Yamuna

We went swimming in the River Yamuna last month. Not only is the river worshipped as a goddess, it has recently been legally granted human status by Uttarakhand State. As the river flows south into Delhi National Capital Region, it is relatively clean. We swam at Burari, close to the border with Haryana. However, by…

Ganga – River of Life and Eternity

The National Museum on Janpath in New Delhi unveiled a large exhibition this month exploring the beliefs, histories, traditions, arts and cultures of India emanating from the Ganges – a river and a Goddess.   See below: A bronze vessel inscribed with the 108 names of Ganga, a map of the Ganges and a bronze statuette…

Simien Mountain Profile

A gelada from the mountains of northern Ethiopia. This is a cheeky photograph of a gelada baby baboon feeding from mother – from her expression, he isn’t sucking gently. He is in profile, however.

Sunday Walk

The air pollution in Delhi remains appalling, so it was great to get out of the city on Sunday morning. We went with a walking group to visit some secret lakes. These are actually man-made, following quarrying for building stone, hundreds of years ago. Although the lakes collect rainwater, most of it rises up from…

Sunday Trees 265

Here is a tree in Mehrauli, a southern suburb of Delhi. The house has been constructed AROUND the tree. Wonderful.

Lodi Gardens

Before the Second World War, Lady Willingdon*, wife of the Governor General, landscaped the area around several mausoleums housing the remains of rulers of Delhi from 1444 – 1526. This required evicting people living in settlements around the tombs. Lady Willingdon Park was renamed  Lodi Gardens after Independence. It is well worth a visit for…

The Garden of Five Senses

Vision, hearing, smell, touch and taste. Vision – Yes, it is a garden, with flowers and trees, some artwork and an amphitheatre. Hearing – Not much apart from the irritating noise of regular overhead flights of planes coming in to land at Indira Gandhi International Airport Smell – Well, there are lots of stray dogs,…

Indonesia in the Nehru Gardens

At the weekend I attended a celebration of Indonesia, with music, food, dancing and a quiz. It was intended to improve relations between India and Indonesia, encourage tourism and to showcase Indonesian culture. I wandered through Nehru Gardens looking for the event, but couldn’t find it. I had just about given up and was on…

Raksha Bandhan

Did you fight like cat and dog with your siblings? If so, perhaps this Hindu festival might encourage you to bury the hatchet. Strictly speaking, it celebrates the bond of protection between brothers and sisters, but it can also apply to relationships outside the family. A sister ties a sacred thread, or “rakshi”, onto her…

Excrement

Several months ago, I mentioned in a blog that an infusion of elephant dung is a traditional remedy to treat hypertension. About half of what elephants consume passes through its intestines without the nutrients being digested or absorbed, so it is just possible that vegetation could contain chemicals with an anti-hypertensive action. But I would…