Is it possible to cover the entire span of the Himalayas from Kashmir to Arunachal Pradesh as one unbroken journey by road? Yes, it is. And I am setting out to show how it can be done, starting January 29, 2010. And I will drive for approximately 120 days.
Billed to be a trip never done before (certainly not in recorded memory), the journey will stretch from the western border of the Indian Himalayas in Kashmir to the eastern end in Arunachal Pradesh. It will also go through Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nepal, Sikkim, Bhutan, West Bengal, Assam, Nagaland and Manipur.
The journey has been made possible with sponsorships from TripAdvisor.in and Yatra.com. Keen to know more about the trip? Click here…
Tagged as:
Arunachal Pradesh,
Assam,
Bhutan,
Himachal Pradesh,
Kashmir,
Ladakh,
Lahaul,
Manipur,
Nagaland,
Nepal,
road trip,
Sikkim,
Spiti,
The Great Himalayan Drive,
uttarakhand
Evening Arati (Prayer) during the Maha Kumbh Mela (Fair) in Haridwar, Uttarakhand located along the holy river Ganges
This set of photos were taken at the Maha Kumbh Mela (fair) at Haridwar, a once-in-12-year event. The 2010 edition started on January 14 to end on April 28. This photo was taken on January 15. Click on any image for a larger view.
It is an occasion for Hindus to come to Haridwar and take a dip / bath in the River Ganges, considered holy by them. And freezing temperatures rarely dissuade them from doing so. View more images on Facebook or Flickr. Click here to see some more images
Tagged as:
festival,
Ganges,
Haridwar,
Himalayas,
Hindu,
Hindusim,
Holy,
Kumbh Mela,
Mahakumbh,
religion,
uttarakhand,
uttaranchal
I am off to the Haridwar Mahakumbh Mela starting January 14. Will be there till January 17. Hope to post some interesting stories and pictures from there. The once in 12 year event will continue till April 28, 2010.
The following is a travel advisory and list if important dates I received from a diplomatic mission in New Delhi. Appending the same should this interest you. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Fair,
Haridwar,
Hindu,
Mahakumbh,
Mela,
religion,
uttarakhand
Half way between Kullu and Manali, adventurers get an adrenaline rush by jumping from a 2000M cliff to enjoy Paragliding. Those who dare are rewarded with a birds eye view of the most incredible scenery – snow capped mountains, the river Beas in the Kullu valley, the villages of Sarsei and Chakri and the neighboring pine forests. Beginners needn’t worry – tandem jumps with experienced jumpers are available.
[This post was contributed by Vijay Ramanathan - a Technology/Gadget enthusiast and Blogger. You can follow his tweets at http://twitter.com/tekdude & his blog at http://tekdude.wordpress.com/ ]
Tagged as:
Himachal Pradesh,
Himalayas,
Kullu-Manali,
Paragliding
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cxn1tZi_G7c[/youtube]
Shot in the heart of Corbett National Park, Wild Saga of Corbett is the only comprehensive travel guide on Corbett National Park. Loaded with safari tips, the film also showcases how we as tourists can help in the conservation efforts of the park authorities.
So in case you are planning a visit to Corbett and wondering what is the kind of preparation you need to do for your trip, grab a copy of this DVD by contacting the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) – India’s leading non -government organisation (NGO) or just call Nature Wanderers at +91 9871367945.
(Visit us at www.naturewanderers.com / www.flickr.com/photos/shivangmehta)
Tagged as:
Corbett,
Elephants,
Himalayas,
Tigers,
uttarakhand,
wildlife
The Takthok (Thagtok) Monastery in Ladakh
Why did so many gompas start out as caves? Tak-Thok (also Thag-Thok, literally “rock roof”) gompa has come up around a cave where Padmasambhava, or the Guru Rinpoche, is said to have meditated during his travels to Ladakh in the 8th century.
The cave, called Duphug (or Tu-Phuk) Lhakhang, is a popular pilgrimage. Buddhists visit to be blessed by dubchu, the sacred water that oozes from its ceiling. A constant drip. Even in winter, when the world freezes over. The ceiling is a greasy black with emissions from the butter lamps that burn nonstop. Devotees have stuck offerings of banknotes and coins all over. Gold-plated statues of Padmasambhava’s eight manifestations occupy pride of place. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
buddhism,
gompa,
Guru Rinpoche,
Ladakh,
monastery,
Nyingma,
Padmasambhava,
TakThok,
Thagthok
This street vendor is one of many – selling vegetables during season in the main market in Leh, Ladakh. One has to wonder – how many Ladakhi winters has this woman weathered?
[This post was contributed by Vijay Ramanathan - a Technology/Gadget enthusiast and Blogger. You can follow his tweets at http://twitter.com/tekdude & his blog at http://tekdude.wordpress.com/ ]
Tagged as:
Ladakh,
Leh
Hemis Monastery, Ladakh: If you walk up this track, will you spot flying lamas?
If you walk up the mountains from Hemis monastery, you’ll reach Gotsang cave, about 2 km away. Buddhist monk Gyalwa Gotsangpa meditated there in the 13th century.
Monks do so even today. Anyone will tell you this. But Tashi, a local cabbie, has more to tell. These lamas, called Tubas according to him, meditate for years on end, wearing nothing even in the icy winter. This intense discipline gives the lamas the shakti (‘power’) to fly, flit about from peak to peak. Has Tashi seen these aerial acrobatics? No, but he knows people who have. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
buddhism,
Chemde,
Chemrey,
Flying,
hemis,
Ladakh,
lamas,
monastery
Setting Sun Behind Saunf Tree in Abbott Mount, Uttarakhand
This image of the setting sun behind a Saunf Tree (no higher than 6 feet) was taken in Abbott Mount in the Indian Himalayan state of Uttarakhand. Click on the image for a larger view. You can view and order more such images at the Kunzum Gallery.
Tagged as:
abbott mount,
Himalayas,
Landscape,
Sun,
uttarakhand,
uttaranchal
Chemrey Monastery, Ladakh
Many monasteries in Ladakh were plundered by invaders over the centuries. The one at Chemde, or Chemrey stayed safe. How? A tale worth telling.
Seems the Mongols laid siege on Chemde in the late 17th century. He was outnumbered but that didn’t stop the head lama from outsmarting the outsiders. From afar, he shot the Mongol king’s tea cup with a rifle. Stunned, the king thought Goddess Kali ruled over the gompa and he made peace with the monks. A temple to Kali stands at the base of the hill on which Chemde nestles. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Basgo,
buddhism,
Chemde,
Chemrey,
hemis,
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Leh,
monastery,
Mongols,
Sengye Namgyal,
Stagsang Respa
Amused Buddhist Nuns at Hemis Monastery, Ladakh
This shot of Buddhist nuns was captured during the annual festival of the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh. Click on the image for a larger view. You can view and order more such images at the Kunzum Gallery.
Tagged as:
buddhism,
festival,
hemis,
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
monastery,
Nuns
There is an exciting road expedition of 20 cars going to Bhutan. Flag-off is in Delhi on December 12. There are still some slots available – would you like to be a part of this adventure? Its for anyone, not just 4-wheel off-roaders. You cannot ask for anything better this holiday season? Interested? Read the following message from the organizers: [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Bhutan,
Delhi,
Drive,
Motorsports
Dancer in Yellow Mask with Flag at Hemis Monastery Festival, Ladakh
This photograph of the masked dancer was taken at the annual festival of the Hemis Monastery in Ladakh. It has also been selected for a permanent display at the Museum of Cannes, France.
Click on the image for a larger view. You can view and order more such images at the Kunzum Gallery.
Tagged as:
buddhism,
festival,
hemis,
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Masked Dancer,
monastery
Tibetan Argalis on way to Tso Moriri in Ladakh
As you drive towards Pangong Tso and Tso Moriri, you enter Changthang Eco Zone. It is an extension of Changthang, the Northern Tibetan Plateau, and covers about 15,000 square km. The elevation varies from 13,000 – 23,000 feet and the region is dotted by wide valleys amidst rolling hills and the occasional mountain lake. It’s a cold desert that gets very little rainfall and very high solar radiation. Summer temperatures range from 0 °C to 30 °C but the winter is hostile, with the land freezing over at -20 °C to -40 °C.
The region is strikingly beautiful but very desolate too. You wouldn’t want to be stranded here. There are few permanent human settlements. What motivates people to lead such meagre lives in these harsh conditions, virtually cut off from the world? And still be happy? The only other people you see are the nomadic Changpas who pitch tents wherever their livestock find pastures. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Blue Sheep,
Changpa,
Changthang,
Kiang,
Ladakh,
Lynx,
Pangong Tso,
Snow Leopard,
Tibetan Argali,
Tibetan Wild Ass,
Tibetan Wolf,
Tso Kar,
Tso Moriri
Tso Moriri in Ladakh
Ladakh’s lakes should figure among the world’s must-see natural wonders. They stun you out of your senses. Tso Moriri is an unending expanse of sheer azure. You can sit and stare at its blue waters and the peaks all around for hours on end.
Sitting pretty at 15,100 feet, it is 25 km long, 5-7 km wide and 40 m at its deepest. Originally a glacial lake, it had outlets to Sutlej river. Now it’s a huge enclosed basin fed by three streams. In the desert-like climate, due to surface evaporation, what was a freshwater lake first turned brackish and finally saline. [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Bar-Headed Goose,
Black-Necked Crane,
Korzok,
Ladakh,
Tso Moriri
- ~ 14,000 Feet above sea level
- 134 km long
- Around 5km at the widest point
- Roughly 6o% of it is in China and the rest in India
- An Endorheic Lake – meaning it is a closed drainage basin that retains water without any outflows to rivers or oceans
- The lake freezes completely in the winter in spite of being salt water!
A Dramatic Drive
The Journey
The 150km distance takes around 5-1/2 hours. Getting out of Leh (11,500 feet), the scenery unfolds. Within a short drive, one passes through the summer residence of the Dalai Lama, thebeautiful Sindhu Ghat next to the Indus River, the centuries old monasteries of Shey Palace and the Thiksey Gompa. These monasteries are perched on hilltops offering a place for monks to embark on a life of learning in the most serene environments. Then comes the climb into Zingral, ChangLa; the descent into Dubruk, TangTse, Lukung & finally Pangong Tso.
[continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Himalayas,
Ladakh,
Pangong Tso,
Road Signs
On way to Pangong Tso in Ladakh
As you descend the 17,586 ft high Chang La to get to Pangong Tso (‘lake’), you see a sign at Durbuk: ‘Welcome to the land of beautiful mountains and blue water lake.’
It’s a sweet spot. Maintained in an eco-friendly manner. There’s a bright green litter bin yet some visitors throw food wrappers along the lake. People!
On a rocky patch, there’s another sign, ‘Ice hockey, the sport of Eastern Ladakh, promoted by Army’. The area is also the world’s highest army habitat it seems; only the sign read ‘Arty Habitat’. Creative, eh? [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Chang La,
Durbuk,
Ladakh,
Pagal Nala,
Pangong Tso
Karma with his wife and child at Spangmik Village near Pangong Tso in Ladakh
Karma’s life will never be easy. He lives in Spangmik village, beside Pangong Tso. At over 14,000 ft, summer is too short and barely warm while winter is endless and pitiless. He works as a cleaner in a government school in Durbuk, a couple of hours away by bus. If he can, he comes home on Sundays.
Home is his old father, teenaged sister (who doesn’t attend school), wife and a toddler son. They grow vegetables in the summer for themselves and sit idle in the winter, waiting for time to pass. Why don’t they move to a lower altitude, where life is more comfortable and where there are jobs for other family members? [continue reading…]
Tagged as:
Gyalwang Drukpa,
Karma,
Ladakh,
Pangong Tso,
Spangmik
