Summer Blooms ...

     Summer is at its peak in chennai... But yet, for trees its' blooming time &  its' a glorious sight to see these fresh and vibrant flowers in the neighbourhood...

Golden Shower Tree or Konna Poo { Cassia Fistula } ...

Queen's flower {Lagerstroemia speciosa}

Flowers of some Tabebuia ....



White and Pink Bougainvilleas ....

Pink Flowered Rain Tree { Albizia Saman } ....

    All image copyrights belong to Liven Things Up. Please donot use without permission.

{ Update : Thank You, Mr.Karthikeyan of 'Karthik's journal' for helping me with the names of these trees - Please do visit Mr.Karthikeyan's website - It is a treasure trove for nature lovers with excellant photographs and abundant information about flora and fauna }

Have a great weekend everyone..!! See you back next week..... ;-) ;-) ...

Shiraz Art Cafe : "From Persia With Love"

     This weekend, we drove to the Cholamandalam Artists Village at East Coast Road, Chennai. Located amidst the sculpture garden in the Artists village, one cannot miss Shiraz café with it's bright yellow and white exterior and  tall French windows. The café is run by Nasrin  – a charming and friendly lady and her husband Farhad, who are from Iran and have been in India for over 30 years– While Farhad takes care of their art workshop through the week, Nasrin cooks some of the delicacies herself and plays the perfect hostess. The café is named “Shiraz” after a place in Iran which is known as the “the poetic capital of Persia” and is known for its famous poets and many gardens.

     As you enter the café, you can’t help yourself admiring the simple and welcoming décor that adds to the warm and homely feel in the atmosphere. The striking yellow wall paper with its mosaic like pattern, little objects of interest, the fresh flower arrangements, the shelves adorned with crockery and soft music flowing in the back ground set the scene. The couples’ love for glass and artwork is evident from the various paintings and stained glass paintings tucked in the place - the brilliant stained glass works are done by Nasrin’s husband Farhad himself …!!

     The relaxed and laid-back setup of the café, the reasonably priced lip-smacking food and the hospitality and service extended by Nasrin makes this café a perfect place where one can chill out on a lazy Sunday afternoon with family and friends and devour on unique Iranian flavors …. !! 

 

 Love ...love this table center-piece...

 Love the way the reflection of the objects are seen on the table-top..

 

 Art-works done by Nasrin on display ...

 

 

 

  

  

  

Even the simplest of objects can add a boost to the decor...  

A Russian Samovar, a tea-set and other interesting curios.... 

 

 

Yummy Cakes waiting to be served....

How stunning is the glass work on the wall ...?!?!  

 The tall door-sized stained glass work is done by Nasrin and

her husband .... Awesome isn't it ?

                  All image copyrights belong to Liven Things Up. Please donot use without permission.  

     

     If you are in chennai or planning to visit chennai some time, then this cafe is a 'must visit place' - I would highly recommend this ...- itz' a sure feast to your eyes and your taste buds... !!And if you visit the place ,don’t forget to feast on Nasrin’s sugarcane sorbet laced with tulsi seeds and her rosewater cakes… they taste like homemade cakes and are yumm….delicious and ... heavenly ..!!!

     In short, this place is definitely worth many visits… and I am looking forward for a leisurely lunch there very soon…. ;-) ...!!

I am linking this post to the Weekend Wrap Up - 33 at Colours Dekor .

"Notable Newbie" at BlogAdda

I am so excited to inform that I have been selected as the Notable Newbie by BlogAdda ..  Yay !!

Click on the picture : You can see the feature on the right ..

 

Thank You blogadda and team... Also a big thank you to my family, friends and blogger friends who have inspired and encouraged me .. Without you, it would never have been possible... ;-) .. ;-)

Happy Wednesday Folks !!!

Linking this post to Wordless Wednesday.

Mom = Unconditional Love ...

 

                              Image taken and edited by me . Please donot use without permission.

Happy Mother's Day to all the wonderful moms' out there... !! 

                                         

I am crazy about _ _ these days ....

Hi friends.. How have you been this week... - busy like me..trying to strike a balance between work and life or was your week perfect and relaxed ? I am hooked with jewelry making these days.. Here are some pictures of my latest attempt ..- an elastic beaded bracelet.. ..I love the shade of the blue beads and the way they have teamed up well with the silver ones.. Let me know how it has turned out... Awaiting your comments... ;-) ;-) ... !!

I am linking this post to the Saturday Spotlight blog party here.

Padmanabhapuram Palace - An architectural marvel of South India

Hello friends...!! Hope you all had a fantastic Easter!! How was the long weekend ?! Mine was perfect with meeting family and friends, good food and lots of rest... !!

Well, when I started this blog I had intended to feature the palaces,temples and traditional architecture of India .. But somehow due to one reason or the other it has taken a long time to do the first post itself... mmm ... Let's consider this as a start for many more to come out of this blog... ;-) ;-) ... !!

A magnificent wooden palace of the 16th century, Padmanabhapuram Palace is one of the best examples of traditional Kerala architecture. The building displays a simplicity and purity of the style of Kerala architecture - the pointed gables, the dormer windows and long corridors.  One can see a cot built of seven pieces of polished granite,  mural paintings, intricate and exquisite carvings in teak and rose wood, a Chinese chair presented to the king by Chinese merchants etc.,

 The entrance to the palace ... - with doors standing

over 10 feet high..

The heavy wooden door at the entrance ..

The wood work that has been done centuries ago is amazing !!

       

The ornate entrance to the room called 'Poomukkam' - where the king entertained special guests. Built in the indigeneous architectural style of Kerala, the entrance of this building is shaped as a triangle. On the wooden ceiling ninety flowers have been carved - The speciality of these flowers is that each of them is unique.

Marvellous and unique wood work in the ceiling... !!

A hanging brass lamp with a knight on horse-back..

The Mantrasala or council chamber - I wonder how many meetings with the kings trusted ministers and people would have taken place in this chamber ...?!....

A  view  from the carved wooden windows.. - Love the
intricate wood work.. One of my favorite shots... !!

The flooring remains smooth through all these years

 and attracts special attention..

The dining hall that accomodates 1000 persons at a time..

The ornamental bed that is made of 64 types of herbs,

and is a gift from the Dutch merchants.

The artistic wood work in the ceiling of the bedroom ..

Wooden enclosure with peepholes, where the women of the royal household sit and watch the performances at the Hall of performance.

 Ambari Mukhappu - the crowning example of craftmanship of Travancore wood carving. 'Ambari' is actually the seat put on elephants back for safaris. The building has been constructed based on the shape and structure of an 'ambari'. It was built for kings to view chariot races during festivals and to appear before the public on special occasions.

 All Images Taken By Me. Please donot re-use without permission.