Finding India in America

Most Americans don't have a great opinion about India, but then wherever I travel in the United States I see evidence of India. For example in Texas deer hunting is very popular, the animals that are so fondly hunted were introduced here from India. The cattle that Americans like to eat so much are also products of India, which have been hybridized and bred to produce more meat.

I recently found another Indian influence on American soil. At the Lake Ray Roberts one of the predominant species of grass is the "Indian Grass". Here are some pictures of the signage that I saw:

The Great American Denial!

I hate to sound like a broken gramophone stuck on the same notch but whenever I see this kind of gross ignorance, injustice, and humiliation of my people and country I go back into the same mode.

Yes I am talking about the fact that even after several hundred years Euro-Americans continue to spread the myth that the Native American Tribes are "Indians" and we the people from India are "East Indians" or "Asian Indians". I want to go up to each one of them and scream into their ears that there is only one India, and only the citizens of that country are have the right on the ethnic identity label "Indians". The rest are simply mistakes of Christopher Columbus and the rest of his ilk.

I visited Mineral Wells today and found these things highly disturbing.

They have found God but not the correct name - "Native American Creek" or "Cherokee Creek" or Choctaw Creek or Pueblo Creek or whatever....

They have made money enough to create a mega ranch... but not enough to learn who the Real "Indians" are...

Rural Roads in Texas

When I was in India and new in America I was under the impression that all roads in this country are fantastically paved super highways built so vehicles can whizz past hundreds of miles in a matter of hours. While this is largely true there are some roads that are not too different from Indian roads.


Case in point is the rural roads in Texas that I just drove past today in a bid to reach the Mineral Wells Fossil Park. This road known as "Indian Creek Road" is quite a mess, there is no trace/ sign of asphalt, it is mud and rock all the way the minute one turns off the highway and passes the Indian Creek Cemetery. It seems as if after the cemetery the road construction is also dead.


Here are some pictures :-

The Great American Mistake - continues to be celebrated

Vietnam War Memorial near Mineral Wells, TX - II

Continuing my post about the Vietnam Museum near Mineral Wells, TX I would like to present some more pictures of the place. This place is located on a fairly large parcel of land on the highway. The impressive feature is that this land was donated by four individuals towards building this museum/ memorial. Then there are others who have donated in various capacities to create the verdant and peaceful place that it is. There is a nice flower garden with a Gazebo in the center, military vehicles of the Vietnam war era are on display on one side of the property. This museum is still under construction and as such it is not fully operational. Even for a project under creation it is totally visitable.


Here are more pictures of the project.

The wall in which names of martyrs are etched.

Soldiers Cross - sculpture

The Gazebo amidst flower garden

Powerful message - if only Indians were to understand this message

Americans Copy Too!

It is well known that many Hindi movie directors copy scenes, plots & story lines from English movies. It happens vice versa also... Here is a classic example of how Texas Rice producers are trying to portray their produce as superior by incorporating half the name of Indian breed of rice. The picture of produce in one of the leading stores in America.

A breath of Fresh Air in Abu Dhabi

I visited United Arab Emirates (UAE) few years ago and was awe struck by the number of green spaces there. The oil-rich nation has invested in beautifying their country by importing everything including dirt and mud and until recently even fresh drinking water was being imported. Every city has several parks and green spaces for the residents to visit and enjoy the outdoors amidst greenery and beauty of nature. The landscape of the entire country is nothing but endless expanses of desert sands in order to create better cities and invite people from across the world to come and live there the government has created these green spaces.

On the contrary in Indian cities which are blessed by nature with fertile soil and abundant water resources all the parks and gardens are being usurped by greedy real estate sharks and being converted into tall concrete high rise buildings. Of course the water resources in the form of ponds, tanks, lakes, and streams have been filled up with mud and now there are homes, offices, shops and other concrete buildings. It is rightly said, those who have the interest in having green spaces don't have the necessary environment and those who have don't have an intention to create green spaces.

Happy Kannada Rajyotsava 2011

Image via WikipediaI am from Karnataka the most beautiful state in India. The southern state offers everything for the visitor or the resident or the immigrant. It is home for lush green forests, towering wooded hills of the western ghats, rocky boulders, amazingly beautiful sculptures and art, and the best of all the most wonderful and accommodating people. Today the state celebrates its formation day and naturally I am pleased.

I wish I were back home in Bengaluru to celebrate the Rajyotsava in the homeland. But then I remember the state, its people, culture and most importantly the beautiful Kannada language, which has been ignored by the native speakers themselves. I have come across several Kannadigas who prefer to speak in English rather than their mother tongue. Anyway this post is not about that.

Wish you all a Happy Kannada Rajyotsava 2011.

Wlson Creek Park and Trail, McKinney, Texas

McKinney, TX is the city where I live. It is a small town sited around the highways US-75, which is by far the busiest road in the area. Like the city claims this place is definitely full of parks, natural landmarks and other open spaces for the residents entertainment and recreation. I went for a walk to Wilson Creek Trail earlier this evening and here are some pictures of the park and trail. I am impressed by the fact that less than half a mile from the highway there exists such a uniquely beautiful green space for the enjoyment of all. When I lived in India I would rue the fact that there are no green spaces in the city and those that are there outside are fast being encroached by land mafia and greedy farmers. I wish Indian establishment and people thought more about preserving green spaces.

Golden Gate Bridge, San Franscisco

I visited San Franscisco, California few years ago. This was my first experience of traveling alone in the US. I took a local train from San Jose to San Francisco, then took buses from the train station to see the sights of the city. The most famous landmark in San Franscisco is the Golden Gate Bridge, an architectural marvel, and perhaps one of the few such bridges in the whole world. Both the federal and state government is so considerate for people's travel interests that they have created a pedestrian lane in the Bridege using which people walk, bicycle, roller blade across the bridge. Now this of course helps the government achieve the full commercial potential of this landmark. I wish Indian governments taught in this way and attracted more tourists to our wonderful landmarks.

Generation Gap

I captured this picture during my travels in rural Karnataka. I visited a small tomb shrine of Siddis and came across this mendicant with a young visitor. The lifestyle and age of these two men are widely different and they clearly belong to different worlds, but the shrine brings them together and makes them stand shoulder to shoulder. I believe this kind of phenomenon where tradition meets modernity can happen only in India.

Happy Gowri-Ganesha Festival

Image via WikipediaToday is Ganesha Chathurthi, a festival during which Hindus across the world pray to Lord Ganesha the lord of wisdom, knowledge, and learning. Like all other Hindu festivals this was also a very closed door family event till the time of Bal Gangadhar Tilak. He thought that one way to unite the fragmented Hindu community was by bringing these festivals to the open. He initiated performance of Ganesha festivals in public in Maharashtra. Over time it has become a national phenomenon.

In India, especially in the states of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, the Ganesha festival is celebrated on a very grand scale. Every street has its own Ganesh Pandal (tent) and everyone in the community get together to celebrate the event and pray to the lord for wisdom, learning and removal of obstacles in their path to success.

Unfortunately this kind of public festivities are not possible in America. So Hindus get together at homes or in the temple and celebrate the event.

Varied Vistas of India

I have been in India for the past 15 days. Based out of Bengaluru I have traveled to Anand and Ahmedabad in Gujarat. I have not been able to go anywhere else due to laziness, depression, and a small injury that resulted from a motorcycle crash. I do hope to travel around and post some pictures of vibrant, noisy, and chaotic India soon. Then of course the other India which is calm, serene, green and nature friendly, a part of the country that I am just not destined to enjoy despite having ownership of a small piece of such land.

Anyway I have made my choices and I currently live in the US, and once I complete my education which will make me employable in the advanced knowledge society of the world's richest nation, I will be a productive citizen of that country.

Happy Ugadi 2011

Wishing one and all a very happy Hindu new year.

Vistas of Sherman, Texas

Sherman is a small town far north of Dallas. Strictly not a part of the DFW Metro area but it is not surprising to see people from Sherman working in Dallas and commuting everyday. I was driving past Sherman and since I was passing through downtown area of this nondescript city I just captured some of the imposing positive images to present on my blog.

When foreigners come to India they don't want to capture images of opulence, such as the swank malls in Bengaluru, or Mumbai but they want to go to the slums, find poor people and take these images. I guess this will give them an ego boost that they are better than us. But we Indians in America don't do that, we would take pictures of things that praise our adopted residence.

Republic Day 2011

Another year and another Republic Day and India has been a republic for 61 years. In my lifetime this is the third year that I am not spending this momentous occasion in India. I am glad that I remembered that and was glad that my parents back home in India made some village kids aware of this occasion by distributing sweets at the school flag hoisting ceremony.

Sitting here, in Dallas, Texas the most I can do is to remember!!!

Makar Sankranti Wishes to one and all....

Best wishes and happiness on the auspicious of Makar Sankranti.
A festival that has been celebrated worldwide since the past 6000 years.
From the Mayans in South America to Hindus in India
Sankranti has marked the beginning of the northward movement of the Sun.

On this auspicious day let us pledge to move north
to achieve lasting peace, prosperity and happiness for everyone on earth.
A goal that has been espoused by everyone
but seems elusive with every day gone...

Let us look forward and move northward
today and everyday from now and
maybe in the next 6000 years we may achieve
the dream and goal of global peace

Nine days after return.....

It has been nine days since I returned from my trip to my home town, Bangalore now known as Bengaluru in India, and I am yet to get back into the grind and start shooting pictures to share here. My arrival in the US is quite the same as 30 months ago when I first landed here, but for the fact that there is a little bit familiarity of the surroundings.

The first day I tried to drive a car my left hand instinctively reached for the gear lever to shift gears, only when I hit the door did I realize that I am in America and that the gear lever is towards the right. Moreover there is no need to change gears here the car is automatic (thankfully :P). Try as I may I still sometimes wonder whether I am driving on the correct side of the road when I see a rapidly approaching vehicle.....

I think I will get used to it in a few more days... hopefully I should shooting images soon and posting them online.

Back in Big D

Well... I am back to DFW area... I guess some of the blog readers are possibly disappointed that I didn't stay back in Bengaluru. Well, this is my adopted home and country, so I guess I am here for good. I work hard, pay my taxes and hence have earned the privilege of living in the US. That doesn't mean that I will stop loving my native country.. India.

It is like one doesn't have to stop loving one's parents the moment they get married. Similarly I would say that USA is my married home while India is my maternal home and I am glad that the latter is developing and will hopefully one day become a first-world nation.

Views of Mysore and Nanjangud

I recently had the opportunity to visit the ancient Nanjundeswara temple at Nanjangud, Karnataka, India. The temple was undergoing renovation and hence looks a little odd, with newly painted upper part and ramshackle lower portion. Nevertheless the temple presents an impressive vista and evokes devotion and respect from the devout visitors.

Mysore city Road

Street scene in downtown Mysore

View of the Entrance to Nanjangud temple

A view of the pillars that support the entrance to the Nanjangud temple

Attractive temple frescoes

Sculptures inside the temple

Newly renovated and beautified roads of Bengaluru

Everyone across the world is familiar with traffic snarls and congestion in Bengaluru aka Bangalore. It is a common crib I hear pretty much from whomever I meet wherever in the world. The hard work done by Bengaluru's city corporation is not highlighted even to the tiniest extent. Bengaluru's roads are much better than when I left the city to move to the US over 30 months ago. Traffic has increased but it moves faster and smoother no doubt. Roads are wider and have lesser potholes... there are few roads that need repairs badly, but these repairs have not been done mainly because of the infrastructure development works that are being done...