Straw Chimes

Straw Chimes

This is my first Straw work. I got the inspiration to try a straw work from Ms.Chinta Ravi. She is a retired teacher & a house of creativity. She does many recycling works using waste & simple materials, gives them a new avatar with her creative mind. Thanks Chinta Aunty, for inspiring me. I am dedicating this work to you. 

Being my first work, it has got no perfection. so kindly bear with me.

Mira's Space: Moonlight Dinners

Mira's Space: Moonlight Dinners: "The term as it sounds beautiful so is the dinner that is had by sitting in a open place together with other children of the household unde..."

Moonlight Dinners

The term as it sounds beautiful so is the dinner that is had by sitting in a open place together with other children of the household under moonlight.

During my childhood days, I had many such nostalgic dinners in my house and in my aunt’s place, sitting along with cousins around the serving hand of mother or aunt, each one quickly gobbling the small delicious ball of rice kept in our palms and showing the empty palm again. Yes, this way, the dinner can be enjoyed inside home or under a moonlight. No one ever told no to any vegetable or any dish. No preferences. Just enjoyed the healthy meal.

Mother or aunt takes a big vessel, in goes the rice, curd and salt, mixed well – ready to make balls. By the side lies a big vessels of sambar and dry vegetable curry called poriyal. Adding to it is the bonus story hour along with it which will be mostly on the famous foodies, 'Bhagasura' or 'Bheema' with a detailed narration on the dishes offered to them and how they ate. Sounds nice isn't it. Who will not eat quietly listening to such tempting descriptions. They make small balls out of it, place in our small palms. We make a small depression in the middle with our thumb, to accept the sambar or the vegetable curry that is poured over it. All set, in goes the delicious ball inside our small hungry mouths. It was very inviting after a tiring long evening hours play.

During holidays, when we gathered in our aunt’s place, we used to have this dinner everynight. At my home, during Sundays, my mother used to give me my dinner like this but no cousins around, me left with all those yummy curries with no competition and I emerge with a content & fat belly. Sometimes, with my brother and sister who joins me for this wonderful moonlight dinner.

Today, there is not much time or space for this practice. So children miss them much. Such practices of olden days like the family taking food together has a big role to play in the eating habit of the children thus brought them up healthily with a love towards all vegetables and fruits. Whereas, today’s children have more options but they are very specific towards their likes and dislkes because of the pampering. SO the mother’s end up giving them some health drink advertised in the TV for kids who pushes their plate at the dining table.

Eating together gives a lot of pleasure, health as well as less work pressure for the mother. Even after we have grown up and were working, till marriage, all of us in our family had to have lunch together on Sundays. Even after my marriage, when I visited my mother, I joined my nephews for this dinner. I enjoyed those moments very much.

Though today’s corporate timings don’t permit such previleges, but still it can be practiced at least on weekends. A child brought up this way will understand the pleasure & love all the home cooked food. So mother’s should not worry about the eating habit of their little mannu’s anymore!!

Happy Valentine's day from Love Bugs

I saw some love bugs in the net but pattern was not available. Hence tried to make my own and here are these two cute love bugs, hearts and romantic roses, came to wish you all a Happy valentine's day.

Mira's Space: Welcoming Lakshmi or Frightening her?

Mira's Space: Welcoming Lakshmi or Frightening her?: "It’s a general belief of every Indian Hindu home that keeping the entrance as well as the house, clean an..."

Welcoming Lakshmi or Frightening her?

It’s a general belief of every Indian Hindu home that keeping the entrance as well as the house, clean and decorated will invite Goddess Lakshmi. Such a well maintained entrance not only invite the goddess but also many hearts who finds beauty in it. But you might me wondering what made me to write on this today. Its ofcourse a necessity, I thought that I should write it here.

When talking about entrance, for apartment dewellers of today’s high rises, it’s a common area shared with the neighbours. In some homes, a chapal stand near doorstep gives a stinking welcome to all the passers-by and neighbours.  I happened to meet one resident of our building who invited me to her house. I kindly accepted that request and postponed it for a fine day.  That fine day came and I called her and went to her house, & got a shocking welcome at the doorsteps with stinking shoes/socks and chappals scattered in an unorderly manner. Most of them are lying down leaving no work for the so-kept shoe stand.  She took atleast 3 minutes to open the door by making me ring the bell again for her. 3 minutes may sound small but that terrible moment I was undergoing really made me puke.

Atlast the door opened and saw that lady dressed beautifully with a huge smile inviting me inside. I hurriedly took my step inside hoping to get relief from stink entrance.  Her interiors ofcourse was good. Well done decorations, planned arrangements with lot of fengsui & vastu elements taking position in  the beautifully decorated living room.  At the doorstep too she had kept the “Lakshmi Padh” with some flowers offered. A crystal ball hanging in the Jhoola in the living room which she believed will ward away the evil eyes. But really will the goddess like & accept that kind of welcome. Though interior was good, when the entrance is not good, where comes the question of Goddess Lakshmi entering the house? I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings but a general thing which struck my little mind.Ofcourse, co=opeartion of family members plays a vital role in maintenance.

 I have only given you the picture of just a family and let your imaginations run down when they have loads of guests coming in every now and then.  I really pity the neighbours who has to cross those hurdles and victoriously emerge and manage to reach the elevator.  What kind of vastu they are following for goodluck, only god knows. At the same time, I feel very happy that luck is in my favour that I don’t have such neighbours.

Another common sight is the dustbins. Evening, we can see some agarbathi spreading some fragrance in the air thus giving some relief but for the working couples, they have no other option but to leave it out till they return, but can’t they maintain it well. AFterall all the wastes that goes into it is from our own home. There are garbage covers available at all areas. All it need is a few seconds of effort & attention everyday, to place them properly inside the dustbins. Those  beautiful home-makers, why are not they generous enough to spare the eyes & nose of passers-by and neighbours. Whole day it stays outside with its untidy look & stink.

In individual houses, I have seen some comic scenes in the morning hours in my native place where some ladies hurriedly pushes the kachada to the neighbour’s side. The neighbour in their turn again push it to the this side is a different story. Whatever it is the kachda gets piled up waiting for the municipal sweeper, who just brushes it and leaves lot of trace back in place.

When these people can’t bear it inside or near their home, how can they expect others to tolerate it for them? They don’t change and is infact passing it on to their younger generation. So many notices served but still they don’t bother.  It may serve the purpose if it is good enough to shoo away a recovery agent from the bank.  Is there any fengsui or vastu accessory or any baba available to change this attitude of people? Because God can never come near their entrance!!!

Mira's Space: Watch the world in Child's way

Mira's Space: Watch the world in Child's way: "This happened few years back. I was travelling by train to my native place with my husband. There was a f..."

Mira's Space: Watch the world in Child's way

Mira's Space: Watch the world in Child's way

Watch the world in Child's way

This happened few years back. I was travelling by train to my native place with my husband. There was a family consisting of a mother, a father, grandparents and a child of about 1 to 1 1/2 years in the seats in front of us.

The child was awake for a long time. It had a smiling face and looked like it was enjoying its trip in the train which was rocking like a jhoola. The mother slept while making her child go to sleep. But the child was awake. I enjoyed watching for sometime, the child playing in the darkness making some sounds and soon i also fell asleep. 

I was woken up by a sound. Looked at my watch and it was 3.30 am and was dark outside. To my surprise i saw the child awake. (Did it staye awake throughout the night? or woken up early?) It was looking out through the window, happily clapping its hands, making sounds as if it is speaking to someone outside the moving train.

The entire compartment was asleep, no toys to play, no light to see any scenaries outside, parents were asleep, no mates to play. Still the child was happily playing.

How nice life would be, if we have a child’s heart. No egos, no wants, no greeds, no worries… even with nothing, the heart will be content. Yes, life will become pleasant if we have a child’s heart. We will love everyone around us, the known and the unknown. That’s why a child is like a God, who loves everyone, the good and the bad.

I wish I were a child….

Mira's Space: Matheran

Mira's Space: Matheran: "Are you able to spot the wild Langur. He was shying. But managed to take a quick shot wild langur the welcome shot at Matheran M..."

Mira's Space: All about Elevators

Mira's Space: All about Elevators: "Elevators / Lifts play an important role in today’s high rises, transporting people up & down all..."

All about Elevators

Elevators / Lifts play an important role in today’s high rises, transporting people up & down all day long. Though the time we spend in it is not more than a minute to two, still it has got a lot in store which made me too pen down some.

Many consider this common utility as their sole right to use. I myself have seen many a times, people holding a lift & chatting with their neighbours/friends taking their sweet own time, thinking that only they don’t have time to wait while rest of the world has all the time at their own sweet disposal.

Some mischievous kids just press buttons belonging to all the floors and makes the lift stop in every floor & they derive a pleasure in doing so (little villain(S)?!!!) They have done this to me many times, when I go out in the evening for my evening walk / shop.

I have seen on many occasions, people shouting at maids using the lifts because they are made to wait just for few more seconds!! Poor maids, they work in their house and help others too in finishing the domestic chores, are left no mercy when it comes to using the lift.

Some youngsters show their artistic skills in the lifts making the others feel embarrassed with their modern arts. Some don’t switch off the fan.

If the children gets bored, they just rush into the lift, navigate all floors by pressing the buttons at random thus keeping themselves as well as the lift, engaged. (A nice way to pass time. I missed all this during my childhood days!!! Today’s kids are very smart!)

The mirror in the lift also plays its role by helping some to pass time looking at the mirror observing their own beauty or comparing their’s with the fellow commuters. It really makes me laugh when I observe such glares from the corner of my eyes.

It also helps the young boys to set their hair stylishly so that they could encounter the girls if they happened to accidentally come up on when the lift halts in a floor.  To the school & college girls to get refreshed quickly with application of some lip gloss, or setting the hair to be prepared to encounter a beautiful fellow who they might face before they leave the lift.

There are some little heads, standing almost in toes to get a good glimpse of themselves in the mirror. Though every house there will be a mirror, “the mirror in the lift” has something enchanting in store for them. For the other commuters, it’s to have a look at their surroundings to pass time, when the lift is packed fully or to have a look at a beautiful lady where they cannot just stare at them directly!!!

Earlier there happened to be a lift operator who helps when one gets into the lift where lifts can only be seen in tall commercial buildings housing many offices. But now it’s a common thing and every user knows how to use it, if not, there are always some one inside to assist you asking “which floor?” Even the tiny tots are just amazing when we watch the beauty with which they remember the floor they belongs to and press the button correctly.

Talking about the lifts, gives me the nostalgia of the Amol Palekar’s old hindi film where he waits for the lift just to take a ride along with a girl he is in love with. He misses the ride because of long standing queue is another story. There are many funny comic scenes in movies that is happening or associated with lifts. One Hero made Pulao for the heroine when they accidentally caught inside a lift for a whole night. This has made a pulao fan, yes! Believe me. The beauty with which he cooks and curious things he unfolds from his small bag – a mini kitchen formed inside lift – sounds like Jamesbond movie!!

I remember the day for the first time I spent inside a dark lift alone during a power failure. I was searching for the alarm button & finally located it and after 10 minutes of waiting the savior in the form of a security guard came & opened the lift for me. All those dark minutes, I was waiting for the door to open. But when opened got the shock of climbing down from the ceiling!!! With the help of laughing neighbours I finally made my descent with some chairs below my foot, from the ceiling. Getting stuck inside a lift may be a comic / romantic scene in the movie but it’s a scary movie in real life, with no light and ventilation. Bathed completely in sweat.

Though we hear many accidents & incidents about the lifts, they don’t stop one from using it.  The lift, was once a luxury in some bungalows but now become a common utility, a must, part & parcel of our daily life.

Foggy Morning

When the mists from the mountains visited the valley, it looked like this.

Matheran (hill station)

Matheran is a Hill Station in the outskirts of Mumbai, near a place called Neral. Its a wonderful preserved natural forest -cum-hillstation. No motor vehicles allowed inside matheran. There is a toy train plying from Neral to Matheran. Or you can catch a taxi which will leave you upto a certain point from where you can enjoy your pleasant treak of 4 kms. amidst the lush greenery of the small hill town. The locals helps you carry your luggages and be your guide to reach the town. Not all mobiles catch signal there. Hence its a good holiday destination to enjoy with your family, forgetting your boss and office.

Are you able to spot the wild Langur?

A welcome view when you start climbing the 4 km trek to the town of Matheran

View of a stream in the valley

The moon showed its face amidst the rain clouds, when the heavnely shower took some break.

Karla

sunset at Karla

Karla Caves carved by Buddhist Monks

Kanheri

Its a just like that shot. saw this one morning in the nearby ground. Liked the crane going behind the buffalo for insects.

Are you able to spot the tiny creature

Kanheri caves

Kanheri

Kanheri cave no.3

Kanheri cave

Kanheri Caves, People enjoying the beauty of monsoon

the caves where the old buddhist monks slept

Monsoon's beauty

Views from my view

Evening sky

Bushy Dam

A gril happily playing in water - liked it, so captured in my camera

a water fall in Bhaje Caves after the first monsoon showers

Bhaje village - a view from Bhaje caves

Lohegad fort of Shivaji Raje

though no leaves, still looks beautiful

a loner

Ploughed field in Bhaje village - after the first showers of monsoon

Sunset in the west - taken from Expressway

Shore Temple (Mamallapuram)

Shore temple

Gingi Fort (Rani malai)

The Ranganadhaswamy temple in Gingi Fort

An old tree welcomes you in Ramanashram, Thiruvannamalai

Nandhi Mukh Darshan, Thiruvannamalai - during girivalam

A view of the Thiruvannamalai temple from the way to Skandashram

My New Fusion Thoran / Door Hanging

I am sharing with you my new craft work which was crocheted by me and decorated with beads, mirrors, and bells. It involves lot of my hardwork, creativity and strain to my eyes. But the end result was fruitful when i was so happy to see it waving merrily by the breeze. the jingling sounds they make is really very soothing.



Thoran / Door Hanging