do what it takes, it's within your reach. And it'll be worth every minute you spend alone at night, thinking and thinking about what it is you want to design or build. It'll be worth it, I promise".