Scrapbook

255. Sarswati Temple-2, Hampi

2012-02-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

According to my sister I have an obsession over Hampi. She says I go on talking for hours. I think she is right! I am thinking of starting a series on Hampi!!

Unlike other temples in Hampi, the Saraswati Temple-2 (in the pic) is compact and is built on a rock. No compound wall and no pillared mantapas surrounding it. On the way to Virupapura, ie where the popular Virupaksha temple is located, one can see this Saraswati temple-2 isolated and on high natural rock platform with blue sky in the background.

There is not much of literature available on this temple. And even the guides avoid questions on this temple :) Temple is non-functional and hence visited by very few tourists.

For some reason I like this temple. May be its seclusion and the way it looks from the road.

254. Ben Navis, The highest mountain in British Isles

2012-02-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Scotland is known for its sceneic beauty, the mountains, the valleys and the lakes, and the green ... In local language Ben is a mountain, Glen is a valley, and Loch is a lake! These were the few words I learnt while in Scotland and never forgot!

Ben Navis actually means Mountain with its head in clouds. It is the highest mountain (4,409ft) in British Isles, located close to Fort William. In my first visit to Scotland I did very short hikes here and there. Next visit will definitely include a picture of me on the summit of Ben Navis. Hoping that happens soon!

253. Himalayan Deer, Yuksom, Sikkim

2012-01-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Himalayan barking deer ... you will see this in Shimla Nature Park-Zoo ... But, when you see these in the wild it is a gift. They are small and so swift making it hard to see them.

I went for a short hike in Yuksom area and noticed and clicked this deer near a dead log before it vanished into the forest. That is the only wildlife representative greeted me that day :)

252. Seven Sacred Pools of Maui

2012-01-30T00:09:00.000-08:00

Part of Haleakala National Park, Maui, Hawaii, Seven Sacred pools are one of the polpular attractions in the park. The 1/2 mile loop trail goes along the pools. The water empties into the Pacific ocean.

I went for a longer hike to see the Waimoku Falls that day and on the way back took a few snaps of these beautiful waterfalls in a hurry. It was raining heavily that day keeping the camera out for long time was not possible! Also had to drive back on the narrow single winding Hana Highway for about 10 miles in the heavy rain!

251. Yawning Cormorant at Central Park, Fremont

2012-01-29T00:03:00.000-08:00

Cormorants are very swift and expressive aquatic birds.They are very often seen in wing drying action. They dive deep into the water to feed on fish.

It is really a wonderful experience to watch these birds and their expressions. They keep looking at the horizon as if they are waiting for someone! They keep yawning as if they got bored of waiting!

In the picture, yawn! Cormorant in Central Park, Fremont in California.

250. Shimla at night ...

2012-01-28T00:01:00.000-08:00

Shimla is one of the beautiful hill-cities of Himachal Pradesh, watching it in the night is an experience. It was freezing cold in the night for sure but, the sight of the illuminated valley was stunningly beautiful!

In the picture is the view from the Ridge. Walk back to the hotel in the cold-dark night on the Mall Road wasn't bad.

249. Safdarjung's Tomb, Delhi

2012-01-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, Delhi has many popular and not so popular tombs, one of them is Safdarjung's tomb. I have already posted once on this tomb earlier, different picture though. I realized about that after composing this post. I didn't want my time spent on this one go waste so ... ha ha ... I have so many pictures of so many monuments from so many places. Am losing track of which is already on the blog and which is not. Well, it is okay to have two different pictures of a tomb posted on 365 project!

248. Narasimha image in Naggar Art Gallery

2012-01-26T00:01:00.000-08:00

Art is a depiction of our imagination making use of a skill, be it a painting or sculpture. Some artist imagined Narasimha as in the picture ...

This stone image of Narasimha (a man with a lion's head, one of the ten incarnations of Lord Vishnu, a Hindu deity) is on display in the Roerich Himalayan Art Gallery, Naggar.

247. Bread Pakoda in Chandani Chowk

2012-01-25T00:01:00.000-08:00

I had heard about Chandani Chowk through tour guides and on internet, that one can have taste of Delhi here. I took a Metro from Paharganj to Chandani Chowk and was prepared to try something new and not complain about the crowd.

Soon after coming out of the metro station I reached a square where the deep fried snacks were sold. The place was had so many people and also was littered. The samosa, kachori and bread pakodas were available with every vendor. I was little curious about the bread pakoda because I had never tasted it before. So I went for one!

I was expecting some filling inside the bread slices but there wasn't any. How did I like it? Well, I am not keen on having another one!

Backpacking in India: Shimla

2012-01-24T05:01:00.000-08:00

After visiting Kullu-Manali, the popular Shimla cannot be left unvisited! Shimla, capital city of Himachal Pradesh, is a place everybody wants to visit. I wanted to visit Shimla so badly until I did one day. I took an HP state transport bus, the only bus that starts at 10:30PM, from Manali and traveled overnight. I had a reservation for window seat and unfortunately the window shutter had some problem. There was no lock and the shutter was sliding open. Oh! It was cold! My nose was numb and I was worried I might get a cold-burn on my nose! From the new bus stand I took a local bus to reach somewhere near the Mall Road paying Rs.5 where as the taxi costs Rs.250. From there walked up in search of budget hotels to stay. The Shimla city, located in the north-western range of Himalayas, is very cold. Well, it is the Queen of Hills at an altitude of 2,205m above MSL, owns a title Summer Capital ... and so is expected to be very cold in late October for a Bangalorean.

Took a 3D/2N package with private taxi for one day sightseeing paying Rs.4,500. I am not sure it was a good or bad deal. I was tired of climbing up-down the narrow and shabby alleys just to see the tiny rooms and dirty bed-linens and this clean hotel looked worth the money. Only thing I would change next time is that I wouldn't go for the package with the private taxi for sightseeing. I would try to negotiate the price of the room between Rs.700 to Rs.900 per night considering its location. The hotel is a block away from Mall Road. The room was clean with big windows for views of the city. Hot water all the time and the attendants never expected tips for room service!! They were shy when I tipped them. Nice huh? Or may be they were not comfortable being paid by a single female!! Ho sakta hai (possible) ...

My one day sightseeing tour in the private taxi included a ride to Kufri, Nature park and zoo, Fagu Valley (overlooking from a viewpoint only), Vice Regal Lodge, Himalayan bird sanctuary, Sankat Mochan temple. Worth the money? depends ... Rest, I did on my feet and shared taxis :)

The major attraction in Shimla is the Mall Road. There are branded stores and upscale restaurants here. One can shop here or window-shop for hours. There are alternatives like, Lower Bazaar, Lakkar Bazaar where people buy souvenirs for reasonable price and so are extremely crowded. The Gaiety theatre is a heritage tourist attraction on the Mall road.

The Ridge is where people hang-out and have great views of the city. On the Ridge there are statues of Bapuji, Indiraji and Parmarji along with few tudorbethan style buildings and a church built in neo-gothic style. Nothing much to talk about the statues but, the church is one of its kind. In the night the illuminated church transports tourists to medieval period (of course not physically!!).

Visited Kali Bari temple, which is actually Shyamala Devi temple. The name Shimla is derived from the name of the Goddess. Jakhu Hanuman temple is located on the summit of the highest peak in the area. The legend associated with this temple is very interesting. Per Hindu epic Ramayana, when Hanumanji was carrying the Sanjeevini mountain from Himalayas to Lanka to save the life of injured Lakshmana. Hanumanji took some rest here on the way. It is believed that the tip of the mountain was flattened with the weight of Hanumanji and the temple is built around his footprints!! To reach the temple one can go by foot trekking 2 KM steep up hill from the Ridge. Or hire a private taxi that costs Rs.200. Or the way I did, wait for a shared taxi which costs Rs.10 one way. The ride up-and-down the hill is quite adventurous. The monkeys here are in great numbers and are notorious. They are self-trained in stealing food-camera-sunglasses. Visited another Hanuman temple, Sankat Mochan, located on Shimla-Kalka highway. Across the road from this temple, climbing up few steps leads one to an interesting cave temple of Vaishno Devi.

Surrounded by pine trees and gardens Vice-Regal Lodge is a very popular attraction of Shimla. Built in Scottish style the building has beautiful wooden interiors. The teak panels and walnut ceilings are beautifully carved. Located on the Observatory Hill the building houses Indian Institute of Advanced Studies. Most of the building is not accessible to the tourists. A part of it which is a museum is worth a visit. There is an entrance fee plus camera fee. The furniture used by the Viceroys are displayed in the museum.

The pictures of Indian leaders arriving for the Shimla Conference 1945 are on display too. There were a lot of them, usual Bapuji, Chachaji etc. I have posted a picture of Dr. Rajendra Prasad, the first President of India. He was the only President who served the post twice. It was nice to see the pictures of leaders who are less known to today's generations.

The Shimla State Museum is a must visit if you are interested in history and archaeology. It is a long walk from the Mall Road. The road becomes little deserted at few places. The museum is a huge collection of coins, stamps, paintings, archaeological ruins, metal sculptures, scripts, books and photos that describe the history and lifestyle of Himachal Pradesh and surroundings.

Near Kufri I visited the Himalayan zoo and a Nature Park. Near Vice-Regal Lodge there is a Himalayan Bird Sanctuary. All these places have entrance fee plus a camera fee. In my opinion, skipping these parks is okay.

Shimla is a great city to visit for a relaxing vacation. I will visit again!

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

246. Taj Mahal in fake moonlight!

2012-01-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

My first visit to Agra was one of a kind. The package tour, the bus, the food and the people! The tour guide informed us not to shop anywhere else other than the shop he is going to take us! He also mentioned that the shop owner would show us Taj Mahal replica under special effects, viz, moonlight, illuminated and in normal light. Well, we didn't have any choice and we obliged.

So, this was one of the special effects! That is moonlight. After this we were asked to buy the miniature Taj Mahal. Many did and some didn't (I was one of them). Well, someone had an argument over the commission and there was a big drama.

All this even before we saw the real Taj Mahal! :)

245. Mask in the Naggar Castle

2012-01-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

Naggar Castle, built of wood and stones, is a medieval castle converted into Heritage Hotel run by Himachal Pradesh Tourism Department.

It has a mini gallery, more specifically a collection of very traditional items of Himalayas. The big masks dominate the artifacts hung on the walls.

I took this picture with a medium range zoom lens to get the selective focus effect. It really worked! Looks like the face is coming out of the sky!

244. Carved wood ceiling, Manali temples

2012-01-22T00:04:00.000-08:00

One of the characteristics of South India is the ancient temples built with granite. Intricately carved basements, pillars and gopuras (pagodas). When I was in Himachal Pradesh I was amazed to see the temples built with wood, mostly deodar wood. The walls, ceilings, pillars, doors everything is carved wood!

Just like granite in south India, marble and sand stone in Rajasthan, wood is the long-lasting building material available in Himachal Pradesh. Such temples are seen even in the remote villages of Himachal Pradesh. Many scattered around in the Kullu Valley.

243. Bats in the temples of Hampi

2012-01-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Under the impressive rule of Krishnadevaraya and Achutaraya Hampi florished, it was the capital city for generations of strong Hindu rulers. The beauty and glory of Hampi is described by the visitors in their records. Per history, it took five deccan muslim sultans together to defeat the army of Vijayanagara.

The city was pillaged, and the Hindu structures were senselessly destroyed. The temples of glorious past still stand with proud beauty though inner sanctums are empty. Well, not completely empty! Now, they are homes for bats.

I visited almost every temple (and also other monuments) in Hampi, both functioning and non-functioning. And I feel ... the destruction of anything is not complete! The debris, the memories, the legends remain for ages to tell the true story!

Backpacking in India: Naggar

2012-01-20T04:08:00.000-08:00

Naggar, 26KM from main town Kullu, is a calm and beautiful village in the Himalayan state, Himachal Pradesh. In ancient years it was the capital city of Kullu Kingdom. The castle and the rock temples prove this fact.

Naggar Castle is a 16th century castle built by one of the Rajas of Kullu. Now, this heritage property is converted into Government run hotel, tariff is around Rs.1,700+. It stands on the edge of a cliff and from the open and cold wooden balconies one can have stunning views of Kullu valley. There is a display of masks, traditional musical instruments in the gallery.

Nicholas Roerich house is a popular tourist attraction. The house is converted into an art gallery displaying the Roerich's paintings of Himalayas. The house is in a fragile state and hence tourists are not allowed inside. The interiors can be seen through glass panels of closed windows. The Roerich memorial is set in a very peaceful site. Svetoslav Roerich, second son of Nicholas, married Indian actress Devika Rani.

The visitors here are mostly foreigners, particularly Russians. There were very few Indians (who were visiting India). It seems this place was owned by Raja of Kullu (or Mandi?) and Roerich bought the house from him. I spent a lot of time here walking up-down the hill while enjoying the lush around.

There is also a Himalayan Research Institute and museum called Uruswati displaying the Himalayan lifestyle. Artifacts include apparel, weapons, utensils and so on ... also the images of deities like Lord Krishna, Narasimha. The life-size dolls of the tribe-couples are beautiful.

Tripura Sundari temple is located down the road from Naggar Castle, built of deodar wood in pagoda style with three roofs. I was very curious to see this temple which was unfortunately closed. This temple has a tradition of offering dead bodies as clothes to the Goddess!

Gauri Shankar Temple in Naggar is popular for its architecture and also for the belief that visiting this temple opens the doors to heaven. Whatever :), the temple is a protected monument under ASI. The temple was closed but I had a peek inside to see the image of God and Goddess, well everyone wants to go to heaven!

The visit to this small and neat Himalayan village was memorable! Especially the views from the Castle hotel, Roerich House.

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

242. A jharoka in Hawa Mahal, Jaipur

2012-01-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

When I visit these medieval and pre-modern era palaces I wonder what was life like? more specifically, life of (royal) women! See the world from behind the lattice work? I try to see from these windows and feel how did they see the outer world.

Hawa Mahal wasn't any exception. There were a lot many of these holes-in-the-walls. I peeped through these small windows world looked like cropped pictures.

241. Humayun's Tomb, Delhi

2012-01-19T00:02:00.000-08:00

Well, I have written about Humayun's tomb earlier. Thought of posting another picture, the whole structure this time. It is a beautiful architecture but, I don't like the green curtain where restoration work is going on :(

Surrounded by persian style charbaug garden the tomb looks good. It is one of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites of Delhi.

240. Traditional Music at Vasishta

2012-01-18T00:06:00.000-08:00

Just after one visit Manali has become one of my favorite destinations. The natural beauty of this place calls me ... come back! and I am definitely going back whenever possible this year.

In the picture are two guys in their late-teens or may be, early twenties, playing traditional music for arti in Sri Rama temple, Vasisht.

During my travel I keep clicking pictures. Of people, of food, of wildlife, of religion, of everyday life and so on ... when I ask people for permission to shoot they smile and pose like celebrities. That makes me wonder ... tourists are not only the source of income, they make locals feel like celebrities. And tourists feel like they are professional photographers!! ha ha ... that is the reason people travel ... for the joy of it!

Yatra : Bijli Mahadev

2012-01-17T00:07:00.000-08:00

Bijli Mahadev is one of the sacred temples of Himachal Pradesh. Located at the height about 8,000ft on Mathan Hill 11KM east of Kullu, it provides great panoramic views of Kullu and Parvati valleys. There is a tall staff which attracts lightning.

Legend says that this staff attracts blessings from heaven! And every lightening that is attracted shatters the Shivlinga installed in the shrine. The priest then fixes it using butter and flour. The temple is popular for its unique Kash style architecture, I do not have much idea about this style though :(

The car reaches up till a village from where one has to hike uphill about 4KM to reach the temple. Climbing the stairs in the high altitude is little difficult on lungs but it is very much doable. Locals climb it up as if it is a routine! I climbed up with no lunch that day and no water. After reaching the top, it is time to realize that the temple is one of its kind and the views of the valley are fantastic! The snaking rivers and the lights of Dussehra festival were seen from here.

It was almost sunset time and witnessed a very colorful sunset before trekking down to the parking.

239. Sita Agni pareeksha, A painting

2012-01-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

The word Agnipareeksha is synonymous with the hardship to prove the purity, truth or honesty of oneself. The literal meaning is (agni) fire (pareeksha) test.

In Ramayana, the great Hindu epic, Rama (the perfect man) rescues his wife Sita Devi from her abductor Ravana, the demon king. Though Rama doesn't suspect her purity the world wonders about her purity. To show the world that their queen is pure, Rama asks Sita Devi to pass the agnipareeksha. She enters the pyre and comes out unharmed, the Agni (God of Fire) declares she is pure and bows to her.

In the picture is the wall painting in Albert Hall, Jaipur. Mughal Emperor Akbar got the Hindu epic translated in persian and the paintings were based on Persian Ramayana. Monkey soldiers are seen in the painting too.

238. Merced River at Happy Isles bridge - Yosemite NP

2012-01-16T00:06:00.000-08:00

Mercede River and Yosemite National Park are complementary to each other. One without the other is incomplete!

This Happy Isles bridge has a significance ... people who go on the Half-Dome hike start here. I too did! Three times! And I love this place ...

Early summer (June-July) the river is swollen and the waterfalls look monstrous. And that is where the beauty of this National Park is.

237. Hampi, the land of pillared mantapas

2012-01-15T00:06:00.000-08:00

Hampi, one of my favorite places to visit. When I think of Hampi, the capital of glorious Vijayanagara Empire, I think of a pillared mantapa (shelter). In my opinion, the pillared mantapa is the characteristic of Hampi.

Hampi is located in the boulder-strewn bare landscape. And each boulder, each ruin speaks of art and architecture, story and glory of an Empire, and also the savage men who pillaged the city.

One of such structure which stands alone, high on a boulder. It might have seen the glorious days, with vigilant soldiers resting under it. Today, it stands high as a proof of man's capacity of senseless destruction and religious hatred.

Backpacking in India : Kullu, The valley of Gods

2012-01-14T05:06:00.000-08:00

Kullu, popularly known as Valley of Gods, is a beautiful open valley created by River Bias. Surrounded by the great Himalayan heights Kullu lies on the banks of River Beas. Visiting Kullu is not only for pilgrimage but also for some adventure! River Beas is very popular for white water rafting. Well then ... time to get on a raft! whoo hooo!

It was a cloudy day, cold weather, ice cold water and the considerably rough river. All the way 15 miles in the water ... hooo hoooing, got drenched! After all the fun I learned that there is no changing room! I went all the way to Mahadevi Teerth in dripping clothes and changed in a Sulabh toilet! Well, that was another adventure!

Mahadevi Theerth Temple is popularly known as Vaishno Devi of Kullu. It is not an ancient temple like others in Kullu valley but, is very popular and beautiful. The temple is built with marble and intricately carved wood. The temple has images of Durga, Kali, Lakshmi and Shiva in different floors. One has to climb marble stairs to reach each floor. Watch your step smooth marble is dangerous! The Golden image of Durga here is one of the most beautiful images of the Goddess I have ever seen! Photography is strictly prohibited here.

I visited few more devi-devta temples before leaving to Bijli Mahadev which was in my must-do list.

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

236. Murals of Mehrangarh

2012-01-14T00:06:00.000-08:00

The imposing Mehrangarh Fort in Jodhpur is abode of art and architecture. The intricately carved walls and windows, the art work in the palaces inside make this place a must visit.

The mirror work, the gold painting are exquisite. There are some parts of the palace where one can find simple wall paintings or murals.

In the picture is the mural of Ardhanareeshwara (half man-half woman), that is the unified image of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvathi. Interesting thing is, the painting can be concealed behind the doors.

235. Ishwar Lat, a tower in walled city Jaipur

2012-01-13T00:09:00.000-08:00

The tallest tower in the walled city of Jaipur gives a spectacular view of the city. Named after the King who built it, Raja Ishwari Singh, it is also called as Sur Suli, which means heaven piercing minaret.

Located near the Tripola Gate, the tower is octagonal in shape and has seven storeys. White in color, very well recognizable from the market streets.

234. Qila-i-Mubarak at Shahajanabad

2012-01-12T00:04:00.000-08:00

Qila-i-mubarak, have you heard of this place in Delhi? he he ... it is the popular Lal-Qila or Red Fort :) During Mughal period, Shahjahan built the city Shahajanabad and moved the residence of Royal family to Qila-i-mubarak, ie Belssed Fort.

The fort is built in Shahajahani style, that is the mix of european, persian and indian architecture. Many emperors lived here, added mahals and masjids. Now, it the site from where the Indian Prime Minister addresses the nation on Independence Day.

It is a UNESCO World Heritage site, but there are no fountains, some of the art work is deteriorating, mosques are closed to the public. It houses museums. There is a light and sound show, as in any other fort in India, which is nice it seems. It must be, they are always good. I haven't seen it though.

233. Snow capped Himalayas at Rothang Pass

2012-01-11T00:01:00.000-08:00

Rothang, the literal meaning -pile of corpses! is a place of sheer beauty. Why do they call it with the terrible name? The weather here is extremely unpredictable, it could rain, snow or covered with fog which made people go through hard time. Over the centuries people have died here crossing the pass during winter and their bones are buried here. Hence, pile of corpses!

Rothang Pass is 50Km from Manali is a popular tourist destination in Himachal Pradesh. The Pir Panjal range seen from here was admired by the Ved Vyas Muni who meditated here at Beas Kund. Today hoards of tourists (I was one of them) visit this place and are ruining the whole area ... as the tourist vehicles and military vehicles create traffic jam on this tight road.

Once here, people forget about the ecosystem, traffic jams, motion sickness and just enjoy the Himalayas :)

Yatra : Manikaran and Hot Springs

2012-01-10T02:05:00.000-08:00

Though Manali is honeymooner's paradise Kullu is referred to as Valley of Gods. Nearby is Parvati Valley where a small religious town called Manikaran resides, main attraction here being a hot springs in the beautiful landscape. The existence of many temples and a gurudwara indicate it is an important pilgrimage center for more than one religion. A half-a-day or day-long excursion from Manali.

There are two legends associated with Manikaran. The first, Manu Maharshi created human life from this sacred place.

The second legend which gives the name to the place is related to Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. It is believed that both lived here for eleven hundred years. Once Shiva-Parvati were walking on the banks of river and Parvati lost one of her wish fulfilling jewels (chintamani) in the water. She asked Shiva to retrieve it. Shiva then ordered his gana (attendents) to find it. Shiva was extremely angry when the jewel was not found. The Gods asked the serpent God Shesha Nag to pacify Shiva. To do this Shesha Nag hissed which resulted in a flow of boiling water with the jewels. Parvati was happy to see the jewels and Shiva calmed down. Since then the hot spring exists here and the water is considered very auspicious. It is believed that the water has curative powers.

The water is so hot that the rice can be cooked here. The whole area is so hot and walking is difficult on the hot pavement. There are gunny-bags and wooden planks to walk over. There is a stone image of Lord Shiva in his angry mood just over the boiling pond. It is the most beautiful Shiva image I have ever seen. Little distance from here at the center of the town is a Lord Ramachandra temple. It is believed that the idol of Lord Rama installed here was brought from Ayodhya by the King of Kullu.

The Gurudwara has a bath just below it. There is Hot gufa (cave) which is a natural steaming center. It seems Guru Nanakji visited this place for welfare of the people in this region and is hence holy for Sikh.

The trip to Manikaran was part of the 2N/3D package. With me were a group of Bengali seniors and a group of phirangis (foreigners). It was a good contrast. The foreigners were for only one way trip and vanished after disembarking. I hear Manikaran is popular destination for "personal gifts". The group of elderly walked slowly and rested in a place telling me to take my own time and enjoy, there was no need to hurry. So, I listened to them, visited all the temples, gurudwara, took enough pictures, spoke to the pandas (priests) to know about the place. One Panda offered me the rice cooked in the hot springs!

It was a great religious trip. I only wish that the dharmashala and baths were little away from the temple and hot springs keeping the place clean and peaceful!

232. California Wildflower

2012-01-10T00:07:00.000-08:00

Last year I went on a wildflower hike in Sunol. The whole area was green and the rolling hills were painted with the colors of wildflowers. California poppies, purple lupine, and many more in the wildflower list. One of the tiny weeds was the filaree.

The Braodleaf Filaree (Erodium Botrys) is a small weedy herb found all over the world, native to Eurasia, North America and introduced weed in Australia, New Zealand.

231. Temple bells at Kangra

2012-01-09T00:06:00.000-08:00

Temple bells, hung at the Hindu temple gate or main shrine, people ring them as they are enter the temple. Bigger bells are made of bell metal and smaller ones, as in the picture, are made of brass. The soothing sound of temple bells always evokes spirituality in my mind.

I took this picture at the Vajreshwari Temple in Kangra. The Vajreshwari Temple is one of the shaktipeeths.

Like the temple bells, Kangra Valley echoes the glorious past of the Nagarkot city and the Vajreshwari temple. Also, tells the unfortunate story of its fall and destruction by the muslim invaders.

Well, past is past ... the temple is still functioning and is a busy place full of pilgrims!

230. Qutb Minar, Delhi

2012-01-08T00:09:00.000-08:00

Qutb Minar, one of the very popular tourist attractions of Delhi is one of the masterpieces of muslim architecture in India. It is one of the popular and tallest minarets in India and in the world as well.

Built with red sandstone and marble it stands high up 72.5m. The construction was started by Qutb-ud-din Aibak, first muslim ruler of Delhi, in 12th century and the soaring tower is best example of early Indo-islamic architecture. Surrounded by ruins of other medieval structures now it is UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The minar was hit by earthquakes and lightenings several times and was repaired by the subsequent rulers.

229. Stained glass in Cathedrals

2012-01-07T00:05:00.000-08:00

I have visited many churches and cathedrals with gothic architecture. One of the common features here is the beautiful stained glass windows panels. While most of these window panels incorporate the stories from bible or lives of saints, some are purely decorative.

Different colored glass is artistically cut and the glued to form a beautiful story. One of the factories which make these glasses for ages is in Murano, Italy. It has a collection of exquisite glass and unfortunately photography is not allowed!

In this picture, the rose window of Roman Catholic Cathedral in Orvieto, Italy.

Yatra : Hidimba Devi in Manali

2012-01-06T01:24:00.000-08:00

Hidimba Devi temple in Manali, Himachal Pradesh, the most popular among Hidimba temples. The most powerful being in Kullu Valley. The 500 year old Dhoongri temple is built with wood and has a wooden pagoda with three tapering roofs. The doors and the outer walls are carved very beautifully and intricately. The Hidimba Devi image is in a massive rock cave. The temple is one of the five sites awaiting to be added to UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

There is a rope hanging near the rock. The legend says that, those days hands of sinners would be tied to this rope and sinners would be pushed hard swinging against the rock!

Hidimba Devi, is a short role in the great Hindu epic Mahabharatha. She was one of the wives of Bhimasena, the second brother of Pandavas, and mother of Ghatotkacha. She belonged to Kirataka tribe (forest dwellers) from Nepal. She and her brother Rakshasa Hidimbasura wanted to eat Pandavas. Bhima killed Hidimbasura and married Hidimba Devi instead.

There are many animal antlers along with the head of the animal mounted on the walls. At first I felt strange that in a temple? Then realized the temple itself is of a forest dweller who wanted to eat humans :)

A short walk towards the west is the tree temple of Ghatotkacha, the only son of Hidimba Devi and Bhima. There were many embellishments (or offerings?) on the tree trunk much different from that of temples in the south.

It was a nice experience to visit an ancient temple of rakshasi, built of wood!

228. Bear in the meadow - Sequoia National Park

2012-01-06T00:01:00.000-08:00

Black Bear is the state symbol of California. Though called black, they are in various shades of brown. They weigh around 200-350 pounds and 7-8ft tall when standing on hind legs.

I have seen few of them in Yosemite, Lassen and Sequoia National Parks, California. None of them were aggressive. Watching them looking for food in the meadows is a great experience. The female bear with playful cubs in the lush meadow is a sight to behold.

In the picture is a bear in Crescent Meadow of Sequoia National Park. It was evening time, swarms of notorious mosquitoes were out on hunt! Standing still with an SLR in hand shooting this bear in low light was almost impossible while the mosquitoes mercilessly devoured my blood. Out of 20 clicks 3 pictures were okayish. One of them is here.

On the left, a lot of meadow space for the bear to roam, just to give a perspective how vast the landscape is. The huge base of a Redwood Tree is much larger than 350 pound bear! Nature never stops surprising me!

227. Owl at Fort Jefferson

2012-01-05T00:02:00.000-08:00

You might have observed, now-a-days I am all in birding mood! One more bird ... Mr. Ullu ... This bird was sitting with eyes wide open staring straight ... there were at least 5-6 tourists who were taking picture of this bird. But, this bird never cared ... it kept on staring straight ...

It was one of the silent halls of Fort Jefferson, Dry Tortugas National Park. At the top there was a ventilator (may be) ... a small feathery ball was sitting. After zooming to full 400mm I could see the bird clearly. I was expecting to see waterfowl outside the fort on the beach, it was surprising to see an owl here in the silent corner.

There might be so much more in that ghostly fort where tourists are not allowed!

226. Garam Jalebi in Amritsar

2012-01-04T00:05:00.000-08:00

I wonder how some people dislike jalebi? Hmmm ... Well, they do not have sweet tooth for jalebis.

This was in Amritsar ... After visiting the Golden Temple I was exhausted of the long line, people so close, the ghee smell ... I was wandering around the streets ... looking for Bisleri ... I see this street-side stall. I asked if I could take a picture, he was very happy and posed. Then I bought some jalebis and they were delicious.

I hear the jalebis are served with rabri. Sometime I should try that too!

225. Lake Sashta

2012-01-03T00:04:00.000-08:00

Shasta Lake is a large man-made lake in the Shasta county, California. At first I didn't believe that it was man-made lake when one of my friends told me! It is blue and it is large. It makes sense, it was created by building a dam across Sacramento River.

It is a nice place for house boats, as in the picture. It is very good for water-sports. Speed boating, water skiing, kayaking and so on ... In my first visit I did all of it ... I never went there again ... after one of my colleagues lost his life when he went swimming in the icy-cold waters after 4-5 cans of beer. I just remember his wife and 2yr old son watching him drown. They were sitting in the boat. You know? We are responsible for our own safety!! Nature is beautiful but ruthless if we are not careful! Beer gets us high, but we can feel it only when we are alive!

I definitely stopped to enjoy its vast beauty when driving past the lake. Beautiful place indeed!

Backpacking in India: Manali and up in Rothang Pass

2012-01-03T00:03:00.000-08:00

Since my childhood I had heard about this Kullu-Manali package tours which honeymooners take ... because when I was very small my sister went for her honeymoon there ... since then I wanted to go to Kullu-Manali! Now was the time to explore the beautiful Himachal! I took a shared ride in a mini-van from Dharmashala to Manali. The drive in the night was a wonderful experience. It was dark, from the front seat only thing I could see in the headlights was the narrow road with pits and pot holes, blind curves, steep gradients, no street lights in most of the forest area! I reached Manali safe and sound early in the morning. After dealing with the agents I checked in to a hotel for 2N/3D package with food and 2.5 days shared tours for Rs.4000. For the quality of food, room and the tours it doesn't look expensive.

The best thing to do in Manali is visiting Rothang Pass. The drive is fantastic, the destination is fantastic! I started with a shared tour arranged by the hotel. There was a very funny honeymoon couple with me! They both provided a real comedy all the way. They wanted to experience snow up in the hills. The scenery through the valleys is majestic. On the way our driver asked us to rent the ski-suits telling that it would be extremely cold up in the pass. Each costed Rs.250 which I never used. The suite was really smelling of sweat and looked very dirty, it wasn't so cold to wear a ski-suite.

Rothang Pass is a natural divide between the Kullu Valley in the south and the Spiti Valley in the north. It is an ancient trade route between two areas and is open from May to November.

Once up in the mountains, that is at 13,051ft, the view of the surrounding Himalayan mountains is wonderful. The view of Hanuman Tibba is unparalleled. I saw a line of horses and horse-riders. They were charging Rs.600 for 1Km ride up to the snow line on the nearby peak to see the snow or that day few snow flakes!! Alas! Anyways, I didn't take a ride, opted to hike up instead. Initially I felt the altitude but then few stops for few sips of water did the trick. I went up much more than the horses could take. The powdery snow, almost nothing, was around and people were crazy about taking picture in that snow. What would they do if they had seen snow in Alaska? They would take few more pictures! huh? :) When I returned from my hike, the honeymoon couple had finished another round of breakfast and tea. They didn't see the snow!

Then it was time for some adventure, for some adrenaline rush! Yeah! Paragliding down. yey! The valley looks so very beautiful from top! I envy the birds! I wish they understood the gift of God! Fhew ... I felt so light flying ... my purse too was light when I paid :) Adventure doesn't come for free huh? ... after an hour of glide my stomach was filled with some amount of bile which I had to spill out!

By that time the couple had finished another round of eating out! We went to Solang Valley just to stroll ... I didn't have budget for another glide and the couple didn't have the enthusiasm. We returned after sunset all tired ... All the way River Beas looked beautiful and I thought it would be nice to go for a white-water rafting adventure some day!

Next day, it was time for local sightseeing ... that included few temples and monasteries. Major being Hidimba Devi temple, Shiva temple in Manali and Vasishta Temple in Vasisht. The Vashisht temple has a black stone idol of Vashishta Muni. Near Vasistha Muni temple, there is a hot water sulphur springs. There are separate bathrooms for men and women. There is a Lord Rama temple nearby. The temples are built with extensively carved stones and wood. There were people playing traditional music when the arti was being performed.

The Manali market is a nice place for shopping. I spent more money here shopping and then on I had to tighten the budget for my travel a bit! Great sweaters, shawls, stoles, silk and so many things. It is a good place for eating out too! Good restaurants are all around.

Visited a monastery very near to the market. The place is beautiful and has few shops which sell Tibetan traditional items.

On the third day I went to Manikaran, a holy hot spring. The place is boiling hot ... feels like the river is boiling!

In my next visit to Manali I plan to camp and hike in the Great Himalayan National Park. Hope it happens some time soon! I will look forward to it!

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

224. Bapuji watching the Shimla crowd

2012-01-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

Shimla is a place where you will have to walk uphill and downhill a lot ... I mean to say ... it is a hill city :) I started to go around the place at 10AM and very few tourists were around! As the time passed the Mall Road was packed with tourists.

The most popular and the only thing you can do here is walk on the Mall road and shop if you want to buy overpriced goods. There are good restaurants, coffee shops and a vegetarian cake shop!!

The picture here is statue of Mahatma Gandhi overlooking the crowd on The Ridge! It was around 10:30AM. Later this place was flooded with people. Thanks to the authorities for banning motor vehicles on Mall Road and the Ridge.

223. Sai Mandir in Sikkim

2012-01-01T00:01:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year to all the readers of my blog!

What an eventful year 2011 was?! Ah! The year I never had any problems, and enjoyed travel and adventure! :) Starting the new year with a post of a place which left me stunned! Sai Baba Mandir in Sikkim.

Somehow, I had a feeling that Sai Baba mandirs are only in Maharashtra and north-west Karnataka. When I was in Namchi, the Char Dham temple was closed and the taxi driver offered to take me to a Sai Mandir. I was thinking he is cheating me ... And thought I would pay him less if anything in the trip was lousy. But, I was wrong!

I saw the temple, my eyes and mouth opened wide, and I stared! Is it a temple or a palace? Sai Baba was a saint ... people built him a palace!! :) I entered the palace wondering how is it inside?! I wasn't disappointed. The prayer hall was spotless clean, cool and huuuuuuge. I was the only one there in that huge prayer hall. I think even if there were people still it would be peaceful.

Wow! Just wow! I was such an happy soul when I came out. I will visit this place again whenever I get a chance.

222. The path less traveled ...

2011-12-31T00:01:00.000-08:00

Well, 2011 was the year ... in which I took the path less traveled. I took some decisions that might change my life all together ... I still do not know what will happen next and what am I going to do ... and I want my life to be like that! Just live with no tension of the future.

Today is the last day of 2011, I look back and wonder how wonderful it was ... and I hope, because I can only hope, the coming years would be as amazing as 2011.

I had taken this picture in January, some year. This trail is in Del Valle Regional Park, California. I like it even though it is not lush and the trees are bald. It always reminds me of a pleasant hike I had that day!

Have a great New Year Eve!! Enjoy!!

221. Stone Lattice Work at Amber Fort, Jaipur

2011-12-30T00:31:00.000-08:00

Rajasthan is internationally popular for its stone crafts. One can witness exquisite crafsmenship in the ancient and medieval temples and other structures. These structures were built using marble and sandstone. The regal buildings have beautiful jali or stone lattice work on the windows and doors, especially in the women's quarters.

Amber Fort in Jaipur is one of the examples of great craftsmanship and has exquisite jali-work windows.

I have a collection of pictures of this jali work in various forts and palaces and will have an exclusive post on this Jali-work topic!

220. Purana Quila, Delhi

2011-12-29T00:02:00.000-08:00

Purana Quila, was the sixth city of Delhi founded by Mughal Emperor Humayun. It was called Dina-panah then. Many structures were added by successive rulers. Samrat Hemachandra Vikramaditya was the last Hindu Emperor who made an effort and succeeded to free northern India from its foreign invaders- Mughals, in the medieval period. He ruled his Hindu Raj from Purana Quila.

Purana quila was considered unlucky for people who ruled their kingdom from it. So, Akbar moved his capital to Agra and Shahajahaan built Red Fort.

There are few structures inside the fort which are almost ruins now.

Masroor : Ancient City and temple

2011-12-28T00:08:00.000-08:00

It is strange that many who visit Dharmashala do not know about Masroor! What is here? ... 15 rock-cut temples which are built in Indo-Aryan style. The richly carved temples are protected monuments. The temple complex is awaiting the entry into the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

There was no shared transport available from McLeaod Ganj to Masroor. I had to hire a private taxi which costed me Rs.2000. Expensive huh? Doesn't sound like typical backpacking trip! Checked in all the travel agencies this was the only one who said Yes to the Masroor trip! Others didn't agree at all! Well, I had specifically asked for a "good" driver ... and specified what "good" means. That is ... no speeding, no talking rubbish, no talking loud (yelling), no cutting my lines, not contradicting my lines, no noisy Bollywood songs. So, next day had a Punjabi Jawaan at my Hotel. The car stereo was playing Jai Mata di in very low volume ... He was trying hard to be "good" :) He used to raise the voice and instantly lower it and be nice! Inside he was definitely ... Yeh! Is Queen Victoria ko uthake bahar phenkdoo ... fun ride huh?

It is the only rock-cut shrine in northern India it seems. Rock-cut temples meaning, the temples carved out of free standing rocks/monoliths. It seems there are only four such temples in India.Ratha in Mamallapuram, Kailasa in Ellora, temple complex in Masroor and Dharmnatha temple in Damnar.

The Temple is dedicated to Lord Rama. The Main shrine has stone images of Lord Rama, Sita Devi and Lakshmana.

These temples are in a remote area away from Kangra and hence were saved from the destruction by Muslim-invaders. But, some damage is caused by 1905 earthquake. Many exquisitely carved panels of these temples are on display in the state museum of Shimla.

A pleasant journey through the sanctuary to a wonderful place!

219. Asiatic Toad near Hampi

2011-12-28T00:07:00.000-08:00

Toad is a type of frog. Well, much weird looking than the frogs. Because of their big size sometimes they are scarry too! Very long ago, in my native place I have seen a toad of the size of a watermelon! Then I didn't have the camera!

I saw this frog in the KSTDC Hotel complex in Kamalapura (near Hampi).

218. Agra Petha

2011-12-27T19:36:00.000-08:00

Made of Ash Gourd or winter melon, Agra Petha is a popular souvenir sweet to buy in Agra. The winter melon is peeled and de-seeded, the pieces are then boiled in the sugar syrup. It tastes like a candy and has a longer life on the shelf. Sometimes, it is also served with sugar syrup.

Though the authentic petha is plain (ivory white), many flavors are available in the market. The one in the picture is Kesar (saffron) flavored.

Try once! It has a unique texture and one keeps wondering what is it made of?

217. Block Printing at Jaipur

2011-12-26T00:56:00.000-08:00

The word Rajasthan ... reminds me of vibrant colors. Color of the desert sunsets, color of the sand, color of the sandstone, colors of murals, colors of textile.

Jaipur is popular for its block printed textiles. The block printing itself is popular as Jaipur Prints ... Now-a-days, as tourism has become the part of the culture here, there are many places where the artists demonstrate the art and science of Block Printing.

In the picture, different artistic blocks and dyes. I bought two blocks but now don't know what and how to print!

216. Snake skin, Jungle Lodges

2011-12-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

I have written few posts on Jungle Lodges/Sloth Bear Sanctuary earlier. Could you guess how jungli is it? I am asking in the tone ... cabin to hai par saamp andar hai ... jee paoge? ... Just like the Survior-India ad :)

Well, as always my dear sister screamed and she jumped!! because she saw something ... In the picture is the wall of the cabin we stayed where the snake has shed the skin as it entered the hole!! Eww!

Well, the cabin walls are plastered well on the inside and the rocks are only ornamental on the outside. There was no snake.

Isn't it exciting? In the night, a naga-kanya with big blue eyes, wearing a white costume, dancing to the pungi music ...

The ancient city Kangra

2011-12-24T02:08:00.000-08:00

Kangra, Himachal Pradesh is a historical town which is 18Km from Dharmashala. Once upon a time it was Nagarkot, the rich city founded by Chandravanshi Katoch Rajputs. It was a beautiful fort city of rich temples and vast treasure. Gazni Muhammad invaded the fort, looted the temples and took away the treasure as any other Muslim invader did. The Vajreshwari temple was the oldest and wealthiest temples in northern India. Gazni, and then Tughlaqs destroyed it along with the fort and the town. The temple is rebuilt and is still functioning. It is one of the Shaktipeethas. From Dharmashala I took a day-long excursion to Kangra and Masroor temples.

Kangra Fort is the oldest dated fort in India. It is mentioned in epic Mahabharata as Trigarta Kingdom. Raja Bhimasena, second brother of Pandavas, ruled this place. There is a (almost completely) ruined Lakshmi-Narayan temple in the fort. Audio guide is available for Rs.150. But, students get it for Rs.50 only. It gives all the info about the fort and its history, worth all the Rs.50. Kangra Fort is being inspected to be added in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites list.

Kangra valley is one of its kind. The bridges are fantastic, in a different way! See the bridge in the picture below?

And see the road condition over the bridge ... the wooden and metal planks make noise as the vehicle crosses the bridge!

There were many bridges like this :) It was a great trip ... I bought enough Kangra tea as souvenir and also as gift for my Dad.

A place where the fort and temple ruins speak of ... glory of the past!

215. MOMA, San Francisco

2011-12-24T00:01:00.000-08:00

San Francisco is a much happening city. I have had great experiences here!! museums and parks are a must visit here ...

MOMA, Museum Of Modern Art, is located in the heart of SF downtown. It is devoted to exhibit the modern and contemporary art. Nearby are restaurants, children's park, movie theaters.

Well, most of the time I do not understand the intense modern art but, I always try to understand it. The changing exhibitions are very good here.

214. Sunset in Agra

2011-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

My brief visit to Agra was full of drama. The desire to see one of the ancient wonders of the world was overwhelming. When I was at Taj Mahal I looked away from that magnificent marble structure to keep myself away from the crowd. And I saw another beautiful scene ...

In the orange sky sun looked like a molten metal ball behind silhouette of one of those minarets. Isn't it beautiful?

I clicked many pictures with different structures in the foreground. I will post them soon ...

213. Amritsari Malai Lussi

2011-12-22T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lussi is not just fav of Indians, foreigners are crazy about it too! In San Francisco Bayarea, americans enjoy the mango lussi. Well, they love Chai Tea too! That how Chai is called there!! :) Well, we are talking about Malai Lussi here, that too from Punjab :)

Lussi, is a preparation basically made from thick yogurt blended with sugar. Variations are by adding flavors like mango, rose or dry-nuts etc. Malai Lussi is topped with cream.

I have had lussi many times but, I had a taste of Malai lussi in Amritsar couple of months ago. Yummy, one glass of lussi is sufficient food for a day! Yum!

Backpacking in India: Dharamsala, The Little Lhasa in India

2011-12-21T04:59:00.000-08:00

Dharmashala, a hill station on the spur of mighty Dhauladhar Range is the district headquarters of Kangra. It is the temporary residence of His Holiness Dalai Lama and so gained international fame and is now popularly referred to as Little Lhasa of India.

I took a bus from Amritsar to Pathankot very early in the morning. Then took a bus to Dharmashala. It was an uneventful journey through the peaks and valleys. I made friends with few fellow backpackers. They were from Germany and Spain. Well, one among them was 65years old lady solo backpacker.

From Dharmashala I took another local shared transport up to McLeod Ganj. It looked like backpackers heaven. Budget hotels, eat-outs, bar-restaurants and the colorful market. I took a hotel after bargaining for a while for Rs.600. It had a good view of Dhauladhars. The internet access was excellent here.

After a brief lunch I started hunting for a shared tour to cover local sightseeing. Unfortunately there is no shared transport available. The tourists have to talk themselves with their hotel-mates and share the expenses. I spoke to few and unfortunately they all were taking it easy and wanted to spend time on the market streets! Well, I thought of exploring on foot. I visited the nearby monasteries, Lakes, temple and a waterfall. I hired a taxi for a day-long excursion next day to Kangra Valley and Masroor.

Dharmashala has a tibetan refugee settlement. Monks wandering around is a common sight. There are few monasteries here. Visit to the temporary exile, the Namgyal Monastery, of His Holiness Dalai Lama was good. Though there are tiny sign-boards of No Photography and No shoes allowed, people were seen taking pictures and the monks were feeling hurt. The museum displays info about the abuse on citizens of Tibet and their religion by the invaders. Does it take too much to respect another person's religious beliefs?

The war memorial for the heroes of Himachal Pradesh in the post-independence era is in a very peaceful place. The garden is good for long walks. The artificial ponds, lush lawn and numerous trees here make this place very attractive to peace-lovers.

The HPCA Stadium is an imposing structure when seen from McLeod Ganj. The pretty stadium has the reputation of being a cricket stadium at highest altitude in the world! Painted in bright colors the stadium makes a good contrast with the mist covered Dhauladhars.

The distance between attractions is not more, just 2 to 4 Km. The problem is the steep gradient. A walk to Dal Lake was funny. In the HPTDC brochure, the distance from McLeod Ganj to Dal Lake is 0.4Km but, in reality it is 4Km. I started walking ... after going about a Km I asked a taxi driver and he said it was 4Km. I thought he was bluffing to get me hire a taxi. I went ahead walking ... Then asked a few local pedestrians ... the girl said its another 10min. Even after 15min I couldn't find the lake. I asked again a monk ... he said another half-an-hour! Then after walking for few more minutes I was there at the sacred lake ... green ... on the way back I was asked by few tired tourists ... how far is the lake? I visited the HPTDC office and told them about the correction to the brochure. Hope they will correct it.

The tourist attraction list includes tea gardens ... but, if you have visited places like Munnar, Rajamalai ... nah! skip it! Don't let the travel agent fool you. Kunal Pathri Temple is a small rock temple surrounded by tea gardens.

Bhagsunag waterfalls is just 2Km walk from McLeod Ganj. It is a beautiful little waterfalls which is over-crowded. People were all around and screaming ... I perched on a high rock and watched people. Nothing was running in my mind ... just watching ...

A honeymoon couple (may be)... the man pulled the wife into the cold water and then he thought it would be nice to have a pic. So he looked around, asked another guy standing at the shore and he walked all the way, gave the camera, went back to the water to pose with his wife. After asking few people to move a bit, posing, they stood smiling, the photographer asked the man ... which is the click button? Now, the man walked all the way back and showed the click button and went back to pose again. All this time his wife was standing in the ice cold water very unhappy about the whole thing but still was trying hard to support her husband! Hope the picture came out well! Travel makes people tolerant and builds stronger relationships :)

Interesting event in Dharmashala was that ... few young activists joined by all foreign-backpackers had organized an event ... litter picking to clean Bhagsunag ... I got an invitation to join at my hotel ... well, I joined. I was anyway walking up to the waterfalls so picked some cookie wrappers on the way :) The tourists threw more plastic bottles and wrappers even after watching the volunteers picking the garbage. Incredible Indians!!

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

212. Safdarjung's Tomb, Delhi

2011-12-21T00:01:00.000-08:00

Another tomb of another King ... err ... no this tomb was built for the powerful Prime Minister, Sufdarjung, of the feeble Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. It is much similar to the Humayun's tomb on the basis of persian style garden and plastered decorations on the walls and minarets.

Another attraction of Delhi that attracts few tourists. Surrounded by charbagh gardens this tomb is the last piece of Mughal architecture.

My visit here was at almost closing hours. Sun was setting behind the tomb. The whole setup looked good. Then it was closing time and the guard asked me to leave.

211. Stepped Tank in Royal Enclosure, Hampi

2011-12-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

There were the aqueducts but no waterbody ... that made the Archaeologists think ... so they excavated the place where it seemed appropriate and they found this ... The pushkarini, stepped tank in the Royal Enclosure of the Vijayanagara City, Hampi.

The tank has five tiers built of dark schist and is very well designed. It is a delight to see this beautiful and intact tank in the middle of ruins of palaces and temples which are just basements now.

210. Deep fried Aloo Paratha in Siliguri

2011-12-19T00:01:00.000-08:00

Deep fried aloo paratha. Well, it might have another name in local language. When I asked for Aloo Paratha and I was served with large poories (of paratha size) stuffed with aloo! I was taken aback at first then pulled few tissues to remove some of the oil.

I am curious to know the name of this. It was delicious but, because of its oiliness it is difficult to have this for a meal.

209. Indian Silverbills at Daroji Bear Sanctuary

2011-12-18T00:04:00.000-08:00

I have posts on wildlife and avians earlier. Most of them were from Daroji Sloth Bear Resort/Jungle Lodges in Kamalapura. Here is another one ... A pair of indian Silver bills ...

I was having my cardamom tea in an open restaurant at Jungle Lodges. There was a bare tree where these silver bills and sparrows were having their fun. They were very swift and chirping all around. It was a delight to watch so many sparrows. Bangalore is not a habitat for sparrows or other little birds anymore.

I thank my sister/B-i-l for paying my bills for this trip!! Lovely place to relax and wildlife.

Backpacking in India: Amritsar, home of the gorgeous Golden Temple

2011-12-17T05:59:00.000-08:00

Reached Amritsar very early in the morning. I asked an auto-rikshaw guy to drop me at a good hotel near Golden Temple. And he dropped me at really good hotel, ie, Rs.1,650+tax. But, the night long journey in a raddi (garbage) bus made me go for this good hotel. I slept for couple of hours before starting to the Golden Temple.

Harmandir Sahib aka the Golden Temple is really magnificent. In 16th century a Sikh Guru excavated a tank which was called pool of sacred nectar. And the temple Harmandir Sahib, an abode of Gods, was built in the middle of this tank. It seems, with Mughal Emperor Akbar's financial help the city Amritsar was built around the lake.

After going around the sacred tank I decided to go inside the temple. There was a long line ... again ... pushing ... men,women, children were so close and pushing that it felt like a single body was moving. There was a distinct smell ... I was not able to get what it was ... people were holding plates full of prasad which was clearly greasy. Then I realized the smell was of ghee ... but, it smelled different!

There was a bunch of 8-9 guys who pushed people like a bulldozer and jumped the line. None said anything and the guys looked very arrogant. They didn't care for women, children or elders. I had darshan and then the delicious prasad before leaving the complex. The temple street is lined with souvenir shops, sweet stalls and lussi bars. Well, in the hot, humid afternoon cold malai-lassi was heaven.

Very near to the Golden Temple complex is Jallianwala Bagh ... very popular public garden and a memorial. During British rule in India, around 150 british troops massacred over 400 innocent and peaceful locals on Baisaki (Punjabi New Year) Day. The garden still has the walls with bullet marks, the well in which people drowned to escape from the bullets. It is a landmark in India's struggle for freedom.

28Km from the city is the international border between India and Pakistan called Wagah Border. By sunset this place turns into chaos. Tourists flock around to watch the ceremony of changing guards. It is nice to see the parade once but is hyped out of proportion.

Considering sunset is at 5:30PM, start from Amritsar by 2 or 2:30PM and secure a place from where you can see the parade. If you have not started from the city even by 3:30PM then you need not go there. Be careful about your belongings. Contents of your bag are allowed but, the bag itself is not allowed. So, carry minimum, money, cellphone and a camera. Shared rikshaws are available but they stuff 10 humans, small children are not counted!!

After enjoying hot jalebis I called it a day ...

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

208. Royal lace catalog, Albert Hall, Jaipur

2011-12-17T00:01:00.000-08:00

Lace is never out of fashion. Lace was used in ancient Egypt and medieval Europe. Queens wore them and clergies wore them.

There are so many types ... needle lace, cut-work lace, knotted lace and so on ... made of so many materials like cotton, silk, flax and ornate with gold, silver ...

Well, in Jaipur-Albert Hall Museum there is a catalog of lace that was used in royal costumes. It is an interesting display of the apparel, and info about the textile industry those days.

207. Jantar Mantar, Delhi

2011-12-16T00:09:00.000-08:00

Trip to Delhi is incomplete without a visit to Jantar Mantar. Built by Maharaja Sawai Jaisingh II of Jaipur, the Jantar Mantar observatory in Delhi is a major landmark. The complex has unique architectural astronomical instruments. All the instruments are painted in red making this bservatory spectacular.

Located near Cannaught Place, it is one of the five astronomical complexes built by Jai Singh. The others are located in Jaipur, Varanasi, Ujjain and Mathura. So far I have visited two: Jaipur and Delhi. Hoping to see the rest very soon :)

In the picture is the Mishra Yantra, which was used to indicate the noon time in various cities. It is more popular as the logo of 1982 Asian Games held in Delhi.

It looks like the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur is better preserved and maintained. The reason could be that it was listed as UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2010. In Delhi, I saw tourists climbing up the instruments for pictures, jumping from wall to wall just for fun. Some tourists do not seem to understand the importance of these structures and there is no one to control them.

It is a heritage site and should be treated with respect!

Backpacking in India: Agra, Home of an ancient wonder

2011-12-15T04:05:00.000-08:00

Well, who doesn't know Agra? The home of world famous Taj Mahal, one of the ancient wonders of the world and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It was much anticipated trip with a lot of expectations which ended with mixed feelings!

Well, the package tour from Delhi which I took in a hurry was covering some of Agra and some of Mathura. I didn't have much time to go around for a better tour at late hours of the evening and I decided to go with what was available. It sounded a bit cheaper which made me think about the bus, seats, the noisy windows, AC and so on ... but, there was no time!

Next morning, I was escorted from my hotel to the travel agency in a TATA Indica. I was happy looking at the clean condition of the car and stopped worrying about the bus. But, I wasn't right. I will not talk about the mechanical, structural and hygienic condition of the bus ... Then, come the co-passengers. I was given a ladies seat, which actually means a seat beside another lady. I have observed and have experienced many times myself, that solo travelers do not have the right to sit where their reserved seat is. They will have to adjust! There is always a man asking to give up the seat and go elsewhere because his family has the right to sit together even if it is a 10 mins drive. Or there is an old woman who wants to stretch her lower limbs so you will have to stand up or take another seat. Or there is a woman who pretends to be sick and wants the window seat you are on. Well, after changing seat 3 times finally I had my seat in the back where the window shutter was shouting on a loud-speaker. Well, all the passengers were happy with me for adjusting!

The tour guide spoke English and Hindi. He re-relayed the same info in both languages which was difficult to understand for two reasons ... for the spoken languages itself and then the bus was louder than anybody else around. The bus stopped for breakfast which sold South Indian food. All north indians complained about food being southern and all the south indians complained about southern food being cooked badly in north ... in fact, the place wasn't clean. Skipped BF followed by similar lunch and dinner. It was an Agra trip with an empty stomach!

Before Taj Mahal or Agra Fort, we were taken to an Art and Crafts Emporium where they showed us a model of Taj Mahal in simulated moonlight. The shop sold many Taj models to my co-passengers ... and there we had plenty of time to shop. To see Agra Fort only 45mins were given. And the Taj Mahal was allotted 1 hour. Passengers protested and bargained for additional 30 mins. After few heated arguments 30mins were granted.

Once at Taj Mahal, I was amazed!! Not by the building but the crowd! To my amusement, in Delhi and Agra, at all the World Heritage Sites I was asked about my nationality, though I spoke hindi all the time. To prove the same I had to show my passport. None of my co-passengers were stopped though. Now, I was there at the Taj and like everyone I wanted my picture with the Taj. It was total chaos. After asking politely, with a strong tone. yelling, making faces then pushing people, photographers, guides and so on ... I got one proper picture of mine with the Taj. The picture is good, my face doesn't reflect what all I did few moments before the picture was clicked! And all this in 1.5 hrs. Oh what a relief! I didn't see the cenotaph, there was a looooooooong line which I passed.

By then sun was setting giving me opportunity to click few more pics of urban sunset! The sky was so colorful but, the color unfortunately indicates the intense air pollution.

Agra Fort, another World Heritage Site in Agra. Built of red sandstone is less crowded than Taj Mahal or it feels so because the fort is very huge. I liked the Agra Red Fort than Delhi Red Fort. In my opinion, the quality of art work in Agra fort is much superior. It was a nice experience to see Taj Mahal from Agra Fort. Though Agra Fort is a World Heritage Site there are parts which need restoration. The beautiful graffitis are withering away.

The huge and open pillared halls are so airy. The palaces, audience halls and other parts of the fort are so ornate. The intricate carving on the walls, be it on marble or sand stone, are beautiful. The lattice-work in the windows is exquisite.

These structures are so magnificent and need a lot of time to see and appreciate. I will visit Agra again soon and will never take a package tour. I was crying about the inconvenience caused than feeling good about visiting Taj Mahal. But, still I saw the Taj Mahal :)

Wah! Taj!

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

206. Prehistoric Scotland : Skara Brae

2011-12-15T00:09:00.000-08:00

Skara Brae is an UNESCO World Heritage Site in Orkney Island, Scotland. Located on the Bay of Skaill it has stone built neolithic clustered houses. It is a part of Heart of Neolithic Orkney.

The houses were built under the ground to be insulated from the harsh winter weather. The houses are very well preserved and have stone built furnitures.

The place has a museum, a book and souvenir shop. Nearby is a palace. Museum has a display of all the artifacts found during excavation. Carved stone balls, necklaces made of animal teeth and nails, utensils etc.

If you like history and archaeology then this is a must visit place in Scotland.

Food: Yummy Sabudana Upma

2011-12-14T04:31:00.000-08:00

After every backpacking trip I long to eat, eat and eat South Indiann food, like steaming hot idli-vada-sambar, Masala Dosa from Ganesh Darshan, Bisibele-huli-anna and the list is long ... Doesn't mean I didn't like the food in up north or elsewhere. I swear I do. I loved momo, aloo-paratha, baked potato with sour cream, many more ... but, idli-sambar is home!! And so I am cooking at home. I prepared this sabudana upma and loved it! Yum!

Thought of taking a pic. I liked the pic so thought of posting it here ... It is not the usual sabudana khichadi! Its different! :) If you want the recipe let me know! :)

205. Cormorants basking, Alpine Lake, CA

2011-12-14T00:02:00.000-08:00

Very easy identification of cormorant is the way they dry thier feathers in the sun.

I went on a hike couple of years ago in Mt Tamalpais Watershed area passing Alpine Lake to Cataract falls. I saw these birds basking. They were perched on a pipe in a line. There were several other species of birds too.

The lake is in he middle of the thick forested area. There are several hiking trails around it. I loved to look for newer species of mushrooms around here in the rainy season. I had a great hike!

204. Yosemite painting at Haggin Museum, Stockton

2011-12-13T00:01:00.001-08:00

Stockton in California has some very interesting attractions in and around. The Haggin Museum is a must visit if you are around. It has a huge collection of Gold Rush era, and paintings.

The paintings are beautiful and this one was my favorite! Because it is Yosemite :)

Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary, Near Hampi

2011-12-12T18:18:00.000-08:00

Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary in Kamalapur just 15Km from the world famous Hampi is the only sanctuary in North Karnataka. I had never heard of this place. It was my sister's idea to check this place. Well, we were there two days later. We stayed at Jungle Lodges, Sloth Bear Resort.

Jungle Lodges is housed in a very large area and is abundant in birds and butterflies. One can have a nature walk inside the JL campus iteself. Jungle Lodges have safari to Droji Sloth Bear sanctuary. It is fun to watch these bears wandering around the place. But, how often the bear siting is reported? Well, you will not be disappointed.

There are around 100 bears in this area. On a bunch of rocks which are clearly visible from the view point, forest guards apply some kind of jaggery preparation. And at least 8-10 bears appear and seen licking this jaggery preparation!! At times the bears wander right below the viewpoint.

The place is bustling with birds. I clicked so many pictures of these birds from which I have posted very few.

203. Rose-Ringed Parakeet from Bilikallu Reserve Forest, Bellary

2011-12-12T00:01:00.000-08:00

The dry, harsh boulder-strewn landscape of Bellary is home for many species of birds. The Bilikallu Reserve Forest is bird-heaven. The canal passing through this area is lined with flocks of water birds.

These Rose-ringed parakeets were flying around in groups back-and-forth between the bridge and the trees. The green color, the screaming, the swiftness and all that playfulness was like watching a bunch of happy kids!

Shooting the birds here was such an experience. Walk along the canal will just open up to the world of birds. If you are a bird lover, this is a must visit place! Hampi ruins, Daroji Sloth Bear Sanctuary and The Jungle Lodges are the attractions nearby.

202. Monkeys Grooming on Tungabhadra river-bed

2011-12-11T00:01:00.001-08:00

Well, monuments, monuments and monuments ... the pictures of these monuments wouldn't get exhausted even if I did 36500 Project!!

Let's check out some wildlife ... starting with ... very common or say urban-wildlife, Monkeys :) ... Monkeys are very special ... They are smart, active, curious, social ... They groom each other ... remove lice from the fur to keep themselves clean, away from infections! Smart huh? Nature doesn't stop surprising me!

They were looking very busy doing their business and cute as well. The one being groomed was all obedient and was trying to be still. The one grooming looked authoritative and in command :)

This was on the Tungabhadra river-bed in Chakrateertha near Hampi, Karnataka. There are so many of these monkeys and langurs around. After all, it was Kishkinda ... the mythical Vanara (Monkey) Kingdom who helped Sri Rama find his abducted wife Sita Devi. That is ... a part of Hindu epic Ramayana happened here.

Nearby is the Anjanadri Hill which is the birthplace of Hanuman.

201. Sheesh Mahal in Amber Fort, Jaipur

2011-12-10T00:01:00.000-08:00

Amber (pronounced Amer) Fort is one of the best in Jaipur, Rajasthan. Sheesh Mahal is the best in Amber Fort :) The fort has four courtyards and Sheesh Mahal is the third level. Sheesh Mahal means Palace of mirrors. The mirror setting work on the wall panels and ceilings is exquisite.

The mirrors used here are convex. In the past they glittered when the candles were lit. Tourists can see the hall of the palace from outside only. The wind is cool and the beautiful palace ... must have been really a very romantic set up those days! Now too it is nice but, the tourist crowd is everywhere!

200. Momo: A Himalayan lifesaver

2011-12-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

Yey! 200th picture!!! 165 more to go!! Again ... my favorite food ... Momo! Until October, that is a couple of months ago, I didn't know about this delicious momo. I had it for the first time in McLeod Ganj, Dharmashala. Then I had it everyday when I was in the Himalayan States.

In that cold weather, steaming-hot momos with red-hot chili sauce tasted divine. They were available roadside, 4 for Rs.10 and also in fine restaurants, 10 for Rs.80. They were all nice. Back from my trip I tried to steam them myself, still have to master.

It makes a nice snack when you are shopping in the streets of McLeod Ganj.

Backpacking in India: Why do I travel solo?

2011-12-08T02:39:00.000-08:00

Are you traveling alone?
I say, Yes
You mean you are all alone, by yourself
I say, haan haan ...
Is your group hanging out elsewhere?
I say, I am not with a group

This is how the conversation goes on ... but sometimes it will take another tone ...
- Are you not married? You should get married ...
- You came all the way to here, you should have brought your parents ...
- Do your parents know you are alone? ...
- Don't you have friends to go with you? ...
- (in a temple) By the blessings of God your next visit will be with your husband ...
- How can you travel alone? It is not good ... you cannot enjoy being alone? ...

I just smile, never try to explain. Because there is no need, they will not understand anyway ... I faced these questions for 50 days and then decided to put my thoughts in words just to know myself ... why do I travel solo? Well, each and every solo traveler has his/her own reason to travel alone. The most common reason being the Feeling of Freedom. Yes! Freedom ... freedom at many levels.

I am neither self-centered nor eccentric. I just love solitude ... and the freedom comes with it. I want to enjoy my journey. I want to enjoy, observe, know, feel and get soaked with the sense of the place. Most of the times my interests conflict with the group's or that of the travel buddy. I do not want to compromise with my desires and I do not want to compete with my travel buddy's desires either. A point to be noted here. There is nothing like good or bad travel partner. He or she is just like us. They are also travelers who want to share the expenses, share the experiences, share the fun, share the downfalls. But, it is time, money, compatibility, capability, thinking, point of view, attitude that matters. And it is all relative ...

I do not want to worry about the slow or fast partner, lazy or crafty partner, moody or dangerously laid-back partner, cheap or over-spending partner, romance-seeker or depressed partner, careless or irresponsible partner. It is pure experience, I have listed these categories because I have traveled with such partner once at least. Well, har ek friend zaroori hota hai ... is good ... for AirTel. In my opinion, in my journeys aisa partner zaroori nahin hota hai :)

It is nice to meet people on your journey, no matter what you think of them. They add taste to your journey, not the obligations! Sometimes in life, what you give is what you get. So, be nice to all and leave behind the travel companions ... there are many other rewards when you travel solo which you will have to discover ...

UPDATE: Well, I received a couple of private emails on this post. Just to clear a thing up ... I will always travel with a partner who is okay to do things separately if interests conflict and then join. This will avoid forcing each other doing things which they don't want to! :) I have tried this a few times and it works well.

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

199. Humayun's Tomb

2011-12-08T00:01:00.000-08:00

Delhi has many monuments, such as forts, tombs and ruins of the medieval cities. All of them are residues left by the Muslim rule for 7 centuries. Whoever ruled but, Delhi remained as a Capital. Humayun was one of the rulers and founded a city called Dinpanah. His ornate and well maintained tomb is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Some restoration work was going on on the left side of the tomb and was covered in green. There is not much of a crowd here like Qutab Minar. Very few domestic tourists and few foreigners who are interested in World Heritage Sites.

I was going around looking at the intricate work on the walls, windows, arches, towers and domes. Everything looked very fine. It seems it was the first tomb with a garden in Indian subcontinent. It has persian influence in the architecture. I was inside the main chamber where the lone cenotaph of Humayun is located. The real grave is beneath this in the basement.

I am not sure why? It felt so lonely there. I could hear echoes of occasional tourist's whisper, flash of a camera firing, a question ... what's there? ... a boring reply ... nothing, a tomb ... Then I had a thought ... if at all Humayun had company here from his present world then definitely it wouldn't be a good place for us to move around! I left with a smile :)

Backpacking in India: Delhi, The Capital ...

2011-12-07T05:04:00.000-08:00

The capital, New Delhi ... This was my fourth visit to Delhi, the earlier three visits were work related. I was hoping my sightseeing trip would be very pleasant and make me forget all the bad experiences I had in earlier visits! Life in Delhi is just like in any other metro city in India. But, every tourist has a story to tell about their (bad) experiences with travel agents, rikshaw drivers and so on ... But, I always try to re-relay one line ... the culture of the place is for the comfort of the people who live there not for the tourists who visit occasionally ...

I had decided to minimize use of rikshaws and package tours amap in my travel that too in Delhi. I took the very convenient HOHO bus. Hop-On, Hop-Off bus, popularly known as purple bus is really good facility provided by DTTDC and Transport authorities to the tourists. I loved it! The cost of a ticket is Rs.300 which is valid for two days, enough for visiting most of the interesting monuments and markets of Delhi. The office and the starting point is near Rajiv Chowk. The staff is friendly and the clean AC bus with comfortable seating feels good in the Delhi October heat :)

I started my Delhi Darshan trip with Firoz Shah Kotla.

- Firoz Shah Kotla, a walk more see less monument, the ruins once Ferozabad.

- Lal Quila, once the residence of Mughal Emperors built by Shah Jahan

- National Gallery of Modern Art, I liked the gallery more than the art displayed (my opinion)

- Purana Quila, another walk more see less monument, construction credit goes to Humayun and Sher Shah Suri

- Humayun's Tomb, well maintained and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. How lonely is the King even in the ornate tomb!

- Lotus Temple, much hyped and rude volunteers, didn't feel peaceful for prayers (in my experience)

- Qutab Minar, a UNESCO World Heritage Site and crowded

- Dilli Haat, buy expensive (and/or overpriced) handicrafts and food

- Haus Khas and Saket, excellent contrast

- Jantar Mantar, I like the Jantar Mantar in Jaipur more!

Well, for two days I hopped-on and hopped-off the purple bus and survived on ice-creams and cookies. I was happy about Delhi Darshan, no talking to rikshaw drivers, shopping and eating ice-cream!! For dinner I had garam garam aloo paratha. I was not sick of aloo paratha yet!

The third day was all ruined by a greedy Travel Agent. I felt like a fool ... I paid Rs.150 for a Metro pass and boarded Blue-line to Aksharadham, only to see a big board 'Monday Closed' :( what a day? Well, life is like that huh?

Then I was curious to visit the Sulabh Toilet Museum. I had the Metro pass, so I went to Dwaraka Morh, the nearest Metro Station to the museum. I took an auto to Palam Dabri road. I started looking for the museum. Went around and around, I couldn't find it. Then I asked people for directions, people didn't seem to know about the museum. I had to stop looking for it when an innocent woman took me to a nearby Sulabh toilet when I asked her for directions to the toilet museum. She meant well and wanted to help me, clearly very much out of her way!! Wandered around Cannaught Place before heading out to the hotel. That night I had to leave for Amritsar, Punjab.

Update: Delhi completed 100 years as The Capital. It was first declared as capital on 12 December 1911.

The picture collage is inspired by a design on a Pen which I bought at Zion National Park, USA.

You might also want to read other posts in the series ...Click Here:)

198. A persona in the ruins: Firozshah Kotla

2011-12-07T00:01:00.000-08:00

You don't have to work hard to see a persona in this picture. Don't you see a giant sitting with one hand on the wall? :)

Kotla, which means fortress, built by Firozshah Tughlaq in 1354. It was then a fortified city called Firozabad. In 1356, he re-erected a pillar made of pristine red stand stone which belonged to Mauryan Emperor Asoka (3rd century BC).

This very open area has very interesting ruins but very less tourists. May be because of the unforgiving Delhi sun! People were seen walking in fast-forward from one monument to another, or may be one shade to another :)

Firozshah Kotla is a ticketed monument, the entry fee is Rs.5 for Indian citizens. There is a different fee structure for international visitors.

197. Giant Sequoia Trees from California

2011-12-06T00:03:00.000-08:00

You have to see it to believe it!! They are giants of giants!! I wwas amazed to see such large trees. There might have been much larger ones if the first discoverers of these trees weren't foolish and insensitive.

Yeah, Giant Sequoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) is also called as Sierra Redwood is one of the three coniferous trees which grow only on the slopes of Sierra Nevada mountains of California. There trees are considered to be the largest trees in terms of volume. They have long life to grow like giants. The fire is their friend. Their bark is fire resistant and the seeds grow well in the fire mineralized soil. And fire also thins out the population of firs and pines around which would otherwise take away all the nutrition from the soil!! The tree also produces wood preservative itself which makes their bark disease resistant!

When I was in Sequoia National Park, California I saw several of these trees on my hikes. I took a pradakshina (walking around someone or something with devotion) to these trees as I believe the blessings of the elders really work! You see, these trees are ancient and and their blessing might have more powers!! Crazy huh? Well, After being with these threes for 3 days I felt what tiny place I occupy in the big world!

196. Wallace Monument, Sterling

2011-12-05T00:31:00.000-08:00

Wallace Monument is a gothic style tower in the memory of scottish hero Sir William Wallace. The tower stands atop Abbey Craig near Sterling, Scotland.

Climbing up few steps inside the tower (as in the picture) leads you to a small hall of fame, busts of popular scots are displayed here. Wallace sword (as per my info it is a replica) also is on display. From the tower the view of Sterling city is beautiful.

There will be a show where a volunteer will narrate the story of Wallace. Volunteer will wear the scottish outfit and also the weapons. The swords are really heavy. I wonder how can anybody hold it for long and fight!! I had to use both my hands to lift it.

195. Hawa Mahal aka Palace of Breeze!

2011-12-04T00:01:00.000-08:00

Built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh, Hawa Mahal is one of the major iconic structure of Jaipur, Rajasthan. It is built in the shape of the crown worn by Lord Krishna (Hindu God) using red and pink sand stone.

The wall of this palace is said to have 953 windows called jharokas. The Mahal has 5 stories and each has a name. The first floor called Ratan Mandir has glasswork on the windows.

It is nice to climb up learning about each floor. The ground floor was for autumn festival, first floor is Ratan Mandir with glasswork. Second floor is Vichitra Mandir where the King worshiped Lord Krishna. The third floor is Prakash Mandir and the top-most floor Hawa Mandir.

Well, it is popularly known for its latticework on the windows for Royal women to watch the processions on the road.

194. Trail to Waimoku Falls, Maui

2011-12-03T00:01:00.000-08:00

Hawaii is a mysterious world full of surprises. To see that people have to leave the beaches and enter the forests :) Well, tropical rain forests are always mysterious anywhere!

When I was in Maui, Hawaii I went on a drive ... Hana Highway ... fantastic! Thick vegetation, waterfalls everywhere, narrow road, scary looking hitchhikers ... drove till the end of the road ... Then I went hiking the popular trail to Waimoku Falls, the 400ft tall, slender falls ...

To see that I hiked six-and-a-half miles in the pouring rain, crossed a full-flowing stream ... all the way I prayed ... God! Save my beloved camera gear for once today! I promise never to put it in danger again ... soon after my preyers there was a patch of bamboo where the trail was paved and the rain subdued and stopped, I could take out the camera to take pics. The trail seems to be dry in the picture but, it is not. Doesn't it look mysterious?

193. Angel Falls, Isle of Skye

2011-12-02T00:01:00.000-08:00

Sottish Islands are filled with small natural wonders, rising cliffs, waterfalls flowing into the ocean, and the history and local legends associated with every bit of land.
The trip to Isle of skye wasn't any different. The beauty of the nature is one of a kind. I only wished I had more time ...

One of the popular attractions is the waterfalls near Ben Dearg. I don't know its name the tour guide mentioned a local legend about fairies coming down from the sky and bathe in the water. In the open shadeless island the cool water cascade seems to be an angel in the hot summer afternoon.

The local legend is, according the tour guide, if we wet our head with little water from the waterfalls, fairies bestow good fortune on us! We all did wet our heads anyway ... It was our good fortune to be here to see this land!

Backpacking in India: Jaipur, Rajasthan

2011-12-01T23:34:00.000-08:00

This is my second visit to Jaipur. I had visited the place earlier with my family. It was perfect family get-away, expensive hotels, elaborate breakfasts and meals, long photo sessions, talk-talk-and-talk, and the some sight seeing :) I had to visit some forts which were far from the city, such as Nahargarh and Amber forts, and the pre-modern city itself as a local, eat roadside and wander on the streets.

Jaipur, once the capital of royalty is now the capital city of Rajasthan. Popularly known as Pink City, is a very planned city according to the Vastu Shastra in the pre-modern era. It seems the city was painted pink to welcome Prince of Whales when he visited. The king then wanted to give the city a distinct look!

Day-1:
I reached Jaipur at about 12:00 noon. I was coming out of the station a flock of rikshaw drivers surrounded me. Usual scene huh? I had plans to stay 3 nights here at the Youth Hostel. Wanted to check how Youth Hostels worked in India. Well, Youth Hostel at Jaipur was okay. I wouldn't say 'good'. Settled in the room later went in search of the RTDC office and made a booking for a city tour for next day. I took it easy and went around the nearby B&Bs asking about tariff. In the evening I ate delicious Aloo Paratha with pickles and curds for dinner. Aloo paratha is one of my faves, and I eat it only when I backpack.

Day-2:
Well, my itenerary was stuffed tight with the monuments of pre-modern era. I didn't see much of the modern city of Jaipur. Since, it was a backpacking tour I didn't have the luxury of private rental car. I took a RTDC one-day-package-tour paying only Rs.250. Cheap huh? For few of the late bookings they arranged a TATA Sumo since the bus was full. The driver specifically gave me the front seat :)

As we proceeded towards Birla Temple driver gave us instructions and options. Birla Temple, also know as Lakshmi Narayan temple, is grand and is built with high quality marble on an elevated ground at the base of Moti Dungari hill. We were given time just enough to reach the temple and back to the sumo.

Then the driver gave us an option ... do you want to see City Palace or Albert Hall? ...
People ask, what is the difference?
He says, Both are museums, both display weapons, potery, royal clothes etc ... If you go to Albert Hall you will get a composite ticket for Rs.50 which is valid for 2 days, you are allowed to visit 4 more attractions. City Palace entry ticket alone costs Rs.25 and is not included in composite ticket.
Everybody says ... lets go to Albert Hall ...

For me it didn't make much difference, because I have seen both museums in my earlier visit. It was good to visit one of them again. But, just 30mins to see Albert Hall? wow! Anyway, I had the ticket so, I refreshed my memories of Albert Hall in fast-forward ....

Next stop ... I mean the view of Hawa Mahal as we drove past it. Then Jantar Mantar. There was enough time here to see and understand the instruments. Some are working and some aren't. But, strolling in that concrete instrument garden was fun. It is amazing to know those days someone built these astronomical instruments which are accurate.

Well, package tour and no stop for shopping? Never!! We were left at an art emporium supposed to be run by Rajasthan Government. We had all the time we needed or say extra time!!! Few in the group who were first-timers bought many things, like rajai, Maharani saree, salwar suites, white metal tea set and so on ... few others thought the stuff is nice but they didn't need them, some others out-rightly spoke about the stuff sold here is not good, how people are cheated, how package tours force people to shop and so on ... well everything is part of the package :)

Then came Jaigarh Fort. The drive was good. Hot September Sun in Rajasthan ... brutal ... and we were in the open on a hilltop fort. Well, I didn't walk up to Jaivan. Instead, I observed the monkeys around while enjoying the malai kulfi. Monkeys looked devastated they were suffering!! The bright sun, the heat and no water ... they were trying to use the little shade ... even they were hiding their faces in the cracks! Poor guys :(

Lunch time!! yey! I was looking forward for this event! Because after lunch we were going to places I really wanted to visit, I mean to say the places I had not visited in my previous trip. Nahargarh Fort. The drive to this place is really good. Winding road going up the Aravalis, giving the glimpses of many other unknown or not so popular monuments. Plenty of hilltop breeze makes this place cool. We were given one-and-a-hours time to see the place and for lunch.

The fort was built by Raja Jai Singh in 1734 and then extended, Madhavendra Bhavan, by Sawai Ram Singh II in 1868. Nahar means tiger and Nahargarh means 'abode of tigers'. The Fort looks much like a residential quarters. It has 12 identical suites for the nine queens and the King. The palace is very well planned. It looks simple but has beautiful paintings and inlay work on the walls which are fading away. The place was used as summer palace by royal families. I must say it was a peaceful abode than a grand residence.

There is a restaurant here. Variety of food is served. Some from the group had a very elaborate lunch. Some didn't have anything because it wasn't a 100% vegetarian restaurant. That reminded me of a restaurant in Jaipur. The board read Vaishnav Pavitra Bhojanalaya. The pavitra-ness was, may be, the meat isn't cooked here. It also reminded me of my travels with my parents when I was a teenager. My mother never eats out. We landed in a place where there were no pure vegetarian restaurants. Somehow my dad convinced my Mom to get inside a 'veg and non-veg' restaurant. My Mom didn't eat anything anyway. The people at table beside us were enjoying the whole roasted chicken. That was the first time I saw non-veg food in my life. May be the whole roasted chicken was little too much for a 13 year old to see for first time. After watching them ripping the limbs of poor chicken I was down below the table cold and numb. I still feel embarrassed thinking about my fainting incident! For 3 days we survived on bananas. Over years, now my mindset has changed as a grown-up ... my Mom still survives on bananas :) I was sitting under the tree and watching the amazing view of the Pink City thinking about the past. The cool breeze was heaven.

Meanwhile, there was an interesting conversation between the vegetarians and the driver going on ... The Veggie-Guy drank some water from the bottle belonged to the Driver.

Driver casually asked the Veggie-Guy and his wife, Did you finish your lunch?
The Veggie-Guy replied, No, the restaurant is not vegetarian
Driver replies, then you shouldn't have had water from my bottle, I belong to lower caste, from a sweeper family
That really got my ears straight!!! It was a very friendly conversation between them but still I hear this even in 21st century?!!
Then the Veggie-Guy replied, the water was clean and nothing else matters!
Very true!

It was cool there and monkeys were happy. An old lady sold fried-dal mixed with masala. Group of youngsters running around and loud. It was hard to get going from the fort. Next stop was Amber Fort.

Amber, pronounced as Amer, is 11 Km from Jaipur. The grand fort is built with red sand stone and white marble. Interior of this fort is very grand, speaks of classy art and architecture. The mirror setting on the walls is amazing and has a romantic aura. It needs little bit of climbing or an elephant ride, or car by paying Rs.20 per person in the car. We had an hour to go around. The driver said that climbing up to the fort would result in instant 1kg weight loss. Well, I wondered, in that case the elephants should have reduced to size-0 by now, they take two trips everyday!

There is a temple of Shila Devi. The legend says, Maharaja recovered the statue of Goddess from the sea bed and installed in the fort per instructions of the Goddess in his dream. The Ganesh Pol is beautifully painted and carved. The Sheesh Mahal is fantastic. The Maota Lake is beautiful.

The next and last spot is Kanaka Vrindavan gardens. It is located at the foothills of Nahargarh Fort area, in the Kanak Valley. We had an hour to enjoy the garden and to visit the nearby temple. The garden is very peaceful and beautiful. There is a Radha-Madhavji temple just beside it. The marble idols of Radha and Lord Krishna are exquisite. One of the beautiful idol-pair I have ever seen! I felt so happy after visiting the temple. As usual photography not allowed here.

on the way back we had a view of Jal Mahal in the golden light of setting sun. Drive back to city was uneventful!

Day-3:
In my last two trips to Jaipur the guides never allowed us to see the Hawa Mahal. I decided to see it myself. Per guides it is just an ornate wall. In reality it is not. It is a beautiful structure worth a visit. It is a window for royal women to the world.

Hawa Mahal road is one of the market roads and I went around the traditional markets of Jaipur. Badi Chaupar, Choti Chaupar, Johari Bazaar, Tripola Bazaar, Bapu Bazaar, Telipara road and so on ... There were sweet stalls, pickle stores, vetetable markets, clothing, utensils, books whatever on the earth you need. I ate kulfi, drank lussi, bought souvenirs and window shopped ... It was fun.

I visited the Dolls Museum after that. It is a bit out of the way near Police Memorial and back of SMS Hospital. The dolls are well preserved but, I didn't see any tourists apart from me. The websites mention it is one of the great attractions, in my experience hardly anybody knew that there is a museum of that sort. I went walking from Albert Hall, it felt a bit long way in the hot Jaipur sun. It is worth a visit if you like dolls, and Rs.5 you pay tickets will be spent on the education of students who have hearing problems.

To wander around Jaipur by foot needs preparation ... lots of water, a sun hat, sunscreen are must carry items. It is a good idea to avoid being out in the sun during afternoons. Winter months are okay, but late September was not very okay for me.

That night I packed my backpack, next morning I had to catch a train to Delhi very early.

You might also want to read other posts in the series ... Click Here :)

192. Camel Rider at Sunset in the Desert of Rajasthan

2011-12-01T00:02:00.000-08:00

Sand Dunes of Jaisalmer, Rajasthan is a very popular tourist destination in India. Watching the sunset sitting on one of the highest dunes is a great experience. The line of camel riders and their long shadows on the golden sand is the scene to behold. Spending couple of hours past sunset is cool too.

Though gets very crowded in the peak season the sand dunes have their own charm. Camel riding is a very common tourist activity here. Even tent accommodation is available here for a night stay.

191. Dharmashala Cricket Stadium

2011-11-30T00:09:00.001-08:00

Cricket stadium at highest altitude in the world is located in the city of Dharmashala, Himachal Pradesh. With the snow caped Dhauladhar range in the backdrop, and at the height of 1457m, the HPCA (Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association) stadium is fitted with world class facilities. It is one of the 17 grounds selected by ICB to host both national and international games. It is 15 Km from Gaggal, Kangra (nearest airport).

Well, this is the cricket stadium info. I saw it from far and then I visited it. I liked it, I liked the thought of watching a match in a ground surrounded by so much beauty. Then, don't get me wrong! I am not a cricket fan! But, my Dad is ... when I see him happily watching the match leaving the couch only for long-postponed restroom visits, I feel what a national waste? Okay ... okay ... whatever ... don't think of beating me up ...

I was wondering ... how could anybody sitting in that ground watch the match instead of the mighty Dhauladhars? Well ... it is all personal opinion ... enjoy the pic!

190. RSS Discovery, The first ship to reach South Pole

2011-11-29T00:05:00.000-08:00

RSS Discovery is a traditional wooden boat which successfully completed Antarctic expedition. She carried Robert Falcon Scott and Ernest Shackleton to Antarctic on their first expedition to Antarctica called British National Antarctic Expedition.

Noe she is docked at Dundee Point on the River Tay where she was first launched and the place she was built, Dundee, Scotland.

It is a popular tourist attraction now. The museum has all the information about the expedition, construction details. People can walk into the boat, its cabins etc.

When I visited there was a private party held on the boat. Good that happened after I visited that part of the boat otherwise it was closed to rest of the public. It is venue for parties and wedding too. It should be fun to get married on this bat huh?

189. The Stone Chariot of Hampi

2011-11-28T00:04:00.000-08:00

My host state -the incredible Karnataka! It is a blessing to see its beauty, lush green forests infested with amazing density of wildlife, spectacular waterfalls, ancient art and abundant history. I can go on and on ... But, a post would be much appropriate ... How about the world famous Stone Chariot of Hampi.

Hampi is a place where stones speak ... they speak about the past glory of the proud City of Victory ... Vijayanagara ... the tiny village which grew into an empire, more specifically The Hindu Empire. Now in ruins, the city still mocks at its destroyers ... Even after centuries the ruins help people visualize its past grandeur.

Recent visit to Hampi was just great! Accompanied my niece who is doing a research on Hampi Ruins. Visited all the places bit by bit, with she telling me stories. I felt like the past came alive. I woke up from my dream when a squeeking bat flew right above my head when I entered the dark sanctum of an empty temple. I sat in one of the mantapas resting my back on one of those ornate pillars, the passing by cool wind whispered ... You are in the city of victory ...

The Stone Chariot stands proudly in the courtyard of incredibly ornate Vijaya Vithala temple. The wheels of this chariot were movable until recently the authorities sealed them to prevent damage by the ignorant tourists.

Tip: The temple is east facing and the chariot is west facing. Make two trips, one early morning for the pictures of the temple. The second trip in the evening for the pictures of the chariot.

Backpacking in India: What I packed?!

2011-11-27T20:47:00.000-08:00

As I might have mentioned in my earlier posts ... I am a petite female. Really cannot carry a 60-70L backpack. I took 40L Wildcraft instead. WildCraft is okay ,,, but I really missed my REI Flash. I was kind of confused on what to pack! I was going to Gujarat, Rajasthan, Delhi and Punjab starting late September (hot an humid wether) and then I was visiting Himachal Pradesh and North Sikkim in mid-October onwards (cold, very cold weather)!

What should I pack?!

light or warm clothes? ... Both!
Shoes or sandals? ... Both!
Jeans or Salwar? ... well, religious places included in the itinerery ... BOTH!!
Sunscreen or moisturiser? ... Both.

I had to be smarter. Everything had to be fitted in a 40L.

So, what I did is ...

light shirt + A sweater + Windsheeter = warm
legging + Salwar = warm

Technically called layered clothing!

After a bit of maths, 1 jeans, 2 T-shirts, 2 Kurtis, 1 Salwar, 1 legging, 1 sweater, 1 beanie, 1 stole, 1 windsheeter (this helped in rain too). This worked for me for 50 whole days. They all look old now :)

Sneakers for cooler states, 3 pairs of socks, sandals for sunny-hot states, and bathroom chappals.

Small sized shampoo, conditioner, moisturiser and sunscreen against big bottles. When I ran out of them I bought replacements in the major cities.

Essential medicines and a stainless-sleel water bottle.

Electronics, included ...
Point-and-shoot Canon Powershot G11, no SLR + Lenses. After I bought my G11 I love it. Its weight is very convenient to carry, fits in any bag, Has advanced settings, picture quality is good.
I carried a small tripod for night and waterfalls shots.

An iPod, to tell the truth I hardly listen to music. I use it during train journeys when nosy people bother me. I just pretend to wear the earphones even when iPod doesn't have charge!

My usual cell phone which is very primitive. It just makes and receives calls, receives tons of junk SMS from BSNL. It has a few more features which I do not use.

After working in a smartphone company for long-long years I have realized, life becomes much organized when you own less electronic gadgets. I love the line ... Life was much easier when Apple and Blackberry were just fruits ...

What I should carry next time that I missed ... packing material for courier. 2-3 mts of white cloth, 2-3 mts of polythene sheet, tape, a pair of scissors, big needle and thread. After few days of backpacking the small souvenirs together start adding to the weight of backpack. Periodically I had to courier them home.

Just one pack on the back ...

You might also want to read other posts in the series ... Click Here :)

188. Art Gallery at Hess Winery, Napa Valley

2011-11-27T00:01:00.000-08:00

Winerries in Napa, California are interesting places to visit. People who love wine visit these wineries to taste and buy wine. But, few people like me visit these because of curiosity. It is an experience of tasting wine though don't understand much, everything tastes the same :) I liked red wine though. The gardens, the art galleries in these wineries are fantastic. Photography is not allowed in all the places.
I went on a guided hike and gave ride to a lady. She happened to know an employee in the winery. We were given a great treatment and I took one picture too!! There were many artifacts of modern art. Some were very creative and some were un-understandable as art :)

It was a fun visit and my first experience of wine tasting. I tried 3 red wines and it really kicks ... I was laughing a bit loud for some time!!

187. Monolithic rock-cut temples of Masroor

2011-11-26T00:07:00.000-08:00

Well, it is time for some pictures from India, especially from North. Recently I backpacked in and around Himachal Pradesh and was awestruck looking at the cold beauty!

I am a history lover. I love to know about the legends and stories of the past associated with every interesting thing I see, and I try to link with the present.

One of the places I visited during my trip is Masroor in Himachal Pradesh. This place is approximately 40Km from Dharmashala and is very secluded with very few visitors. It is located in a sanctuary area and is protected under the supervision of ASI. It is in the final stages of entering UNESCO World Heritage sites list.

The place is popular for a group of 15 monolithic rock-cut temples built in Indo-Aryan style dating back to medieval period. And hence the place is also known as Ajanta of Himachal ... The richly carved temples are now partially ruins. The main sanctum, which is intact, has deities of Rama, Sita and Lakshmana.

For me it was an expensive temple visit. Since most of the tourists prefer to go for Chamunda devi temple package it is difficult to get a shared transportation to Masroor. The road is not that great and so drivers of private rental cars charge a lot more than the nominal charges. But, I had to see it so I did! I wasn't disappointed!

186. Coast Redwoods ... Redwood National Park

2011-11-25T00:02:00.000-08:00

One of the three coniferous trees, coast redwoods world's tallest trees which only grow in California Coast. The mist covered Redwoods National Park and State Parks are the great places to see these trees.

These grow only on the coast and their roots system is shallow and spread hundred feet from the base so that they can withstand the strong coastal winds. They are insect and fungi resistant and so live extended long lives :)

I visited Redwood National Park, I reached at night and the fog was so thick that it was difficult to see the winding road even with the car headlights on. The coast is abundant in wildlife. Harbor seals were swimming very near to the beach. From the high rocky cliffs the wave patterns of the ocean look magical.

Really these trees make us look so small ...

Backpacking in India: The first step!

2011-11-24T00:19:00.000-08:00

I had a very well paying job and a position in a software company, Sunnyvale, California. A good place to live and all the freedom to do whatever I wanted. But, there was a void ... I was away from my parents! At night when I rested my head on the soft pillow I thought about them. As aging doesn't stop for anyone ... they were getting older and older day-by-day. I used to hear my colleagues taking the first flight they could when they got a call about their senior folks being ill.

I am a believer in positive thinking and for that I need to have happy things around me, happy moments to remember. I want to remember my parents healthy, smiling, running around, eating well ... and so on ... I want my pictures with them when they sit straight on the couch. Bottom-line I wanted to live with them when they are still young and healthy and treasure those days ... not only when they are in the hospital fighting for life! So, I decided to quit my job at Sunnyvale and move back to Bangalore to be with them. When I spoke to friends about this ... some agreed with me, some were surprised, some disagreed ... but, its my life and its my decision. And I moved back to Bangalore! I didn't have a job, and even after an year I haven't looked for a job!

Well, I returned. Cleaned up my apartment which was locked for more than 8 years and it felt good. My neighbors gave a curious look. I visited my parents and stayed with them for 2 months. Then I visited my sisters for a months time. I had a long time wish that we three sisters take up a tour with the families left behind. We did go but, with fractions of families lingering around :)

When I did all this ... flocks of relatives and family friends visited us. Some regular visitors, some out of curiosity to know the reason I returned, some thinking that they may get a taste of chocolates or gifts from USA. Some thought I lost my job because of recession in USA, some thought I lost my job because my green card was not approved, some thought I might have had a bad argument with my Boss and my boss fired me, and few more thought I was laid off as my company was taken over by HP. Well, everyone of them thought some thing and they were curious to know about my job situation in India and how I am going to manage my expenses. No one for some reason believe the truth, that I quit my job and life in USA for my parents. Funny world or funny me!

After being with the family, I thought I have not seen India enough and I should see India. And now everybody in the family went crazy ... I mean to say they thought I was crazy. There were phone calls from my Dad, followed by Mom, then my sisters ... to tell the truth ... my ears were hurting listening to the calls for days ... and I was so exhausted convincing them ... then friends and relatives adding salt-pepper ...

India is not safe ... It is not easy o backpack solo in India as it is in USA or Europe ... It is not safe for solo females in India ... People kill even to steal a pen ... Delhi! OMG! worst city in the world for South Indians ... Rajasthan! there might be palaces but, people are poor, uneducated and life is miserable! ... and so on ...

I heard enough and I couldn't anymore so ... I didn't know if India were so bad ... I wanted to give a try ... I promised my parents that I would call them every night, packed few shirts, a jeans, some essentials, a camera and left! I was in Jaipur!

With this post I am starting a series ... Backpacking India, chroniccles of my 50 day journey ...

185. Double Rainbow at Lahaina Coast, Maui

2011-11-24T00:00:00.000-08:00

Driving on along the Lahaina Coast of Maui, Hawaii is wonderful experience. Black sand beaches lined with black pebbles of different sizes, beautiful sunset are highlights. It was raining when was around. Later the clouds cleared up and could see some sunlight, and then the rainbow! To my delight it was a double rainbow.

Like me there were many who stopped and parked the cars along the highway for a picture. Lovely indeed!

184. Nevada Falls roaring down in Yosemite

2011-11-23T00:07:00.000-08:00

I have many posts on Yosemite National Park, California and its waterfalls. Here is another one :) Yes! I love to photograph waterfalls and I loved to drive to Yosemite and its surroundings ...

I still have the excitement of moonbows on Yosemite waterfalls and fall colors lingering in my mind even after months I left California.

I took this picture on the way back very popular Half Dome hike. This place is where the Merced river plunges down in the form of Nevada falls. It is a great picnic spot and is always crowded and safe. After the hard climb I wanted well deserved rest and I slept under the shade of a tree ... I woke up only when a chipmunk scratched my backpack to steal my only remaining peanut butter sandwich.

Well, later I went around to take picture. And I found this angle very interesting ... the picture portrays the force of the water plunging down ...

183. Mendocino Coast Botanical Gardens

2011-11-22T00:09:00.000-08:00

182. Wupatki National Monument, Arizona

2011-11-21T00:02:00.000-08:00

Wupatki National Monument is located near Flagstaff, Arizona. Wupatki is the largest pueblo around. It is called Anasaazi Bikin in Navajo which means Houses of enemies.

The structure is built using thin blocks of sandstone. When walking in the ruins under the mid-afternoon sun in the driest Colorado Plataeu, it feels like the people from the past are talking to us.

Very well preserved monument worth a visit. The area has zero shade and is extremely hot in the months of May to September. And hence carry enough water and a Sun hat.

181. St. Giles Cathedral, Edinburgh

2011-11-20T00:01:00.000-08:00

St. Giles Cathedral, also known as High Kirk of Edinburgh, stands proudly on the Royal Mile, Edinburgh, Scotland. Very prominent and architectural beauty in the Edinburgh skyline and on Royal Mile as well, it is an important religious places of Edinburgh.

I don't have much to say about the history except that is an important architectural landmark.

180. Garden Key Lighthouse, Florida

2011-11-19T00:06:00.001-08:00

I have mentioned in my earlier posts about Dry Tortugas National Park, Florida. Again, I want to say this is a place I want to be ... to breath the fresh ocean air, to see the blemishless white sand beaches and the blue water ... to see the stars in the real dark sky with no light pollution ... but still I may have to be back to the main land for ... drinking water!! These islands are DRY!

The fort and its black lighthouse are the major structures on the island and they occupy 95% of the surface ... needs a very wide angle lens! It is not one of the very beautiful lighthouses I have seen but it is the only one which is painted black.

When I return to USA I will camp here again on my favorite island destination! I may happen to see another barracuda ...

179. Lights at McCarran Airport, Las Vegas

2011-11-18T00:12:00.000-08:00

Las Vegas, Nevada, is synonym with flashy, showy, gaudy, sinful ... Then its airport too has to be flashy huh? Well, it is not! It is as good as any other airports in USA. But, the lights here caught my attention ...

I was waiting for my flight to San Jose and I heard that flight is delayed for an hour because of some technical difficulties ... I was wondering what to ... and I took out my camera just to relive my trip experiences and then I clicked this shot!

For the memories of so many airports, delayed flights ...

Sorry!

2011-11-17T04:23:00.000-08:00

Soon after I reached Bangalore, I had to accompany my niece to Hampi. She wanted to collect info and pictures of these ancient temples for her research work. I will soon be back with my juicy stories about my backpacking North-and-North East !! Apologize for the delay!

178. Nandi in Asian Art Museum, San Francisco

2011-11-17T00:08:00.000-08:00

Nandi is one of the deities in Indian mythology. Nandi is Vahana (vehicle) of God Shiva and represents Dharma. Nandi is always pictured as white bull, with strong muscular body with beautiful big eyes. We see the Nandi sculpture in most of the Shiva temples.

I am a frequent visit museums and love to see the different cultures of the world - present, past and ancient. At times I find myself very curious to know how Indian art and culture is represented and understood in western countries.

When I saw a collection of Indian sculptures in asian art museum in San Francisco I was thrilled.

177. Intricate carving on sand stone, Mehrangarh Fort

2011-11-16T00:07:00.000-08:00

I think Rajasthan goes synonymous with sandstone carvings. The palaces and havelis from Jodhpur, Jaisalmer and many other places are so ornate with this art.

I have many posts on Rajasthan and so there is no need to repeat the same words again and again ...

176. Elk roaming in the Redwood National Park

2011-11-15T00:15:00.000-08:00

Elk (Cervus canadensis) is a largest deer in the world. They live in herds as other antelopes do. It is native to North America and Eastern Asia.

Redwoods National Park, California, is one of the places where you can see herds of elks. In the large meadows the famlies graze and rest under sun. The males at times seen grazing all alone. It is a feat to watch these animals in the golden light of setting sun.

Another place where you can sight these is Point Reyes National Seashore, California.