Time travel on a bicycle!
As seen near the Colosseum in Rome.
Category Archives: Pictures Speak
Peach Sorbet Sunsets and a Brand New Year!
Sunset on Santa Monica pier on New Year’s eve
Nature does it best.
Happy New Year!
Under the Shade of the Banyan
Original art by Sneha (oil pastel)
Under the Shade of the Banyan
`
Banias conduct business
Gods meditate and recline
My leaves dispense knowledge
My structure reflects the world
Material and Spiritual
Study me
I am the eternal tree
`
The Banyan tree is the national tree of India and Bangladesh. The word Banyan comes from the Gujarati word Bania or trader. The word was picked up by the Portugese to refer to the Hindu traders who used to sit under the shade of these trees to conduct their business and passed it on to the English who began to refer to the ‘Banyan’ trees. 🙂
Interesting? Learn more here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banyan
The Mahatma- Let’s remember him on his 144th Birthday.
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
(October 2, 1869- January 30, 1948)
Employing non violent civil disobedience, Gandhi or Bapu as he is fondly called, led India to independence from the all powerful British.
He inspired civil rights movements all across the world.
A champion of women and the poor, he put an end to untouchability and achieved Swaraj or self rule.
A few quotes:
‘Be the change that you wish to see in the world.’
“An eye for an eye will only make the whole world blind.”
“First they ignore you, then they ridicule you, then they fight you, and then you win.”
“Nobody can hurt me without my permission.”
“God has no religion.”
“Prayer is not asking. It is a longing of the soul. It is daily admission of one’s weakness. It is better in prayer to have a heart without words than words without a heart.”
“I will not let anyone walk through my mind with their dirty feet.”
“To believe in something, and not to live it, is dishonest.”
“Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s needs, but not every man’s greed.”
Gandhiji’s First Television Interview- 30 April, 1931
India Unveiled- Mughal India: Tomb of Salim Chishti
Intricate Jali – Stone latticework window overlooking the Jama Masjid courtyard.
About 25 miles from Agra is the city of Fatehpur Sikri (Hindi: फ़तेहपुर सीकरी, Urdu: فتحپور سیکری), founded by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, which also served as his capital from 1571-1585. Here he proceeded to build a grand walled city which today is one of the best preserved collections of Mughal Architecture in India.
The Tomb of the Sufi saint Salim Chishti (descendant of Khwaja Mouniddin Chishti of Ajmer) built inside the imperial complex is particularly mesmerizing. Facing south toward the Buland Darwaza, the shrine is enclosed by delicately carved Jalis– marble stone screens and topped by a single semicircular dome.
Jama Masjid courtyard
The atmosphere of the place is beautifully exemplified in this haunting melody from the movie Garam Hawa (Hot Winds), 1973.
Coconut Water- Mother Nature’s Sports Drink!
There used to be a time when one had to fly thousands of miles across the seas to get a taste of pure refreshing coconut water. Just the thought was enough kindle a picture of tall swaying coconut palms along virgin tropical beaches.
But no more! They are available right here in my grocery store — and flavored ones too! Cafe Latte anyone?
Marketed as ‘Mother Nature’s Sports Drink’ and endorsed by leading athletes and celebrities, this product has taken off!
It has fewer calories, less sodium and more potassium than the leading sports drink. All you need to do is like the taste which isn’t hard to do. It is slightly sweet and nutty in flavor.
But no matter what, nothing beats the taste of fresh water drunk directly out of the young green coconuts followed by eating the soft white meat inside. Ahhh.. PARADISE!
Happy Indian Independence Day!
Today I Pray in the words of Rabindranath Tagore–
Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high
Where knowledge is free
Where the world has not been broken up into fragments
By narrow domestic walls
Where words come out from the depth of truth
Where tireless striving stretches its arms towards perfection
Where the clear stream of reason has not lost its way
Into the dreary desert sand of dead habit
Where the mind is led forward by thee
Into ever-widening thought and action
Into that heaven of freedom, my Father, let my country awake.
Happy Independence Day
A Musical Menu!
Where music feeds the heart and the stomach! 😀
Where: The New Moon Cafe, Keystone, Colorado
An amazing owner-operated casual classic rock cafe in the ski resort of Keystone who serve their entire menu all day, including a very hearty breakfast. The place also features a full bar, live music, and is kid friendly. What more could one want?
Sidewalk Art
Location: Cherry Creek, Denver, CO
