Skip to main content

Featured Post

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.
3 comments

Sunset at Nainital


On my recent visit to Corbett as part of the Club Mahindra Bloggers Trip, we spent some time at Nainital. After roaming around the streets for a while, we took the ropeway to get a glimpse of the snow covered peaks of the Himalayas. The ropeway idea was just a lark, to spend some extra time at Nainital, but it turned out to be full of surprises - from the beautiful aerial view of the Naini Lake.....




To the snow capped mountains visible even to the naked eye!



A board announced the availability of "powerful binoculars" to get a better view of the snow clad peaks....



But the binocs turned out to be a pair of normal ones encased in an impressive - looking case, making them look much bigger, and I guess, more 'powerful'! And the long queue waiting for a peep proved their popularity!



The ropeway seemed to be quite popular, since we had to wait more than half an hour for our turn, and the whole place was filled with tourists having fun, which meant that there was quite a lot of noise! We moved away from the crowd, seeking some peace. Anyway, most of us had our own binoculars, certainly more 'powerful', and we were rewarded by the sight of many birds too - Verditer Flycatchers, Rufous Sibias, and Himalayan Whistling Thrush, among others.





As each of us got busy with our cameras, clicking away at either the landscape or the birds, time flew past, and it was time for us to resume our journey down the ropeway. As we began our downward journey in the cable car, the sun began its descent too……







A ropeway is no longer a novelty in India. There are many tourist spots which now boast of cable cars. But this journey reminded me of the simple thrills of a ropeway – the feeling of being high up and looking down at the ground through a new perspective. But above all, our ropeway ride served to help me filter out the noise and crowd and make the most of a beautiful place!


I decided to use this post for Sky Watch Friday instead of a single picture as usual. Hope you liked it! For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Sky Watch Page.

Labels:
Location: Nainital, Uttarakhand, India

Comments

  1. PN SubramanianNovember 4, 2011 at 12:56 PM

    I am envious. I will make it up some day.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Rniranjan_dasNovember 4, 2011 at 1:03 PM

    Nice post about a lovely post. Good one Anu.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  3. BindhuNovember 4, 2011 at 2:47 PM

    The shots are very lovely, Anu. The ropeway ride must have been awesome! :)

    ReplyDelete
  4. Mridula DNovember 4, 2011 at 3:58 PM

    Looks like you all had a good time and caught a lovely sunset too.

    ReplyDelete
  5. Team G squareNovember 4, 2011 at 6:32 PM

    Lovely place to be .

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    I hope u do :)

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    Thanks a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  8. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:13 PM

    had a wonderful time, mridula! and the sunset was much better than what i could capture!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anu ShankarNovember 5, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    It was wonderful, Bindhu, but the views more than the ride itself!

    ReplyDelete
  10. ZephyrNovember 5, 2011 at 5:34 PM

    Those were stunning pictures. Loved the sunset series best of all and the birds.

    The font is better now. Thanks. :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Shrinidhi HandeNovember 6, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    nice pics Anu

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 2:51 PM

    THanks a lot, Zephyr!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 2:52 PM

    Thanks Shrinidhi!

    ReplyDelete
  14. KanthiNovember 7, 2011 at 3:11 PM

    Hey! It reminded me of my trip but I had not been on the ropeway! The next time I go I will get my own powerful binoculars :) :) :)

    The photos are extremely beautiful 

    ReplyDelete
  15. Santosh bsNovember 7, 2011 at 3:24 PM

    wonderful and the powerful binoculars is a nice laugh :)
    and by the way, there is round dust spot visible in many of the photos, probably need to clean you camera once :)

    ReplyDelete
  16. Santosh bsNovember 7, 2011 at 3:27 PM

    and the sunset photos are beautiful and you are an opportunistic birder :)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 3:44 PM

    Thanks Kanthi!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Thanks Santosh! I realised that too, but still wondering how to clean my lens... tried it once,but doesnt seem to have made much of a difference!

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anu ShankarNovember 7, 2011 at 3:45 PM

    Now, thats a nice term.. opportunistic birder... and fits me perfectly!

    ReplyDelete
  20. SudhageeNovember 14, 2011 at 9:26 PM

    The first picture is simply breathtaking, Anu. May I use it as wallpaper for my laptop? Please, please ...

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anu ShankarNovember 14, 2011 at 9:42 PM

    Sure, Sudha! will send u the large image by mail. the one on the blog might be a smaller sized one...

    ReplyDelete
  22. Sanjay Kumar NegiDecember 14, 2011 at 3:33 PM

    Wow' great photos kindly chk here also http://www.gonainital.com/

    ReplyDelete
  23. nainital hotelsSeptember 6, 2012 at 2:41 PM

    the is one of the best photo-descriptive way i have seen ever....great work...

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Thanks so much for stopping by. Please leave a comment for me so that I will know you have been here....

Popular posts from this blog

Gokarna Part II – The Five Lingams

We continued our Gokarna trip by visiting four other Shiva temples in the vicinity, all connected to the same story of Gokarna. The story of Gokarna mentions the Mahabaleshwara Lingam as the one brought from Kailas by Ravana, and kept at this place on the ground by Ganesha. (See my earlier post- Gokarna – Pilgrimage and Pleasure). However, the story does not end here. It is believed that, in his anger, Ravana flung aside the materials which covered the lingam- the casket, its lid, the string around the lingam, and the cloth covering it. All these items became lingams as soon as they touched the ground. These four lingams, along with the main Mahabaleshwara lingam are collectively called the ‘ Panchalingams’ . These are: Mahabaleshwara – the main lingam Sajjeshwar – the casket carrying the lingam. This temple is about 35 Kms from Karwar, and is a 2 hour drive from Gokarna. Dhareshwar – the string covering the lingam. This temple is on NH17, about 45 Kms south of Gokarna. Gunavanteshw
8 comments
Read more

The Havelis of Bikaner - A Photo Post

The lanes are narrow , twisting and turning amidst buildings old and new. Crumbling old structures with intricate workmanship stand side by side with art deco buildings, and more modern constructions, which follow no particular style. Autos, bicycles, motorcycles and vans rush past, blowing their horns as loudly as possible, while cows saunter past peacefully, completely unaffected by the noise. In the midst of all this chaos, children play by the side, and women go about their chores, as we explore these by-lanes of Bikaner, and its beautiful Havelis. Facade of one of the Rampuria Havelis
9 comments
Read more

The Power of 8 - The Ashta Dikpalas and Ashta Vasus at Khajuraho

The four cardinal directions form the axis on which a temple is built, and are thus the basis of temple architecture. Leading from them are the eight directions, which are believed to be guarded by the eight guardians, or Ashta Dikpalas . In the temples of Khajuraho, great care has been taken by the sculptors to carve the Ashta Dikpalas on the walls, both inside and outside. They not only guard the temple, but also look over us as we circumambulate the shrine, protecting us by their presence. They are augmented by the Ashta Vasus , celestial beings which represent natural phenomena. Together, they enhance the idea of the temple as cosmos, enfolding within it, all the aspects of nature, both, on earth, as well in space.
4 comments
Read more