Gurudongmar Lake @ 17100

The vast expanse of the valley seems surreal at times ! My heart skips a beat at the thought of the desolution,tranquility & the stillness of the air at this place. The Gurudongmar lake , situated at 17,100 ft above sea level is one of the highest lakes in India and indeed elsewhere.

Reliving those moments in this extremely inhospitable paradise of the Himalayas.

Pictures taken in the month of October 2009

A RIDE NOT SO SAFE

The highly acclaimed Indian Railways is so far one of the single biggest killers of 2010 after the Maoists ...Once again there has been a devastating railway accident. This time a collision between two trains at Saithiya, West Bengal....shattering 60 to death....leaving over 120 grievously injured...many 100's widowed or orphaned and true to tradition,O ACCOUNTABLE. what we can do, however, is pray for those affected and offer our help in any way we can ...being presumptuous enough to think we understand their plight would not be apt at the moment...just think.. scores of families torn apart...little ones orphaned...when u add to this the Jnaneswari Express Massacre sometime back..it makes u secretly dread boarding an express...your ticket to the afterlife literally !

NEW RUPEE -OLD PROBLEMS

The Union Cabinet today stamped its approval on the new symbol of the Rupee incorporating from Devnagri and Roman scripts. The big question, however, on everybody's lips does not change despite this recent face-lift. In a country such as ours, where abject poverty resides amongst the masses, when inflation's turning northwards, where disparities plague the very system we once created for ourselves- is it justified to divert the focus away from such vital issues to superficial displays of national fervour over the changing look of our currency....Tell me will this change of symbol of the mighty rupee make any sense to all those in our nation living in sub-saharan conditions.....Some might argue that the government is doing it's bit in working for the needy& that there is no conflict of interest between the change of the symbol and poverty alleviation....point taken...my humble submission is how can you then justify the equality symbol in parallel lines (depicted on this new symbol of the rupee)often indicative of the gap existing between the rich and the neddy in our society...Is it not a brazen display of dichotomy, especially at times, such as this when every conceivable commodity is pinching the pocket of the middle class ever more by the day, can u think of the plight of those lying below the line of poverty ?. Until the day you relieve them of their sufferings might as well omit that equality sign on this newly designed rupee, a misfit especially in times of acute economic crisis of a rich nation inhabited by its poor masters...

THE SOUTHERN SPLICE

In a particularly hot & sultry August of 2007, I visited the southern Indian states of Tamil Nadu, Kerela & Andhra Pradesh with my family.It was quite an experience . Sharing some of the memories of the tour through pictures, not words as they can only tell half the story !

Hills for Loneliness Seekers

Hills are a wondeful place to be. Pay them a visit and watch them grow on you.

I was never really a hill lover. I have always resented them. My liking has always revolved around the beautiful turquoise seas. So when I decided to travel to Sikkim with my family for the extended puja vacations last autumn, people really didn't know what to make of it. Even my parents were surprised. When we returned home, there was bliss written all over our faces and minds refreshed.

Certain observations from that trip that I'd like to share -

* Book all your tickets well in advance to avoid the rush.

* Take along more than one camera if possible.

* Make an attempt to keep your eyes open during the journey up and downhill or else

you might miss out.

* Go with an open mind.

* Avoid the liquor and intoxicants.

* Take the untrodden path.

* Most of all,enjoy yourself.

THE CASE OF THE ORACLE OCTOPUS

This year's ongoing FIFA WC in South Africa has been one unpredictable journey.

Predicting which way a match will go puzzles even the most informed experts, so how come an octopus , a German resident , has got this seemingly impossible task spot on. Public opinion is divided on this: some discard this as hooplah , others attribute it to be some kind of a special gift that certain animals possess in these matters....One thing is for sure, Paul- the psychic octopus has taken the world by storm and captured everyone's hearts and imagination ....angry fans may kill it, Spain may even adopt it but I feel that we should let him be...hurting some, delighting others but in the process, entertaining all the fans of the beautiful game in his own special way.