Raisina Hill - Black and White Thursdays

For this edition of Black and White Thursdays I am presenting an immortal picture of the power center of India, the Raisina Hill.

Formerly, about a hundred years ago, a village inhabited by Meo's stood at this hill and overlooked the Citadel of Old Fort (Purana Qila). But all that changed when at the Delhi Durbar of 1911 King George the Fifth declared that a new capital city would be constructed for the British Indian Empire and it would be called New Delhi. New Delhi is the eighth city to come up in the region of Delhi. The Britishers decided to construct the Secretariat buildings and the Viceroy's House(later Rashtrapati Bhawan)

In this picture we can see the North Block and South Block of the Central Secretariat (which houses the ministries of Home, Finance, Defence e.t.c.) the Rashtrapati Bhawan (in the middle) (the official residence - office of the President of India) and the Jaipur Column (an imposing structure with bas-relief made by sculptor Charles Jagger).

I have marked this location on my uencounter.me map.

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Roses Day Out

On a warm Sunday afternoon I started from my place to visit an exhibition but little did I realise that i would find myself walking amidst some of the most beautiful flowers I have ever came across. These Roses were arguably the most beautiful to be found in entire India. The show at which these flowers were being displayed was organized by the Rose Society of India.

So, before going ahead and showing you a selection of some of the most beautiful pictures I clicked for my post for Delhi-iteful Tuesdays, I wish to let you know a bit more about the Rose flower. A Rose is a woody perennial (a plant that lives for more than two years) of the genus Rosa, within the family Rosaceae. There are over 100 species of the rose plant. They form a group of erect shrubs, and climbing or trailing plants, with stems that have sharp prickles.

Rose flowers are large and flashy, in colors ranging from whites, yellows and reds. Most species are native to Asia, with smaller numbers native to Europe, North America, and northwest Africa. Species, cultivars and hybrids are all extensively grown for their beauty and fragrance.

Observe this hybrid rose plant which bears Roses of different colors

Rose plants range in size from compact, miniature roses, to climbers that can reach 7 meters in height. Different species hybridize easily, and this has been used in the development of the wide range of garden roses.

 Group of plants bearing White Roses

A different variety of Little Roses

The name rose comes from French, itself from Latin rosa, which was perhaps borrowed from Oscan, from Greek rhodon (Aeolic wrodon).

Observe a honey bee sucking the nectar of the flower

In the following pictures I have made an attempt to show you some select Roses which enhanced the beauty of the Rose Show conducted by the Rose Society of India.

These bouquets of flowers were exhibits from the Presidents Garden at the Rashtrapati Bhawan. They were not participating in the competition.-

Flowers speak for themselves

The following pictures are of other very beautiful roses I came across. These roses were arguably one of the best to be found in New Delhi-

Roses of this color are my favorite

As the tag suggests, this bouquet was named the 'Kiss of Fire'

A top view of this bouquet reveals the color combination

Another rose of a different variety. Notice its petals which are unlike other commonly known roses.

Roses with a greenish tinge

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Faith in India - Black and White Thursdays

Beginning from this week I will post on every Thursday photographs of immortal monuments, traditions or habits of people which would remain unchanged even in the next century and so on. I would name this weekly post as Black and White Thursdays.

This week I am posting photographs showing the Laxmi Narayan Temple (built in 1939) and pictures of rituals practiced in the Hindu Religion -

 Laxmi Narayan Temple (built 1939) is the temple built in honor of Goddess Laxmi (Goddess of Wealth) and her consort Lord Vishnu (The Preserver). There are side temples at this very complex which are dedicated to Lord Shiva, Lord Krishna and Lord Gautama Buddha.

In this picture we can see the puja (worship) in honor of Lord Ayyappa taking place. Lord Ayyappa is a religious deity popularly venerated in the southern Indian state of Kerala. This tradition of decorating the temple with diyas (lamps), rangolis (floral patterns) e.t.c. has been continuing since hundreds of years and will continue to be followed.

A pujari(priest) blessing a car for good luck. Faith in god for many people remains unmoved, and will remain unmoved.

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Glimpses of International Trade Fair 2011

The annual India International Trade Fair 2011 held in New Delhi was a great event to visit in the month of November. Many countries, all of the 28 Indian states (provinces) and hundreds of government and private organisations participated in it, making it a gala event. Millions of people thronged to it and the fair was so large that given the large crowds it would have taken atleast 2-3 days to cover it entirely.

Amongst the many pavilions depicted the life and culture of the various states of India it was the pavilions of Kerala State and Odisha State which were one of the best. Amongst the international participants it was the pavilion of Thailand which was offering the best deals and it was the pavilion of Pakistan which won most of the hearts. Here are the glimpses of the fair -

Terracotta figurine of Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Wisdom) displayed at the pavilion of India's Bihar Province

A giant painting depicting tribal art adorned the hall hosting international pavilions

Afghanistan Pavilion. Trade fair attracts participation from various countries. Trade Fair 2011 saw participation of countries like Canada, China, Pakistan e.t.c.

Pavilions of Turkey, China and Hong Kong

At the far end of the hall is the Thai pavilion. Visitors thronged to the Thai pavilion as they had some great stuff to sell at competitive prices.

Wooden figure of Lord Krishna drawing Arjuna's chariot in the epic battle of Mahabharata

Figure of Gautama Buddha in front of Bihar Province's(State) pavilion. The Mahabodhi Tree under which Buddha attained enlightenment is located in Bihar Province(State)

Pavilion of Bihar Province(State)

Traditional musicians playing enchanting music through their Bamboo made musical instruments

Observe the crown of the instrument which has a plume of peacock feathers

Wooden figurines displaying various dance forms

Wooden statue of a mother stork over it's nest

Wooden Handicraft with the head of a female

Ceramic Potteries - Urns and a Vase

Lord Balaji of Tirupati in Andhra Province(State) (Andhra Pradesh Pavilion)

A craftsman giving finishing touches to the statue of Lord Ganesha

A tribal figurehead made completely with bamboo adorned the entrance of Assam Province pavilion

A statue of a tribal musician made with bamboo sticks

The next three pictures below are of the statues of religious deities whose temples are found in Odisha Province. These deities were depicted in the Odisha Pavilion -

Lord Jagannath. The annual Ratha (Chariot) Yatra in honor of Lord Jagannath at his temple in Puri attracts millions of pilgrims every year 

Goddess Subhadra (Sister of Lord Jagannath)

Lord Balabhadra (Brother of Lord Jagannath)

View of the Pakistan pavilion

Despite the projected bitterness between the political and army class of both countries, the people of both nations are keen for peace to prevail. The willingness for friendship was indicated by people thronging in great numbers to the Pakistani pavilion giving the traders good business.

The following pictures are of the Pavilion of Kerala Province which consistently wins the award of best decorated pavilion in the Trade Fair-

Pavilion of Kerala Province

The statue depicts a Kathakali dancer. Kathakali is the traditional dance style originating in Kerala.

The idol of Lord Ayyappa atop an elephant

Elephants are an integral part of life in Kerala and so is sculpting

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