Baani Travelogues: The Hightest Gondola in the world...

Baani Travelogues: The Hightest Gondola in the world...: Gulmarg boasts Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola The ropeway project is a joint venture of the Jammu and Ka...

The Hightest Gondola in the world...

Gulmarg boasts Asia's highest and longest cable car project, the Gulmarg Gondola The ropeway project is a joint venture of the Jammu and Kashmir government and French firm Pomagalski. The first stage transfers from the Gulmarg resort at 2,600 m (8,530 ft) to Kongdoori Station in the bowl-shaped Kongdori valley. The second stage of the ropeway, which has 36 cabins and 18 towers, takes skiers to a height of 3,747 m (12,293 ft) on Kongdoori Mountain, a shoulder of nearby Afarwat Peak (4,200 m (13,780 ft)). The second stage was completed in a record time of about two years at a cost of 110,000,000 Indian Rupees (ie some US$2.3 million) and opened on May 28, 2005. The French company had also built the first phase of the gondola project, connecting Gulmarg to Kongdoori, in 1998.....

In mudumalai.... the wildlife,

one of the finest and most attractive wildlife sanctuaries in south India. Located in the most picturesque surroundings of the hilly terrain of the Western GhatsThe Mudumalai Wildlife Sanctuary is also a part of the famous Nilgiri Bio-sphere Reserve of India. Here one can often spot herds of endangered Indian elephants, vulnerable Gaur, and Chital. The sanctuary is a haven for Bengal Tigers and Indian Leopards and other threatened species. There are at least 266 species of birds in the sanctuary, including critically endangered species like the Indian White-rumped Vulture and the long-billed vultureThe Mudumalai Sanctuary is as an important wildlife habitat due to its strategic position as a Wildlife corridor between several other protected areas that are a part of the Nilgiri Biosphere Reserve

The Golden Temple.....

 The Harmandir Sahib also Darbar Sahib, also referred to as the Golden Temple, is a prominent Sikh gurdwara located in the city of Amritsar, Punjab (India

Construction of the gurdwara was begun by Guru Ram Das, the fourth Sikh Guru, and completed by his successor, Guru Arjan Dev. In 1604, Guru Arjan Dev completed the Adi Granth, the holy scripture of SikhismDuring the eighteenth century, the Harmandir Sahib was the site of frequent fighting between the Sikhs on one side and either Mughal or Afghan forces on the other side and the gurdwara occasionally suffered damage. In the early nineteenth century, Maharaja Ranjit Singh secured the Punjab region from outside attack and covered the upper floors of the gurdwara with gold, which gives it its distinctive appearance and English name of "Golden Temple

THE HOT WATER SPINGS...

 In the far blue mountains...    In Manikaran one can find hot water springs,

The water tastes good but has calcium carbonate as is evident from the crust at the bottom. A regular dip in the water cures gastric problems and rheumatic pains. Rice can be cooked in twenty minutes in the hottest of these springs.
A bath in the hot water springs at Kalath, Manali is said to cure all kinds of skin diseases. Separate baths for men and women have been constructed here now.The legend behind the presence of these springs here goes that when Laxman felt that his Guru, Rishi Vashishtha had to go a long distance for his bath he shot an arrow on the ground and when that arrow struck the ground hot water oozed out.

The shrine.... Vaishno Devi,,

According to a Hindu epic, Maa Vaishno Devi was born in the south of India Later She was called Vaishnavi because of Her taking birth from Lord Vishnu's lineageMa Vaishno Devi was called Trikuta as a child. When Trikuta was 9 years old, She sought her father's permission for doing penance on the seashore. Trikuta prayed to Lord Vishnu in the form of Rama. During Shree Rama's search for Sita, He reached the seashore along with His army. His eyes fell on this Divine Girl in deep meditation. Trikuta told Shree Rama that She had accepted Him as Her husband. Shree Rama told Her that during this Incarnation He had vowed to be faithful to only Sita. However pleased with her devotion , Lord Rama gave her name vaishnavi (devotee of lord rama (Maha Vishnu)and assured Her that in Kaliyuga He would manifest as Kalki and would marry Her.
In the meantime Shree Rama asked Trikuta to meditate in the cave found in the Trikuta Range of Manik Mountains, situated in Northern India.Lord Ram gave her a bow and arrows, army of monkeys and a lion for her protection, Ma decided to observe the 'Navratra' for the Victory of Shree Rama against Ravana. Hence one reads the Ramayana during the 9 days of Navratra, in remembrance of the above connection. Shree Rama promised that the whole world would sing Ma Vaishno Devi's praise. Lord Rama also said Trikuta was to become famous as Vaishno Devi and would become immortal forever.The abode of Maa Vaishno devi is attaining huge pilgrimage attraction due to Lord Rama's blessings to the goddess.^[3]With the passage of time many more stories The temple is near the town of Katra, in the state of Jammu and Kashmirand it is the second most visited religious shrine in India,

on my way......

 Some times, Nature is so beautiful

that you go out of words. While going for a track in one of the Vallie's in J&K.. this picture is been taken on way,

the last construction....

southern side is very unique as both these seas mingle with the Indian Ocean. The Land that is located in the tip of the country, where the three seas get united is none other than cape comerin or Kanyakumari. The tourists who visit this southern most tip of India would certainly enjoy the exuberant scenes of the sunsets, the sunrises especially on full moon days. The nature of the sand in the beaches of Kanyakumari is unique as it is multicolored.

Amidst the sea there are two rocks known as ‘twin rocks’ both contributing to the rich Indian heritage with the monuments of swamy Vivekananda and Saint Thiruvalluvar.Kanyakumari and its surroundings are believed to be part of the land which was created by Parasurama, incarnation of Lord Vishnu. Folktales and mythological stories speak volumes about Kanyamymari

after rain....

the silver lining....

 While traveling , its not only the nature which takes your breath away, some times .... when you see the sun set in sky; The scene just makes you numb... and you just want everything to hold on .....

for mountain lover's..... Dhauladhar

The Dhauladhar range (lit. The White Range)^[1] is a southern branch of the main Outer Himalayan chain of mountains. It rises spectacularly from the Indian plains to Himalayas that begin from near Ladakh and run all the way to Mount Everest and Kangchenjunga in Sikkim, pass through Himachal Pradesh they lie almost entirely in Himachal Pradesh. They are distinctive in their typical dark granite rocky formations with a remarkably steep rise culminating in sharp streaks of snow and ice at the top of their crested peaks. This distinctive profile is best seen from the Kangra Valley from where they seem to shoot up almost vertically.Several peaks both virgin and scaled have drawn mountaineers from all over the world.

Orchid, orchid and just orchid....

 when ever we walk in any garden, we see variety of flowers, and plants... While traveling, I came across a garden, just of Orchid (in Singapore). as this is there national flower. One cant even  imagine the variety of hybrid orchid is there...Vanda Miss Joaquim was chosen as Singapore's national flower from among 40 other contenders, including some 30 orchids. It was selected particularly because of its hardy and resilient qualities and its ability to bloom throughout the year

 the orchid is also a symbol of our multi-cultural heritage. It is representative of the harmony among our ethnic communities, as well as with our many foreign visitors

still alive....

Datta mandir is one of the most beautiful temple situated on picturesrus surrounding of Jhelum. It is believed to be constructed by rulers of Avarthvarman dynasty in 11th century A.D.

The local story is that years ago, it got buried under landslide and with the help of army and locals, it was dig ed..  And now existing for us to see...

one wheel..... 3 continents,,,

The largest FERRIS wheel. When  I think about it , to my mind come the countries of England(London), Singapore and China...
 In London, The wheel is called the London eye. It is the tallest Ferris wheel in Europe, and the most popular paid tourist attraction in the United Kingdom....
In Singapore, its known as.. The Singapore flyer. Situated on the southeast tip of the Marina Centre reclaimed land.
In China, its called the Star of Nanchang, located in the eastern Chinese city of Nanchang, the capital of Jiangxi Province. Formerly the world's tallest operating Ferris wheel, it was succeeded by the 165-metre.....Singapore Flyer.
and after i took a round in the wheel n seeing the world around me from the top, I stood down n watched people enjoying in the ferris wheel, and waved at people... but they were more busy seeing the world from the top rather than me....

St Mary's Church....beautiful as always,,

A monument of the British Rule in India, St Mary's Church is a religiously important church in Gulmarg. The construction of the church dates back to 150 years and was done by famous British architectures in the construction style of British churches. This holy church is rare sight of a Christian church 

The church is surrounded by many old fashioned huts and an old hotel suitable for staying to view snow falling on the surroundings.

the Gods power,,,,, RAMESHWARAM....

The famous Rameshwaram Temple or Ramanathaswamy Temple is regarded as one of the most sacred shrines of Hindus in India. It is an honoured pilgrimage destination, which represents the southernmost of the 12 Jyotirlingams of India. It is considered as holy as Banaras. This famous Hindu temple situated on the Rameshwaram island is located off the Sethu coast of Tamil Nadu. Rameshwaram temple is noted for its close association with Ramayana and the legendary victory of Rama over the demon king Ravana.
It is said that in 2004 when tsunami came in India the whole village got washed out, only the temple stood as it is..... may be god,s power...

a world of their own.... Bakarwals,,

One day, traveling in the interiors of Kashmir, came across a tribe called Bakarwals. they are generally cattle grazers and are dependent on the live stock for their entire family moves together along with their livestock. They normally stay in wood and stone made huts called Dhoks or tents made of plastic sheet.. Bakarwals inhabit the higher ridges during the summer season and move to the lower areas during peak winter,,,,,  No electricity, No mobile, nothing in their life.....  In today's world, cant even think.. living like that....  but some where people do live in a world of their own...the Bakarwals

Boy from the stream...

 Reshwari, how many of us have heard the name , its a very small village in Kashmir, where true Beauty of mountains is still virgin, not touched, none explored by people much, The stream flows twelve months a year, flows just wild, I sat there for hours n grazed at the flowing water....Water comes from the  mountain peaks , where snow also stay twelve months a year....  

long long ago.....

Maharaja Hari Singh's summer palace in Gulmarg (J&K)  India...... 

Shiva temple in Gulmarg

The Shiva temple was actually the royal temple of Dogra kings of
Jammu and Kashmir(INDIA). Also known as “Rani Temple” or “Maharani Temple”, this is situated on a small hillock in the centre of Gulmarg. The unique thing about this royal temple is the fact that it can be seen from all the corners of Gulmarg. The Maharani temple also known as Mohineshwar Shivalalaya was built by Mohini Bai Sisodhia, the wife of the erstwhile ruler of Kashmir Maharaja Hari Singh (the last king of
Kashmir) in 1915.When the last Dogra king was spending his time in Gulmarg in his royal palace, a couple of kilometers from the temple, his queen used to come here to worship Lord Shiva. Infact, she stayed here for months and worshiped Lord Shiva in this temple.

The temple remains open everyday from 6am to 9pm

where the colour of Sky and Water meet......

Pangong Lake from Leh (India) is a wonderful experience. It begins with Thiksey village famous for its huge monasteries covering an entire mountain ridge. Beyond this remote village there is nothing but the extreme mountain ridge. It is a natural lake.....Pangong Lake is geologist's domain too....
PANGONG   lake, the view stays in your mind for a life time, its like a photograph in your mind.... where the colour of sky and water meet..... ( is the same) 

people say its JANNAT...

Gulmurg, one of the places in J&K ( India). People say it is jannat ( heaven) . When i went there I actually realizes it is.....    U look any where all the view's r just breath taking....

across, the snow mountains....

Some times when u are  standing on a mountains , admiring a nature around you... U realize that across the mountain, far far away, what you are seeing belongs 2 some other nation,

The land of Nanak Lama...

Far away in Arunachal Pradesh, there  is place called Tadadege (close ti Tibet border). There is this small gurudware (Sikh temple) called Tapovan, although majority population is Buddhist. But, they believe Guru Nanak De ji, to be there lama...

One fine sunny day...

Imagine yourself.... On one fine sunny day on a beach, completely empty with only you and the ocean with a cold wind coming from the end of the world, where the sky and sea are meeting... its far, far, far away.. Wind is reaches you first then it hits the ground and then its touching the rest of the world. and this flow of wind is never ending,,,,,,,,

Once upon a time....

 Number of churches in Goa built by the Portuguese.. It was known to the world as 'Golden Goa' or 'Pearl of the Orient' in 16th and 17th centuries in its glory days. ONE  of the churches at Old Goa are:-
Church of St. Francis of Assisi, Old Goa: Adjacent to the Cathedral is this church. Built in the 17th Century,

Lunar' - New Moon

The Moon is the brightest object in the sky after the Sun. Hidden half behind the clouds it appears beautiful, alluring and invites the lens to capture it, which I did dutifully. The Moon has been the subject of many works of art and literature and the inspiration for countless others. The contrast between the brighter highlands and darker maria create the patterns seen by different cultures as the Man in the Moon, the rabbit and the buffalo, among others. In many prehistoric and ancient cultures, the Moon was personified as a deity or other supernatural phenomenon, and astrological views of the Moon continue to be propagated today. The Moon has a long association with insanity and irrationality; the words lunacy and loony are derived from the Latin name for the Moon, Luna. Philosophers such as Aristotle and Pliny the Elder argued that the full Moon induced insanity in susceptible individuals, believing that the brain, which is mostly water, must be affected by the Moon and its power over the tides, but the Moon's gravity is too slight to affect any single person. Even today, people insist that admissions to psychiatric hospitals, traffic accidents, homicides or suicides increase during a full Moon, although there is no scientific evidence to support such claims.



don't let the SUN go down....

one evening, on a small beach of Goa, while the sun was about to set, the cool and moist wind was coming in from far away, where the sky and sea joined together.. and I  was just watching, the sun going down. Everything around was quiet and it was just the sound of waves and wind. that very moment i just wanted every thing to STOP. Sun to just stand still n just the sound of waves and wind blow out  to remain.that evening never wanted the sun to go down...