The Daily Post Photo Challenge : Wish

Shinto is the dominant religion in Japan, though it is more of a way of life than a way to worship.Visitors to Shinto shrines can purchase small wooden plaques called ema, upon which they can share their hopes and dreams. Then, they hang them amongst other ema from people who have come before them, in the hopes that spirits will grant their wish This week, show us a wish.

“World without hatred

And violence of all kinds

A wish we all wish.

Quiet and a serene life

A wish that is but a dream.”

The serene waters of the lake in our place makes me wish that life everywhere could be as serene. A dream, no doubt, but we can always wish.

The Daily Post Photo Challenge : Wish

 

 

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The Daily Prompt : Chaos

Reading in the newspapers
About violence
Here, there and everywhere.
And then about
The destruction of
Nature’s resources
For the never ending
Greed of man.
To make matters worse
Politicians who are
A class into themselves
And live for power and wealth,
Are bent upon
Making money for generations.
It seems as if there is
Chaos across the world.
But there must be
Something good everywhere,
Life goes on
With all its ups and downs.
There is always
The good,the bad and ugly.
In spite of everything,
It is good to believe
There is not enough
Darkness in the world
To extinguish the
Light of a small candle.

 

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #236 Sage&Vine

 

Blooming silver sage

With  green vines in the background

Touch the heart deeply.

(Photo from the internet)

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #236 Sage&Vine

 

Letter from Home-3 (#SOL-19)

                                                                           14-01-19
Dear Doddamma,
We are all fine here. Ravi, my younger brother and his friend came here on the 11th night. His friend stayed with us that night. We were meeting him for the first time. He lives in America. Ravi and he have been friends for a long time. We enjoyed talking to him. He had gone to school in our town. There was a lot to talk about.

On the 10th morning my sister-in-law’s father passed away. He was 84 and had not been keeping very well. According to our earlier plan Ravi, my sister-in-law and amma were going to drive to Bangalore in my elder brother’s car on the 14th. But now they will be leaving on the 23rd. According to our customs we perform certain rites and rituals on the 10th, 11th and 12th day after the day on which a person passes away. Ravi will be with you today night in Mumbai.

My husband went to Maikuri, where my father-in-law and brother-in-law live on the 10th. He returned on the 11th morning. His father is 93 and feels confused about his surroundings many a time. But he is able to his daily routine by himself. On the 10th evening we went to Syndicate bank training grounds for our evening walk.

Our main road which is a state highway is being concretized and widened. Work is going on day and night. We have to be very careful while driving. Life is going on, in fact time seems to be flying past. Already half a month is nearly over. Every evening we go for our walks to one of the four places. The water level in the lake is going down. But there is always something soothing about the water and the setting sun. We meet people whom we know.

The other day Amma and I were walking slowly on Endpoint road. My husband and son had gone ahead. We met an old man walking with a stick. I wished him and he stopped to talk to us.

Yesterday afternoon I made vegetable palav for lunch with basmati rice. I cooked thee rice in the rice cooker and it came out well. Many years ago I had made the mistake of cooking basmati rice in the pressure cooker. It had overcooked. Basmati rice is very expensive, we do not use it for our daily consumption.
Yesterday evening Ravi, his friend and Aravinda went to see the heritage village in our place. In about six acres of land old houses have been restored and the place takes us back in time. We have not yet seen it 😊, we will soon.

( photo from the internet)

Doddamma, I had written to you that we put out chapatti pieces for birds every morning. But for the past one month birds were not coming . But now they are coming again, squirrels too.

Aravind’s college reopened today after vacations. He will be busy with classes and other studies. Amma will write to you next time doddamma.
With lots of love,
Lakshmi

Basmati – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Basmati

Hasta Shilpa Heritage Village (Manipal) – TripAdvisor
http://www.tripadvisor.in › … › Manipal › Places to visit in Manipal

(My letters to my Doddamma, my father’s elder brother’s wife, have made letter writing a part of my life again. Both of us enjoy the letters. Doddamma literally means elder mother. She is my favourite relative. She is 88. She cannot go out and is not able to hear well. So, I started writing to her in November 2017. Earlier I used to send a mail to her daughter-in-law, she used to read it to her. My cousin’s wife told me Doddamma enjoys the feel of letters and re-reads them often. I edit the letters and post them in Slice of Life hosted by Two Teachers. I enjoy SOL. We, bloggers live in different parts of the world. Our lives are so different but there is sameness which is fascinating. The different posts and photos bring the world to my home. Thank you dear friends. 😊 )

Letter from Home-3 (#SOL-19)

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #235 Grass&Dove

“The bird dove down fast
Seeing life move in the grass
Food for daily life.”

RonovanWrites #Weekly #Haiku #Poetry Prompt #Challenge #235 Grass&Dove

The Old Man (Sunday Photo Fiction)

He was feeling so tired. He longed for this life to end. He looked at the garbage bin. It was closed now. But later, much later, when most people had retired for the day, he would open it and find something to eat. He always got something. People were always throwing away good food. He wondered about those who could afford to waste food when there were so many dying of hunger. His life had not always been like this. He now realized that greed had led to his downfall. He had not been satisfied with what he had had. He wanted more and more wealth. He had borrowed. He had cheated others of their money, of their life-savings. In the end his wrongdoings had caught up with him. He had become bankrupt and jailed. That was years ago. He had come out but had never been able to do anything right. He was reduced to living off of garbage bins. In spite of all his troubles he knew he would go on. He never even thought of taking his life. He did not want to add that to his sins.

Photo credit : CE Ayr

The Old Man (Sunday Photo Fiction)

Letter from Home-2 (#SOL-19)

Letter from Home -2
Dear Doddamma,
Aravinda returned from Bombay on the 5th morning. He was very happy to meet you and talk to you. He had a very nice time with his friend and the hotel where he was staying was very good.
On the 5th was my Kuvara’s (my husband) birthday. I had prepared green gram dal payasa. As Aravinda had just returned we decided to go to the temple on the 6th. We wanted to go to a temple to which we had not gone earlier. We searched the internet and read about Sri Durgaparameshwari temple in a place called Belmannu, about 35 kms from Udupi.
On Sunday morning, we left home at 7.30. We had breakfast in a hotel on the highway just a little away from Udupi. It was a busy place and the dosas were good. Belmannu is a hamlet surrounded by forest. This temple was constructed in the 7th century. It is on top of a hillock, we have to climb 70 steps.

We liked the temple though the morning puja was over. We got the prasada and the priest performed ‘hoovina puje’ (flower puja) for us. I had read that the oldest Kannada copper plate inscription was found under the foundation of the temple in 1952.

(paddy fields on the way)

On our way to this temple we had passed the village of Sooda and Sri Vasuki Subrahmanya temple there. On our way back we decided to go there too. This temple too is very ancient. The priest told us that according to local legend the idol of the deity, Shri Vasuki Subrahmanya was consecrated in the ancient times by Rishi Bhargava. It is still believed that the Rishi comes early in the morning to offer prayers. So every day after the night puja the sanctum sanctorum is cleaned and the flowers removed. The tradition continues to this day. In the 14th century Poovayya Hegde constructed the temple. We liked this temple too. There was a lot of good energy in both the temples. We were happy to have gone there. There are so many temples in remote places not very far from our town. I am really grateful to the internet. It had made it possible for us to see these places.

On the 5th evening we went to End Point. Earlier in the week we had been to Venugopala temple park. We meet a lady who comes there for a walk regularly. She is about 74. Her name is Lakshmi too. She lives with her son and family. She says she walks till she feels tired and does not count the number of rounds she does. I believe it is a good idea.

Amma likes to talk to her. In the training college grounds too we meet Mrs Sudha. She is 83 and comes regularly. Both ladies are very nice persons. Today evening we went to the lake for our evening walk. The water level has gone down further. We met a lot of people.
Doddamma, Last week I prepared Coriander leaves flavoured chutney powder and ambate kaayi pickle. We got the ambate kaayi ( Indian hog plum)from Mareel where my parents had lived and we all had stayed in the last week of December. I will continue about our stay in Puttur in my next letter, I wanted to write to you about the temples. I will send photos in WhatsApp.
With lots of love,
Lakshmi

(My letters to my Doddamma, my father’s elder brother’s wife, have made letter writing a part of my life again. Both of us enjoy the letters. Doddamma literally means elder mother. She is my favourite relative. She is 88. She cannot go out and is not able to hear well. So, I started writing to her in November 2017. Earlier I used to send a mail to her daughter-in-law, she used to read it to her. My cousin’s wife told me Doddamma enjoys the feel of letters and re-reads them often. I edit the letters and post them in Slice of Life hosted by Two Teachers. I enjoy SOL. We, bloggers live in different parts of the world. Our lives are so different but there is sameness which is fascinating. The different posts and photos bring the world to my home. Thank you dear friends. 😊 )

Belman Shri Durga Parameshwari Temple | Shivalli Brahmins
shivallibrahmins.com/…/belman-shri-durga-parameshwari-temple

Letter from Home-2 (#SOL-19)

The Journey through the Alphabet

My mother-tongue is Kannada and I have been speaking it from the time I learnt to speak. My father was working in the Indian railways and he was posted in places outside Karnataka. Somehow, reading and writing my language took a backseat. I have been living in Karnataka since my marriage in 1982. I learnt to read and write Kannada with my children. I never succeeded in achieving the proficiency I have in reading and writing English. Books have always been a part of my life. During the passing years I made resolutions that I would read many books in Kannada. There are many wonderful writers and books. But the lack of speed stopped me from reading all those books that I promised myself that I would read.

The year 2019 has started. I went to the library and borrowed two books by Dr Shivaram Karanth. He is one of the greats of Kannada Literature. My husband is reading one, and I have started the other one. It is called ‘Alida mele’. It means what remains after everything has been snuffed out. The book is very interesting. It is about this journey called life. The author writes when we travel from one point to the next by whatever means of transport, the vehicle becomes our home for that duration. When we get on to the bus, train, etc we find other passengers already sitting inside. We join them as newcomers. Some welcome us and others do not. This is what happens in life. We talk to each other and leave when we reach our destination. We very rarely meet our fellow travelers again.

I think the same happens with books. Some books remain a part of our lives forever and we re-read them over the years. They never age. But some books are forgotten before we reach the ending. Some fail to hold our interest. I read somewhere that when people say that they have only one life to lead, it means that they have no acquaintance with books. Every story takes us into the lives of the characters in it. Their worlds become ours.

While writing this my mother’s journey through the world of books comes to mind. She has always loved reading. In her childhood she read lots of books written in Kannada. My parents were married in 1959 and my father was always posted in North India. She could not get Kannada books there. He persuaded her to learn English and read books in that language. Her friend told her to start with books written by Barbara Cartland. She plunged in and has never looked back. She is 78 and still reads and enjoys books.

Books always bring to mind my husband’s aunt. She loved reading. In her eighties she used to read everything that came her way. She would be amused when people enquired if she read books on Philosophy and Religion. Their assumption was such books suited her age. But she enjoyed Harry Potter and Ponniyan Selvan as well. I remember her whenever I read a good book. I used to call and talk to her about them. My fervent hope is that I will never be forced to give up this journey through the world of books till the end.

“A book is like a garden carried in the pocket.” ~Chinese Proverb

Ponniyin Selvan – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponniyin_selvan

K. Shivaram Karanth – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._Shivaram_Karanth

 

A Photo a Week: On the Horizon

A Photo a Week: On the Horizon

IN A NEW POST CREATED FOR THIS CHALLENGE, SHARE A PHOTO OR TWO OF HORIZONS (PHYSICAL, EMOTIONAL, OR OTHERWISE).

I wonder what lies beyond the horizon ? Looking out at the world.

 

Imagination ( Sunday Photo Fiction)

He and his parents had been traveling on the lonely stretch of road for quite some time in Rajasthan. Unlike his home state the place seemed so deserted.
It was late afternoon when he saw a huge being in the far distance. What could it be ? He felt himself tremble with excitement. No doubt it was an alien being. He loved reading and  was obsessed with science fiction. Isaac Asimov took him to different worlds to meet strange and not so strange beings. There was no limit to his imagination. He was astonished to see no emotions on the faces of his parents. How could they remain so calm?
He wondered about their fate. Would they be taken to another world ? They were near now. To his relief and also to his disappointment he saw that it was a gigantic cactus. He thanked God that he had not told his parents his thoughts. They would have been amused. They had been telling him to get out of the world of science fiction. He promised himself that he would. The fear and the excitement had been a little too much or him.

( Photo Credit :  Joy Pixley)

December 30th 2018

Imagination ( Sunday Photo Fiction)

Letter from Home- 1 (#SOL 19)

2-01-19
Dear Doddamma,
We wish you all a very happy New Year and seek your blessings. I have not been able to write to you for nearly two weeks. I was very happy to talk to you and learn that you have received the photos I had sent.
We are now having a very quiet time and missing Advaith and Kavya, our grandchildren. Gayatri, Vinay (our daughter and son-in-law) and children reached Germany on the 29th morning. They had a comfortable journey back. Their friend had come to receive them at Frankfurt. It is very cold there now and it is dark by 5 o’clock.

A lot happened in the last two weeks. On the 20th we had been to Maikuri, where my father-in-law (Mava) and brother-in-law live. Mava had not seen Vinay for some years. After breakfast we went to our ancestral house at the other end of the areca garden. This house is almost hundred years old. My husband’s cousins live there. It is a beautiful house.

My Mava and family lived there till 1979 when they moved to the house where he lives now. We asked mava whether he would come with us for a few days. It would be nice with his great grandchildren. He agreed. We had engaged a taxi as ours is a small car. We were back home by dark. Mava was happy to see the activities of Advaith and Kavya.
My parents lived in a small town called Puttur for nearly 30 years. Their house and land is being taken care of by a family.

They have been there for nearly ten years. We had to attend two ‘upanayana’ functions of our cousins’ children in Puttur, on the 24th and 28th. We had planned to stay in my parents’ place, their home is called Shrila.
Gayatri, Vinay and children went to Puttur on the 23rd evening. My elder brother, sister-in-law and Amma reached there earlier in the afternoon. We had to leave Mava in his home on the 24th morning, but there was some problem with the car, we were able to leave only at 9.30. We reached Maikuri at 12.00. There was traffic and we stopped on the way as Mava was feeling tired. We left at 1o’clock and were in Puttur by 2.30. The function was over and lunch was going on. We joined them.

Amma, Gayatri and others went back to Shrila. We stayed behind talking to our relatives who were still there. We went to Shrila at 4.30.
There is a lot more to write Doddamma. I will continue in my next letter.
With lots of love,
Lakshmi
(My letters to my Doddamma, my father’s elder brother’s wife, have made letter writing a part of my life again. Both of us enjoy the letters. Doddamma literally means elder mother. She is my favourite relative. She is 88. She cannot go out and is not able to hear well. So, I started writing to her in November 2017. Earlier I used to send a mail to her daughter-in-law, she used to read it to her. My cousin’s wife told me Doddamma enjoys the feel of letters and re-reads them often. I edit the letters and post them in Slice of Life hosted by Two Teachers. I enjoy SOL. We, bloggers live in different parts of the world. Our lives are so different but there is sameness which is fascinating. The different posts and photos bring the world to my home. Thank you dear friends. 😊 )

Upanayana – Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Upanayana

Letter from Home- 1 (Slice of Life)

New Year

Dear Friends in WordPress,

We wish you all a very Happy New Year.

I enjoy reading and looking at the beautiful photos you post. Thank you.

I enjoy blogging and have learnt so much from you all. I have learnt about Haiku and other forms of poetry.  Photo challenges are very interesting and great fun. I am now having fun with photo fiction.  Sitting at home I am getting to see life in different parts of the world.  There is so much that is different and sameness too.

I once again wish you all a very Happy New Year and may your dreams come true.

Regards,

Lakshmi Bhat