Ulsoor Lake

Halasuru Lake one of the biggest lakes in Bangalore, is located on the eastern side of the city. It derives its name from the name of the locality it is situated, namely, Ulsoor, close to M G Road, Bangalore. It is spread over 50 ha (123.6 acres)) and has several islands. Even though the lake is dated to Kempegowdas’ time, the present lake was created by Sir Lewin Bentham Bowring, the then Commissioner of Bangalore.

These snaps I have clicked on 25th January 2009

The village of Halasuru is said to have been gifted to Kempe Gowda I (1513–1569), the founder of Bangalore, by the Vijayanagar emperors. The Ulsoor Lake was built by his successor, Kempe Gowda II, and is the only surviving tank built by the Gowda kings in Bangalore. The first British military station was set up in Halasuru in 1807

There used to be a jackfruit orchard near the Ulsoor Lake, and the Kannada name for jackfruit being ‘Halasina Hannu’ the area came to be known as Halasuru. During the British rule, the name was anglicised to 'Ulsoor', but in 2004, the neighbourhood was officially renamed 'Halasuru'.

Lal Bagh

These snaps I have clicked on 23rd January 2009 a Flower show day
Lal Bagh is a well known botanical garden in Bangalore, India The garden was commissioned by the ruler of Mysore, Hyder Ali. It has a famous glass house which hosts yearly flower show. It also has an aquarium and a lake, and is one of the tourist attractions in Bangalore.

Lal Bagh is a 240 acre (971,000 sq.m. - almost 1 km².) garden and is located in south Bangalore. It holds a number of flower shows, especially on the Republic Day (26th January). The garden has over 1,000 species of flora. The garden also has trees that are over 100 years old.

The garden surrounds one of the towers erected by the founder of Bangalore, Kempe Gowda. The park has some rare species of plants brought from Persia, Afghanistan and France. With an intricate watering system for irrigation, this garden is aesthetically designed, with lawns, flowerbeds, lotus pools and fountains. Most of the centuries old trees are labeled for easy identification. The Lal Bagh Rock, one of the oldest rock formations on earth, dating back to 3000 million years, is another attraction that brings the crowds.

The Lal Bagh Gardens are based on the design of the Mughal Gardens that once stood at Sira, at a distance of 120 km from Bengaluru on the main NH4 at Tumkur District in Karnataka. This is amply supported by ASI (Archaeological Survey of India) and other historical records. At that time, Sira was the head-quarters of the strategically important southernmost Mughal "suba" (province) of the Deccan before the British Raj.

Lal Bagh remains open daily from 6.00 a.m. to 7.00 p.m. throughout the year. For the benefit of joggers, tourists and fitness enthusiasts, entry is free from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. At other times, a fee of Rs.10/- is charged. Entry for school children and the disabled is free all day

Flower shows are conducted every year to educate people about the variety of flora and develop public interest in plant conservation and cultivation.

Cocoa

These snaps I have clicked near to my sweet home, Wayanad, Kerala, on 2nd Feb 2009

The word "cocoa" is derivative of "cacao". "Cocoa" can often also refer to the drink commonly known as hot chocolate; to cocoa powder, the dry powder made by grinding cocoa seeds and removing the cocoa butter from the dark, bitter cocoa solids; or to a mixture of cocoa powder and cocoa butter
The cacao tree is native to the Americas. It may have originated in the foothills of the Andes in the Amazon and Orinoco basins of South America where today, examples of wild cacao still can be found. However, it may have had a larger range in the past, evidence for which may be obscured because of its cultivation in these areas long before, as well as after, the Spanish arrived. It was first cultivated by the Olmecs at least 1500 BC in Central America.

Immature cocoa pods have a variety of colors, but most often are green, red, or purple, and as they mature their color tends towards yellow or orange, particularly in their creases. The pods on a tree do not ripen together; harvesting needs to be done periodically through the year. The ripe and near-ripe pods, as judged by their color, are harvested from the trunk and branches of the cocoa tree with a curved knife on a long pole. Care must be used when cutting the stem of the pod to avoid injuring the junction of the stem with the tree, as this is where future flowers and pods will emerge. The pods (or the seeds extracted from them) are transported to the fermentation area on the plantation.

Hope this helps you to know about Cocoa fruit and its role in yummy chocolates

Mahe River

Mahe River is also known as Mayyazhipuzha, is a river in South India. It flows through the state of Kerala and the coastal exclave of Mahe in Pondicherry. Mahe a small town surrounded on all sides by Kerala and is officially a part of Puducherry (Pondicherry). The official name of Mahe is Mayyazhi in the local Malayalam language. The original name of Mahe, Mayyazhi, means "eyebrow of the sea". The Kannur District surrounds Mahe on three sides. Formerly a French colony, Mahe now forms a municipality in Mahe district of the Union Territory of Puducherry (based on the east coast).
This photo I have taken on 21st March 2009, on the way to Thalasseri

Sundown

Bangalore: These snaps I have clicked on 13th December 2008 between 17:28 and 17:45 from Lingarajapuram, Bangalore. It was on a fine Saturday evening. I just thought of clicking sunset, but I was not sure that it will be success with my small Sony digital camera (H10).

The night has a thousand eyes,
And the day but one;
Yet the light of the bright world dies with the dying sun. Francis William Bourdillion.

Sunset or sundown is the daily disappearance of the Sun below the horizon in the west as a result of Earth's rotation