Valley School – A trip on weekday

It was when Chandu came to my home and we decided to go our favorite birding place – Valley School. We did a very small period of birding. But lot of sounds here and there. I guess, we need to have a trip soon :).

Please enjoy the pictures, which is very few in number.

Yellow eyed babbler

Short toed Eagle

Coppersmith Barbet

Asian Koel – Female

Juv. Red Whiskered Bulbul

Common Iora

Tickell’s Blue Flycatcher with catch.

Little Orange Minivet

Pale billed Flowerpecker having fruits

Great Tit

Grey Hornbill

Rose ringed parakeet

Greenish Warbler

Greater Coucal

Oriental Honey Buzzard

A visit to Kanwar Lake – Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake

Its always fun to search those place for which maps, wikis won’t help. My last trip to Bihar, I decided to find out those bird sanctuary which are their in map but there is no feedback, no wiki, no information. I visited Asia’s largest freshwater oxbow lake – Kanwar Lake (Kanwar Bird Sanctuary) . I added whatever i knew about the place. Please visit the wiki of Kanwar lake as well.

I can just tell this is one of the must visit places if you are around Bihar for any reason and have interest in bird life.  What is as clear as purified water, its huge, its drastic in view. Though a good part of it has been captured by local farmer and slum but they are helpful if you want to do boating or want to have fish curry :P.

I did some dramatic mistake in my camera setting, so pictures are not up to mark but still enjoy :).

A beautiful sunrise. Time when I reached to Kanwar Lake.

Some Olive backed Pipit

Yellow throated Sparrow – also called as Salim Ali’s bird.

Small Green Bee-eater – Pair

Ferruginous Duck – I reached quite earlier than the period when I can see the migrants but still some ..

Ferruginous Ducks

Ferruginous Duck – in flight

Greater spotted eagle chased by Black Drongo

Greater spotted eagle view

Little Cormorant in flight

Lesser Whistling Ducks ?

Red Napped IBIS

A close view of Red-napped IBIS

Red Napped IBIS – Juv

A view of grass land and Indian Roller 🙂

Pond Heron

Indian Spotted Eagle

Common coots in flight

White throated Kingfisher – You can see a bit different if you consider with the same species in south India

Crow chase to Greater spotted Eagle

Crow chase to Greater spotted Eagle

Cattle Egret

Greater Spotted Eagle

Yellow Throated Sparrow

Indian Roller

Common Myna

Ashy Drongo

Common Kestrel

Black Eagle

Siberian Stone Chat

Common Crow

Ashy Drongo

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Eurasian Sparrowhawk

Black Shouldered Kite

White Lotus

Common Tiger

Siberian Stone Chat

Brown Shrike

Pair of white eyed buzzard

White eyed buzzard

Bodh Gaya – Land of Enlightenment

Yes, this site is BangaloreCaptured, but then I thought to put each and everything which is useful, interesting and delighted. This is a report of the land of enlightenment – Bodh Gaya.   In 2002, Mahabodhi Temple, located in Bodh Gaya, became a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

It is believed that 250 years after the Enlightenment of the Buddha, Emperor Asoka visited Bodh Gaya. He is considered to be the founder of the original Mahabodhi temple. It consisted of an elongated spire crowned by a miniature stupa and a chhatravali on a platform.

Please enjoy some of the pictures and share your comments.

Mahabodhi temple – under construction

A view of Buddha in Mahabodhi temple

The actual place of Buddha where he got his eternal education

Lotus display in Mahabodhi temple

Various place of enlightenment

Mayabodhi temple view from pipal tree

One more depiction of Buddha

The process of enlightenment

One more interpretation of Buddha

Budha display in Mahabodhi temple

Rock Pigeon outside the Mahabodhi temple

Budha Vietnami temple

Budha display in Vietnami temple

Gandhi message in Vietnami temple

Japanese Buddha Temple in Bodh Gaya

Japan temple in Rajgir

Japan temple in Rajgir

Nalanda – ancient center of learning

Nalanda was a religious center of learning from the fifth century AD to 1197 AD. At its peak, the university attracted scholars and students from as far away as Tibet, China, Greece, and Persia.Nalanda was ransacked and destroyed by an army under Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1193.

A new university is coming up there and A P J Abdul Kalam is accepted the offer for guidance.  Enjoy some of the pictures, I have taken at my last trip.  In 2006, Singapore, China, India, Japan, and other nations, announced a proposed plan to restore and revive the ancient site as Nalanda International University.

 

A floor up – We can witness some of the class room designs

The main learning center building

Back view of the main study center

Study center will small classes

View of the oldest study center

University was spread in the area of 14 hectares

One more view of the spread

hostel area of the university

Vibrant market outside

 

Wiki depicted the old university: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/f/fe/Nalanda_layout_1b.JPG

Quiz competition at SRMAB

Last week, we had a quiz competition in SRMAB(Blind school located in J P Nagar), it was fun and loved the number of correct response made by kids.

1. Devanahalli : site of the new Bengaluru airport is the birthplace of ………… Tipu Sultan.
2. Highest rain fall in Karnataka …………Agumbe
3. The largest place in Karnataka where we do gold mining … Kolar (Kolar Gold Fields)
4. Lalbagh has been made by …………… HyderAli for Tipu sultan.

Discussing with team members

One of the teams

Tell the exact word: (R-5)

1. A country is rich in raw material, ore and service and want to give to another country. This process is called ………… export
2. a ball directly thrown about the weist height in cricket is ……… beamer
3. A book written by self about the life and lesson ……… autobiography
4. The closed area declared where animals/birds are free to live and die naturally … sanctuary

Pankhudian taking quiz

Question for Audience:

2009, the Karnataka Khadi Gramodyoga Samyukta Sangha was the sole manufacturer of the flag of india.

Know about person: (R-2)

1. This person is known as Human Computer – Shakuntala Devi
2. Which person is known as Missile Man of India – A P J Abdul Kalam
3. Who is known as “Father of Karnataka music”? Purandara Dasa
4. Gave India its first medal at the Paralympic Games after bagging a silver in the Men’s High Jump F42 1.74 m – Girisha Hosanagara Nagarajegowda from Karnataka.

Highest in India. (R-3)

1. Highest waterfall in India … jog falls.
2. Highest mountain peak in India …. K2.
3. Award, highest civilian – Bharat Ratna
4. Highest Gallantry award– Param Vir chakra

Internet and world (R-4)
1. biggest social networking site – FB
2. biggest video sharing site – Utube
3. biggest search site … google.
4. biggest reference/information site … wiki

Health Awarness: (R-6)

1. Blood is filtered by which organ – Kidney.
2. Why we add iodine in salt – thyroid problem and mental sickness.
3. How HIV affects the system – reduce the immune power and made the body weak.
4. Retinitis Pigmentosa (RP) Problem which generally cause mental problem and blindness is due to because genetic problem.

Make it large: (R-7)

SMS – Short Message Service
ATM _ Automated teller machine
BBMP stands for Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike
RBI – Reserve Bank of India

Mythology:

1. Yama, the god of death in Hinduism, uses what animal as his transport? Buffualo
2. In the epic Ramayana, which bird tried to prevent Ravana from carrying Sita away? – Jatayu
3. What is the name the vehicle of Ravana in which he could fly to any destination and which had unlimited seating capacity? – Pushpaka vimanam
4. In the epic, Ramayana, Rama asks Hanuman to fetch him a medicinal herb that grew in the Himalayas. What was its name? – Sanjeeveni Buti

Sports and Cricket:

1. Highest no. of 6 in his career – Afaridi
2. 1st Indian to win Olympic Gold medal in any individual event – Abhinav Bindra
3. Most 5 wicket in inning – Waqar
4. ODI highest total by which team – Srilanks 443 against Netherland.

Nandi Hills in the Monsoon’s

Nandi Hills in the Monsoon season is a treat to visit.
We drove there the previous weekend, and the weather made us feel like we were in Ooty.
The place is hardly an hour’s drive from Bangalore and definitely worth a visit over the weekend during this monsoon season.
You don’t have to spend a whole day there, may be 2 or 3 hrs, and you can be on your way back to Bangalore.
The place open for visitors in the morning at 6:00 AM and closes at 10:00 pm in the evening.
In case you reach earlier, you will be created with a queue. Not to worry, this lasts for hardly 10 mins, once the police checking is cleared you can reach the top of Nandi Hills in about 15 mins.
View of the traffic on your way to Nandi Hills.

Below are some pics from my visit.
There’s still lot more photos to share, but here the attempt is to give you a glimpse of what you can expect,if you visit during the monsoons.
Below there’s also a video after the photos.

Nandi Hills in the Monsoons

Below is a video of Nandi Hills during our visit.

Thippagondanahalli Reservoir – Down water level

T G Halli – Water level is going more down with time and there is no sign of rain in Bangalore. Most of the lakes are completely changed into grassland.

Some pictures to just enjoy birding.

Male Kestrel with its habitat

Oriental white ibis

Indian Spotted Eagle – A very different morph

Indian Roller

Male Kestrel

Ashy Crowned Sparrowlark – Female

Siberian Stonechat

About UID / ADHAAR and How to Get It

What is the difference between UID and Aadhar?

Both are same, UID project is known as AADHAAR which means ‘support’ or ‘foundation’.

What is Aadhar?

Aadhaar is a 12 digit individual identification number issued by the Unique Identification Authority of India on behalf of the Government of India. This number will serve as a proof of identity and address, anywhere in India. Any individual, irrespective of age and gender, who is a resident in India and satisfies the verification process laid down by the UIDAI can enroll for Aadhaar.

Each individual needs to enroll only once which is free of cost.

Each Aadhaar number will be unique to an individual and will remain valid for life. Aadhaar number will help you provide access to services like banking, mobile phone connections and other Govt and Non-Govt services in due course.

How to Apply for Aadhar?

If you want to get this UID (I am planning to apply for one, as I hear UID is being made mandatory for certain services like, gas connection, EPF etc.) then here’s what you need to do:

Aadhaar enrollment is free so you need not pay anyone for this. You need to go to one of the authorized Aadhaar enrollment center anywhere in India with your identity and address proof.

UIDAI process accepts 18 PoI (Proof of Identity) and 33 PoA (Proof of Address) documents and below is the list of nationally valid list of documents:

Supported PoI Documents Containing Name and Photo:

1. Passport
2. PAN Card
3. Ration/ PDS Photo Card
4. Voter ID
5. Driving License
6. Government Photo ID Cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU
7. NREGS Job Card
8. Photo ID issued by Recognized Educational Institution
9. Arms License
10. Photo Bank ATM Card
11. Photo Credit Card
12. Pensioner Photo Card
13. Freedom Fighter Photo Card
14. Kissan Photo Passbook
15. CGHS / ECHS Photo Card
16. Address Card having Name and Photo issued by Department of Posts
17. Certificate of Identify having photo issued by Gazetted Officer or Tehsildar on letterhead
18. Disability ID Card/handicapped medical certificate issued by the respective State/UT Governments/Administrations

Supported PoA Documents Containing Name and Address

1. Passport
2. Bank Statement/ Passbook
3. Post Office Account Statement/Passbook
4. Ration Card
5. Voter ID
6. Driving License
7. Government Photo ID cards/ service photo identity card issued by PSU
8. Electricity Bill (not older than 3 months)
9. Water bill (not older than 3 months)
10. Telephone Landline Bill (not older than 3 months)
11. Property Tax Receipt (not older than 3 months)
12. Credit Card Statement (not older than 3 months)
13. Insurance Policy
14. Signed Letter having Photo from Bank on letterhead
15. Signed Letter having Photo issued by registered Company on letterhead
16. Signed Letter having Photo issued by Recognized Educational Instruction on letterhead
17. NREGS Job Card
18. Arms License
19. Pensioner Card
20. Freedom Fighter Card
21. Kissan Passbook
22. CGHS / ECHS Card
23. Certificate of Address having photo issued by MP or MLA or Gazetted Officer or Tehsildar on letterhead
24. Certificate of Address issued by Village Panchayat head or its equivalent authority (for rural areas) Income Tax Assessment Order
25. Vehicle Registration Certificate
26. Registered Sale / Lease / Rent Agreement
27. Address Card having Photo issued by Department of Posts
28. Caste and Domicile Certificate having Photo issued by State Govt.
29. Disability ID Card/handicapped medical certificate issued by the respective State/UT
30. Governments/Administrations
31. Gas Connection Bill (not older than 3 months)
32. Passport of Spouse
33. Passport of Parents(in case of Minor)

Supported PoR Documents containing Relationship details to Head of Family

1. PDS Card
2. MNREGA Job Card
3. CGHS/State Government/ECHS/ESIC Medical card
4. Pension Card
5. Army Canteen Card
6. Passport
7. Birth Certificate issued by Registrar of Birth, Municipal Corporation and other notified local government bodies like Taluk, Tehsil etc.
8. Any other Central/State government issued family entitlement document.

Supported Proof of DoB Documents

1. Birth Certificate
2. SSLC Book/Certificate
3. Passport
4. Certificate of Date of Birth issued by Group A Gazetted Officer on letterhead

When you are going to apply for Aadhaar then make sure that you must have below stuff ready,
1.ID Proof (Your ID Proof can be Pan Card, Driving Licence, Passport etc).
2.Address Proof (It could be Telephone Bill, Electricity Bill etc).

Common proofs of identity and address are election photo ID card, Ration card, passport and driving license. Photo ID cards like PAN card and Govt ID cards are permissible for identity proof. Address proof documents also include water – electricity – telephone bills from the last three months.

In case you do not have above common proofs, Certificate of Identify having photo issued by Gazetted Officer/Tehsildar on letterhead is also accepted as PoI. Certificate of Address having photo issued by MP or MLA /Gazetted Officer/Tehsildar on letterhead or by Village Panchayat head or its equivalent authority (for rural areas) is accepted as valid PoA.

Where to apply for Aadhaar?

You need to go to one of the official Aadhaar enrollment center in India to get your Aadhaar number.

Use the link below to find out your nearest Aadhaar enrollment center details based on your location:
http://appointments.uidai.gov.in/easearch.aspx

At the enrollment center you need to fill the Aadhaar application form. At the center fingerprints, photograph and iris scan will be done to feed into database. A temporary slip with enrollment number will be provided as an acknowledgement.

Based on your documents your details will be verified and in case if all comes right an Aadhaar number will be send to your address.

Here you can look up the sample Aadhaar enrollment form:
http://uidai.gov.in/images/FrontPageUpdates/uid_download/enrolmentform.pdf

You can also download the enrollment form here

http://uidai.gov.in/download.html

Apply Online and get Appointment for Aadhaar Enrollment:

If you want you can apply online and take an appointment. Below is the link for online Appointment for Aadhaar enrollment at your nearest aadhaar enrollment center
http://appointments.uidai.gov.in/

Note: Online Booking of Appointment for Aadhaar Enrollments has been started on a trial basis at selected Enrollment Centers.

More details about this online Appointment for Aadhaar Enrollment please visit below link,
http://uidai.gov.in/images/FrontPageUpdates/press_note_25th_nov_v2_hq.pdf

How to Check your Aadhaar Enrollment Status
You can check the status of your Aadhaar enrollment online. To check your Aadhaar status, you need the enrollment number, date and time. You can find these details on the acknowledgement copy issued at the Aadhaar enrollment center.
https://portal.uidai.gov.in/ResidentPortal/statusLink

Hope you find this information useful and get your UID soon 🙂

Why is BMTC continuing with Marcopolo? Stop Marcopolo

I have never seen such a third class bus – Tata Marcopolo. Even local buses in my village are much better than these (in terms of emission / pollution).

The Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) is a government agency that operates the public transport bus service in Bangalore. According to a news dated 30th Jan 2013 in Times of India, BMTC has got 96 Tata Marcopolo buses in operation.

I have never been on these Marcopolo buses, but I have ridden behind these pathetic Marcopolo buses many a times. The amount of black smoke it releases can make your face black and can choke you to death. Even the loading trucks which more often than not runs on kerosine do not emit such smoke.

Its disgusting to even think how BMTC officials agreed to buy such buses. I feel like putting their face against the exhaust of Tata Marcopolo bus.

These buses not only cause nuisance from outside but they are no good inside as well. Do a quick serch and you will find people complaining about:

• The engine making a lot of noise and making the travel a “DEAFENING” experience
• The AC not working efficiently
• The back part of the bus getting heated up in spite of insulators.
• The doors not working properly
• The bus struggling to move up the slope
• Dust coming inside because of gaps in the door

I guess BMTC launched these buses in 2010 and while I am aware that Tata Marcopolo are half the price of Volvo, something which is not acceptable is the amount of pollution these buses do. BMTC would be better off running normal buses instead of plying Tata Marcopolo in non Volvo routes.

One Day trip to Lepakshi

If your feeling lazy on a Saturday or a Sunday, and suddenly get the urge to go on a Drive, Lepakshi fits the bill perfectly. Before I give the route details and all, a brief read up on Lepakshi would help boost your enthusiasm http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lepakshi Even if you start at 10:00 AM in the morning, you can visit lepakshi, and be back home by 6:00 in the evening. It is not stressful and is a ideal getaway for a 1 day trip. The route to Lepakshi is one of the easiest, once you hit Mekhri Circle, drive towards Devanahalli Airport, and continue until you reach Bagepalli, from there on continue, until clearly marked signs lead you to an exit on to country side roads. Drive another 15 KM’s until you reach Lepakshi. Roads are excellent, the stretch until the Doddabalpur exit is laden with traffic, beyond that you can comfortably cruise all the way till Lepakshi. There are 2 toll booths on the Route. In case you want to avoid Toll, you can drive through Dobbabalapur –> Gauribidanur –> Hindupur –> Lepakshi. Below are some pics from the drive and the Lepakshi temple. Note to hobbyist photographers, this place is absolutely beautiful, and you would love every minute of your visit. I took several photos, but in the interest of keeping things short, putting up only a few photos, also added a short video at the end. As usual feedback most welcome 🙂

Towards the Devanahalli Airport

Road to Lepakshi after you exit from the Highway.

Entrance to the Nandi Statue. This is the first place you visit, before going to the actual temple.

A Brief write up of the Nandi Statue

The stone statue of Nandi

Temple Entrance

Temple Entrance

Temple main hall ceiling

Around the temple

Around the temple

Around the temple.Love this photo. There’s lady enjoying herself clad in a Burqa. Love our Country 🙂

I took some videos as well, sharing them, wish I could have captured more.