Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Javadu Hills. Sort by date Show all posts
Showing posts sorted by relevance for query Javadu Hills. Sort by date Show all posts

Wednesday, January 09, 2013

First travel of the year – Javadu Hills

My first travel of the year happened on the weekend and we did a trip to Javadu Hills; which is a part of the shattered Easter Ghats Mountains, rose between the Vellore and Thiruvannamalai Districts of Tamil Nadu, India. Being a low-lying hill station among the others visited, it wasn’t too cold but being winter there was moderate cold at night, comfortably. And it was the reason for me to choose this time for experiencing some cold, and as I expected the morning was immense refreshing with atmosphere foggy or mist. But it doesn’t wonder me, because it was almost same the way sensed on plains once we touched the highways, out of city and home.
Fog in suburb Fog in suburb
This is not from a hill station, but the hills beyond the Chengalpattu town among the fog.

It wasn’t like every day morning: for me regularly the morning means only after 8 or 8.30 am, the usual time I wake up whether it’s cold or hot no matter what. But I try my best everyday to wake up early and if not the passion for traveling, I wouldn’t be checking sunrise at all or unless bladder filled up to wake me early, that too not much less than the usual time. We experienced a fog of Kodaikanal or any other hill stations on the morning of Saturday and the fog visibly makes invisible the distance buildings, trees and towers and even the Kolava Lake of Chengalpattu lose its trace in gray white. Unlike the usual sight of stunning sunrise over the lake during our early morning rides and the fog lasted until 9.30 or 10am. The roads after Chengalpattu were state highways, which are my favorite lanes taking via scenic countryside’s that hardly visible through NH.   

Jamunamarathur is the capital village of the entire mountain range of Javadu, which has two ways to reach – one via Polur and Alangayam; and Jamunamarathur was the only place to accommodate on the hills, that too the government provided BDO (block development office) guest house. There are many towns close to the foot hills easily accessible via road and railways which also holds many hotels and lodges to accommodate. Gladly we took the Polur route which has a long ghat road section with half a dozen hairpin bends passing through forest division. Before taking the ghat or uphill road, someone needs to sign at the forest check post writing a reason to visit.
A Lake near Vanthavasi
A lake near Uthiramerur
It took more than an hour to reach Jamunamathur from Polur and thanks to the GPS in my galaxy player; it was very easy for us finding routes on Google maps. We already booked rooms at the BDO guest house, seeking their phone number at the Thiruvannamalai district govt. website, the guest house had been handed over to a private person in charge who maintained it well. We requested for a ground floor room and also before reaching there we contacted the person in charge on the way, but initially he told someone had haired the ground floor and later discussing with the other describing my state, they decided to shift the room so kindly and humble. Thanks so much to those unknown kind hearted and the wise man who arranged the rooms for us.

(To be continued…)

Tuesday, January 22, 2013

Vainu Bappu Observatory - Javadu Hills

Vainu Bappu Observatory
After reaching Jamunamarathur – the capital villages of Javadu Hills, and having lunch, that we brought along with us from home, we are told by the guest house care taker that they will allow into the observatory only by 5 pm,  to watch through the telescope. So he suggested leaving by 4 pm as it is 10 km from there and since having two more hours to go, we decided to explore the small lake and garden at half a km from the guest house. The lake and garden were not so attractive, and the lake is nothing but a conversion of already existing village lake that used for irrigation to the fields around. The real pretty sights are beheld around the lake, where fresh green paddy fields gleaming at us to expose to sunlight amid mild step farming.


The main course of this trip was to check the observatory and it was first time for me visiting an observatory, other than the only place I visited regard to space was Chennai Birla Planetarium. Vainu Bappu Observatory located at Kavalur village on the Javadu Hills holds the largest telescope of Asia, which was named after the great Indian astronomer and discoverer of Wilson-Bappu effect, Manali Kallat Vainu Bappu. VBO is an astronomical observatory behind many unique discoveries on space and reading remarkable cosmic rays, through the 1 and 2.3 meters telescope, the observatory has detected atmosphere around the Jupiter’s satellite Ganymded and rings around Uranus and Saturn. In 1988, a new minor planet was discovered using the 43cm Schmidt telescope and it was named after mathematics genius Ramanujam.

The observatory is isolated from any activities of being and almost surrounded by vast reserve forest, stands as a testimony to Indian astronomy. We reached the observatory early in time traveled thought the dense forest, but we were not allowing inside the campus and requested to wait sometime until the early batch comes out. I know that we need to walk nearly a km from the entrance to the main observatory; I kept my power wheel chair fully charged but enquiring a couple who came out we become uncertain about the distance. Even though we decided to progress, the guard noticed me allowed to take our car inside and we find more than 100 school students come out of the observatory.

Our family
Me and my family
First I was mislead by the white cylindrical building with dome that holds 43” telescope which resembles the 93” telescope, the largest among the observatories inside the VBO. Then we were redirected to the main building with more widely in breadth and spectacular height. The observatory being elevated from the others, cool breeze brushes once get out of the car and we were taken by the lift to the top floor where the largest telescope was assembled. The telescope was attached to a huge hydraulic machine that turns and moves up and down, manually and as well automatically sitting on two wide column. It was like a dream come true when the aluminum plated dome open to sky view, and rotate through a rack rail which could go around 360 degree.

I felt rotating along with the dome when looking above and goose bumped, stimulated by the entirely new setting and following the conversation with one of a scientist demonstrating the operation of telescope, took me to infinite stage. Many of us generally know the universe that exists within our solar system, but there could be immense such systems in our galaxy with earth like spheres where people could live and seek to connect alike. The observatory plays a vital role in studying the universe and does a front-line research with the telescopes here. It was something amazing that I couldn't even image that we were standing close to an object that beholds the mystery which is impossible through naked eyes. And I feel like touching an endless height.

Open to sky
The floor below the telescope has a round iron platform which I first through to rotate, but the scientist cleared our doubt later by operating the hydraulic platform that lifts to make easy the service of telescope. He explained that it is a kind of facility that any other observatory doesn't hold and they keep an eye clean on lens always. The observatory has a steal platform; going around the dome outside the building holds a 360 degree view on the landscape of total forest area. So it is out of noise and light disturbance, which is the main obstacle for reading light rays and except the entrance, overall campus doesn't have a light facility and was completely electric fenced to keep away wild animals.

I feel bad for not taking my camera inside the observatory thinking they might not allow, because of security. But some took photos with their mobiles and there were no restrictions, and I only got to capture the building and natural setting of the campus. I was really wishing to watch something through the largest telescope but these are used only at night and not for public to watch. They have a 6” telescope for public to view stars and planets after dusk and we really had to wait for an hour to watch through telescope. But for me that even wasn't a chance because the viewing point of the telescope was kept high and need to climb few steps.

[To be continued….]

Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Encounter with Emu

I ever seen an Emu in real until encounter it in Jamunamarathur, on the Javadu Hills, near Vellore. I visited this head village of Javadu Hills in January and spent a night at the BDO (block development office) guesthouse here while exploring the places around. I find the Emu being fenced between the BDO guesthouse and office, and there are two emus but only one came closer showing its majestic being the second largest bird in the world by height, it stands close to man shoulder.

Emu
As soon we arrive only the emu invites us, grabbing our attention toward the small gate that keeps away the bird entering the guesthouse. We don’t know what it would eat when thought to feed something; one of the jeep drivers told to give grasses that grown beneath our feet. Amazingly this was the first time I saw a bird munching grasses. Initially we scared to lean our hands across the gate but also the way it grabs the grasses was wild, it was calm when my cousin caress his head with a fear.

It also feeds on curd rice we dropped near the gate; but the Emu wasn't comfortable picking food from flat surface using its large beak. The bird survives on some grains from the blow which is nothing but an empty flower pot and the fencing wasn't large enough for the great bird to wander. I guess emus entered Tamil Nadu in 2006, for meat and reproduction purpose and many company were launched to promote this business in fancy names and immense advertisements dragging number of farm land owners to invest at their companies. But the business wasn't fair and before it flourish, raised down due to rose of defraud complain on many companies.

Close-up
Footnote:

Emu is the largest bird native to Australia after its ratite relative, the Orstrich. The soft-feathered, brown flightless bird reaches up to 2 meters in height. The long necked and legged can travel great distances at a fast, economical trot and if necessary can sprint at 50 kmh. Emu are opportunistically nomadic and may travel long distances to find food; they feed on a variety of plants and insects, but have been known to go for weeks without food. (Source wiki)

Thursday, January 31, 2013

VBO and following things – Javadu Hills

Following, checking the VBO’s largest telescope inside the Vainu Bappu Observatory, we drawn back to the 6 inch telescope for watching the celestial objects on space. This is a facility impended only if there is a clear sky and the observatory is open to public only on Saturday, to visit the telescope between 2 to 5 pm and staring starts and planet viewing adjoined for 6.30-10 pm. We waited for nearly an hour until the dusk disappeared and twinkle stars get to sight, the place sounds quiet except the resonant of our batch waiting to watch through telescope, the winter cold wraps around under the open sky and moist meadow. We saw guards wander with rifle to keep away the wild animals entering the campus: elephant, bison and wild boar are found commonly around VBO’s forest area, belong to Javadu Hills.

6” Inch Telescope shed
The observatory is located at an altitude of 700 meters and quarter distance from Bangalore compared to about 210 km from Chennai. VBO is one of the field stations of Bangalore based Indian Institute of Astrophysics, which is primarily devoted to research activates using the optical telescope. There are about 6-7 telescopes built around the campus of VBO, except for the 1 and 2.3 meter telescopes; others are small domes and shed. The 6 inch telescope that allowed viewing for public was kept inside a shed (that u see in the above picture), which top is pushed aside while using the telescope and its position is fixed to view specific celestial objects on sky. That, what has become an obstacle for me from observing through telescope; as the view point has kept high from ground, I couldn't keep up to being tough.

There were more than 100 students waiting behind us, so I kept a quick out of the shed realizing the difficult. My parents who got the opportunity to watch through telescope found Jupiter and three shining stars closer. The students who lined behind us were those exits during our entry, seemed waited for long time at the gateway to view via telescope. The security is tight inside the observatory and guards wore a moody mask, but the officers are kind enough to slender tie for me and encouraged indirectly for taking the course.

Mini observatory
It was pitch dark, when we left the telescope shed and there were no lights to lead us to entrance. Except following the road for few hundred meters, I rode the wheel chair tracing the center white line torched by my cousin, using his cell phone. Being winter, the darkness settled early from the pink shades the sun left behind the forest scene. It was adventurous driving back to Jamunamarathur from VBO through the thick adjoining forest road where one or two vehicle only passed.  The village town doesn’t have great hotels except only one pure vegetarian mess; all are non-vegetarian teashops preparing traditional Tiffin’s like: idly, dosai, pongal, parotta… and biriyani for lunch. There are many Biriyani shops in funny names and almost different in taste from one another… u may wonder how I know. For the lunch next day, we brought biriyani from more than couple of shops to taste which is best and getting there for remain of us.

You see something IMG_3435
For the dinner that night, we brought Tiffin from one of the tea-shops  That wasn't so bad or good at taste but enough to keep content the stomach and somehow hygiene hopefully. Gladly the night went off peacefully and comfort since the suite and mattress become favorable, kept away the sleep difficulties, I used to experience in absence of home comfort. We also had some fun that day, watching the monkeys business while waiting at the entrance of the VBO for some time. There was this cute little monkey perched to a branch (check picture above), behold through its gestures and behavior unlike the elder one which was trying to steal something from a bike pouch. 

Friday, December 16, 2022

Weekend getaway to Auroville I

We went to Pondicherry two weekends ago, and it was an unplanned trip because my brother abruptly called from the gym at 9.30 pm on Friday (if you've been following my blog for a while, you know my brother owns a fitness center, aka gym, and he's also a trainer) asking if we could go to Pondicherry or Javadu Hills because he was free for two days. 

The beautiful monument at the entrance/exit of Pondicherry.

I had no intention of traveling and planned to skip if possible, but he was adamant about going somewhere, and we were still waiting even after I went to bed. He called from his room as if he had found a place to stay at Auroville on the outskirts of Pondicherry to accommodate the trip. We awoke with the same unsure mindset as he went to the gym as usual early in the morning; we considered canceling, but he arrived sooner, confirming the trip, and we had our breakfast, packed our lunch, and were out of there by late morning.

He planned to start the journey early in the morning to avoid traffic, but it was 11 when we left, and we didn't expect ECR to be crowded at that hour; nonetheless, it was free after the city limit. The road was in poor condition, or there was erosion of the upper layers in several places due to continuous rain, and the road expanding procedure slowed our progress. But we were not in a hurry and had no intention of stopping along the way; the ride was leisurely, and we arrived at Auroville in the evening. 

The day was sunny, and the sun was bright enough to dazzle; I captured some beautiful sky shots. Don't forget that we were traveling with a baby on board. This is my second trip with my nephew Kavin before the end of the year, and his travel adaption is far better than on previous trips. He enjoyed the place we stayed, but he had some worse coughing upon our return.

Though December is my favorite month to travel because of the cool weather that comes with the end of the rainy season and the beginning of winter, I have had to prevent travel for various reasons, including the lack of a travel wheelchair. We have a customized wheelchair for my travel needs, but it hasn't been finished yet, so I had to take my bucket seat wheelchair, which I use every day at home and is slightly heavier than a standard power wheelchair. 

My brother had not confirmed any lodgings but was sure to obtain some rooms in one of the many cottages and homestays there, but I continued to look for a wheelchair-accessible place while traveling.  I found a place that fit our budget and needs while still being close to the heart of Auroville:  the Matrimandir, a large golden sphere symbolizing the birth of a new consciousness.

As I already stated, I went with the flow because I didn't have time to plan anything. Even though we accommodate very close to the Matrimandir, I had no intention of visiting, seeing the golden sphere from the viewing point up to where visitors are allowed to watch quietly. 

I was inside the Matrimandir when it was still under construction roughly 22 years ago. Even then, it was quiet, and they installed a glass globe in the center of the dome structure, which glows in the sunlight. I couldn't view the glass globe because it was in an elevation position that steps could only reach. But it was an unforgettable experience; the second time, we were only allowed up to the viewing point, which I explored in my wheelchair.

I've included an image of the Matrimandir (and myself in front of it) shot in 2009 to illustrate the concept.

more on the trip in the next post... 


Sunday, January 05, 2014

Reflection 2013

Reflection
Picture by Jeevan
The year 2013 wasn’t great for me, unlike the beginning of the year that wake up to cheerful cake-cutting and get-together with cousins and following trip to Javadu Hills… the house shifting, father’s bike accident and my femur fracture are greater setback of the previous year. I never thought that we will shift to an individual house, but things happened all of sudden and we shifted house in about a week of time going through it. The spacious rooms and corridor, garden space and silent environment, large windows and natural light attracted me to this home but we only find the hidden dragons almost settled! Lol 

We experienced extreme heat during the summer season, which we chosen for shifting house has been a great mistake and also deciding the house just with the look of it is another error we had done this year. In the monsoon and winter, ever like before we exposed to mosquitoes bite… day or night they are always around us, even in extreme hot condition they survives quite. The initial strike of the latter year happened when dad skid off the bike and got severe wound in ankle along with hair crack, has dropped away the cheer of 2013. With no help from any other, mom had to take care of all things single handedly and cooking isn’t a tough job for her but taking care of me as a single woman has no words to describe.

Just like that that where there is an end, there is a beginning… when thinking that everything was back to normal - dad almost recovered - my fracture on femur drawback to extreme level. Still unable to believe that I got fracture, because I haven’t actually fall dawn but while shifting from a stool to wheelchair, the chair moved and I was seated on the floor in my knee, bending fully. Normally my knee won’t bend after certain level but that day my entire body weight has bear on the bended knee, which causes fracture above the knee on the femur bone. Doctor says it’s not a bone that breaks easily, but the reality was, my bones are so weak and being a muscular dystrophy patent it seems like a normal thing. Only now we have come to know about it… so therefore we need more attention towards it also.

I have planned to do certain things in 2013, but dad’s injury and my fracture had pushed away… but the things aren’t that impossible to achieve and I hope they could wait for their time to come. The most favorite thing for me was traveling. I could think they are the best part of my life, because traveling is not that easy for a wheelchair rider and however it was difficult I love to do so. And not to forget, nothing is possible without my parents, and it’s their strength and affection that make my dreams come true. Vacations are the happier time for anyone of us, and in latter year too I had a wonderful one and also exploring new places were another delight.

For the last six months I haven’t travelled out of the city and in that, the last three months were like hell shut inside the home. Watching television and music where the only entertainment and I couldn’t sit back longer to read something and touched extreme level on boring while lying and staring at TV. It was never like before I was forced to take bed rests, except night times I generally won’t lie for any reason unless fall ill. Words can’t describe how terrible I felt and still feeling the pain on the progress of knee bending, which still holds 20% stiffness that resist me keeping my feet on the wheelchair’s footrest quite.

What really worry me now was, could I able to regain my standing ability which helped me then for shifting my seat from one another. Actually I used to stand on my left leg and right one just support for balance, though there won’t be much difficult since the fracture happened only on the right one, but I still worry about. I still haven’t tried climbing into a car; I’m waiting for my last review on fracture to confirm quite recovery. In-between we are looking for another house shifting this month, without much hurry and with the latter experience we make sure that we don’t repeat the mistakes choosing the house.

This is also the longest break I have taken in blogging, unless I am ill I could not avoid blogging, because it is the only source of sharing which makes me feel quite. Even I find Facebook and Flickr as other sharing option, blogging could never replace, at least at this moment… I missed this place a lot. I am back, but not quite… but I decided to make a slow entry and don’t mistake me, if I haven’t check yours. I will slowly catch up with everyone. Btw. Thank you all so much for the well wish and I also hope it was a wonderful beginning for you all this year. Take care and have a great year ahead.

Friday, March 04, 2016

Curious Emus

Behind the beautiful statues in colorful attires that you see in my previous post, there were a dozen emus waiting for us inside an enclosed chain-link fence. The second largest living birds by height, after its ratite relative, the ostrich, were seen too curious watching at us and the way they raise their heads and peep out from the fence was funnier.  Usually it was we; the manner (to peek) in getting a clear picture out of hindrance, but the emus copy with the attitude was really amusing.

Curious Emus

The soft feathered, brown, flightless emus are protected inside a chain-link fence connected with rusted poles. Though it wasn’t inviting and anyone could give a miss to the birds if not observed due to the abandoned park setting around. It was really good to see more emus than the couple of ones we saw in Javadu hills, and they stare at us with great intense and pointed beak could scare anyone.

IMG_0914

IMG_0915

Emus can reach up to 6.2 ft in height, and travel great distances and run at a speed of 50km/h if necessary. Interesting to note, emus drink infrequently but take in copious amounts of water when the opportunity arises and they forage on variety of plants and insects and also go for weeks without eating. (source wiki)

Linking this post for Good Fences and SATURDAY CRITTERS