Name the Plant KBG-36

Grows all over.

On the road sides.

In the fields.

Around manicured lawns.

Just about everywhere.

You can't miss it if you observe Nature around you!

Name the plant shown in the picture below and win KBG-36!

Want a clue? See the next picture.

Now, shoot fast. Name the plant in any language. First three correct answers will be the Winners of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad KBG-36!

For first timers on KBG, you can respond on any of the channels below:

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Send email to hbindia@gmail.com
3. Respond on FB
4. Comment on Instagram @ghumakkadhb 
5. Send a WA message. If you want your WA number to be added to Ghumakkad's list, send an email.

The KBG Contest timing is chosen to suit most of the time zones across the world.

Hope we helped you in overcoming the lockdown boredom to some extent. KBG-35 which featured the leaves of Brahmi climber evoked great response. All the three winners were once again women. Men folk, wake up this time!

Thanks for your participation which keeps KBG alive!

Stay home, stay safe.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/7th June 2020

#nature #plants #naturephotography #wildplants #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe #greenfields #environment

Which Wild Plant KBG-35

Humble Lauki bud fired the imagination of more than 300 of you to respond to KBG-34 last week.
For KBG-35 we have therefore, chosen a leaf and not a bud. All of you who love vast green fields, this is easy! Green as far as the eye can see. Lockdown prevents you from stepping out. Ghumakkad does it for you through our pictures!

Which wildly growing plant?

Want a clue?
Here it goes.

Now, shoot fast. Name the plant in any language. First three correct answers will be the Winners of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad KBG-35!

For first timers on KBG, you can respond on any of the channels below:

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Send email to hbindia@gmail.com
3. Respond on FB
4. Comment on Instagram @ghumakkadhb 
5. Send a WA message. If you want your WA number to be added to Ghumakkad's list, send an email.

The KBG Contest timing is chosen to suit most of the time zones across the world.

Hope we helped you in overcoming the lockdown boredom to some extent. KBG-34 which featured Lauki or Bottle Gourd, evoked great response. For the first time we had five winners! Because first three- all responded at the same time.

Thanks for your participation which keeps KBG alive!

Stay home, stay safe.

   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/16th May 2020

#nature #plants #trees #naturephotography #wildplants #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe #greenfields #herbalplants

Lauki or Bottle Gourd KBG-34 Answer

"Dhatura!"
"Water Lily"
"Bhindi"
were some of the responses to KBG-34. All wrong.

The correct answer to the 34th Contest of Kaun Banega Ghumakkad is Lauki लौकी or Bottle Gourd. Out of 300 participants we received 30+ correct answers. KBG-34 seemed easy.

We congratulate all the winners. As against the usual first three correct answers, how come KBG-34 has five winners? Because first three responses came together in the 9th minute. So, we decided to club these together. The winners aged 20+ to 70+ come from varied backgrounds. This variety adds the charm to KBG contests.

Winners
Meet the winners of KBG-34:

1. Shiv Rungta, alumnus of BITS Pilani and IIM Ahmedabad, successful entrepreneur manufacturing safety glasses for last 30 years.
2. Nidhi Bhargava, accomplished Kathak dancer, former entrepreneur who loves gardening and Nature. Lives in Bengaluru.
3. Amandeep Kaur PGDM (Fin), works as an analyst with Duff and Phelps in Hyderabad. Loves travelling but hates lauki!
4. Reeta Verma PGDM (HR) loves travelling, works as HR Coordinator with NCR Corp Hyderabad
5. Laxman Swarup B an alumnus of NIT Warangal, former Scientist 'G' with Defence R&D Organisation. Loves gardening and travelling. Lives in Pune.

Clues
This time we did not give any clues. Despite that the participants were bang on the target. Some of them correlated the bud with the leaves shown in an earlier story. That was smart!

Blooming Time
The second part of the question was when does the bud bloom? Nobody answered it. 

Well, the correct answer is that lauki bud blooms at night to attract the pollinators. See the picture below.

Health Benefits of Lauki
Lauki has been hailed as 'your best friend in summer'!
Readers may refer the link which summarises the health benefits as under:

1. Rich in nutrients and anti-oxidant
2. Keeps your body hydrated
3. Provides skin care and protection
4. Beats constipation
5. Regulates BP
6. Beats stress with anti-bilious properties
7. Promotes weight loss
8. Protects against kidney stones
9. Helps you sleep better
10. Provides a cooling and calming effect

So whether you are old or young, include lauki in your diet specially during summers. Regular consumption of humble lauki will keep you healthy. It can be taken in any form as a vegetable, juice or soup. Lauki halwa tastes delicious too.

Once again, thank you for your continued participation. KBG is alive because of you!

Hope we have helped you in taking your mind off Corona.

Stay home, stay safe.

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 13th May 2020

#lauki #bottlegourd #nature #plants #trees #naturephotography #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe #flowers #buds 

Name the Bud KBG-34

Corona, lockdown, pandemic, Covid-19: We all are fed up with these words.
Ghumakkad helps you to take your minds off!

Look around you whether you live in an apartment, villa, city, village, college campus or wherever! You will find that the earth is healing. No pollution. No noise. Birds are happier. So are the plants.

Kaun Banega Ghumakkad- your favourite online contest is back! KBG-34 wants you to name the bud shown in the picture and its blooming time.

This one is so simple that there is no clue. Only clue is: look at the picture again!

Come on shoot fast. First three correct answers will be announced as Winners!

For first timers on KBG, you can respond on any of the channels below:

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Send email to hbindia@gmail.com
3. Respond on FB
4. Comment on Instagram @ghumakkadhb 
5. Send a WA message. If you want your WA number to be added to Ghumakkad's list, send an email.

The KBG Contest timing is chosen to suit most of the time zones across the world.

Hope we helped you in overcoming the lockdown boredom to some extent. KBG-33 which featured Foxtail Millet, evoked great response. All three winners were women.

Thanks for your participation which keeps KBG alive!

Stay home, stay safe.


   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/10th May 2020

#nature #plants #trees #naturephotography #travelisfun #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe #flowers

Bouncing Back in Lockdown

Feeling handcuffed in lockdown?
Emotionally stressed?
Physically overworked?

Take a cue from the Nature.

A small creeper in our yard shows us how to bounce back from emotional strain during the lockdown. Just three pictures shot over ten days convey the message.

Economic strain, however, will take longer time to heal. We need to keep going like the lauki लौकी creeper called bottle gourd or long melon in English!

You may browse our other stories on Covid-19 Lockdown by clicking the links listed below:

Every Day is a Sunday
Stay Home Stay Safe- learning from the kittens
Happiness during Lockdown is...
Corona- The Global Threat

Thanks for browsing and please stay safe.

   -Harsh-the-Ghumakkad/ 6th May 2020 with Neeta Bhargava

#lockdown #coronavirus #beattheboredom #stayhomestaysafe #enjoythelockdown #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #homebirding #earthishealing #plantsarebestgifts #covid19 #gardening #powerofobservation #bouncingback #nature #laukicreeper #emotionalstress ##keepgoing #bottlegourd #learningfromnature

Every Day Is A Sunday

"Every day is a Sunday"!
Seems wrong? Because we all learnt in the school that everyday is not a Sunday.
But the prevailing global lockdown has changed it! Lockdown has also changed many other things like our lifestyle, need and consumption, family-first, health-first and so on!
Now locked up at home, it seems that every day is indeed a Sunday!

Ask yourself.
Is every lockdown day not similar?
Chirping birds wake you up. Even in metro cities!
Dawn. Glorious glow in the sky.
No pollution. Bright sunrise.
Home birding.
Morning exercise, yoga and meditation.
Breakfast, cleaning the dishes.
Composting the garden and kitchen waste.
House cleaning, mopping, garden cleaning, pruning.
Laundry, drying, folding, stowage.
Protecting the plants from intense heat.
Lunch preparation, eating, dishes.
Rest a while.
Back to garden- watering.
Golf chipping, putting.
Home birding.
Dinner, dishes.
Stroll on the roof.
Reading, writing, painting, music, other hobbies & calling the friends and family.
* WA and surfing the net during the intervening slots.

However, many people start and end their lockdown day with the starred activity above! They eat, sleep and dream with WA!

Whichever way, the whole routine repeats.
Now you decide, does it matter whether it is Sunday or Monday?
Yes for those working from home, the weekends mean more relaxation. But for veterans like Ghumakkad, every day is a Sunday.

Even the Coppersmith Barbet seems to agree with me. Every morning it perches on the tall Ashoka tree in our yard. See the picture.

Coppersmith can be heard more than it can be seen. It has a metronomic call that sounds similar to a coppersmith striking metal with a hammer. Tok tok tok tok. Listen to the 30-seconds video clip below. You may have to jack up the volume a bit.

Sunday or no sunday, Coppersmith is always there. See more pictures below of both male and female birds. Like many other bird species, but quite unlike the humans, God has given more beauty and colour to the males! It is also called crimson-breasted barbet.

Some of the plants like Brahma Kamal which are planted in the beds, can not be moved during summer. Instead of erecting a permanent green mesh for shade, I prefer to use my golf umbrella. It becomes part of the daily routine. See the picture below.

Lockdown has created more happiness all around except for a blow to the economy. The Earth is healing. You may browse our earlier posts on Covid Lockdown by clicking the links below:
'Lockdown Is...'
Staying Safe- What the Kittens teach us
Corona The Global Threat

Hope you are enjoying another Sunday during the lockdown.
Stay home stay safe.

Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 3rd May 2020

#lockdown #coronavirus #beattheboredom #stayhomestaysafe #enjoythelockdown #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #homebirding #gardening #cooking #homegrownveggies #golfchippingathome #earthishealing #plantsarebestgifts #covid19 #sunday #everydayisasunday #coppersmithbarbet #powerofobservation

Stay Home Stay Safe

Who doesn’t need safety?
We human beings need safety and protection from fire, floods, extremes of weather and the like.
Nations need safety and security on many fronts namely economy, energy, food, water and health.
And more recently, humankind needs safety from Covid-19. Not just individuals, families, nations but the whole world!
Covid has taught us Stay Home Stay Safe.

What if you don’t have a home?
Two kittens, few days old, gave us the answer. Make the earth your home. See them cozying up in the window grill in our verandah in Secunderabad India. Their determined effort and dealing with the unknown, prompted me to write this story.

They felt safe in the confines of the metal grill on one side and the glass on the other. Of course their furry bodies touching each other, added to their security.

Covid-19 has forced us to stay home to stay safe.
While at home, observe the world around you and enjoy the lockdown. You may like to browse our recent story titled ‘Lockdown is..’

Once again, stay home stay safe folks.
Thanks for browsing.

    - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/ 26th April 2020

#lockdown #coronavirus #beattheboredom #stayhomestaysafe #enjoythelockdown #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #homebirding #gardening #golfchippingathome #earthishealing #plantsarebestgifts
#kittens #explore #makeahome #staytogether #courage #unknownfrontiers

Identify KBG-33

You would have seen it.
For sure.
Grows abundantly.
In larger part of the globe.
All Nature lovers, this one is specially for you.
KBG-33 is here. Your favourite online contest Kaun Banega Ghumakkad.
Shoot!

Actually this one doesn't need any clue.
But here is another visual for you.

Come on shoot fast. First three correct answers will be announced as Winners!

For first timers on KBG, you can respond on any of the channels below:

1. Leave a comment on this post
2. Send email to hbindia@gmail.com
3. Respond on FB
4. Comment on Instagram @ghumakkadhb 
5. Send a WA message. If you want your WA number to be added to Ghumakkad's list, send an email.

The KBG Contest timing is chosen to suit most of the time zones across the world.

Hope we helped you in overcoming the lockdown boredom to some extent. KBG-32 which featured a 3D painting in Stanford Museum of Art USA, evoked slow but prolonged response. Probably Google didn't help much. That's why there was only one winner.

Thanks for your participation which keeps KBG alive!

Stay home, stay safe.


   - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/18th April 2020

#nature #plants #trees #naturephotography #travelisfun #funwithtravel #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #KBG #kaunbanegaghumakkad #onlinecontest #powerofobservation #lockdownfunathome #beatthecorona #lockdown #stayhomestaysafe

Lockdown Is ...

"How did Ghumakkad the wanderer survive being locked down?"
"No hiking, no travelling, no golfing, no swimming?"
"No safari in Wildlife Parks?"
 "Didn't you feel stifled?"

These questions and more came from many friends. Yes, Ghumakkad also followed the 'stay home stay safe' dictum like all of you. However, Ghumakkad managed to live the lockdown in an enjoyable manner. Free of anxiety, tension and boredom. How? Read on.

This post is a series of pictures and videos with the theme 'Lockdown is ...". All shot during last three weeks in the confines of our home in Secunderabad India. Many of you did much more during the lockdown. Feel free to share a picture or two of your activities. We will keep appending to this story.

Lockdown Is ...
Feeling the adrenaline when a 90-year old applauds the Corona Warriors.

You can see my mother-in-law using her puja bell to applaud the Corona Warriors in the short video clip below.

Gardening and its thrills

Learning to Cook

Teaching On-line
Ghumakkad conducted online classes for his PGDM students during the lockdown. It was a great experience. A glimpse.

Old Pastimes

The next thing to do was connect online. Online tambola became a regular affair at 10 AM IST to suit both India and US time zones.

Ansh, our eldest grandson who is learning to play piano shared his recent piece. Enjoy the short video recorded during the lockdown. He is so humble that he doesn't want the camera on himself!

Like all Fauzis, we love our shoes! See the picture below.

Power of a Flower

Eating Grapes

Telangana Govt Initative

Super Moon

Wild Grass

Home Birding

We are blessed to have many species in our enclave. Sitting in our verandah, we could see Purple Sunbirds, Golden Oriole, Indian Robin, Ashy Prinia, Red Vented Bulbuls, Asian Koel, Spotted Dove, Silverbill Munia, Scaly Breasted Munia, Bea Eaters, Black Drongo, White Browed Wagtail and few more. However, am not including the pictures to avoid clutter. Instead am sharing two video clips. The first clip is the musical call of a Golden Oriole.

The next clip of just 4 seconds is of an Indian Robin who had nested in our bird house in the verandah.

You may browse our earlier story by clicking the link 'Friendly Munias'.

Golf Chipping

For my golfing buddies, here is a short video clip of chipping practice at home.

Earth is Healing

Hope this story helped you to beat the lockdown boredom. Do share your pictures to add to the story.

When will Ghumakkad get back to the Golf course to enjoy the magical dawn?

Or, when will we see a movie in our open air theatre at RSI again?

All we can say, it will happen soon!
Together we shall overcome and emerge stronger.
Stay home and stay safe.
Enjoy the lockdown like we did.

Special thanks to Neeta for taking my pictures and to all the friends who had gifted plants which continue to thrive in our small garden. Grateful indeed.

Thanks for browsing

     - Harsh-the-Ghumakkad with Neeta Bhargava/15th April 2020
#lockdown #coronavirus #beattheboredom #stayhomestaysafe #enjoythelockdown #ghumakkadhb #ghumakkadharsh #homebirding #gardening #wildflowers #wildgrass #cooking #homegrownveggies #golfchippingathome #earthishealing #plantsarebestgifts