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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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Seasons Greetings



Wishing you all, all the very best for the coming year... and indeed all the years ahead!



P.S. That's our very first christmas tree... one Samhith and I decorated with much enthusiasm!

And this is Samhith's own work... with some of the ornaments we bought...... its a snowflake, in case some of you couldn't recognize it :D


P.P.S: And this is how the tree looked once it was all set up and ready... with the gifts under it, of course!!!!! 





Comments

  1. KPDecember 25, 2011 at 11:34 AM

    Season's Greetings and Happy New Year

    ReplyDelete
  2. Mridula DDecember 25, 2011 at 12:54 PM

    Merry Christmas to you and your family Anu.

    ReplyDelete
  3. PradeepaDecember 25, 2011 at 1:05 PM

    Fantastic decorations. Merry Christmas to you and your family, Anu.

    ReplyDelete
  4. ArtiDecember 25, 2011 at 2:36 PM

    Pretty decoration of the Christmas Tree. Merry Christmas to you and your family Anu:)

    ReplyDelete
  5. ZephyrDecember 26, 2011 at 6:30 AM

    It looks like a full grown fir! Lovely decorations and no guesses for what the gifts are :D

    ReplyDelete
  6. Sridharan SrinivasanDecember 31, 2011 at 7:20 AM

    Wish you too a very happy new year Anu..! 

    ReplyDelete
  7. NayakchitraJanuary 2, 2012 at 8:13 AM

    Nicely done xmas tree. Happy 2012 to you and your family.

    ReplyDelete
  8. RajeshJanuary 2, 2012 at 12:09 PM

    Beautiful.
    Wish you Happy and Prosperous New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  9. PN SubramanianJanuary 3, 2012 at 1:32 PM

    Wishing you, your hubby and Samhit a very very happy New Year.

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anu ShankarJanuary 6, 2012 at 11:10 AM

    Thanks Pradeepa! Wish you a very happy new year!

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anu ShankarJanuary 6, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    Thanks Zephyr! guess I am predictable that way :)

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anu ShankarJanuary 6, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    Thanks a lot, Sridharan!!! wish you a great year ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anu ShankarJanuary 6, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    Thanks Chitra! wish you too a great year ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anu ShankarJanuary 6, 2012 at 11:11 AM

    Thanks Rajesh! wish you a great travel filled year ahead!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anu ShankarJanuary 8, 2012 at 12:16 PM

    Thanks so much, PNS!! Wish you and your family too a great year ahead!!

    ReplyDelete

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