Majhkhali

Need to start blogging more frequently .... two years ago we traveled to this tucked away corner in the Himalayas - Majhkhali. Cross the madness of the Ranikhet bazaar and the rolls of the golf course, Majhkhali emerges. As we dock into our Lodge, the horizon has a white glow. We think they are clouds till with great joy and excitement I exclaim - Mom They are Snow Capped Mountains not clouds!!! As the sky clears out the mountains get etched out exquisitely - unbelievably beautiful. Majhkhali has the Trishul Range up close as the valley in front of Ranikhet gets compressed. 

We stayed a comfortable cottage where the chef and the helper were literally at our disposal. For the first time a rented cottage felt like home.  We would have breakfast on the patio while gazing at Trishul.  The entire day was spent lazing around or gazing at the ever changing view of the view and high mountain ranges sprawled before us. It was gorgeous.  Two year after also I have not had a holiday which beat this experience yet. 

 Enclosed are some photographs that captured my interest.

A Day Visit to Neemrana Fort Palace!

Come Sunday I kept hoping for a cloudy day! Just my luck it was a bright sunny day with patches of clouds in the sky. Nevertheless determined three friends zipped out of Delhi to the much hyped Neemrana Fort Palace for a day visit.  The entire drive was filled with laughter and great music. Each of us was cracking jokes about everything under the sun be it our workplaces, hobbies, reading lists or driving styles.  The result, before we knew we had crossed the Manesar Toll Plaza.  The landscape moved from 'hilly' to endless plains however it was once we edged into the Shajahanpur area [after paying a toll of Rs. 145 bucks] that the Aravallis came up close.  Know they don't have much height, but have always felt they have a presence which cannot be undermined.  The landscape had left the common residential clutter and had moved to clean shiny industrial sheds with open roads. There was a feeling of having left it all behind.

Just then it was time to return to civilization. After a couple of stops to check if we are on the right track the Yeti cruised along the NH-8 in quiet confidence.  A right turn brought us to Neemrana Fort Palace in the distance. We twisted and turned along the narrow, winding roads of village to reach Neemrana Fort Palace. An impressive entrance door marked the beginning of a breathless climb. At least for the unfit the reception felt like the crow's nest.  However the effort was well worth it after reaching the covered verandah after a sumptuous lunch. Liked the spread of the buffet although the dessert was felt to be wanting.  The best part I felt was their service. The staff was very polite and responsive. Someone was always around to cater to your request.  That felt nice.

A couple of levels up was the covered verandah, figured it was just above the dining area. The view from here was unbroken for miles and miles.  The plains and the horizon were stretched out in front of us.  The many sitouts created made it easy to lounge around and enjoy the view which will stay with me forever.  The fort palace has been obviously expanded from the original structure. However it has been done very aesthetically. The new structure etch out beautifully on the hill.  It would be blissful to just sit in one of the multiple nooks and corners tucked away around the property on a gorgeous rainy day or a warm winter afternoon.

A brief 2 hour stay and I had to pull myself away from Neemrana Fort Palace.  While the palace had a lot of people, the ambiance allowed me to find a corner which felt like mine.  Wonderful place and amazing views, had never believed that plains could enthrall.

No wonder Neemrana is so sought after.  This trip was truly memorable !

Love Affair with Rains!

Here I am ! Following my heart as it dances around during the monsoons. Though the Met Dept claims these early showers are only pre-monsoon, my heart rejoices every time I see dark cloud formations in the sky.  Rain the most beautiful gift to us, always makes me happy inside. So my smiling during rains is a default. Cannot relate to statements about the mess rains bring like flooding, traffic jams etc.  For me monsoons are the best time after winters.  

A recent drive in the general direction of Jaipur was almost a chase to sit in the shade of the dark clouds.  The breeze, the hills, the clouds and the odd diversion into nowhere was a perfect way to enjoy the rains.  And it is when you escape the skyscrapers, you notice the grand scale of the cloud filled sky. Their scale makes me feel small and humble. Believe the horizon is much more magnified with monsoon clouds than just a bright blue sky.  

The pictures above are just some days when the sky was lit up by the red sun and subdued by the cool rain laden clouds.  And this morning the deliciously cool breeze greeted me and the burst of rain lilies at our doorstep made me smile yet again. 

Rains make it easy to smile and stay happy? Guess I'm a romantic at heart :)

My Love for the Mountains

How is it that someone falls in life with a particular landscape. Only that type of a landscapes moves and soothes them. That is the place they continue to go back to as it constantly beckons you. For me that landscape is the mountains - snow covered peaks or austere landscapes. There is something in the endless vistas of the mountains that is peaceful and yes so intriguing that one can sit and view them throughout the day without getting tired.

Guess my love for the mountains come partially due to my lineage. My mother is from Himachal. And for the first 13 years of my life we have spent every summer holiday in our home in the mountains [Solan]. Now I don't find Solan at any great altitude, but in my childhood moving around the fields of daffodils and sitting watching the kandaghat valley to spot the chugging train was the best pastime. During holidays creating tea on a camphor stove and eating local bread felt adventurous.

Now 20 years later I have had the privilege to view the Kanchendzonga Massif, Stay at Kaza, drive through Tabo, Freeze in Chutkul, enjoy the greenery at Sangla and Rukti Valleys, Loose myself at Khab and marvel at the fury of the Satluj and its tumbles down making even the most stubborn rocks succumb. My heart is still restless to view the marvel yet unseen and un-visited. 

Have sat on the edge of a restless Arabian sea during monsoons and have seen its fury at Mumbai. But for me, nothing beats the storm on the mountains where rocks gets hurled down at you, trees crackle, wind bellows and you realize just how non existent you are in the scale of Nature.

The magnitude of the Himalayas is unmatched and my love for them - undiminished and unquenchable.

My Mobile Pics are Back

Lost my mobile and some important numbers ... The Gain - I bought a mobile with an good camera. As a result my impulsive on the drive clicking is back with a bang. This misty, foggy Delhi winter gave me ample opportunity to find and loose buildings and myself completely.

Sharing with you are some pics that I felt brought out the textures of this winter well.

Dargha Sultanpuri Vasant Kunj

Far from the hustle of a busy road connecting two important crossings is the Vasant Kunj - Andheria More Road. On of its sides a monument stands witness to its daily struggle of existence. Get off the road near ISIC and the noise is left behind. Dargha Sultangarhi will always stay close to my heart. A Dargha is a pious place and the moment to enter the connecting avenue from road to the darha its influence begins. Cannot write or express in words the peace you experience when you are there. You just have to feel it. I just landed at the Dargha on a windswept wet afternoon & soaked in all that the rain kissed trees and the damp walls had to offer.

Hope you all enjoy seeing this photos as much as I did clicking them with my mobile.

Chamba in Uttranchal

Our official offsite took me back to the place where I have been many a times, Chamba in Uttranchal. Had always enjoyed the views from this place but watching the Himalayas from this Resort was a different experience. Tho the mountains were not as close and as always my camera was limiting ... I need a 20x zoom .... I liked a couple of shots that I took from my mobile ...
My mind does race back to the images of the Sikkim Himalayas there is a the closeness of the Sikkim Himalayas which diminishes the commanding yet distant glory of the Uttranchal Himalayas. Uttaranchal Himalayas have their expanse and Sikkim Himalayas have their towering presence.
My room mate and me got up at 0530 am by mistake and thank god for that .... the tethered sky combined with the infiltration of the orange sun rays was something which I will not forget. Mankind was asleep and Nature was quietly painting its canvas. At that moment felt privileged that I was allowed a peep into this beautiful tapestry. Every direction I look from the Hilltop was a different vistas. If at one end I was looking at 15,000 plus feet snow covered peaks the other end had translucent clouds were in slow march over hillocks waiting to engulf me. Emerald green mountains wrapped with white muslin clouds is a sight to behold. The sea is vast and open mountains are mysterious and ever changing in seconds and minutes. One day one spot and a photographer can capture so many moods of Nature ... Maybe it is unfair to compare the sea and the mountains ... lets just say I'm in love with the mountains. When I reach them I feel I'm home.
Do share which landscape you are most at home in. . . . .