Ancient frescos telling the story of Raja Raja at the Tanjore Big Temple.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

Tsomoriri Lake

Snow capped mountains surrounding the Tsomoriri lake.

Blue mountain sheep (Bharal) grazing by the Gata loops roadside.

..and then the mountains shone like gold.

One of the peaks in the Kanchendzonga range lit up by the morning sunlight and shining like gold.

Kanchendzonga Bathed in warm morning sunlight..

The sunlit mountains of Kanchendzonga peeking through the cloud cover. Photo taken from the Lamune campsite on the Yuksom-Gochela trek. © Kettik Images. All Rights Reserved. 10-Nov-2007 4:45pm

People gathered at the Har-ki-Pauri ghats.

People gathered on the Har-ki-Pauri ghats to witness the Ganga aarti ceremony. Once the ceremony is over, some of them take a ritual bath in the waters of the Ganges. Many people pay their respects to the river by placing floating diyas (wick lamps) on the waters of the ganges. The floating diya is basically a plantain leaf folded in the shape of a boat, containing a few flowers and a tiny wick lamp which would be lighted and set off on the waters.

Tourists enjoying a leisurely stroll on the sunlit Mutianyu great wall.

Puja in preparation for the solar eclipse.

Jan-15-2010 : Day of the Annular Solar Eclipse. Near Thanjavur, India. A local merchant family gathered by the beach to perform a ritual puja before the eclipse. They were expected to get in and stay in waist deep waters for the entire duration of the eclipse, but most of them gave up and got out midway. They were more interested in taking a closer look at the eclipse using my solar glasses than in doing the puja.

Kiang

A herd of Kiang (Tibetan wild ass) grazing near the Tsokar lake

The sunlit south face of Kanchendzonga and the GoeCha La pass as seen from the Zemathang View point.

5:45am view of the Pir Panjal range from my tent just before sunrise.

5:45am view of the Pir Panjal range from my tent just before sunrise.

Beautiful frescos on the walls of the Tanjore Big Temple.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

Swan lake at the emperor's palace.

Black swans swimming at the Old Summer palace in Beijing China. I love the perfect symmetrical reflection of the swan in the lake's waters.

Watching the sun rise over the Kanchendzonga mountain range from the Sandakphu camp

Watching the sun rise over the Kanchendzonga mountain range from the Sandhakpu camp

Many reflections at the Pangong lake

Getting a shot like this was not easy.. there was a slight breeze blowing all the time and the water was not still enough for a clear shot. I hung around for over an hour, hoping for the breeze to die down... Lucky me !!

Marshes surrounding the Tsokar Lake

What sets the Tsokar lake apart from the other two, Pangong and Tsomoriri, lakes is that landscape here is composed of many different elements which are all beautiful in their own right but combine together to provide a visual extravaganza which cannot be matched anywhere else in Ladakh. We have the wetlands with numerous streams flowing through them, lust grasslands, dry salt flats and strange tiny multi-colored hillocks most probably created by the salt deposits. And also the lake itself, vast, deceptively close but actually quite far away (atleast a couple of kilometers away from the village).Read more here.

Sandblasted mountain sculptures on the route to Pang.

"Eventually the canyon opens up to reveal an even more dramatic landscape. Extraordinary shapes, chiseled by the elements, jut out of the sandy mountain sides. These shapes appear mostly in clusters, some looking like anthills while some other clusters look as if they are pieces from a chess set."Read more : The Manali - Leh highway : A visual journey through the landscape

Beautiful frescos on the walls of the Tanjore Big Temple.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

Window to a beautiful world

A typical ladakhi house at the Sumdo village overlooking the route to the Tsokar lake via the Pologongla pass.

Pangong Lake reflections near Lukung

Swan lake at the emperor's palace.

Black swans swimming at the Old Summer palace in Beijing China. I love the perfect symmetrical reflection of the swan in the lake's waters.

Army convoy waiting at a TCP checkpost below Chang La for paperwork to clear.

"Traveling in an army convoy is a slow business. Every 15 to 20 km the convoy would stop at a check point (TCP) and wait 30 minutes or more to get all their paper work started again. Then its off to the next check point, another long wait and so on. It seemed like the famed Indian bureaucracy did not spare its army either."From Story : Rescued again... How the Indian army helped me cross a snowed out Chang La pass for the 2nd time.

Curious Kids

From the Netala village on the outskirts of the Uttarkashi town. We meet these kids almost daily on our evening walks outside the Sivananda Kutir ashram.

Hangzhou residents gazing at the Leifeng pagoda on a nice blue evening.

Kanwar yatra pilgrims at Rishikesh.

Army convoy waiting at a TCP checkpost for paperwork to clear.

"Traveling in an army convoy is a slow business. Every 15 to 20 km the convoy would stop at a check point (TCP) and wait 30 minutes or more to get all their paper work started again. Then its off to the next check point, another long wait and so on. It seemed like the famed Indian bureaucracy did not spare its army either."From Story : Rescued again... How the Indian army helped me cross a snowed out Chang La pass for the 2nd time.

Apple harvest from the orchards of Kullu valley.

A lone duck flying across the setting sun at Majuli, Assam.

Majuli, in Assam, is the largest river island in the world. Surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra, the island has a total area of around 400 square km.  But this number is changing everyday due to soil erosion. The river erodes the soil from one side of the island and deposits it on the other side. So as land is lost you can be rest assured that it is created somewhere else.

Beautiful frescos on the walls of the Tanjore Big Temple.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

waiting out the night..

A Chinese family sleeping outside on the streets of the forbidden city as the wait out the night in hope of being first in line to witness the daily flag hoisting ceremony at Tiananmen square, Beijing.

Two young monks at the Sengor Monastery, Bhutan

Perfect setting..

Army jawans putting snow chains around the wheels of a truck to tackle the slippery roads

"It was exciting being part of the huge convoy snaking up the mountain roads. We made good progress and i was enjoying the ride.But soon we came across the snow and the whole convoy slowed down to a crawl. The temperature got colder and the convoy was getting slower by the minute. After a while the entire convoy stopped to put snow chains around the wheels of the trucks."From Story : Rescued again... How the Indian army helped me cross a snowed out Chang La pass for the 2nd time.

Beautiful frescos on the walls of the Tanjore Big Temple.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

Pashmina Sheep Grazing on the shores of Tsomoriri.

Sheep grazing on the shores of the Tsomoriri Lake

On the way to Gulaba.. 2:50pm

Traditional Kullu houses in the Parvati valley.

Fresco showing two priests performing puja in front of a Shiv Lingam.

The frescos on the walls of the Tanjore (Thanjavur) Big Temple are some of the most beautiful, intricate and richest ancient paintings that i've ever seen in my life. These paintings tell stories of the origins of the temple itself and of its patrons (mainly Raja Raja Cholan). Created using plant extracts and other natural preservatives, these paintings remain vibrant and rich even today, some 1000 years later, but not much could be said about the state of the plaster and the walls over which they are painted upon. Many of these paintings can be found along the outer corridors of the temple, while its Gopuram is said to contain even more beautiful and delicate works.

First light over Merak village.

The first light of the day making its way down the peaks of the Pangong range towering over the Merak village. Merak is one of the four villages on the shores of the Pangong Lake. Read more about the Pangong lake. 

A oracle dancing in trance on a ledge at the Thiksey monastery during its annual Gustor festival

Undoubtedly the most special moment of the festival is when the Oracle appears. A chosen lama is possessed by a certain deity during the day of the festival and he goes into a trance state. The possessed lama then answers questions put forth by the people regarding the future prospects for ladakh and the local village for the coming year. He is also said to sometimes answer personal question put forth by the public but puts on a "frenzied display of anger" when asked skeptical questions designed to test himWhile in the trance state the oracle also performs astounding feats of acrobatics like dancing on the end of a ledge high up in the monastery (sometimes blindfolded) and even cutting themselves with knives (they supposedly heals the next day when the lama wakes up in the morning).

Thansing Campsite and Trekkers Hut

Monks gathered to offer puja to a butter sculpture at the Hemis monastery, Ladakh.

One of the important events of the festival start after it has actually ended. A few hours after the final ceremony all the monks gather in the courtyard or in the main temple of the monastery. Here they offer pujas to the Butter sculptures and Tomas (conical cakes made of barley and butter) created as offerings for the festival. Once the puja is done they take these artifacts on a ritual procession around the monastery compound, accompanied by a lot of cheering and music from the monks.

A pilgrim taking a ritual bath in the Ganges at Har-Ki-Pauri, Haridwar.

a view fit for a king.

A monk surveying the plains of the Ladakh's heartland sitting from his vantage point on a hill near the Shey palace.

SOS school at Sumdo village for nomadic kids.

At sumdo village there is a school run by the SOS organization. Travelers can stay there for a small donation fee."Sumdo, along with Thukje, is most of the most rustic villages i've come across in Ladakh. It is located in the Rupshu valley high on the Changthang Plateau. The villages here are nomadic ChangPa people who rear their precious pashmina goats in the high altitude grassland slopes of the mountains surrounding them.The look of the village and of its people is more Tibetan than Ladakhi. And the village definitely has a wild feel to it.So imagine my pleasant surprise to discover that there are not one, but boarding schools here. The one in Sumdo is run by the international SOS charity organization. And 5km down the road in Puga, there is another boarding school run by the local government. While their parents are up in the mountains seeking one lush pasture after other, their kids stay back in the schools and study. The motto of these schools is "Come to Learn. Go to Serve". Very meaningful."From story : The story behind the portraits : A few memorable moments from Ladakh

Taking a relaxing a dip at the pool..

Leaving the plains behind.

View of the plains of India, a few minutes after being on the road climbing up to Bhutan.

Dozing in pairs..