The Photographic Odyssey

Dayara Bugyal Day-1

2011-06-22T01:45:00.000-07:00

I had not heard much about the place before we started our trip to Dayara Bugyal. With some people debating over internet if its the most beautiful bugyal in India, expectations rose too high. Agape , I would assert that its undoubtedly the most beautiful !
4 of us started our journey from Delhi on friday night. There is only one direct bus that plies between Delhi and Uttarkashi. It leaves Delhi ISBT at 9 pm and has no certain arrival time as the conductor will also tell you. We got into it. The tyre got punctured twice but we still managed to reach at Uttarkashi at around 11 am. Uttarkashi, most importantly, the last point where you will find an ATM. After having our lunch, we hired a taxi to Barsu village which is appox 40 kms from Uttarkashi and is the base for Dayara trek.
There are many travel agencies in Uttarkashi which provide travel guides and porters but somebody had suggested us that it would be better if we hire local villagers from Barsu as they would be cost effective.

Barsu Village is the last point of established habilitation for next 3 days. But this village is more rich than you would expect it to be at such an adverse location. As far as you see cultivated land on the surrounding mountains, they are covered with potatoes and cabbage right now. Rajmah and Wheat are the major crops for the winters. The Rajmah that grow here are sold at 90/Kg, the Offseason price!
There is GMVN office and a resort where you can hire can all necessay accessories. The resort guy called up Vipin who would be our tour guide for next 3 days. He suggested to hire a porter too as we were almost full with luggage. So he called one of his friends Lokesh. Both of them were nice, and hilarious too! It was already 5 pm . By the time we got all arranged it had already started drizzling as it never takes too long in the hills.

We left for our first destination Barsu Ghera. As per Vipin we had to take a shortcut as it was already getting too dark and it would be difficult to reach otherwise. A trek normally starts with easy trails to acclimatize, but this one was way too steep. It was thick jungle throughout with a few small springs and waterfalls on the way.
As we kept on attaining height we kept getting better and better views of the Himalayas behind us. the day was nearing a sunset and the sunset glare kept making the view more astonishing.

It was getting more and more steep as we approached our destination. But no one was ready to give up, except me . :P Kicking each others ass and sharing each others' load we reached our camp site for the night. It was a nice place covered with trees on 3 sides and facing the mighty himalayas on the other. There was a gujjar hut nearby where we had milk and cooked khichdi.

Gujjars is a nomadic tribe which travels with its cattle . These migrate to higher altitudes during rainy and summers seasons as hills offer abundant grass in these huge meadows. Milk is the most valuable commodity for them which i realised when i turned my glass upside down after drinking, with a few drops left in it. An elder member of the family came upto me and told me not to do so.

Sultanpur Bird sanctuary

2011-02-05T07:23:00.000-08:00

Writing wasn't a chaska anymore, just like any other constructive habit that i would have ever tried to take up but couldn't nurture, before i came across a few postings by some people describing even the shortest of the moments which they enjoyed. Presently i am also living the busiest part of my life so far, busy working, busy travelling, busy in fun. So i also thought of penning things down so that they help me keep memories from fading.

This post is about a day we spent at Sultanpur bird sanctuary. For last year or two, saturdays have never given respect to these two dumb asses every time they have hit the road on a saturday. Eddy and me, and another saturday.

I moved over to Eddy's place on friday. We planned to leave early morning for the sanctuary so that we reach there well in time to observe sunrise. Though the chances were grim because it was already past midnight and we dint sleep yet. Gamer bandon ka din to raat k 12 baje hi shuru hota hai. His dreamgirls dint let him sleep. Somehow he managed to sleep, over his laptop, with fingers on keyboard. :P

Saturday :

When i got up, it was 7 already when i saw outside the window only to see lots of fog and same dusty atmosphere. We somehow left at around 8. Till this moment, for me google maps was just another invention by man, nothing serious and not of much help for today as we were proud to be residents of NCR for 6 months now. A bit late by schedule, but we were still happy as we assumed that we will still manage to reach sanctuary by 9 anyways.

But it was a Saturday ! We reached Iffco chowk metro station and started our journey towards sultanpur metro station in delhi. We reached there well in time. But to our surprise nobody had even heard about the bird sanctuary here. We were still pretty confident that we were at the right place. We decided to find it on our own. Kept wandering on the streets of the village, the only bird i spotted was a crow that you will find on the busiest red light of the NCR too. This wasnt the dream i saw last night, it wasnt even in near imagination, just a nightmare. It was already past 9, the sunrise could only be observed after 21 hours now. Ab to yahi sapna tha ki kisi tarah sunset tak painted stork ki ek jhalak dikh jaye.

Lesson 1 : Google maps is the biggest invention by man as on date, till I realise the importance of another one. :P

But then appeared a gentleman amidst the morning mist with his running shoes on, and we couldnt let him go because he was our only hope to reach sanctuary, beedi peene wale to bahut mile aur mil jayenege but morning walk ka riwaaz is gaon mein zada nahi lagta. Bhagwan ka koi avtaar tha wo shayad, this we realised when he told us that Sultanpur bird sanctuary is about 25-30 away from there. We were in sultanpur village of Delhi but bird sanctuary was in Jhajjar district of Haryana. :P .

We were not shocked after hearing that because on a saturday we both usually expect something like that when we are together. This was another example. Red light pe khada wo bacha yad aa gya jisne shanidev k naam se paise maange but humne nahi diye, nange hone ka bahana kar ke.

Lesson 2 : Shanivaar ke din red light pe khada bacha agar shanidev k naam se paise maange to mana na karein, it pays off.

This man gave a suggession that shook the earth under my feet. He told us ki there is a place in Gurgaon called Iffco chowk, we will get conveyance from there. We took his suggession but dint share our feeling. Taras kyu ni ata bhagwan ko hum dono pe sabse pehle maine yahi socha. We were at Iffco chowk at 8 in the morning and now the earliest we could reach there after a round trip was 10. Huh.

Anyway we reached Iffco chowk. We were supposed to take the very opposite route than we took in the morning. We decided to hire an Auto Rickshaw. The moment the person told ki he will charge 500 rupees ussi time mujhe pata chal gya ki yahi hain Shanidev, aur koi itna galat kar hi ni sakta hamare sath. Anyways he agreed upon 350 .

Journey starts now. Past 10:00 AM on my watch.

Soon we crossed Gurgaon .Wo hawa hi badal gayi. Mausam mein wo dhuan nahi tha jiski adat ab hamein ho chuki thi. Yellow fields with mustard plants spread in miles.Beautiful roads taking you to such beautiful places.

Right there. The place was just awesome. We decided to start our tour of the sanctuary after having some breakfast. They have their own resort inside. They make good paneer k paranthas. :D

One can enjoy his meals sitting in open lawn. You don't need to be afraid of monkeys that you'll see around you because even if they steal some of your food, this man will get it back for you :D. He is living with them for quite some time now and has befriended them.

After heavy breakfast we started our tour inside. The weather wasn't in mood to enjoy with us and played bit of a spoilsport in photographing far off subjects with full zoom but as we were out there on a saturday we still dont blame the weather for that.

We managed to click pretty good photographs which i have posted in my facebook album. I dont think its a wise decision if now i post all those in here because its already 3 on sunday evening and i have still not enjoyed my weekend sleep.

Here i leave the link for the facebook album.

http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=41454&id=100000238303329&l=2ecc5aa7b1

Hope you have also learnt a few lessons going through this post. I wish i am able to afford giving people these weekend lessons. Next up will be "New Delhi to Auli", a trip i call blessing in disguise.

Ups and Downs

2010-12-28T11:54:00.000-08:00

Sometimes
All you need to change your life is a sleepless night.

I hope this was the one for me.

Innocence of Tibet

2010-02-09T21:18:00.000-08:00

I wonder how come this one was still lying in my drafts, one of my favourites this.
An adorable Tibetan kid playing on the streets of Dharamshala. I am sorry for the background but with kids, you have to be a kid or keep waiting for everything right, and you lose your shot.
:)

Lord Buddha

2010-02-02T21:24:00.000-08:00

I don't know how I spent last 3 months without a single post, though if I say I literally had nothing to post I won't b wrong.
:P
2010 however had a finest beginning for me that it could have. Got a chance to go to Dharamshala and surrounding places on a totally messed up trip where we travel each place almost more than twice for one reason or the other.
It was fun.

This is a photograph of the idol of Gautam Buddha at the Tibetan institute of Norbulinka, near Dharamshala. One of the finest places to visit in Dharamshala, but the least travelled though probably because of it's off the track location. The institute has been preserving the Tibetan culture in every aspect.
Doll museum provides a great insight to their life. The following are the pictures from the doll museum.

Other beautiful places inside include a library and the beautiful gardens and appealing restaurants.

For more on Norbulinka, visit www.norbulingka.org.

Life...its colors!

2009-10-28T10:21:00.000-07:00

Life has many colours, a few I am depicting here.

Maroon. Most radical thing one could do to his life is become a monk, and being a monk means self-abnegation for a cause, a tradition that extants. Marooned at a very young age, monks they say, leave the world for the sake of the world, in search of spirituality, revelation and peace. Here the cheerfullness of the monk completely overshadows his obligations.

Another is the colour of youth, full of nascent callow ambitions many of which will be sustained in the walk of life, bating myriads, insatiable. Oblivious with the mettle it takes to sacrifice one's self, she is cheerfully enjoying the company.

Grey. Too blased to be fascinated by any of the brighter colors, the old man shows absolute disinclination towards the worldly desires.

Shot in Dharamshala, home to thousands of Tibetan monks, I feel lucky to have captured these mild moments, showing light exchange of thoughts, spoken and unspoken.

A sunset for lifetime

2009-10-10T02:17:00.000-07:00

For some days, I felt like borders calling. Then began a journey to the Bhopal army base for the interviews. But before long,I fell victim to a person who shattered my dreams, turned my life around, a thief. He stole everything, except a few bucks that I had in my pocket. Fate takes a U-turn, back to the inextricable swathe of the pines.

Depicting a beautiful sunset, this was the only picture that I had shot yet, in my whole journey which was cut short from a few days to a few hours.

Though before leaving for the city of splendid rivers, my camera too had dreams, I wish I could accomplish those.

If not mine!

Birthdays....Insane!

2009-10-06T08:31:00.000-07:00

After hours of overnight journey, he came over to celebrate his birthday with us. Before he could overcome the pangs of the exhausting journey, he was dumped. So called birthday batter. Watching him ruined, memories of my 19th birthday came to the forth when after a bout of ruthless trampling and bestial beating, I found myself languishing on the floor, my clothes torn away, but still, lucky enough to save my underpants!

Friends are friends after all, they are unforgettable, just like these college days, for being the best, and the worst at times. And then I feel, its all just a matter of few months, then we become the part of a history, a past. I wish we could live together for life, together celebrate these 'INSANE' birthdays again.

Recollection of childhood

2009-09-17T07:57:00.000-07:00

My nephew, Soumil. At the tender age of 20 months, he experiences the vigaries of childhood like other children. They say its the age of dependence. But its not the actual age of dependence, this is the age when those around you, depend upon you for the fun & felicity you bring into their lives. His frenzied comportment in every new thing that he experiences in this world and then an amoral chase to grab it, reminds me of my childhood.

The Countryside

2009-09-08T09:04:00.000-07:00

We are the boat, we are the sea
I sail in you, you sail in me. -- Lorre Wyatt

This shot from the countryside, storms me with nostalgic feelings, about the priceless moments that i've spent there with best of my pals, learning from the waves to move inlife, keeping with the highs and lows.

Illusion of the dead

2009-09-06T05:58:00.000-07:00

I saw this old tree standing tall amidst the new ones around. But wonder how long it will b the tallest, coz growth is the essence of vivacious, not the dead.

Celestial blaze

2009-09-05T14:00:00.000-07:00

Just shake up the camera in front of a full moon....and this is what comes out of it. It has really took a whole lot of me to get these awesome shapes....perseverance is all it takes.

Sunset for the new sunrise

2009-09-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

On a quiet evening ambling through the boulevard, i came across this dry plant standing alone, with life all around. It has no colours of it's own, its here just to allure the pen of a writer or the vision of a photographer to vicariously express its sorrows.