Yanesh Tyagi

Evening skies over Srirangapatna, where time feels slower and gentler.   22 December 2024, 17:52 • Mandya, Karnataka There are moments on a journey when the world suddenly slows down, as if inviting you to breathe a little deeper. This photograph was taken during one such pause, somewhere near Srirangapatna in Mandya district of India.  The sky that evening looked like a soft negotiation between day and night. Layers of clouds stretched across the horizon, some gentle, some brooding, all painted with the fading warmth of the sun. You could tell the light was slipping away, but it wasn’t gone yet. It lingered, almost shyly, behind the cloud curtain, sending out faint strokes of pink and orange, as if signing its name before leaving. Below, rows of coconut trees formed a dark, steady silhouette, guardians of the quiet fields that stretched into the distance. A few electric poles and wires cut across the frame, but instead of disturbing the view, they grounded it. They reminded m...

  Onam in the office, 2010 - where work paused and togetherness began. Onam Sadhya in Our Office – A Memory from 2010 That Still Warms My Heart There are some photographs that blur with time, and then there are some that become gentle anchors, pulling us back to a moment filled with warmth, people, and belonging. This picture from 2010 is one of those for me.

  Stone relief at Mahabalipuram, capturing the ancient Pallava storytelling tradition through myth, movement, and devotion carved into living rock. There are places where history speaks softly, and then there are places where it stands before you, carved into living rock, telling its story without a single word. My visit to Mahabalipuram brought me face to face with one such masterpiece, and I stood there longer than I expected, simply absorbing the weight of time. The stone relief you see above is part of the great sculptural wonder often associated with two overlapping legends, Arjuna’s Penance and The Descent of the Ganga . What struck me most was not just the mythic scale of the story but the way the ancient Pallava artisans brought it to life with emotion, movement, and unbelievable skill.

Throwing it back to 2010 and the timeless beauty of Kumbalangi. The way those reflections hit the water is everything. I can almost feel the sun and the breeze. 😌 #Throwback #KumbalangiTrip #Nostalgia #KeralaVibes #LandscapePhotography #TravelMemories A Glimpse of Serenity: My Kumbalangi Trip Just stumbled upon this gem from my archives and it instantly transported me back to the tranquil backwaters of Kumbalangi. This shot was taken on a sunny Saturday, November 20, 2010, at around 12:38 PM. Can you believe it's been that long? Good old SAMSUNG GT-S8500 did a pretty decent job capturing the moment, even if it was "only" 1.9 MP! This picture perfectly encapsulates the peaceful vibe of Kumbalangi. The row of vibrant green and golden palm trees standing tall along the water's edge, their reflections mirroring perfectly in the calm backwater, is just breathtaking. There's something so calming about the clear blue sky overhead, offering a beautiful contrast to the lu...

  A Quiet Moment in the Heart of Mysore Palace Standing in this sunlit courtyard of Mysore Palace, I felt time loosen its grip. The world outside, with all its noise and urgency, seemed to dissolve the moment I stepped into this space framed by arches, carved pillars, and stories too old to be spoken loudly. The courtyard is open and peaceful, almost shy in contrast to the grandeur of the palace façade that surrounds it on all four sides. The intricately designed arches look like frozen waves, each curve holding a century of craftsmanship. Pale green stained glass catches the light gently, adding a soft glow to the otherwise earthy palette of stone and wood. What struck me the most was the spiral staircase on the right. Black, ornate, mysterious, it rises like a question—where does it lead, and who might have climbed it in another era? There is something poetic about its delicate patterns against the strength of the palace walls. It feels like an invitation and a secret at the same...

  A slow morning in Pallivasal, wrapped in sunlight and silence. The forest behind me felt alive, breathing its quiet wisdom into the day. Pallivasal, Idukki Pallivasal, Idukki — the hidden green cradle between Munnar and Vattavada. A place where the hills whisper and time moves gently. Pallivasal is more than a green patch hidden in the folds of Idukki. It carries a quiet but significant place in Kerala’s history. Pallivasal was the site of Kerala’s first hydroelectric power station , built in the late 1930s during the erstwhile Travancore kingdom. But Pallivasal is not defined by industry alone. Long before these modern feats, it was a region of dense shola forests and tribal settlements. Communities like the Muthuvan people lived in harmony with the land, moving with the rhythm of seasons, cultivating small patches of hill slopes, and protecting sacred groves. Many of the forest trails we walk today were originally their paths. Pallivasal, Idukki — A Quiet Moment from December...

  Standing here on NH-1 , with the milestone to Nimmu beside me, I feel as if I am pausing inside a living textbook of Himalayan history. The cold desert wind carries a silence that is not empty, it is layered with centuries of movement — traders, monks, armies, caravans, explorers, and now, modern travelers like me who come searching for something deeper than just scenic beauty. Nimmu , just eight kilometers from where I am sitting, is not just a village. It has been a strategic and cultural node on ancient trans-Himalayan routes for hundreds of years. This stretch of NH-1, which looks barren and still today, once connected Ladakh to Kashmir, Central Asia, Baltistan, and Tibet . Caravans would stop at Nimmu before making the dangerous climb toward Leh or crossing the Zanskar river. The landscape would have looked just as stark then, but life here was shaped by movement, trade, and diplomacy. Behind me rise the brown, layered mountains of Ladakh, carved by wind and time. They look...

Ah, the courtroom of the Mysore Palace – where grandeur doesn’t just whisper; it roars in pastel hues and gilded elegance! 🌟 This hall is a symphony of architectural brilliance, blending Indo-Saracenic, Hindu, Mughal, and Gothic styles into one visual feast. The towering pillars, painted in mint green, gold, and soft pink, look like candy sticks crafted for royalty. Each column is crowned with intricate carvings, floral patterns, and embellishments that could keep an art historian busy for days. Look up, and you’ll see ceilings adorned with elaborate circular motifs, each telling its own silent story. Chandeliers hang like celestial stars, frozen in time. The archways are scalloped and layered, creating a sense of endless depth, like a portal into another world – one where kings held court, poets recited verses, and politics played out in hushed tones beneath these grand arches. The polished marble floor reflects the magnificence above, doubling the splendor like a magic mirror. And ...

 

 Vattavada, Munnar, Kerala India   These were the good old days. The days before pandemic hit us and change our lives for forever. Those were the days when people were not afraid of other people and there was no social distancing but social grouping.

  Dal Fry and Roti @Ramada, Egmore, Chennai - Yanesh Tyagi's Memoir Well, you might be wondering what is this? Well, this is Dal Fry and Roti (Chapati) - that I am having for my dinner. Why? Why this? You may ask. The thing is that when you have spent months traveling, you look for simple, nutritious and homely food. And Dal Fry was the best option for a North Indian guy like me. The taste is good - I have taken a bite after snapping the pic. The cook has done a good job. Probably I should call the cook and give him/her my compliment.

  Chennai, Oct 2018. This is fall. The temperature is stupidly high.  I am in Chennai for a work related meeting. The meeting is tomorrow morning.  I still have to look at my presentation - one last time.  And this working desk, inside my room, is really tempting!

Technorati Tags: travel , karela , backwaters , India

  The Ooty landscape

Traditional way of crossing the river. Tourists returning from the Kuruvadweep Island. Dweep in Sanskrit means island. Kuruva island is around 1000 acre evergreen forest. You need to cross the river Kabani to enter into the forest. Seen in the picture are tourists returning from the island on traditional raft made of bamboo. They have placed some ropes to help raftman to guide the raft. Watching the raftmen (people in the dark green dress) rowing the raft is a fun in itself. Place: Kuruva Island, Wayanad, Kerala, India Technorati Tags: kuruvadweep , wayanad , kerala , travel , raft

If you are driving in a street, watch out. Any pedestrian may cross the road overlooking your vehicle. People, in Kochi, while walking on the roads and even highways, expect car drivers to be careful. They expect that if they jump on the road, car will automatically stop in time. Once, an old man put his hand on my moving car's bonnet, try to walk in front. It was a traffic jam situation and the guy was crossing the road. The speed of my car was around 10 kmph. I was lucky to notice the guy in time and apply the breaks as hard as I can. The guy behind me also did the same. Thanks to him. But he was not lucky enough. His car got hit on the rear by the vehicle behind him.

Never trust your vehicle's turn indicator. It's not because it is not working but because other drivers Kochi tends to ignore it. While taking a left turn to park my vehicle in our office parking area, I properly used left indicator. This is strictly no overtake zone. The biker behind me simply ignored the indicator and overtook from left side. The good thing is that I know the habits of people here so I was careful. A narrow escape.

Watch your back. If you are driving on kochi roads and you see a vehicle coming fast behind you, slow down you vehicle. The guy may overtake from right, take a sharp left cut in front of you and apply breaks just at the face of your car. This is very common with bikers.

Don't expect that a driver in Kochi will turn the indicator on while taking a turn. People here do not use indicators. So if you are driving on the Kochi roads, be careful. The guy coming behind you may overtake from left side and immediately take a sharp right turn. And it's not uncommon.