Mr.P and before: A year

Hi,

I had thought of no more posting in this year and so did Mr.P had decided to observe some more stuffs around before jumping on to his next snapping mission. But even this momentary retirement was proving itself unbearable (after all retirements are for those overworking cricketers, not creatures like Mr.P). Moreover Mr.P was getting to realize that he is turning one gradually and considering me as a person who jumps from one thing to other so often (in short, impatient) he wanted a little "something" to remember. So, this post.

This post has got a few pictures from different times in this one year and also a few even before Mr.P knew he was born. Here they are. Hope you would like them.

It was 2008 and Durga Puja in Kolkata (yes... Kolkata yet again.!!). I was out with Soumalya, my friend (the one with the bike in the post: Aadi Kolkata below), on that Saptami. Please note that Mr.P was unaware that he had started to work then.

This was one of the dozen artworks in the entrance of a pandal in south (Kolkata). I could not help myself from appreciating the person who planned the lights and colours there. This picture I simply call RED AND LIGHT.

The next one is one of my favorite pictures that I (as Mr.P was still working without his own knowledge) had taken in Puja 2008.

The purohit (priest) here is in just the correct place with just the correct gestures and objects. The fumes have filled the entire pandal creating just the correct haze with just the correct colours around. Its as if the Goddess herself is decorating the studio for my snap. It was SIMPLY DIVINE.

That was Saptami. On Navami I went out with my bro, Bishan, for just a morning long pandal hopping. As I said, I was a hopping, most of the pictures are not that good (as Mr.P was still not working consciously). But from whatever I could grab, here is a better chunk of it.

In this puja of Kumartuli, apart from the Durga idol, this Shiva sculpture was worth an admiring look. No limit of the count of arms he can have, neither of the purity nor strength he possesses. He is an INFINITE MAN, yet so calm. (Again a loud round of applause for the pandal artists.)

Oh! Before the Navami, I had a day long hopping on Ashtami with Bishan (we call him Biki) only. Though I don't think a vast majority of the pictures are worth posting, but this one I could not resist.

It was a little jhaarbaati (chandelier) hanging from the ceiling of Sen Baari (Sen's residence), at Behala (Sourav Ganguly's home locality at Kolkata to be precise!)where their own Durga Puja was going on. We two went inside the residence. No body stopped us. Took a few pictures of the idol. But this STILL BLUE souvenir was unavoidable to return with.

On the Navami night, we cousins went out to see the Salt Lake pujas. I don't remember the name of the place exactly, but there was a good open space where that puja was being held. Some cultural programs were also being held in a little stage there.

Frankly speaking, I am one of the worst dancers alive but I, at times, do find myself appreciating this form of art. After looking for some time at this performance, I could guess the story in it. I just waited for the moment when the boy will ask the girl "WILL YOU?" (the kneeling down of him was bonus.!)

Puja 2008 was gone with the yells (and sms) of aschhe bochhor abaar hobe (next year it will be there again) all around. Now it was almost this time of the year last year and a "someone" called Mr.P woke up to its own knowledge one afternoon. As soon as it did, it went out.

This church has featured in this blog even before (in the post Bitten by the Clickbug) but not in this mood. Gives me a vintage look when taken away from its true colours into plain black and white. An OLD CATHEDRAL holding a belief much older than itself.

About Digha also I have told before. But in this "revisit" type of post, I could not leave it out completely. The picture below is one of those which I wanted to but didn't publish in "Mr.P is out again" post but told about.

The reason being that its no different from what already was there. Yes, you got it right. Its YET ANOTHER SUNSET on the beach. Have my fingers crossed if you would like it.

2008 was over. My elder sister got married in January '09. I witnessed the preparations, the pressures and above all the fun of the ceremony. I did take all the family pictures but there also the highly thougthful Mr.P was looking for his "subject of interest". (c'mon man.! I was there to enjoy, not to waste time in whatever Mr.P calls his "subject").

But when I saw this lovely artwork, I shutted my big mouth and let Mr. P work. The fair hands with the scarlet MAHENDI, surely makes a wedding party looks so complete.

In April, I went to Mayapur, the headquarter of ISKCON with two of my friends. It sure was a hectic day but the company made it worth.

It was yet another sunny day of the hottest summer in the last decade. But the faith that one of my friends was holding in her then, made us carry on even in that UNBEARABLE heat. That belief was of the peace when you sit near the foot Krishna. After all ISKCON stands for International Society for Krishna Consciousness.!

Now there was a big gap for Mr.P. January to July went by. In the middle there was a rainy season. On some weekend evening at that time, after a quick but refreshing shower, I went to my terrace.

While checking different modes of taking pictures in my camera, Mr.P was randomly shooting whatever he could find nearby (or far away, in case of zoom tests). Basically, I myself am very less interested in gardening but to breath in a CLEANSED evening air is itself a very satisfying sensation.

After roughly a week I guess, Mr.P was again testing my camera. Again in the same terrace but this time with no rain. I don't know what came to him, he shot the frame below.

Thanks to the camera settings, only the outline of the 'earthly' objects of the snap came with a dark filling. Other than them, I could see that not only the birds (and other earthly beings) but the sun was also going to be NESTED.

Before my holidays in October, Mr. P was desperate to take a few snaps of the Ganga at Howrah (and he did that too... check out the post "5am on a Sunday... Thats not me"). In that little walkathon (word contributed by one of Rashmila's comments), Mr.P got this snap below.

Although its not a very old construction but this NEXT BRIDGE is as nostalgic to me as the first one (yes the Howrah bridge itself)... considering the fact that I have spent the majority of my childhood outside the Kollolini (a bengali adjective used by many for Kolkata)

Rules of Photography says that if somebody wishes to publish a picture of someone, the publisher needs to have the permission of that person (even if she is family). This rule made me call up the person below today.

Didi was not at all willing to get it published, but later on she said,"Okay go ahead if you like it so much." Well, I didn't know what to call this picture but the smile, the gaze, the comfort and the shade somehow gives me a nice feel of WARMTH. (It has been taken in my mobile on the way to Kerala, in a moving train, so please excuse the clarity.)

If you go right below this blog page (across all the photo posts), you will find what I used to do (when I did nothing.!). Scribbling, doodling etc on the pages left out of my old notebooks.

Well, nothing of a high magnitude was ever done by me but I can say that I have been more that what I had been (yes, Mr.P is assisting me a hell lot). And the best part is it has been a wild party of enjoyment (oh God.! I am talking as if I am dead.!). Anyway, the picture above is of ONE OTHER P.

Frankly speaking, these pictures I could not fit anywhere and were like leftovers (I know, some better word should have been used). But I thought, seeing them, they deserve a little better treatment. So, this post.

Anyway, if you liked them, please do let me know through your comments.

Till then,

Cheers :)

Mr. P and my Mobile Phone

Hi,

Many of you have also asked me: Who is this “Mr.P”? Well, he is the crazy photographer inside me who is often philosophical and can go to limits for a good snap (born in the post “Bitten by the Clickbug” in this blog) .Sometimes I hate him for ruining my weekends but I believe some of you seem to love him for what he does.

"Thank you" [says Mr. P :) ]

This time, he gave a rest to my cybershot and used my mobile (which has a 2MP camera in it). Until very lately I never though that I will ever post these pictures taken from my mobile camera here but it was a few work by Mr. P which made me think otherwise.

The clarity of these pictures is pathetic as they are from a mere 2MP mobile camera. So now you know what not to expect from the pictures of this post.! (the pictures here have been made a little eye friendly and also have been made to throw out their best)

Well, here I go.

One evening (probably in June), when I came back from my office, I turned to my right in the entrance passage in my house, through the window of my grandpa’s study.

Mr. P snapped three pictures, but my grandpa was so engrossed in the subject of that page, he didn’t notice. He still has no idea that he has reached you and you also have seen him when he was busy with HIS HOBBY.!

Coffee in my office is one of the rare few free entities. And another best side of the pantry is that it is in the fourth floor and has large glass walls.

In that July evening, the sky was looking very welcomingly red. Mr.P and I, both, just love this time and decided to call the picture above what it meant: SIX P.M, FINALLY.

At Kolkata July was fairly rainy. The picture below is of one those days when I hadn’t brought any umbrella to my office (yes... its a snap from the same pantry).

I took it to show one of my colleagues how badly it is going to rain IN A FEW MINUTES and how even more badly I needed an umbrella. You can see the reflection of my mobile’s camera here in this pic.

The picture below is of the LANE WHERE I LIVE.

There is nothing so special about this picture other than a fact that to take this picture, Mr.P (and my body) were standing OUTSIDE the terrace boundary railing, over the shades of the windows of the second floor (which means a slip, and my body falls like a rock from two storeys). Please don’t tell my mom about it.!

Kolkata is growing, both horizontally and vertically. Sourav da, being a boy from BaghBazar (a typically north Kolkata locality) chose to take a home at Garia (the southernmost tip of present Kolkata). I had gone to his place that afternoon.

When I asked him about his such a choice, Neogi Aunty (his mother) took me to the roof and gave me this breathtaking and peaceful view of their NEW NEIGHBOURHOOD. The reason became clear.! (can you listen to the birds chirruping?)

The holidays of 15^th August, I try to spend them with my parents at Jamshedpur. And this year also I was successful. While going to the place, I went and stood near the train COMPARTMENT DOOR.

The morning rain had just finished and the smell of wet soil was... just so... fresh (a brilliant understatement for what it actually felt like, forgive my vocab.)

Came September end, and my workload in office increased ten folds. Four of us colleagues had to stay in the office 24x7 for five days (and nights). The office guest house was booked for us to stay.

That morning, at about six fifteen, I was coming back after my longest nap of two and half hours when I looked up to see my OFFICE AT SIX AM. May be its not that bad a place after all.

After that hectic phase in the office, I was to leave for Kerala (as you might already have known by now that I really had gone to that place). The journey was of three days two nights.

After the first night was gone, I woke up and Mr. P again ran to the compartment door to catch the RISE FROM SLEEPER CLASS.

All the ‘bloggable’ pics that were taken in Kerala are in the post just below this one. While coming back, I had slept in the topmost bunk and when I woke on the second morning in the train, this is the first thing which caught my eyes, just across the commutation passage.

I don’t know who she is or what she does. All I knew was, Mr. P took out my mobile, checked the surrounding for any watchful stare, and Click.! Sorry MISS. WHOEVER-YOU-ARE for not informing you about your picture in such deep expression, I just couldn’t.!

And finally, when I was back in the battle of survival (called work life), I was amused to learn that it hardly matters to Mr. P if I am on my way back home at nine thirty at night or not. He is ever enthusiastic as ever to borrow a moment from the time and space around him.

I used to notice that this man (yes, the lump in the footpath is a person) rests at the same place every night. Mr. P was a little hesitant to take a snap of him from a crowded bus... but he did it anyway. The person is in his COMFORT ZONE in spite of such a rushing and complaining world around him.

I hope it doesn't end here. Mr. P is even more desparate now for better pictures. Dont worry, I will keep you informed of whatever he does.

Do let him know all what you think about the pictures through your comments below. It will help him.

Till then, cheers.! :)

Mr.P in Kerala.

Hi,

Bottomline first: KERALA IS TRULY RELAXING, PERIOD. Me (and not to mention Mr. P) went there with my family on October 7th, 2009 for a net eight day tour. I went there to relax and get a break from the usual days and nights I used to spend in Kolkata (except for those where Mr.P used to reawake himself inside me) and Mr. P went there...huh... yes, right. To shoot.

Below are a few of his snaps (made to reflect the possible best in them) by him. As you will proceed, your little tour guide (that would be me) will take you milestone by milestone the journey we had from start to end. One thing I must tell you: This isn't just another regular post of an-hour-or-two-of-a-crazy-outing-of-mine-in-the-city type with only five to six snaps. This post has a good amount of pictures. So, if you are really on a tight scheduled, I suggest you better close it. But hey! I would love to see you find some time and go through it.

But, if you are sure you have time... we can start from THIRUVANTHAPURAM.

Having our hotel booked in Tridendram, on 9th, we went to the KOVALAM BEACH. Below are a few snaps from there:

The beach has a very steep shore and you suddenly might feel like toppling as the sand below your feet can be gone with the retreating wave. By the way, the picture above is called CHILD, LOOK BEYOND.

The picture below is called CALENDAR (for some weird reason). Here it is:

There are lots of rocks on the beach. And not to mention loads of coconut trees.

This picture is called WINDY. I know its a very aaa....obvious name buut still.!

The next one is a feminine potrayal of what Mr. P was exactly doing in the beach.

I call this picture as Mr. Me.!

Still keeping our reservation in Trivendram, next day we went to KANYAKUMARI

Frankly speaking, there was nothing much for Mr. P. Below is what he got:

This is the VIVEKANANDA MEMORIAL on the Vivekananda Rock.

Below is THE COMPLETE ROCK:

(well almost. Thanks to the only 3 inch screen, the ends got truncated).

Upon entering the Vivekanada Memorial (where photography is not allowed), anybody in any state of mind can feel the peace and strength at the sametime. I did (and thought I would share the feeling with you).

One our way back to the hotel, we stopped at the PADMANABHAN SWAMI TEMPLE. There they have a tradition: If a woman is wearing a Saree, then only she can enter the temple with her hair covered with a cloth. If she is wearing something else, she has to wrap a saree around and then she can enter. For men.. no such relaxation. Can wear only a Dhoti, only. No further questions.

Below are a few snaps from that place:

I call this picture TWILIGHT TEMPLE.

Mr. P was lucky enough to get the picture of thisYOUNG DEVOTEE. (As I said, no exceptions.!) All I did there was get some evening tea with some UFOs (Unidentified Fried Objects)

After we came back to the bus, we realized that many of the ladies were missing. And guess where we found them? Yes, a place which closely resembles a place like the picture below:

Well, SHOPPING ANYONE?

Next day we moved out of Trivendrum and headed for ALLEPPY. From there, through THE BACKWATERS, we were to reach KOTTAYAM (a city with 100 percent literacy rate in India)

Below are some of the snaps by Mr. P there:

This picture above I call THE CROSSING. Almost every house near the backwaters banks has a boat like this and it is the most vital mode of transportation there.

And who doesn't know about the most the relaxing floating things in Kerala??

Yes, I am talking about the HOUSEBOATS.

According to Mr. P, there were numerous other situations to take pictures of (may be, I hardly understand this stuff). But all were not captured, technical problems, we were constatly moving.

I have no idea what this church is actually called but Mr. P calls this picture THE OPEN OLD.

In between all these, there was a local guest in our launch. Even a dull person like me admired the beauty of it and Mr.P helped me reach it out to you. Here it is:

This picture is called THE GUEST.

On the banks by now we had spotted all kinds of people from all religions and their walk by the banks remainded me of the drawings I used to do back in my school.

This picture above has no specific name. But as of now lets call it GOING TO WORK.

That day we had a single night stay at KOTTAYAM where I took a little time out to call up my friends (was missing them a lot there). Next day we all set out for KUMILY. Its a hill station which is famous for its spice market and homemade chocolate.

On our way there were a few snaps taken by Mr. P:

This picture is of a rubber tree trunk, lined to collect the INFANT RUBBER.

Our travel guide, on our way to Kumily, told us that there wont be anything for us to do in the evening after we reach there, so we can just follow the scenary on the way. I just did and so did Mr.P:

This picture is called FOLLOWED (dedicated to our guide)

Looking out of the bus window there were again many (many) breathtaking places. But as Mr. P is not an expert photographer (and again we were moving quite fast on a contstantly direction changing spiral hilly road), many snaps were just a piece of junk.

Out of them this one was quite postable:

Mr.P couldnt stop admiring the courage of this tree standing there alone. He calls this picture HABIT OF THE EDGE.

After we reached Kumily, we were told that there is a Kathakali show to be held that night in a nearby hall. People who are interested can go and enjoy.! You can imagine, in what Mr.P was more interested in than the dance on the stage.

I call this picture IDENTITY.

Just a little walk from our two night stay hotel at Kumily there was a turn in the street. There was a statue of Mother Mary holding a dying Jesus on her lap. Mr. P tried and tried but couldnt be happy about his picture below.

See if you can feel anything other than SADNESS OF THE EYES.

Next day, we all went to PERIYAR (in a useless hope to see a few wild animals).

Not much promising, but here are a few snaps of the forest and the lake:

This is the PERIYAR LAKE boating where is currently prohibited due an very nasty accident that happened here a few times back.

While walking in the road of the forest, just the way I was listening to some music, my dad was walking alone humming.

I told Mr.P not to lose this moment when my dad was HAPPY ON HIS OWN.

After we came back, had lunch, many of the us from the touring party were feeling lazy enough to miss the spice garden visit. But I went and so did Mr. P

It was nothing as brilliant as anything but what I enjoyed most was an elephant ride.

This picture is not taken by Mr.P but by a person called SAUNAK (thanks buddy.!). I call this picture GOPAL (that's what is the name of the elephant in the picture). There are reason for me to select this picture. First, Gopal is in a brilliant pose with his trunk raised to greet the camera. Second, being the fourth person on Gopal at that moment, I am hidden.! You can only see a part of my blue jeans above Gopal's left ear.

The next day we were informed that we are finally starting for MUNNAR with a faint warning of a chilly weather there.

Here are a few snaps of what we saw on the way:

My sis was holding these FLOWERS in her hand and it was looking worth a few MBs in my camera's memory card.

We were told of a journey through the hilly regions and there the last thing we expected was the rain. But who knew, the dying Jesus from the streets of Kumily will fulfill even the last expectation of us.!!

This picture is called the WET SETUP for the rest of our journey.

On the way we had the DEVIKULAM FALLS:

This water fall was in the midst of vast bed of tea plantation. But instead of capturing the tea plantation around (like everyone else) Mr. P got asked these ladies to wait and hold it right there.

He called them up as 'aunts' on which they started to laugh. Later on Mr. P had to say 'g'bye sister'. I call this picture AUNT SISTERS.

We continued with our journey in those spiral roads (with the sky tap still on).

At times, we prayed no other vehicle till the same THICK CURVE of the road lasts.

But the journey to Munnar was only not scary, it was beautiful too.

When places like the above picture came, it was hard to imagine if anything could have fulfilled the snap had the climate not been MOISTURIZED.

And after a journey of about four and a half hours and we could finally see the town of Munnar.

This picture is by my dad. Sure he has literally FOUND THE TOWN in the 'middle' of the rain.

On the afternoon the day we reached Munnar, we went out for a sightseeing. And here is what we saw:

TAKE-1: THEY CAME.

TAKE-2: THEY ATE.

TAKE-3: THEY LEFT.

After this royal feast, our bus moved ahead for the couple of nearby places:

This is a shot from a place called the ECHO POINT, not a that bad place for paddle boating.

Then we stood on the MATTUPATHY DAM (and Mr.P took the snap below).

The next morning was booked for RAJAMALAI, for the highest peak in the Neelgiri mountains. But before brushing my teeth on that day, as soon as I woke up, Mr. P rushed towards the hotel balcony and snapped the picture below:

He calls this sunrise THE SUNSET HANGOVER.

While we were being taken by the forest officials to the top of the Rajamali hill in a wildlife park (whose name I have forgotten but it was recognised as the cleanest wildlife park in India) we saw this:

You have to forgive me but I had no other option but to name this picture by Mr.P (who took it straight right down from the fall's foot)as UNKNOWN HEIGHTS.

At a checkpoint, we were left to explore the rest of the uphill journey on our feet. On the way to the top of the hill, we found this animal:

It is called the NEELGIRI THAR. It is something in between a deer(body) and a goat (head). Rajamalai is the only place in the world where this animal is found.

And after we went to the top, it was altogether a different mood. Clouds playing around, the chill, the wet air, the moody sun....huh.!!!!

This picture was taken by Mr. P after he waited long for the sun to get caught in that crack in the cloud. He calls this picture ORACLED.

One moment you can clearly see who is down there.. Come back after 15 minutes...

you are bound to ask the clouds WHOOZ DOWN THERE?

These pictures are absolutle nothing (believe me when I say that) when it comes to actually go there and stand at the top.

And what a sight after we descended down.

The clouds were between my two hands.!!! It had started to drizzle and we had no umbrella (it sure was fun.!!). We had a coffee in a tourist shade. Then Mr.P took the above picture (by taking out the camera in that highly moist weather). All in all... it was ... mesmerizing.! I will never forget how it actually felt to PLAY THE ROMANCE there.

That day afternoon, we left Munnar and started for COCHIN, the last milestone of our Kerala trip.

It took us five hours to reach Cochin in bus. There, one the next day, we went out to see some history, but half of the things in the city were closed. Below is what we could manage:

This is the VASCO DE GAMA CHURCH where his corpse were buried for a few years after his death before it was taken away by his sons to Lisbon. THIS IS THE FIRST CHURCH IN INDIA buit in 16th century and last renovated in the 17th century.

Very near to this church is a beach used by fishermen.

The fishing is done by these CHINESE FISHING NETS which are in India almost for more than four hundred years now.

One the evening that same day, we were taken to see the sunset on a cruise. Later it was announced that due to the clouds, the setting sun won't be visible. So Mr.P again grabbed whatever he could.

Although the we were not on a luxury ship, but the trip on that boat was good, overlooking the sunrays FROM THE DECK.

Then comes the last snap by Mr. P in Kerala.

The HOMECOMING.

Next day was our train back to Kolkata.

I know I have eaten up a lot of your precious time, but by any chance you liked (or hated) this album, please do let me know though your posted comments.

Thanks you.!

Cheers.! :)