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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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A Trip of Many Firsts!!!

I am back at last!!!! And what a trip it has been!!

This was a trip of many firsts.......

The first time my carefully laid plans were laid waste, all the tickets I had booked well in advance had to be booked all over again, and yet my trip went on as planned, with little or no changes at all!!!!

 This was the first time I was bitten by a scorpion,

The first time we were royally duped by our cab driver,

This was NOT the first time some completely unknown stranger came to our help in a way we never imagined, but certainly the first time we got to know them well, and could actually thank them for their timely help!


This was also the first time we spent an entire day and a half in a train without getting any sort of food except tea and cutlets.... and as Samhith is repeating behind my back.... Omelettes!

And oh yes, this was also my first visit to almost all the places I visited!!!!

After all this, need I say that my trip was memorable?

For those of you who are still in the dark about my destination, there were many....

We began our trip with a quick visit to Jaipur... my first visit to the Pink City..


We then went to Jammu and from there to Vaishnodevi, a trip I had been planning for years without any success, but a trip that turned out to be worth the long wait!!! We climbed the mountain, taking a leisurely seven hours to do so, and then stayed at Bhawan.. near the temple itself.. That was an experience we shall never forget... just imagine a place so cold in May that we had to use 5 blankets to keep ourselves warm!!!! And that was just the beginning!!! 

We headed over to Srinagar, where we spent a couple of days enjoying the view of snow clad mountains and getting to frolic in the snow at Gulmarg too!!!

It was then time to get back to Jammu, and then on to Amritsar, a place I had last visited about 30 years back!!!

After all this, we were too tired to proceed any further, and finally headed back home, our pockets empty, and mounds of unwashed clothes reminding us that we were back to our normal lives!!!

I have taken too many photographs to upload at one go, so it will take some time... Meanwhile,thanks to all of you who have left comments on my blog during my absence. I shall try to reply to each one of you as soon as I manage to sit on the comp for a few hours!

And before I forget, I had promised to send postcards to those who guessed my destination right... Unfortunately, few of you were adventurous enough to make wild guesses :D But I am in such a happy mood and have bought so many postcards that I would love to send all of you postcards anyway!! So, those of you who would like postcards from Jaipur, Srinagar or Amritsar, please drop me a mail at anushankarn(at)gmail(dot)com with your address and a postcard will be on its way!!

Comments

  1. R Niranjan DasMay 13, 2012 at 1:13 PM

    Wow, you seem to have had one awesome trip. Waiting for details.

    www.rajniranjandas.blogspot.com

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

      Thanks a lot!! lots of details coming as soon as I manage to sit down and write :D

      Delete
  2. AnuMay 13, 2012 at 8:04 PM

    Looks like that was a super duper trip...Can't want to see the travelogue and pictures!!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Ana O'ReillyMay 14, 2012 at 10:16 PM

    Bitten by a scorpion!!?? Scary!
    Can't wait for future posts and photos :)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 3:56 PM

      It was scary for a few moments, Ana, but thankfully it was a juvenile, and not really poisonous, so i got away lightly!! lots of posts coming up!

      Delete
  4. P.N. SubramanianMay 15, 2012 at 9:26 PM

    Congrats for the happy trip. We are planning to proceed to Srinagar in June. The scorpion bite should have been very painful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 4:42 PM

      Thanks PNS!!! I will be happy to give you any details you need about Srinagar... have a wonderful trip! the scorpion bite was painful, but not for long. thankfully it was a young one and not too poisonous.

      Delete
  5. chitraMay 15, 2012 at 9:30 PM

    Shall wait for your posts. Seems you enjoyed the trip a lot.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AartiMay 15, 2012 at 11:02 PM

    Wow, you sure seem to have a had a roller coaster trip... So many places.. well, i kinda knew it was Jammu... :-))

    welcome back and hope you get some rest before school and routine kicks in

    ReplyDelete
  7. AartiMay 15, 2012 at 11:03 PM

    Woah.. so many 1sts... hope the scorpion bite wasnt too bad, and you found medical help

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 4:45 PM

      all i can say that it turned out to be an interesting trip, Aarti!! and thankfully didnt need to go for medical help... it was a young one and didnt hurt too much!

      Delete
  8. Santosh BsMay 21, 2012 at 10:56 PM

    sounds great to be the next script of a bollywood movie :)

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anuradha ShankarMay 22, 2012 at 3:50 PM

    Thanks a lot!

    ReplyDelete
  10. AnonymousMay 23, 2012 at 9:59 AM

    u had a great trip

    ReplyDelete

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