Zonal green area,Keshopur.

Next day morning, I was roaming on roads of Mahavir Nagar. I can’t stop myself my habit of morning exercises even though knowing that walking or running in Delhi roads is not safe and healthy. I walked towards keshopur sabzi mandi as previous day I couldn’t see the market due to rain and dirty and messy areas. But I changed my plan on seeing men in jogging dress coming out of a walled land. In curiosity I peeped through the gate and surprised to see a park there. No one believes that there will be a park available in such a congested part of the city, whatever; it was a matter to joy for me.

Keshopur vegetable market.

It is my habit to wake up early morning and have a health run or walk. I enjoy road run than indoor exercises, so in Delhi also I ventured out, but I had to stop running within few meters due to dust and traffic. Then the thought of “what to do“come up in my mind and decided to go in nearby subzi mandi (a Hindi word for vegetable market) Keshopur on foot, just to see the affairs at there and also this will help me to complete my morning exercises. I was residing in Mahavir nagar and Keshopur sabzi market is about just 2 km away. But the affairs at market was also was not so good as the whole night rain made the market a mess due to flooding water with vegetable wastes of previous day and mud ,however I took some pictures of sale of corn in the market.

Reincarnation of Scooter- Scootela…

Once scooter was the most favorite vehicle among middle class Indians and 10 years back it was difficult to walk on road in Delhi and Pune with flooded scooters. The reason for the choice of scooter was its utility as family vehicle, economy in fuel and its maintenance cost. Bajaj and Vespa scooters were dominating these roads on those days, now it become extinct and new generation two wheeler motor cycles and small cars took over the roads. Competition among financiers made loan formalities simple as even a lower income group can purchase a small car or costly motor cycle easily, then who will care for these domestic animal scooter more?.
But surprised to see the reincarnation of scooter in the form of tela in Delhi roads.(Tela- a three wheeled goods carrying cycle rickshaw, commonly known in the name of tela in north India) Actually all kind of geared motorized two, three and four wheelers required a registration from road transport department, but who will register this vehicle ? These are totally local made by improvising old scooter parts fitted on a local made Tela.





Who will be the brain behind the scootela (name given by me – scooter+ tela= scootela), I guess this may be the handiwork of a Sardar (Punjabi) because in 90s in Punjab, Hariyana and UP there were available a local made four wheeler named Maruta which was the handiworks of Punjabi mechanics by using diesel motor pumps which were available cheaper in market for irrigation purpose.
I advice the innovator to get a patent for this scootela immediately otherwise some companies may copy the technique to produce poor man’s vehicle as Nano car..

Bhartiya Patita Uddhar Sabha

On return from my home after vacation, this time I choose Air Travel instead of my usual train journey as I have to reach Delhi for some official purpose. My booking was in Spice jet, famous for economy in fare and spicy food and beautiful girl crews with red half skirt and top. As their instruction I reached Coimbatore Airport before two hours of departure time so I have got enough time to roam inside airport watching everything to pass time, then one thing seen like an antique on a corner caught my attention. That was a money collection box installed by Bhartiya Patita Uddhar Sabha for the purpose of orphaned children education. All the way to Delhi I was in the thought what it means by Patita and its relation with children.

Funny lottery car.

During last week, I was on a vacation at home to get away from my stressful work. It is my habit to walk along streets alone, and find pleasure in watching activities of city life and changes of my home town. One day I have noticed a funny thing which I would like to share with you.
A car selling lottery, the look of the car was so funny to attract anyone by pasting banners on its whole body.

Thalirilakal.

Confused? Sure you might be –other than Keralite, because thalirila is a Malayalam word for tender leaves. I use Thalirila here deliberately, because no other words can give the same sweetness and feelings of old memories which still in corner my heart. Whenever I see such tender leaves with crystal ball like water drops on it, I feel nostalgic. 



In my child hood, my father brought two Ashoka sapling from somewhere and planted in front of our home and it was there and grown about eight feet and blossoming throughout the year with red flowers. I remember its long, soft, pink tender leaves. I used to touch and feel its moist softness during morning hours, a cold soft touch feeling and drops of water on it, a kind of feeling; I am not able to explain –what kind of feeling that was! The lost days won’t come back, but the feeling inside my heart tends to go back to that good old days.

Pilgrimage to Kollur Mookambika.

Recently I with my family made a pilgrimage to Kollur Mookambika Temple. Earlier also we visited the temple twice however this one we felt special because this was the first one with my daughter, she is 3+ ,a long days we had not visited such distant sacred places together. The first darsana was also equally important with our son for his “vidhyarambham” a traditional ritual in Kerala to start ones education in front of goddess “Saraswati”.




Kollur Mookambika temple is well known in the west coast of Karnataka and oldest temple in south India. The temple is situated near the perennial river Sauparnika(as name its water is crystal clear), more over the surrounding greenery of forests and Kudachadri hills, gives a kind of unexplainable sanctity to the temple. The temple having gold plated crest and copper roof, all these attract thousands of devotees.



As belief , a saint Shri Shankarachariya (Adi Shankara) from Kerala who was in deep meditation (thapas) here on Kudachadri hills has got a Darsana of goddess Mookambika ( also known a Vagdevi, the Goddess of speech) after that he decided to install a idol at Kollur. Still there is a simhasanam (seat) of Adi shankara in room near sanctum. Goddess Mookambika has got the name Mookambika after killing a demon called Mookasura. Mookambika is regarded as a manifestation of Shakti, Saraswathi and Mahalakshmi and the idol Mookambika is in the form of Jyothir linga comprising Shiva and Shakti.At a distance of 100 meter from Temple there is an Ashram believed to be of Shri Shankarachariya.




The Kollur is really a beautiful place to visit, you will feel rejuvenated mentally once you stay here for two three days due to the pollution free environment, peaceful surrounding and spiritual
atmosphere.





Kollur Mookambika temple is in Karnataka State, about 135 km from Mangalore and 80 Kms from Udupi by road. We can reach there by train also; the nearest railway station is Kundapuram in Konken railway route, from Kundapuram again need to travel by road about 30 Kms to reach Kollur. Frequent private bus services are available to Kollur and for accommodation a lot of ashrams and lodges are available at cheap rates.

Personification of Lakshmi ! Swarna champa.

Magnolia Rajaniana.
Confused? I found this word just while searching for the English name of swarna champa but I could get is the botanical name of swarna champa. Swarna champa in Malayalam we call it as swarna champakam, may be of its color resembles to gold. Swarna- swarnam mean gold in Indian languages. The flower is famous for its attractive fragrance.
In Kerala it is a rare flower, I have seen it once only ,that too a relative of mine, she belongs to Trichur worn this flower on her hair( south Indian ladies having the habit of wear on hair).Here in Orissa putting flower on hair is seen among the Telugu women but not in Oriya women.





The soothing smell of the swarna champa is so addictive that once smelt, they start to search for the flower for again. The reason why I have tried twice to plant a sapling at my home in Kerala by purchasing from nursery with unreasonable price but it dried up within few months.
But here in Orissa I surprised to see the swarna champa plants in front of most of the houses and people use its flower for puja ( puja or pooja I don’t know the exact spelling- whatever it is a worshiping method of Hindus). As per my observation swarna champa plant flower only after the tree become five to six years old and after growing ten to fifteen feet high. Rare trees are available flowering throughout the year. In front of my office there are two trees one is of about twenty five feet high and other about fifteen and second one flower in all the seasons. Every day I used to pluck one or two flowers and keep it in my room, there is no use of a synthetic room freshener spray, the natural swarna champa fragrance giving me an effect of aroma therapy. In summer it gets tough to pluck the flowers because of the height of the tree, so I used to purchase swarna champa incense sticks available in market.





Some people believe swarna champa is the flower of goddess of Lakshmi because she loves the flower. Lakshmi is considered as the goddess of wealth and believes that where the flowers kept there reside Lakshmi also. One folk tale I heard is that, once there was a minister's daughter she with her devotion in goddess changed a Champa tree in gold flowering. So it has got the name of swarna (gold) champa and still people here believes that the tree help to increase the wealth of family.