The Colour of Joy

Nature is a constant reminder of all that is beautiful in this world. And Spring is, perhaps, the best time to revel in its myriad hues.

I have always been enchanted by nature. Flowers, especially. In almost all my childhood pictures, I see a precious bunch of wildflowers clutched in my hand or fragrant jasmines adorning my hair. Now, years later, I prefer to claim them by simply photographing them.

Older now, I yearn to travel to places where flowers grow in abundance. Like the Lavender routes in Provence, the woodlands in England, and Sunflower fields in Tuscany. The seas of Tulips in Holland, the rolling hills of Baby Blue-Eyes in Japan, the flower-filled streets in Spello, and the endless meadows of alpine flowers blanketing the Himalayan valleys and closer home, the  Kas Plateau. However, life and routine intervene, postponing dreams to a distant someday.

Maybe I'll visit some of these places in the coming years - and that's a lovely thought to hold on to - but life carries most meaning in the here and now. Which is why, on a whim this morning, I packed my camera and lenses and took a leisurely walk inside my apartment complex.

It was a crisp spring morning and I stopped to click pictures of the flowers I hurry past everyday, without a second glance. These aren't the exotic blooms of my wishlist, painted in the vibrant colours of my dreams; they're ordinary blossoms on an ordinary day, alluring, yet lacking the magic of distant, foreign lands. But they're charming in their own way, affording a sense of joy and harmony to those who take the time to stop, look and appreciate nature's bountiful gifts.

Maybe there's a message in all this somewhere. Perhaps nature itself shows us that the happiness we seek is right here, around us...within us. Not in a different place, a different time, or contingent on a different person. And that although some joys may be stored in the future, happiness tastes best when experienced in the present.

Maybe all we need to do is to look with fresh perspectives, make the most of this moment in time, and focus on the things that brings us a measure of peace in this complicated, hasty world.

Pashan Lake

An unexpected mid-week holiday was the perfect excuse for wiping the dust off my camera and taking it along with me on a short drive to Pashan Lake. We left home at 6.30am and raced the sun as it made its hurried ascent from behind the hills. Driving south along the Bombay-Bangalore Bypass, we reached the lake in less than 15 minutes. The sunrise looked twice as beautiful when viewed from across the tranquil lake waters.

Much has changed since we last visited the lake in 2002. There were vast, open spaces around the lake then, with literally thousands of birds dotting the sky. Now, there's unsightly human habitation instead. It's no wonder then, that the lake water has deteriorated and the number of birds has drastically decreased, since.

We walked along the lakeside until we arrived at a more swampy section that was half invaded by Pistia, a water weed that poses a very real threat to the delicate balance of the lake ecosystem. 

This was also where we found the birds.

 

There seemed to be a majority of Cormorants. Some were perched on skeletal trees on a tiny island in the centre of the lake, while others deftly cut through the lake waters, diving under occasionally for a snack.

 

Large Egrets and Little Egrets went about minding their own business while Pond Herons lazily waded in the shallow waters, effectively camouflaged against the leafy background.

The Painted Storks were few, and far away, and didn't venture close to the water's edge, where a bunch of birders stood, waiting eagerly with their cameras.

A small nature trail runs a short distance alongside the lake, and a narrow bridge curves over a runaway arm of the lake that extends to the foot of the bypass.

 

From the road, you can't quite picture the beauty and serenity of Pashan Lake, but take some time off and drive down that broken road that leads to it, and you'll discover moments that stay with you for a long time to come.