Hope

 

Hope

In the verdant meadow

A tall tree stands

Branches bare without leaves

Roots strong deep in the ground

 

Harsh weather it endures

Looking at passing clouds in grace

As they stop and rain

It blooms in Nature’s praise

 

Rainbow

 

Beautiful Bhutan

Bhutan is a beautiful kingdom in Himalayas bounded in south by India and north by China.  This is the only nation in the world which measures its development in terms of gross national happiness.  

This nation with sixty percent of land under forest cover is the only nation in the world that is carbon negative.  Without giving up their ancient culture and traditions this Buddhist nation is developing as model nation in the world with 100% organic farming.  Agriculture is the main livelihood with farming and animal husbandry.  Tourism and sale of hydroelectric power to India adds to their economy.

Chukka Power project

Bhutanese, though they have their own currency, accept Indian currency as equivalent.  Indians need entry permit to enter this nation which is given on entry.  Visa is not required for Indians.  Usually for tourists permission is given for one week only, to enter Phuntsholing, Thimphu, Punakha and Paro.  To visit other places special permission is required.

King and Queen of Bhutan

Buddha Dordenma, Thimphu.  This is huge and located on a hill top and seen from anywhere in Thimphu

Thimphu, capital of Bhutan

In April this year I had opportunity to visit this nation on photo tour organised by WeChitra.  The journey in this kingdom is scenic.  People are friendly.  They can speak Hindi and educated can speak English well.  Though it is a developing country it is clean and green.  Here are few pictures of Bhutan. 

Monastery in Chubachu, Thimphu

Memorial Chortens, Dochula pas

Confluence of Mo Chhu and Po Chhu rivers, Punakha 

Punakha Dzong

Punakha Dzong in the night

Suspension bridge, Punakha

Rinpung Dzong, Paro

Rinpung Dzong houses district's Monastery and admn. offices

Prayer flags seen on the way to Taktsang.  Prayer flags are seen at many places apart from monasteries even on the road side across a critical junctions and along the bridges on the rivers

Scenery on the way to Taktsang, Paro

Huge prayer wheel on the way to Taktsang, Tiger's nest Monastery, Paro

Small chortens placed in the crevices of mountains.  Gods are invoked and placed to bless people.  These are seen not only at monastaries but in the crevices of mountains along side the roads at critical junctions.  They are mostly light yellow or white or colorful as seen here.

Tiger's Nest Monastery or Taktsang Phalphug Monastery, Paro.
This monastery at the cliff of the mountain is iconic of Bhutan and its culture and tradition.

Small prayer wheels on the way to Taktsang, at the base.  Journey to Taktsang is 4 km trekking.  Depending on one's capability it may take 2-6 hrs.  The path is slippery while coming down and more so when it rains

Offerings to deities at a monastery in Chubachu, Thimphu

Series of prayer wheels seen at monasteries.  This is taken in Thimphu

Clouds seen on the way covering the trees in the forest

A village seen on the way

A man in traditional dress holding 'kamandal' with water.  That is sacred water, 'theerth'

A beautiful house on hill top

Monks at Punakha Dzong, Punakha

Man and woman dressed in national dress. Men wear 'gho' with a belt at waist -kera. Women's dress is called 'kira' clipped at the shoulder with identical brooches called 'koma' and tied at waist with kera.  Long sleeved blouse wonju worn underneath kira

School boys in traditional dress of men

School/college girls in traditional dress of women

Entry and exit gate for vehicles into Bhutan.  This is from Jaigoan, the last village in Kolkota, India

Entry and exit gate. View from Phuntsholing, Bhutan 

Christmas Candle

Two weeks ago I was passing through a street in our neighbourhood.  I noticed these beautiful flowers in one plot with boundary wall and a little distance away along the boundaries of another plot.  The flowers were bright yellow, attractive and awesome.  This is the first time I have ever seen them.  I captured them with my mobile.  After coming home I did a reverse image search and came to know that it is native to Mexico but can be found growing in diverse habitat.  The plant belongs to the subfamily caesalpinoideae and Senna alata is its botanical name.  It has multiple common names - Candle bush, Emperor’s candle stick, Ringworm shrub, Empress Candle plant, Christmas candle, Candelabra bush or Candle tree. 

The plant grows as shrub but it can grow up to 1200m in tropics.

The plants I seen growing wild, 1-2m shrubs, with long leaves that close in the night.  The yellow flowers look like candle and are attractive.  The fruit is a straight pod.  The plant can be grown from the seeds.  The seeds are distributed by water and/or animals. Maybe, here the seeds are dropped by the birds and plant started growing wildly.    

This plant, grown as ornamental plant, also has medicinal properties.  The paste of ground leaves mixed with vegetable oil is used for treatment of fungal infection – ringworm.  It is also used as laxative.   

Do you know where is it seen commonly in India?

Landscapes of Ladakh

I happened to visit Ladakh in the last week of September this year.  I had strong desire to be in the mountain ranges of Himalayas at least once in my life time.  When Nikon School of photography announced ‘Advanced Landscape Photography workshop in Ladakh’ I grabbed the opportunity to visit the place.  Though I was meddling with the basics of DSLR I decided to join the group to travel through picturesque Ladakh and pick up few tips from some of the best photographers in India working with Nikon School.

The mentors team was good and helpful.  There were four of them.  They were all friendly, helpful and enthusiastic in teaching the techniques of photography.  I did grasp few points and understood how manual settings in photography can help towards becoming a better photographer.

Here are few photographs of travel through Ladakh.

Though the greater part of journey was on well laid road

occasionally we had to travel on rough terrain

At Khardung La

This is supposed to be highest motorable road in the world

                         

Nubra valley - Cold desert with sand dunes and water bodies

formed due to melted snow

Photographers trying to capture landscapes in twilight

Shyok river

Kids waving as we are passing from a School in

Nubra valley

Maitri Budha at Diskit

Diskit Monastry

A scene in Turtuk village, the last village in India bordering Pakistan 

Pangong Tso lake

The mystic lake between India and China

Night Skies at Pangong Tso

Trying to capture morning colors

A restaurant at Pangong Tso

Clear waters of Pangong Tso

On the way from Pangong Tso to Tsomoriri

through Tsagala and Chusul

Black necked crane

The only shop seen on the way to Tsomoriri

Tractor with a flour mill at Tsomoriri

Early morning view at Tsomoriri

Tsomoriri lake in dawn

Tsomoriri village

Marmot native to mountain ranges of Himalayas

At Tsokar Lake

Photographers trying to capture Nature, Wild life and Landscapes

The person lying down is one of the mentors. 

May he wanted to capture some unique feature of horses!

Army memorial at Chusul

Last capture with NikonD on the way back to Leh