Political Evolution at High Altitudes...

My  blogging friend, botanist researcher Sangeeta Khanna  recently visited Sikkim , and  was smitten by various local veggies that don't normally make an appearance , say, in big metros.  Naturally, she probably lugged back a basket of those , to experiment later while cooking.

Have a look at the various vegetables here.  While some were heard of but not seen , there were some which looked a bit hybrid. Like the ones below.

Neither the brinjals nor the  tomato parivars would have been thrilled.  Purity and all that.

And a thought kept reccurring in the mind. ......

The Congressi brinjal
and
BJP red tomato
eloped to the mountains
straight from the backyard
of Lutyen's Delhi.

No Party Sharty
in the Himalayas,
and a tough
but a healthy life
slogging in the winds
and cold
and brilliant Himalayan Sun,
and
their children happened,
losing all the
excessive colorful traits,
except the beaklike stem
from
all the shouting their parents did
in Parliament.

You can tell
whose children they are,
but they all now belong
to the Greens Party.

Inhaling at Dawn....

Lakshmi Sharath, fellow blogger, a media professional , a traveller, a travel writer and consultant, recently visited Sikkim in the Himalayas. This was the view at dawn from her room, as she stood warding off an attack of throats, sinuses and sniffles.
.
Read about it here.


(photo by Lakshmi Sharath/her team)
City throats,
pothole sinuses,
hot water bottles,
gargles
and sleep.

When
all you need
is a whistling thrush
to power your
throat response;
and
undulating mountains,
deep misty valleys,
earthy rain
and the cleanest
pine air
urging a stuffy sinus
to give up.

A deep breath
a cup
of adrak clovy tea,
and a namaskar*****
to the morning sun
arriving
over the mountains....


***** namaskar : Indian worshipful greeting with folded hands