tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-40740676286323034502024-03-19T15:41:56.307+05:30Travellers' Lens"The World is a book, and those who do not travel only read one page." - Saint Augustinetravellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-35612586779972657032013-07-13T11:00:00.000+05:302013-07-29T23:53:45.005+05:30Guide to Great Weekends : Melukote and Basaralu (near Mysore)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
During our recent weekend get-away to Mysore to visit the zoo, we also made two pit-stops en-route. Around 35 kms diversion from Mandya takes you to the first temple pit-stop, Melukote. A little trek up the Yaadavagiri hill bare-feet takes you to this 12th centuary Cheluvaranarayana Swamy temple which is regarding as a holy place of worship in south India.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of temple hill Yaadavagiri from the back-side </td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steps leading to the temple</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">view of the village below from the hill top</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Temple Gopura</td></tr>
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Another 25 kms from Melukote (off Mandya) lies another temple site. The Mallikarjuna temple at Basaralu was built in 13th centuary by the Hoysala kings and has an architecture adorned with emblems and themes common to the Hoysala architecture. Despite being marked a heritage site by the Archaeological Survey of India, this temple site is not very well-known. You may find yourselves alone admiring the beauty of this small temple, just like we did. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Entrance to the Mallikarjuna Temple at Basaralu</td></tr>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Typical Hoysala architecture in which the temple is built</td></tr>
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Whether you are a devotee or not, a visit to these temples does temporarily transfer your mind back to an era long gone. </div>
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travellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-10039943153905381502013-07-06T12:25:00.000+05:302013-07-14T15:41:54.815+05:30Guide to Great Weekends - Visit to Mysore zoo<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Last weekend we took off to Mysore for our two year old's first visit to the zoo. We had heard a lot about the zoo, and it didn't disappoint us at all. Its pretty big, with a wide variety of animals, well-maintained and very green! The weather was just right too!! <br />
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Some tips before you visit:<br />
1. Try to visit on a week-day to avoid the rush, although off-season is not so crowded. Tuesdays is off day. Tickets can be purchased online.<br />
2. On Sundays, the zoo opens at 12 noon, so be sure to be on time and have lots of time on hand (it took us almost 5 hours to walk around with some breaks of course)<br />
3. Plastic bottles attract a deposit that you need to pay at the gate which is refundable - a nice way of avoiding plastic waste lying around the zoo.<br />
4. There is only one refreshment center close to the exit so you may want to carry some re-fill. <br />
5. Remember not to litter. Cheers to the staff for maintaining the zoo really well - its by far the cleanest zoo I have come across in India.<br />
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Here are some visual treats from our visit:<br />
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If you are an animal lover or generally an enthu parent, Mysore zoo is a must see. <br />
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For animal lovers, the zoo has an adoption program that you may be interested in. Do check it out at this link: <a href="http://mysorezoo.info/adoption/">http://mysorezoo.info/adoption/</a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-82719833251148203212010-11-20T10:02:00.003+05:302010-11-20T10:06:22.959+05:30Bee-eater - Birds in the neighbourhood<div>During our last trip to our home in Pune, we were pleasantly surprised by the number and types of colourful winged creatures visiting the neighbourhood. These is just a glimpse of what we captured; regretted not having a super telephoto lens, but we hope you enjoy these clips anyway. </div><div><br /></div><div>We bring to you "Birds in the neighbourhood series" starting with the green bee-eater, in fact a family of bee-eaters.</div><div><br /></div><iframe width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uZL0vmhsER0?fs=1" frameborder="0"></iframe>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-33897473648350900482010-10-23T23:11:00.007+05:302011-06-07T20:45:18.892+05:30Himachal Pradesh<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">Just the name of the place, Himachal Pradesh, brings in front of your eyes lush green mountain slopes and valleys lined with tall coniferous trees and snow-capped peaks. It was just this that we wanted to capture just after we bought our Canon Powershot S2 IS camera. It was two of us, my friend Pankaj and me.<br /><br />Day 1 - We started from Hyderabad reaching Delhi some time late evening. We wanted to take a bus to Shimla from Delhi. When we reached the bus stand, we realized that the last bus for Shimla left at 9 pm and we were about an hour late. Instead of staying the night in Delhi, we decided to take a detour via Chandigarh. Delhi-Chandigarh is around 5 hours drive, and Chandigarh- Shimla another 5 hours...<br /><br />Day 2 - We reached Chandigarh at 3:00 in the morning and immediately got on to the bus to Shimla. The bus was supposed to start at 4 am. As soon as we got onboard both of us fell fast asleep only to wake up much later to face the bright morning sun. By that time, we could already see the mountain ranges of the Himachal. We got off at the next stop - Dharampur and bought ourselves tickets on the toy train to Shimla. You could also take a bus all the way up to Shimla, but the toy train is a very unique a must-do kind of thing. With alternating views of tall mountains and deep valleys, its really exquisite. Also its quite slow and there is plenty of room to walk around in the train (of course depending on what season you visit) giving you enough opportunity to go click clicking..<br />We reached Shimla at around 10 in the morning, checked into a hotel and a little while later were out driving in the taxi we'd hired to go to Kufri. Kufri is about 25 kms from Shimla and the last 2 kms need to be traveled either by foot or on horse-back. Kufri is a hill station about 2500 m high giving a great view of the scenic surroundings and snow-peaked mountains. During the right season, you could also get to enjoy "go-karting' and yak rides here. Needless to say we clicked a lot of pictures. On our way back to the hotel, we stopped in Shimla town to glance thru the Shimla valley, University, zoo and mall road for some shopping.<br /><br />Dense forest around Shimla<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlJiHnKwNI0/S7Akrcp5mBI/AAAAAAAAD5k/052vKYVyg5U/s1600/IMG_09051.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-tlJiHnKwNI0/S7Akrcp5mBI/AAAAAAAAD5k/052vKYVyg5U/s640/IMG_09051.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br />Shimla by night-time<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YXgyD3FGKsY/S7AkveeGheI/AAAAAAAAD50/Zf35XNsClPo/s1600/IMG_09631.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-YXgyD3FGKsY/S7AkveeGheI/AAAAAAAAD50/Zf35XNsClPo/s640/IMG_09631.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1VlPjvlgsc/S7AksNMnv_I/AAAAAAAAD5o/_9pz79R6z2k/s1600/IMG_09072.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Y1VlPjvlgsc/S7AksNMnv_I/AAAAAAAAD5o/_9pz79R6z2k/s640/IMG_09072.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br />Yak-ride is a must do in Shimla<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fx9w00Xw7Ys/S7AkuBzR_SI/AAAAAAAAD5s/_gxTMab5ZHY/s1600/IMG_09201.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-Fx9w00Xw7Ys/S7AkuBzR_SI/AAAAAAAAD5s/_gxTMab5ZHY/s640/IMG_09201.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Shimla University<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOUesSb45xk/S7Aku2hmENI/AAAAAAAAD5w/zWR93DANBTw/s1600/IMG_09431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-gOUesSb45xk/S7Aku2hmENI/AAAAAAAAD5w/zWR93DANBTw/s640/IMG_09431.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br /><br /><br />Day 3 - We took a bus to go to Manali. Its a 7-8 hour drive and totally picturesque all the way as you are travelling on the banks of river Biyaas for most of the drive. Unfortunately we could not stop the bus for some great shots. If you have your own transport, you might be able to get some cool shots on the way to Manali.<br /><br /><br /><br />Day 4 - We decided to go white water rafting in Biyaas river near Kulu. Here you will find Type 2 and 3 rapids. Unlike the rafting in Hrishikesh which is of type 4 and 5, this is relatively easier but you still have to manage to keeping rowing and maintain your balance to stay on the boat all the time. Its quite a roller coaster ride and for first time rafters, the rapids near Kulu may be a good practice ground before you may want to try the more difficult ones. We enjoyed the rafting experience nonetheless. On the way back to Manali from rafting, we stopped at Naggar (considered to the capital of Manali) to see the Naggar palace. This is a small yet beautiful palace with its exquisite stone and wood work. We also got to see the Hidimba temple and some other temples on the way back to the hotel.<br /><br /><br />Day 5 - We wanted to go to Rohtang pass, especially for the snow, but we were quite disappointed to know that the road to Rohtang was blocked due to bad weather. So we decided to go to Madhi instead. It was my first experience with snow. Here we tried our hand at skiing. On the way back we stopped at Solang valley which is a huge expanse of natural grass land along the valley slope. There are a few adventure sports available here. I decided to try my first experience with para-gliding.<br /><br />Manali<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq2yyo88NFw/S7Akw64-3SI/AAAAAAAAD54/RhyiumLQcbw/s1600/IMG_09941.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fq2yyo88NFw/S7Akw64-3SI/AAAAAAAAD54/RhyiumLQcbw/s640/IMG_09941.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br />Palace @ Naggar<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrgP04pKK6M/S7Akx4BDZwI/AAAAAAAAD6A/0s2jlnwNlvg/s1600/IMG_10041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-vrgP04pKK6M/S7Akx4BDZwI/AAAAAAAAD6A/0s2jlnwNlvg/s640/IMG_10041.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Madhi Panorama shot<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zr8U_oN72Cs/S7Alw7DCvnI/AAAAAAAAD-w/2dcNWQZCMEI/s1600/marhi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zr8U_oN72Cs/S7Alw7DCvnI/AAAAAAAAD-w/2dcNWQZCMEI/s640/marhi.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="102" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MKfGDZH8f1Y/S7AltowhrxI/AAAAAAAAD-s/kVf9BrUQeB8/s1600/IMG_4592.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MKfGDZH8f1Y/S7AltowhrxI/AAAAAAAAD-s/kVf9BrUQeB8/s640/IMG_4592.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pviXT5AL1y4/S7AlqCQMXhI/AAAAAAAAD-Y/RIhKRbPu78A/s1600/IMG_4545.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pviXT5AL1y4/S7AlqCQMXhI/AAAAAAAAD-Y/RIhKRbPu78A/s640/IMG_4545.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAkGO43OfWU/S7Alqw30-7I/AAAAAAAAD-c/34eGBnM8cKc/s1600/IMG_4548.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EAkGO43OfWU/S7Alqw30-7I/AAAAAAAAD-c/34eGBnM8cKc/s640/IMG_4548.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-doy-4M2I8X0/S7AlsBpJY1I/AAAAAAAAD-k/StU3UBhPG1k/s1600/IMG_4589.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-doy-4M2I8X0/S7AlsBpJY1I/AAAAAAAAD-k/StU3UBhPG1k/s640/IMG_4589.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGuea1suwKU/S7AlpSOAFMI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/tifYYaReMlM/s1600/IMG_4542.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QGuea1suwKU/S7AlpSOAFMI/AAAAAAAAD-Q/tifYYaReMlM/s640/IMG_4542.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OK7LuBLwQS4/S7Alo14UbBI/AAAAAAAAD-M/BxP2_CBcfLs/s1600/IMG_4539.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OK7LuBLwQS4/S7Alo14UbBI/AAAAAAAAD-M/BxP2_CBcfLs/s640/IMG_4539.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Solang valley<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vL5EWGQPjTw/S7Ak8uYmT5I/AAAAAAAAD64/_R_YKruzaUU/s1600/IMG_1076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-vL5EWGQPjTw/S7Ak8uYmT5I/AAAAAAAAD64/_R_YKruzaUU/s640/IMG_1076.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Origin of Beas River<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_OzYFeZ9ng/S7Ak71WB48I/AAAAAAAAD6w/rtDCisGa2rQ/s1600/IMG_10591.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-R_OzYFeZ9ng/S7Ak71WB48I/AAAAAAAAD6w/rtDCisGa2rQ/s640/IMG_10591.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br />Madhi<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTyzBj1_Mp8/S7Ak5kIjbuI/AAAAAAAAD6s/FyIG2YzJQuw/s1600/IMG_10431.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-jTyzBj1_Mp8/S7Ak5kIjbuI/AAAAAAAAD6s/FyIG2YzJQuw/s640/IMG_10431.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="418" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHq3MFKudjo/S7Ak4ooqb9I/AAAAAAAAD6o/VGCu3oatwIo/s1600/IMG_10391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SHq3MFKudjo/S7Ak4ooqb9I/AAAAAAAAD6o/VGCu3oatwIo/s640/IMG_10391.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="444" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F8srpDvt8o4/S7Ak3zxd5lI/AAAAAAAAD6k/E_Xa9gSoeSc/s1600/Bias.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-F8srpDvt8o4/S7Ak3zxd5lI/AAAAAAAAD6k/E_Xa9gSoeSc/s640/Bias.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="474" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzsgNDqRJm0/S7Ak1NB5HPI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/QDcVkbnoDkM/s1600/IMG_10151.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SzsgNDqRJm0/S7Ak1NB5HPI/AAAAAAAAD6Q/QDcVkbnoDkM/s640/IMG_10151.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lMw2fi0SV8g/S7Ak1sG9m8I/AAAAAAAAD6U/R0dGyykvvF0/s1600/DSC002121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-lMw2fi0SV8g/S7Ak1sG9m8I/AAAAAAAAD6U/R0dGyykvvF0/s640/DSC002121.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="396" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-exNS1tBBKFI/S7Ak2FTKWhI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/-qFv8wczdmo/s1600/IMG_10281.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-exNS1tBBKFI/S7Ak2FTKWhI/AAAAAAAAD6Y/-qFv8wczdmo/s640/IMG_10281.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qp8vrJFa7Hk/S7Ak0dWs4dI/AAAAAAAAD6M/JA2BWgFBXQ0/s1600/IMG_10091.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qp8vrJFa7Hk/S7Ak0dWs4dI/AAAAAAAAD6M/JA2BWgFBXQ0/s640/IMG_10091.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18RVN1SC2Mc/S7AkzI7c7-I/AAAAAAAAD6I/plP5Hp-SR_4/s1600/IMG_10071.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-18RVN1SC2Mc/S7AkzI7c7-I/AAAAAAAAD6I/plP5Hp-SR_4/s640/IMG_10071.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Hidimba Temple<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LwK0fX2msJs/S7AlrtYcxZI/AAAAAAAAD-g/Ti_q3OlKHNc/s1600/IMG_4568.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-LwK0fX2msJs/S7AlrtYcxZI/AAAAAAAAD-g/Ti_q3OlKHNc/s640/IMG_4568.jpg" width="584" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2f7x9Ffdn4/S7Alh7L6ClI/AAAAAAAAD90/g9tZSjXVJrk/s1600/IMG_4496.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-S2f7x9Ffdn4/S7Alh7L6ClI/AAAAAAAAD90/g9tZSjXVJrk/s640/IMG_4496.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGDcN529GM8/S7AlkjzXimI/AAAAAAAAD98/eCfwFlbn3U4/s1600/IMG_4515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-YGDcN529GM8/S7AlkjzXimI/AAAAAAAAD98/eCfwFlbn3U4/s640/IMG_4515.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="396" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BiwqzQ_s6i0/S7AlmA1Do2I/AAAAAAAAD-A/P_PtI5QG5us/s1600/IMG_4516.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BiwqzQ_s6i0/S7AlmA1Do2I/AAAAAAAAD-A/P_PtI5QG5us/s640/IMG_4516.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br />Day 6: This was the day to visit Dharmashala. The journey from Manali to Dharmashala takes 6-7 hours by road. We reached there by evening. There is a lot Tibetan influence in this area including a very grand monastery where his Holiness the Dalai Lama also has his abode.<br /><br /><br />Day 7: The first thing we visited in Dharmashala was the monastery of the Dalai Lama. We were totally zapped by the quiet, serene atmosphere of the place. After spending some peaceful time at the monastery, we took a stroll in the forest area near-by. Back in Dharmashala town, we also spent some time making some purchases - especially some bead and stone jewellery of Tibetan style in beautiful turquoise, jade, etc colours. By then it was time to start traveling again - heading to Dalhousie.<br /><br />Forest area around Dharmashala<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3ybq9vJYH4/S7Ak9ilhGHI/AAAAAAAAD68/FAchd86drm4/s1600/IMG_10891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-x3ybq9vJYH4/S7Ak9ilhGHI/AAAAAAAAD68/FAchd86drm4/s640/IMG_10891.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Tibetan Monastery and home of the Dalai Lama<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eNOJ0aLZMY4/S7Ak-ZZEQAI/AAAAAAAAD7A/KFTrylmmMVU/s1600/IMG_11012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eNOJ0aLZMY4/S7Ak-ZZEQAI/AAAAAAAAD7A/KFTrylmmMVU/s640/IMG_11012.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><br />Dhauladhar mountain range as seen from near the monastery<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrkQx0ewMVM/S7Ak_g0INfI/AAAAAAAAD7I/IGXJKXp1Mmk/s1600/IMG_11211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-nrkQx0ewMVM/S7Ak_g0INfI/AAAAAAAAD7I/IGXJKXp1Mmk/s640/IMG_11211.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-vN3iJ2ENw/S7AlAM0DhZI/AAAAAAAAD7M/z0jsQrM5nP8/s1600/IMG_11221.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Y-vN3iJ2ENw/S7AlAM0DhZI/AAAAAAAAD7M/z0jsQrM5nP8/s640/IMG_11221.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="552" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1DeBusNNfe8/S7AlA6Y0eKI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/hZGEvzSZbIc/s1600/IMG_11231.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1DeBusNNfe8/S7AlA6Y0eKI/AAAAAAAAD7Q/hZGEvzSZbIc/s640/IMG_11231.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uo1k4Axx5eE/S7AlBkKm7HI/AAAAAAAAD7U/LjfYwHkl3zw/s1600/IMG_11321.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uo1k4Axx5eE/S7AlBkKm7HI/AAAAAAAAD7U/LjfYwHkl3zw/s640/IMG_11321.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_AB9c500SEg/S7AlCmdlHSI/AAAAAAAAD7c/-vXXuriyEkQ/s1600/DSC002211.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_AB9c500SEg/S7AlCmdlHSI/AAAAAAAAD7c/-vXXuriyEkQ/s640/DSC002211.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLkkZDh2zEc/S7AlDkQcc1I/AAAAAAAAD7g/KWiPR9KusDE/s1600/DSC002501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vLkkZDh2zEc/S7AlDkQcc1I/AAAAAAAAD7g/KWiPR9KusDE/s640/DSC002501.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="424" /></a></div><br /><br />Day 8: We got to Dalhousie late evening and preferred to relax in our hotel room that evening. When we woke up the next day morning, we were mesmerized by the scenic valley we saw from our hotel room. We were to spend the rest of the day sight-seeing around Dalhousie, Khajjiar and Chamba valley. After looking around Dalhousie town, we went to see the top most point in Dalhousie - Kalatop. From here you can see the Pir Panjal mountain range that cuts across the Himachal Pradesh state and Kashmir. From this spot, you can also see the Khajjiar plateau on one side and the Dalhousie forest on the other. Coming to Khajjiar, we got to know why it is referred to as the Switzerland of India. This scenic saucer-shaped plateau has natural lawn spread across the entire place with a beautiful lake in the center. Here there are some adventure sports options available for the brave-hearted. If you are not the adventurous sorts, you could just sit in the lawn and enjoy the picturesque setting which is no less than a romantic Hindi film outdoor locale. After spending some time at Khajjiar, we headed to Chamba. The Chamba village is located on the banks of the Raavi river. The main attraction at Chamba is a cluster of four temples. The Lashmi-Narayan temple here was built in the 10th century and is beautifully adorned with very artistic carvings. After the visit to the temples, we spent some time looking around river Raavi and also stopped by at the Chamera dam on our way back to Dalhousie. The Bollywood film "Koi Mil Gaya" is shot at this dam.<br /><br /><br />Dalhousie valley<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Op75bdP6604/S7AlEgfZGdI/AAAAAAAAD7k/GIiyqP8ILmY/s1600/IMG_11351.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Op75bdP6604/S7AlEgfZGdI/AAAAAAAAD7k/GIiyqP8ILmY/s640/IMG_11351.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EcbWfapxmVo/S7AlGBk2H5I/AAAAAAAAD7o/PujqWP3KvI8/s1600/DSC002691.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EcbWfapxmVo/S7AlGBk2H5I/AAAAAAAAD7o/PujqWP3KvI8/s640/DSC002691.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Pir Panjal mountain range as seen from Kalatop (the pixel effect of the next few pictures is because of the optical zoom used to click the range from a distance)<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktTkleWgcQs/S7AlILPxiHI/AAAAAAAAD7w/RQiAUatyBoM/s1600/pir_panjal_Range_Kashmir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ktTkleWgcQs/S7AlILPxiHI/AAAAAAAAD7w/RQiAUatyBoM/s640/pir_panjal_Range_Kashmir.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="460" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIg2GZtOvG0/S7AlJJzwZsI/AAAAAAAAD70/1pdiLPH5_4Q/s1600/pir_panjaal_Range_Kashmir2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zIg2GZtOvG0/S7AlJJzwZsI/AAAAAAAAD70/1pdiLPH5_4Q/s640/pir_panjaal_Range_Kashmir2.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bpHLgGrfgXA/S7Aly4xHB5I/AAAAAAAAD-8/K2ROgEDO3Z4/s1600/pir_panjal_Range2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-bpHLgGrfgXA/S7Aly4xHB5I/AAAAAAAAD-8/K2ROgEDO3Z4/s640/pir_panjal_Range2.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Pir Panjal range<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwmtm_ia4pk/S7AlJ3pcSnI/AAAAAAAAD74/7yDnulEK8n4/s1600/IMG_11611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lwmtm_ia4pk/S7AlJ3pcSnI/AAAAAAAAD74/7yDnulEK8n4/s640/IMG_11611.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdHy8z8f8aI/S7AlxxfM2bI/AAAAAAAAD-0/uplzW3XkRis/s1600/pir_paanjal_range.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qdHy8z8f8aI/S7AlxxfM2bI/AAAAAAAAD-0/uplzW3XkRis/s640/pir_paanjal_range.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="184" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Khajjiar plateau from Kalatop<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfX2aurx6v4/S7AlK41eMZI/AAAAAAAAD8A/NjtdFwqY984/s1600/IMG_11701.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LfX2aurx6v4/S7AlK41eMZI/AAAAAAAAD8A/NjtdFwqY984/s640/IMG_11701.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Khajjiar<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_q4wYVsinKU/S7AlMCINDMI/AAAAAAAAD8I/lM53leP1W6Q/s1600/IMG_11851.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_q4wYVsinKU/S7AlMCINDMI/AAAAAAAAD8I/lM53leP1W6Q/s640/IMG_11851.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2mx1eovPqI/S7AlNLV-cGI/AAAAAAAAD8M/PlR9-BkeKqk/s1600/IMG_11871.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-K2mx1eovPqI/S7AlNLV-cGI/AAAAAAAAD8M/PlR9-BkeKqk/s640/IMG_11871.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EQ28nCJrmQs/S7AlO0HiBWI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/SLgXZJPqet4/s1600/IMG_11891.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-EQ28nCJrmQs/S7AlO0HiBWI/AAAAAAAAD8Q/SLgXZJPqet4/s640/IMG_11891.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lIZ_Kp7IpKs/S7AlP5c24eI/AAAAAAAAD8U/VG0C8pLhyVQ/s1600/IMG_11901.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lIZ_Kp7IpKs/S7AlP5c24eI/AAAAAAAAD8U/VG0C8pLhyVQ/s640/IMG_11901.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Temples at Chamba<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaB-KKc0zQI/S7AlQ7LqalI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/mByacDw8Lok/s1600/IMG_11992.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BaB-KKc0zQI/S7AlQ7LqalI/AAAAAAAAD8Y/mByacDw8Lok/s640/IMG_11992.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m02SviKbZRQ/S7AlVIPjRlI/AAAAAAAAD8w/OfZVwvQjVoI/s1600/IMG_12121.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m02SviKbZRQ/S7AlVIPjRlI/AAAAAAAAD8w/OfZVwvQjVoI/s640/IMG_12121.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wiPU1GImhtE/S7AlTw1dgzI/AAAAAAAAD8o/52ozNOuxFnc/s1600/IMG_12111.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wiPU1GImhtE/S7AlTw1dgzI/AAAAAAAAD8o/52ozNOuxFnc/s640/IMG_12111.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-be6utOGP67o/S7AlRraXs0I/AAAAAAAAD8g/K0jkwlZxHyA/s1600/IMG_12001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-be6utOGP67o/S7AlRraXs0I/AAAAAAAAD8g/K0jkwlZxHyA/s640/IMG_12001.jpg" width="374" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZUlFgjn9xA/S7AlSsvvXYI/AAAAAAAAD8k/nGfgAzMqRaw/s1600/IMG_12081.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-zZUlFgjn9xA/S7AlSsvvXYI/AAAAAAAAD8k/nGfgAzMqRaw/s640/IMG_12081.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Raavi river<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftTybiCRbz8/S7AlWT-f2QI/AAAAAAAAD84/9G0t0_sMCoM/s1600/raavi.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ftTybiCRbz8/S7AlWT-f2QI/AAAAAAAAD84/9G0t0_sMCoM/s640/raavi.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />Day 9: After a unforgettable Himachal experience, we reached Pathankot, and got back to Hyderabad from Pathankot via Delhi.<br /><br />------------------------------------------------<br /><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Keylong: Our trip to Keylong was part of our Ladakh trip. Keylong is along the Ladakh-Manali highway. Keylong is a beautiful small little sleepy town, with the same or perhaps even better scenic beauty with far less commercialization, so naturally its not as buzzing with tourists as compared to Kulu or Manali. The town is located on the banks of river Bhaaga. You can book a cab to travel around Keylong to enjoy the natural beauty of this small town. One of the star attractions is an old temple, almost 5000 years old, built during the age of the Pandavas. Just outside this temple is a huge rock weighing almost 125 kgs. It is said that each day Bheema, one of the Pandava brothers used to consume food equivalent to the weight of this rock. There are also the footprints of Goddess Hidimba in the temple premises.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><br /><div style="text-align: left;">Around Keylong<br /></div><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6eIKmKuNq0w/S7AlXFRCe8I/AAAAAAAAD88/BEw0vQlfjak/s1600/IMG_4358.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6eIKmKuNq0w/S7AlXFRCe8I/AAAAAAAAD88/BEw0vQlfjak/s640/IMG_4358.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--otRSqO0LSE/S7AlX8BmXGI/AAAAAAAAD9A/cbzeEgLlk8c/s1600/IMG_4386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--otRSqO0LSE/S7AlX8BmXGI/AAAAAAAAD9A/cbzeEgLlk8c/s640/IMG_4386.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br />River Bhaaga<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X33qeozDEXg/S7AlbnjPu-I/AAAAAAAAD9M/ofrBEVUTvFE/s1600/IMG_4398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-X33qeozDEXg/S7AlbnjPu-I/AAAAAAAAD9M/ofrBEVUTvFE/s640/IMG_4398.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bGhEJzQJIs8/S7Alan98iWI/AAAAAAAAD9I/RCBtSMMfgCg/s1600/IMG_4396.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-bGhEJzQJIs8/S7Alan98iWI/AAAAAAAAD9I/RCBtSMMfgCg/s640/IMG_4396.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8pnUrF4Lf4/S7AlZ896Z_I/AAAAAAAAD9E/UKyT6l2ytxQ/s1600/IMG_4395.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_8pnUrF4Lf4/S7AlZ896Z_I/AAAAAAAAD9E/UKyT6l2ytxQ/s640/IMG_4395.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v6wcWp4FL1o/S7Alcvsfw4I/AAAAAAAAD9U/WFNbuuBuTOM/s1600/IMG_4399.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-v6wcWp4FL1o/S7Alcvsfw4I/AAAAAAAAD9U/WFNbuuBuTOM/s640/IMG_4399.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jdvFSw9XtOw/S7AlfGBaZ6I/AAAAAAAAD9g/tlLFhFirv4Y/s1600/IMG_4410.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-jdvFSw9XtOw/S7AlfGBaZ6I/AAAAAAAAD9g/tlLFhFirv4Y/s640/IMG_4410.jpg" width="480" border="0" height="640" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjvZmDA_eWc/S7Alf5dB_TI/AAAAAAAAD9k/WHxzH03_AvI/s1600/IMG_4420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjvZmDA_eWc/S7Alf5dB_TI/AAAAAAAAD9k/WHxzH03_AvI/s640/IMG_4420.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /><div style="text-align: left;">The Pandava temple that is 5000 years old<br /></div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h07BzUaDtvA/S7Ald4CBr2I/AAAAAAAAD9c/AJJu_HgL_eU/s1600/IMG_4403.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-h07BzUaDtvA/S7Ald4CBr2I/AAAAAAAAD9c/AJJu_HgL_eU/s640/IMG_4403.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br />Rock outside the temple - Bheema used to consume food equal to the weight of this rock<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I06ZKjW67a4/S7AkpqsG5DI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/5qvIR9MxnXE/s1600/DSCN0470.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I06ZKjW67a4/S7AkpqsG5DI/AAAAAAAAD5Y/5qvIR9MxnXE/s640/DSCN0470.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="412" /></a></div><br /><br />Spot the foot impressions of Goddess Hidimba on this rock<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XT4KH9dJ7Cg/S7Akq-sZx4I/AAAAAAAAD5g/eYyyfDCxMRw/s1600/DSCN0471.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XT4KH9dJ7Cg/S7Akq-sZx4I/AAAAAAAAD5g/eYyyfDCxMRw/s640/DSCN0471.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjvZmDA_eWc/S7Alf5dB_TI/AAAAAAAAD9k/WHxzH03_AvI/s1600/IMG_4420.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-hjvZmDA_eWc/S7Alf5dB_TI/AAAAAAAAD9k/WHxzH03_AvI/s640/IMG_4420.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKlhbSUrJ2c/S7AlnjxBtrI/AAAAAAAAD-E/ZSBtenRJ8J4/s1600/IMG_4528.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UKlhbSUrJ2c/S7AlnjxBtrI/AAAAAAAAD-E/ZSBtenRJ8J4/s640/IMG_4528.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtTe4JDfLQU/S7AlhCTPKGI/AAAAAAAAD9s/NSSUYkZkEsA/s1600/IMG_4444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MtTe4JDfLQU/S7AlhCTPKGI/AAAAAAAAD9s/NSSUYkZkEsA/s640/IMG_4444.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><br />Crossing Rohtang pass - on our way to Manali from Keylong<br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RY3gixLlSVA/S7AkoxE4xBI/AAAAAAAAD5U/RRP95gy65bw/s1600/IMG_4445.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-RY3gixLlSVA/S7AkoxE4xBI/AAAAAAAAD5U/RRP95gy65bw/s640/IMG_4445.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8GVVCcEMu9Q/S7Alj2-ifyI/AAAAAAAAD94/xsOt5JzN2JM/s1600/IMG_4510.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8GVVCcEMu9Q/S7Alj2-ifyI/AAAAAAAAD94/xsOt5JzN2JM/s640/IMG_4510.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0Qs_JjvK4Y/S7AlgfUvPLI/AAAAAAAAD9o/PZVLro4RP2Y/s1600/IMG_4432.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-i0Qs_JjvK4Y/S7AlgfUvPLI/AAAAAAAAD9o/PZVLro4RP2Y/s640/IMG_4432.jpg" width="640" border="0" height="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><br /></div>travellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-89537167034608092392010-09-02T15:37:00.003+05:302010-09-02T16:25:56.295+05:30Guide to Great Weekends - Sivasamundram and Somnathpur<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">If you are in Bangalore and enjoy an impulse outing without a lot of drama around where to stay, what to eat, etc, you should visit the Sivasamundram falls. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Packed with only a couple of things in our bag (and a bag full of just camera stuff), we set out driving on a Saturday morning. The over 140 kms drive from Bangalore to Sivasamundram falls was facinating - lovely weather and a comfortable drive (road was surprisingly good!). </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><strong>Sivasamundram Falls</strong></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Sivasamundram, also known as Sivanasamundram, is situated near Malvalli, around 80 kms from Mysore. There are two picturesque waterfalls, known as Gaganachukki and Bharachukki, less than a km away from each other both flowing into River Cauvery. Each waterfall is immense with thousands on litres of river water gushing down and slamming the ground 50-70 metres down. It's totally worth a visit especially during monsoon. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Tip: Be sure to carry some food with you if you are not prepared to eat "anything". There are small stalls on the way if you want to make do or if you care less for the fried fish from the old lady sitting right next to the water fall. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVTxkPKUL4FXtF-Yr4VsXSUgtkevPXWkxNDLihV6mGuyprTTtsc2qJCh8pw-j-EMROy7pizA2xLJOcZCgUz9YPDjj68yz0umYREXe5fOohP6SDSRAdTjbMSfuht_vU6OMDACeXFwfa7o/s1600/near_bangalore+110.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="427" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLVTxkPKUL4FXtF-Yr4VsXSUgtkevPXWkxNDLihV6mGuyprTTtsc2qJCh8pw-j-EMROy7pizA2xLJOcZCgUz9YPDjj68yz0umYREXe5fOohP6SDSRAdTjbMSfuht_vU6OMDACeXFwfa7o/s640/near_bangalore+110.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwFIOTKfWftEY-XUlA0kUSRntR3Egj2-qnJ_VCzV2HXRpcGMxCVHyWXRVsrE4VJJfKZtLbserzoXsH1MkeMp2tb2iWY6Io932sr-qezj9rPF3wg8mJlDkgKvdV4OcxPCbHzDxLcfobDQ/s1600/near_bangalore+041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGwFIOTKfWftEY-XUlA0kUSRntR3Egj2-qnJ_VCzV2HXRpcGMxCVHyWXRVsrE4VJJfKZtLbserzoXsH1MkeMp2tb2iWY6Io932sr-qezj9rPF3wg8mJlDkgKvdV4OcxPCbHzDxLcfobDQ/s640/near_bangalore+041.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV96U5Bwcu7sQp7IX7pXQmJCtdwSsuwD4_jO8OQZ8u8o2osvF_VW2XCEqgBp7Wbbb7AXhIy8gOtVIBwmuEGnQeYUCLjP4-GObaZk8khgOpyVF7-KWax4xJTsb9mB5olXtxBOn0cha0NY/s1600/near_bangalore+077.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisV96U5Bwcu7sQp7IX7pXQmJCtdwSsuwD4_jO8OQZ8u8o2osvF_VW2XCEqgBp7Wbbb7AXhIy8gOtVIBwmuEGnQeYUCLjP4-GObaZk8khgOpyVF7-KWax4xJTsb9mB5olXtxBOn0cha0NY/s640/near_bangalore+077.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
The rocky gorge</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxTaY3U6DDUb38y5asPwZGB0bh00iBBTtxrPRlACFSOxoT3-xiAb9hyf-LLQ6dVd6uctYg4acDLxSPJTjN2CXm8-HqqUqLqaxJMg5iBRy_-DPerCE_nh-jpRsJaxha_MUNlg8IQbAnBM/s1600/near_bangalore+101.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHxTaY3U6DDUb38y5asPwZGB0bh00iBBTtxrPRlACFSOxoT3-xiAb9hyf-LLQ6dVd6uctYg4acDLxSPJTjN2CXm8-HqqUqLqaxJMg5iBRy_-DPerCE_nh-jpRsJaxha_MUNlg8IQbAnBM/s640/near_bangalore+101.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iKTk7Nkn1NQhL5FpRKu6bdX0tsFHar_IJOeZHTWs_l2Uxdru3_hIzdZwIXK-U1JVIsKIHbc-bOFcupA5_CIyMDJrX_ytoxl8Vp_4hKGX6smUjOC_O19oNEf6kxrav71WmaJo6K21lmo/s1600/near_bangalore+076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj_iKTk7Nkn1NQhL5FpRKu6bdX0tsFHar_IJOeZHTWs_l2Uxdru3_hIzdZwIXK-U1JVIsKIHbc-bOFcupA5_CIyMDJrX_ytoxl8Vp_4hKGX6smUjOC_O19oNEf6kxrav71WmaJo6K21lmo/s640/near_bangalore+076.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The second waterfall </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJFusGTfs5_J_qqBCECK1e5APJaFSWAyQKPtduq1o_Ra1cvpPz-DGStfR1hSexc2piikuxi-mylPDVUaBlzuKX4bD9YBENHh4gIfa_uar9O-khvNqBVFvuqYLQOgyOC2_WOuILhG1dWk/s1600/near_bangalore+114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNJFusGTfs5_J_qqBCECK1e5APJaFSWAyQKPtduq1o_Ra1cvpPz-DGStfR1hSexc2piikuxi-mylPDVUaBlzuKX4bD9YBENHh4gIfa_uar9O-khvNqBVFvuqYLQOgyOC2_WOuILhG1dWk/s640/near_bangalore+114.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE71gOq52JD0Kc4_814cW4Y4ZqekCBQ_NB2Jrle7-xYyiu4KlbPkeiz92Imsbbno3051dEcjn7LV6LjPk9XnhK4quW0s1nJabaKTqAxsGAOjAHzkdO1FSbnZIPI_aaXOGj2s_sttNcCXU/s1600/near_bangalore+118.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhE71gOq52JD0Kc4_814cW4Y4ZqekCBQ_NB2Jrle7-xYyiu4KlbPkeiz92Imsbbno3051dEcjn7LV6LjPk9XnhK4quW0s1nJabaKTqAxsGAOjAHzkdO1FSbnZIPI_aaXOGj2s_sttNcCXU/s640/near_bangalore+118.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div>You can take a ride in the round rowboat to get closer look at the waterfall, but be prepared to get drenched as the force of the water is just too much.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_6Ckw3Q8w3Yhr2-Wp02tEBYbgsbwwPAcLCcX_0BMr6wERoXP8arTHTwEchoG2tmNe9JlToa6Od6OgZ0ByIpzm0LzFbRL59Yzz-xUxlWC288lueEbmtglTRyll0k5gXBK9UFgAFF80M8/s1600/near_bangalore+143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ox="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0_6Ckw3Q8w3Yhr2-Wp02tEBYbgsbwwPAcLCcX_0BMr6wERoXP8arTHTwEchoG2tmNe9JlToa6Od6OgZ0ByIpzm0LzFbRL59Yzz-xUxlWC288lueEbmtglTRyll0k5gXBK9UFgAFF80M8/s640/near_bangalore+143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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If you manage time well, you may be able to see the waterfalls and the Somnathpur temple all in one day. But, by the time we finished looking at the waterfalls, it was already close to sun down. So we decided to spend the night at Mysore. At this point, I must stop to express our heart-felt thank you to Aarti Shyamsunder who let us crash in at her place for the night at very short notice. So, if you dont have such generous friends at Mysore, be prepared to get a hotel.<br />
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<strong>Somnathpur KeshavaTemple</strong><br />
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The drive to Somnathpur from Mysore is quite picturesque as well with the road lined up with fields and coconut trees. <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Keshava temple at Somnathpur is a world heritage site. This 13th century temple built by the Hoysala kings boasts of an architecture that is a blend of northern and southern temple architectures. Some parts of the temple are still in ruins after bearing the brunt of weather or invaders. Major portion of the temple has been restored. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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Until the next great weekend...travellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-54151403312802731652010-02-06T01:19:00.137+05:302010-05-27T21:24:39.002+05:30Remembering White Kashmir<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Last year almost around this time (Jan 23-26, 2009), we travelled up north to one of the most beautiful destinations in India, the Kashmir valley. Usually summer is the most preferred season among tourists to visit this natural splendour, but we decided to visit in winter for a very special reason - SNOW. <br />
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Brief info: <br />
Season of visiting: Winter, December to February<br />
Places to see: Srinagar, Gulmarg, Sonmarg, Pehelgam. (Due to poor weather we were unable to go to Sonmarg)<br />
Travel days: 4-5<br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We flew from New Delhi to Srinagar via Jammu on Jan 23. Our bags were full of warm clothing a must must in Kashmir and that too in winter!! We reached Srinagar airport at 12:30 pm. The flight was splendid overseeing the majestic Himalayan ranges and snow-clad peaks. Srinagar as expected was very cold even during the day time - temperatures of 2-3 degrees during day time. We had booked a car for our local traveling and thankfully the driver had arrived at the airport for our pick-up.<br />
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On our way to the Srinagar city from the airport, we could feel the presence of armed personnel at every few meters almost. There was a army man in complete armour at every 20-30 feet. Although it was a little awkward to see army personnel all over the city, it also made us feel a little more secure in some way. <br />
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Its easier to camp in Srinagar for the duration of the stay and plan to drive to Gulmarg, Pehelgam and Sonmarg from Srinagar for the sight-seeing. We camped at a nice, cozy yet non-expensive (thats another reason to visit Kashmir off-season) hotel very close to Dal Lake at Srinagar. Contrary to the outside cold temperatures, the insides were warm with a nice heating system and also heating in the bed. It is so cold that you have to have a heating system in the bed too. After a nice lunch at the restaurant of the hotel, we went out for a stroll on the Dal lake which was just walking distance from the hotel. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Srinagar - Dal Lake<br />
The weather near the Dal lake was even colder than what we experienced at the hotel. We hired a Shikara for the next few hours to take us in the lake. <br />
The lake is simply beautiful. We had heard a lot about the lake and its floral glamour in the summer months, but a Shikara ride on the lake at 3 degrees celcius temperature at 3 pm in the afternoon is something of an adventure. The lake is surrounded by snow-clad mountains on three sides making it a splendid place. <br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/SbtXum781yI/AAAAAAAABis/xkG13tlIJU8/s1600/DL28.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" ps="true" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/SbtXum781yI/AAAAAAAABis/xkG13tlIJU8/s640/DL28.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The Dal lake is one of the central high points of the site-seeing in Srinagar. What is normally covered with a blanket of colourful flowers and adorned by house-boats was blue and serene on this winter day. Temperature during mid-day was as low as 3 degrees celcius at the lake, so one needs to go well prepared. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The sheer calm of the icy blue waters and the chill lent by the snow-clad mountains presents a perfect setting for a shikara-ride in the lake. Get yourself cozy with some warm clothes and you are set for a pleasant afternoon. In warmer weathers, a stay on one of the many house-boats on the lake is recommended. But house-boats dont operate during the cold season. <br />
The lake also has a small park in the center which were told is full of roses and other flowering plants in spring and summer, but at this time of the year, it was only barren and dry as though waiting covered in a veil of brown until the sun shone again. <br />
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</div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">You can also enjoy some shopping during your shikara-rides with vendors ready to grab your attention with all kinds of discounts. If you want to stop over at a few artifact shops or just pick up an item of warm clothing or a fancy shawl, you could just pull over the shikara by one the shops in this water world. And while you are enjoying your shopping, dont ever refuse a cup of steaming kahwa (kashmiri tea) if you are offered one that is. </div><div class="" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">After a lot of boating and walking, we got back to the hotel for a nice warm evening - warm only thanks to the wine, hukkah and mouth watering kebabs...<br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;">Kashmir country-side</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: left;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Gulmarg - Winter Sports Capital</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">The drive to Gulmarg is around 4 hours from Srinagar. On the way up the mountain, you can make a quick stop at a small shop and rent some gum boots and trenchcoats to help you in the snow. Carrying sun glasses is also a must. Fortunately for us, as we started to drive up the mountain, it started to snow - exactly what we were hoping! </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">There are a lot of things to do at Gulmarg. You can ski, go on a little sledge ride (pulled by humans not dogs or reindeers of course) or also take the cable car up the mountain slopes to enjoy the landscape. All of us surely had a lot of fun - already standing in knee-deep snow and enjoying the snowfall at the same time. The steaming maggi noodles and tea was too refreshing and got us charged for more fun. After spending around 4 hours in the snow, we got really tired. By this time, the snowfall was also getting heavier, and we started downhill to come back to Srinagar before the weather turned more hostile. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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Pehelgam - <br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">We started for Pehelgam on Jan 25. Pehelgam is again 4 hours drive from Srinagar. We also got to see a lot of snow at Pehelgam. Unfortunately it was also raining at Pehelgam adding to the cold weather and making it harsh. So, we couldn't step out of the car much except for a little bit of stroll. Pehelgam is otherwise known as a pilgrim spot on the way to Amarnath Yatra and during the yatra time it is almost flooded with people. But this time of the year it was quite isolated with only a few locals on the streets during the day time. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Another must-stop place are these small factories where bats are made. The Kashmir willow cricket bats are quite popular and can be good gift to carry back home for your cricket loving family and friends, only if you are willing to carry the extra weight back with you. You can also pick up a base-ball bat here. </div></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">A trip to Sonmarg was due to Jan 26, but after driving for more than an hour we were informed that the road to Sonmarg was blocked due to heavy snow-fall and we had to retreat to Srinagar to keep to some local sight-seeing. Shopping was also out of question. The day being Jan 26 there was a lot of tension in the city and it was advised to stay indoors most of the time until we were ready to head to the airport to fly back home. </div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Back in Srinagar, we were constantly reminded of the threat to life that confronts the people of this land every single waking day. This grim reality poses a stark contrast against the mesmerizing sky-lines like this one. </div></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/Sbto2io-ZXI/AAAAAAAACHk/myrY8D-56GM/s1600/IMG_6725.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" ps="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/Sbto2io-ZXI/AAAAAAAACHk/myrY8D-56GM/s640/IMG_6725.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">As we bid adieu to this heaven on earth, we could only pray for peace for this land and its people.</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"></div>travellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-77005747894409707192010-02-06T00:49:00.331+05:302010-05-15T21:27:34.004+05:30Ladakh thru the Lens<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">Ladakh, the most memorable of our trips has been inscribed on our minds forever. Much of the words are lost or insufficient to describe the place that is Ladakh. The best possible way to even try to describe the "untouched" beauty of this place are the impressions that we captured thru our lens of its clear blue waters, its expanses of sand and rock, its tall majestic mountains and its ever-changing sky-scapes.</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div>Here is a montage of Ladakh that lives in our minds....<br />
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[This post was recently updated with description of the trip and more pictures]<br />
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Brief description:<br />
Season to visit: May 15 to Sept 15 (the best month is August)<br />
Places to visit: Leh city, places around Leh city, Khardung La, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Tso Moriri Lake, Srinagar-Leh route, Leh-Manali route<br />
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Places we visited: Leh, surroundings of Leh, Khardung La, Nubra Valley, Pangong Lake, Tso Moriri Lake, and Leh-Manali route also known as Trans Himalayan Safari<br />
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Duration of trip: 12 to 14 days<br />
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Another destination worth visiting is Zanskar valley. One route to Zanskar is through Draas. If you are traveling to Zanskar from Leh, you will need to add another 6 days to the duration mentioned above - 4 days of commute to and fro and another 2 days of site-seeing.<br />
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There are three ways to get to Leh/ Ladakh<br />
1. Delhi-Leh-Delhi flight (2 hours duration)<br />
2. Srinagar - Kargil/ Draas - Leh highway (2 days/ 1 night, including a stop-over at Kargil/ Draas)<br />
3. Manali - Leh highway (2 days/ 1 night, including a stop-over at Keylong/ Sarachu/ Pang)<br />
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We started on this enchanting trip from Hyderabad on 14th Aug 07 and landed in Leh early morning on 15th Aug. From there on it was a journey through a different world... exciting, adventurous and treacherous... Route: Hyderabad - Delhi - Leh - Nubra Valley Pangong Lake - Tsomoriri Lake - Pang - Keylong - Manali - Delhi - Hyderabad Our journey through this paradise ended on 26th Aug when we landed back in Hyderabad.<br />
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Day 1: Aug 15; 4:30 AM : We reached Delhi late evening on Aug 14 from Hyderabad and boarded the 4:30 AM flight to Leh. Considering none of the six of us had slept a wink that night we spent on Delhi airport, we fell asleep the moment the flight took off only to be awaken by some gasps of co-passengers. For a moment we were unsure of what the chaos was all about. And then we looked outside the windows of the aircraft - to find the majestic Himalayan mountain ranges below us - for the first time in our lives did we see the Himalayas from the top with snow-clad peaks shimmering in the early morning sun rays. We went berserk trying to capture some pictures of that most enchanting site below. What we didn't know was that this was going to be just the beginning of the best trip of our life-times (at least so far).<br />
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The landing in Leh is also a pretty fascinating experience. The aircraft literally sways on either sides maneuvering through the mountains and landing on a narrow strip of the runway - its sort of a roller-coaster ride on its own. When we got off the plane is when we realized that the Leh airport is in fact surrounded by mountains on almost all sides. We immediately got a sense of the cold weather outside as well.<br />
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We had hired a SUMO for the entire trip and it was waiting for us outside the airport when we arrived. It is important to arrange for vehicle, hotels, etc in advance since the airport is quite far from the main city. Hotels in Leh are relatively inexpensive but considering the seasonality of tourist season, it is better to book the hotel in advance as well. Most hotels have a garden in the center of the premises and mostly apples, and vegetables are grown in the garden. After settling down in the hotel, we went around the city to stroll, especially the market place with its rich variety of vegetables and fruits, especially apricots are a specialty here - both ripe and dried variety. It is also important that you take a day or two to relax and acclimatize in Leh before starting any traveling to surrounding locations. This is especially since one needs to adjust to the low oxygen levels in the atmosphere here. If you are the weak sorts, a pre visit to the doctor and carrying some medicines and an oxygen cylinder in case of altitude sickness with surely help. <br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Gate at entrance to Leh city</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvH19veZnI/AAAAAAAAAUI/FE7RphKYFHI/s1600/Leh&Around%20(64).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvH19veZnI/AAAAAAAAAUI/FE7RphKYFHI/s640/Leh%26Around%20%2864%29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Leh market</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvHmdveZcI/AAAAAAAAASs/B9QgwJWRJ8E/s1600/Leh&Around%20(74).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" kt="true" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvHmdveZcI/AAAAAAAAASs/B9QgwJWRJ8E/s640/Leh%26Around%20%2874%29.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div>Day 2: Aug 16 - We set out to see the surrounding areas of Leh - The Leh palace, Shanti Stupa, and a little further away from Leh - the Shey Monastery. On the way to Shey Monastery, we also happened to encounter the Dalai Lama who was in the region on one of his regular visits imparting the lessons in Buddhism. We too stopped by in the hope that we could listen on some of the preachings and our lives will be transformed, but alas the discourse was in the local language. We did capture a few pictures before moving on. We then visited the Shey Palace, passing by the Sindhu river visited the Thicksey monastery and Hemis Gompa. Hemis Gompa being sort of like the headquarters for all the monasteries in India, is also one of the richest monasteries and it is evident in the idols and artifacts that one can see here. We got back to Leh in the evening; also found some time for some shopping. Semi-precious stones and jewelery is a must buy in Leh.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;"> Leh Palace </div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvHxtveZkI/AAAAAAAAATw/ovVRTf_ASS8/s1600/Leh&Around%20(67).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvHxtveZkI/AAAAAAAAATw/ovVRTf_ASS8/s640/Leh%26Around%20%2867%29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shanti Stupa</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmGoblEAI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/TIag1vYHLJc/s1600/Picture%20230.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmGoblEAI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/TIag1vYHLJc/s640/Picture%20230.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">The Dalai Lama during a religious discourse on the way to Shey Monastery<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmCnnsDhI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/VbyRacx14_U/s1600/Picture%20067.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmCnnsDhI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/VbyRacx14_U/s640/Picture%20067.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvIOtveZ5I/AAAAAAAAAWc/WWP9eqD-B40/s1600/Shey_Monastery13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br />
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<div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Shey Palace and Monastrey<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvIOtveZ5I/AAAAAAAAAWc/WWP9eqD-B40/s1600/Shey_Monastery13.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" kt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvIOtveZ5I/AAAAAAAAAWc/WWP9eqD-B40/s640/Shey_Monastery13.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Around Leh<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmDjnIawI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/wTbeCQfqnig/s1600/Picture%20100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmDjnIawI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/wTbeCQfqnig/s640/Picture%20100.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Thicksey Monastery<br />
<a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmFvl7rFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/yFA-Rok9RW4/s1600/Picture%20162.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmFvl7rFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/yFA-Rok9RW4/s640/Picture%20162.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Wall paintings at Thicksey Monastery<br />
<a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z3T73GnFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/gJdDRh8iokg/s1600/Picture%20136.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z3T73GnFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/gJdDRh8iokg/s640/Picture%20136.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Colourful door at Thicksey Monastery<br />
<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z7EXoWiKI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/BDWd6uvAV6g/s1600/Picture%20160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="578" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z7EXoWiKI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/BDWd6uvAV6g/s640/Picture%20160.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Hemis Monastrey </div><div align="left" class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmGIqGt_I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/FRPXcTUZVY0/s1600/Picture%20175.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmGIqGt_I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/FRPXcTUZVY0/s640/Picture%20175.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">View from Stoke Palace</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmEoMsAKI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/MjDFtNrqfaI/s1600/Picture%20143.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmEoMsAKI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/MjDFtNrqfaI/s640/Picture%20143.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Day 3: Aug 17 - Before you move around in surrounding areas of Ladakh, there is special permit that needs to be applied for and granted by the Indian army. Only with this special permit, can you go to places like Nubra, Pangong and Tso Moriri. One tip is to procure this permit the evening you land in Leh, you will need to carry your identification proof like passport/ PAN card, etc to apply for this permit.<br />
The journey to Nubra Valley from Leh takes around 6 to 8 hours. Khardung La, better known as the "highest motorable road in the world" is at 18380 ft above sea level and on the way to Nubra Valley. If you are lucky, you will find snow at Khardung La whereas the rest of the Ladakh is pretty dry with hardly any snow during the summer months. You can also buy little trinkets from at the small army shop and also enjoy some hot tea and maggi at this altitude. It is advised to carry an oxygen cylinder here just in case.<br />
From here we continued our journey towards Nubra Valley passing by some very picturesque views. Nubra valley is along-side the Nubra river. From here you could also go to Siachen which is famous (or rather infamous) for being the world's highest battle ground. When we visited, no civilians were allowed to go to Siachen, but now this route has been opened up for tourists as well.<br />
By evening we reached a village called Diskit in Nubra Valley where we took up an accommodation in a small hotel managed by an elderly couple - very clean place, with large windows overlooking apricot trees and most importantly a home-made dinner that the duo cooked for us and that was served under the star-lit sky. There is something unique about the sky at night in Ladakh. Its studded with stars that shine like diamonds. May be because of the clear atmosphere, the stars were brighter and larger and too many in number to the point of being scary - like none of us had ever seen before.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Winding roads on the way to Khardung La</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmO051q2I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/fZ7LeTtAMg8/s1600/IMG_4004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmO051q2I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/fZ7LeTtAMg8/s640/IMG_4004.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">A stream on the way to Khardung La</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvNUNvealI/AAAAAAAAAcg/Y-5uR8_o1i0/s1600/Khardungala_Pass%20(11).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" mt="true" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvNUNvealI/AAAAAAAAAcg/Y-5uR8_o1i0/s640/Khardungala_Pass%20%2811%29.jpg" width="480" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Leh from a distance - on the way to Khardung La </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmHU4emdI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/zQH9Ygg3MCk/s1600/Picture%20257.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmHU4emdI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/zQH9Ygg3MCk/s640/Picture%20257.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">At Khardung La</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kl_FAQZFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/48bGlqQRuZQ/s1600/DSCN0286.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kl_FAQZFI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/48bGlqQRuZQ/s640/DSCN0286.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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Day 4: Aug 18 - After a sumptuous breakfast of ladakhi rotis (bread), omelet, bread, and coffee, we set out in the Sumo towards the desert. Nubra Valley is a cold desert and is a unique topography where you will be able to see huge mountains made of solid rock and stones, sand dunes of the desert, little green patches near the fertile areas and the Nubra river flowing almost thru the desert and all this under a bright blue sky. You will also find double humped camels in this part. These are wild animals that live around the desert areas; the locals catch them to provide some joy-rides to tourists and then these camels are sent back into the wild. You can also visit Nubra monastery while you are there. After spending half a day in Nubra we started towards Leh.<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Stream on the way to Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmM8m9_-I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/IoJWOmC4o5U/s1600/IMG_3959.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmM8m9_-I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/IoJWOmC4o5U/s640/IMG_3959.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Picturesque views on the way to Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmKO05eXI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/cIF6Wuhj7N8/s1600/Picture%20356.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh3.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmKO05eXI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/cIF6Wuhj7N8/s640/Picture%20356.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">A monastery at Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmOMg_jRI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/W6lViz4rIr0/s1600/IMG_4002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmOMg_jRI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/W6lViz4rIr0/s640/IMG_4002.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmL3wjVrI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/wkhmAVot31E/s1600/IMG_3934.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmL3wjVrI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/wkhmAVot31E/s640/IMG_3934.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Double-humped camels at Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvQmtvebKI/AAAAAAAAAiI/NgfEGmKsi8M/s1600/Nubra_Valley%20(43).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvQmtvebKI/AAAAAAAAAiI/NgfEGmKsi8M/s640/Nubra_Valley%20%2843%29.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">Cold desert of Nubra Valley</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvR19vebYI/AAAAAAAAAkM/D-jv0C1yuEs/s1600/Nubra_Valley%20(20).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mt="true" src="http://lh5.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvR19vebYI/AAAAAAAAAkM/D-jv0C1yuEs/s640/Nubra_Valley%20%2820%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Day 5: Aug 19 - The road trip to Pangong Lake take about 6 -7 hours. We started from Leh in the morning to reach Pangong Lake by 2:30 pm in the afternoon. We took pit-stops on the way since driving for even a few hours in that terrain is very tiring, and also because there were so many beautiful landscapes to click on the way. After what seemed like an endless drive, we finally saw the first glimpse of the stark blue water surrounded by shades of browns, ochere and grey. Pangong Lake is heaven on earth. The pristine waters of this lake tend to change colour according to sun's rays - beautiful emerald green and aquamarine blues that we had only seen on a colour palatte so far. This lake is also unique for another reason, 1/3rd of it is in India and 2/3rd in China. A night stay at the lake is recommended since the journey back to Leh can not be completed in the same day. There are a few tents available, as well as a few rooms - but don't expect any comforts in this inhabited place. </div><br />
On the way to Pangong lake<br />
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Enroute - Himalayan Marmot<br />
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Pangong Lake</div><div align="center"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvXBtvecSI/AAAAAAAAAtA/n79AHwZWccU/s1600/Pangong_Lake%20(42).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RtvXBtvecSI/AAAAAAAAAtA/n79AHwZWccU/s640/Pangong_Lake%20%2842%29.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Our camp-site at Pangong lake and view of the lake at dusk</div></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RuARjdvedWI/AAAAAAAABKw/4AmSq67D6Do/s1600/IMG_4191.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" mt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RuARjdvedWI/AAAAAAAABKw/4AmSq67D6Do/s640/IMG_4191.JPG" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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Day 6: Aug 20 - Early morning the next day we started for Tso Moriri Lake from Pangong lake. The travel time from Pangong to Tso Moriri is around 11 hours; returning on the same road to Leh but taking a diversion at a place called Karu 50 kms short of Leh. So, if you wish, you can go to Leh for a stop-over at night and then travel to Tso Moriri the following day. Since we were short on time, we decided on go to Tso Moriri directly. Distances in this difficult terrain are very deceptive. You may take 10 - 12 hours to travel a distance as short as 200 kms. Most of the roads are uphill or down, or half-built covered with mud and dirt and rocks, full of twists and turns. If you are planning a trip to Ladakh, its best to travel with a group so you won't get bored of the long drives to visit places. We got to Tso Moriri at around 4 pm in the afternoon. It was drizzling when we arrived but soon the shower stopped but these was an amazing drama of grey clouds hanging low, then replaced with some white clouds and then replaced by some enchanting indescribable colours at dusk that we witnessed. Tso Moriri is a small village. There are small hotels (these are more like home-stays than hotels really) available as well as some tents. We opted for a home stay. <br />
Tso Moriri lake is again a marvelous place. The contrasts of the shades of green of the fields against the pristine blue of the water was stunning. It was a riot of colours overall, and an evening that we can not ever forget.<br />
We strolled around the lake in the morning as well, taking a lot of pictures of course. The water as expected was very chilled - we tried stepping into the lake for some brief seconds!<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Tso Moriri - View from our hotel/ home-stay room</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmRetRg-I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/fATa8oAqdqk/s1600/IMG_4237.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmRetRg-I/AAAAAAAAD4Y/fATa8oAqdqk/s640/IMG_4237.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">Water colours of Tsomoriri lake</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCFn7AEG0pP9A7Rj-mlh8nmuvJpMd59neUK6OOrgx_LRXUR6HvRHurOne0HQ4IPZAumFuH6zuXtxHQQwB0i6v20OkLaS56zZFEx-s9SZu7n7rikNVHO4T4Jtrjd4ZvH2NqnLT5YVJcaQ/s1600/IMG_4293%20(1).JPG" imageanchor="1" style="cssfloat: left; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="312" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCFn7AEG0pP9A7Rj-mlh8nmuvJpMd59neUK6OOrgx_LRXUR6HvRHurOne0HQ4IPZAumFuH6zuXtxHQQwB0i6v20OkLaS56zZFEx-s9SZu7n7rikNVHO4T4Jtrjd4ZvH2NqnLT5YVJcaQ/s640/IMG_4293%20(1).JPG" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">A butterfly at Tso Moriri</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z7CSHkGgI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/lfJUT_iF9UE/s1600/IMG_4341.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="532" src="http://lh6.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2z7CSHkGgI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/lfJUT_iF9UE/s640/IMG_4341.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div class="separator" style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none; clear: both; text-align: center;">Inferno in the sky - Dusk at Tso Moriri<br />
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</div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div></div>Day 7: Aug 21 - After spending some time at Tso Moriri lake in the morning, we started for the last leg of our journey in Ladakh. We started around noon towards Pang which is close to the Himachal Pradesh border from where we were supposed to get on to another Sumo and travel to Keylong - Trans Himalayan Safari route. The journey to Pang turned out to be adventurous since we encountered two punctured tyres and had to hitch-hike a ride on a road-construction truck. On reaching Pang (400 kms away from Leh), we discovered that the second Sumo which was supposed to take us to Himachal was not going to arrive. No phones were available and it was already evening, so we couldn't do anything else but to wait until next day morning. Thankfully, we got to know some army personnel who had their camp in that area who very graciously provided us with warm water for freshening up and also cooked for us delicious rice and egg curry. They also offered to help us find alternate modes of transport the next morning; so we spent the night in Pang in a road-side tent.<br />
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Day 8: Aug 22 - The next day morning we were hoping to get a ride on one of the tourist cabs (similar to what we had hired), but could not find place in any. We were 6 of us and finding place for even one or two was difficult. Finally our friends from the army helped us by talking to some truck drivers. There is huge depot of supplied including fuel in Ambala and a lot of tankers ply between Ambala and Ladakh providing supplies to the many army bases in the region. The 6 of us got onto 3 tankers and started on our journey into Himachal Pradesh. The route from Pang to Keylong (also known as Trans-Himalayan Safari" is also a beautiful drive full of ups-downs, twists and turns and lined with very mountains that have formed unique shapes thanks to erosion due to wind and ice and water. Having traveled that distance on a truck made the journey even more memorable. We finally reached Keylong at 4 pm, thus ending our beautiful journey of the splendid land called Ladakh.<br />
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<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="text-align: center;">Wild donkeys enroute Pang<a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RuFtYNvedeI/AAAAAAAABS4/Et7-3s7H-2w/s1600/IMG_4350.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="342" mt="true" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_jmLTRVOwPrI/RuFtYNvedeI/AAAAAAAABS4/Et7-3s7H-2w/s640/IMG_4350.JPG" width="640" /></a></div></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"></div><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;"><br />
<div style="text-align: center;">With our friends from the army who were no less than God for us on the we were stranded in Pang</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmWT61zRI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/Nr-e7tQ3OyM/s1600/IMG_4357.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kmWT61zRI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/Nr-e7tQ3OyM/s640/IMG_4357.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;">Pang - Keylong - enroute - on a truck</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kl-BD2OvI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/eCzQuNGy7jA/s1600/DSC01512.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="480" src="http://lh4.ggpht.com/_RTiFYvdzhoo/S2kl-BD2OvI/AAAAAAAAD4Y/eCzQuNGy7jA/s640/DSC01512.jpg" width="640" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: left;">Pictures and description of Keylong will be included in the Himachal Pradesh section of this blog. </div></div></div>travellers'_lenshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16623389991179488353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4074067628632303450.post-3124206140360713762010-01-17T13:00:00.009+05:302012-08-26T00:43:37.379+05:30Khajuraho<div style="border-bottom: medium none; border-left: medium none; border-right: medium none; border-top: medium none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBaxvQAwsMAUkHAirknXoAlfnPBbhIzVUVhxzPio3F6EZfVHmqsvh31v0VcjOGwHQInj9PmscCw6_B7KdeEOVINE3ze1uJINynvOqSXPgnFmxtuTFpdBmtVYEMBKmSS9DwxKSxSwJGAw/s1600-h/IMG_8925.JPG" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img alt="" border="0" height="300" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5427400902243930162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYBaxvQAwsMAUkHAirknXoAlfnPBbhIzVUVhxzPio3F6EZfVHmqsvh31v0VcjOGwHQInj9PmscCw6_B7KdeEOVINE3ze1uJINynvOqSXPgnFmxtuTFpdBmtVYEMBKmSS9DwxKSxSwJGAw/s400/IMG_8925.JPG" style="float: left; margin: 0px 10px 10px 0px;" width="400" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We set out on our journey to Khajuraho in the Bundelkhand region of central India on Dec 25, 2009 from Delhi. There are many ways of getting to Khajuraho by train, bus or flight since its a popular tourist destination especially among international tourists. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Khajuraho got its name, some say, because it used to be surrounded by Khajur (dates in Hindi) trees in olden days. We, however, would like to go with the explanation our tourist guide provided -</span></div>
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<strong><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Khajuraho is the "search of the path to the higher power" [KHOJO RAHA] </span></strong></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Khajuraho, in Madhya Pradesh, is a small "sleepy" town with a population of approx 15,000; main sources of income for the locals are tourism and agriculture. There is an in-flux of foreign nationals who visit and live here and you shouldn't be surprised if your tourist guide starts speaking in fluent French or Japanese. There are many options for lodging including a few star hotels and quite a few economy hotels. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpOaWc8PCKSlpzW5_5WlrIn7LMX6XfJpffzE8gjQeKdQz2iFnSH2q1Tru1zSjCHC80I6Qjzc-GIFPYNiAXYR5caOmWBqfkjoat_IUqlX-Wr36RA93p2LGzt8wOZ8vOmNnnagMOJXyZtQ/s1600-h/IMG_8573.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="480" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixpOaWc8PCKSlpzW5_5WlrIn7LMX6XfJpffzE8gjQeKdQz2iFnSH2q1Tru1zSjCHC80I6Qjzc-GIFPYNiAXYR5caOmWBqfkjoat_IUqlX-Wr36RA93p2LGzt8wOZ8vOmNnnagMOJXyZtQ/s640/IMG_8573.JPG" width="640" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The easiest mode of local transport is auto-rickshaws - they are available in plenty, come with a driver cum agent cum guide, and most importantly provide the spirit of adventure to maneuver thru the small by-lanes. An auto-rickshaw ride can show you the glimpses of Khajuraho that are more real and present than the sculptures it is famous for. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We started our "khoj" of this wonderland with an auto-ride to Pandav caves and waterfalls which is ~30 kms from Khajuraho. On the way to the Pandav falls, we crossed the Panna river and also had to ride across the winding roads uphill through the Panna forest. Panna National Park is situated right here and stretches across a large area extending to Bandhavgarh wild life reserve. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Pandav caves is an exquisite location that dates back to the era when Pandavas spent some time of their exile in these caves. What remains of these caves now are only a few halls that are carved out of mud and rock. It is the falls and the volcanic layered rock formations that make this green picturesque setting a unique place. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfjcYNf-0J_wsSg0xzO-dZsXl9flz0Fvi8dkJN6csP6_fXU1W62W5ME0sBUUo_JonLFeW8Cgf52a_qCmZNQhRbTcrTq0N9qFLdwoQDgI-RGWRJZn7KU8oBpfFNu2An6b_Scb3HkTzICw/s1600-h/IMG_8495.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; cssfloat: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><img border="0" height="240" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggfjcYNf-0J_wsSg0xzO-dZsXl9flz0Fvi8dkJN6csP6_fXU1W62W5ME0sBUUo_JonLFeW8Cgf52a_qCmZNQhRbTcrTq0N9qFLdwoQDgI-RGWRJZn7KU8oBpfFNu2An6b_Scb3HkTzICw/s320/IMG_8495.JPG" width="320" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the way back from Pandav caves, we took a little detour of 20 kms to another picturesque destination - the Raneh Falls. This is, by all means, India's answer (although small) to the Grand Canyon. Raneh falls, on the Ken River, is a canyon with some amazing rock formations that are almost 100 ft deep and stretch over 5 kms. This canyon is full of crystalline granite found in many colours - pink, red, amber and grey. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">You could also stop over at the Ken Gharial (crocodile) sanctuary if you have some time on hand. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the second day, we set out on our search of the true Khajuraho. Khajuraho is popular for its many temples. There were almost 85 temples built during the reign of the Chandela kings in the 9th and 10th century AD. Since then natural calamities, wars and invasions have taken toll and only 22 of these temples survive which are now preserved by the Archeological Society of India. There are on-going excavations to find and recreate some of the other temples that have suffered the brunt of time. The splendour of those temples that still stand tall is a proclamation of the richness of culture and wealth of an era long gone. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The temples are spread across the south, east and the western side of the town. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">We decided to start with the southern and eastern temples - covering Chaturbhuja temple, Dula Deo temple, Jain temple, Parsvanath and Adinath temples. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40jWKfswvkYAfuNJS-2AlOG1HUCKKBmeeU_Y5Wnd-RdkRn4HgN_oA47vGUvmhKausNrgeSSNXtWDcMkYVVUagz9NJhg88jMNWuEZA0Drsi6i3RaqU4Kdn_0RqXCS8hH4_osRRT0_GaTc/s1600/IMG_8624.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; cssfloat: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" ps="true" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg40jWKfswvkYAfuNJS-2AlOG1HUCKKBmeeU_Y5Wnd-RdkRn4HgN_oA47vGUvmhKausNrgeSSNXtWDcMkYVVUagz9NJhg88jMNWuEZA0Drsi6i3RaqU4Kdn_0RqXCS8hH4_osRRT0_GaTc/s320/IMG_8624.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Although the basic style of each temple is similar, we were amazed by the variety of sculptures and stories depicted in these sculptures. Although the common theme of all temples appears to be eroticism, every element of the daily life is depicted in these sculptures. Each row and column of every temple has carvings of Gods and Godesses, apsaras, kings, queens and commoners. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">On the second day, we also got a chance to watch a Bundeli dance performance and the light and sound show both of which were quite informative about the rich and less known (at least to us) culture of this region. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The third and last day of our short trip was reserved for the Western group of temples. Here we hired the services of a professional guide. If you wish to understand the nuances and the true meaning of the art, we will recommend that you hire a guide at least for some part of the temple site-seeing. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial;">The western group of temples is a complex with a cluster of temples all in one premises and in walkable distance from the main market area of Khajuraho. The group includes magnificent temples like Kandariya Mahadeo Temple, Chaunsat Yogini Temple, Chitragupta Temple, Lakshamana Temple, Matangeswara Temple, and Varaha Temple.You must have on hand at least 5-6 hours to walk around if you want to really absorb the true essence of these temples. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The mystique of Khajuraho plays on your mind as you walk from temple to temple, from one superiorly sculpted column to another. The life that is poured into these otherwise lifeless sand-stone figures make you want to wonder about the hands that created these temples; thousands of atisans who toiled to put one stone over another. </span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Our guide presented to us a very different view of the meaning of the mystique that is Khajuraho. The premise of many carvings on the outer walls of the temples is to depict the four ashramas that every human must go thru and it is only by fully completing the roles of one ashrama can one move to the next one. The outer walls depict episodes from each of these stages and also scenes from daily life of Gods and Goddess, kings and queens, the learned and the commoners. There is an obvious emphasis on the art of love-making (Kama-sutra). However, in our opinion it is over-stated than it should be. The main message that seems to come out of these temples is to let go of all forms of worldly desires before you surrender to the almighty. This is exactly why even in olden times, the priests would advice the temple-goers to first walk around the circumference of the temple mandapa and only then enter the inner halls to offer prayers. </span><br />
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</span><span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Whatever you perceive of these temples, you will not help but wonder at the architectural grandeur of this place and the richness of thought and art depited in these temples that stand immortalized. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">The whole experience of Khajuraho just feels majestic! The trip left us with mixed thoughts - that of the real and surreal, physical and spiritual, human and divine. </span><br />
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<em>Other information about Khajuraho - The town has all basic facilities that you may need including internet cafes and multi-cuisine restaurants. You can shop for artifacts and souveniers like decorative metal statues. These are best bought at art shops that provide you with a decent price based on weight - be ready for a little haggling and make sure it has the right finish quality. There are also options to buy expensive sculptures that are actually carved out rather than moulded.</em></div>
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<em>For more information on Khajuraho: <a href="http://www.mptourism.com/dest/khajuraho.html">http://www.mptourism.com/dest/khajuraho.html</a> </em></div>
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