Rose at Lalbagh


Rose at Lalbagh, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

A shot from my archives I had taken at Lalbagh Botanical Gardens in Bangalore

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Worli Sea Face


Worli Sea Face, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is one of the most viewed and linked shot of mine on Flickr . I had taken this with my casio camera at Worli Sea Face

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Sunrise Ulsoor Lake 19


Sunrise Ulsoor Lake 19, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Taken this in bangalore during one of our walks at Ulsoor Lake

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Donkey and its Master


Donkey and its Master, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Third shot of the construction site which I had taken. This shows exactly what the donkeys do for the human labourers . The irony is the work by humans started 3 days after huge earth movers created a 8 feet deep construction pits. Thats how things work here .

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Desert Rose Bangalore (Explore)

Beautiful flower we had in our house in bangalore. I only have these photos as memories of this gorgeous flowers.

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Pigeons and Peace


Pigeons and Peace, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is dedicated to the Martyrs of Mumbai who died during the 62 hour siege of Mumbai by bunch of cowards who do not value the Human life .

More details of the horror here :http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/specialcoverage/3296778.cms

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Donkey and the Woman


Donkey and the Woman, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot this at a construction site near DLF phase 5. This city is a concrete jungle and scenes like these are very common to see. Its interesting to see how modern equipments like earth mover make this 8 feel deep pit and then the donkey and human combination work on small pits that have to be dug for foundation of a building

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Lotus at Bang Pa Palace


Lotus at Bang Pa Palace, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Lotus shot in Thailand

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Pattaya Beach


Pattaya Beach, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot of Pattaya beach

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Chedis at Ayuthhaya


Chedis at Ayuthhaya, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I shot these beautiful Chedis at Ayutthaya in thailand. The war with Burma destroyed all the whole capital city before the present kings moved it from Ayuthayya . 33 Kings have ruled this ancient capital of Siam

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brahma near lebua


brahma near lebua, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

The influence of Hindu culture in a Buddhist Thailand

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Bangkok Skyline


Bangkok Skyline 11, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot of the Bangkok skyline and Chao Phraya river from Lebua state Tower hotel .

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Lebua State tower


Lebua State tower , originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot of the Lebuat State tower hotel where we stayed during our trip to Thailand

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Symmetry


Symmetry , originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Any suggestions for a better title. I shot this inside the royal palace in Bangkok, Thailand. These are the private temples of the royal family for their religious rites .

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Dhol player


Dhol player, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot this during the Dasera festival. I was planning to put the entire player but by accident this was cropped and I kinda liked it better than the entire picture . what do you guys think

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Dasera Procession Mysore


Dasera Procession Mysore, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Expressive portrait , you can use this image to ward the evil eye :). I could help but capture this one .

Shot this during Dassera Procession in 2008 at Mysore

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Dasera Dragon


Dasera Dragon, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is shot of the flame thrower during the procession at Dasera Festival in Mysore in 2008

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Mustard Seeds Germinating


Mustard Seeds Germinating, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

These germinating mustard seeds were part of the decoration of Navaratri golu at my home.

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Pooja Thali


Pooja Thali, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is part of the decorations during the Navaratri Golu at my home.

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Orchids at Flower Market

A pair of Yellow orchids shot at the Flower Market in Bangkok , Thailand

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Orchids at Flower Market

I shot these Orchids at the Flower market in Bangkok
Pak Khlong Talat (Flower Market)
Thanon Chakphet (near Memorial Bridge)

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Beautiful Lady

Portrait I shot at Nong Nooch Tropical gardens, Pattaya. This was my first attempt at a serious Portrait shot. This was a candid one though. She was part of the attraction at Nong Nooch. You could pay 20 Bhat and get a photo taken alongside her .

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Sanctuary of Truth 6


Sanctuary of Truth 6, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot of Sanctuary of Truth from the Hillock. you have to walk down from this point to see the Sanctuary . This was the most mesmerizing place I have seen so far.

The Sanctuary of Truth is a gigantic wooden construction which covers the area of more than two rais. The top point of the building is about 105 meters high. It was constructed to withstand the wind and sunshine on the seashore at Rachvate Cape, Tumbon Naklea, Amphur Banglamung, Chon Buri Province.The building was constructed according to ancient Thai ingenuity and every square inch of the building is covered with wooden carve sculpture. The purposes of decoration with wooden carve sculptures are to use art and culture as the reflection of Ancient Vision of Earth, Ancient Knowledge, and Eastern Philosophy. With in this complex, visitors will understand Ancient Life, Human Responsibility, Basic Thought, Cycle of living, Life Relationship with Universe and Common Goal of Life toward Utopia.More at hubpages.com/hub/Santuary_of_Truth

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Chedis at Ayutthaya


Chedis at Ayutthaya, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

hese 3 Chedis are built before the Kingdom of Ayutthaya was ruined. The guide told me there were 33 kings who ruled this place before the burmese destroyed this ancient capital which derives its name from Ayodhya in India which was capital city of King Rama .

Some more history on this photo by a fellow flickerite

www.flickr.com/photos/10186213@N07/2767720563/in/photostr...

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Frangipani at Cosy Beach


Frangipani at Cosy Beach, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot this near the Swimming Pool at Cosy Beach hotel in Pattaya. I have never seen such big frangipani before.

Plumeria is related to the Oleander, Nerium oleander, and both possess poisonous, milky sap, rather similar to that of Euphorbia. Each of the separate species of Plumeria bears differently shaped leaves and their form and growth habits are also distinct. The leaves of P. alba are quite narrow and corrugated, while leaves of P. pudica have an elongated oak shape and glossy, dark green color. P. pudica is one of the everblooming types with non-deciduous, evergreen leaves. Another species that retains leaves and flowers in winter is P. obtusa; though its common name is "Singapore", it is originally from Colombia. Frangipani can also be found in Eastern Africa, where they are sometimes referred to in Swahili love poems.

The Frangipani or Frangipane ("Breadbreakers", from Italian frangere il pane) was a powerful Roman patrician clan in the Middle Ages. The family was typically Ghibelline in sympathy and thus often at odds with the papacy. During the twelfth century, the Frangipani were the chief adversaries of the Pierleoni family, whose cardinal Pietro was raised to the papacy as Anacletus II.

Plumeria flowers are most fragrant at night in order to lure sphinx moths to pollinate them. The flowers have no nectar, and simply dupe their pollinators. The moths inadvertently pollinate them by transferring pollen from flower to flower in their fruitless search for nectar.

"Plumeria" species are easily propagated by taking a cutting of leafless stem tips in Spring and allowing them to dry at the base before inserting them into soil. They are also propagated via tissue culture both from cuttings of freshly elongated stems and aseptically germinated seed.

More on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frangipani_family

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Pattaya Beach


pattaya beach 4, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

View of the Pattaya beach on the shores. This is a private beach owned by Royal Cliff Hotel and Cosy beach. This is a very secluded part of the beach in Pattaya. Most beaches are crowded so if you want a peaceful beach for yourself this is the place

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pattaya beach


pattaya beach , originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot this from Cozy Beach hotel where we stayed during our trip to Pattaya.

The distant island you see is called Coral Island.

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Shot this from the Bus on the way to Pattaya

Beautiful skies in Bangkok shot from the bus which took us to Pattaya. The journey from Bangkok to Pattaya is 2-3 Hours and is pretty scenic . Gives a good glimpse of the nature around Thailand.

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Pattaya Beach


Pattaya Beach 2, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is the view of Pattaya Beach from Cozy Beach hotel in Pattaya. Cozy beach is up on the hill and its a fantastic place . I would highly recommend it if you are planning to visit Pattaya.
The food also is reasonably priced and has variety in the restaurants and room service.

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Sanctuary of Truth


Sanctuary of Truth 5, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Sculptures inside sanctuary of truth , Pattaya ,Thailand.

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Orchids at Noong Nooch Botanical garden

Beautiful Orchids I photographed at Noong Nooch tropical Gardens in Pattya.

Opened to the public in 1980 , the garden was named “ Suan Nong Nooch ” in honor of Mrs. Nongnooch, as the word “Suan” means garden. In addition to continuing on her life's work of the garden, Mrs. Noongnooch spends her time between Bangkok and the orchard in Chieng-rai as well as Nong Nooch camping resort in Prachinburi province, which made its debut in 2001. In order to maintain the gardens, management was than handed over to her son, Mr. Kampon Tansacha.


Presently, Nong Nooch Tropical Garden & Resort is well known to those who want to take in an impressive Thai Cultural Show and find the biggest and most beautiful botanical garden in Southeast Asia. More than 2,000 visitors from around the world visit our garden daily for their enjoyment. At Nong Nooch Tropical Garden, we're always developing and improving the beautification process in order for the garden to look as it does today. Nong Nooch garden is also dedicated to education, preservation, research as well as the conservation of its vast palm collection and other tropical plants.

More on http://www.nongnoochtropicalgarden.com/en/index.asp

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Orchids at Flower Market


Orchids at Flower Market 2, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Orchidaceae (or Orchid family) is the largest family of the flowering plants (Angiospermae).[1][2] Its name is derived from the genus Orchis.

The Royal Botanical Gardens of Kew list 880 genera and nearly 22,000 accepted species, but the exact number is unknown (perhaps as many as 25,000)[3] because of taxonomic disputes. The number of orchid species equals about four times the number of mammal species, or more than twice the number of bird species. It also encompasses about 6–11% of all seed plants.[4] About 800 new orchid species are added each year. The largest genera are Bulbophyllum (2,000 species), Epidendrum (1,500 species), Dendrobium (1,400 species) and Pleurothallis (1,000 species). The family also includes the Vanilla (the genus of the vanilla plant), Orchis (type genus) and many commonly cultivated plants like some Phalaenopsis or Cattleya.

Moreover, since the introduction of tropical species in the 19th century, horticulturists have more than 100,000 hybrids and cultivars.

More on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid

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Lotus at Flower Market


Lotus at Flower Market 2, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Nelumbo is a genus of aquatic plants with large, showy, water lily-like flowers commonly known as lotus or sacred lotus. The generic name is derived from the Sinhalese word Nelum. There are two species in the genus, the better known of which, N. nucifera, or "Sacred Lotus," is the well-known national flower of India.
There is residual disagreement over which family the genus should be placed in. Traditional classification systems recognized Nelumbo as part of the Nymphaeaceae (water lily) family, but traditional taxonomists were likely misled by evolutionary convergences associated with an evolutionary shift from a terrestrial to an aquatic life style. In the older classification systems it was recognized under the biological order Nymphaeales or Nelumbonales. Nelumbo is currently recognized as its own family, Nelumbonaceae, as one of several distinctive families in the eudicot order Proteales. Its closest living relatives are shrubs or trees (Proteaceae and Platanaceae).
These plants are unrelated to the bird's-foot trefoils and deer-vetches of the genus Lotus.

More on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nelumbo

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Morning Glory


Morning Glory, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Shot these beautiful morning glory at the school compound next to Holiday Inn, Gem Plaza, Ooty.

The name for these flowers is so apt.

As the name implies, morning glory flowers, which are funnel-shaped, open in the morning, allowing them to be pollinated by Hummingbirds, butterflies, bees, and other daytime insects and birds as well as Hawkmoth at dusk for longer blooming variants. The flower typically lasts for a single morning and dies in the afternoon. New flowers bloom each day. The flowers usually start to fade a couple of hours before the petals start showing visible curling. They prefer full sun throughout the day and mesic soils. In cultivation, most are treated as perennial plants in tropical areas and as annual plants in colder climates, but some species tolerate winter cold. Some moonflowers, which flower at night, are also in the morning glory family.

Morning glory is also called asagao (in Japanese, a compound of 朝 asa "morning" and 顔 kao "face"). A rare brownish-coloured variant known as Danjuro is very popular. It was first known in China for its medicinal uses, due to the laxative properties of its seeds. It was introduced to the Japanese in the 9th century, and they were first to cultivate it as an ornament. During the Edo Period, it became a very popular ornamental flower. Aztec priests in Mexico were also known to use the plant's hallucinogenic properties. (see Rivea corymbosa).
Ancient Mesoamerican civilizations used the morning glory species Ipomoea alba to convert the latex from the Castilla elastica tree and also the guayule plant to produce bouncing rubber balls. The sulfur in the morning glory's juice served to vulcanize the rubber, a process pre-dating Charles Goodyear's discovery by at least 3,000 years.[1]
Because of their fast growth, twining habit, attractive flowers, and tolerance for poor, dry soils, some morning glories are excellent vines for creating summer shade on building walls when trellised, thus keeping the building cooler and reducing heating and cooling costs.
Popular varieties in contemporary western cultivation include the Morning Glory "Sunspots" "Heavenly Blue", the moonflower, the cypress vine, and the cardinal climber. The cypress vine is a hybrid, with the cardinal climber as one parent.
In some places such as Australian bushland morning glories develop thick roots and tend to grow in dense thickets. They can quickly spread by way of long creeping stems. By crowding out, blanketing and smothering other plants, morning glory has turned into a serious invasive weed problem.

More on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morning_glory

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Bang-Pa Palace watch tower


Bang-Pa Palace watch tower, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is the watch tower built by the king to look around the palace and its surrounding areas at Bang-Pa In palace in Ayutthaya.

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Frangipani in Flower Market


Frangipani in Flower Market, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

One the most photogenic flowers in the world. Can never get enough of Frangipani. I shot these in the flower market in Bangkok. I have never seen this color till date in person. Thailand seems to have a lot of frangipani trees .

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Laughing Monks


Laughing Monks, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I shot these cute little clay monks in Flower Market in Bangkok. These figurines are used as garden accessories . I saw quite a few of these in China Town in Bangkok too.

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Indian Building


Indian Building, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This building is owned by a perosn of Indian origin in Bangkok hence called the Indian Building. These are luxury apartments along the Chao Pharaya river in Bangkok, thailand.

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Inside Grand Palace


Inside Grand Palace, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Capture of the temples inside the Gran Palace , Bangkok, Thailand. Most of this is closed and reserved for the use by the Royal family of Thailand. A must see if you are a visitor to Thailand

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Orchids at Flower Market, Bangkok

I shot these beautiful Orchids at FLower Market in Bangkok. Its a nice boat ride from N1 . If you are visiting Vimaneek Palace after Grand Place and plan to come by boat you will see this market 300 M from the boat peer. You can walk this and then take a cab. Its worth the walk.

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Street Food at China Town


Street Food at China Town, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I never though when I visited China Town in Bangkok I will see these kind of foods. Being a Veggie all your life clearly creates an ignorance for all kinds of foods that are non Veggie.

Never seen so much seafood on the street and in so much variety .One should visit China town in Bangkok , Thailand if you are visiting. Its an experience. What amazed me was also the amount of dried and fried food that was selling. I plan to post a few more of these foods.

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Bangkok Skyline 7


Bangkok Skyline 7, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I shot this image on my canon Xti Rebel. We stayed at the Lebua State Tower in Bangkok,Thailand . This is one of the tallest Hotels in Bangkok and is located conveniently from the Chao Phraya river and the BTS station.

Infact we loved the location as we could either take the Express boat the day we decided to do tourist spots (most of which are along the mighty river) or take the BTS to Siam for shopping.

I have quite a few of the shots from our room on 55th floor which I will be posting on Flickr

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Suvarnabhumi Airport, Bangkok

This is a the depiction of the mythological hindu story where the devas and asuras decide to team together to churn the ocean using mount meru to extract amirt (that makes someone immortal). The asuras were deprived of it by Vishu and devas became immortal having the amrit.

More on en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samudra_manthan
www.mahashivratri.org/samudra-manthan.html
I am also amazed how much of Hindu culture also prevails in Thailand which is a 95% Buddhist country.

Always used to baffele me as a kid how can that be done when my grandmother told me the story till i realized there is something called mythology :).

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Dramatic Skies at Wonderla 2


Dramatic Skies at Wonderla 2, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I shot these near the wave pool in Wonderla

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Po Sum (Traditional Chinese Medicine)

I was playing with the camera and decided to post this one . Its has only processing on RAW.

This medicine is good for pains, aches, dizziness, mild headaches, chest discomfort,abdominal pain, itching from insect bites, joint pains, sprain and lot more . A power packed bottle :)

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Ganesha


Ganesha, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

I shot this Ganesha in my living room against the backdrop of my antique chest.

I used natural light and Canon XTi Rebel Camera with 60 MM USM macro lens to shoot this .

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Lily Macro


lily, originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

This is the beautiful Lily at home. They are small before the sun comes up they moment the sun goes up these blooms really bloom. I have now 3 of them coming at one time at home. I shall upload them soon.

I think the best thing I have done is to get a 60 Mm Macro USM lens. Never knew macro and Raw processing can be so addictive at fun.

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Another perspective (Bandra Worli Sealink)

Its been a while I have gone to Mumbai. I think since I left Mumbai in June 2007 the last I had been there was October 2007. A lot has changed and I was surprised to see progress in some of the mill lands .

In a few years the whole Lower parel area is going to be unrecognizible . Another structure I have been following up on progress has been the much awaited Bandra Worli Sealink.

Here is is the latest photo as of May 2008 on what the progress is . Hope next time I go to Mumbai I see the working link .

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Lily MACRO

This is one of the lilies we had brought from a shop in Dadar and they came all the way from Mumbai to Bangalore survising 40 days of being at the transporter.

We had this lily in our kitchen in Mumbai here its in our balcony of our bedroom. I m hoping for more of these bloom so I can post them to Flickr.

I used a canon XTI rebel, with 60 MM USM lens to shoot this shot . let me know what you think.

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Water Droplets


Water Droplets , originally uploaded by Swami Stream.

Gorgeous Twins at home

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