Saturday, December 31, 2011

Last sunrise of 2011



Last sunrise of 2011 as seen from Bhopal 6.30 am - 7.15 am

Friday, December 30, 2011

Sunday, November 13, 2011

Agony of the burning tree !


Picture courtesy - Gagan

This old tree at Bhopal crossing near Bhopal talkies was burning from inside from last two days. No one cared.  Locals here say that they had informed the fire brigade yesterday but it came today afternoon. Fire Brigade tried to control fire but somehow the tree is burning from inside and one could see smokes still even after many litres water had been thrown over and inside the tree. Pictured at 3.00 pm !

Wednesday, October 26, 2011

Thursday, October 6, 2011

Dusshera at Bhopal

Bhopal marked Dusshera with festivity, while idols of mother godess were being immersed in the nearby lakes of Bhopal ....and in the evening it was burning of effigy of Ravana at various places in Bhopal. Have a glimpse of it ..



Ravana effigy at Bittan Market


Ravana effigy at TT Nagar


Ravana effigy in fire at Nehru Nagar


Fireworks which followed after Ravana effigy was lit with fire


Idols of mother godess being taken for immersion at Prempura Ghat

Monday, September 12, 2011

Picnic @ Kerwa

Bhopal has been lucky this time; it had ‘bounty full’ of rains. Today was another pleasant day at Bhopal. It was combination of weather, cool breeze, over shadowing clouds, intermittent light rains - a perfect day to soothe ones senses. Kerwa was perfect destination to be around. It is around 8 kms from Nehru Nagar, on the outskirts of Bhopal.  Drive to kerwa was smooth, crossing over few trucks carrying Ganpathi idols, with drum beats, loud music, with popular songs, and roars of slogan which added to the flavor.

Young boys laded with red ‘gulal’ and in their own ‘masti’. One could see a big group of over 100 young schools boys returning from kerwas in long line probably after day’s trek. The drive from the start of Kerwa dam to eco-tourism spot was like going in jungle, though it had narrow drivable, but is curvy. On both sides of the road it had trees, and shrubs. Lantana plants dominated the road side, with butterflies hovering around the little flowers.
The road about kilometer and half to eco-tourism spot has number of blind turns, which needs care while driving especially when you have few vehicles going up and down. One could not drive in the eco-tourism spot as the gates were closed. ‘Gush of flow of water’ was had submerged the bridge at the gate. Though few youngsters tried to cross the submerged bridge as water was till knees height, few returned back as surface was slippery surface and gush was powerful, and this could be risky. One could see many earthworms on the surfaces at the gate crawling in the wet mud.
Best option today was to be at Kerwa bridge road or visit at MP tourism ‘picnic @kerwa’. For entering into picnic@kerwa one has to pay a ticket of Rs 5 per person, which is not expensive especially as it includes parking fee for your vehicle. It gives you awesome view of the Kerwa and hillocks around it. It has nice eating joint, and benches to relax if you don’t want to eat at the joint.  The hut with stairs at picnic@kerwa gave a nice look of the water filled kerwa and its opened small gates, with water gushing out and on other side hillock covered with green trees.
Clouds, cool breeze, water filled bodies soothes one senses, roars of slogans, drum beats as one immerses Ganpathi in lakes added  to the flavor, with only pain being for water filled lakes, as they get chemicals and non-recyclable materials in them.
- Anil Gulati

Friday, September 2, 2011

Eco friendly Ganpathis at Bhopal

Ganesh Chaturthi is here. Bhopal celebrates with all its colours. One can find Ganpathi idols for sale in all markets and on street corners of Bhopal. Today onwards one will see hundreds of pandals across the city.  Majority of Idols on sale are Plaster of paris based with chemical colours but thanks to growing awareness on environment, ecofriendly ones are also on sale.

Eco Friendly idols are the ones made of natural mud and should have environment friendly water soluble colours, so that they do not do harm to the water body when they are immersed. NGO Kala Vihan Art and Welfare Society is selling them at Bittan market of Bhopal. On sale are many variants. Smaller ones are made up of mud and attached to the real coconut or just mud and water soluble colours. To make the popular and provide them in numbers an NGO had trained idol makers in this. For bigger idols they have to added paper to give strength and made them attractive. But majorly it is clay, water soluble coloyrs and all will dissolve in water, shares Preeti Bawa of Kala Vihan. ‘They are 20 % expensive but will not harm eco system. Smaller ones you can immerse it in smaller ponds or tub Bawa adds.

Similarly another NGO Narmada Samagara is selling idols made of mud. They are also made up of mud and water soluble colours and are priced at Rs 51.00 and Rs 101.00 respectively. Hopefully this awareness on eco-friendly Ganpathi’s will grow…and help save Bhopal’s water bodies.
 

Monday, August 22, 2011

Idols getting ready for Ganpathi puja

Idols getting ready on bhopal roads...

Saturday, July 23, 2011

Sunday, March 27, 2011

Bhopal's safe roads ?





These are just few snippets, of traffic on one particular day during summer ...

Wednesday, March 23, 2011

Sunday, March 20, 2011

Bhopal activist - Satinath Sarangi awarded

Satinath Sarangi, social activist who is fighting for rights of Bhopal gas disaster victims has been awarded "The Week Man of the Year Award". Sarangi, an MTech engineer-turned-activist, was presented the award by Union Water Resources Minister Salman Khursheed at a function held in Delhi on Friday. As per PTI reports Satinath Sarangi said "the Bhopal tragedy was not just a gas leak.It was a leak in the system. What I see is the microcosm of what is happening across the world.". Deepak Tiwari, Principal Correspondent of The Week based in Bhopal wrote about him as the 'Engineer who has been fighting Union Carbide for 26 years' and was on cover page of 'The Week' magazine recently. (pic courtesy Prakash Bhai (Prakash Hatvalne)

Friday, March 18, 2011

Statue of Raja Bhoj


Statue of Raja Bhoj on rampants of Fategarh fort in upper lake of Bhopal. The statue installation started a debate on naming Bhopal as Bhojpal which is being resisted by many in Bhopal.

Sunday, March 13, 2011

पतझड़......


 भोपाल ..पतझड़ .....एक झलक... कैमरा की नज़र से

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

Counting homeless and people living on streets - Census




February 28 night was the last leg of the census, 2011. On the night people living on the streets or houseless were counted. Pictures of the same happening at Bhopal.

Sunday, February 27, 2011

Display board for new media daily

Display boards being hanged on electric poles with a social message for the upcoming new media daily in Bhopal namely Pradesh Today.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Bhopal mela from a distance !

View of Bhopal mela from a distance at night !

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Exhibition of masks !

Bhopal's Lokrang showcases exhibition of masks this year. Masks have been worn by nearly all cultures. Reasons could be varied, could be a form of disguise, by an actor in a performance, or as part of a religious ceremony or some places it may be punishment for a crimine or in celebration of a holiday. Diverse masks from India and overseas are on display at the exhibition being held at the festival. Interesting ones to be seen are masks from South Korea, Sri Lanka, China, Indonesia, Bhutan, and Nepal among others. Though all of us wear some kind of mask, many a times which adapts to situation and time, though invisible  !!......but have a look at few visible man made masks, which are on display at Lokrang ......


Masks from South Korea


Masks from Sri Lanka


Mask from Bali
Mask from Laddak

Monday, January 24, 2011

Bollywood in Bhopal !



Picture courtesy - A M Faruqui

Bollywood at Bhopal....Bhopal is buzz with actors like Big B, Deepika Padukone and Saif Ali Khan are here. Big B landed today by private plane. They are all  in Bhopal for shooting of the movie Aarakshan. This is based on the theme of reservation, and is being shot in and around Bhopal. Bhopal media is also a buzz with news on them.....here are some pictures...

Monday, January 3, 2011

Bhoj Adventure Fest




Participants take part in adventure sports at Bhoj Adventure fest being held at banks of Kaliasoot near Nehru Nagar in Bhopal. In the festival 10 kinds of adventure sports are being organised and is aimed to boost tourism in the State.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

30th Rose show opens in Bhopal on new year !

Bhopal: First day of new year 2011, Bhopal's 30th rose show opened at city's link Road Garden. More then 100 varieties and approximately 2000 pots are on display at the exhibition. Competetion is being held in varieties of HT, polyantha, miniature and floribunda. Some pictures of the varieties on display...