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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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Sunrise on the Mountains of Sikkim

Waking up at 4 AM is never an easy task for me. But waking up at that unearthly hour to climb up a mountain to see the sunrise? I wasn’t sure if I would even be able to walk. But the activity guy at Club Mahindra’s Baiguney resort was persuasive. “You will easily be able to walk. Its not really a trek. There are steps too.” He assured me, and I finally gave in. Leaving Samhith to sleep in peace, the two of us managed to be awake, and ready at 4:15, all set to see our first sunrise at Sikkim! We had company from the resort, and all of us huddled into cars, and headed to the place from where we would have to walk. And then began the strenuous climb. The sky was already turning orange, and I didn’t want to miss anything, so I managed to pull myself up the steps, just in time to see the beautiful sight. Without wasting any more words, let me show you the sunrise through my lens…

The sky began to turn orange, readying for the sun to rise


As we climbed higher, the valleys were clearly visible in the east, the river flowing between them, and the sun rising somewhere behind them

On the west were the mighty Kanchenjunga range of mountains, and it was on them that the first rays of the sun fell 

As the sun's rays caressed the snow clad peaks, they glowed , bathing them in a golden light!

The highest peaks stood out, bathed in this glow, while the rest remained dark

Slowly, the light began falling on the other peaks too...

And as they moved, the shadows moved downwards too

as if forming patterns on the mountains... can you see the pattern here? What does it remind you of?

On the other side, the sun had just begun to show itself, a tiny ball of light


The ball of light seemed to grow

As the sun spread its light, the mist began to rise...


The heat of the sun and the cold of the mist were fascinating to watch! 

And this was the last of the ball that we saw. For then, it was too bright to capture!

Meanwhile, on the other side, the mountains were now white and bright, in all their snow clad glory! 

The sun had risen, and it was even more beautiful... the sun peeping through this tree for instance


The path too was bathed in a golden glow as we turned back

On our way back, our driver stopped to show us the point from where we had watched the sunrise. Can you spot it?
(Hint: you can see the watchtower atop the greener peak )

Here is a closer look at the watchtower.

We returned to the resort in time for breakfast, and it was surely the heartiest breakfast I have ever eaten! After all, we had woken, walked and climbed, all to see our first sunrise in Sikkim!

I am posting this as part of Skywatch Friday. For more gorgeous skies from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page

Information:

The watchtower is on forest land, in what is called the Sunrise / Sunset Point in Baiguney, West Sikkim. We visited the place along with a group while staying at the Club Mahindra Resort




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Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 20, 2015 at 12:11 PM

    Wow - stunning shots.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 20, 2015 at 4:50 PM

      Thank you so much, Ladyfi!! have a great weekend!

      Delete
  2. Penelope Potty SnooperMarch 20, 2015 at 1:27 PM

    Simply magnificent shots! I'm sure it was worth getting up for!

    ReplyDelete
  3. JarekMarch 20, 2015 at 1:52 PM

    There are beautiful colors on the tops of mountains. Fabulous pictures

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    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 20, 2015 at 4:51 PM

      Thank you Jarek! Absolutely! the variety of colours is astounding!

      Delete
  4. s.cMarch 20, 2015 at 2:56 PM

    Some really good wow photo's from a stunning landscape. Thanks for showing.

    ReplyDelete
  5. R Niranjan DasMarch 20, 2015 at 6:04 PM

    Wonderful images. Love the morning rays on snow mountains.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 20, 2015 at 9:00 PM

    Absolutely stunning photos!! The colors and the view, WOW!!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Light and VoicesMarch 20, 2015 at 11:35 PM

    Marvelous photos.
    JM, IL-U.S.A.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Aravind GJMarch 21, 2015 at 11:18 PM

    Great snaps!! The mountains look beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
  9. SudhageeMarch 22, 2015 at 8:15 PM

    Himalayan sunrises and sunsets are really something, aren't they/ Seeing yours, I was reminded of the ones I experienced at Himachal Pradesh, especially at Kalpa over the Kinner Kailash range.

    Beautiful pics, Anu. Very soothing and relaxing too.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 23, 2015 at 8:08 AM

      Absolutely, Sudha! I havent yet seen the sunrise at Himachal, but I remember some we saw at Badri-Kedar, loong back.. and they were just as beautiful. I can imagine how beautiful the Kinner Kailash would look at sunrise! and thanks so much!

      Delete
  10. thewovenspokeMarch 26, 2015 at 11:53 PM

    Beautiful shots, well worth getting up so early.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 29, 2015 at 11:42 AM

      Thank you so much! It certainly was worth getting up so early! will do it more often now!

      Delete
  11. Yogi SaraswatMarch 31, 2015 at 5:42 PM

    Great snaps!! The mountains look beautiful.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anuradha ShankarMarch 31, 2015 at 5:50 PM

      Thank you so much, Yogi Saraswat! and welcome here!!! Yes, the mountains do look so beautiful...

      Delete

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