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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.

Birds from my window - Oriental Magpie Robin

It has been a while since I posted photos of birds, so here is one I see the most these days - the Oriental Magpie Robin.




There are three of these birds in our garden, and I see them frequently flying around, and can hear their distinctive, melodious call even before I see them! Capturing them on camera, however, has been another matter entirely, and I managed these only because the birds were nice enough to sit on the window ledge near my house, and also pose for a while on the tree right opposite my window!



Comments

  1. Nice little birds. Nice photos, well taken..

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  2. Such womderful captures, extra special as they are birds and that means a lot of patience :D

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    1. Thanks Mridula! for such reasonably big birds, they are hard to capture! am unsuccessfully trying now for the purple sunbird. its flitting around, but cant get an image!

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  3. My God! I can't believe it! In Mumbai? What lovely luck, Anu :))

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    1. We are lucky to live in an area which is covered with greenery, Julia! tho it comes with its share of problems! and this one is a regular visitor...

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  4. Lucky you to get visitors like them. :)

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    1. Yes, Indrani! we are indeed lucky to see such beauties!

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  5. Beautiful bird.. I think ot is cached in Dandeli Jungle.
    Thank you for sharing with us.

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    1. Thank you, Madhukar... this is quite a common bird, seen everywhere in India.

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  6. Nice... I miss the sounds of birds chirping (even crow)! You must be hearing that all the time, no?

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    1. oh yes, Neeraj! birds chirp here all the time , as for crows, they are here all day long!

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