NATUREism...

Lone Pond Heron getting ready for hunt Sunday morning are best suited for travel and explorations due to less congested roads. People sleep and hence no traffic. What more do you need than an empty road in the winter morning? Grabbing the opportunity like a hungry cat, we decided to visit the nearby wetlands – Kazhuveli – located around 16 kms north of Puducherry along the east coast. We hit the East Coast Road (ECR) early in the morning. Winter was not at its peak but pleasing. There is something beautiful about winter mornings, especially in Puducherry. While fog keeps you cold, the warm sea breeze stimulates your senses. It’s just enchanting. Riding in ECR was fun but its short-lived as we took a detour into the village after crossing Anumanthai toll. The roads were narrow and rugged, giving us an adventurous ride. After passing through some sharp turns and a lot of humps, a water body caught our eyes. It wasn't as massive as I visualised. Wetlands flou...

Common Myna foraging along the banks of the lake An American naturalist, Aldo Leopold once observed, “January not just brings a new calendar but also spring thaw.” And it’s the same across the globe. January takes away, with it, the pleasing cold weather; snow in some places (polar regions) and fog in other places. My place. Pondicherry. I hit the road, gasping the morning breeze, to Velrampet lake. The headlight beam pierced through the fog-covered road. It was tough. The roads were empty as it was early in the morning – 6 am – allowing me to ride with ease. Yet the fog was at a disturbing level. It was not up to this level the day before, I thought. And while on the drive, it struck me as I saw people burning something. Yes, It’s Bhogi! The day before the most auspicious Harvest festival – Pongal. It was on this day, people get rid of their old and unused stuff by literally burning them. People gather and discard their stuff by lighting a bonfire. The occasion i...