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A Pause on NH-1: Where the Mountains Remind You to Keep Moving

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  Standing here on NH-1 , with the milestone to Nimmu beside me, I feel as if I am pausing inside a living textbook of Himalayan history. The cold desert wind carries a silence that is not empty, it is layered with centuries of movement — traders, monks, armies, caravans, explorers, and now, modern travelers like me who come searching for something deeper than just scenic beauty. Nimmu , just eight kilometers from where I am sitting, is not just a village. It has been a strategic and cultural node on ancient trans-Himalayan routes for hundreds of years. This stretch of NH-1, which looks barren and still today, once connected Ladakh to Kashmir, Central Asia, Baltistan, and Tibet . Caravans would stop at Nimmu before making the dangerous climb toward Leh or crossing the Zanskar river. The landscape would have looked just as stark then, but life here was shaped by movement, trade, and diplomacy. Behind me rise the brown, layered mountains of Ladakh, carved by wind and time. They look...

The Courtroom of the Mysore Palace

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Ah, the courtroom of the Mysore Palace – where grandeur doesn’t just whisper; it roars in pastel hues and gilded elegance! 🌟 This hall is a symphony of architectural brilliance, blending Indo-Saracenic, Hindu, Mughal, and Gothic styles into one visual feast. The towering pillars, painted in mint green, gold, and soft pink, look like candy sticks crafted for royalty. Each column is crowned with intricate carvings, floral patterns, and embellishments that could keep an art historian busy for days. Look up, and you’ll see ceilings adorned with elaborate circular motifs, each telling its own silent story. Chandeliers hang like celestial stars, frozen in time. The archways are scalloped and layered, creating a sense of endless depth, like a portal into another world – one where kings held court, poets recited verses, and politics played out in hushed tones beneath these grand arches. The polished marble floor reflects the magnificence above, doubling the splendor like a magic mirror. And ...

The Chinese Fishing Nets

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When there was social grouping, not social distancing.

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 Vattavada, Munnar, Kerala India   These were the good old days. The days before pandemic hit us and change our lives for forever. Those were the days when people were not afraid of other people and there was no social distancing but social grouping.

A flok of birds at Kerala Backwaters

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Homely Dinner at Ramada, Egmore, Chennai - Yanesh Tyagi's Memoir

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  Dal Fry and Roti @Ramada, Egmore, Chennai - Yanesh Tyagi's Memoir Well, you might be wondering what is this? Well, this is Dal Fry and Roti (Chapati) - that I am having for my dinner. Why? Why this? You may ask. The thing is that when you have spent months traveling, you look for simple, nutritious and homely food. And Dal Fry was the best option for a North Indian guy like me. The taste is good - I have taken a bite after snapping the pic. The cook has done a good job. Probably I should call the cook and give him/her my compliment.

Work Desk in my Room at Ramada Egmore, Chennai

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  Chennai, Oct 2018. This is fall. The temperature is stupidly high.  I am in Chennai for a work related meeting. The meeting is tomorrow morning.  I still have to look at my presentation - one last time.  And this working desk, inside my room, is really tempting!