Asia
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Thiksey Monastery – Kingdom in the sky
Perched on an outcrop, at an altitude of 3,600m and approximately 18km from Leh, on the highway to Manali, is a place so unique, it is like a kingdom onto itself. This is Thiksey Monastery or Thikse Gomba. The mountains of Leh A bit of history In the early part of the 15th century, Je Tsongkhapa, founder of the Gelug School or Yellow Hats, sent six of his disciples to remote regions of Tibet to spread the teachings of the new school. Tsongkhapa gave one of his disciples, Jangsem Sherab Zangpo, a small statue of Amitayus and directed him to meet the King of Ladakh seeking his help. The King…
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Break of dawn at Manmandir Ghat
There’s something magical about rivers. Silent and serene most of the times, and yet devastatingly powerful when they choose. The Ganges, especially when you are in Varanasi, is one of them. The best time to gaze at its beauty is early in the morning, just before the sun rises, from any of the 85 ghats that dot the bank. Steps leading to a small temple The highlights of a visit to Kashinath temple is to make it for the first aarti, or prayer offering. It’s offered before the sun rises, between 3 and 4 am every day. However, you need to be there much before that, as there normally is…
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Postcards from Galle Fort
If there is one place where you can see the rise and fall of western empires, it must be Galle in Sri Lanka. And nothing encapsulates that better than Galle Fort. View of the Galle Clock Tower from the Moon Bastion It was originally built by the Portuguese in 1588. Then along came the Dutch who fortified it further from 1649. The British, not wishing to be left behind, went about with their own modification from 1796. It was finally the Sri Lankans who, immediately after the 2004 Boxing Day tsunami, went about restoring it to its present glory. Views of the town within the walls of Galle Fort Today,…
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Discover a gem in Meghalaya
Hidden away in the southern tip of Meghalaya, around 100 km from the Shillong and barely 2 km from the international border with Bangladesh, is a picturesque town with lush greenery, crystal clear waters and clean air that you would be hard-pressed to find anywhere. That town is Dawki. View of Umngot River Dawki (Duki or Dauki) has the only direct road route that connects it with Bangladesh, and initially served as a trading town between the two countries. In fact, Dawki is well known for its coal mines and limestone exports. An elderly local woman Crystal-clear waters of the Umngot River However, of late, several visitors have discovered its…
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Shadow under the clouds
How often do you see a photograph of a place and think you’re looking at a painting so life-like, it just doesn’t feel real. That’s the effect that Pangong Tso had on me when I would see photographs in magazines. Pangong Tso with the strip of land where the movie ‘3 Idiots’ was shot And then, years later, as I laughed through a Hindi movie set in this stunning locale, with a landscape that is so rich and still so different, I was still trying to convince myself that is isn’t real, but just an elaborate film set. Idiot that I was, I should have known better. The road to…
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Arabian fantasies
Whether you like it or not, in a mood to bargain over a souvenir or just do a bit of window shopping, claustrophobic or comfortable in a crowd, a visit to a souq is an absolute must. Especially when you travel to some of the Middle East and Levant countries. Traditional lanterns hang on the ceiling It’s the same when it comes to Muscat, Oman. And one of the best places to experience it is in Muttrah Souq. It’s also called Al Dhalam by the locals, which translates to Market of Darkness. That’s because there’s no natural light that comes through. Frankincense burning in a shop For a first-time visitor,…
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Bara Bazar
Going to a market isn’t among my favourite things. However, at the insistence of a friend I was staying with, we headed to Iewduh, the local market in Shillong one early morning. We needed to buy grocery supplies to feed over 100 guests at his residence that evening. A crowded alley in the market Turns out Iewduh (pronounced yyoh-dohh), or Bara Bazar as it is popularly known as, is one of the oldest and biggest markets in the Northeast in India. It’s also one of the most cramped markets I’ve been too. Too bad if you’re claustrophobic. Even worse if you get lost. Finding your way to that exact same…
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The legend’s graveyard
Driving through the highways in Oman, there’s one sight that you’re sure to see, time after time. A Toyota Land Cruiser J series. Beaten. Rusty. Or spanking new. And still cruising. Two Toyota Land Cruiser J series pickups resting while their drivers take a break. Am not sure why, but the 2-door SUV and the 2-door pickup seem to be a favourite vehicle of choice for many Omanis, and especially fishermen by the coast. On any day, you can spot several of them rumbling along the highway, desert roads and along the beaches in varying condition. Shiny brand new, or rusted and beaten down, they all seem to keep going…
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Quan Thanh Temple – protector of Hanoi
It’s amazing, the number of places that are there, waiting to be discovered when walking around Hanoi with no definite plan. Walk around Hoan Kiem Lake in the Old Quarter in the evenings and you realise it is the same bridge you have seen written about in innumerable blogs, with its bright red lights. It’s on one such walk that I discovered Quan Thanh Temple. View of the entrance to Quan Thanh temple from the shrine A bit of history The Quan Thanh Temple, formerly known as Truch Vu Temple, is a temple that has been built to face the North. It is one of four sacred temples that were…
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The extra passenger
Like this fella taking a free ride, standing on the back bumper of a taxi heading into Shillong. The driver didn’t seem to mind unless he wasn’t aware of his presence. Nor were the passengers concerned. There’s something universal about traveling like this, getting from place to place, without actually paying for your trip. Am sure we’ve all done it at least once. Sometime. Somewhere. Surely. 😉 Like this post or want to read it later? Pin me.
