A JOURNEY WITHOUT END...

A JOURNEY WITHOUT END...

Azure blue waters... golden sands... the radiant waves rippling to the shores, retiring and coming again... the sea singing nature's melody in her deep and mellow voice... glorious palm and casuarina trees swaying in the gentle breeze... The heaven one would love to laze... Digha, Puri, Toshali, Chandipur, Chandrabhaga (Konark), Talsari, Gopalpur-on-sea - each a best kept secret of nature that West Bengal and Odisha in India are blessed with.

The Bay of Bengal, swishing in and out and the fishermen plying their little skiffs only to return in the early hours of the dawn in the company of a molten sky scattered with myriad colors. Even today, the boundless blue of the turbulent sea... the unwinding miles of golden beaches washed by a surf that roars and hisses at the feel of brilliant, colorful and stark stretches of sand strewn along the coast is a wonderful sight ! At dawn, the Bay of Bengal sings a lullaby to soothe the sandy, rocky and deserted beaches to bring solace to the mind and soul.

Today's posting celebrates the mesmerizing beauty of the Bay of Bengal and its various moods !  (Your comments & criticism are welcome, for which please hit the "comments" button below.)

Happy viewing of the Blog and the photographs...

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DO BENGALIS LOVE TO LIVE IN THE PAST?

DO BENGALIS LOVE TO LIVE IN THE PAST  ?

Being a Bengali myself, it is no wonder that I should be loving Bengal from the deepest core of my heart. It's a nice place to live in, where I was born (Kolkata), got my education and had my first employment. Here I can speak my language - Bangla, sing Rabidrasangeet or Nazrulgeeti, view plays & films, relish varieties of fish and sweets, watch young boys playing football or cricket and celebrate Durga and Kali Pujas with much fanfare.

Like all the Bengalis all over the world, I too feel proud of our rich heritage and cultures, while admitting that Bengalis are not averse to accepting the modern technologies, fashion or trends. Politics is in the blood of the Bengalis, roadside adda is their birthright and gossiping is their gospel whenever time permits.

I love my morning cup of tea with my newspaper. I love Bengal's heritage, its rituals, its festivals & celebrations, its water-logging and transport problems despite its dwindling middle-class population and love  its increasing number of non-Bengali speaking people. I love my Bengal... You are free to comment & criticize my views anytime you like, but I have frankly expressed my opinion.

With this posting, I present Kolkata and beautiful Bengal before you. Happy viewing...

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LET'S MAKE SENSE WITH NONSENSE RHYMES !

LET'S MAKE SENSE WITH NONSENSE RHYMES !

Rhymes with no sense? Or nonsense packed rhymes? Whichever way we see it, the nonsense rhymes make sense - funny, satirical or even critical in extreme cases. Sometimes we even make fun of ourselves and enjoy ! Don't we? When the hard-pressed mind longs for some ventilation, the nonsense rhymes open myriad windows to let air in - almost effortlessly !

We have seen great creators of nonsense rhymes like the legendary Louis Carol, the genius Edward Lear and the versatile 'creator' of funny poems & cartoons, Sukumar Ray.

While I wish to take this opportunity to salute them and their creations, I take the liberty to post some of mine in this page - though hesitantly. These may at best, be seen as my scribbles during pastime. Hope, you'll lend me some time from your busy schedule and go through these poems & cartoons - sending your comments & criticisms wherever you feel. Happy reading...

CORVUS... CORVUS... EVERYWHERE... !

CORVUS... CORVUS... EVERYWHERE... !

Indian House-crow or Corvus Splendens (Corvidae) is a fairly common bird in India and is found in abundance in rural or urban areas with a distinctly urban lifestyle. The house crow is extremely clever and it is, perhaps the most specialized of all its kind in profiting from human activities. Its boldness and confidence help it to remain quick to take alarm, but the moment perceived danger is past, is back immediately to snatch or pick a morsel of food.

The crow is a very brave bird, freely attacking much larger species which trespass on its nesting area and chase and harass them very effectively. A highly gregarious bird, the Indian crow or Corvus Splendens roosts in large numbers and their locality is marked by the conspicuous morning and evening flight paths to and from their nests. It is frequently parasitized by a large black cuckoo or Koel that lays eggs in the crow's  nest.

The pictures below highlight our dear own Corvus !