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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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Laughing Dove or Little Brown Dove

My in-laws were in Jaipur for a brief period, and that was where we began our summer vacation. While the house was in an area far from any places of interest, we found plenty of things to interest us.... especially birds, which offered lots of scope for trial and error with my brand new camera!! Here are some of my first attempts....

This is quite a common type of dove, known as the Laughing Dove all over the world, but apparently known as the Little Brown Dove in India. (at least according to Wikipedia!!)





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  1. Santosh BsMay 21, 2012 at 10:58 PM

    New camera...congrats on the new toy and wish you memorable moments with it :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. ArtiMay 22, 2012 at 1:27 PM

    WoW!! Such wonderful captures with your new camera! The bird looks so happy to pose for you. :)Did Samhith take these shots or was it you? And which camera have you taken? I am myself thinking to buy one.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 3:52 PM

      Thanks Arti!! I have got myself a Nikon P 510.. huge zoom but not dslr... perfect fit for me since i dont think i can handle a dslr with samhith :D and no, he isnt allowed to handle my new toy yet :D though he cant wait to!!

      Delete
    2. Santosh BsMay 22, 2012 at 4:03 PM

      these super zooms are a blessing in disguise for many who can't fiddle around too much with those lenses and dslr's. I too used one for more than a year before hitching on to a dslr!

      Delete
    3. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 7:42 PM

      Oh yes, Santosh!!! it is certainly easier than lugging around a dslr.. esp with a kid to manage too!!! have been telling samhith that i will give him this one when i buy a dslr, but cant see that happening too soon :D

      Delete
  3. ShivyaMay 22, 2012 at 3:11 PM

    What a lovely shot, Anu! That trip with Club Mahindra to Corbett really transformed me into a bird lover too :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 3:53 PM

      Thanks a lot, Shivya! that corbett trip with Club Mahindra was an eye opener in so many ways!!! Wish we could all meet again soon!

      Delete
  4. UnknownMay 22, 2012 at 6:39 PM

    Lovely post...
    www.deccansojourn.com

    ReplyDelete
  5. Roopa pavanMay 22, 2012 at 6:40 PM

    Wonderful....
    http://www.deccansojourn.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMay 22, 2012 at 7:12 PM

    nice pic

    ReplyDelete
  7. Sankara Subramanian CMay 22, 2012 at 10:54 PM

    Great pictures and congrats on your new camera.

    ReplyDelete

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