Travel to Yercaud - Salem

One Friday evening, out of the blue, my  friend suggested Yercaud.

Had long since had the idea to travel to Yercaud, but somehow it never materialized.

As we had no other commitments for the weekend, we agreed upon and started to Yercaud.

Transportation was never a problem as we had our own FORD IKON.

Started by around 8:30 in the night and took or first break at Villupuram for dinner.

Post that, we decided that our next stop would be only Yercaud, of course we did took breaks here and there for nature's call but he decision was to reach Yercaud  without any extended breaks -Not even for photos.

We stayed at one of the resort and the rooms were really good and affordable and a good service as well.

Yercaud Resort

With information from the reception, we jotted down few places of interests and post fresh up started exploring Yercaud.

Yercaud Flower

Yercaud, still not congested or as polluted like Ooty or Kodai and the weather was equally good.

Really don't know why Yercaud is termed as Poor Man's Ooty.

It has really some good place to offer for sight seeing as mentioned below.

The famous Montford School where our own Actor "Chiyaan" Vikram studied is also a place of visit for me as am an ardent fan of him who had given us wonderful movies and memorable performances and to name a few films - Sethu, Kasi, Pithamagan, Samurai, Ravanan and to the latest Deiva Thirumagal. Somehow am no able to give the same rating to the recently released Rajapattai.

Yercaud Pagoda Point

As many would know, Yercaud is located in the Shervaroys ranges. The name Shervaroy had originated from the Servarayan Temple which is situated atop the hills in a cave. The cave in itself holds many a mysteries.

Near Servarayan Temple

The Pagoda point is one other place of visit, don't get any ideas, not much to say but if your visit time is evening, the Sun set gives you plenty of opportunity for taking best of the best photos and few are as below. THAT'S A WOW...

Cinnamon Trees

 The Cinnamon trees in Yercaud with the sun behind is a good one for the photographers

Yercaud Hills - Eastern Ghats

                                              The view from the Watch tower in Yercaud

Yercaud View Point

 The Watch Tower near the Servarayan Temple

Travel to Yercaud

The major places of visits are as follows :

1. Yercaud Lake
2. Lady's Seat -  View Point
3. Killiyur Falls
4. The Servarayan Temple
5. Bear’s Cave
6. Green House
7. Pagoda Point
8. Silk Farm and Rose Garden.

After a full day visit, yes nothing much but a real good place to visit with family and friends and to spend some quality time as there in not much pressure the way we feel at Ooty or Kodai (to visit more places)

Would recommend this place for anyone and everyone who likes to spend time with Family in a serene and calm atmosphere..

Bye Bye Yercaud...

Will be back with some other location...

Insects - Flies - Animals - Masinagudi, Karaikudi, Trichy, Adirampattinam, Kalahasti, and Kodaikanal

This time it's going to be only photos of various insects, flies and animals which i MET during my various travels.

Ant House - 5 Feet - Masinagudi Forest

Bee Hive - Karaikudi 1000 Window House

Bullocks - For the Morning Shift - Kalahasti

Cocks - Kodaikanal

Dogs - Humans Best Friend - Karaikudi

Ducks - Who's that inside my feathers - Masinagudi

Flies - Masinagudi

Goat - Nature's Call - Karaikudi

Claw Marks - Man vs Animal - Masinagudi Forest

Pigeon - Bird's Eye View - Masinagudi

Pigeon - In the watch out - Karaikudi

Pigeon - Silhouette - Karaikudi

Pigeon - In the Waiting - Karaikudi

Sparrow - Bye Bye - Trichy

Egret - The lone guy waiting for... - adirampattinam

Anna Arivalayam - By Night

Last week, attended a "Talk Show" at Anna Arivalayam, and am to thank my 1 year old daughter for the below photos.

As she was in no way interested in the talk show (obvious enough as she is 13 months now)was wriggling and restless.

In order not to disturb the people around me from enjoying the show, picked her and came out of the auditorium and the lighting gave me a good opportunity to click few shots.

Mind you, these photos are taken with my Apple iPhone..

Thanks Steve Jobs and of course thanks to my daughter as well..

The Great Indian Road Trip - www.xbhp.com

Truly inspiring...Awesome..

Was longing to buy myself a Bajaj Avenger for quite sometime as an alternate for my car, and was searching the net about the details and stumbled upon this "The Great Indian Road Trip"...

Beautiful... The courage of these guys is really commendable and i do envy them for what they had achieved while many others including me is only thinking and planning and postponing without any valid reason but only the fear to break out of our safety zone of 9 to 6 job stopping us.

These guys had the courage above all including their perseverance, patience, lost opportunities, failures, the "No - This cannot be done" looks from others", Let us see - " These guys are going to fall on their face" etc..comments from others.

http://www.xbhp.com/gir/rides/blade.php

I really envy the kind of experience these guys would have had, the opportunity to see INDIA in it's all beauty and raw, the various facets of life and humans, the various challenges this trip would have offered them, the various life lessons they would have learnt, the bond that would have happened among them as a team...BEAUTIFUL...

Hats off to you guys... Keep Roaring..Keep Going..

One fine day, would do certainly something of this sort by myself..

YOU GUYS ARE ONE INSPIRING LOT...

Funniest Video - Traffic Signal

Last time it was about a funniest milestone which had an ambiguous distance of 9 or 10 kms to a nearby town and this time it a video wherein all the lights are blinking in this particular traffic junction and leaving it to the motorists to take an informed or a judicious decision..

Enjoy...

Funniest Photo - Ever

Should i say the funniest photo ever or a gross negligence by the National Highway department.

Below is a photo taken by me when i was travelling in one off the highways in Tamilnadu about a couple of years before.

The milestone is showing 9 or 10 Kms to a specific town. How can it be so ambiguous??

Hope the changes would have been done by now at least, as i never got an opportunity to be in that highway for the past 2 years.

Keep Travelling with me and bye for now..

Travel to Mahabalipuram alias Mahabs

It was a Sunday morning and with no plans for the day. (As always..which sunday is planned :-))

It was bright and sunny and thought of hitting the ECR (East Coast Road), Chennai, Tamilnadu.

Post crossing Neelangarai and VGP Golden Beach..it really was great to drive through.

Rolled down my windows to enjoy the sea breeze.

Spent time where ever i wished too..with no particular agenda and only with my camera as a companion which inevitably is and would be always.

The sun providing a great support for the lighting.. Am totally convinced that available light is the best light for photography..Yes, we may not be able to control it but the hue and the depth and the contrast and for the shadows it provides.. Out of the world and with no comparison.

The "Road Less Traveled" - of course for me and by now this road has become one of my ever favorite..

First pit stop was near a back water and by the time i reached, the Sun was on his way back home which provided for some beautiful reflections and a sample is below.

Totally mesmerized by this show of nature and Water and Sun, spent more than an hour and out of which close to 45 mts was just sitting and observing/absorbing this show.

Then headed toward Mahabs without any heart to leave this place.

Spent time with the locals and the sculptors and certainly not in the beach.

Lord Vinayaga or Pillayar (as in tamil) is one god with whom we can fight/experiment/spend time and  mold him as per our requirement and a sample is as below..

All is well and by the time i felt a little exhausted after all this, IT'S TIME FOR REJUVENATING AND COOL ONESELF WITH A BEER...My heart always thank Mr.Vijay Mallaya..the KING OF GOOD TIMES. HA HA HA...

Straight headed to one of the resorts that dotted the coast of Mahabalipuram.

And that's how my sojourn ended..

Bye Bye Mahabs but not for the last time..

Will come back with another location tomorrow and this time it's going to be...I MYSELF DON'T KNOW THAT FOR NOW...

Thanks God..  I Love what am doing...

Brahma Gana Sabha - T.N.Seshagopalan - 4th Dec 2011

It was an altogether different experience...My first exposure to a concert.

Born and brought up in Chennai only but never once had the inclination or the urge to visit the yearly event.

This time i was destined to.... influenced by my wife and thanks to her..it was one wonderful evening and had decided to be part of this season and as well going forward..

Vocal :          Madurai T.N Seshagopalan
Violin :          V.V.Ravi
Mridangam : K.Ramesh
Ghatam :      A.S.Murali

Below are few photos for those who missed the opportunity

Jaguar - In Chennai

This is the first Jaguar i sighted in Chennai roads..

Mayakkam Enna and Howz Monday Morning - Similarities

Actually am elated, impressed,  inspired rather top of the world

It was early 2009 and was part of a training program.

The trainer was Mr.Anil Chawla and the training was Brain Mapping.

During the break, was discussing with him about my hobbies and interests which includes photography, direction and acting and during the course of the conversation, Anil asked me whether i can make a short film based on "Follow your Passion" to be precise " Follow your Heart" and for which he himself was a standing example who "Followed his Heart".

 We agreed upon and met during the subsequent week ends and decided to go ahead in making a short film on the subject and which would be not more than 20 mts as the same was for his training sessions.

Come May 2009, with my circle of friends, we debated and finally concluded a script which has 2 leads and would run well within 20 mts and that too within a specified budget - monetarily as well as time bound.

We started on a Saturday morning and wrapped up the entire shoot the next evening with editing, dubbing and BGM left out and which we eventually finished in the next 3 days.

Produced by Anil Chawla of Peoplecraft - http://www.peoplecraft.com/

The output was good and well appreciated.

Now coming to the similarities between Mayakkam Enna and Howz Monday Morning?

1) I play a character who knows only photography and nothing else

2) Continuously tries to become a "Wild Life Photographer"

3)  Tries his level best to have an initial break but only rejections

4) Totally perturbed by the happenings but resolves to Follow his passion - Come what may

5) Sends photo to organisation but only rejections followed

6) Displays his photograph and eventually gets his first break

7) After sometime and with persistence, eventually gets the break he was waiting and wanting for and becomes a Wild Life Photographer..

Post watching the movie, was totally moved and almost in tears out of joy... Why so?

Is it because someone of Selvaraghavan's calibre had thought in the same line as a bunch of few youngsters did a couple of years before?

or

Is it because Dhanush, whom i admire, respect and look upto for his acting skills and small small nuances he brings into the character he portrays did the character which i did a couple of years before?

or

Is it because as a team we guys do dare to think differently?

or

Is it because many a friends who had seen both Howz Monday Morning and Mayakkam Enna appreciated us for what we did a couple of years before?

or

Is it.......................??????

Many more questions like this and many more ORs!!!!!!

One more add on fact is that, we did this well before 3 Idiots and if am right, 3 Idiots got released in the fag end of 2009 or early 2010.

Watching 3 Idiots itself gave me a boost but Mayakkam Enna completely took me over and was elated and proud at the same time.

Actually am elated, impressed, inspired rather top of the world...