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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.

Skywatch Friday - Sunset at Varca Beach, Goa

Physically, I may be stuck in Mumbai, but mentally, I am in Goa, remembering the wonderful time we had there.





We stayed at Club Mahindra's Emerald Palms resort, near the Varca beach. Though it meant we had to walk a short distance to reach the beach, the wide expanse with hardly any crowd was worth it!



Walking around, collecting shells, watching the sun set, it was probably the most peaceful evening we have spent in a long time.



What brought back these thoughts was meeting Sudha Ganapathy and listening to her talk about her recent Goa trip.



I have been to Goa thrice, and feel I have barely scratched the surface. There is so much more I want to explore. Wonder when I will next get the opportunity.



For now, I am settling for going through my piles of photos, re-living the memories, and sharing them with you.

For more beautiful skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page.

Comments

  1. I Was Been To Goa But I couldn't Find Such Purity & Cleaning On Beaches Which Is Seen in Your Pictures,Rather I Enjoyed More In Kokan & near By Areas.

    ReplyDelete

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