Lalbagh says it with flowers

On the eve of 157th  birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda Lalbagh paid a handsome tribute to the saint by organizing a flower show dedicated  to his life and times. With a generous dose of narratives  of Vivekananda ,statues,paintings and models- around 475 exhibits,  the 211th flower show at Botanical Garden is vivid and colorful.

The 1889 period Glass House is decked up with flowers- masses of Indian flowers, some international and some exotic. At the center of the Glass House stood Vivekananda Rock Memorial. It was beautifully replicated – rock memorial with a temple on top approximately with 3.2 lakh flowers-think roses, marigold,chrysanthemums …. Vivekananda Rock at Kanyakumari was where he meditated and spent three nights in 1892.

A wide variety of roses -Small ones,Kasi gulabi, the bigger multi colored ones from outskirts of the city are displayed. There is the unique Cymbidium orchids from Sikkim and the usual display of insectivorous plants ,the Nepenthes gracilis-the pitcher plant which was a big draw.

Just across this display,behind the rock memorial are life size models of Vivekananda in various phases-a student, a seeker, a a wondering and wandering monk etc..The seated statues of Guru Ramakrishna, Sarada Devi along with Vivekanand are also seen.

There is also a representation of Vivekananda in Chicago. His Chicago address with the words’ Sisters and Brothers of America’ after all has a special place in our hearts and so it did in the Glass House too. The speech was delivered on 11th September 1893 and won the hearts of many. The Chicago’s World Parliament of Religion has always been associated with the memory of Vivekananda thereafter. The Chicago model with white and yellow colors are created using nearly 1.5 lakh flowers. Chicago still remembers his wonderful speech- Greater Chicago has a 10 feet tall bronze statue of Vivekananda,Michigan Avenue is named as Swami Vivekananda Way.

There is some interesting information about Ramakrishna Math. The Math that came in to existence for spreading the sayings of Ramakrishna was founded by Swami Vivekananda. The emblem of this Math designed by Swami Vivekananda is significant. It has the symbol of lotus,swan in water,rising sun and a snake. In words of Vivekananda ,’ the wavy waters in the picture are symbolic of Karma,the lotus to Bhakthi or devotion and rising sun to Jnana.The encircling serpent is indicative of Yoga and awakened Kundalini ,while Swan stands for Paramatma or God .Therefore the ideal of the picture is that by the union of Karma, Jnana,Bhakthi and yoga the vision of God is obtained’

Vivekananda has a close connection with Bangalore and Mysore. He is said to have arrived in the city in 1892,stayed at Kalappa lodge in Majestic. He went to Mysore as a guest of Diwan Sheshadri Iyer and was also invited by Shri Chamaraja Wadiyar who was ready to sponsor the travel expenses of the Swami. But Vivekananda is said to have refused and told that he would take the money if required.

His quotes of work,worship,confidence ,integrity are all around inspiring the youth of India to arise and awake. Hearing his direct and harsh talk Chamaraja Wadiyar told him not to be so hard and direct lest he be poisoned. For this Swami Vivekananda is said to have replied ,’ An honest monk is not afraid to lose his life to speak the truth.If your son asks me about you in future ,then I cannot tell him the virtues that you do not possess.

This directness is reflected in all his sayings.

‘Strike the Iron while it is hot.Idleness won’t do . Throw overboard all idea of jealousy  and egotism once and for all.’

and his most famous saying, ‘Arise,Awake, stop not till the desired end is reached. Be not afraid for all great power throughout the history of mankind has been with the people.

Educative and Informative the Lalbagh flower show is quite engaging. Not just about Vivekananda there are other things worth checking out as well like the Ikebana,Thai art,Bonsai etc. There are also nursery plants on display from Karnataka,Tamil Nadu,Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. The show is on display till January 26.

 

 

A Tree Walk through NGMA

The world of trees is fascinating. A small glimpse of this was shown by Arun Kumar at NGMA,Bangalore.

NGMA the Manikyavelu Mansion of yesteryear’s has a wonderful set of trees in its premises.It boasts of both native and exotic varieties. We started the walk with a glimpse of Sandalwood tree ,native to India with its pale green and white leaves. Many know about this tree, but what one might not know is that it can turn out to be a parasitic tree sucking up nutrients from other nearby roots. However it is also capable of deriving its own food through photosynthesis. Arun mentioned that while planting the saplings,they are often teamed up with legume plants like toor dal for optimum growth.

The Kokum Tree was next,it is indigenous fruit tree found plenty in Western Ghats.It has earned a  GI tag especially the Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Karnataka. Then we were shown the Fish Tail Palm-a palm tree that grows to a height and so named because of the shape of its leaves. An interesting thing we learnt about this ,’ Once the lower rung of tree starts to flower the tree dies.In other words the flowering and fruiting process leads to death of plant.

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Cassias were plenty. The pink flowers of Javanica,yellow flowers of fistula were perhaps introduced by Krumbiegel as part of serial blossoming of city. The leaves we noted were pinnate with 12 pairs of leaves arranged on its axis.

The Fern Tree native to Western Ghats is often used in landscape.It has an interesting leaf arrangement. Leaves are pinnate and leaf spine has prominent leafy wings.

Ficus trees were plentiful. Arun shared a couple of characteristics common to ficus trees-the milky sap,the aerial roots found in many and unique pollination i.e dependent on wasp. The Peepal tree that we saw had a lot plants underneath -there were saplings of fern,rain tree,amrutha Bali-Tinospora cordifolia etc. This was courtesy of birds that came to eat the fruits. A surprising thing about most of the fig trees is the staggering fruit cycle that they follow. The city has number of ficus trees that are most often full of berry like fruits- a feast for birds.The fruiting of fig trees is quick thanks to wasp which is due to wasp’s short adult life ensuring a steady supply of fruit.

The Octopus tree with its compound leaves is a unique tree in the city. It has maroon colored flowers and grow outwards and perhaps the shape of them has inspired an alternative name to the tree-the umbrella tree.

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We also saw a Bhadraksh tree with fruits and seeds similar to Rudraksh tree but without any openings in its seeds. The African Tulip tree with its buttressed roots had grown quite tall. One reason-the nearby trees had overshadowed the Tulip and perhaps in search of sunlight it had grown tall. The buttressed trunk gave the necessary mechanical strength to the tree.

Next we met the False Asoka tree whose leaves when crushed gave a fruity smell. The fact that it belonged to Custard Apple family may have something to do with it. The tree is pollinated by bats and is an effective noise barrier.

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The Indian Coral Tree,the Wood Apple and Jungal Jalebi-Manila Tamarind were other interesting trees. The Mysore Clock Vine native to Mysore was also known as Doll’s Shoes due to its flower shape.

The walk that lasted for 1.5 hours was quite insightful. Coupled with the fact that we were on the premises of a 100 year old mansion that was in 3.5 acres of greenery and silence made it a delightful way of spending a Sunday morning.

208th Flower show at Lalbagh

This year on the eve of Independence day celebrations, Lalbagh’s  floral displays is paying tribute to Indian Armed forces and the Kannada Film Industry that has spent 85 glorious years in the State making memorable films.

The Glass House at Lalbagh is a splash of colors from both exotic and local flowers- Cockscomb, Celosia,Dahlia,Roses,Geranium etc to name a few.

Apart from the regular displays there is significant information about the Armed forces.

The display boards, the models of PSLV, fighter jets,missiles, aims to impress.

There are plenty of facts about the Army,Navy and the Air Force -the wars fought, the list of gallantry awards like Param Vir Chakra, Vir Chakra,Kirti Chakra, Asoka Chakra awarded to these men besides other details like names of Chiefs, of Field Marshal Kariappa and General Thimayya both of whom worked for British Indian Empire and were part of Rajput regiment and Kumaon regiments respectively.

Apart from this there are also displays of Film Industry like reel, cameras etc. The 45 ft long reel is said to have been prepared with 15,000 roses while the camera more than 7000.

The Flower Show is on till August 15. The tickets cost around 70 Rupees for adults while children get to see the displays for Rupees 20. There are quite a few stalls put up too that sell saplings, handcrafts. A small exhibition from the Horticultural department is quite useful showcasing the drip irrigation systems for farming.

If you would like to check out the Flower Show join us on our Heritage Walk.

–Usha

Of Poets and Nature

We were at Dove Cottage, Grasmere, one of the early homes of William Wordsworth, a poet known worldwide, amongst his other works, for ‘Daffodils’. The Keswick lake nearby was what inspired him to write the poem.

I had taken my parents, who love poetry and nature, to Lake District & the Dove Cottage tour of the famous man was on the list.

After the tour of the cottage, my father’s first reaction was that while there were many who visit this place, not many know the birthplace of Kuvempu, a brilliant 20th century poet back home who lived in a equally picturesque place in the Western Ghats.

A time when English was taught in all public schools, he became a Kannada Poet (ironically advised by an Irish poet to write in his native language). He was awarded the country’s highest literary honour, Jnanpith Award for his magnum opus ‘Ramayana Darshanam’ – a poetic version of Ramayana. Through his creativity, one gets to know the native language’s depth and vastness.

His poems strike a chord in our hearts and are part of every school child’s text book. His home in Tirthahalli is one of the most scenic places in Western Ghats.

However back then, I was taken aback by the remark, as I had never thought of it or visited the place. Years later, we made a point of visiting Puttalli, his hometown, where the huge ancestral home stands and is now converted into a museum.

Nature brings out the best in man I guess, as I have never seen such a perfect setting. His home is the land’s end, beyond which the forest tales over. A bus driver nearby told me that peacocks come out in the evenings on the street, especially when the visitors are gone.

His home looks like a work of art. The laid back home offset with a huge garden is picturesque. The house has slanted tiled roof and is built in the traditional style with rooms all around and an open centre with a pit that drains the rain water. The kitchen looks like a century old with traditional pots (madike) & copper utensils (patre) some of which have disappeared from our modern kitchen homes.

What I liked most however was the poems sung as songs as we entered the gallery that showcases his works. Poems like ‘O nanna chetana agu nee aniketana’ (O my soul, roam free, untethered) and ‘Bagilolu Kai Mugidu, Olage baa Yatrikane’ (Salute the home and come inside traveller), there were many others that were lovely to hear for the first time.

Clutching a few of his books that I bought there, I walked out hoping to get a glimpse of the shy peacocks on the street.

For those who cannot visit his home at Western Ghats, the flower show at Lalbagh, has his home as the theme this time.

-Poornima Dasharathi

(featured image by: manojsaldana.blogspot.com)