Bengaluru Flower Market - A Photowalk on a Chilly Morning!

The flower market in Bangalore is a riot of colours. How does one feel getting lost amid the colourful flowers early in the morning? That is exactly what happened to us three years back.

It was first week of December in 2011. The winter in Bengaluru had already set in. Rain in the previous week had brought the temperature further down. Over the weekend, we were attending a photography workshop. On day one, we learnt the basics and also experimented with the camera clicking some lovely pictures of sunset. The next day was to be the field work. We were to visit the flower market in K R Market or City market as it is popularly known for a photowalk.

The instruction was to assemble at "Town Hall" at 6.15 AM. This meant us getting up early on a cold morning. We were excited as we had never been to the flower market before. We got up at 5 and drove in darkness to reach "Town Hall". Our instructor Kshitij was there in time. We were a group of ten budding photographers. After a customary briefing, we followed Kshitij as we walked towards the flower market. 

Ten minutes of walk in chilly morning, we were near the Jumma Masjid. This is the start point of the flower market. We could see the crowds and colours from the distance. As we moved closer, the chaos of vehicles, humans and carts were all there for us to see. We could see some sellers ready with their produce and had set up their stalls. Some farmers were still trickling in with their produce. Some buyers were already haggling for prices with sellers. The tea sellers on their bicycle were having a roaring business. We also sipped a cup and started our photo-walk. We were all given independence to walk and click the pictures the way we wanted - portraits, macro, street scenes.......

This was what we clicked during our photowalk. Click on the pictures to see them in larger size.

Farm fresh Gladioli welcoming us.....

A seller arranging Gerbera bunches........

All concentration......a buyer inspecting the freshness....

Yes.....i got what i wanted!!

Array of flowers - Chrysanthemum, Tube rose, Sweet Allyssium, Gerberas of different hues.....

Perfect pose........A seller in good mood!

Counting the money after the purchase

Roses, Roses, Roses.....

Contemplation.....Will i get right price fro my ware?

Flower garlands for sale.....

Riot of colours!

How will be my day?

Worried looks......I need to sell all of these......

Some purchased. More to come......

Chrysanthemum and Marigold garlands......and its variants

When we finished, we felt as if we had just come out of a garden of flowers, riot of colours. Yes, there was chaos, crowd, dirt and all that. But on top of all that there was boundless energy. Best sales skills on display. Ability to negotiate a bargain. A hope for betterment. An expectation of making some profit. 

A morning well spent. Colourful memories canned!

Tips for Photowalking

a) Plan a visit on one of the weekends. The market will be open around 5 AM much before dawn. It will remain active till 8 AM.

b) This is a photographer's paradise. You have opportunity to click lovely portraits, long shots or macro. Many regulars in the market are accustomed to photographers and are willing to pose for you!

c) If you are a flower lover like us, pick up some bunches of Gerbera or chrysanthemums. They are much cheaper than what you get in retail stores.

d) Don't worry about the chaos, dirt. Indian markets are like that. They are also full of energy.

e) Make sure you keep your wallets and other valuables safe when you walk on these streets.

f) If you are coming in a car, it is advisable to park it near Town Hall and walk down to the market. If driving a two wheeler, you can go closer.

g) Winters are the best time to visit the market. The flower varieties are more.

h) Mornings in winter in Bengaluru will be chilly. Cover yourself with a pull over or wind cheater.

Interested in exploring Bengaluru by walking around? Please check out this link in this blog.

Bengaluru Neighbourhood Walks - Basavanagudi beckons!

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Skywatch Friday - Mountains and the Valley!

When you drive in Kashmir and Ladakh, you are invariably greeted with lovely vistas. We always feel that when you are in Ladakh, it is the journey that is captivating than the destination itself. Though the destinations themselves are fabulous - like Pangong Tso or Tso Moriri - the curiosity of expecting changing landscape is what makes the trip to Ladakh always a thrilling experience.

It happened with us too during our trip to the region in August this year. This time, we drove from Srinagar. The valley was uncharacteristically hot. The rains had not arrived. The peaks were naked bereft of any snow. When we left Sonmarg and started driving, we were looking for the first opportunity to see the snow. After few hours of drive, we saw this valley and we felt our prayers were answered.

Why not? Here was a lovely valley. Green in the foreground with snow covered peaks in the horizon. While we would have loved a clear sky, the clouds bring their own charm. The shadow play was excellent. One part of the valley lit by morning sun and the other under the shadow. The brown was perfect contrast to the black.

Click on the picture to see it in larger size.

For more interesting posts in Skywatch Friday Series, please click on this link below.

Skywatch Friday

For more stories on our adventures in Ladakh, please check out 9 part series "Ladakh Diaries" here.

Ladakh Diaries

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Road trip vignettes - Fascinating Jain temple by the road!

Road trips are always like this. You suddenly notice something interesting and get down. It can be anything. A lovely landscape or a small water fall or life in rural india. It gives you the freedom to enjoy the journey at your own pace. Many a time, we have noticed that journeys are more interesting than the actual destination itself. 

We call these as "memorable moments" on the road. When these vignettes are captured on the lens, they remain cherished memories forever. 

In all possibility, you would have noticed this picture if you had driven on National Highway 4 between Bangalore and Hubli. You can not miss this lovely sight. 

This is somewhere between Haveri and Hubli. Every time we cross this place, we get curious, stop and look at these sculptures.

This is a Jain temple. Known as "Navagriha Theertha" or "Temple of Nine saints". These statues are those of Jain saints or Thirthankaras. What is fascinating is the way these statues are designed and installed. Each statue is installed over a small globe and inside a lotus. Each statue has a different colour. But they are all of same size. The facial features of each statue is not same. There are nine statues. The one in the middle seems to be that of "Bahubali" as there is a "Prabhavali" or "Aureole" behind his head.

Click on the picture to see it in larger size.

We did not go inside the temple. As you can see in the picture, there is a ladder to climb to the bottom of these statues for paying obeisance.

Next time when you are driving on this road, stop for minute and appreciate the harmony of these sculptures.

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Munnar in Monsoon 3 - Lovely lakes and stunning Top Station!

Munnar is mindblowingly beautiful. Especially in Monsoon. You would have possibly read the our tryst with this beautiful place in these posts.

Munnar in Monsoon1 - Going gaga over the ghats!

Munnar in Monsoon 2 - Mesmerised at first sight!

Our exploration in Munnar continues. We drove through the rain to reach Camelia resorts, our home for next two days. Reaching Camelia is not an easy task with last one KM being a drive up the hill at 60 degrees! It is so steep that there is a sign before the climb advising the driver to change into first gear.

The rains continued and really poured through the night. We went to bed hoping to get a clear weather next day.

Hot cup of tea was god sent on a chilly and misty morning. The rain did recede but it continued to drizzle. The resort was totally enveloped in mist. It was like a white blanket spread across the woods. We had no fixed agenda today. Our idea was to drive around as much as possible in the hills. When you are in Munnar, you have three roads to drive around and explore. The first one is towards Top Station, the second towards Eravikulam and Udumalpet, the third towards Chinnakanal and Bodinayakkanur and fourth towards Kochi. We had come through Bodi and Chinnakanal and were to go to Kochi next day. Thus, we decided to explore and drive towards Mattupetty and Top Station.

It continued to drizzle even as we left Camelia after breakfast. Thankfully, it was not raining heavily. But overnight rain had ensured the small streams were fed and waterfalls rejuvenated. Driving through the town - after customary shopping of teas in Kannan Devan Tea stores - we hit the highway. Leaving behind the concrete structures, we were now in green country. 

It is a pleasure to drive on these roads. Let us take you through a pictorial Odyssey to the two lakes and top station......because, everything in Munnar is visually spectacular!

Please click on the pictures to see them in original size.

Camelia Resort - On top of a small hill

The last night rain had brought life to many unnamed waterfalls on the way. We could see water falls like this on our way throughout the drive.

As we left town and entered the valley, this was the first sight. A small church perched on a high ground surrounded by greenery.

From now onwards, the drive was a sheer pleasure. winding road in excellent condition, green vistas, unnamed water falls.........

We stopped at this point. Everyone does. For a photo opportunity with the green background. This is aptly named " Photo Point". One can pose like a "tea picker" with a basket for a small fee! 

This stretch is stunning. Flanked by very tall eucalyptus trees, we had to stop for a photo op. You can't blame us........

After one stunning vista to another. We now encountered these beautiful meadows. Very rare in Munnar which is full of tea gardens. We could not go inside as it was fenced.

Mattupetty reservoir and lake. The setting was spectacular. Clear water surrounded by small hills. Clouds caressing mountains. It started drizzling when we parked and started walking to jetty.

We opted for a speed boat ride and it was a thrilling experience.

When mist cleared, we could see the spectacular mountain landscape

Tall eucalyptus trees on the banks of lake enhance the beauty of the landscape and also provide a blue tinge to it.

As we leave the lake after drinking a well brewed cup of the in the shack, the landscape turns better. We now start climbing.

The Landscape gets more prettier with tea gardens and mountains as we climb to Top station

Kundala is a pretty lake. Surrounded by small hills. 

Paddle boats in the lake. We did not get down here for boating. 

The landscape got prettier as we moved up to Top Station. A panoramic shot of the road to Top Station.

It continued to be cloudy. Luckily there was no rain. 

The undulating gardens of tea enhanced the beauty of the landscape.

One gets the first glimpse of what is in store in Top Station at the Tamil Nadu - Kerala border. You will see telescopes mounted to see the extensive valleys of Top Station. Even without telescope, you will be able to see panoramic view of the valley. 

As you walk down the steps to view point, the first question you ask is which is that house on the hill on the other side? We too asked. This is the Kollakkumalai te estate the highest tea estate in the world!

The 360 degree view of Top Station is stunning indeed. The valley, the gorges, the peaks, the sholas, the water falls........everything here make you exclaim "wow". It is that wow feeling you get when you get here. Check out the following pictures.....

The valley of Theni district can be seen from the view point.

We left Top Station after a lunch of maggi and scrambled egss in a shack. We now wanted to drive on   Udumalpet road which we had heard had some stunning vistas. Driving back to Munnar, we indulged in shopping for spices, banana chips. It started drizzling even as we turned towards Udumalpet. First few KMs were not telling us what would be in store. Soon we were treated with some spectacular vistas. This was possibly one of the best drives in Munnar, especially in monsoon. 

A lovely unnamed water falls just before the entry gate to Eravikulam national park. It was inside the forest and there was no chance of going there. This is the zoomed shot. 

This is how it looks from the road.

This is the landscape you see when you drive on this road. Streams in the foreground and mountains with waterfalls in the background....

Can you spot the waterfalls in this picture??

Close up shot of the same waterfalls

We must have driven around 20 KMs. It turned out to be the best drive of the day. As the night set in we turned back to drive to Camelia. It started raining now after sparing us for the day. Lucky us!

Travel Tips

a) The two lakes and Top Station can be comfortably covered as a day trip. Make sure you carry packed lunch or make do with Maggi and egg as we did.

b) Mattupetty has two options - Speed boat and Larger traditional safari boat. Speed boat accommodates 5. You have to pay for one boat whether you are group of 5 or 1. The charges are Rs 400 for 30 minutes. It is worth the money. The experience is definitely thrilling. The other option of traditional larger boat is cheaper and slower. The people who manage this place are absolutely fantastic and make sure that you wear life jacket properly and are polite. if you are likely to get scared at the stunts done by boat man, please tell him not to do it. There are no paddle boats here.

c) Kundala lake has paddle boats. You can hire one and paddle away to your satisfaction. We did not see any other type of boat here.

d) During season, be prepared to wait for your turn which may be anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 Hour.

e) "Photo point" is a good place to take picture. As you drive around you will find more scenic places than this!

f) Drive safely and leisurely. Munnar has to be savoured thus. The roads are winding though there are very few hair pin curves as such.

g) The banks of the lakes are good picnic spots to spread a sheet and enjoy.

h) Don't try and jump over the meadows you have seen in the blog. This is the elephant corridor and you may be surprised by big ones.

i) Top station requires quite a walk down hill to the view point. It is a good climb on the way back. There are no paths for wheel chairs. You need to buy a ticket for entry.

j) The best place to buy teas and spices is at Kannan Devan flagship stores in Munnar town. You will be amazed to see the choice of flavoured tea here.

k) Munnar town is small. We did not venture out to eat out. But there must be some good restaurants.

l) Earavikulam national park is well managed. They have safaris and guided treks. One can get the details from their lovely website

Eravikulam National Park.

During peak season, one has to wait in the long queue for Safari 

m) Even if you are not planning to use Udumalpet road to enter Munnar, please make sure you drive for 20-30 KMs on this road like we did. It is breathtakingly beautiful.

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