INDIA-Truly Incredible Just took of for a trek to Dalhousie…im not going to reflect on all the beautiful moments during the trek, the good things n all the good people I have met....but im here to share the storm of emotions i went through in those very few days i was there up north…
Here are just a few of the glimpses...
Here are just a few of the glimpses...
A lady with her load...on a hot sunny day…
This lady would just not remove her pardha for a Snap...she was reaaaally shy
These kids have to walk for miles to get to their schools everyday
Trying to sell those wild flowers for 5 RS each... that’s how they earn their living
Chamba :Trust me they were just delicious……
Kashmir: Famous for its woollen shawls and carpets that he’s making
It’s a different feeling entering this beautiful place…heavy security though…
Rajastan folk song
A typical Rajastani meal…don’t remember what it is called though
Delhi: some of the streets there were named as dharma marg, nyay marg n all….n there were these girls laughing away their carefree childhood
Pathankot: his livelihood….ya…selling those samosa’s
A rag picker took time from his busy schedule to stop by n give me a generous look
Definitely isn't Jonathan’s boutique in Beverly hills…
Colourful baba
Sweets sweets n sweets every where on the streets of mathura
Fresh Milk for people who came out of the Temple...after the darshan of krishn bhagwaan 
Golden temple
Taj Mahal: 20,000 workers laboured day and night to build this finest example of Mughal Architecture
Life in the mountains...as much as is beautiful…is harder
Amar Mahal:Library n a museum
Just survived on the maggi and the hot chai these guys prepared for us on the mountains + the folk song these guys sang was enough to keep us warm there....
Chamba: Himachal Pradesh , A view of the snow capped mountains of the HimalayasMy original idea was to just head out…except for the 7 days of trek...nothin else was planned…wanted to spend some time in Dharamsala where the tibetan monks were in exile n head towards utteranchal...but somehow ended going to vaishnao devi in Jammu…
The only thing I was sure was to begin and conclude my travel in Delhi….apart from which…nothing else was planned…its quite confusing to just obey what ur travel guide/book would tell u isn’t it…it has sure thought me patients specially with all the auto drivers and the cab drivers and the rickshaw guys crowding you and when all that you want is to be left alone… Travelling in India is exhausting never boring
For me it was more of a spiritual journey than just a travel up north visiting all the holy places there…be it gurudwara a blend of hindu and muslim architecture in golden temple or visiting Mathura the birth place of lord Krishna...my 13 + 13 Km pilgrimage to vaishnao devi is an unforgettable experience (not that I would personally go there again..Jai mata di’s off course)
Every place I stepped in had a story a history to unveil…a land studded with temples and monuments of all religion
It’s promising to see the tradition that people have inherited in Punjab...Sikhs out number Hindu’s in Punjab, outstanding worriers who are proud of their identity n prosperity today…Finding themselves penniless after the partition… the guys who give those newspapers, the shop keepers, the drivers…everyone has a story so unique to tell... peoples aspiration… The sights and smells of this agricultural state. With the ladies in the Patiala suit, the makki-ki-roti n the sarson da sag along with laaarge glass of lassi…hmmmmm… Lingering memories... It was a rewarding experience…
Crossing the fertile plains of Punjab headed to the official summer capital the himachal or the “land of snow”…straight to Dalhousie a beauty surrounded with oak and pine tree…still retaining their colonial ambience which reflects in their bungalows and churches...the snow capped peaks, the blue rivers through the valley, flowering meadows…it was an out of the world experience for sure..
Each state here has a different flavour that leavez me amazed…has its own different identity and essence, the cultures,the traditions,the values,the lifestyle all so unique..
5000 years of history and until a couple of years, when one talked about India, it was more about the pollution the poverty n now its inevitably sure is the current investment destination and yes IT is the main Tag India shows, the progress it has made is certainly visible in growing strength of its currency (rupee) in international stock markets. It’s amazing to see both the ancient and the contemporary exist side by side
It’s a riddle…it’s a surprise,,, that it hasn’t changed that much…Despite all of this I came across various people some of whom are critical of these traditional practises and some who readily accept them as part of Indian life.
Population, pollution, poverty sure is down in here…but definitely theirs love, joy n happiness out there…I saw the real beauty of the people in the land that it is… secondary if they could afford or not …but it was sure a life of festivity and pleasure….there is a celebration for every religious or historical occasion and for every harvest, its nice to see every celebration centres around the rituals of prayer, seeking blessings, decorating houses, exchanging gifts, wearing new clothes…just SIMPLY celebrating, apparently I celebrated my Christmas and New year with people I dint even know and I never even met…
In the light of another start....ive enjoyed every moment of the life in those few days…got the opportunity to count my blessings and say Life is indeed beautiful
7 comments:
severe case of travel envy happening!!!! nice. nice pics. and true, while it may get exhausting, it's never boring.and you always come back with stories, great stories and friends. the diversity, both in terms of culture and geography and mindsets, is i guess the true beauty of this land. wouldn't want to be anywhere but here. what i've felt is no matter wherever i am, even if it's my first time there and alone, i always felt like i was at home amongst my own....and it's these little things that make working our arses off worthwhile.
and to think you did this all unplanned makes it even nicer eh? throw away the lonely planets and travel guides!!!! and find your own way. or let the locals point one out for you. a lot more fulfilling and complete and unpredictable that way. but then, that's just how i feel i guess.
you must needs tell me the stories sometime. and how'd you like the taj? i thought it's just an overrated mausoleum, and common folklore has it that shah jahan cut of the thumbs of all those artisans and people who worked on the taj so that there may never be one like it again...nice scarifice at the altar of 'love' eh?
and not to split hairs or anything but the surds are such jolly people, surely you meant wArriors, haven't seen a worried surd in the longest time :)
@ shenoy...Maaan that was reallly fast...ur comment on the blog just after minutes i'd posted,u seemed to be waitin for me to write :)...thanks shenoy...
guess ur superficially viewing it as a piece of architecture...my opinion...ppl come tehre cause it seems to be a mystery to a lot of ppl's heart rendering question on the existance of real love or who've gone thru 'that' feeling...am talking about that feeling of wanting the other person good above ur own,of wanting to give all u have and are to that person....on ur remarks on the sacrifice...u know:) real love takes a lot of work(where on earth would u find another fool who would sacrifice his time ,energy n money on his beloved that too after shez dead) and can sometimes cause a lot of pain(offcourse he made his artisian pay for his love...dint he :))
Well it sounds like lots of fun and adventure ...
Adventure cos travel is not very easy especially when you are a lone wanderer it requires lot of guts and yes it is very exhaustive.
Hats off to you ......This is perhaps the right way to explore Indias culture.. stories attached to it and its real beauty..
Photos are really gr8 capturing the true India in its various form...
Looking at the Rajsthani meal (Dal batti churma and gatte ki bhaji ) I actually am felling very hungry and missing Rajasthan already :p
I have been hearing it since long that you should travel to know the world better, to learn how can so much difference coexist in the same land and how life balances us all. Well, i just have heard that, but never really converted it to a real trip.
You have described it so well, with the snaps(which has spoken more than shown), and with those few words which has again instilled in me the long lost love for travelling.
The best part was "all unplanned" - letting you discover every moment the new air, the new life, the old stories that had been there since ages but seldom heard of, the same tea prepared at the same shop but tasted for the first time by a traveller visiting the place for the very first time.
I really envy of the trip you made and I want you to post the stories you heard during the trip, the most difficult moment in the entire trip, as well as the most touching ones as its always exciting to know India from one who has himself/herself experienced it so closely.
awesome photos.. really.. capturing the real spirit of India.
"travelling in India is exhausting never boring".. couldn't agree more!
Hello Flavia, thank you for posting. Those are great pictures. I am in Ireland at the moment and would like to someday visit India.
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