Shivling (6,543m). Mahadev Ka Ling

Elevation: 6,543 m (21,467 ft)
Location: Uttarakhand, India
Range : Gangotri Group, Garhwal Himalaya

Prominence 850 m (2,790 ft)

Shivling is a two summit mountain which rises not far from the snout of the Gangotri Glacier

Due to its unusual shape [which earned it its nickname 'Indian Matterhorn'] and easy access, Shivling is very popular among climbers.

About ten routes have been put up on both of its summits, in spite of the fact that there are still unclimbed peaks not far away.
The Czech Express Route put up during the 1993 season is perhaps the most spectacular line to the summit.

[Regarding its name, connotations of Lord Shiva and the mountain's phallic shape are sometimes mentioned. To the millions of Indian Pilgrims who ventured anywhere near it it was known as Mahadev Ka Ling. or Mahdeo Ka Linga]

When the first British surveyors ( Cpt. John Hogdson and his assistant James Herbert reached Kedarnath in June 1817 they renamed the mountain Mount Moria (in honor of the new Governor General of the East India Company Lord Moria) and looking at the 4 peaks which surround Shivling in a fit religious zeal they renamed the mountains St. George, St Andrew, St. Patrick & St. David.
thankfully this was not allowed to stand and today it is known as Shivling the lesser of Shiva's Abode in the Great Himalayas

A Spot of Gold.

The climb from Padum to the village of Thongde which has a small gompa, which offers spectacular vistas looking down, the view up isn't too bad either when viewed in the golden light bestowed as a parting gift from the departing day...

Elysian fields.

Winter is the fav time of the year for me. Maybe its the extra layers of clothes and the amazing number of pockets which sprout up and you can actually make use of, I don't know.

Nothing Better than a winter morn in a far off mountain valley shrouded in mists which play betweem rocks giving you glimpses of mountains behind them

This is how I picture my elysian fields to be...
My Utopia (NoWhere)

The perfect avenue to enter the fabled elysian fields.

Sunset over Pushkar Lake.

The Treasure of the Five Snows. Kanchanjunga Sikkim.

Kanch at twilight shot from Dzongri Top.

On The North Eastern shores of Tso Khar

Lenticular Clouds hover over the mountains on the North East shores of Tso Khar in Ladakh

The pastel colors are sublime

Lamayaru Gompa before Sunset

Sakura

I will miss her , when the Cherry Blossoms fall again.

The Three Towers

Spiti Valley
These rock pinnacles shaped by the wind, which loves the Rocks so...

Roadtripping

Whose Gonna Ride Those WIld Horses.

Horses on the way to Pyongyong Tso in Ladakh.

The vast open valley floors in Ladakh you can still find some nomads and their flocks of yaks but there are also places where Wild Horses, Kyang are also seen routinely, specially on the trek to Tso Moriri & also in the Changthang High Plateau

If you are lucky you may pass some flocks while you go on the normal tourist trail to Pyongyong Tso but these horses are not wild but belong to the Nomads who flit from grazing grounds in search of fodder.

Last Day in the Mountains

Leaving the mountains is always sad for me..
I shall miss them

The Eyes are Watching

Don't Let The Sun Go Down on Me

The Golden Mountain

Originally uploaded by Zofo The Hermit Of Wandering Thoughts

The light in Lahaul & Spiti Valley is something special, there is unbelievable clarity in the air and the mountains often change colors at different times of day depending on the light.
No wonder because it is one of the sparsest populated regions in India, Only the electricity poles and the asphalt road remind you that you are in the present century otherwise it could be a thousand years ago. I always feel that time stopped here for a rest and decided to stay ....

On the Ganga near Varanasi

Holy Cow

Pushkar Lake Rajasthan (40 kms from Ajmer)

Shanti Stupa Leh

A View from Leh looking at the Shanti Stupa & Leh Ranges



Shanti Stupa above leh looking at the Leh Ranges, if you stamd facing Leh town this mountain range is on your right hand.

The Stok Ranges viewed from the steps of Shanti Stupa



Front of the Shanti Stupa

The Shanti Stupa sits atop Changspa, near the outskirts of Leh

The Stupa was constructed by a Japanese Buddhist organization, known as 'The Japanese for World Peace'. (They are the same people who have constructed the Japanese World Peace Stupa in Darjeeling WB which is almost a smaller version of this stupa)

The aim behind the construction of the stupa was to commemorate 2500 years of Buddhism and to promote World Peace.

His Holiness, the Dalai Lama inaugurated the Shanti Stupa in the year 1985.

It offers spectacular views of the sunrise and sunset. The stupa looks best at night, when it is beautifully illuminated with glittering lights. The large viewing platform makes an ideal seat to sit and look down upon Leh.
You can also walk up to the shanti stupa by the old fort road (not recommended for fresh arrivals as its pretty steep and can knock the stuffing out of fresh arrivals not yet used to the thin air of Leh

Up the Bhramapootter

A new day dawns over the Bhramaputra (Bhramapootter as I read an Englishman call it once) - of India and the Tsangpo of Tibet(Thibet)

I am currently reading a book called BHRAMAPUTRA: Tales from the River a fantastic collection of photographs taken on the river, it contains some awesome vistas and chronicles the unique life on this mighty river, which flows from the High Plateau of Tibet, to the Bay of Bengal, like the modest knife on history it cuts through the Indian Subcontinent before reaching the sea

60 years on..

Alia Minar

This is the precursor of the Qutub Minar now known as the Alia Minar.
It was never finished and lies in the same complex in Mehrauli as the Qutub Minar

Faces Of India : 1

A boy in Purilia

Lodhi Gardens

A Mountain In Tibet

The Last rays Illuminate Kailash (Shiva's Abode) as the moon rises this was on the
Kailiash - Mansarovar Lake Trek I did in 2000.

Mt. Kailash
Kailash means 'Treasure or Saint of Snow Mountain' in Tibetan. The name originates from the year-round snow on its peak and its historical religious connections. The mountain is sometimes called 'Mother of Iceberg'. It appears to be gazing at another mountain, Namcha Barwa, *this the last mountain in the Himalayan range* or 'Father of Iceberg' in the far distance.

Mt. Kailash is the highest peak in the massive Gangdise mountain range with an altitude over 6,600 meters (21654 ft.).

The peak is very pointed and looks like a pyramid piercing the sky. Seen from the south the vertical ice trough and horizontal rock formation combine as the Buddhist symbol Swastika, which represents the eternal power of Buddha. More often that not, clouds will gather above the peak, so clear days are thought to be a blessing because local residents can get an unimpeded view.

Coridoors Of Power Long Eclipsed

The Red Fort, New Delhi
History plays cruel jokes,
In their hey days these corridors radiated incredible power which was the Mughals descendants of Babur who ruled over much of Hindustan..



Diwan - E-Aam,

The Red Fort, New Delhi in the Diwan - E-Khas,

Still it captures your imagination with its symmetry and design.
One of the finest examples of Mughal Architecture in the Country.