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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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Merry Christmas!!!! X Mas Memories of Shimla

Since the last few days, I have been reminiscing on the blog about the year gone by. Today, for the special occasion of Christmas, I am taking the reminiscing a bit further, going back to the wonderful X mas we spent last year, at Shimla! 




This was the Gingerbread house at the Club Mahindra's resort - Whispering Pines, at Mashobra, near Shimla, which is where we stayed. Standing next to the Christmas tree, loaded with presents, it was surely the first thing anyone stepping into the resort headed to! 


That wasn't all.. the whole place was decked up....

A Christmas tree made of fir cones

Santa and his reindeer - the reindeer are made of fallen twigs

Samhith particularly enjoyed the Christmas party, with all the goodies we had, to eat. Here is a glimpse of the spread... which, just remembering it, makes my mouth water! 


This year, to say we have missed all that, would be an understatement. However, staying home has had its perks, chiefly among which is Samhith's experience, of singing Christmas Carols with all his friends, at a Remand Home, nearby... and we look forward to playing Santa on Wheels with the Breakfree gang! Thus, it seems apt to say that if it was Xmas for pleasure last year, it is Christmas with a Purpose, this year!!

On that note, let me wish you all, a very, very Merry Christmas!!!

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Location: Mashobra, Himachal Pradesh, India

Comments

  1. Meghana HassanDecember 25, 2013 at 1:02 PM

    Wow, you had a wonderful Christmas last year..
    Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year..

    ReplyDelete
  2. SanandDecember 25, 2013 at 1:44 PM

    That's a heart warming recap! Enjoy every moment. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

    ReplyDelete

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