Dal Lake

The first touch point on a visit to Kashmir Valley- The Dal Lake. Immortalised by the Melodious song from Shammi Kapoor and Sharmila Tagore. Spread over a vast area and surrounded by many of the gardens crafted by the Mughals and the Himalayan range in the background all add to the aura of the lake.

Lined by house boats so much frequented by tourist. To discover the true beauty of Dal- One must not only stay at the house boat, but also take the Shikara ride twice, once in the morning and one after  sunset. 

The ride in the evening is marvelous  Floating idyllically on the lake with the boatman gently paddling  the waters. Watching the floating markets (shopping for visitors and  catering to the needs of the locals) laying back in  delight. Truly Wonderful!

Air Show Bangalore

A long time wish and finally, I was there. The high octane atmosphere, the booming sound of the jet engines, the perfect symphony of fluid motion, pushed the adrenalin level high.

Easily the star performers, the Russians in their Sukhoi , was a treat to watch.

This flying bull team led by the the gusty 64 years old lady Radka Machova, was heart stopping least to say. Some of theirmanoeuvres were definitely not for the weak hearted.

The Sarang Team from the Indian Airforce in colourful Dhruv Helicopters

Boeing C-17 Globemaster taking to skies

Vishwa Shant Stupa, New delhi

Whenever I drive past the many monuments  in Delhi, History floods  me, I long to spend a month or so, exploring the many unexplored monuments lying in almost the entire Delhi, research them, Photograph them. I hope to do this some time, at least in parts.

The Vishwa Shanti Stupa is the latest addition to the monument of Delhi. Located on the ring road on the way to Noida on a huge plot of land, the Viswa Shanti Stupa was inaugurated in the presence of the Dalai Lama in 2007 and house the relic of the Sakya Muni.

I have seen similar Stupa in Darjeeling and my research of Ladhak shows one in Leh too.  The landscaping of the  sprawling grounds is yet to be completed,  the adjacent millennium park with eateries around should make a good picnic place in the evenings.