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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.
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Butterfly

The most natural thing to do when it starts raining is to go looking for shelter, especially when it pours cats and dogs....... Most of us prefer watching the rain from the safety and comforts of our homes, and I have seen the same instinct in many birds which huddle among thick leaves, attempting to find some sanctuary.... However, every now and then I come across something which makes me wonder if these creatures actually want to get away from the rain, or if they,unlike us, are equally comfortable even when it pours.... like the kingfisher which patiently awaited its prey even though it was drenched.....

And just a couple of days back, I happened to notice this butterfly flitting around a tree (incidentally, a curry leaves tree - does it hold a special fascination for butterflies???), while it poured and poured. At first, we thought it was trying to find a place to settle, but it simply refused to sit in one place, going round and round, from one branch to another, intermittently visiting other trees before returning to this one.....

We observed the butterfly for almost half an hour, and Samhith actually started worrying if its wings would get destroyed by the rain beating down..... but the butterfly seemed to be least affected by the rain.....

Here are some pics.....




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Comments

  1. AnonymousAugust 26, 2010 at 5:00 PM

    Very nice observation. Thanks for sharing. Yes, I guess few require shelter but kingfisher seems to be enjoying rain.

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  2. AartiAugust 26, 2010 at 5:11 PM

    Lovely.... Butterflies i love, and can sit stare at em, or follow them around for hours!! :)

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  3. chitraAugust 26, 2010 at 7:43 PM

    Good photos. You have a keen sense of observation.

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  4. MridulaAugust 26, 2010 at 7:52 PM

    I too love watching butterflies but have never observed the rain phenomenon.

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  5. cyclopsevenAugust 27, 2010 at 8:52 AM

    Something to ponder about. Interesting.

    ReplyDelete
  6. annucool15August 27, 2010 at 11:16 AM

    it's always very pleasant to watch butterflies! i had a dragonfly at my balcony this week... i just uploaded the pic (http://pic-k-s.blogspot.com/) and stumbled on to your blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. smAugust 28, 2010 at 11:34 PM

    very well written
    nice shots

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  8. IndraniAugust 29, 2010 at 9:58 AM

    Butterflies hide under leaves when it rains, my mother told me so when I was a kid.

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  9. P.N. SubramanianAugust 30, 2010 at 1:42 PM

    Beautiful observation.

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  10. Anil PAugust 31, 2010 at 1:44 AM

    And monsoons bring in a lot of moths as well.

    ReplyDelete
  11. The Legend ReturnsSeptember 1, 2010 at 1:48 PM

    Great blog Anu..you've got some real useful stuff here. Visit my blog http://mybioscope.blogspot.com/ whenever you've got time. Some weeks back I had been to Maharashtra Nature Park where I had photographed lots of butterflies. Hope you like them!

    ReplyDelete
  12. Rama AnanthSeptember 3, 2010 at 8:32 AM

    Lovely pictures and a well written piece.
    I am always fascinated by rains.
    It makes one feel so romantic.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Jesson BalaoingSeptember 11, 2010 at 8:14 AM

    great post...like this photo!

    ReplyDelete

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