Miscellany

Thursday, 25 September 2014

I'll start today with the easy stuff -- the pictures that don't fit in anywhere else.

Category: Things that should not be able to fly

This beetle was pollenating some purple flowers at our hotel.
It was huge and seemed way too large to fly on its flimsy wings.

The same beetle heading for nectar deep inside a flower.

Category: Things that are definitely made to fly

Malabar Grey Hornbill

Cardamom

The area around Munnar is also known as the Cardamom Hills. This is the cardamom plant.

The flowers and pods develop at the base of the cardamom plant. Like most spices, tea, coffee, and cocoa, these must be harvested by hand. Fortunately, these are also high-value crops.

Navratri

The celebration of Navratri in Tamil Nadu includes a bright "kolam" at the door and "golu" steps on display in each house. The coffee shop we made a stop at in Theni had these displays.

In the southern part of India, most houses and shops prepare a kolam on the doorstep every morning and evening. During Navratri they get particularly colorful and elaborate. In northern India these are known as "rangoli" and are usually only displayed on special days.

A "golu" with dolls on 9 steps for the 9 nights of Navratri.
The top steps are for the gods, the bottom steps for the common folk, with saints and heroes in between.
The odd glow is due to a spotlight of changing colors.