Today is the auspicious day in India – Makara Samkrânti – Indian version of Solstice. This is the day that marks the beginning of sun’s northern course which is called Uttarâyana (second half of a year) – a day that’s very auspicious to Sun god – Sûrya. Sun is considered the most supreme god right from very ancient times as he’s a manifested being and sustains life on earth. This day everyone worships him specially by offering him special prayers.
In southern India, it’s extra special, called Pongal in Tamil Nadu, where people cook a mixture of rice and jiggery and offer it to Sun along with sugarcanes. Tomorrow, the cattle are worshipped, especially the cows and on this occasion the farmers harvest their fields. We city dwellers invocate the sun god in our homes, pay homage to him and sit back to enjoy the holidays – I know that sounds dull, [sigh] but are left no choice.
I planned to post this the day after New Year, but couldn’t and thought today is the right day to do it. On the day of New Year, we went to the temple of our family deity (Well, every Indian family has a family deity who protects them from wicked forces and if you fail to pay homage to that deity at least once a year, you become vulnerable to wicked forces), which is in the outskirts of Trichy in Tamil Nadu.
I was awed by the countryside scenes and went crazy with my camera. Since we had to start early morning and return that very night, there was no time for in between stops except for food and toilets (sorry to be so verbal, but what the heck! Everyone knows it!), I had to capture the beauty of the village scenes from the car. Most of them were blurred – we saw a PEACOCK in the fields, but the photo came out blurred and that was the only one. Too bad. Anyways here they are:
The herd of caught my attention. It's sweet to watch them:
What a lush carpet !
How great a summer would be amidst these forest of coconut trees, drinking from their sweet nectar!
Wish I could stand on this bridge and enjoy the sunset!
A lone Palmyra m (Borassus flabellifer) caught my attention:
Nature's beauty can be felt here:
