No Helmet. Only a Halo

Panned shot of a bike
Panned shot of a bike

Panned shot of a family riding a motorcycle without a helmet. A very common sight in Chennai.

The unintended light flare above the head of the riders looks like a halo. Maybe indicates the effect of helmetless travel and overloading.

In case of emergency

For Jesus.. call....
For Jesus.. call….

911 for spiritual help!

A mechanic’s booth on First Line Beach, Chennai

 

Lake Restoration

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A view of the Arasankazhani Lake

The weather was fickle. Alternating between sunshine and showers. Not an ideal weather for a long drive into the unknown suburbs. We were, however, determined.

The Environmentalist Foundation of India had invited the alumni of Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad to the Arasankazahni lake to see the kind of work they are doing.

Spending about an hour there with them we were highly impressed by the commitment of the team lead by Arun Krishnamurthy, Ram, and others.  We also joined them in planting Vettiver and Koonthal panai on the lake bund.

They reiterated that the objective is not to create a picturesque tourist spot but to reclaim a sustainable bio-sphere for the benefit of all stakeholders.

They deserve all the support and encouragement.

For more details of EFI see: https://www.facebook.com/indiaenvironment/

Swachch Bharath

Sweeper at the Thiruneermalai Temple
Sweeper at the Thiruneermalai Temple

The man seemed to be doing his job diligently. I only hope the people do not take it as their right to litter the place and expect others to clean up after them.

Down to Earth Planets

Navagraha shrine, Thiruneermalai
Navagraha shrine, Thiruneermalai

Thiruneermalai temple, near Pallavaram, Chennai is unique for many reasons. The fact that Perumal appears in four different poses (Ninra – standing, kidantha -reclining, nadantha – walking and irundha – sitting ) is only one of them.

In fact, there are two separate temples. One in the foothills adjacent to the road (Neervanna Perumal – Lord Rama in standing pose) and one in the top of the hill which has three shrines – Ranganatha (reclining ) is the main deity. Soumya Narasimha (sitting) and Thrivikrama or Ulagalantha Perumal (walking pose) are on a higher floor.

The modest navagraha shrine is on the roadside behind the Neervanna Perumal temple, by the side of the Pushkarani.

The kiosk adjacent to this was closed. It is perhaps a store selling puja materials. Thankfully, it is painted with ‘kaavi’ stripes to go with the temple and not covered with any garish paint or posters.

Perfect Blue

Blue door in Purasawakkam
Blue door in Purasawakkam

A locked door somewhere is Purasaiwakkam, Chennai.

Read also this interesting post on Madras Minutes by Venkatesh Ramakrishnan when thieves stole the locks rather than other valuables. https://madrasminutes.com/2017/09/29/madras-and-the-stealer-of-locks/

 

Abandoned 2

Abandoned boat
Abandoned boat

Elliot’s beach is becoming a dumping yard for discarded items.  Earlier we saw an abandoned cart. Now a boat.

This dilapidated boat may be photogenic. It could also be a cosy coop for a tete-a-tete. But it has become a dump for trash and a breeding place for mosquitoes.

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The Lonely Fisherman

The lonely fisherman
The lonely fisherman

Muggy Monday morning at Elliot’s beach, Besant Nagar.

The lonely fisherman is trudging his way back home after his foray into the sea with the net.

Abandoned

Abandoned push cart
Abandoned push cart

This abandoned and rusty pushcart was a forlorn sight on a cloudy weekday morning at Elliott’s  Beach.

Most photographed?

Garland shop
Garland shop

One can not miss the flower shops in the small lane leading up to the Kapaliswarar temple, Mylapore. The colours and arrangments are so appealing that these must be the most photographed shops in this area.