Miramar Monument

There are some things which when you see almost everyday, you never even notice they are there. Until you stop… and look again.

This time, I had parked around the Miramar circle and saw this monument in the rear-view mirror. And and I saw it for the first time.

Miramar Monument

Details: There is next to nothing about this monument/statue that I could find. Just two things:

1. Originally a fort stood here (Fort Gaspar Dias) at the start of the Miramar beach. This would be directly opposite the Reis Magos fort. Between them they were designed to defend the entrance to the Mandovi, although they were of limited use. There is no fort here now, but the most prominent position on the beachfront is taken up by this statue representing Hindu and Christian unity. (Lonely Planet, Guide to Goa 2003)
2. The canon kept on the round-about at Miramar is one of the 16 original canons from the Gaspar Dias Fort.

Another version explains the monument as being “twin statues depicting late PM Lal Bahadur Shastri’s slogan ‘Jai Jawan Jai Kisan’.”

And here is another link

Osama: Film Snapshot

ristotle once said, ‘I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God that has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use.’The first movie made in post taliban regime in Afghanistan…

for those who enjoy movies with no happy endings, where the story is not tied into an expected outcome, here is a treat. In a mosaic of stories which are in fact experiences of both the director and the actors, The movie leaves you with a unbearable feeling of emptiness at sheer extent of human depravity

I do not feel obliged to believe that the same God that has endowed us with sense, reason, and intellect has intended us to forego their use
– Aristotle

This is the first movie made in post-Taliban regime in Afghanistan.

For those who enjoy movies with no happy endings, where the story is not tied into an expected outcome, here is a treat.

In a mosaic of stories (which are in fact experiences of both the director and the actors), the movie leaves you with a unbearable feeling of emptiness at sheer extent of human depravity

Spirit Flies

sometimes, you can have an unexpected visitor. This butterfly came a wishing the other day.

There was a time as a child when i would believe that a moth or a butterfly not seen around was a spirit of a loved one come to say hello… the odd thing is that I would still love to believe that.

Sometimes, you can have an unexpected visitor. This butterfly came a-wishing the other day.

Butterfly spirit

There was a time as a child when I would believe that a beautiful moth or a butterfly is a spirit of a loved one come to say ‘hello’… the odd thing is that I still love to believe that.

Found an interesting article on the same out here

UPDATE:

This swallowtail butterfly is called the Blue Mormon ( Papilio polymnestor). <more detail>

Happy Diwali

Diwali Dhamaka

A good picture with a good message and a thought to go with it.

I picked up this picture from one of the popular social networking websites, however I was thrilled by the message that the picture was bundled with. Read in the papers yesterday that this year a number of college students are going to celebrate Diwali minus the noise. Hats off to them!

As for why this picture struck a chord for me… I was taken back to my childhood when I would see these crackers and shudder with fear at the thought of lighting them. Even now, if I ever see anyone lighting up one of these, my fingers don’t take more than a fraction of a second to plug my ears 🙂

Camera or Camera-person?

What makes this picture unique is not the suprising fact of how I got my car into such a spot (that could be anyone’s guess)

Grassy pan

Believe it or not, this panorama has been clicked on a cell phone and that too a VGA one!

Only goes to endorse the fact that it is not the camera but the one behind it that makes a picture 🙂

(Got this inspiration from a recent article at the Digital Photography School)

Pictures from a Plane

“Can you carry a camera in cabin luggage?” Yes you can! And in India you can even use it all along! (with a little discretion of course)

For security reasons I will not be able to mention the name of the airport nor the place I was flying to. Suffice to say that the last few snaps are over Goa!

Modern art at the airport lounge

Airport art on glass

(this is a clue for those who are trying to guess the airport!)

Tail friends

Runway competition

Nose up

(as close as I could get to the nose of the plane)

Landing or Taking off?

Deserted craft

Wing span

Great hues of blues in the sky above and below

Cloud formations

Indi-go

I just couldn’t resist taking this shot. Everyting around me was so …indigo

Plane over Vasco

This is an aerial view of Vasco city, the place where the journey finally ends

Window views triptych

The Lemon Tree – Film snapshot

Myth or reality, fable or parable, this story serves as an example of tolerance and respect for each other.

One dialogue in the movie summed it all:

Defence Minister’s Wife: I wish I could be a better neighbor… a normal neighbor. But I suppose it’s a bit too much to hope for. There’s too much blood and too much politics… and then there’s the lemon grove between us.
Defence Minister adds: And that’s why it’s so important to cut it down, so it no longer be a problem

Mollem Magic – Mushrooms and more

I call myself a Goan, and have come to realise that I have not seen much of Goa. Mollem wildlife sanctuary was one such place.

Reaching there takes about an hour and a half from Panjim and after paying the toll fee we were into the wild!

Three main stops and I had my camera brimming with pictures.

STOP 1: BUTTERFLIES & DRAGON FLIES

Butterfly feast

Look into my eyes

The butterfly feast referred to is called “Mud-puddling“. It is the phenomenon mostly seen in butterflies and involves their aggregation on substrates like wet soil, dung and carrion to obtain nutrients such as salts and amino acids. Typically, mud-puddling behavior takes place on wet soil. But even sweat on human skin may be attractive to butterflies.

This behaviour is restricted to males in many species who seem to benefit from the sodium uptake through mud-puddling behaviour with an increase in reproductive success. The collected sodium and amino acids are often transferred to the female with the spermatophore during mating as a nuptial gift. This nutrition also enhances the survival rate of the eggs! [more info]

Dragonfly break

Dragonfly on the bridge

STOP 2: SPIDERS & WORMS

Giant orange spider

Worms and Worms Inc.

STOP 3: MUSROOMS AND MUSHROOMS

Giant mushroom

Have you seen mushrooms 'on' a tree?

Washed away

Snowflake mushrooms

Out of place

Catch me if you can

The day ended with a heavy downpour… all part of the package!

Vegetation art

UPDATE: For a great pic of the Devil’s Canyon (a rare landmark in Mollem), go to Elton’s site