Mountain Flowers at Kunzum Pass, Himachal Pradesh
Mountain flowers blooming in the summer months at Kunzum Pass, at an altitude of 15,000 feet. Kunzum Pass connects Lahaul & Spiti Valleys of Himachal Pradesh.
Mountains of Ladakh, seen from an aircraft window..
I witnessed this magical moment of crossing a river’s path from high up in the air, when I was returning after concluding a photography tour of the winter landscapes of Ladakh. I wasn’t really looking to shoot through the aircraft window, as the haze/clouds during the day really spoils the opportunity to make good images. It was 10.30 already and the sun was high up, but Ladakh’s air was remarkably clear and seeing the river from 30,000 feet up in the air was a moment not to be forgotten. I was sitting by the window, but my camera was packed and put away in my bag. I grabbed my neighbour’s camera and quickly fired a few shots. Here is one of them.
Young monks being tutored at Ywama Monastery, Inle Lake Region, Myanmar.
Myanmar has a large population of monks, which often surprises visitors even from the neighbouring Buddhist country of Thailand. One possible reason being, monasteries are not only religious institutions, but they also offer shelter to anyone who is needy. Any person without a means of living can walk into a monastery and expect to get fed in return for serving the institution. In winter 2012, a high-season for travellers, a large number of backpacking tourists who were travelling without reservations spent nights in monasteries when the hotels and guesthouses were running packed.
Ywama Monastery is one of the many such institutions in Inle Lake Area. It is adjoining the more well-known Ywama Market in the middle of the lake, approached only by boats!
