The Rarest Silk

The silk we are all familiar with, is made from the cocoons of the silkworm Bombyx mori, which feeds on the leaves of the mulberry. But the rare silk called Muga silk of Assam, is made using the cocoons of the silkworm Anthera assamensis, which are endemic to Assam , in Northeast India. These cocoons feed on the leaves of the Som tree which is found in the forest of that state. The silk is a natural golden colour, which cannot be dyed or bleached.

We saw the handlooms of Muga silk in Sialkuchi, a small town in Assam, where the weavers weave intricate designs in the silk. You cn see the golden muga threads in the loom.

Wild Flowers of Hong Kong

I came across many wild flowers during my walks in the wooded parts of Hong Kong last month. Unfortunately, I do not know their names. The pink flower above grows in a shrub or small tree.
This ginger is seen in all parts of the Peak.
This bottle brush like flower was blooming on a tree.
This curious flower with elongated petals looked like a spider. It grows on a shrub.
The white daisies dotted the ground in many places.

I hope you enjoyed looking at these unusual wild flowers.

My thanks to Santilli, Denise, Pupo and Sandy Carlson for hosting Today's Flowers.

Weekend Reflections- Hong Kong

This is a busy shopping district in Hong Kong, with plenty of glass, chrome and polished surfaces. Can you count the reflections in the shop windows?

You can see reflections from all over the world at James' http://newtowndailyphoto.blogspot.com

Skywatch Friday - Pre Monsoon Sky

Pre-monsoon showers have started in South India, and the skies are now habitually grey. The bright, shocking pink blooms of the Coral vine Antigonon make a nice contrast with the gloomy sky. My thanks to the team of Skywatch Friday.

Watery Wednesday

The Umiam Lake near Shillong, India.

You can see more images of water at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com

Fishermen's Protector

On one of my walks in the non- touristy places of Hong Kong, I came across this temple to the goddess who protects the fishermen who venture out to the sea.
The sea goddess looks out towards the sea with a hand in a mudra of protection.

You can see pictures from all over the world at http://showyourworld.blogspot.com

Today's Flowers

Today's flowers are some of the flowers which are blooming in the wild in India. Unfortunately, I don't know the names of many of them.
The yellow flowers of the sedum were very attractive in the wilds of Meghalaya.
This clerodendrum is a common wild flower in the forests.
Oh, why did this Adenium come here?
The Aloe-leaf Cymbidium orchid is flowering in my garden as well as in the jungle.You can see flowers from all over the world at Today's Flowers.

Weekend Reflections- the Wild and the Tame

These tiny tortoises on the log are seen in the Kaziranga National Park in India. They coexist with other wild aquatic creatures like crocodiles and water snakes.
These huge turtles in a well in a Hong Kong Buddhist temple are growing bigger and bigger. They coexist with other tame aquatic creatures like the goldfish.

My thanks to James at Weekend Reflections for hosting his interesting meme.

The sky over Hong Kong was partially blue last fortnight.

To see skies from all over the world, please click on http://skyley.blogspot.com

Watery Wednesday

The yacht looked very inviting in the waters of Hong Kong.

My thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for hosting Watery Wednesday.

The Other Hong Kong

Besides the tall skyscrapers and Disneyland, Hong Kong has some remarkable ancient Buddhist temples and gardens. This is the temple of the Buddha Skanda at Diamond Hill.
The Chinese Garden adjacent to the Nunnery has a working water wheel.
Besides trees, flowers and bushes, Chinese gardens have curiously shaped rocks too.
A golden pagoda in the Chinese garden.
The trees and bushes are pruned to give them specific shapes like these.

Like the ancient Indian gardens, the Chinese gardens also consist of specific trees, bushes, lotus ponds, alcoves and winding paths. They relax the mind and induce a sense of harmony.

This is my contribution to My World which is hosted by Sylvia, Klaus, Sandy, Wren and the Fishing Guy.

Flowers of Hong Kong

People know of Hong Kong as a busy moders city and a flourishing commercial centre, but there is another, gentler face to Hong Kong. It is city of thick forests, heavily wooded country parks, natural water falls, forest trails, and lovely flowering trees and shrubs. I enjoyed my stay in Hong Kong, and the walks on its trails along hilly regions, flanked with flowering trees and shrubs. These are some of the cultivated flowers in various gardens. I shall be posting some of the wild flowers I found later.

Red heliconia in a Chinese garden.

Cassia trees laden with yellow flowers are to be seen along many roads.

Begonia never flowers so profusely in my garden.

Pink and orange Azelias were a common feature in most public gardens.

The bauhinia is the official flower of Hong Kong.

Signs

This sign is exhibited in the garden of Kalakshetra, in Guwahati, a museum of art and culture. Betel nut chewing is a general addiction in many parts of India.

This is my contribution to Signs meme.

Watery Wednesday 139

After two weeks in Hong Kong, I am back to blogging. This is a picture of a fishing boat in Hong Kong. My thanks to 2sweetnsaxy for her interesting meme. You can see pictures of water from all over the world at http://waterywednesday.blogspot.com