Golden moments with the Gulmohars

Mobile phone camera is not an extension of our eyes (sometimes it’s good not to go with Marshall McLuhan J )This is what I wanted to tell myself by resisting to take pictures of the flamboyant and grand Gulmohars as I passed through the green avenues and verdant expanses in Bengaluru. Instead, I consciously savoured every luxuriant sight and tried to frame them in my memory, overcoming the itch with a new Sony Xperia in my hand.

And this memory instantly connected me with a painting of Gulmohar that I did as a school kid and lots of lovely memories of the Gulmohar trees near my house when we lived on the CIEFL/EFLU campus and of course, the then green environs of Osmania University. Gushing Gulmohars have always been my favourites when as kids we used to play under the trees in the park or the road-side or collect the fallen flowers after a heavy storm or rain. They are perfect companions for summer along with Jacarandas and Copperpods, as they add so much colour and life with their regal splendour in the otherwise dry and arid landscape.

These passion-filled midsummer wonders have so much to tell. Look at the way they proudly stand out in the graceful green background with shades of scarlett, vermillion and red.

• Don’t they remind us of how brilliance scores over everything else in whatever we do
• The flowers are delicate and short lived – they can be easily brought down even by an unassuming summer shower. But the moment they wither, they delightfully deck up the ground with petals strewn all over, forming a tapestry of colours – deep, bright, cheerful and vibrant.  
• And what about the way they flame up the surroundings? This is so much like being a confident go-getter by making our presence felt 
• Most important, Gulmohars blossom for a short while; they are seasonal but they make the most of it through their royal, stately and impactful presence!

The tropical magic of Gulmohars is so much like what rows of colourful Tulips do in cold climes, right!

It was a mid-week Bengaluru visit, work-related, short and hectic. Travelling absolutely unplanned has it own anxitement. The relaxing views of floral delights helped me overcome some stressful moments and crazily unorganized work schedule that I was drafting for myself. Nature is always inspirational and absolutely magnificent!
If it wasn't for the zeal and zing of Gulmohars, my visit wouldn't have been so memorable! 

Escaping into the cloudscapes

When the skies refuse to remain blue

And when the sun refuses to get shrouded

When the amber simply pierces through

When the greys mix with golden hues

Nothing can stop the nature's site

From getting painted and annotated

With many colourful moods and musings.

It was one such evening on my terrace 

When I wandered lonely as a cloud

Invoking Wordsworth, Keats and Shelley

To accompany my romantic escapades 

Into the clouds.

My cloud journey captured as a movie

The tempestuous twirl of my tense mind

Matched perfectly with the colours of thunder

As the greys got greyer and swallowed the blue

I could relate to the tangled truths
And troubling questions with turbulent cues

While the serene blues made way for darker clouds
My feet suddenly dropped on ground

I could feel the soot and dust around

That soon turned into a thunderstorm.

As the celestial spectacle unfolded
The stressful heart contested with the speed of lightening

There I was, trying to untwine

And surrender myself to the mood of nature!

Then it cooled, rained and poured
As the drops soaked me head to toe

As if to pacify and soothe my racing mind

Telling me to gather, compose and be calm

As the clouds will soon fall in line

And the silver lining is yet to be drawn!