Yellow footed green pigeon in Faridabad

Last year, the good wife did remark once, upon a medium sized "green" bird that briefly landed on the fence and then, was gone. Keeping my eyes peeled at the bank of teak trees, I did manage to catch glimpses of the green pigeon now and then but could not catch them on camera. A few days back, I could finally catch one of them, perched high on the tree.

Yellow footed green pigeon in Faridabad, India

Now it wonders what's going on and poof! Vanishing time! The green pigeon is called hariyal in India and is the State bird in the State of Maharashtra. Although it is widespread, sightings are rare and it hides itself exceptionally well. The yellow foot and purple patch on the shoulder are distinctive. Wish I could get some more pictures!

Pestilential Parrots

One morning, I finally got them parrots who were ravaging the sunflowers. My daughter would not allow me to shoo them away and that is perhaps the reason they allowed me to approach around the corner of the house, being reasonably assured that these humans ain't no trouble. Very smart. 

Their coloration blends in so well with the plants that it's impossible to detect them from a distance. And you can see them bending at various angles to reach the flowers, strip them clean, breaking a branch or two in the process ..

Here you can see both of them, enjoying the munchies. The petals first and  then the seeds. 

The flower has been torn off. Holding it in one hand (or foot) and busy munching.

Finally, moving out to the pomegranate tree. Maybe dessert :) Complete license, of course!

Sunflowers

The keeper of the greens planted a few sunflower plants some weeks ago. Some of them have now become quite tall,  in excess of 8 feet. Lately, most of them have burst into flowers and before you could even blink your eyelids, hordes of parrots have descended on them, nibbling at the sunflower petals and seeds. Hanging upside down, they blend into the scene faultlessly so that it becomes difficult to detect them if not at close range. Never knew that parrots enjoy such healthy snacks as well! 

Parrots have nibbled at this bunch

I could not bring myself to gather any of these sunflowers to keep in a vase, because they looked so happy and resplendent in their perches. And then, sunflowers have always reminded me of van Gogh, his seven paintings of sunflowers. None of them sold during his lifetime but all of them are counted as priceless works of art these days. One never ceases to wonder what happy thoughts were in his mind as he painted sunflowers, since he committed suicide shortly afterwards.

Sunflowers by Vincent van Gogh

Starry, starry night
Paint your palette blue and grey
Look out on a summer's day
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul ......

Julio Iglesias, singing Vincent

Feroz Shah Kotla

Last week, I suddenly decided to take a day off and to visit a few places that remain unvisited in Delhi. One of these places is the Feroz Shah Kotla, the fort - citadel of Sultan Feroz Shah Tughlak, built in the mid 14th century. There is the international cricket ground adjoining of the same name, and although I had seen a Test match here, I could not visit the ruins of the fort earlier. 

These ruins are clearly visible from the elevated Ring Road that goes on to North Delhi, especially the Asokan pillar from the 3rd century BC that the Sultan had brought down from Ambala and installed on top of a pyramidal structure. Presently, the ruins consist chiefly of the ruins of the palace, the Jami Masjid, the pyramidal structure and the baoli, or step well.

 

 

Now begins the fun part. The palace ruins as well as the masjid and the pyramid have all a system of quadrangular cells at the base on all four sides

Many of these cells showed evidence of some rituals in their remains of incense sticks, vermillion marks and oil lamps. Even rose petals. Sheaves of paper were stuck up with pins. 

Creepy, isn't it? Turns out that the ruins are inhabited by a particular class of disembodied personages called djinns, who have the power to grant favours or whatever one wishes for. Thursdays are special for these purposes. Even the security guards said that their own prayers have been met!

It appeared that all these cells connected to some kind of a central hall or something but the gates have all been properly sealed off during conservation/ restoration work.

The Jama Masjid is now all in ruins but still in use for congregational purposes. 

 

View of the pyramidal structure from the masjid, with the Asokan pillar atop.

The pillar of Emperor Asoka is made of polished sandstone and his edicts are inscribed on them in the Brahmi script (3rd century BC). These edicts proclaim his policies such as the planting of trees, the right conduct, service to father and mother and the pastor, kindness and tolerance. Amazing, how a bloodthirsty conqueror converted to Buddhism and proclaimed that religion may be free from the persecution of men! "And that religion may be free from the persecution of men, that it may increase through the absolute prohibition to put to death (any) living beings or sacrifice aught that draweth breath."

Asokan Pillar Edict at the Feroz Shah Kotla, New Delhi

 

Well past 2.00 p.m, decided to go to the Tibetan refugee colony at Timarpur, about 8 kms away, for some wholesome food. The colony has turned much snazzier in the decades since I went for the first time but the Dalai Lama still rules the hearts and minds of the people here. Amazing once again, how Delhi has a connect with Buddhism 2400 years ago and the present day!

Grey headed canary flycatcher

Discovered this little bird in the neighborhood accidentally as the naked eye could not make it out, it was only through the camera lens that I could detect a flash of yellow ...

 

As you can see, this bird also appears to be giving me the license to shoot, for a few moments at least, before fancy took it elsewhere

A little apprehensive, as it seems! Time to fly away ...

Grey headed canary flycatcher, Faridabad Haryana

 

A day in April

 

There cannot be nothing much to say beneath a sky like that, especially in April! 

Was happy to discover that one of the three jacaranda trees that I had planted two years ago has started to flower. Soon, the street in front would be covered in violet blossoms when the first rain clouds begin to drift in   

One of the resident sunbirds has had the April fever real bad it seemed, for it went on a chirping broadcast merrily on top of the deodar tree

 

And it was really curious at this human who seemed nothing but a minor annoyance!

The night had that kind of a moon up again. Thin sliver of a moon that always reminds one of the curve of your smile ...

Je t'aime

For it is not the memories themselves. Only when they become our blood, our glance, our gesture, nameless and indistinguishable from who we are only then can it happen that in a very rare hour the first word of a poem rises from their midst and goes forth.

The Notebooks of Malte Laurids Brigge

Rainer Maria Rilke

You wore a lemon green outfit that day

Or was it pale yellow

Not that it matters

etched in memory

your smile

that day

Je t'aime!

Lara Fabian in Je t'aime!