PEEL PARK, SALFORD

Peel Park is one of the best Parks I have been to till date. In fact, I have been to this place more than once. Its strategic layout is right beside my University and I often plan to take a long walk amongst the greenish-yellow canopies of this park. At times, it has come across  as a saviour and helped me to take shelter during rains.Many times, it has just been a serene place where I can wander around undisturbed with my thoughts to give me company. The different birds and animals that live in harmony with the natural resources of the park, has often intrigued the amateur photographer in me. At other times, I deliberately go with a frame of mind to get some good photographs out of the place- to capture the various colours and sights of Autumn and the approaching winter.

Peel Park is just like any other park and needs no special description. It functions as a beautiful ground through which the River Irwell flows. It is a regular on the list of those who have pets because on many occassions I have seen alsatians playing happily in the park or chasing a squirrel. It serves as a great picnic spot too, although I have not seen any picnics happening there. It is a great den for the morning and evening walkers to just take some time off their busy schedules and interact with nature. Peel Park also has many subjects that would interest photographers and sometimes I see some photography groups on a mission to take great photos visiting the park. 

This post curates some of the photographs that I have taken of this Park during my visits to the place.

PEEL PARK
OVERLOOKING OLD PINT POT
FROM THE MAIN ROAD

BURST OF AUTUMN COLOURS

THE DESERTED PATHWAY

PEEL PARK OVERLOOKING IRWELL

PATH TO PEEL PARK FROM UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

THE WORLD FROM BELOW 

THE WORLD FROM BELOW II

HIDE AND SEEK

THE LONELY VISITOR 

THE WORLD FROM BELOW III

THE WORLD FROM BELOW IV

THE YELLOW FOLIAGE
EDITED BY: ZISHAN ASAD

MY AVERAGE LIFE AS A MANCHUNIAN

Most of the time when I ping my friends over Social Media sites, the first question they ask is how am I spending my days in Manchester. So I thought let me describe my normal days, in this post. Here, I would mention that I have classes only two days a week and the rest of the five days are usually spent at home when I am not going out to explore the place with friends.

SUNRISE OVER BEETHAM TOWER

 My mornings begin the last, that is after my father has gone out for work and after my mother finishes her breakfast and starts chatting with some of her friends back in India. I happen to open my eyes at such a time. Of course I have never seen the colourful hues of sunrise here except for once but I could not capture it though my lens (maybe it would be my next New Year’s Resolution). The first thing I do is check my phone and later proceed to have my breakfast after a quick wash.

DOGGIE

 While I eat breakfast, I get to see my neighbour taking their bull dog for a walk. The dog seemed cute until I managed to make him angry by switching on my camera flash right at him. Since, then he has mood swings when he sees me. Some days I am non-existent and other days I am fortunate enough to evoke a little wag from him. But it is for sure that this dog will not shake paws with me EVER!

THE NEXT DOOR CAT

 My other neighbour, who I have no clue about, owns a cat. After a lot of research I have managed to figure out that it is a British Semi-Longhaired black cat. This cat does nothing but sit at the window staring at something. It is only when it rains that I do not get to see him.

After breakfast comes my daily routine of going to the garbage dump at the basement and to the letter box.

WATCHING TV

 Thereafter, I sit on the couch with my laptop and watch the television and improvise on my blogs when I am not writing my assignments. This takes most of my time and I head for lunch. After lunch it is T.V time again.

The evenings are mostly kept for household shopping for which I go to the Manchester ARNDALE. After shopping I usually make a stop at the Hasty Tasty Pizza which stocks some of the best takeaway pizzas I have ever tasted.

With the rain clouds hovering above our heads most evenings see a shower here. After shopping we are mostly stuck in rain and have to brave the heavy rain and wind to come back to our apartment again.

Subsequently, it is laptop time where I sit with my laptop, watch CID or listen to songs till dinner is announced.

After dinner, I go to sleep.

Most of my days are spent like this. When I wake up here, it is already afternoon for my friends back home and by the time I am free in the evening, it is midnight for them. I can’t remember how many days has it been since I last heard their voice. It is mostly email and Facebook or Whatsapp chats nowadays where we reply as and when we are free. But behind the veil of glamour and beauty of this place, there is a night of darkness and loneliness that this place possesses. It is not that I am having a bad time here, I love this place and my friends here, but I also long to be in touch with my friends back home; to know where they are now, what they do, to meet those who I have not met for years, to take part in festivals. Durga Puja and Diwali just went by, but the noise and the lights never reached me except for in the colourful photo messages sent by my friends.

So, for all the people back home who think I have become a Bileti person, you guys probably have a life that I envy a lot. Life is not as full of glamour as it seems to be. It is, in fact, really difficult and sometimes tests your patience and limits to endure against the weather, the place, the dark gloomy nights and your inner demons. To end this post, I’d rather quote Iris Murdoch “We live in a fantasy world, a world of illusion. The great task in life is to find reality.”

OFF TO A NEW CITY : MANCHESTER DIARIES

Life takes a different turn when you decide to relocate to another country. Apart from the feeling of missing your house, bedroom, study table, friends and other objects of interests, you have to face the herculean task of facing what's waiting for you in the new country.  The people, the landscapes, the language, everything changes . Most importantly you have to start establishing connections and make friends all over again. But, this is part of your journey . In fact, I believe that relocation does not only correspond to physically moving to another place but mentally moving yourself and adapting to the newness of the place.

Most know why I am talking about relocation but for those who are unaware it is because I am having to go through the task of adjusting and settling down in Manchester after having taken the decision of relocating here for a year to complete my higher studies.

Manchester is one of the most beautiful places I have seen, not because geographically it is picturesque but also because the people play an immense role in making it look beautiful. The city flourishes because of the people who live in- Courtesy seems to be everyone's middle name. The smiling and cheerful faces even on the rainiest and darkest days in this city can brighten up anybody's day . 

To be really honest I have not been around the town in my sightseeing mode so as to start describing the city ; but there are some photogenic places which I have been able to capture at this stage through my lens. So, the photos in this post can best be considered as a prelude to what is to come. 

With new experiences and friends in this cosmopolitan city, hardly will there be a day when I would not have anything to share with you. But as of now I would leave you with some photographs so that you get an idea of what is to come in the following days.

TOWN HALL MANCHESTER NEAR THE CITY COUNCIL

EMPTY BENCHES NEAR THE TOWN HALL

BEAUTIFUL AND COLOURFUL  TREES OUTSIDE (SOMEBODY'S) WINDOW

RANDOM STREET PHOTO

STREET SHOT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

STREET SHOT OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

CLOUDS OUTSIDE MY WINDOW

A Strange Encounter

“The world is my garden” she said before I resumed my path. . . . . . . . . .

Stepping out of my home I usually head straight to my destination without sparing a thought for my surroundings. But now with no examinations and classes at hand, I have lots of free time .  Thus unlike my usual routine I decided to take a leisurely stroll around my neighborhood.

After travelling quite a distance, I chanced upon an old lady who I saw was watering plants. Fair enough! Nothing new! But this lady was watering the roadside plants. She carried on with her work for quite some time and I stopped to look at what she was doing.

She watered the plants, picked up wrappers of chips and chocolates and disposed them off at a nearby dustbin, cut off the dead leaves, pruned the grasses and her work went on and on. I was so amazed to see her working selflessly for these plants that I lost track of time.

She saw that I was looking at her and motioned me to come nearer. She was clear in making me understand that she was not educated enough to converse in English and was very glad when she saw I understood Bangla. Thus began quite a monologue which changed my perception towards life quite a bit.

According to her we are mostly alive and surviving the scorching heat due to these plants which grow on the roadside. However, they are abandoned in nature. Even though they give us so many useful resources, no one takes care of them. She thought it to be her duty to take care of these plants and thus every morning she watered the neighborhood plants. She explained that since this activity of hers takes a long time she never bothered to maintain a house garden of her own. Every time a plant dies she goes out to the market, buys saplings and replaces them.

She went on saying that there are many afforestation programs in the world, but how many people seriously take part in it; and what after planting the sapling? They abandon it and get on with their regular day to day activities never sparing a thought for the needs of those saplings they plant and took selfies with (Yes she used the term selphy). She brought in an example and pointed out  that if pets are cared for then why not plants- both are living, both have feelings and above all both need love to grow and survive. The lady told me she remembers the names of each and every plant there (scientific names) and sometimes lovingly gives the new saplings a nickname of her own.

Her biggest concern was the polluted roads during the rainy season which would harm the plants.

I realized that I had been away from home longer than I intended to. I bid her goodbye and carried on my own way. “The world is my garden” she said before I resumed my path. Her selfless devotion to the roadside plants indeed left a deep impression on me. It has compelled me to question whether we have become insensitive to our natural surroundings. Are we truly missing a point here?

I have gone past the same road quite few times after I met this lady and on one or two occasions have spotted her busy managing her “garden”. Do let me know of what you feel about her work and if possible ponder for a while on my question that are we really becoming insensitive towards nature.

P.S I have no photographs here because the lady wanted to remain anonymous and I did not want to attach photos from the net in this post. 

McCluskiegunj- A Settlement Lost Under The Sands Of Time

That which flourished years ago is on a verge of disappearing from the hearts of men and that which flourishes now would soon overshadow the remnants of a glorious past.  This post refers to a very special place which is hardly remembered by many but was a flourishing Anglo-Indian hub years ago – McCluskiegunj. This settlement lies 40 miles northwest of the capital of Jharkhand. This settlement was founded and established by the Colonization Society of 1933- especially by Earnest Timothy McCluskie. It was home to more than 400 Anglo-Indian families, though now only a handful remain in this settlement.

 

http://goo.gl/Qu15AI 

What is unique about this place is that no matter what happens in the world, McCluskiegunj has never succumbed to its modernity. Even though it is less inhabited now, it still remains full of greenery and one breathes fresh air on entering this place. For many, it goes unnoticed but a handful of them still continue to make it their favorite weekend getaway . 

                                      http://goo.gl/U5z9L7

There are hardly any modern hotels in the area. Thus tourists mostly spend their time in lodges and guest houses run by the families living here. As the buildings used for accommodation facilities are old and antique, one could feel being transported back to the heydays of McCluskiegunj.

                                         http://goo.gl/KuUH4u

One very peculiar feature of this area is the projection of its secular culture with the presence of a Mosque and a Temple in the same complex. The chance to experiment two different religions within the boundary of a single complex often becomes a reason to draw tourists from all over the world. However, one should note that Churches are also present in this settlement. The St. Johns church is very famous in these parts and often sees the descendants of the old families coming in for a mass or a prayer. The presence of so many different religious structures makes us wonder sometimes about the people who originally resided here. Were there more communities other than the dominant Anglo-Indian Community? Were the Mosque and the Temple  built before the Anglo-Indians came and settled here? The origins of these structures are still being traced though no particular date has been zeroed on till date.

http://goo.gl/16r2J8

http://goo.gl/xvG8PH

The plaque and the fountain head which are now being protected and preserved in memory of the commemoration of this place in 1934 by Earnest Timothy McCluskie is a sight which one should not miss in these parts. Another interesting feature of the area is that the nearby forests used to act as hunting grounds long ago. Thus, hutments which are now nearly in shackles can still be seen.

http://goo.gl/QnuRwG

                                      http://goo.gl/S7oLrD

It is interesting to note that the Don Bosco  Academy opened a residential school in McCluskiegunj. This has given employment to the few Anglo-Indian families that are left in these parts. Moreover the old bungalows and houses which were deserted are being used as hostels and residential campuses for the students, teachers and staff of this school. This has boosted economy and employment opportunities in these parts after a long time.

http://goo.gl/bYZt79

However, not all bungalows are being used for either guest houses or school purposes. Many lie still in brambles and shackles with stories of their own to tell. Many are just properties in which foreigners and other Nationals have invested but are never used for staying purposes. Few had been captured by the Adivasis and when the descendants of the original owners came to claim it, they were driven out from the land. Some more have stories of apparitions and ghosts being attached to them due to an infamous suicide or a murder. But alas, one would never really come to know about all these stories as they have been lost in the sands of time or buried under the walls of the deserted bungalows. Many other stories must have just come to an end with the death of their owners.But the fact that this long gone community is trying its best to be recognized and draw in more people just to let them know about its presence is commendable in itself.

http://goo.gl/XKnoOu

With this I hope I have been able to provide you with some of the reasons why this place is a must visit and tops my personal list of places to see before I die.

An Ode to Fruits

                    "Autumn is the mellower Season,

                     and what we lose in flowers,

                     We more than gain in fruits."

                                       -Samuel Butler 

                                            

It is not that I am too fond of fruits; in fact, I am a very picky fruit eater. I might like something one day and dislike it the other day. But that did not stop me from going into the wholesale fruit markets of bara-bazaar on 11th October, even if it was to only look at the place and see the various activities going on there. Here I must acknowledge that the fruit bazaar was certainly not what I had imagined; it was even better.

On entering the fruit bazaar, apart from some shops where the people were busy in packing and loading and unloading fruits from the trucks, we were greeted by a very old goat. It must be too soon for me to say, but the goat seemed to tell me that he had seen everything that possibly went on inside the mandi (popular term for the markets) and was probably waiting for a change.

Nevertheless, what interested me was that the entire place was abuzz with various activities which appealed to one’s senses. People were busy collecting fruits that had come from the trucks. While many unloaded carton full of fruits; there were others who sat and maintained records and finances of the deal. At many corners men gathered around a table and one person howled prices on top of his voice. Not knowing what it was when I went to check, I was told by another man that it was live auction at progress and those auctioneers surely wanted me to leave them in peace.

Delving further into the market one can notice that the ground had been covered by straws and hays. These were the materials in which the fruits were brought every morning and they were just discarded on the floor. This covered the floor into layers of hays and actually one can say that the ground was hardly visible. One has to walk on the "hay" floor inside the mandi. Looking up, the entire market is surrounded by houses- two or three storeyed houses. They were so old that it felt like they might fall any moment. But I prayed that they would not, at least not while I was there.

The actual market was a colorful delight. Everywhere one looked there were stack and stacks of fruits of various colors- red juicy pomegranates, huge fat pineapples, guavas, lovely peaches, delicious dates, ripe bananas, green and black grapes and the lot. But what dominated the scenes most were the green lemons. Everywhere you look there were lemons, lemons and more lemons.

While I stopped to take the entire feel in, I realized that this is nothing but an entire colony in itself. People living in the houses had their occupations just outside their thresholds. Apart from the fruit dealers proper, there were auctioneers, truck drivers, barbers, people who owned food shops and many others.

This post would not be complete if I miss out on the reactions of the people in the mandi. It was a mostly male dominated place where I could spot an occasional sari here or there. While most of them were middle -aged, many were also young who helped their fathers or uncles in this trade. Seeing people with DSLR’s in their area they became quite thrilled and gave a variety of responses. While some willingly posed in front of the camera, some started howling at us.  Many were eagerly calling us to take their photographs and one gentleman even posed for a single shot. I was actually lucky to be able to experiment with various techniques which I had recently learned from my mentor. Though not everything came out exactly what was in my mind, nevertheless it left me satisfied, though smelling of fruits and eager to go back for some more shots.

All in all, the entire trip was worth it and made me discover a new aspect of Kolkata which I had been negligent of all this while.

Meghalaya Memories #Part 2

Many a times a trip does not turn out to be what one had initially planned. Thus the second post on the Meghalaya journey by my aunt turned out to be more thrilling. With a Bandh on the list it seemed quite an adventurous position to be in , in terms of making a decision as to stay or leave. Read on to know what they exactly did throughout the second phase of their trip in this lovely land. Here it must be mentioned that due to lack of photographs all of them were taken from various sources from the internet and yes I do not run into Copyright violations.

Man proposes God disposes. That's what my father used to say. Early next morning as we went to have our breakfast, there were rumors that there might be a bandh the very same day. Nevertheless we decided to carry on with our sightseeing plans even if it was for just half a day.

GIRLS WEARING MEKHLA

So we went to the marketplace first & it turned out to be quite disappointing. It was drizzling and we could not find anything. The women were wearing Mekhla, the traditional skirt, sometimes with a light velvet stole and T-shirt instead of traditional Dupatta and blouse. They were also wearing a wrap around dress. A few elderly ladies were wearing it traditionally and in hand woven fabric. The younger girls wore it like a long frock or evening dress in synthetic or chiffon material. We did try to speak to some of the local girls, though most of them were reluctant and shy to speak to us.

We gave up shopping soon after and went to see the Elephant falls .The falls is named such because of the structure - it is a three layered structure which has resemblance with  an elephant trunk. The falls itself is magnificent and the powerful sound of water falling on the rocks, awe inspiring. Some of my friends wore the Khasi dress and posed for pictures.

VIEW FROM SHILLONG PEAK

Then we started for our last destination, the Shillong peak which offers an aerial view of the city. One can see the entire Shillong city from there. For the last time, we inhaled the breathtaking beauty of the State, the mysterious mountains, the pastel shades painted by the greatest artist of all times.

BUTTERFLY MUSEUM

HYDARI PARK

We did not have time for the Butterfly museum and Hydari Park. Perhaps we should have skipped the attempt at shopping in the morning but it was afternoon and we decided there was no point sticking around in uncertain condition of Bandh. 

 

MONGPU

We went back to hotel and made arrangements to climb down to Guwahati. The Shillong to Kolkata flights are not operational every day and the helicopter services were not available. We had to cross Mongpu where the Bandh was supposed to start by 6 pm. So, we had no other option but to make the return trip on the rental car at a supremely escalated rate. Locals informed that the Bandh might continue for more than a day. Staying back could have disrupted our future schedules.

We saw the Barapani nearer this time. The night fell before we could get down. The road curved dangerously but our driver was quite an expert. In about three hours, we reached Guwahati. We only had one stop for refreshments. In the evening dim, an unusual series of brightly lit liquor shops lined the roadside as we drew nearer to Guwahati. 

The hotel we now checked into was okay but not a great one. It was located in a very congested area of Guwahati. The rooms reeked of naphthalene but the group was tired and hungry. We had to compromise.

SILKALAYA

KAMAKSHYA TEMPLE

Next day, we had breakfast at the hotel and started for the airport. On the way, we stopped at Silkalaya and did some shopping for our near and dear ones, back home. We did not have time for Kamakshya temple but we drove by Brahmaputra glistening in the morning sun. Guwahati seemed like just another city with heavy population. Roads are lined with leading Indian brands and congested with heavy traffic.

The flight took off and it was the end of our journey. We discussed when and where we would go next - a common topic on all vacations. Sweet home, hot weather and routine life beckoned us.

 Himalayas still appear out of thin air, as I close my eyes...

...and then my heart with pleasure fills  ...and dances with the Seven Sisters...