An Expedition

Located in the Great Himalayan Divide, lies the trekking Valley of India called Zanskar. Literally meaning Land of White Copper, it has for decades exerted the allure of Shangri La. The nucleus of the region is a Y shaped glacial valley drained by three main rivers – Stod, Tsarap and Zanskar. Here, even the lowest passes remain closed for seven to eight months in a year with the mid winter temperatures dipping to a bone numbing minus 40 Deg C. Most of the people come to Zanskar either for trekking or for river rafting. Numerous trails wind their way towards north from Padium to Central Ladakh, west to Kishtwar and South to neighbouring Lahaul. The river flows down from Zanskar Valley to Lahaul and Spiti or the either way round. If you are travelling here, then you will be disappointed looking for a comfortable place. It is always better to go through a trekking tourist agent, so that all the accommodation can be taken care of by them. Near to the Zanskar ...

South of Kolkata, the Hooghly fringes one of the worlds largest estuarine deltas, the Sunderbans. Sunderbans mean beautiful forests. These forests are beautiful indeed. The 10,000 square kilometer expanse of marsh land, mangrove swamp and islets formed by silt swept down from the Himalayas. Its remote nature has been so designed as to make place for reserving the regions abundant wildlife which include saltwater crocodiles, gangetic dolphins, otters and the worlds largest population of tigers. This beautiful forest lies in the Ganges Delta, stretching east from the mouth of Hooghly to Bangladesh. The Sunderbans are home to legendary Royal Bengal Tiger, a ferocious man eater. This man eater has adaptive well to this watery environment, and swims from one island to another covering at least 40 kms per day. Other wildlife which love this place are sea turtles, wild boar, spotted deer, olive ridley, sharks. Mingling with these purely wild animals is a population of half a million hu...

Karnataka, the land of one of the most Kings of India – Tipu Sultan, is a land filled with stories of bravery and heroic deeds. Valour and grandeur are the twin roses of the land. Here in this beautiful land lie the beautiful temples of Halebid. Also known as the Holyasar Temples, these are one of the most beautiful temples in entire Karnataka. Halebid was once the Capital of Hoysala Dynasty located 32 kms northwest of Hassan. Once known as Dora Samudra, it was renamed as Hale – bidu or the dead city when Delhi Sultanate forces of Ala-ud-din-khalji swept through and reduced it to rubble. Despite this, the two main temples of the city – Hoysaleshvara and Kedareshvara are in superb in form, art, design and architecture. It is for these temples that the beautiful city of Halebid is still known. It is not known which dieties were originally worshipped, though the double shrine inside the temple are supposed to be devoted to Lord Shiva. Both the shrines contain shivlin...

Leh is tough, often causing altitude sickness to many, but the route to Leh is warm and welcoming. The surrounding calmness makes for a perfect stay and the rustiness in the air calls for a great day ahead. Taking a taxi from Leh Airport will set you on the Srinagar Highway. Karzoo, Suku and Fort Road are the main residential places of Leh. Only two banks take care of the Currency Exchange – the State Bank of India and J&k Bank. Sometimes the HDFC Bank too takes it in its hands. The old town of Leh has the Chamba Temple. Not easy to reach, taking the help of a local seems to be a better idea. Among the most visible expressions of Buddhism in Ladakh are the chess pawn – shaped chortens or stupas at the entrance of the Monasteries. Made of mud and stone or of concrete, most of the chortens are made as an act of piety by the nobles of Leh. These chortens are supposed to the imbibed with mystical powers. The largest one can be found in Shey – The place of old Palaces of Leh. So...

Home to Dalai Lama and Tibetan Government in exile and the starting point of some of the exhilarating treks into the Himalayas, McLeod Ganj is the upper town of Dharamshala. Spread across the wooden ridges beneath the Dauladher Range, the town is divided into two distinct sections. Originally a British Hill Station, McLeod Ganj has been converted into a Tibetan Home by the influx of Tibetan Refugees who left China fleeing the Chinese Oppression. McLeod Ganj is a place which attracts a lot of homeland people as well as foreigners. Its a preferred place for Hollywood Actors with a number of them already visited the place. Despite low temperatures between December and March, it attracts a lot of people throughout the year. Seeing the low temperatures, you will require loads of very warm clothes. Dalai Lama Settled temporarily in Mc Leod Ganj in 1960, four decades later he is still here. Because of his presence the place has become prestigious. His house is one the south edge...

Either it is contemporary or its is esthic – in whatever way you can accept it, the sculptures of Khajuraho has always been a question for the mankind. A superb example of the Indo Aryan Architecture, the embellished carvings on the walls of the temples has made them famous. The liberty given in the idols of the not – so liberal Indian society has always been a source of curiosity. Two elements have been highlighted in the temples – women and sex. But why so, Why there are no idols of the gods worshiped in these Temples except Lord Shiva. (There is a separate Temple for Lord Shiva in Khajuraho Temples). Some say these sensuous posturing idols are in fact Tantric Images (Black Magic), pertaining to the fact that they are not limited to Khajuraho. As per this Cult, gratification of the basic instincts is one way to transcend the evils of the world and thus achieve Enlightenment. Bhoga (Physical enjoyment) and Yoga (Spiritual enjoyment) – both are seen as equally valid in the Quest fo...

Constructed in the 3rd Centuries, it still has the Charms of a New City. I have seen a number of movies ( as per my say) on the nomadic Arabs, but as i stood in front of this one - its was as if standing in front of a gold mine - which shone more in the bright sun light. As i put my foot ahead in the only entrance of the City of Petra, i could sense what next i am going to see will be mindblowing. The siq - a long narrow gorge took me to the lands of Petra City. The huge city has many facets in its intact forms like the Al Khanez - the treasury. This treasury is fully bathed in the sun light in the morning hours. Glowing like gold in the morning; it turns into a pink shadow in the evening. Large shells indicate sort of lockers where wealth used to be put up. Next to it is the road which takes you to the Old Market. The huge lanes on the both sides, indicate a large no of shops and shopkeepers in it. My imagination suddenly runs what might have been the Market of City of P...