Fishing boats @ Sassoon Docks... Mumbai.

     Sassoon Docks are the only docks in Mumbai open to the public. It harbors the biggest fish market of Mumbai. Early morning the boats start docking with their booty. By 10 AM the place is deserted! The place happened to be quite unorganized till sometime back. There were no checks on who entered or went out... till the perpetrators of the 26/11 terror attack struck. This was the dock from where the terrorists entered and created havoc in the city. Things have changed now.Unknown faces raise eyebrows. Some semblance of checks have been established. But fortunately life has not changed otherwise. It is still the biggest fish market here and the catch still gets sold out by 10 AM.

Sheesh Gumbad

     Lodi Garden is a 90 acre park in the heart of Delhi. There are numerous tombs in the park dating back to the 15th century. They were mostly built during the rule of the Lodi dynasty. The 'Sheesh Gumbad' or 'Glass Dome' is the only one having unmarked graves. It gets the name because of the remains of blue glazed tiles on the top half. Probably earlier the entire top was covered with these tiles. Any way the identity of the inhabitants of the graves remains a mystery. They must have been important, judging by the grandeur of the tomb. Delhi-ites frequent this garden for their walks, or in search of some peace away from the hub-bub of the city. An occasional vagabond may be found sleeping right next to the graves, oblivious to the missing piece of history.

Ghantaghar

    Kanpur is an old dusty town in northern India. Till some time back it was one of the most industrialised cities in the country. It was in fact called the Manchester of the east. However due to labour union troubles and bad politics most of the industries have moved out.All that remains are the relics of a by gone era. The Cawnpore Woolen Mills was established in 1876. It kept sputtering and finally closed down a few years back. To remind us of the good times remains the Clock Tower or 'Ghantaghar' which was a part of the mill structure. It continues chiming undeterred. 

Dream...

     What else can a pilot dream about but flying! That too flying over a spot where flying is not permitted!!! This is the Gateway of India in Mumbai. It is a heritage site built to commemorate the visit of King George-V and Queen Mary to Bombay in 1911.Low flying aircraft are not permitted over it. So what... like Picasso, I can also dream and then paint my dreams! This painting was done about ten years back. Came across it recently and decided to post it.

Where Great Courage and Fortitude is the Norm

     I am an aviator.... a Military Aviator who is hanging his uniform this month end. It was a great privilege being here. Loved every moment of my life, enjoyed the camaraderie that is shared only between soldiers and made some friends whose friendship I can bank on for ever. It is a nostalgic moment for me. But it is time to move on. Wish me luck.
     By the way, those of you who wanted to know  where in the world I am, the background of this painting is the cold barren desert I was based in. Can you imagine even a blade of grass growing here !

Wish I was here !

     Am presently based in a cold barren desert. The only colors one sees around are brown, gray, and reds. Eyes yearn for green, that too a green golf course, that too the dreamer is an avid golfer. Wish I was here.......... ! Its a dream. Do not wake me up!

Ram Durbar

 

     Hindu Mythology has hundreds of Gods and similar number of tales around them. The Ramayana is one of the major epics about Lord Rama. He was considered the ideal ruler. Rama's rule or 'Ram Rajya' is considered a synonym for good governance. This is a picture of 'Ram Durbar' or 'Rama's Court' depicting Ram, his wife Sita, his three younger brothers and the Monkey God Hanuman. This epic is very long and interesting and those of you interested in knowing more can click on this link.