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The Vaishnodevi Experience 2023

My first trip to Vaishnodevi was unimpressive. Climbing was hard, and it only served to highlight how badly out of shape I was, while my in-laws managed to cope so much better. Further, I hadn’t quite realized that the cave experience wouldn’t be the same as I had imagined, since the original cave was only opened at certain times a year, and that we only entered a newly created tunnel, one far easier to access, and hence more manageable with the crowds that thronged the mountain shrine. The resulting experience at the shrine, for barely a fraction of a second, hardly compared to what I had expected / imagined / heard about. So, for me, Vaishnodevi was like any other temple, nothing to write home about, something that was reflected (though not explicitly mentioned) in the blog post I wrote then.

Snails are interesting........

Snails are interesting creatures... Did you know that they are herbivores? Well, last week, we were waiting for Samhith's school bus when we saw this one eating up a flower. We were curious about how long it would take, and photographed it..... It took less than 5 minutes for the small creature to finish it off!

Here are some pics in slideshow form....





Here is another one, on a branch, hanging on, and eating a tiny flower.....








It has been pouring here since the last couple of days, and Samhith is looking forward to seeing more snails. They are, after all, interesting, aren't they?????



Comments

  1. Anu, that slide show was a wonderful way to present the snail eating the flower!

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  2. i had a garden at my grandma place but never watched snail eating flowers! thanks for the slide show and wonderful thought! yes indeed they are interesting!

    Lifes greatest wonders lies in the smallest things like this :)

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  3. u r a cool amma arent u.. i loved this whole write up and the work that has gone into it.. im sure Samhith thinks u rock! (i do, actually)

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  4. @Mridula, ssstoryteller : THanks a lot......

    @Srivats: i never watched them either till Samhith started noticing them.... and now both of us look out for them once the rains arrive....

    @ Aparna ..Thanks so much....... lets hope Samhith thinks so too....

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  5. Wow! that's a wonderful slide you have created. Loved the same. But I like it in pictures because when I was in Kerala these creepy things were inside my house everyday had a tough time keeping them out

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  6. @ Chitra.... UGH! can imagine what a nuisance they must have been... as you say, I can enjoy watching them since they are outside the garden, and incidentally, they are not even eating my plants :-))

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  7. the slide show is a neat concept and it worked well with the snail eating the flower

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  8. Loved the slideshow... never seen a snail eat a flower like that!! i love observing creatures, all kinds!! :D

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  9. Snails are indeed very interesting creatures, and quite beautiful if we have that eye.

    I've never seen any snail eat anything, in my life! I can't believe myself.

    Thanks for sharing this new information with me :)

    Thoseghar Waterfall

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  10. Which means they might actually consume quicker than they move! Nice takes.

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  11. awesome slide show ---

    thanks a ton 4 it.. :)

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  12. hi there came across while i was searching for info on snails &blogs, great pics. Bol
    www.depalan.blogspot.com

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  13. Interesting photos!
    Snails are interesting too. I had trouble saving my plants from them. :)

    ReplyDelete

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