Sunder Nursery and Urban Renewal

A few days ago, I read about the Sunder Nursery and what caught my attention was that the green pigeon has been sighted here, apart from several other birds. So I set off to see the place this Saturday, with the secondary purpose of buying some tree saplings as well. 

The nursery is situated off the Mathura road when you turn left at the blue dome roundabout (Neeli Gumbad) from Delhi towards Mathura. It is bang opposite the side entrance to Humayun's Tomb. Stated to be a garden from Mughal times, (16th century) the nursery was actually set up by the British to cater to the requirements of the city and now, most of the hundred odd acres have been taken over for restoration of the Persian gardens around the early Mughal buildings by the Aga Khan Trust in association with the Archaeological Survey, the Central Public Works and several embassies, as I found out, having been actively discouraged from taking pictures of certain sites. The nursery however, was really cool!

I got myself a silver oak sapling, you can see them standing in stately attention, and some bonsai varieties of fruit trees. Noticed these girls working, preparing the soil for transplantation who were mightily pleased to smile for the camera, and the young one was agape with wonder  

View of the Sunderwala burj from the nursery and then, from the main entrance - 

Considerable care and attention has been bestowed upon the restoration efforts, especially in the layout of the Persian gardens that faithfully follow the Mughal pattern of water channels, fountains and geometric designs and I was surprised to find that even one lily pond has been researched, excavated and restored 

The Sunderwala Mahal which is still not completely finished and it is here that I was bugged by the security guard

Between the Sunderwala Mahal and the Burj, an open air amphitheater has also been laid out 

Behind the Sunderwala burj, a water channel has been laid out as the central axis, flanked by landscaped gardens 

There is another tomb, the Lakkarwala burj behind the Sunderwala burj. This has also been carefully restored and in addition, a rose garden has been planted in front. 

Nearby, there are other ruins. Notably, a mosque that has fallen down except for the central arch and another structure that appeared to be a tomb ...

There is still much work that remains to be done in these areas but equally, the huge amount of work that has been done, carefully, beginning from the removal of tonnes of rubble, deserves great credit and I think once completed, would be definitely counted as one of the most ambitious projects of urban renewal and development of public spaces, especially as different micro habitats endemic to the Delhi area are also being laid out. 

Anyway, I did not see any green pigeon for it was hot in the afternoon but I did see a huge peacock and that definitely made my day! Even though I got bitten by an unknown insect on my eyelid that is still sore 

I would have loved to watch this magnificent bird more closely but it quickly disappeared into the bushes. And here is the Garden Pavilion 

Before I end, I must say that the nursery chaps could not give me the saplings of this  rather uncommon but indigenous tree that was in full bloom rather prominently and no, this  is not the flame of the forest. The rose garden in front of the Lakkarwala Burj however, had dozens of varieties that included such names as Peter Frankenfeld and Christian Dior :)  

Peter Frankenfeld

Christian Dior

Gold Coin

Fleeting moments

On the way back to Delhi by train. Achingly beautiful brickwork bridges over dry riverbeds. Acres of fields, laden with crops but mostly, leftovers of the harvest in bundles. Some crooked willows, looking quite lost that seem to extend their bare branches upwards, as if in a tableau of silent supplication. And as the night advances, the train suddenly creaks to a jarring stop for a few seconds at an unknown station.

A faint moon
Distant farms in a haze
Crickets chirping

And as always when I am left to my own devices, the dull pain of knowing. The essential futility of all efforts and the impermanence of all things. The stupidity and destructiveness in human relations. Memories of a smile that cuts like a butcher's knife. Meanwhile, the lady in the window seat is finicky about her salt and the soup is tepid and tasteless anyway. Little boy constantly tugging at the blinds. Shut eye to the sounds of the rushing train. 

Approaching Summer

16.4.15

And she believes in me

I'll never know just what she sees in me

Those lines are from an old Kenny Rogers hit. This is one song I remember among others such as The Gambler and The Coward of the County, all time favorites. I know that you know them well, I know that you can hear Kenny Rogers in your mind as you read these lines. Today, this particular song has a special meaning ...

18.4.15

The weather is getting to be hot, but new leaves have sprouted, bright green. And that miniature rose has for the first time in more than a year, sprouted a flower 

Noticed flowers blooming on the guava tree as well, and the tiniest of baby guavas. Reminds me of my sister who could always be trusted to be found midway up the guava tree, gorging on the green guavas, throwing me some of the best samples down from her unshakeable perch on the guava tree!

19.4.15

Resident robins have started their nesting activity once again. 

Heart goes out to the little fellas who try building their nest in a small gap in brickwork over the verandah but since there is scarcely any support, I find a small pile of dried twigs and things falling down every now and then. So I tied up a small earthen pot with coconut fibre rope and secured the rope so as to let the pot dangle from the gaps in the roof of the verandah, just hope them little birdies catch on to it! 

And then, found the first carnation bud beginning to bloom. A rare perfection at last! 

David Lanz, performing Cristofori's dream on the piano. Another perfection that stays with you 

The Asian Koel

Male Asian Koel in Faridabad

I have noticed the female of the species a few times, in and about the trees  in our neighborhood. This time, I saw the male clearly, perched on a branch of the neem tree perhaps fifty odd feet above the ground. Coal black, with ruby red eyes. A master of deceptive cunning, for the way it scouts for crow's nests and draws away the crow in a mock fight which is a signal for the female koel to lay its own eggs in the crow's nest. 

That's a brood parasite. And the eggs look exactly like crow's eggs. Even the hatchlings, except that they are more voracious eaters and innately more cunning, having been known to knock off baby crows out of the nest. 

And it is really surprising that this bird has the most evocative cry, going koo - ooo in an increasing crescendo that cannot escape your mind, not in April. Remaining safely hidden in the foliage all the while. 

One of the most intelligent of birds, perhaps more than that of the crow family and as you can see, the body posture of the bird speaks volumes of its cunning. 

Perhaps they need their wits about them more in these uncertain times, of increasing deforestation and degradation of land. Lets hope these guys continue to thrive and prosper, and regale us with their ringing cries. 

After the rain

It has been the wettest March hereabouts, says the weather guy. April come and still there is some unseasonal, unexpected rain. So this was what the sky looked like the night before, the night before the rain

It rained at night. And it rained in the morning as well. And then, little puddles in the garden, and the hollyhocks flattened and raindrops glistening on the flowers 

And that is where I could catch a glimpse of the purple sunbird, glad to see that it has regained its beautiful colours 

The resident coppersmith barbet made an appearance too, and it seemed quite reluctant to let go of whatever it got for itself between its beaks

It is extremely difficult to shoot the sunbird, for it is so hyper active that the moment you try to focus, its flitted away. On the other hand, the barbet relies upon an efficient natural camouflage and knows exactly what you are trying to do. Sometimes, I really think that you can shoot pictures of these birds only when they allow you to do so. 

It is also advisable to find out a good vantage point and keep waiting for the birds to appear. Sometimes, they may not, and even if they do, you may be hard pressed for time. I hope to be able to get a decent picture of the purple sunbird though, one of these days

  

Jal Mahal in Narnaul

About two years ago, I had an occasion to visit Narnaul in Haryana in the Mahendragarh district. The town has had a rich history and there are several historical sites worth visiting. Due to paucity of time, I could manage only the Jal Mahal, which is situated outside the town. 

The Jal Mahal was built by the local Mughal governor as a pleasure palace in the middle of a water tank in the late 16th century. In the reign of Akbar the Great. It has a central chamber with four smaller chambers at the corners and four staircases that go up. As you can see, the building is surmounted by one big dome and four smaller domes on cupolas, and is accessed by a causeway with sixteen arches.

Jal Mahal, Narnaul

The lower chambers have now been sealed off, but I think the water must have been made to flow into the lower chambers, perhaps surrounding a central platform and four chambers as in the upper floors. Perhaps there was music and dance in lamplight, with floating earthen lamps on the water. 

That is pure imagination of course, and the tank is now completely dry. And there was complete silence with nary a soul in sight. The structure stands alone, a throwback to the past amid a rural and rustic landscape. Far from the bustle, far from the madding crowd.