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As I stand near a Mahua tree one early morning, the sweet but heady fragrance of its flowers assail my olfactory senses. It is intoxicating. A carpet of soft white pebbles spread before me and as an April sun slowly rises on the eastern horizon, it leaves a sun-dappled tapestry on the ground, a sightContinue reading “Mahua O Mahua!”

The long and majestic driveway to the colonial bungalow of my son, which is my temporary abode these days, fascinates and charms me no end. Lodged for long hours in the front open verandah of this opulent house, it never tires me to behold this Asoka lined wooded passage.  On a late April afternoon, asContinue reading “Falling Leaves From Asoka”

Part II NISAR (NASA-ISRO SAR Mission) One shining example of this collaboration is NISAR – NASA-ISRO SAR Mission. This joint Synthetic Aperture Radar mission between the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) aims at launching a dual-frequency synthetic aperture radar satellite for Earth observation.  Satellite Aperture Radar(SAR) SyntheticContinue reading “NISAR – Synergising  Technological Excellence and Diplomatic Heft”

Part I On March 26, 2023 ISRO, India’s Space Research Organisation, launched a clutch of 32 satellites through one Satellite Launch vehicle(SLV), firmly establishing once again, her capabilities and credentials in the sphere of space technology. Most of these satellites were of other countries. That brings into sharper focus the rationale and reward for usingContinue reading “NISAR – Synergising  Technological Excellence and Diplomatic Heft”

“The blood-red gleam of nonpareil Amidst thy glare is hid so well That none can know ‘tis bowered there With scarlet flash of tanager;— Nor,—faraway, in heat of day—— A crimson stain against the green—“ Arguably one of the most beautiful and attractive arboreal inflorescences in the world; and decidedly so in tropical countries, fewContinue reading “Gulmohar – The Resplendence And Glory of Fire”

Introduction A swathe of sylvan magnificence, the heavily wooded official residence of the Superintendent of Police (SP), Chhindwara, is lent unique majesty by the sheer number and variety of trees that embellish the property. A simple walk in its groves is an indulgence in the lap of nature, making one oblivious to the dust andContinue reading “The Fragrance of Divinity”

The Friday before Easter, the day Jesus Christ was resurrected, commemorates His Crucifixion. It is a day of sorrow, penance, and fasting. It is as the Germans would like to put, a ‘Karfreitag’ (Sorrowful Friday). But it is also a day of anticipation, an affirmation of hope and faith, of beliefs and convictions. Because, theContinue reading “Easter”

The residence of the Superintendent of Police, Chhindwara is a sprawling house spread over nearly seven acres. Heavily wooded, this colonial construction has been the official residence of the SP for nearly a century. Constructed some time in the early 1900s, it has seen expansions and embellishments by successive SPs, but the essential character ofContinue reading “The Tree-Pie, the Oriole and the Flycatcher”

Ramnavami, the birth celebration of Lord Rama, is an appropriate occasion to examine our faith and beliefs, shaped by our religion, its tenets and philosophy. It is indeed imperative because the times and the context have undergone a complete transformation. The best way to do so is to understand the life and legacy of theContinue reading “Ramnavami”

Almost three score years ago sometime in October of 1964, on one wet and cold evening, a group of 60 young boys between ages 10 and 12, landed at a little known and secluded hill station. Thus began their sojourn at a place that was to be their cradle and playground, the crucible and theContinue reading “An Uncommon Friendship”