The Wings of Fantasy.......

Anyone capable of thinking, fantasize of FLYING......

IF I COULD FLY............

Birds are the gifted ones; they start flying as soon they grow out of infancy. Some of them fly at great heights, some of them fly only in night, some of them fly across the oceans and travel from one continent to another etc. etc. etc............  So much of fantastic, wonderful & surprising facts.

But there is another small inhabitat of this planet who symbolises fantasy. A very cute, short lived, beautiful winged creature called Butterfly.

Tawny Coaster

Not only they do fly, their colourful wings shower dream, such are the colours and designs of their small wings.



I find them one of the most cute and beautiful creations of our Nature.


They are everywhere but at the sametime are very illusive. One need to look out for them.


I remember, in our childhood, when there used to be shrubs in the neighbourhood (some of them also used to turn into small swamps in the Rainy seasons), we had many Butterflies.

Lime Butterfly

Now a days, Butterflies are not seen much in our neighbourhoods, thanks to urbanisation. These lovely restless beauties do not like the Urban ambience.


They require lots of plants around them; not only plants, flowering plants. Butterflies are the main agent of Pollination in Plants.


During my many trips to National Parks, Bird Sanctuaries, Rain forests etc. I found quite a lot of Butterflies of different species.


First time I shot butterfly, it was in the Theosophical Society of India Campus in Chennai. I got mesmerised by the movements of some 30/ 40 butterflies around a small shrub. Grammertically, you are supposed to shoot Butterfly with a Macro lens. But from the first day till now, I shoot them with my normal lenses.

Rustic Butterfly

Some Butterflies also do migrate like Migratory birds. Some Indian species also do this.


Some 60 Indian Species of Indian Butterflies migrate out of which 44 species are in Western Ghats. This migration happens twice in an year and covers distance upto 350-500km. between Wstern Ghats and Plains/ Eastern Ghats.


Many butterflies migrate over long distances. Particularly famous migrations are those of the Monarch Butterfly from Mexico to Northern USA and Southern Canada, a distance of about 4000 to 4800km. Other well known migratory species are painted Lady & several Danaine Butterflies.

Chocolate Pansy

There are total 15000 to 20000 species of butterflies exist worldwide.


Artistic depictions of butterflies are found in many cultures including Egyptian hieroglyphs 3500 years ago. In the ancient Mesoamerican city of Teotihuacan, the brilliantly colored image of the butterfly was carved into many temples, buildings, jewellery and was also emblazoned on Incense Burners.



Butterflies are generally identified with love. In Chinese culture, two Butterflies flying together symbolises Love. In India, a butterfly supposed to bring love with it, to a person whom it touches.

African Babul Blue

Coming back to my experience with Butterflies, so far, I had the best time shooting Butterflies was in Tadoba. It was a a very hot day of May when we reached Tadoba Tiger Reserve. I noticed some very nice looking Butterflies in the Garden of our Hotel. With the temperature hovering around 45deg. Celcius, I went on chasing them around the shrubs and ended up with some really good images before we went for the afternoon Safari.



Butterflies being cold blooded creature, the ideal time for shooting them is early morning when they are less active and are found basking in the Sun. Once they become warm, as the day progress, they become very active in fluttering from one folwer to another.




Plain Orange Tip

I envy those who have the privilege of working in Nature, surrounded by beautiful creatures like Butterflies. I am sure to acquire a macro lens very soon and see the world of small creatures through this lens. Until then......