Treks. Travels. Outdoors. – Page 2

Lahore

February 17, 2022Posted in Heritage, Treks. Travels. Outdoors.Tagged Jama Masjid, LahoreLeave a comment

Asghar Wajahat, the eminent Indian writer, immortalized the city of Lahore in his immensely popular play Jis Lahore Nai Vaikhya O Jamay-ei Nai. Habib Tanvir, renowned theatre director and playwright, further cemented the charm of the city in popular perception, especially by Punjabi speaking people from North-India. But for those who had to leave the city during the Partition of India, Lahore remained an unresolved pain like separation of a lover from his beloved. This book is also an account of one such vichhoda.

If there is one city in the subcontinent that has left millions of broken hearts, it is Lahore. If there is one city that Punjabi-speaking people across the world wish to visit, it is Lahore. Sada Pyara Lahore.

Author (in centre) with wife Rajni, Ma Krishna on his right, and, Dad Satpal Arora and friend Azhar Jafri in Jama Masjid, Lahore. Photo Rahat Dar.

तुम जाओ

February 15, 2022Posted in Poetry, Treks. Travels. Outdoors.Tagged Gandhi, Mountains, Trek, TrekkingLeave a comment

https://www.shabdankan.com/2020/04/hindi-poetry-Mount-Everest-Rajinder-Arora.html

Mt Shivling and Mt Meru

February 12, 2022Posted in Treks. Travels. Outdoors.Tagged Diary, Gangotri, Meru, Mountains, Shivling, Snowfall, Tapovan, Trek, TrekkingLeave a comment

दिल्ली तो मेरा ससुराल है सो निभाना ही है पर मायका, मायका पहाड़ है यहाँ आने के लिए पूछना नहीं होता <माउंट शिवलिंग एक्सपीडिशन डायरी से> मेरु पर्वत थालय सागर और शिवलिंग चोटियें के बीच तपोवन मैदान से

Mt Meru from behind the ridge of Shivling, Tapovan icefield Gangotri

Mt Meru from Tapovan snowfield past Shivling and just above the Meru glacier. Mt Meru lies in between Thalay Sagar and Shivling peaks in Gangotri region. The snow covered golden ridge that you see in the foreground (right) is exactly behind the Shivling ridge. So one can either skirt Shivling peak along its base or climb over its ridge to get this view. Mt. Meru’s three peaks from left to right: Southern, Central, and Northern. Non-stop snowfall and extremely bad weather hampered our progress and forward movement for days, forcing us to retreat as the supplies depleted and the porters ditched us.

From Mt Shivling expedition diary, 2002. Mt Meru lies between Thalay Sagar and Shivling, and has some highly challenging routes. The name Meru likely originated from the Sanskrit word for “peak”.

सहस्तर का फूल

February 9, 2022February 10, 2022Posted in Treks. Travels. Outdoors.Tagged Friends, Lake, Mountains, Sahastratal, Travel, TrekLeave a comment

सहस्रताल टिहरी गढ़वाल की भीलांगना घाटी के विकराल पर्वतों पर स्थित एक भीषण ताल है जो कि बहुत दुर्गम है। स्थानीय ग्रामीण जन सहस्रताल को “सहस्तर” पुकारते हैं और कहते हैं – ‘जर्मन की लड़ाई’, सहस्तर की चढ़ाई । सहस्रताल की यात्रा से लौटने पर एक दिन मैंने यह कामना की:

काश में सहस्तर का फूल होती। कोई हृदयहीन हाथ मुझे तोड़ता तो मेरी डाल के असंख्य महीन कांटे उसमें विषैले डंक मारते। … मेरा पवित्र एकान्त भंग करने वहाँ बेहया भीड़ न होती। कोई इक्का-दुक्का दर्शक वहाँ आता भी तो भीषण डांगरों को पार कर प्रचन्ड वन से गुज़रता एक एक चट्टान पर पैर जमाता, भूख प्यास सहता, अथक श्रम और साहस से हाँफता यहाँ तक पहुंचता और उन ऊँचाइयों पर मुझे खिला पाकर किसी अज्ञात भाव में डूब कर मुझे देखता।

काश में सहस्तर का फूल होती। मैं बिकती नहीं सजती नहीं, मैं किसी फूलदान में कैद न होती, अर्थियों पर न होती, मैं बगीचे में न होती, मैं किसी जूड़े का गहना न होती, मैं किसी के प्रेम का प्रतीक न होती, मैं किसी मन्दिर में न होती।

मैं सहस्तर के भयावह दुरुह तट पर खड़ी ऐन अपनी जड़ों पर होती।

ज्योत्स्ना शर्मा, सहस्तर का फूल

Coming down from Sahastratal after two most stunning but grueling days of the trek. With mashals in hand this an amazing picture where Rastogi ji, Puran Jangpangi can be recognized.

Clock Towers of Delhi

February 9, 2022February 10, 2022Posted in Delhi, Heritage, Treks. Travels. Outdoors.Tagged DelhiLeave a comment

A clock replaced the good old bell. Effectively, two hands of a clock replaced a tongue or the clapper of the bell. The clock could do by itself all that the bell couldn’t. To begin with the clock couldn’t be heard afar like the bell, so they built a bell inside the clock. The word clock actually comes from the French for Bell.Yes, an alarm was added to the clock which would do exactly what the bell did. The Bell Towers of yore were replaced by Clock Towers with easy availability of large size clocks in the 15th century.