The Best in Business

Mysore Palace

Mysore Palace (click for larger view), Perhaps the best palace in the world.
Mysore, South India.

First Picture: Courtesy Amith, Thanks.

Hampi

Indian Colours

It is impossible to express India's particular beauty in black-and-white. Black-and-white might be a good medium to convey Europe's fear and alienation, but colour is natural for an Indian, and more appropriate for the extraordinary diversity of India. Unlike European art, Indian art did not have the tradition of independent black-and-white sketches and drawing. If any line drawings were made, they were for being filled out in colour. Colour is the fountain of India. Colour is the basis of the entire rasa theory, that governs Indian painting, dance, music, and literature.

~Raghubir Singh

Snap: Women section at the Flag Lowering Ceremony, Wagah, India-Pakistan Border, 2006

Foibles

Mylapore Kaapi and heavenly heavenly pongal

Theory of Eternal Recurrence

Wisdom

Hands on at the Photocopier

Token

Back in business: Summer

Reading ole Love Letters,

Timeline

Promise of Innocence

Childhood is the sleep of reason.
~Jean-Jacques Rousseau



Boys @ Beach Mangalore, Karnataka, India

To be nobody but yourself in a world which is doing its best, night and day, to make you everybody else means to fight the hardest battle which any human being can fight; and never stop fighting.
~ee cummings


Boys@ Derwent waters, Lake District Cumbria, England.

Also this one here.

Salford Quay

Quay, including the Lowry, from View Point.

Salford, Manchester

Meme Machine...

Here is the new meme. It is simple, easy and gives no room for whining one usually associates with a meme. All you have to do is select and upload one photo that you have clicked this year that is special to you. Could be anything...aesthetic, technical or personal. Also, put in a short note why it is special.

Here’s mine:

This one is special because it opened worlds for me this year. We were driving towards Lucerne in summer. I was reading on the famous Lion of Lucerne (Löwendenkmal) when J asked me: If I knew who described the monument as the most moving piece of stone he has ever seen.

Robert Byron? Eric Newby? Oscar Wilde?
It was Mark Twain.






Later , when I stood before the monument, I was mesmerised. It was exactly as Twain had described it. Before this, I have never believed that a stone could be made to express such a primary human emotion of despair.

The lion is stabbed in the back and lies dying in dolour and with deep anguish of betrayal amongst the broken sovereigns and symbols of the French royalty.

The monument is dedicated to the six hundred Swiss Gaurds who lost their lives guarding the Tuilleries and Versailles palaces and their royal inhabitants during the French revolution. It was designed by the talented Dane Bertel Thorvaldsen. The Latin means: dedicated to the loyalty and courage of Swiss.


I observed how concise Twain was with his eyes and ink, hence dug up all his great travelogues, much to the shock of J who could never bring herself to believe that I hadn’t read them.

The Tramp’s Abroad
The Innocent’s Abroad
And the wonderful...Following the Equator (reading)

It has been a great find. Paul Theroux, Tony Hawks, Ewan McGregor, Bruce Chatwin, Bill Bryson, Stuart Maconie , Michael Palin I have read them a few adventurous travellers this year but No one has enriched me as much Twain has.


Here are the next, Thanks.
Mridula
Amit
Lavanya
Parikrama
Madhuri

Mammaries of the Welfare State

~Mammaries of the Welfare State

BCAK

Golconda

These chaps challenged me I cant climb the Golconda Fort in 30 minutes. Therefore, it was done.

~Golconda, Hyderabad

St Mary's Island...

Off Mangalore, Arabian sea

In search of...

~ All for 24 quid.

Turner 2007

Response wall at the Turner Prize Exhibit; Tate Liverpool.

By the way

Red army, Royal Mile , Edinburgh