Latest view of my home

I went opposite my home where a new construction is going on.. may be a small shopping complex. I climbed to the top and had this view on that winter morning.. notice the mist on top of the tiled roof of our house. The builders of the complex had chopped down a tree that was to have blocked my view from here to make way for their entrance. Chopping trees for such foolish reasons makes me sad! But I can't help when Nature's fury does so as it did a couple of days ago in the storm -- many trees came down crashing, crashing vehicles under the branches, pulling down electric poles and wires and did such damage.

Perhaps in 1911 when it was built, there were no trees around this house, except for a couple of houses and a tree here and there in that old road.

"Progress" (buildings) sure can be ugly sometimes. My town has bulldozed over many a tree in the last few years to put in apartment complexes, shopping centers ect. it is sad to see the trees and the habitat that was once there disappear. Your home looks to have much character, love those older homes!

I'm very fortunate to live in a city that tags trees and makes builders adapt to nature instead of the other way around! Sometimes it gets a little dicey, though, and we wind up saving trees that are dangerous to humans in a hurricane! Still, it is always such a shame to see cost of building concerns triumph over beauty...
Losing that tree, coupled with that theft of the tree you mentioned, must leave you faintly heartbroken...
But what a pretty home! Thank you for sharing this photo with us...

Ah, cool..nice house you have there...thanks for showing us...Sure is a treat...what other countries..look like....

Smiles. Diana

Lovely home, Dinu. Such a gracious architechtural style. Full of memories with its own
personality. Yuska

How long has that home been owned by your family, Dinu? I always like to see pictures of it.

I love your home Dinu. It looks huge from the picture.

Ah, yes, it's a big building, almost qualifying to be called a 'bungalow'. My friends sometimes call it 'your palace'! Our family lived there from 1911 till 1950. It was rented in 1950 to my grandfather's friend whose family spent 47 years there till we asked them to vacate for us. So, after repairs in 1997, we moved in here. Though it is a bit tough to maintain this big structure, I'm managing somehow. I feel lucky to have open spaces like that - all gardeners by nature like that, dont' they? Not all are lucky either! I hate paved areas! I like to dig soil, dig the earth, make my hands dirty.

People say that it is built according to Vaastu http://astrology.indiainfo.com/vaastu/index.shtml the equivalent of feng shui. True to this beleif, there seems to have been good health to all residents in general and prosperity and there have been very few deaths that have taken place. People visiting us are amazed to see the high roof -tiled. Tax too is a burden, lately. We need to pay some tax for the open spaces also. But I might argue, that we are supplying oxygen to the environment and should be exempted from this! But then, I sound foolish in the administrators' minds! Given a chance, I'll argue that way.

What a great house, Dinu! I have to smile at your use of the word "bungalow." Although the term is original to your country, the meaning changed over here and usually refers to a small house. I would have to agree with your friends - your home is nearly a palace!

Dinu...Like GW I always love to see pictures of your home...and I would LOVE to come have tea with you and your family!! How many square feet is in the house? Jo

How beautiful!! You are very fortunate for have been born into such a family. May you always have health and prosper.

Judy

Thank you very much, friends. Yes indeed, I'm fortunate to be in this family. You are all welcome to visit whenever you are in this part of the world... have tea and more, in my garden.... "Dinu's Garden". I' so proud to say that because DG has changed the way I garden and it has been a wonderful association with all the nice people I meet here. I'm probably going through a beautiful phase of my gardening career right now.... knowledge is increasing by the day. I'm enjoying every minute I spend here. Hats off!

The total area is about 10,000 sft.

10,000 Sq Ft! Folks...Dinu has a HOTEL! LOL Jo

I too, love historic houses and work in historic preservation. We just designated 2 houses in our town as local historic landmarks. Took years to get the government and property owners to learn the rules and adopt the ordinaces.
Yep, 10,000 square feet would definitely allow the house to be a bed and breakfast here. I will try to post a picture of the 2 h ouse we designated later today.

Dinu, your "palace" is gorgeous.....
I would love to drop in for tea....

You are all welcome my dear friends - the internet has mede the world small, haven't it? So I'm not far away, just half way round the earth! You need not have to go a full round, LOL. Yes, please do drop in anytime for tea and you will be delighted in my "DG". There are three rooms upstairs and this week it will be painted white. So the sooner you come, the fresher and newer the house looks - inside at least. Those are the rooms you see on the right side there that is getting the much needed coat of paint.

WS,
I wonder if such a thing 'really' existed - designating heritage homes. They shout a lot here but nothing that is done is noticed! That is the sad part. Instead, they tax heavily. From the last couple of years we are paying tax even for open spaces. This is nothing but swindling.

Dinu

We give half off the property taxes here, if you have your house designated. But you have to promise to maintain the architectural character of the exterior, at least. In some cases, the interior is also designated because of features such as fine fireplace mantles, magnificent stairwells, or other architectural elements that are worthy of preservation.
If the owner or anyone he sells the house to, makes a non-matching addition or does something stupid like adding vinyl siding or windows, then they have to pa y 3 years back taxes and they lose the historical designation.
What makes this work is the building permit that you have to get to build a house or make major changes or additions. The house will have a red flag (some kind of marker) on its paperwork at the building permit office. The owner or his construction company will have to bring his plans for review by our historic commission. We will look them over and if the work does not encroach on the historic integrity of the structure, we give him a "certificate of appropriateness."
If his plans are bad for the historic property, we try to work with them to alter their plans. The owner has to have a "certificate of appropriateness" in order to get the building permit. In the end, however, if they are determined to destroy or alter the building too much, we can only hold them up for a year.

What a wonderful house Dinu. I would love to come and visit. Maybe some day when time and money allow. I would love to travel and see people. Tax can be a burden. We have a small house and lot so not to bad for us. Our house is only 740 sq feet on our flour and the basement and garage we ridid for my mom is around another 650 sq feet. We love love it though. It's just the right size for us.

Dinu, what a remarkable home, and I love to hear your family's history in it! Wow, 10,000 square feet, it certainly does look that large. Is this the house that your grandfather built (referred to on another thread)?

Okay the rest of you, we have to get together some kind of charter tour to go see Dinu's Garden & Palace! Dinu, you won't mind about 40 or 50 of us "stopping by", will you? :-)

Woodspirit,
I'm so glad to hear about your state's support for heritage structures, even interiors! That is pretty good indeed. How I wish things like that existed in reality here. There are so many, so many here and a good lot of historical ones are demolished for no valid reason. Some have even given rise to controversies. The administrators say a lot of maintaining heritage, but do less for the cause. I'm surprised that even interiors can be protected like that. For such a provision of law, people should cooperate fully, else, the old beauties will disappear.

Howie,
I'm glad you are living in a plot and abode that are just the right size. You are welcome to our home. I say home, because it is different from the 'house'. A house is the physical aspect. A home is much more! Don't you agree?

Maggiemoo,
Mysore is getting a new airport in the next few years - it is on the cards. But the present airport is at Bangalore, 90 miles near. So, you can think of a chartered flight and visit our place! I don't mind 40-50 DG-ers stopping by my home. IT could be the best thing that could happen! And there is a lot more to see in and around Mysore. Y'day's local paper carried the headline "Tourists flock Mysore" referring to the number that visited in the past one year - a grand rise was noticed, esp. to the legendary Mysore Palace. Yes, it was the house I wrote about in another thread - built by my greatgrandfather.

Dinu

It is a pleasure meeting such as delightful person such as yourself....and your family. In this world where families are broken up and homesteads sold, (such as mine) that we get to see a "Home" carried on from generation to generation. In my weird sort of way, I believe that a house becomes the people who live there....If there is happiness/peace/good health it will continue and if there be sadness, likewise.....Just my thoughts....

Anyway....enjoy. it is beautiful but I realize a big responsibility...have fun in the garden..

Hap

And after visiting Dinu's Palace you all are welcome here in my home. In a single trip you can enjoy the beauty of two countries. How is this offer?
Kaleem

I can see a DG WORLD TOUR taking shape...LOL Wouldn't that be wonderful! Jo

If anyone can organize it, it would be you Jo.....and be sure to make turkey a stop too.....

I would love to go to India/Pakistan, a firend of mine just told me they are planning a trip to India for Christmas, and asked if i wanted to go with...i would have jumped at the chance, but my son comes home then, i cant miss the only time i have with him...but i might think of january or february... the schools here have a 15 day break in february, i was thinking to go to egypt, but India might be an option, i have another friend who goes to India every year during the 15 day holidya....We'll see
so, Jo, if you organize a trip, plan it for february.......first come to turkey, then we cn all go from here to India, then Pakistan.....

Pebble....Ursula is planning a great International Round Up...she is the one that is good at this. Jo

We need to hire an airbus that will pick each of us up...

Dinu, you can't expect government to preserve the heritage alone. They don't see the profit in it. But that is foolish because heritage tourism is such a big business. The best thing to do is start organizing a non-profit group committed to preserving these places. Eventually it will grow large enough to put pressure on the government to inact some ordinances to designate historic properties. In our area, our local government now has the right to designate structures by ordinanace. Designated property owners get half off their property taxes.
But of course, an ordinace is no good without some way to enforce it. So, these properties are "tagged" at the tax assesors office, in the deed room and (most importantly) at the building permit office. If you go to get a permit to work on the house, you first have to bring your plans to the Historic Preservation Commission, who reviews and offers advice to keep the changes "in keeping" with the rest of the house . I sit on just such a comission. Then we give them a "certificate of appropriateness" so they can go on with their project.
However, if they want to do something inappropriate or even demolish the property, we can hold them up for a year by law, and then they have to pay back 3 years' taxes.
All this gets started with a grass roots effort, usually in one area like Mysore. You should get a group going of people who care about their old homes or other buildings. You may see a "ground swell" of interest.

Woodspirit,
Thanks for the valuable suggestion. The idea is good. But I'm afraid such good things will not take flight in our present administrative set up. I'm sorry to say corruption dominates and also given the poor attitudes of those in power, it wont be easy for people who really are interested in saving the heritage. There are a few who are belonging to this group, but they have had troubles convincing them. As a result, the old structures are going to debris. People are unable to save it. Another thing is that the family grows and the heirs divide the shares after a few decades. So a situation arises when they have to sell the property. This way many have gone. Considering the density of houses it becomes another problem for the administration to handle. Perhaps in your area, there is not much density and such designations are helpful to the owner. Not here. The administration wants a monetory benefit for anything it does and it is usually exhorbitant, much to the owner's discomfort and so things don't work. So, people tend to sail with the tide, rather forced to. But I will try to discuss [although I'm a poor oral communicator] the matter with one or two who are in an organization that functions to help the community. I'm sure there are people like-minded, but the administration itself is a huge boulder to cross!

Hey friends,
Turkey, India, Pakistan...... are we dreaming of friends stopping by my garden in the near future!

Dinu

Except in the cities, no, I don't think our population density is as bad as it is in India. While most people don't realize this, India is quite large but not as large as the U.S. Also, most families are smaller here with 2 or 3 children.
Our administration now won't help out much either. Nor do they wish to contribute money to the arts programs, Public Television and National Public Radio. All they care about is $$$. They would cut all moneys for the enviroment too. I hope we have a big change in the administration here as soon as the next elections come up.

Oh, is it? That is a little surprising to me how things are changing there too. It is the craving for $$ that is crippling the attitudes of healthy progress. The pressure to make $$ is created not out of necessity, but from other undesirable factors, don't you think so? When elections approach, they try to make new stunts to please the public.

I think America has always had great entrepeneurs, and still retains a feel for our "pioneer" background. However, we seem to be undergoing another generation of "robber barons." Too few people with too much money controlling e verything. As Benjamin Franklin once said (he was a brilliant patriot and one of the writers of our Constitution) "democracy is the most free form of government but demands the most scrutiny."

your house looks very peaceful What do you grow in your garden?

Oh, wouldn't a world tour be marvelous? I envy those going to visit Ursula in Chili this October, too! http://davesgarden.com/forums/t/489195/

I'll bet if we all tossed in some money, we could buy a DG airbus...

Who wants to fly it?

I saw that thread by Ursula about the Chile expedition. And I envied those who will be touring. This is a unique group that visits gardens, of all places!

Woodspirit, what you say is true to our context as well. If not for B.Farnklin's wisdom, you would never have spoken of him today. Yes, he was a real patriot. There are many leaders here too, but those names are all from the past, who qualify for this. I am of the opinion, that a great majority just show off as being one, but not really at heart - perhaps the pressures from other angles are masking it!

Dinu

I think that's true.