WOW - What an experience !!!!

 During the recent visit of Ajeet and co, we visited Little Wood and Ambazari Bio-Diversity Park a few times. 

The last visit to Ambazari Bio-Diversity Park was on 27 Jul 21.

That day we decided to hire cycles. Jayati, who is a keen birder choose to walk to pursue her hobby. Like a good hubby, Ajeet decided to give her company. Eventually, It was Leela and me who cycled all over the park on cycles. Charges are Rs 50/- per hire. 

It was a yellow coloured cycle. 

These cycles had solid hard rubber tyres rather than normal pneumatic tyres which are fitted in all the other cycles. There is a built-in bell in the right handle. You can ring the bell by rotating the knurled portion on the right-hand handle of the cycle.

I had used cycles with pneumatic tyres for most of my adult life. This was the very first time in my life of almost 79 years that I was riding a hard rubber tyred cycle.

What an experience it turned out to be!

Except for the blacktop road going to the MIDC pumping station all the other tracks/surfaces in the Ambazari Bio-Diversity Park are rough cobblestone/pebbles. Not very smooth and also bumpy. 

Hard tyres make riding on these cobblestone/pebble tracks extremely bumpy. The repeated numerous bumps make your hands holding the handles vibrate like mad, that too at high frequency. 

In one particular stretch, lasting about 45 seconds to a minute, the vibrations were REALLY SOMETHING!!!!  

The high-frequency vibrations made holding the handle tricky. It made all the bones of your bone rattle as if your whole body was in a giant mixer. It seemed as if even my eyeballs were bouncing around in their sockets!!!!!  

WOW- what an experience!!!!

Repeated it one more time. The second time around, It is not an unpleasant experience.

Try it during your next visit to  Ambazari Bio-Diversity Park.

A little bit about these Cycles.

I had seen the same or similar looking cycles at Subash Nagar Metro Station. 

They were like the Cycles I had seen lying around along the East Coast Park road in Singapore. They were fitted with electronic locks. After depositing some amount in the account of the cycle company one could unlock the electronic lock by scanning the bar code fixed on the mudguard from the company app of your smartphone. Use the cycle and drop it at any place of your choosing. Money was automatically deducted from your account.

It appears that when the owners of those cycles at Subash Nagar Metro Station realised that there were no takers for these cycles they wisely removed all the electronic locks along with all other electronic gadgets, though one can still see the barcode on the mudguard.

I believe the very same cycles are now being offered at Ambazari Bio-Diversity Park.

Pride of India - Unanswered question.

 Pride of India.

Spotted These flowers at Ambazari Biodiversity Park.

My knowledge about various species of trees is very limited. Not to worry.  I was in the company of experts, Jayati & Ajeet, who know much more about "Flora & Fauna" than I do.

In its broadest sense "Flora & Fauna" means all the living beings on planet Earth. Ignoramus that I am it means the trees and the birds.

I was told by the experts it is called Pride Of India.

Had a closer look at it.

Pride of India.

There seemed nothing special about it. 

There are better looking much more beautiful and exotic looking flowers. 

There was no smell.

There are numerous flowers whose smell is heavenly and give one immense pleasure.

It does not have any specific medicinal value.

If there is nothing special about this flower, why is it called "Pride of India" 

My experts had left for Delhi. 

Decided to find out. Did what everyone does nowadays. "googled" it.

Found out :

It is the state flower of Maharashtra. 

It is NOT exclusive to India.

It is found in The Indian subcontinent (India and Sri Lanka); Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam as well as Indonesia, Malaysia and the Philippines.

 Its botanical name is Lagerstroemia speciosa. Also what it is called in various Indian regional languages. In Marathi, it is called जारुल.

All this and much much more.

What I did not find was, why is it called "Pride of India" - an unanswered question.

अबोली / Crossandra.

आज खूप दिवसांनी, कदाचित  वर्षांनीं अबोली च्या जातीची फुल पहिली. लहान पणीच्या आठवणी त्याज्या झाल्या. माझी आई त्या फुलांचा  गजरा गुंफायची ते हि सुई दोऱ्या शियाय.  तिच  पाहून मी पण शिकलो होतो. गजरा गुंफून लहान बहिणींना देत होतो. त्यांचं आनंद पाहून मला पण बरे वाटायचे. 

आता गजरा गुंफणं विसरलो कुणा साठी तरी  गुंफायला आवडलं असत पण आता गुंफू शकत नाही   

Free Translation.

After many days, possibly after years saw flowers of the Crossandra species.

Childhood memories were revived, 

My mother used to weave a garland of these flowers, that too without needle or thread.

Watching her, I too learned. After weaving garlands used to give them to younger sisters. Looking at their joy I also felt good.

Now forgotten how to weave the garland. Would have loved to weave one for someone but can not weave now.   

Google Translation 

Today, many days later, perhaps years later, the flower of the genus Aboli first appeared. The memories of childhood were gone. My mother used to tie a garland of those flowers. I also learned by watching her. The garland was tied and given to the younger sisters. I was happy to see their happiness.

Now I forgot to tie the alarm. I would have liked to tie the knot for someone, but now I can't tie it.

Following a Wonderful idea!

 I was really impressed and inspired by the wonderful idea of making a birdbox out of the plastic can.

See my blog at 

https://draft.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/9127849959885532183/5671860915670594896

 I too made a bird box out of a 1-litre bottle a few days back and hung it on a tree.

No one came to occupy it :-(

I thought the plastic is transparent. Birds may not think it offers a secure home for their offspring. Hence no occupancy.

Another problem was it has been raining for the last few days. The bottle had filled with water up to the opening. 

Took it off the tree and brought it back to remedy the drawbacks.

Removed the transparency by covering it with waterproof brown paper. Made drain holes in the bottom so that rainwater drains out and the nest remains free of water. Hung it back in the tree.

Please do wish me luck for early occupancy of my new home :-)

LEFT OUT?

 LEFT OUT?

During the morning walk saw that these temporary shelters had come up overnight on Sunday market ground near Jaitala ring road crossing.

Over the years, I have seen such temporary homes coming up in almost all the cities and towns of India. Generally, they are on a neglected patch of public ground.

They remain there, at times for a few months, rarely for a year or more.

Then on one fine day, these homes disappear as suddenly as they had appeared.

Families staying in these homes seem to do all right. I say this because families consist of children of various ages. From pregnant women to toddlers to young boys and girls. One odd motorcycle is parked near the tent. Few also have mobile phones.

I do not have the courage to go and ask them what do they for their survival. If they miss amenities provided supposed to be by the Govt. This because 'IF', I can not do much to help them, I have no moral right to meddle in their affairs.

They do not have access to clean drinking water, electricity, public health system or education for their children.

It seems this nomadic type of Indian population has been LEFT OUT of the "all-inclusive growth"

I hope and pray that a day WILL arrive when everyone is included in "all-inclusive growth".

Unless of course, they are living this nomadic life due to their own free will and choice.