Merry Christmas & Happy New Year

Wishing you all, in advance, a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year! May your dreams come true and you enjoy the best of health & love!

Violence & Peace

Even as the fiery sky threatens, the domes of this building stand serenely in mock defiance.

Took this shot from my home some months back.

Naked

This tree surely believes in shedding and giving (great visuals). Sights such as these are worth walking a thousand miles for...

Maximum City, Mumbai - C.S.T.

Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (C.S.T.) is India's premier & busiest railway station where trains on the suburban Central line terminate. It is a UNESCO world heritage structure and also serves as the Central Railways' headquarters. It is named after the famous 17th century Maratha King and warrior Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (depicted below).

In fact I remember spending a night at the station (sleeping on the platform on newspaper sheets) having missed the last train to Mulund while returning from a college function.

Located opposite C.S.T. is another heritage building which serves as the headquarters of Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC). It is currently being given a face-lift and hence its façade was covered .

Maximum City, Mumbai - Walk along D. N. Road

Temple of Boom

The Stock Exchange, Mumbai (also called BSE), is Asia's oldest stock exchange and has the world's largest number of listed companies. It was established in 1875 as The Native Share & Stock Brokers' Association and serves as a symbol of India's economic progress and entrepreneurship.

The BSE building is seen in the background in the above picture. The mural in the foreground depicts Kala Ghoda (Black Horse), as this area is commonly referred to by that name.

University of Mumbai - Rajabai Tower

Parsi Sculpture

A heritage building

Dadabhai Naoroji Road (or D. N. Road), located in South Mumbai, is a heritage road lined with structures depicting Neo-classical and Gothic Revival style of architecture. It houses numerous corporate offices and shops selling almost anything.

Read more about this iconic road here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dadabhai_Naoroji_Road

Maximum City, Mumbai - Flora Fountain

Flora Fountain is a spectacular heritage structure located at the Hutatma Chowk in South Mumbai. It is about 5 minutes walk from the iconic Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus station along the Dadabhai Naoroji Road (which is lined with heritage buildings). It may have lost its magnificence over the years, due to inadequate maintenance, but is beautiful nonetheless.

One can read about its history at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Flora_Fountain

Maximum City, Mumbai - Taj Mahal Palace & Tower Hotel

View from the sea

Here one can see both the old heritage structure and the new tower along side the Gateway of India. I took this picture from the upper deck of a ferry and the atmosphere was quite foggy at that time. I promise to go back again and get a better picture on a nice bright sunny day!

Close up

The Taj Hotel, located opposite the Gateway of India, is an architectural wonder and one of the most recognisable structures in Mumbai. Currently it is undergoing restoration and would be soon back to its original grandeur.

Maximum City, Mumbai - Gateway of India

The Gateway of India, located beside the Arabian Sea in South Mumbai, is easily the most recognisable monument in Mumbai. No visit to Mumbai can be complete without soaking in the air over here. It is always teeming with people and bustling with activity, representing the vibrancy of this great city. Some of these are depicted below -

From the Gateway one can take ferries for the Elephanta Caves or enjoy short tours of the sea. There are a number of tourist attractions in the vicinity (particularly the Kala Ghoda area, which is also referred to as the Art District of Mumbai) such as the Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Vastu Sanghralaya (Prince of Wales museum), Jehangir Art Gallery, National Gallery of Modern Art, David Sassoon Library, etc. Other hotspots in the neighbourhood are Cafe Mondegar & Cafe Leopold, Regal Cinema and some great eateries.

Postcards for my dear - omnibus

Probably the last in the current series. Lots more to share...may be sometime later!

Postcards for my dear 2

Some more...

Postcards for my dear

An assortment of pictures on which I decided to employ some creativity.

Evening dunes

Some folks have asked me 'what!, no desert pics?'. Fact of the matter is, in a hurricane tour there is hardly any time to indulge in luxuries. Though, we did manage to visit the Sam Desert (near Jaisalmer) even as night was about to set in.

Based on my personal experience I would suggest not to visit the Sam Desert but to check out some of the other more pristine deserts where the number of tourists are fewer and one can truly enjoy a desert safari without irritation.

Sweet child-o-mine 2

Picture says it all !

Aimless

Saw this vacant boat drifting aimlessly on a windy night in the Lake Pichola of Udaipur.

Art of Rajasthan

A collage depicting the various expressions of art in the State. Picture shows traditional folk musicians, the famous glass peacock of Udaipur's City Palace, complex marble carvings in the Ranakpur Jain temples, an intricately painted Lord Ganesha and puppets among others.

City of Gold - Jaisalmer

Panoramic view of the fort at night

Jaisalmer is a city built amidst the vast expanse of Thar Desert in the State of Rajasthan. It's called 'The Golden City' owing to widespread use of sandstone in houses and 'hawelis', which gives the city a distinctly yellowish appearance. The fort, pictured above, towers over the city and houses numerous Jain temples, a palace and some hawelis. In fact, like the Red Fort in Delhi, there are people residing inside this fort.

Inside the fort

One can easily spend an entire day inside this fort marvelling at the various structures inside. Unfortunately I had only an hour to spend :(

City view

Enough gold out there.

On the window sill

Such ornately carved windows and balconies are quite common in Jaisalmer.

Bada Bagh

Bada Bagh is located enroute to Lodurva (site of beautiful Jain temples) from Jaisalmer and is worth a visit for those who want to go back in time and spend some quite moments admiring the architecture.

Some of the other attractions in and around Jaisalmer are Amar Sagar, Ghadisar, Patwon ki haweli (must see), Sam desert and Lodurva.