Pangong Tso

Pangong Tso, Tibetan for "long, narrow, enchanted lake", also referred to as Pangong Lake (Lake in Asia) is an endorheic lake in the Himalayas situated at a height of about 4,350 m. It is 134 km long and extends from India to Tibet. Pangong Tso is in disputed territory. The line of control passes through the lake. But nature knows no boundaries :)

Surface elevation-4,249 m

Length-134 km

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   You will be left enchanted by the sheer beauty of the lake. Water changes many colours during bright sunlit day, due to its brackish water. Lake freezes completely during winters, With -35 degrees.Best time to visit is during summers. Though it's still quite cold at that height. I walked by its side and ended up meditating, as we feel grace all around when we encounter such vastness. I felt very tiny . Best experience of my life, beyond words.

    

   Picture clicked during an overnight stay at the Temporary camp, by the Lake side. Temperature dropped down to -1 during night and I hardly slept. The place is only open for five months. 

Buddhist Chant

A hand written piece picked from local Leh market. The sales man informed me that these chants are written by Buddhist monks living in different monestries and are very helpful while meditating. The chant written on it is in Laddakhi language . I picked it up on my last day in Leh. The chant written on it is : OM MANI PADME HUM meaning : that in dependence on the practice of a path which is an indivisible union of method and wisdom, you can transform your impure body, speech, and mind into the pure exalted body, speech, and mind of a Buddha "  

Nizamuddin

Sabz Burj @ Nizamuddin

Remains of Historic Art and Architecture

Sabz Burj is said to have been built sometime in the early 16th century but the exact date of construction or who built it is not known. Who lies buried inside is also somewhat of a mystery. It is a tomb but surprisingly it was used as a police station during the British period, the octagonal tomb bears a striking similarity to the Baghdadi style of architecture with alternate wide and narrow sides.

Clicked few months ago..

Rishikesh

 Rishikesh is considered by Hindus to be a holy city and is vegetarian  by law.

The sacred river Ganges  flows through Rishikesh. It is here that the river leaves the  Shivalik  in the Himalayas and flows out into the plains of northern India. Several temples, ancient as well as new, can be found along the banks of the Ganges in Rishikesh.

    

    A regular click...

Cham Cham

It's a variety of Bengali sweet..originated from Kolkata , capital of West Bengal .

West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants.

Cham cham or chum chum  is a traditional Bengali sweet that is popular in Pakistan, India and Bangladesh. It comes in a variety of colors, mainly light pink, light yellow, and white. It is also coated with silver leaves , crushed pistachio and saffron mark as a garnish.

Awesome in taste..a must have when in sweet shop. It's served cold and is low in sugar :-))

Chaff cutter

My maternal grandfather owns a big chunk of fertile land and orchards on NH 24.. As kids we went to stay with them every year during our summer holidays...after almost a decade I went to c my ailing grandfather, and Al l my childhood memories came gushing. As kids we weren't allowed near the chaff cutter..beautiful childhood .

Mehndi

Mehndi Or Heena.

While getting Mehndi on MY hand"

Mehndi is a ceremonial art form which originated in ancient India. Intricate patterns of mehndi are typically applied to brides before wedding ceremonies.

Mehndi or Henna is derived from the Sanskrit word mendhikā. The use of mehndi and turmeric is described in the earliest Hindu Vedic ritual books. Haldi (staining oneself with turmeric paste) as well as mehndi are Vedic customs.

Practiced mainly in India, mehndi also known as henna in the western world is the application of as a temporary form of skin decoration. Mehndi decorations became fashionable in the West in the late 1990s. Today it an important rituals amongst women of all age during festivals like rakhi, karvachauth, teej, Diwali, bhai dujj...