Neelakurinji flowering - September 2006

Neelakurinji flowering - September 2006. Rajamalai Hills about an hour's drive from Munnar in Idukki district, Kerala, India. This region also forms part of the Eravipuram National Park that is home to the Nilgiri Tahr, a protected species. When the Neelakurinji flowers once in 12 years it carpets the slopes of these hills turning them a violet-blue as far as the eye can see. We drove up the hills specialy to witness this once-in-12-years natural phenomenon and we wern't disappointed! (see some of the photographs we took at Neelakurinji Flowering 2006 )

Onam Week Celebrations 2006 - 1

Onam Week Celebrations 2006 - 1
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

I was sitting right across the Chandrashekaran Nair Police Stadium, Trivandrum, too far to get a close up of the magnificent, caparisoned elephants lined up on the other side. But I did catch the multi-hued sky, the silhouette of the tress and the Palayam church atop which stands a huge statute of Jesus with arms outstretched blessing all those below. What a grand finale this was to this year's inauguration of the Onam festival.

King Mahabali makes an appearance !

King Mahabali makes an appearance !
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000.

Legend has it that King Mahabali of Kerala appears once a year, during the Onam festival to bless his people.

This Onam I saw him at the entrance of a hotel in Trivandrum I was about to enter! Resplendent in his colourful royal attire, and holding a traditional palm-leaf umbrella, he looked grand and dignified as he welcomed people with a smile to the "Onam Sadya" (feast)! I lost no time in snapping him with my Nokia 3230 mobilephone camera before he disappeared!