Diamond crossing

Always wanted to see the diamond crossing in India, so I made it a point to visit it during my first visit to Nagpur.

It is said that this is the only double crossing in Asia. Another landmark is the zero mile stone of India which is at the heart of the city. The pillar was erected in 1907 and is made of sandstone.

One of the Metro stations is also named Zero Mile.

Talking of Metro, I took a joy ride in the Metro to the Airport and back, and found the occupancy pretty appreciable in spite of it being a Sunday. This metro also goes over the viaduct  which is Asia's longest multilayer viaduct.

From Nagpur we drove down to Tadoba. The drive itself was enjoyable, especially the rustic countryside. One has to make way for bullock carts and cattle crossing the path but a little patience makes it a win-win situation.

It is good to see children going to school, either by foot or on bicycle.

We halted at a place known as "Tathastu" and I liked the service and ambiance of the place. Their restaurant was named Foodpecker and the bar was named "Bottleneck"

There was a crooner by the name of Ahatesham who entertained us with his guitar.

I made a separate video on him. 
Most of the visitors go to Tadoba with the intention of sighting a Tiger.  We were lucky to see many wild animals and birds.This tall Nilgai was intrigued by our presence.

The black buck looked majestic.

The blending of the Owl with the bark of the tree was perfect.

The darter had a way to dry his wings as can be seen in the video.

The open bill stork looked pretty in the tall grass

The bamboo trees had flowered well and the guide said that next year there is going to be a dense bamboo jungle. He said the last flowering happened 45 years ago.

The video will give you a better picture especially of the leopard walking across to join its mate in the shade.   

Bangalore to Bengaluru

 I just can’t believe that I am looking at a piece of wood which is actually twenty million years old. But that is what the sign board says. Technically known as Tree Fossil, it is right now placed at the Lalbagh Botanical Garden in Bangalore.

Had been in and out of Bangalore many times but this is the first time I actually paid a visit to the famous Lalbagh.

Had been there in the morning, but not early enough to see the morning birds.

The only one I could click was this one who seem to be looking back at me with his beady eyes. 

The early morning joggers were relaxed and they looked like the regulars over here.

The statue of Sri Chamrajendra Odeyar is slowly taking its toll, after all its been standing for more than a century.   

Had to click this as the contrast of the old and new can be seen here. The bandstand in the fore front could be from the British era as every public place had a bandstand in those days.  In contrast the steeple in the background is supposed to be the building owned by Vijaya Mallya. 

Enjoyed some authentic Korean food at a prominent outlet in Kalyan Nagar. I was fascinated by the small figurines kept at the hotel. 

There is a lot of change happening in the city including the fact that the name has been changed from Bangalore to Bengaluru. With the addition of the metro rail, the charm of walking down M G road is not the same. One has to pay the price for development I suppose. 

                                                                             pic source

On the way back home, I had some time to kill at the airport and tried the tea from this outlet known as Chai Point.  

You can pick up a chai as per your choice, and they have a variety to choose from.

I was impressed by their efficiency and cleanliness

It’s a pity that they don’t have an outlet in Pune.

I picked up a Dum Chai and sipped it watching our tricolour lazily swaying in the dusk.  

Come to think of it, there is a flag in front of every airport but we barely notice it in the scramble to catch that flight.

At the airport, I met an acquaintance with whom I had worked with in Pune. He is now busy shuttling between Germany and Bangalore.  While chatting with him I couldn’t help recollect the fact that some decades ago, I had worked with his father too in the same organization.