_ Knock at the doors of heaven and it will be opened! Seek and ye shall find! I try my best to find a solution to my impending work at hand, but sometimes just as any other creator, I too face the blocks in my creative process. This is what authors call a writer's block, signaling the time to rest. For me it turns out to be a bit different, when my imaginative seek fails to deliver I do not forget the commandments to carry on knocking. I simply transform mental seek to physical seek, and that is when the travel bug bites. I traveled the length and breath of India and some parts of the world both East and West but still in my heart India is the best.
I fell in love with every scenic spot in India for a specific reason. Kashmir for its scenic hills and its fall colors. The trek to Tulian Lake from Pahalgam for the adventurous ascend. The steep descending gorge added to the thrill as we rode our ponies uphill. The fascinating part was the final climb to the lake where boulders slipped beneath our feet at every wrong step. The final view of the partly frozen lake was awesome surrounded by snow capped steep slopes rising almost perpendicular from the lake. The Gulmarg gardens with its rose plantations was a page turned true from the fairytale of the gardens of the gods.
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One of the most memorable part of the Ladakh tour was the journey to Leh from Sonamarg. After Zojila pass, started the view of barren hilltops undulating below the long winding roads. Breathtaking views of multicolored hills seemed to enclose the space around us, often sprinkled with white monasteries with no roads visibly leading to them. The barren enchantment held it sway while the time stood still throughout the journey.
Khajuraho in MadhyaPradesh has its charm in the ancient
architecture and spirituality. The beautifully carved temples stood as a
reminder from the ancients that unless you overcome the basic human
instincts you cannot engage in a fruitful search for something beyond.
The
swampy jungles of Sunderban in Bengal that is famous for watching the
Royal Bengal Tiger has another beauty, the forests of sundari trees. The
roots of these trees grow above the soil and everyday tidal waters
flood the forests to submerge the islands. Only the treetops stand as a
testimony to the presence of land amidst the innumerable creeks that
form the route of the motorboats as the sun shines brilliant in the sky.
The
temples of South India have towering gates called Gopurams intricately
carved with gods and demons. The best part of the temples is the
ambiance within the main temple called Garbha Griha which possibly never
enjoyed the sun since its creation. The lamps light up the essence of
the bygone eras and deities made of black stone stands decorated with
flowers as ever before.
The list goes on... but it is only with the
knowledge of the places you visit does the mist of enchantment start to
weave its magic.