Brown skies...

Rafting

2008-07-04T03:28:00.000-07:00

Stud Machis

2008-07-04T03:27:00.000-07:00

FInal Goodbye

Delhi Airport, from the flight...

2008-07-04T03:26:00.000-07:00

In the park

2008-07-04T03:25:00.000-07:00

Hadimba Temple...built in the 15th century..completely made of wood.

The tree fixation continues

2008-07-04T03:24:00.000-07:00

Ravi Thakur..Bless the man. He's the proprietor of Himalayan Caravan...the agent who took care of everything for us and made our trip possible! Thanks Ravi!

Mr. Rabbit ofcourse..very hospitable..

2008-07-04T03:22:00.000-07:00

BAck in the guest house

Watching the rain

2008-07-04T03:21:00.000-07:00

2008-07-04T03:20:00.000-07:00

The Morning After

THe calf that terrorised Naina (IT)

Rainy Day 3 - Trek Begins at Nehru Kund

Winding Roads

2008-07-04T03:19:00.000-07:00

BAck in the tent..cozy..happy..resting aching body and feet

Home sweet Home

Successful..good job...good night!

2008-07-04T03:17:00.000-07:00

On way back...dog tired...progress limited to all fours and bum

Ah...we can see the camp!!!

Tired but happy

Reached..!

2008-07-04T03:15:00.000-07:00

Touched off Snow.

And Mist came rolling in...

2008-07-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Glacier

Touched off ice

This is Beas Kund, our destination and the place where river Beas originated. Sage Beas used to live here and take a dip in this lake every morning. How? I do not know...Part of the lake is frozen solid and its a marvel how the rest of the water in still liquid. IT wanted to jump in. But was suffering from a little altitude sickness and tiredness. So mountain goat went to fetch water from the lake in a bottle, for IT's mother.

2008-07-04T03:10:00.000-07:00

The destination lies beyond the icy horizon

2008-07-04T03:08:00.000-07:00

On top of the world...! Well..almost

2008-07-04T03:07:00.000-07:00

The Seven Sisters...

The Seven sisters part 2

2008-07-04T03:06:00.000-07:00

Mountain Goat

2008-07-04T03:05:00.000-07:00

Break No.1...it was followed by about 200 more i think

2008-07-04T03:02:00.000-07:00

Trek Begins

First and Last bridge on the trek....After this we had to hop on lil boulders and cross mighty rivers!! Yes..mighty mighty rivers.

Shephard's daughter

Shephard's Son

2008-07-04T02:59:00.000-07:00

Day 2 : First View of Hanuman Tippa. The mountain towards which we started to trek

2008-07-04T02:58:00.000-07:00

Thankyou Thankyou god !!

The cook's tent

IT's plate

My Plate

2008-07-04T02:56:00.000-07:00

Broken Bridge...

Unbroken Bridge

Tadaaaaaa!

Oooh...the snap b4 this one was scandalous... this is the family version.

2008-07-04T02:54:00.000-07:00

2008-07-04T02:52:00.000-07:00

Inside View of tent. So we reach the camp site 'Dhundi' after a hard 5 km walk and see a bunch of school kids having a picnic there!!!! Apparantly there are roads to the place....anyway, we were really tired, so the guide and helper pitch our tent and we immedietly get comfy inside. We're out cold for a couple of hours and then we step out - horror of horrors!!! there are atleast 87 kids around our tent, dancing and singing. It reminded me of local vegetable market. Just imaging taking a tent and putting it in the middle of a vegetable/fish market and falling asleep.

Acclimatisation walk..ahem..climb. That red speck is our guide who shall be hence forth refered to simply as the 'Mountain Goat'

Hill boy who went on like a broken record saying 'Toffee Do' 'Toffee Do'

The point where I decided that I was acclimatised enough and settled down. IT and mountain goat went off higher up.

2008-07-04T02:44:00.000-07:00

Trek Begins. No the horses are not with us.

Along the river

Across the bridge

And to the Campsite. See the tiny yellow bump in the centre...? That's our tent.

bird watching

2008-07-04T02:39:00.000-07:00

SOme rare birdie

Birdie on tank

Single Raven in Bare Tree

Very Rare Himalayan Bird

Sights

2008-07-04T02:36:00.000-07:00

2008-07-04T02:34:00.000-07:00

Apple Orchards all around

Haunted house

IT, Haunted

We acquired Weird Hobbies, made a star with torch light, captured on my camera, squealed, frightened british guy.

2008-07-04T02:30:00.000-07:00

Happy Happy. Freezing cold water.

The travellers! Yay!

My Trademark snap

IT crashes

2008-07-04T02:29:00.000-07:00

Tall Tall Trees in a park at Manali. We went here after lunch.

IT is tired. Wants to sleep here...I consider leaving IT here

IT sees water, excited. Tempted to push IT....

Into this....

2008-07-04T02:26:00.000-07:00

IT rotated these things and prayed

IT rotated this too.

Lamp in front of the Dalai Lama's pic

2008-07-04T02:24:00.000-07:00

Tibetan Monestry in Manali

IT, see the resemblance?

See the resemblance?

2008-07-04T02:20:00.000-07:00

Camera on timer, I just made it!

Vasisht Temple. It has a natural hot water spring inside. IT jumped off inside while I stood by the sidelines and watched. IT was most upset that I did not dunk in. Well... the water was dirty...and am weird bout these things.

2008-07-04T01:57:00.000-07:00

Zooming into the snow peaked mountains the next morning

2008-07-04T01:56:00.000-07:00

Small very cute baby.

Not pleased to be with me

Just before starting to cry

2008-07-04T01:54:00.000-07:00

IT and Mr.Rabet Singh Thakur a.k.a Mr.Rabbit - the owner of appleview guest house, having a chat.

Another tree with no leaves. I secretly nourish a passion for such trees.

River Beas, flowing alongside our guesthouse.

Growing in abundance all over the place :)

2008-07-03T23:27:00.000-07:00

Ate this sitting on the footpath.

Saw the Community Hall. Was too tired to even walk by this time. Feet and head were hurting. IT claimed that i was succumbing to altitude sickness...I was begining to doubt traving by bus to Manali, next morning.

View from the bus stop, next morning. Decided to travel with headache. IT looks panicked everytime it looks at me. I look pale and very scared. I have motion sickness.

After terrible journey, reach Manali. I see snow peaked mountains from the roof of our guesthouse and come alive! Excitement!

2008-07-03T23:18:00.000-07:00

So we did a little shopping. IT is tired now.

Bought Shawls for Mummy. Clicked random snaps.

Saw a tree with no leaves. The mist came rollin in.

This building is soooooooo old, am not sure how it's still standing. It looked haunted too. It was right next to our Youth Hostel. Oh yeah..thats where we stayed. According to IT, youth hostels were cheap and best. But we had a horrid experience there. Shimla Youth Hostel Sucks. DO NOT go there. The room was small, dingy and always damn. It smelled a bit funny too. The loo was like 1 ft by 1 ft. And a very questionable window used to close and open by itslef when we walked in and out.

The worst was when this bunch of men tried to open our door with a key! IT brought the roof down by screaming at them. They claimed it was by mistake...well, we were not so sure bout that. The man at the reception also got a earful from IT. (I found new respect for IT)

2008-07-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

A station that we fell in love with. Like a fairy tale it appeared after a tunel. Very unlike India. Clean. Colourful.

It begins to display photographic talent. My mind begins to relax, It must be sane...after all.

The clock struck two! We reach Shimla.

Aaaaaaaaaah..the crowd the crowd...

Manali and Himalayas trek in pictures

2008-07-03T22:51:00.000-07:00

It all started at 4:20! My flight took off from Bangalore International Airport, which by the way, is astounding! I flew to Delhi and took a train from there to Kalka.

Kalka Station, where me and IT got onto the Toy Train to Shilma.

IT kept pointing at some random plants and saying 'rose bush'. There was neither rose nor bush. (I start having serious doubts about IT's sanity)

A nice sation on way to Shimla. I have been on the road for nearly 24 hours now. Very very tired. IT, however is well fed and energetic. damn.

One of the 100 odd tunels on way to Shimla!

Travel

2008-06-06T00:24:00.000-07:00

The Angel Opens her eyes...

Freedom to let go. Love to set free.

Trust that blinds and comforts and steals.

Beauty that captures a lifetime in a glance.

Understanding, joy, peace and sunshine

Feeting life, so little time...

Live, breathe, fly

Travel alone, smell of sea

the itch to run

hills with snow

solace, fear, danger, risk

unexplored, mind, mysteries, world

Breaking bonds but freeing the soul

queen of hearts, ugly, happy, free

It's the only way to live

Too short to compromise

Too short to keep dreams within

Too short to live curled up

Too short to give up

Too short to swallow those insane urges

Too short to let desires die

Too short to stay here...

Stare

2008-05-19T04:37:00.000-07:00

Wretch

2008-05-09T07:57:00.000-07:00

Sinking sinking beneath the happy fields

once was blue and and butterfly pink

the spirits rose clapping hands

rose too high, too high...perhaps too very high

for when the crash comes at last

it falls below the morning star

pain...numb...indifference and hurt

nothing matters, in solace is something amiss

high up above the darkening cloudy sky

we're running low across the paddy feilds

mad, insane, my hair flying loose

wind in tangels, feet like wings

breathing, panting, gasping for air

sweet innocence, the crisp blue air

birds look up to see me fly

i can't feel my body, am too fucking high

it's freedom..sad but simple

it's a moment of nothing left to lose

2007-12-05T02:03:00.000-08:00

I love your skin oh so whiteI love your touch cold as ice

And I love every single tear you cry

I just love the way you're losing your life

Ohohohohoh my Baby, how beautiful you are

Ohohohohoh my Darling, completely torn apart

You're gone with the sin my Baby and beautiful you are

So gone with the sin my Darling

I adore the despair in your eyes

I worship your lips once red as wine

I crave for your scent sending shivers down my spine

I just love the way you're running out of life

Ohohohohoh my Baby, how beautiful you are

Ohohohohoh my Darling, completely torn apart

You're gone with the sin my Baby and beautiful you are

So gone with the sin my Darling

Old Bangalore

2007-06-28T23:48:00.000-07:00

Silk Board Junction

South ParadeTown Hall
Memories in black and white, memories in grey...

memories that take you back, to a simpler day.

I yearn for peace in this city of dreams,

I search ceaselessly for some silent green

Stop the honking, hear the song of the wind,

leave your wheels behind, to walk in the rain

Reach out your palm and hold the droplets in your hand,

for one tiny moment, free yourself from the constraints of your mind...

2007-06-14T00:32:00.000-07:00

Nights that put a spell on you
when you find freedom all at once
it comes unexpected to set your soul soaring above moral grounds
all that feels right is what your insticts say
mind and body follow that distinct scent of the wilderness within

I crave what i cannot have
it comes to me though i try to look away
grabbing me in its untame charm, weakening my resistance, threatening my calm

It takes me to heights of ecstatic pain, I fight to break free of its intoxicating grip
on my body and mind... I fear the world outside
I hear the words, the voices, so familiar..one amidst them is too close ..far too close...

faces fade to memories, which in turn get blown away in a kiss
I give in for a moment... a moment of complete bliss..

But thats all i can take from the world... for freedom is always shortlived
I break the spell and dive back into the morals that bind my space
I walk away from what could be... towards the comfort that i know
back into those arms that hold the promise of tomorrow
in confinement finding freedom that limits the soul

right and wrong have never been clear to me
and i guess they'll never be....

2007-05-14T02:52:00.000-07:00

when all is empty, white.

something quiet, comes weilding a bloody knife.

Drops of silence, shatter the screaming mind,

after red devours the icy black,

Those eyes look at me, I crave the innocence they betray in a glance...

I sit in my weightless fantasy, and wait for another breathless day

It never comes, I build those castles in rainless air,

cannot breath anymore, like a fish is murky waters

I wait in agonising pain, for death to come in slow fantastic waves..

It feels like a dream, yet real it is.. I keep dancing with those flowing melodies, that whisper in my ear..some far away wooden song..

Voices in the water...

songs in the snow

i hear them all so close

its time to go...

I let go..

and fly..not fall..

its up.. they told me it wud be down..

higher and higher...

forever..all of eternity.. death.. and beyond...

taboo highs....

2006-08-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

The intoxicating dance of a fragile soul
The ebb and flow of passion so strong
An urge to go explore the unknown depths
Of darkness, light and a million shades of fading pink
Sunset calls to the unrest within,
With the sunrise comes another night,
Insecure, unsure, hiding, silence.
Secrets of the past and secrets of the present
Circling skies, floyd and learning to fly
Those talks on life under the spell of smoke
Leaving reality waiting below
Those carefree times when we sailed the skies
Our mind was unbound, with taboo highs
It cleared, clouded, confused, and created…
A philosophy, a reality, a dream, a tie
Those days went by, so long ago
Those faces faded in a Smokey glow.
Our words hang in suspended fright
Out dreams wait in the fringes of the night

Still at times when the smoke does engulf,
Those days of freedom float in these vacant spaces
Begging for a chance to be let out again
To take me dancing in the winter rain
Like that magical December night
Maybe three years ago…

2006-07-31T23:28:00.000-07:00

Fleeting as is life, a million memories it leaves behind.

2006-06-23T04:28:00.000-07:00

Mysticism draws me closer
My mind begins to decay
I grab on desperately to activity
Yet I cannot think, am numb
Cold on a warm day
A flower in a storm
Am seeking to escape
Yet I know there is no way
I tried them all, but it comes full circle
In vain I ran too far, only to discover the
Karma of it all,
Some things sting, others bite
Creativity is an escape yet it binds
Madness is an escape
Yet it closes the door to freedom
The mind is an errant force
It speaks not the truth
It gives up too easy
It wants far too much
It trips at unusal times, losing control
Of me, makes me a slave of thought,
It’s strange to be human and have to sit
And think.

An ad proposed for mothers day

2006-05-08T04:22:00.000-07:00

She gave you life
You gave her pain
She gave you wings to fly
You gave her reasons to cry
She watched you sleep with a smile
You gave her sleepless nights
She still stood by your side
When you shut her out with pride
She prayed all night by your bedside
When you said you were sick but lied

Today she loves you just as much as yesterday
Will you still take her for granted
or take out a moment to say
Mom I love you and for you I pray...

2006-04-11T02:32:00.000-07:00

Inspired by meticulous verses,
Poetic hymns and black magic curses,
Driven by passion and obscure films,
Amused by way-out weird things,
Dreaming of impossible fantasies,
Plunging head on into stormy seas,
Dragging with me a bag of tea,
And Plodding toward serenity…
A little twisted, it may be
But yeah, I guess that’s me!

Did u ever ?

2006-03-27T01:41:00.000-08:00

Did you ever feel the touch of nature?
the kiss of rain or
the caress of the wind?

Did you ever bathe in the morning sun?
lose yourself in the colours of dawn
or try to break away and run?

Did you ever catch eternity?
try to play with time,
or look beyond reality?

If you've tried any one of this,
you've cherished a tiny wish,
to answer the biggest question of all,
what's the purpose to this life and
why humans dream at all...

2006-03-23T23:05:00.000-08:00

As the pages of time flip
and water droplets slowly drip
words get washed away
to new stories giving way...

The curious incident of the cat in the night time

2006-03-15T23:15:00.000-08:00

He walks in silence down the sidewalk, in deep thought, digging his hands into the enormous pockets of his overcoat. He looks behind, over his shoulder every now and then, as if expecting to see someone creeping up quietly. There are worry lines, on his forehead, creases that have formed over the years. He’s not worried now, but they remain, permanent marks on his face. A cat walks in front of him, an easy, sinewy gait. He eyes it with suspicion; he begins to quicken his pace. The cat walks on, not bothered by his footsteps that are closing in on it. He walks behind, now getting worried, those creases deepen and a drop of sweat appears on his forehead. The cat continues to be unbothered. The sweat drop trickles into the first of the creases. Suddenly the cat stops. The sweat drop freezes in transit, between the second and third creases. His eyes dart in all directions and fix on the cat.

Ever so slowly the cat turns around. Looks him in the eye. His eyes flicker for a mili second but he’s not about to give up. He stares hard, burning his gaze into its eyes. The cat begins to look bored, but he sees an evil grin beginning to form. He’s all set; today he’ll finish the story once and for all.

The cat opens in mouth, as if to say something wise, but only a meow comes out. He lets out a war cry and lurches forward (this scene is in slow motion)
He’s running with his coat flying like a cape behind, the cat’s expression changes from boredom to evil indifference to surprise and fear. It skillfully prances on its hind legs, and tiptoes away like a ballet dancer, while the man is in mid air. Arms flying madly, mouth open in determination first, and then as the situation changes, in mere stupidity. Now the cat has moved away and watches from the view of a spectator as the man tries desperately to break his inevitable fall with hopeless antics. But gravity shall not be defied. It draws him closer with open arms and he reciprocates in a similar manner. They meet with a dull thud. A few stars form above his head and a couple of tiny birds join in. one comet whizzes past.

The cat has vanished. The man remains loyal to gravity for what seems like an eternity. Slowly he gets up, dusts himself and looks around. No witnesses. Good.
He walks slowly and disappears into a dark alley. This is not over.

2006-03-14T23:09:00.000-08:00

Eternity

The magic of being free
and a part of eternity,
puts a spell on me,
creating new reality,
dancing specks of dust in sunlight,
turns the wrong into the right,
for there's a magic in nature's eyes,
engulfing all of creation in unbound ties.

Gypsy Dreams

2006-03-14T22:09:00.000-08:00

Discovered a connection with the gypsy lore,
set out in the world to explore,

Mortality tied the body down,
but my spirit soared to heights unknown,
there's the whole globe to trot,
and to rest, a secluded spot.

Drink deep from a hidden spring,
listen to the birds sing,

intoxication of mountain air,
wild unkept, indian hair.

Cares blown away in the wind,
a life, a story kept locked whithin...
Freedom, so close, i can touch, i feel her breath upon my cheek,
sweet whispers, muted words, and that peace i set out to seek.

Magic...

2006-01-22T01:06:00.000-08:00

Nostalgia !

Mystified by the way we met,
the spell was cast, the
night was magical & perfect.
Entrapped in its silent story…
a new chapter began,
we walked hand in hand,
a sparkle in our eye…
the star spangled sky,
smiled at our innocence,
showered us with blissful
freedom…to do as we
pleased.
a smile lived, it grew
danced and engulfed
us in an embrace.

And we let it carry us away..
far off to another land..
our very own fantasy,
a grin on our face!
Hope lingered in our eye
shadows of the world,
fleeted across,
but only for a second,
did we see them pass.
For very involved in
a dream were we,
laughing, singing a far
Off ecstasy…

Words forever

2006-01-15T05:00:00.000-08:00

Remembered to last, through time and space... eternal, unlimited, divine. Words, the manifestation of ideas, the expression of thought. Communication, inspiration, a reason to life. Welcome to the world, out of this world, very real through it's created unreality.