Charminar

Since 2004 i am staying in this 'City of Pearls' (Hyderabad) many many things happened in my life, some are good to unforgettable while some are also not too good to be remembered. When we were in little kids i knew 'Charminar' but it was famous cigratte brand name in India! My dreams never see i will be there in this famous historical place with any of my siblings. After many years gone by now i often visit this place with our guests and friends, i have many pictures too. But my last visit will be most memorable one, as my brother had a chance to visit Hyderabad to attend national programme from his office. Amidst their tight scheduled we could have a little good time to visit Charminar and nearby shopping street. It may not be a great thing for other but for me it will be memorable one when you see your brother trying to capture 'Charminar' pics with his camera and tasting the famous mouth watering 'Hyderabad Haleem' and 'Hyderabad Biryani". To be frank, you will realised it is a real opportunity that you never have visitors from your family members nor any of your blood relatives where you are staying in the city more than four years. Out of many famous places there in Hyderabad city 'Charminar' will occupy one of the important places in my memory lines!

Charminar pic taken by bro. Lalthlanthanga

Traditional taste!

This 'Kumkhal'/'Umkhal' (walnuts) picture reminded me of our childhood days, in early morning me and my bothers often hurriedly rush to our neighbouring house where Pu Chalbuanga's cows will left 'kumkhal' as usual. Unlike the present times we hardly have other options of ready made eatable things from shops, we the village kids mostly depended on forest and other natural products. Many many things have changed now, we may find various ready made eatable things even in rural areas also but in sometimes my kind of taste could not avoid like this kind of natural products!

Pu Buanga Dictionay defines:
um-khal, (same as kumkhal.) n. the name of a tree and its edible fruit the stone of which looks like a three-lobed walnut. The kernel resembles an almond in flavour and is eaten as a nut. Where the tree grows the fruit is found on the ground in large quantities. Cows are extremely fond of these windfalls-ejecting the stones or seeds from their mouths in numbers when they are chewing the cud after feasting upon them. (Elæocarpus robustus. Wenger.)

Picture taken in January 2010 at Sialsuk forest, Mizoram, India.