Railway yards are unwelcoming places at their very best. A smorgasbord of of metal, noise and human sweat – they are intimidating for someone who does not belong there. There is always something new – the smell of fresh paint, a brand new coach being delivered, a new recruit. There is always something old – rusting parts, decrepit buildings and men who have spent their entire…
Beauties from the Western Ghats
The Western Ghats of India, are a nature lover’s paradise. Thousands of species of flora and fauna thrive here, some found nowhere else in the world. And among the Ghats’ crown jewels is the tiny village of Amboli. For most, it is a hill station to be visited in monsoons, for its magical mists and roaring waterfalls. But the mists hide another treasure – nature’s…
Dances in the mountains
“Julley ji! Aaj aap bahut achhe time pe aaye. Aaj hamara bahut achcha festival hai.” With his bright smile, Tashi leads us up the narrow lanes of Demul – a tiny village, high above the Spiti Valley. It is summer in the Himalayas, and Demul is celebrating the Namkhan, its annual harvest festival. The whole village is gearing up for festivities, and ready to welcome…
Of Hoops and Flames
In the middle of the night, a train is blaring its horns, announcing its arrival at a wayside station. A man, casually walks across the tracks and takes position on a tiny pedestal. In his hand, a blazing torch and a hoop of wire with a pouch that contains a metallic ball. He then waits for the train to come straight at him. He is…
Last Stand of the Lower Quadrants
Tucked away in a corner of the Punjab, lies a nondescript town named Dhuri. If you ask the locals, they claim that famous movie-star Dharmendra, spent his youth working there. The Indian Railways however, has a habit of attaching great importance to nondescript towns. Dhuri, for them is an extremely important junction. Four lines radiate – north towards Ludhiana, east towards Patiala, south towards Jind…
In search of the Ghost Cat
Nearly twenty years ago, a teenage climber sat on a ledge overlooking a gorge in the Pir Panjal mountains. He saw a couple of Bharal grazing on the cliff face across the gorge. The sun was low, the weather crisp and a hot meal waited back at the camp. All was well with the world, when hell broke loose. The Bharal started running helter skelter,…
Ghost Cat Diaries
Continued from…. They say well prepared is half done. And prepare we did for this trip. After all, we were going to a place where the slightest mistake could kill us. The roads would be some of the world’s most dangerous. We would be walking in knee deep snow or along precarious ledges. All of this when daytime temperatures would be below freezing, and at…
Tale of Two Kingdoms – Redux
The fabled land of Rajasthan was actually a collection of princely states. Chief among them were the states of Mewar and Marwar, with their seats at Udaipur and Jodhpur respectively. From the late 19th century itself, Marwar was served by the Rajputana – Malwa railway, with lines extending from Ajmer to Delhi, Indore and Ahmedabad, and a branch to Jodhpur via Marwar Jn. Mewar. The…
The Dhoulpur State Railway
In a tiny spit of Rajasthan – sandwiched between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, lies the town of Dhoulpur. Once a not very significant princely state, the Dhoulpur Maharajas still managed to build their own railway network. Chiefly to transport the state’s main export – the famous Dhouplur stone. For those who don’t know what that is, think – The Rashtrapati Bhawan, The India Gate…
To Digpa Ratsa Ri
Sometimes, it just comes together. Months of planning, researching and preparing pays off. We were given the opportunity to spend some time at one of the highest astronomical observatories in the world – The IAO in Hanle, Ladakh. The following video is a selection of time-lapse sequences capturing the skies above Hanle, and some other locations elsewhere in Ladakh. Enjoy in full 4K resolution if…