Today's Flowers

 The Snake Jsmine bush in my garden is now full of these little flowers.

 I was thrilled to see this golden Calla lily with the maroon centre in flower. I had brought the bulb from my trip to Ooty two months ago. I hope it will flower next season too!

My neighbour's Bignonia venusta has climbed on to my tree and getting ready to be filled with flowers in the new year.
Thanks for your visit. You can see what else is flowering now around the world at Today's Flowers.

ABC Wednesday/ V for Violet

 Vinca major is very sought after by traditional healers.

 The violet flowers of the King's Mantle.

 Wildflowers sometimes come in beautiful shades of violet like the Commelina above and the Water Hyacinth below.

 Thanks for the very interesting ABC Wednesday started by Mrs.Nesbitt and continued by a valiant team led by Roger.

Today's Flowers

 Colancho flowers look like little hanging lanterns.

 Jatropha has bright red flowers.

The tiny flowers of the Antigonon are shocking pink.
These are some of the flowers blooming now in my garden.
You can see what is blooming all over the world at Today's Flowers.

A Walk in the Sun

 Last Sunday, we went for a 17 kilometer walk from Tumkur to Devarayandurga, a village on the hills.

 Some of the trees had already got the red new leaves of spring.

 A villager was sunning himself near his marigold plot. There were also fields of beans and other vegetables along the way.

 Soon we left behind the villages and entered the forest.

 The forest contains bears, monkeys , foxws and other wild animals, but we saw only monkeys.

You can view some lovely pictures of our world here.http://ourworldtuesdaymeme.blogspot.com

Today's Flower- Camellia

Camellia has bloomed for the first time in my garden!

Mangrove Forests

 Last month, I had an opportunity of visiting a mangrove forest in an island in Goa.  To visit the wild life snctuary located in the forest, we had to cross the river in a ferry.

 The mangrove trees grow with their roots in water , in a swampy, waterlogged place.  The mangroves are host to a rich and diverse wildlife. The Salim Ali Wildlife sanctuaru hosts Fiddler crabs, various fish, crocodiles, and birds.

 A mangrove flower.

 Dense forest covers the island.

There is a pathway buttressed by stone slabs, which you can take to view the forest and its dwellers at close hand.
Swamps and mangrove forests are essential to the survival of life on the planet. But they are all under immense pressure from the expanding cities.
I am linking to Michelle's Nature Notes at Rambling Woods.

ABC/T

 The Thistle has beautiful flowers.

 Turtles in a Chinese Temple.

The Train to  Tuticorin passes through Tea gardens.

The Two Thousand year old Temple has many Tourists thronging to see it.
Thanking Mrs.Nesbitt and Roger for their ABC Wednesday.

Peace and Quiet

When I saw this cottage on the Mandove river in Goa, I thought how lucky the people who lived there were. Far from the bustle of city life, it looked very peaceful and serene.
I thank the team of Our World Tuesday, where one can see pictures and red about little known aspects of our world.

Today's Flowers

This peach coloured waterlily is blooming today in my frog pond.
To view what is flowering all over the world, click on Today's Flowers.

S for Skeletons

 Paper skeletons are looking out into the school playground.

 S for Signboard, which warns people about the crocodiles in the lke

 S for storks who bring good news.

Mrs.Nesbitt started the stimulating ABC Wednesday , and Michelle started the scintillating Rambling Woods. My thanks to both of them.

Our World Today- Churches of Goa

The churches and cathedrals of Goa are famous for their architectural intricacy as well as beauty.

 The Se Cathedral in Old Goa is dedicated to St. Catherine.

 The most famous of all churches in Goa is the Basilica Bom Jesus. Built in 1605, it houses the sacred relics of St.Francis. People of all faiths visit it .
The Reis Magos Church was built in 1555 .There is a historical ort at the back of this church.

You can see more pictures of our world here.. I thank the team of Our World Tuesday for hosting this meme.

Today's Flowers from Goa

 I saw some unusual flowers in Goa last week, one of which is this Passion flower in four colours.

My sister's garden had an exotic Bat Flower blooming, complete with white whiskers.

I saw this on a mangrove tree in an island . I am not sure whether it is a flower or a fruit.
You can see lots of beautiful flowers at Today's Flowers.

ABC Wednesday/R

 I have just returned from a wonderful trip to Goa during Diwali, our Festival of Lights. The Goans celebrate Diwali in a unique way, by making an effigy of the Rakshas (demon) Narakasur with paper and straw. They fill it with fire crackers and at the dawn of Diwali, they set fire to the Rakshas, making a lot of sound and fireworks. The custom is based on the mythological story of the evil Rakshas killed by Krishna.

 We visited a bird sanctuary in an island in the river Mandovi, which is the favourite place for visiting Pintail ducks and other birds. The swampy island was full of mangrove trees Rhizophora mucronata.

 We also visited the Reis Magos church built in 1555 by the Fransiscan Friars, over a ruined Hindu temple. The Feast of the Three Wise Men is celebrated here with great pomp in January every year.

Thanking Mrs.Nesbitt and Roger, I link to ABC Wednesday where you can see what R means to others.
I enjoy reading Michelle's Nature Notes at Rambling Woods, and I think you will too.

ABC- Q

My quest for the Q words this week took me far. The Quesnelia bromeliad with its aQuamarine flowers were quite close, but....

 the porcupine Quill , and the

 Queen bee in the hive were not.

 In Quillon city, the pergolas are quite heavy with Quisqualis blooms.

Thanking Mrs.Nesbitt and Roger of ABC Wednesday, I would like to thank Michelle of Nature Notes@ Rambling Woods for her quintessentially marvellous meme.