There, in a meadow, by the river’s side, A flock of nymphs I chanced to espy, All lovely daughters of the flood thereby, With goodly greenish locks, all loose untied ̴ Edmund Spenser Mother Ganga and the wilderness There were no meadows by the side of the majestic Ganges. There was divinity and a heavenly … More Nature, Spirituality & Emancipation: Fascinating Lakshman Jhula
Purushottam Lord Rama, the emperor of Sapta Sindhu and his three brothers Lakshman, Bharat and Shatrughna were meditating. The lush green mountains, the chirping birds, the gurgling hymn of the Bhagirathi and Alakananda and the very presence of Lord Rama, the incarnate of Vishnu made the aura heavenly and special. Lord Rama and Prince Lakshman … More Mesmerizing Devaprayag
Through the window pane, between the curling orchid spaces twinning all the way up along the bark of the gigantic deodar, I could see the Sun enchanting the first lights of the day over the green mountains that lay in front of me. There was an aura of the chilled morning breeze and the … More Landour Unplugged
Prologue “The castle is on the very edge of a terrible precipice. A stone falling from the window would fall a thousand feet without touching anything! As far as the eye can reach is a sea of green tree tops….” My trance of the horror was cut short by the doorbell and it was none … More A Night in Castle Naggar
“See the mountains kiss high heaven..and the waves clasp one another..” The melodious quote of Percy Shelley and Hutchinson was haunting my mind as my gaze went towards the narrow gorge of the Parvati river dancing down the now visible spectacular valley. We were en-route for Kasol on a tourist cab hired from Bhuntar bus … More Kasol Calling
Prologue The beast roared furiously for the last time before thudding onto the already shaking iron bridge. I was skeptical and anxious whether I would be able to balance myself. The hanging iron bridge was shaking back and forth, yet the beast was strong enough to balance its speeding velocity and we were on the … More Rise of a Beast Rider
Prologue We had literally erased the very thought of Durga Puja celebrations during the last four days of continuous road trips in and around the high mountains and virgin valleys of Ladakh. Khardungla had taken our breadth away, we dared not to complain! Nubra had mesmerized us with its vibrant shades. The Leh Palace..mysterious and … More Dussera and the Leh Palace
Prologue Norman Maclean had quoted “Eventually, all things merge into one, and a river runs through it”. Our country has been gifted by several mighty rivers that had shaped the dawn of civilization. The mighty Indus or the Sindhu had a crucial role to the emergence of our subcontinent as one of the most powerful … More Rendezvous with the Mighty Indus
Prologue Rabindranath Tagore had once quoted “We live in a world when we love it.” Perhaps my perception towards his views would have remained incomplete, if I would not have spent those valuable four hours at the 31st International Crafts Mela 2017, at Surajkund, Haryana. 34th Surajkund International Crafts Mela, 2020 31st International Craft Mela … More Artfully Mesmerizing Surajkund Mela
Prologue The beauty of Ladakh had not only mesmerized tourists and explorers from around the world it had been one of the prized shooting destinations of blockbuster Bollywood flicks. Movies like 3 Idiots, Lakshya, Jab Tak Hai Jaan had been immortalized by amazing shots taken in various parts of Ladakh. Among these movies the fame … More Memoirs of Rancho’s School
Prologue “If you are brave enough to say goodby, life will reward you with a new hello…” Paulo Coelho’s words were ringing like a bell in my thoughts. Mesmerized by the sheer Godliness of the Maitreya Buddha temple, I hardly had any words to express myself. The Maitreya Buddha Probably I had surrendered my soul … More A Monastery, the Indus & Me
Prologue We were on our downhill journey from the perpetual snow-land of the monumental Chang La. The severe cold inspite of the car heater and the tough road trip through the scary avalanche zones was already beginning to have toll on our near to be fatigued bodies. A Picture Post Card from Chemrey We were … More Memorable Moments at Thiksey Monastery
Prologue How will you feel when you stand and behold the vast whiteness of an amazing snow world with towering peaks surrounding you, chilled winds biting the very remains of comfort from your skin? Your breath gets held; you remain mesmerized in the amazing beauty of the Mother Nature!! Snow World..Chang La This is the … More Adieu Chang La
Prologue Ladakh is a land of formidable “La” (Mountain Passes) and heavenly “Tso” (Lakes). In our two day stay we had already raided the mighty Khardung La, seen the mysterious Nubra valley, traversed miles through the dangerous yet breathtaking Shyok basin before stepping into the lake world of Pangong Tso. But we had more adventures … More Roadtrip to Chang La from Pangong
Prologue The aura of the overnight camping at Pangong had a long lasting impression on all of us. Although we had comfortable sleeping bags and heavy blankets at our disposal, but with the lights being put off for the night, severe cold wave surrounded the camp completely. Pangong Tso…Amazing Morningscape… Hassan ji later informed us … More Morning in Camp Pangong
On the way to Durbuk from Shyok The adrenaline rush on the way to Shyok was not over. We had another long two hours ride before we could reach our destination Pangong Lake. We left Shyok town on a downhill ride, the road leading us into a gorge with walls of mountains guarding the narrow … More Roadtrip & Camping in Pangong Tso
Prologue The early morning was bathed with bright sunlight flooding the Nubra Valley. Every tree, bush, fresh blooms and the orchards of Hunder had adored their blissful colours shedding their overnight dullness. The surrounding rugged dark grey mountains look formidable in the brute elegance. A Fish Eye Shot of the Shyok Basin The immortal verses … More Breathtaking Shyok Safari
Prologue The verses of the noted Kashmiri poet & lyricist, Khwaja Habib was floating in my mind….. Ra’na zeba gulab ay, Shab-boy manziposh sonaposh dray, Karipatl ta sombalan kar gray, Madano kati canI jay? The rose has come, graceful and lovely, The tuberose, the balsam, and the Sonaposh have bloomed, The larkspur and the … More An evening in Nubra Valley
Prologue “…..Almost heaven, West Virginia, Blue Ridge Mountains, Shenandoah River. Life is old there, older than the trees, younger than the mountains, blowing like a breeze. Country roads, take me home to the place I belong….” Country Roads…Take Me Home…The Road Trip to Nubra Valley (Hunder Village) John Denver’s magical tunes were like a magical … More The Amazing Road Trip to Nubra Valley
Prologue John Keats had once commented “a thing of beauty is a joy forever.” The beauty of the brown mountains, lofty snowy peaks, blue lakes (“Tso”) and the breathtaking passes (“La”) had created an eternal aura of Mother Nature at her very best in Ladakh. Destination Khardung La Khardung La is one among the mighty mountain … More Raiding the Khardung La
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