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The Breathing Shutter - By Swati

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The Breathing Shutter - By Swati

This page showcases the magic of a man-made third eye which brings a lot of perspective in our so called ideal lives. Let us see the beauty and THINK!

02/04/2018

What's out there Mom?

In pic - A Rhesus female carries her infant ventrally (clinging to the belly) - this happens only for the first four months, so this is a really young one. Parental care in Rhesus monkeys is quite similar to humans - mothers will care for their young ones & raise them within the very social environment of the group.

The rhesus macaque is one of the best known species of Old world monkeys. It has the widest geographic range of any non-human primate, occupying a great diversity of habitats across Asia. They are social animals - living in active & noisy groups that can reach up to 200 in population.

28/03/2018

Who says there aren't any beaches in the Himalayas?
The white sands on the shores of Ganga near Rishikesh can rival any beach around the world. Beautiful mountain views and amazing spiritual vibes are an added bonus. Rishikesh is called the World capital of Yoga, and there is no better place than the river beach of Ganga to practice it. So on your next trip here, get the yoga mat & soak up the positive energy. Travel tip: Walk up the left bank of the river (the less crowded side) to leave the bustling ghats behind & find this place.

25/03/2018

Clouds foretell a tropical storm in Krabi as a long-tail boat gets going.

Even though they appear flimsy, longtails (or 'Rua hang-yao' as they are called in Thai)can cope surprisingly well with rough seas. The secret lies in a high bow & the high position of the outboard engine at the stern.

Longtail boat-building has remained artisanal for hundreds of years in South-east Asia. Skills are passed down each generation from father to son. Each boat is unique because every captain paints his boat in a unique set of colors to pay his respects to the water spirits, in exchange for a safe passage and a full net of fish. There are no fixed building plans either - master builders play around with the specifications as the boat gets built.

Sadly though, they are in danger of being obsolete now. in 1989, the Thai government banned logging of natural forests. This led to a shortage of timber & a drastic decline in the number of new longtail boats. Slowly, they are losing out to speedboats which travel faster & hold a higher number of people.

Before they are gone for good, take a trip to SE Asia & take a ride in one. It's worth the experience.

24/03/2018

How did I end up here? -thinks a leopard inside a small cage at the Delhi Zoo.

Have you ever been confined to a small room? Within hours, you would become restless and start pacing back and forth. Now, imagine doing this for the rest of your life. This is exactly what thousands of poor animals do - every day, for our selfish pleasure of being able to watch them within our comfortable cities.

The situation is especially bad at Delhi zoo for smaller cats. While Lions and tigers get a medium sized enclosure with some trees and a small water body, leopards are confined to small cages without enough space to walk 20 steps either way. Imagine being the fastest animal on land - and living in a 15x20 feet enclosure for your entire life.

This happens despite extensive scientific research that proves animals in small cages lose their ability to develop physically and cognitively start hurting themselves and eventually go mad. There's even a name for abnormal and stereotypic behavior of caged animals - Zoochosis.

If you love animals, set them free. To help this one, please reach out to the ministry for environment and forests in India at /twitter.com/moefcc

30/01/2018

Not just birds! Here's a scarecrow that'd fool you too!

Did you know that the first use of scarecrows was recorded by the Egyptians who used them to protect wheat fields along the Nile river from flocks of quail. They've been used by Greeks, Romans, Native Americans & Japanese farmers for thousands of years since then.

Even today, the scarecrow serves as a modern pictorial depiction of the rural lifestyle. You would find thousands of them when traveling on rural Indian roads. But rarely would you see one this good. For a moment even I thought it was a farmer dressed in modern clothing - taking a well deserved rest on a hot day.

14/01/2018

The walls of magnificent Kumbhalgarh fort stretch for a mind-boggling 36 kms. Built by Rana Kumbha in the 15th century, it is among the largest walled complexes in the world & a UNESCO world heritage site today. Rana Kumbha was quite the builder in his family. Of the 84 forts in his domain - he is said to have designed and built 32 - of which Kumbhalgarh is the largest and most elaborate. Ever since it was built, the fort has remained impregnable to assault and fell only once in its history due to a shortage of drinking water. The frontal walls are 15 feet thick, there are seven fortified gateways & there are 360 temples inside the fort. Remember to bring your hiking shoes, for it's quite a walk up to the fort. In fact, it's so far up, that on a clear day - people can see the dunes of the faraway Thar desert from the top of the fort.

30/11/2017

Till the late 20th century, the 'Rahat' system of irrigation was the primary mode of getting water to crops in the subcontinent, Africa & Middle east. There was no electricity to drive a pulley system. So farmers attached one/two oxen to a large wheel set up next to a deep well. The wheel was linked to the pulley system with buckets. The animals went around in circles all day & the water kept on flowing - simple & efficient. If you want to see it in action today - take a trip to India & head out of the bustling cities, into the countryside - it's still going strong in the 21st century.

25/11/2017

Sometimes, you spend an entire day on the streets without a decent portrait. But sometimes, if you are lucky - someone like this little character would come along - strolling around barefoot in a park on a warm afternoon & enjoying his drink. And if you are really lucky - he would look right at your lens & smile impishly when you need him to. As a photographer - there are those pictures which you plan & work hard at & then there are these which you were meant to take. A picture that reminds me of the lost joys of childhood - when the little things were big & all your worldly possessions could fit in your pockets.

12/10/2017

Dolphins have amazing cognitive abilities. Not only can they learn and remember to perform complex tricks in co-ordination; they also have the ability to pass this learning on to each other.

But even more amazing, instructive & thought-provoking is their emotional stability. Imagine putting yourself into a small confined space for years and years, being asked to perform tricks every day on command & yet losing no love for your captors. It's a lesson in stoicism for all humans. If only we could bear our burdens, with their grace.

09/10/2017

In pic - The with one of it's slender marble Minarets in the foreground. The main structure is so huge that it's difficult to understand the scale. Each of these minarets is over 137 feet in height. They were built at a slight tilt so they would fall away from the tomb in case of an earthquake.

Last weekend was the third time I've visited Taj Mahal. It's one of the most well recognized buildings in the world, featured in countless paintings & photos & yet none of them is able to do it justice. The great Indian poet Tagore calls it a "teardrop on the cheek of time"; Edward Lear says "descriptions of this wonderfully lovely place are simply silly, as no words can describe it". I would agree with both of them because even on a hot sunny holiday with huge crowds jostling for a view - it was breathtaking in scale and beauty.

- Avoid the long lines to go inside the tomb (there isn't much to see) - especially on hot days. Instead, spend more time exploring the Persian gardens in front of the building.

26/09/2017

In Pic - Clouds gather over the beautiful Khajjar valley in Himachal Pradesh - a part of the Kalatop Khajjar sanctuary. The valley is circular in shape with a small stream fed lake in the middle. Although the clouds add a fairy tale ambiance to this picture; if they hadn't been there, you could have seen the peaks of Dhauladhar range of Western Himalayas in the distance. - avoid the usual tourist traps on arrival & walk over to the far side of the lake to enter thick pine forests with cloudy mists swirling through the air. It would be a magical experience.

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