Of People and Places

Illustration/Sketch of an Oriental Magpie-Robin  Oriental magpie-robins fill our homes with their symphonies as they flit outside, swooping down to get a drink or eat a few crumbs from the many pots people place outside on the walls of their homes or on the streets. They have sweet voices and when in a particular bid to woo the ladies, they croon their hearts out - it is indescribably beautiful. They hop about and bob their tails and you could instantly recognize them by the distinctive white streak on the wings. Read more about birds -  Birds in Bhopal Birds in Belgaum Red -wattled lapwing in Bhopal An Ashy Prinia on the balcony White breasted Waterhen in Belgaum A Black-naped Oriole in Bangalore Black - crowned night heron at Madiwala lake

 Trying to paint the delicate nature of Amaltas blossoms - they dangle upside down in bunches and add such a lovely vibe to any neighborhood they adorn. We are fortunate that the lanes outside our house are lined with many Amaltas trees. A beautiful name for a beautiful tree. A friend makes elegant earrings, pendants, bookmarks set in resin to immortalize favourite flowers and the memories they bring :)  and the ones she makes of Amaltas are among my favourites - here, take a look -  Amaltas bookmarks (Picture courtesy - Jwala Dadhich, guftgu phoolo ki) Amaltas earrings (Picture courtesy - Jwala Dadhich, guftgu phoolo ki)         Amaltas coaster/paperweight (Picture courtesy - Jwala Dadhich, guftgu phoolo ki) Visit Jwala's profile here   Follow on instagram - @guftguphooloki

  Drongo near Shahpura pond

  Sketching at Chinar Park 

  A sketch of an artist friend...Silent companionship is so rare isn't it?  That's the nicest thing about being with like-minded people, no? The bliss of not having to spell out things. The joy of being understood without words. And having a shared vision of beauty, seen differently but felt in unison.

A sketch of Taj-Ul-Masajid A portion of the Taj- Ul -Masajid seen from under the shade of an old old tree - a well spread out one in the vast courtyard, giving much needed respite from the 4 o clock sun. The facade seems to be made for sunsets, glowing a rosy pink and orange in the setting sun, while prayers take place inside. Thanksgiving and grace only seem natural in such a setting.   We do sit inside the main prayer hall just before people start milling in and it is magical. The silence and calm hangs undisturbed, the light filters through the windows and you are mesmerized.  The Taj -Ul- Masajid ( yes, spelled Masajid) is the largest mosque in India.  It is truly beautiful and I hope you get to experience it :) 

Sometimes, I have to scout long and hard to find a composition that would be good to sketch. Most of the times, I have to edit the scene - add a bush here, remove a tree there, add a person there, remove a light pole here. But on rare occasions like these, there are some beautiful elements all ready for you, waiting to enter your sketchbook, inviting you to park yourself in a shady nook and put pen to paper. For company, there is a drongo close by who seems to be unafraid of humans, he swoops down to see how I am making my progress and returns to this fork in the tree that he seems to love. There is a kingfisher who flies away as soon as I draw close. There are several sunbirds feasting on the flowers. There are boys playing cricket, intent on their game. But what company does a person need when there is a palash tree close by ?  

Sketching close to flowing water. Bliss. There were bats screeching around us and my friend spotted a gray hornbill. There was beautiful sunshine all around - It's a fantastic park - worth a visit :) 

  A palace in my sketchbook A view of the Kamlapati Palace from Ginnori road.  A very understated building, its beautiful ( and simple) facade catches my eye as I trudge down the road towards the Rani Kamlapati Arch Bridge. The view from the palace of the bridge itself is spectacular. It is less visited and conducive for contemplation and sketching. Although, I would have enjoyed it a lot more without the hot sun blazing down on me!  What visitors can see now is only part of the original construction built by Rani Kamlapati, the widow of Nizam Shah, the chief of Ginnaurgarh. As per legend, Kamlapati was an enchanting woman, renowned for her beauty. I read this charming couplet that immortalizes the beauty of the lake and Rani Kamlapati ( from an ASI board) -  ताल तो भोपाल ताल बाकी सब तलैया  रानी तो कमलापति और सब रनैया।  Tal to Bhopal Tal baaki sab tallaiya Rani toh Kamlapati aur sab ranaiyan All other lakes are mere ponds, not worth the name Kamalapati is t...

  Black-naped Oriole  in Bangalore - watercolor illustration This bird always comes at the same time in the morning and always sits on the same spot on a Ficus tree. On windy, rainy days, she looks just like the vivid fluttering leaves around her. Her striking green and yellow feathers look marvellous in flight. The most recognizable feature is the black band around the nape.  I am assuming it is a she because her wings are greener whereas males are supposed to have more yellowish upperparts. She doesn't stay for long, screeches like someone's throttling her ;D , sometimes ending in a long sneezing sound. She leaves just as quickly as she appears, no dawdling around.  More posts about birds and trees -  An Ashy Prinia on the balcony and hope  Black-crowned night heron at Madiwala lake   Whited breasted water hen in Belgaum The Saptaparni tree in Hoshangabad Fun with Babool tree pods, Bhopal The Baobab trees of Mandu Birds in Belgaum A love letter to th...

Watercolor sketchbook My grandmother has moved to a new locality in Belgaum which is a little away from the city - from the top of her house there's an amazing bird's eye view of monsoon greenery (Much of the surrounding area is defence land - therefore, unexploited...so far, that is) This little shed with the blue roof caught my eye - it looked beautiful close to two silver oaks, glistening with raindrops. It was still cloudy and thunderstorms were expected. A lovely little memory captured with watercolors. And just in time, because it did start raining again - cats and dogs!   Here are some delightful birds I met during my stay there -  Birds in Belgaum  Whitebreasted Waterhen

A sketch of a woman at Sethani Ghat, Hoshangabad On a cold morning, a woman offers prayers to the river Narmada at Sethani ghat. She is more sparrow-like in real life than in the sketch. She walks briskly up the steps, readjusts the shawl to cover her ears snugly, and disappears into the crowd. Even at this early hour, the road to the ghat is fairly crowded with devotees, wayfarers, sadhus, cattle, stalls selling poha jalebi, religious items, stray dogs, umpteen tea stalls (serving the best tea in the world!) goats, goatherds, boatmen. All Hoshangabad posts from this blog -  The Signalman of Hoshangabad   The Saptaparni tree in Hoshangabad Nostalgia in a bottle In Bachchwada Dhana in Madhya Pradesh Bandrabhan

Gray Langur sketch, Mandu We saw this scruffy fellow near the railing overlooking the Kakra Khoh Valley, where we had stopped on our way to Mandu. Gray Langurs' resemblance to humans is remarkable. They often keep their body upright and their hands are very close to human hands. I find them quite beautiful and more dignified than the Rhesus Macaque, the usual monkeys who are noisy and troublesome, sniffing out mischief in every way possible! The Gray Langur is also called the Hanuman Langur - I remember seeing large groups of them at Hampi on the Anjaneya Hill ( One of the many places that claim to be the birthplace of Hanuman ). They are considered sacred and I think, enjoy a better status :-)  Their tails are very interesting - much longer than the body, often held looping in a curve over the body as they run, walk and amble. I wonder why they evolved such long tails... Do you have any answers?  All my Madhya Pradesh Posts -  Hindola Mahal in Mandu  Impression of M...

Tomb of Iltutmish, Qutub complex On a cold morning, wearing three layers of clothes I set out to the Qutub Minar by walk.  I was delighted that my friend's house was within walking distance. In the crisp morning, it was pleasant to be moving around in the sunshine. But the occasional gusts of wind can really get you! I walked past Indian guides speaking to tourists in fluent Korean, Mandarin and Spanish. Wearing masks and impeccably dressed, the tourists stood about with garlands of marigold and a spot of sindoor, given ceremoniously by the tour guide in that 'oh so Indian' way. And then it began. The onslaught of children as they filed in, in unruly queues, jumping, pushing, shoving, being shoved by their teachers and yelling at the top of their voices. School bus after school bus disgorged their young, eager passengers and wary school teachers. They gawked at the foreign tourists, cast shy glances at girls, ignored the Qutub Minar and proceeded to the innu...