Crowd of Women

Yesterday was 'karthika pournami', a huge crowd of women gathered at the banks of Godavari to perform 'pujas' and leave lights (dipam) in the river.These lights are lit in the pouches made with banana-plant trunks.This time Bhadrachalam is overcrowded with women devotees unlike yester years.

MY EXPERIENCE IN A BURIAL GROUND

They could be small nuts in the gigantic machine of the British colonial ruling.They served and remained here in the deep slumber from which they can't wake up again.Yes,we are now talking about dilapidated  tombs of some British people  located at mulakapadu village,nearby Bhadrachalam.

Before independence,Dummagudem was a prominent navigation center where a work shop also established regarding the needs of navigation department.Some British people also lived there.I had first heard this news through some local people.In fact.MulakapaDu is a small village now and adjacent to Dummugudem.There I have found some tribal people are named over Henry and Hastings so on.This is quite new for me as I have been there about 18 years back.

They told me that their ancesters were worked at the white masters at mulakapadu long back.Some of my friends also told me that there are some tombs of  that people in the burial ground which is used for only the British people.Quite surprising,mulakapadu now is a very small village and no foreigner I have seen so far.

I have asked some people to accompany me up to burial grounds .No body showed interest.I have an urge to know the details of that tombs ...how long back they had come to this small village...What their names... so on.At last one friend showed the way to it...That is just like jungle.No fair road is there.Thick bushes sprouted up  all along.

Tombs I found
Mr.Angus alstair Fernandez,An I.C.S.Officer,he died in 1927.

Mrs.Sarah Cain w/o John Cain ...who came India in 1875, died in 1934.

Mrs.Dorothy (details not clear on the rock of tomb)

Ms.Charlotte Henritta,(This tomb cracked to big pieces..her father was inspector general of hospitals as details engrossed,years not seen clearly)

Dicky wilkinson, maybe a months old baby boy as per the details given on the tomb.

Mrs.Clara Wallen, died in 1947.

There are some new burials founded which are of most possibly recent Indian ones.

Moments of Serenity

We stop and just look whenever a beautiful and lush green site appears...! That's what the bond we have with the nature.How it happens ...Maybe we also the part of the nature deep in the heart..!

All these pics are taken at Dummugudem,Khamman Dist.,A.P.,

197 YEAR OLD MANUSCRIPT

Recently one of my friends gave me a xeroxed copy pages in a binding form to read it and translate the matter in to Telugu.For some days,I did not open it due to my busy personal works.By impulse,a couple of days back,I wanted to read and understand key points of the manuscript.

Really,I surprised at the beginning of  its very first reading.Because this manuscript was written by a British Officer named Captain Glasford,about 197 years back.In fact,this is a memorandum on the settlement report of the upper Godavary district.Captain Glasford described,in nutshell,about almost every important feature of the area besides  proprietary ownership of the land among the land lords.

Right now,upper godavary district is scattered in to pieces ,some are in chanda area of Maharashtra,some places adjoined in East Godavary and Khammam etc., districts according to present needs of administration.

The entire era stood in front of me regarding our area.I felt,my God,what changes have takan place in all these years..!Captain Glasford described the physical nature of the land Taluk wise,not only that,the details of rivers,its movements,people's data with caste,revenue assessments etc., given vividly.Every topic is a paragraph.I felt great information about colonial administration.

I always have a gratitude towards these British people for the rapid changes they made in the matters of  social stigmas and women education through  their inborn persistence and practical nature  about things.We must agree that we have learnt the art of preservation the ancient witnesses from them.As far as my knowledge concerned,Lord Curzon was the man who started the first  museum in India. 

Rice play a key role

The new crop (Rice) came to the houses of  farmers.The raw rice was there outside for the purpose of drying it.Rice is usually a 3-4 month paddy.which is the major food for south indian people as well as some parts of other places too.If water sources are enough,the farmer will take 2 to 3 crops a year.West Godavari district in A.P. Is always fore front to beat the records in harvesting this crop.

But this picture is taken at the village of Nandigamapadu nearby Bhadrachalam

An historical Temple

In my last post,I have given a short account on my travel from Bhadrachalam to Kakinada all through ghat road.From Bhadrachalam you have to  embark via chintur route for this purpose.After our visit to our friend's home,Myself ,  Mr. and Mrs.Kamalakar,Srinu vsited nearest piligrim centre Daksharamam.Which is 25 k.m. from Kakinada. Here the Deity is Lord Bheemeswara.It's a very oldest Temple. Started it's construction in 800 a.d. and finished in around 1100 a.d. by Chalukya kings.We can now see the oldest inscriptions on the walls done by various kings and feudal Lords of those centuries.

1. First picture shows devotees busy with offering their prayers before going to main temple.

2. Second one shows the Ancient wall structure of the temple withstand several  hundreds of years.

3.Third picture, the main gate gopuram of the temple.

Bhadrachalam to Kakinada

Two days back, I happen to  attend a friends's "Gruha pravesham" function at Kakinada. We have taken a Ghat Road to travel  this time which is of dense forest and natural picturesque beauty.Ghat road survey actually done by British people long back.and now its maintenance is done  very well but in some places,road needs repairs,otherwise vehicles could fall into deep down from almost some hundreds meters.

                   Anyhow One should see these deep and beautiful forests while travelling.We will never forget the green smell for some days.

Life is a Journey just like a Stream

 
                      Life is a Journey just like a Stream

Consolation prize

Ramya keerti receiving consolation prize in elocution.

Sai ram

Sai ram,studying 10 class,got a prize in elocution competition.Receiving prize from madhuji.

Rachel Joy

Rachel Joy,studying 9 th class,bagged 2 nd prize in elocution.

Elocution winner

Aswini,9 th class student won prize in elocution that is  taken place on november 14.Which is conducted on the occasion of Nehru's jayanti.

Essay writing

November 14 celebrations done in nandigamapadu High school.Children participated with great enthusiasm.Sai sankirti (7 class ) won first prize in essay writing.She is receiving prize from Head master V.Kaleswara Rao.

A German penpal

The Lady in the picture is Uta Fritzsche,living in Germany.One of my good penpals. she mailed me two view cards recently .One is a landscape of their place..Moeudreugladbar and another one is a 200 year old catholic church.

Mechanics Part of Our Life

Automobile mechanics are becoming part of our Daily life.Whether it is a car,bike pr moped whatever you have.It needs a mechanic often.Some people will be quite good and become like permanent doctors for the vehicles' problems. Some mechanics used to throw tantrums at us.We easily recognize them and pass out from sort of guys.Feeling any past experiences..?

See the Replicas

The first picture is taken at the bathing ghats of Bhadrachalam,the temple town.A small park is developed there with the statues which are depicted  in the Ramayana.Devotees show interest seeing the replicas.

The second picture depicts the devotees going to the banks of Godavari to have a holy dip. Bhadrachalam draws many tourists from all corners.Especially,in the season of Sri Ramanavami and "Teppotsavam"(which will take place in December)  

It's calm now.

The River in this picture is Godavari, clicked at Bhadrachalam. Most of  the devotees of Lord Rama thronged from all corners would have a holy bath here.The time is very odd.Mid day.So it looks serene.

Amazing Tree,indeed.

Who says a Tamarind tree always grows vertically..! It happens like that in normal condition.Here,in this picture,you are seeing a fallen tree ,which is adjacent to a village school of nandigamapadu  in andhra pradesh.This is a huge tree,indeed.Fallen two years back due to a cyclone.Most of the people thought that it was dead.But to our surprise,it picked up new  life gradually and started sprouting green leaves,in a different  shape,outright flat.