Category: Delhi

A part of the wider crow family but not really a crow, this yellow beaked bird is a  Himalayan Thrush, mistaken by many as a crow or a raven. 

And now for some real stuff. On the morning of 11th the Sun shook off its slumber and swallowed the clouds, though briefly. As we descended from higher reaches of Chamoli district and waded through lower valleys of Alaknanda river system, a near crescent of snow covered peaks opened up in the north north-east. This is a small view of the north section.

Smitten by the mountains, the weather behaves like a jealous beloved. Rain, snow, storm, thunder, landslide, avalanche – you name it – the weather uses all at its disposal to thwart any attempt at getting any closer to the mountains. It doesn’t want anyone to come near the white chadar hiding its beloved. While the romantic mountains enchant and hypnotize, the frigid weather dissuades, warns and even threatens to keep one away. Precisely that’s what happened with us this time between Mana (via Ghastoli & Deotaal) and Niti Passes (via Tapovan, Reni, Lata & Malari) on the Indo-Tibetan borders. Five days of incessant rain, lost trails, a near white-out and an absolute No from the ITBP deprived us of some of the finest trails and views in this part of the world. However, we did explore some other valleys in lower Himal and some touristy locations. The saving grace was the bewitching full moon – Sharad Poornima – and the chandni-soaked kheer. (picture: the mountain range extending beyond Mana village towards Satopanth and Swargarohini peaks)

Thrilled to have received a proof copy of the Urdu edition of my book ‘Yaar Mera Haj Kara De’. The book has been transliterated from the original Hindustani by Danish Iqbal and Hashim Raza Jalalpuri. Urdu readers will find copies in bookstores by the end of the month. The book has already been published in Gurumukhi and Shahmukhi. The Hindi edition is awaited.

सितम्बर का महीना ख़त्म होते होते चाँद भी थकने लगता है। आराम-परस्त नीले आसमान अभी अभी का उबासी लेता चाँद किसी तरह बस अटका हुआ है