I have made a few visits to Ladakh in winter months. Having walked the empty lanes of winter’s Leh, admired the frozen high-altitude lakes, walked over a frozen Zanskar River, gawked at the blue Indus flowing between frozen ice-ribbons and seeing the endless snowfields in the high Chhangthang Plateau, I can safely say that Ladakh in cold days is among the finest landscapes that can be found anywhere India. Being there, however, is not for everyone as the temperatures regularly go as low as -30C. Here is an image of a small stretch of this beautiful landscape of Chhangthang Plateau in Ladakh.
Come winter, I look forward to travelling to Varanasi on the occasion of Dev Diwali. A festival not to be confused with Diwali, this is celebrated two weeks after Diwali, more commonly called Karthika Poornima festival in many parts of the country.
A lady lighting the lamps on the ghats during Dev Diwali in Varanasi
On the evening of Dev Diwali, the three-kilometer long ghats–steps leading to Ganga–are all lit with thousands of small earthen oil lamps. The entire stretch appears as though stars have arrived on earth for an excursion. It’s believed that the entire pantheon of ghats descend on earth for a dip in Ganga on this day. Pilgrims too arrive in the ghats in large numbers on the occasion of Dev Diwali, and Panchganga Ghat becomes the most favoured bathing place for the day.
The above photograph was made during this year’s Dev Diwali, which was two weeks ago, when I was leading a photography tour in Varanasi.
Not often have I seen man made landscapes being so beautiful. When the sun comes over 2000-odd pagodas that litter Bagan’s landscape and begins dispersing the gentle mist, it’s a miniature mountain-range that unfurls in front of you. The diffusing golden rays of the morning brighten the spires that stand well-above the trees and reveals a magical landscape, which, you will wish was eternal. There are no parallels to the beauty of Bagan.
