रुबाई - Rubaai

Terracotta Exhibition

Terra - Cotta - meaning baked earth- is a famous art form to create not only sculptures, but for vessels (flowers vase, cooking utensils, cups), building materials (pipes, bricks), and interestingly jewelry.

Bright coloring schemes are used to paint the big vases.

Curvy handles with a contrasting color scheme - Golden vs Magenta. Its a typical color scheme followed in Odisha.

An artist painting the big vases. Most of the stalls by the artists coming from the southern tribal districts of Odisha, mainly Bargarh and Keonjhar.

The work is very complex and needs quite a great amount of concentration. I talked to some of them about the art, everyone was proud of the work they do, they were proud to be the part of the tradition there villages carry.

Terracotta art can produce some unusual forms if used creatively. A coconut on a copper-like vase exhibited at one of shop.

Terracotta Jewelry exhibited - better design, better quality at very less price as compared to the online shops

Clay required is collected from the village lakes. Two types of clay are used in equal proportion: Red and Black. Red is pure clay while black is sandlike.

After sculpting, the item is baked in fire.

After curing, paints are applied. Product is finished with a layer of glaze.

To create a texture, acrylic colors are used for lining.

A closer look - such textures created are often covers the large area of the vase

Bright color schemes certainly making wonders and tempts to buy such captivating vases to decorate the home

Young generation enjoying the skill and art involved in creating such graceful form

Mahashivratri rituals at Vedvyaas

Every year on the occasion of MahaShivRatri, people in Rourkela offer 'Puja' to the Lord Shiva. Thousands of them gather at Vedvyaas, a complex of temples located on the banks of River Brahmani.

Vedvyaas can be approached by road as well as by crossing the river. River stream shrinks and is easy to cross in the month of March. Locals put up temporary wooden bridge to make it further easy.

It is believed that Lord Shiva bless the one who builds the idol "the Lingam" using the sand from the river. Believers collect the sand in copper pots and construct one and then decorate it.

On the evening the river bed starts flooding in with worshipers from all over the town to grab a place near to the river stream.

Whole family put the efforts together and decorate the idol using flowers and Lord Shiva's favorite bell-patri.

Not only women, boys and men also perform the ritual to get the blessings from the almighty.

Offering puja comes with so much of preparation - Lamps with ghee, fruits for Naivedya, making garlands etc.

The last thing before the prayer is to take a quick bath in holy river water.

Soon after the sunset, the prayers are offered, lamps are lighten up.

Now imagine whole river bed with such thousands of lamps !

Family seats around the idol, keeps lamps lit throughout the night. Next morning, the lingam is submerged into the river and the fast ends.

Vedvyaas temple complex looks spectacular decorated with both electric and oil-lamps. A typical Indian fun-fair is also organised in the fields near by which runs for more than a weak.

Wandering Destination: Pitamahal Dam, Rourkela

Pitamahal Dam is a popular picnic spot, situated on river Brahmani, near Balanda village about 22 kms from Rourkela and 16 km from Vedvyas. The dam was constructed in 1978 across river Pitamahal, a stream of river Sankha which meet river Koel upstream of Panposh to form river Brahmani.

People from near by area, specially Rourkela, visits the place and enjoy a picnic once in a while here. Administration has started to decorating it by putting watch spots and creating gardens on the banks. A rest house is already in place, however can be accessed with prior booking.

People from near by villages depends on the dam for fishes, largely as a food and otherwise a source of income.

How to reach:

Ship-watch at Gateway of India

A ferry boat from Gate way to Elephanta caves enables to shoot some fabulous images of Gate way of India and surroundings. Further, on the short trip one can shoot variety of small and big ships anchored in the Arabian sea. Due to presence of ships by Mazgaon Dock yard, Navy, fisherman, private owners this area is always crowded. Here are some of the images from my maiden travel to Elephanta caves and back.

Hotel Renaissance, Powai

The Renaissance Mumbai Convention Centre Hotel offers a luxury retreat in the heart of India's most vibrant cities. Perched on the banks of Lake Powai, it offers sweeping view of Lake Powai. Here are two captures of the hotel shot from the terrace of hostel 12 of IIT Bombay.