2013 Chameleon Lizard Fashion Week

My friend,  Prasad Paranjape, clicked this amazing photo  at the Mandhardevi Ghat , near Wai, in Maharashtra.  This region of the Sahyadris  is dotted with forts harking back to the days of Shivaji, and his brave men, and one is reminded of the story of the attack on Sinhagad by his brave warrior Tanaji Malusare, who used a type of lizard to latch on to the walls of the fort parapet so he could climb in, fight and win the fort back.

These old stories of valour juxtaposed against what is considered the smart thing to do today. 

A friend called it Sardawalk .... Sarda is marathi for lizard/chameleon..    Naturally, the thoughts occurred first in Marathi. English follows .

२०१३ सरडा फ्याशन वीक, सर्प-सुसर-विंचू डिझायनर मंडळींतर्फे झाडाच्या वाळलेल्या फांदीवर घेतलेली पोझ , पाठीच्या नाझुक कण्यावर दिमाखाने वसणारा टोकीदार तानाजीस्मृती शूरहार दागिना , आणि पुरुषांनी कान टोचून कानात खडे घालायचा दिवसात सध्याच्या स्टाईल प्रमाणे एका कानात मंद सोनेरी पुष्कर.. अजून फांदीवर खूप चालायचे आहे , टाळ्या घ्यायच्या आहेत , आजकालच्या पद्धती प्रमाणे सगळ्यांकडे रागा रागाने बघायचे आहे , एव्ह्डच , कि फांदीच्या टोकावर खोट हसून गिरकी घॆउन परत न फिरता, हे वीर दुसर्या फांदीवर उडी घेणार आहेत....

2013 Chameleon Lizard Fashion Week. Presented by the Reptilian Croc Trio, designers of slimy repute. A smart pose struck just so on a dried tree branch; the valour crown jewelery adorning the dainty vertebrae in honor of the brave Tanaji Malusare, and in tribute to the current style of studs in male ears, a brilliant pale gold sapphire adorning the ears.... A long catwalk on the branch, great applause, and a haughty glance at the audience in the current approved style. It's just that, at the end of the catwalk, there will be no false smiles, no pirouettes, and no return. There will simply, be a rushed leap on to another branch, for another Sardawalk.......

Where looks can kill.....

Blogger friend Joshi Daniel, has a very versatile, widely applauded photo blog, Joshi Daniel Photography , where he posts his creations in a very diverse range of categories. As he says , "People photography is where my passion is because faces and stories behind them, life styles, various cultures and traditions fascinates me......".


Winner of numerous awards, such as Nat Geo Moment Awards 2011, 2010 Photoblog Awards, Smithsonian magazine’s 7th annual photo contest, Nikon-Better Photography Photographer of the Year 2009 Awards, Vodafone presents India 9-5 Contest, he has also exhibited some of his work, at the Kala Ghoda Arts Festival 2011, held in Mumbai under the theme ‘Faces’.

He recently posted this photo. Of a practitioner of the Kalaripayattu, one of the oldest fighting systems , a martial art practiced in and native to, Kerala, India.

Mr Joshi Daniel has kindly permitted me to display it here.

He calls it "Back from the Dead". Shudder .

That piercing gaze had these words tumbling out.....

(photo : Joshi Daniel photography)

Drenched
in the showers
of power,
drunk
on the perceived
inevitability
of his victory,
fueled by a raging anger,
he smashed the door,
expecting
to see her cower
in a corner….

And then,
(unlike
the Mumbai storm water drains),
the bravado
drained him,
spiralling
down into his ankles,
weak in fear.

Facing him,
was
The big
glistening
eye of God,
in the middle
of
two piercing slits
powered by their own
pupils,
preparing for a strike.