This one is for Samhith.....

This one is for those of who who have been wondering what Samhith has been up to during this vacation, and why there are no pics of him in the last post on our Pagoda trip. Well, I took so many pics of him during the trip, I decided they were worth another post!!!

So, let me start with the best one..... Samhith skipping along happily on the path to the Pagoda....

..and then, here are his many moods as he played happily in the green grass while we waited for the ferry....

He was fascinated by the exhibits of EsselWorld, and with his chitti (my sister) happily posed for the camera....

He then picked up the camera and tried to click pictures... Here are the ones that came out well....

While we waited for our taxi driver, we came across this flock of geese...............

.......and you can see for yourself the fun Samhith derived from them!!!!

Finally, this part is solely for him.... published on his insistence...his efforts during this vacation....


First, this 100 piece puzzle..... he's doing one after quite a long time, and he did this all by himself!!!

and then, here are his train and blocks once more... he is using them for the first time after Navaratri.....

Navaratri Preparations - Part 6 - Ready at last!!!!!!!!

A hectic day and a sleepless night! That's how I spent the whole of yesterday - getting the Bommai Kolu ready. But at last, I am done, and only the finishing touches need to be added, for which Samhith needs to have enough free time, something that's going to happen only this Sunday.

While I get ready to celebrate the festival, take a look at  my Golu.

This is just a preview of my Golu and Navaratri, as I end my series on Navaratri preparation and start a new one on the festival.

While I look out for things to write about Navaratri, check out my last year's posts on the same festival :

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-9.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-8.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-6-and-7.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-5.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-4.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-3.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-2.html

http://anushankarn.blogspot.com/2008/10/navaratri-experiences-1.html

Navaratri Preparations - Part 5 - Almost done!

My house is in a mess, stuff strewed all over, cardboard and paper turning up at the most unexpected places and the floor is sticky with the glue that has spilled! Doesn’t that sound like I am living in a pigsty? Well, it does feel like that, but I am still thrilled, for almost all the preparations for the golu are done! The toys have been unearthed from the attic, the slotted angles for the steps have been found, and ALL the houses are ready!! All I now have to do is clean up, set the steps and arrange everything! Of course, there are other things left, such as the rivers, roads, etc., but that’s part of the layout which can only be done when I have made the steps!


Without more ado, let me show you the result of our hard work of the last few days!

Thats the age-old trunk which keeps our toys safe,year after year.....

Those are the houses, cut out from paper,and stuck on cardboard, ready to be assembled. A tip for anyone wishing to try it out: DON'T  use cardboard! use Card or chart paper... its much much easier and the effect is better!

And finally, here are the houses, all ready!!

Come, take a closer look....

That's the railway station - front and back

This is supposed to be a bus stand, but we don't have buses, so we are going to use it as the village railway station!

And here are the different types of houses we made.....

And these are totally Samhith's work, the painting  work, I mean.....

Another house, with some of the shops....

And these are part of the farm buildings...

This is the barn and silo(where grain is stored)  ......

Navaratri Preparations - Part 4 - Samples for the Golu....

Taking a break from navaratri preparations, I went to Matunga yesterday to buy some essentials for the puja. A trip to Matunga is never complete without a visit to Giri Stores – the one-stop shop for every kind of book and CD we South-Indians would ever need. Every navaratri, Giri stocks up on the ‘Kolu Bommais’ – dolls for keeping in the golu, and I love having a look-around, though there’s no place for more dolls at my place.

It would have been great to take Samhith along, but he was at school, so I brought back photographs instead! Here they are –

An assortment of dolls - from Krishna to the Devis  and the Dashavatar , Tirupati Balaji and Sri Raghavendra.

More of the same... 

Rows and rows of Gods and Goddesses.....

Different types of Krishnas.......

and a Karthikeya too.....

Some beautiful representations of sculptures, recreated in clay.....

The divine musicians - Samhith asked me whether asuras knew how to play musical instruments, and when I asked why, he replied that they looked like asuras!!!

The marriage of Lord Vishnu and Lakshmi

The birth of Krishna....

Gajendra Moksham...

Lord Ayyappa.... and also the Paramacharya....

Rows and rows of Kamadhenu - the divine, wish fulfilling cow.....

Bala Krishna, stealing butter, Radha and Krishna, and Narashimha with Prahalada..... more detailed tableaus of the Dashavatars....

Moving from divinity to the human element - representations of professions - from the brahmin priests to blacksmiths and cobblers....

and vegetable sellers......

... labourers, dancers and sanyasis.....

to tribal dancers...

and village life....

One of the most popular sets of all time - a cricket team!

Mahishasura Mardini - a representation of the Durga Puja in Bengal.....

Here's something for the kids.... the ever popular stories of  "The Hare and the Tortoise" and "the Lion and the Rabbit"...

And finally, it is not only the animate, but also the inanimate which find their place on the golu - cartons of wax  fruits and vegetables!

Hope you all enjoyed these toys as much as I did! Samhith loved them, and I have promised to take him next time!