Somewhere in McLeod Ganj....
A couple of monks with a friend were roaming around, the monks were bored, the friend was trying to click a selfie! It was a moment, just asking to be caught on camera!
People-Watching is fun, though not as much to click them, at least for me! However, when they are so engrossed in their own selves, and least bothered about who is watching... or clicking... them, I sometimes give in to the impulse and capture them on my camera!
What do you think of this photo? I would [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
- Some Thoughts and Information
You have read about all the animals and birds we saw at Tadoba, and our trysts with the tigers. Most of you have been asking for information about booking of safaris and accommodation. I chose to keep the earlier posts free of information, and just about my experiences, so here is one final, detailed post before I end the Tadoba series, with a few of my thoughts and some information which may help you plan your own trip. So, Read on.....
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
Amritsar wasn’t on the original itinerary for our #SummerTrip. The city was added to our plan simply because we were delayed in booking Shankar’s return flight, and the only convenient one available was from Amritsar! It was then that realization dawned – that Shankar had never visited the Golden Temple! Plans were at once re-modified, tickets booked, and I began to look forward to my third visit to the city!
Somewhere on the way to Amritsar...
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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The steep walls of the fort tower over us, and we strain our necks to get a better view. The car winds its way steadily upwards, and we walk into the imposing gates. Our stop at the Kangra Fort is meant to be a short one, tired as we are. As it turns out, the fort and its stories have us enthralled, and we lose track of time!
The Kangra Fort, as seen from the road, with a temple on the hill behind
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Passing via Kangra Railway Station en route to the Kangra Fort, it was impossible for us to simply pass by, without taking a closer look.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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“Kehte hain, Pandavon ne yeh mandir banaya tha” (They say, that it was the Pandavas who built these temples), says the ASI guide, at the Rock Cut Cave Temples of Masroor. I look at him, askance, expecting a bit more information than that. “But some other king would have rebuilt the temples” I insist, trying not to override his mythological beliefs, hoping to get some historical information. He shrugs, clearly knowing nothing more, and turns instead to show us some of the depictions of deities he does [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Nestled within a copse of towering Deodar trees , the Church of St. John in the wilderness stays true to its name. As we walk into the gates and approach the church from the busy road leading to McLeod Ganj, the silence is marked – a much needed respite from the honking of cars stuck in a traffic jam outside. The church comes into view, shadowed by the trees, lit by a few rays of light escaping the green canopy.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Yes, you read that right. This post is indeed about bathing a sheep. Not elephants, which we travel far and wide and pay to bathe! Not cows and buffaloes which we see bathing everywhere! But this post is about sheep. Have you ever bathed a sheep or seen someone bathing a flock of sheep? We did, while roaming around Dharamsala. The sight was captivating enough to make us want to stop, much to the surprise of our driver! What was so interesting about it? First, that they were bathing sheep! Second, it seemed [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Our first encounter with the Tiger at Tadoba came after a long wait, but it was a memorable one. Read all about it here before you read on.
Our hopes were high the next day, but the clouds continued to hover, and the tigers remained hidden. Once again, we alternately rushed through different parts of the jungle, and waited at water holes and ponds. No tiger appeared. Drivers we passed had suggestions, but none had sighted one yet. Our guide decided to make a second round of the water holes, and at one, [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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We were on our way to a temple, with a hot spring. "It is a nice temple" assured our driver. "It won't be crowded at all." The single bus standing outside the tiny temple should have warned us, but we didn't pay attention till it was too late. The shrine, and the spring, were filled with people - who stared as we walked in. It was an unnerving experience, and we rushed to get out. A flash of white on a tree diverted me, and I hurried to see what it was. It turned out to be an Egyptian [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
This weekend promises to be a hectic one for me, and I am sure you have plans too. Therefore, instead of something for you to read, I have a photo post for you... These were clicked when we went for a walk in a Tea Estate in Dharamsala. The sight of greenery against the backdrop of the mountains, birds, butterflies and flowers never fails to inspire me, and I hope they will inspire you too!
It was supposed to be a Tea Plantation walk, but the first thing we saw were roses!!! lots of them!
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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McLeod Ganj and Dharamsala are now synonymous with the Dalai Lama. Our knowledge about him or Tibet was sketchy at best, which is why our highest priority during the Dharamsala trip was to see if we could learn something more. Our first stop at McLeod Ganj was therefore, the Dalai Lama temple and the Tibet Museum.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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“Aapko mandir nahi jaana? Theek hai, mat jaiye. Par waterfall dekhne to jaiye! (You don’t want to go to the temple? that’s ok, but at least go to see the waterfall)” insisted our driver as he dropped us off at the parking lot of the Bhagsu Nag Temple. The three of us walked slowly along the narrow path, paying more attention to the stalls that lined it, Samhith grumbling that we had just started our trip, and were already breaking rule no. 1. “No Temples”.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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From the jungles of Tadoba in Nagpur , Maharashtra, our Summer Trip next took us to the foothills of the Dhauladhar ranges in Dharamsala, Himachal Pradesh. We spent a little over three days in Dharamsala, driving around, exploring the region, with just one caveat – no temples; at least, not big, popular, crowded ones. That was a promise we had made to Samhith, since this was part of his birthday trip! Much as I enjoy visiting temples, this was one decision we did not regret, since there was so much more to [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
Now that I have written about Rishikesh, it is time for me to take a break... and write about random stuff for a while, before getting back to my #summertrip. To begin with, let me share with you, as part of Skywatch Friday, a beautiful sunrise at Tadoba....
We were awaiting our turn to enter the buffer zone of Tadoba, when the sun appeared, over the rim of the trees.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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A lantern hung on the branch of a tree , its pale glow just enough to find our way around. Our host rushed to light the fire, and details emerged from the darkness – the neatly whitewashed house, with a pretty garden around, a water pump, the kind I hadn’t seen in years, wickerwork chairs that reminded me of my grandparents’ house, and a pair of care-takers, busy whipping up dinner for us. However, there was just one thing that Samhith noticed – the old fashioned charpoy (wooden bed) on the lawn! [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Driving through the mountains , I looked out eagerly for my first glimpse of the river. A sharp turn, and the bluish green waters came into sight. I asked the driver to stop, and he did, a little later, at a convenient spot. I just had to get off, and stare at her. Unbidden, tears sprang into my eyes, and I brushed them away hastily. It was an emotional moment, after all, I was setting eyes on the Ganges in Rishikesh, after a gap of over 25 years!
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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“Amma, you missed a fort!” cried Samhith. We were on our way from Pathankot to Dharamsala, and I had somehow fallen into a deep sleep. I was still groggy, but the word ‘fort’ was enough to wake me up. Or maybe it was the enthusiasm in his voice. He went on, describing how big it looked, and how it stood atop a hill, and all I thought was – I didn’t know there was a fort here! “Had you heard of the Nurpur Fort?” added Shankar, intruding into my thoughts, and I shook my head. For the first time, [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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Criss-crossing the jungle in search of the tiger, it was birds that we most often came across. I have already written about some of the birds we saw, but there were so many more, that I decided that a photo-post was in order, to show you just how many there are! And these are just the few I managed to capture on camera... there were many, many more, that I didn't.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
There is something about mountains that inspires devotion. Maybe it is the thought that they reach out to the skies, and are our connection to the heavens. Yet, the temples we build, are but specks against the backdrop of mighty mountains such as these.....
We saw this small temple with the Dhauladhar Ranges in the background, from the top of the Kangra Fort.
It was a beautiful sight, a lot more impressive than my camera managed to capture, and it reinforced the thought of how small we were, [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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I am back, after two whole weeks offline! It has been rather difficult to get back to writing, with so many thoughts churning inside my head, but, making a monumental effort, here I am, continuing with the last place I wrote about before I left – the Masroor Rock Cut Temples .
We saw this image at Masroor , and neither the guide, nor friends I asked after I returned, had any clue as to who it was. The figure looks male, but what about the side faces? Those were definitely not human! I had seen something [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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At the Masroor rock cut temples , while I was trying to identify all the deities, Samhith was busy elsewhere. He had spotted a lizard on one of the rocks, and spent the rest of his time trying to follow it, and see just how many there were!
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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We were just entering the main complex at Norbulingka, when my eyes fell on this man....
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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The reflection of the Tibetan styled building seemed to shimmer in the water – the vibrant reds a striking contrast against the greenery, and the blue of the sky. We had seen many such structures over the last few days at Dharamsala. Yet, this was an image that captured my attention. My camera didn’t seem to share my enthusiasm for the sight, but I persevered. And this is the best I was able to do….
Have I been able to capture the essence of the beauty I saw that day? It is for you to say.
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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We first caught a brief glimpse of the bird at the Aghanjar Mahadev Temple. The temple had been disappointing, but the stream behind had more than made up for it. We were walking back to the car, when a harsh call and a flash of blue alerted us that there was a bird nearby. A big one. Gone were thoughts of getting back to the car and to our next destination. Samhith and I were completely focused on identifying the elusive bird. It took us a while to spot it properly, and when we did, I recognized it as the [...] |
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September 18, 2015 09:54 PM (IST)
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