Our World Tuesday- Wandering Minstrels

This man with the decorated bull stood at my gate a few days ago and went on playing lovely morning ragas on his pipe. He is a Kole Basava, a wandering minstrel. Music is his life. He ekes out his living by taking the bull from house to house and playing music. The bull sometimes answers questions in your mind by nodding or shaking his head. That is another income for the bull's owner.

Wandering minstrels were a common sight all over India 10 years ago. I saw this Baul with his stringed instrument at a temple in Assam last summer. He has become too old to wander. So he sits on the temple steps and sings .

My thanks to the team of Our World Tuesday for their wonderful meme.

Blue Mormon

The Blue Mormon Papilio polymnestor, is the second largest butterfly in India, next to the Southern Birdwing. They seem to be proliferating this year- I see the huge sky- blue shapes flitting about everywhere. This fellow was taking rest in my garden. His wingspan was around 6 inches from tip to tip.

This is my contribution to Lisa's Macro Monday.