Vizag seashore

 

A throwback memory. All I wish to have written a few lines about Visakhapatnam or Vizag. And along with a picture that was taken very long back but remained unpublished anywhere. It could have been changed a lot by now. Because this one is almost 7 years old. That beautiful Bay of Bengal, surrounding  picturesque location and high mountains from where I have had clicked it. Moments captured have surfaced here again.  

Sea is just like a monster, sometimes, it threatens like hell

Sea is just like a passion, sometimes, it soothes heart like an angel

New Life Unexpected

 

Here I wish to present two saplings. Both two have spouted up on their own. I have never sown the seeds. That's what the amazing part here. Sometimes ,we take extra care to feed the seeds to grow up into the form of plants. But, they mightn't have come up with our expectations. Due to many reasons , we can not see them grow as we thought of. Recently ,in one pot, I have planted Aloevera and which grew into very good size. But in the second pot, I left it without planting anything.

But surprisingly, with the onset of recent monsoon, two small plants came up. No idea of its kind indeed. Seeds might have somewhere in the pot and all of a sudden sprouted up in a sapling form. As days are going by, the two saplings got bigger and one of my friends spotted them with their  original names. All I want to say is without expectation and sowing, nature takes care to nurture nameless greenery. Every new life is a new entity. All they have their  own days and die calmly with leaving seeds somewhere just like humans.

Waiting

 

Both sides , a vertical lane of lush greenery comprising of  different trees and a road amidst. And two people with a kid were perhaps waiting for a bus or auto to reach their destination. This pic was taken before the village of Kannaigudem. The lens man in me woke up to capture the moment. With the onset of monsoon , entire area would come into green ambience, but before two months, there was a scene  with leaving its leaves unto the ground. A barren look all over. How season transforms everything with the movement of time is something wonderful, all it happens on its own.

With the outbreak of Covid pandemic , scanty rush of people and vehicles is evident. This road leads to Parnasala upwards and Bhadrachalam downwards. As it's in the hours of early morning, air felt afresh apart from the shining new leaves. Nature soothes every heart. No wonder it is a time for having a click to keep the moment in tact for ever. Ancient scriptures say all these are parts of Dandakaranya but now the forest turned other way notwithstanding the claims of those times.

Flame of the Forest during the off season

 

This is a picture of  "Modugu Chettu"(Butea), a small one considerably. Taken it while being on the wayside of nearby Turubaka village. With the on set of spring season, these trees burst with magnificent bright orange red flowers and that's why, keeping in view of it's dominant colorful presence, called as flame of the forest. This tree is commonly seen across many places of our area. Modugu chettu is the common Telugu name. Before the plastic plates introduced, these leaves were used as portable green plates to take any kind of small quantity of food whatever. Locals were using it for multiple purposes.

Nowadays, only the cattle are eating the leaves. Must be sumptuous for them since the leaves are soft, smooth and leathery. However, rainy season brought tender green shine to the leaves. We can't see any bright green leaves during the spring season. There were only orange red flowers all over. The tree resembles as if it's of only with red flowers sans the leaves. A dramatic change or transformation. Modugu leaves have had  age old references in Sukla Yajurveda to have used in the times of rituals, especially to pour ghee in fire related rituals.

These trees generally now used for timber, resin and medicinal value. We can also see the trees in the parts of tropical and sub-tropical parts of the Indian sub-continent and southeast Asia. Grow almost 49 ft tall. Leaves are pinnate, with 8-13 cm. Mostly cleared off for agricultural purpose. Very few are nowadays to be seen. Once, the trees were aplenty on both sides of road. The scenario has been changed with times, at least there were some of them to witness. 

Tippa Teega : A Medicinal Plant

 I am hereafter keep writing about the plants and trees we have in our area. We simply do neglect many green entities which are outside our compound. In reality, every plant has its own importance. Be it in Ayurveda or in herbal medicine , these are key players. And of course many other plants are there we know nothing about.  And all these are gifted by Almighty for us for  many purposes including environmental balance. 

                                                                    (TIPPA TEEGA)

Here, above I have given a picture that was taken in front of our residence. It's name in general is Tippa Teega in Telugu. A climbing sort plant. It takes walls, trees and any thing to creep ahead. Commonly Seen in almost everyplace. Not only in forests and thickets, It is seen around public habitations also. How it was existed here..? First, questioned myself. Around our place, there are several neem trees, bamboos and other trees. One must hear the chirping sounds of birds from the heights of all these branches. Perhaps, they could have brought the seeds of this Tippa Teega, from nearby forests. No body intentionally planted these climbing plant. I know it for sure.

Any Medicinal Uses: Tippa Teega is very much known for its traditional medicinal value. These leaves have been used in Ayurveda for centuries. Juice of the leaves prevents swine flu and improves the resistance power of the body. And it cures many other health problems.

Family: Menispermaceae,  Genus: Tinospora

Letter featured in a daily

 Today, after so many days... no so many years, my letter has been printed in a daily. The daily's name is Telengana Today and it is published simultaneously from 8 district units apart from Hyderabad. In fact, my letter writing habit is much older. During my college days, I used to write number of letters to both vernacular and English publications. With that unflinching habit, my name became a household one. After that gradually, started writing poems,essays and other items. And on  that promotion to writing serious stuff, I stopped letter writing. No big reasons at all.

Now I have almost 7 books to my credit. I should thank my initial days of letter writing, with which only came to understand the power and joy of being printed something in a magazine. That habit evolved me a lot more in terms of reading and writing, of course blogging too. Just for a fun, yesterday, I wrote my response on Angela Merkel's statement on apology expression. And the letter carried out today itself. Here is the image of it sharing with you all. Feeling turned back to the past. 

 

Colonial Tombs

Way that leads to the burial ground

 Back to our colonial story. As I entered the place where zombies,spirits and ghosts are expected, by the grace of Almighty nothing of the sort encountered us. Well, let me present my collected facts. Last time I have posted some pics and info about the residential blocks of British officers and employees. As you already knew that the place is nearby Dummugudem, to be exact work shop location. Bygone days are always enchanting and packed with some mystery. And this time I am here with posting multiple pics and interesting details.

Details engraved on the tombs

This is all about a burial ground. Yes, you heard it right. There we can find tombs of British people. Some were of missionary teachers like Ms. Sarah Cain, Ms. Dorothy and others. And Mr.Angus alstair Fernandez was died young at 29. Interestingly he was an ICS officer. All they were buried during 1917 to 1921. And there was a tomb of an young girl named by Charlotte Henritta. Her father worked as a superintendent of medical department, Madras. But it's clueless how come she buried at this interior corner. 

A View from Outside

There was also a tomb belonged to one George Henry Walter Shelverton, served as a superintendent of .G.T. Survey and he buried on 26th January 1871. This is the oldest tomb according the details noted by me. In fact, almost 15 years back I visited this place on the tip off provided by some friend. I found that a clear difference now. Most of the tombs are collapsed, dug out and dilapidated. Really in a bad condition.

Maybe, they were from other nation but these tombs are signatures of a valuable history. Very few people knew the importance of this burial ground. We don't know where these souls were born and grew but they had served the colossal machine of imperial government as nuts and bolts and slept here in this corner. A place of solitude. In this age of information explosion, who knows, it could attract  a couple of readers to come over and to have a glance.

                                             -----Murthy Kvvs