My pictures with their little stories

Street food at Amritsar Amritsar is a foodie's delight. Lots of street food options serving hot preparations. To be enjoyed in the chill of Amritsar winters. Not recommended for sanitized travellers though. (2010)

Water stop at Hillgrove, Nilgiri Mountain Railway When you see closely the entire process involved in running and maintaining steam locomotives, you cannot help but get involved in it. Each step is part of a ritual which the technicians and engine drivers perform with the same rigour and meticulousness with which a priest would go about performing a pooja. The degree of involvement may be actually higher. This X class steam locomotive is enjoying its water stop at Hillgrove on Nilgiri Mountain Railway . (Hillgrove, 2007)                     Here is my blog post on Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Ruins of a church at Ross island, Andamans The main edifice of this church at Ross island , Andamans is fairly intact although everything else is gone. One look at it and you can make out that this must have been a beautiful church which served the British settlement on this island which is across the sea from Port Blair . With its stained glass and other paraphernalia, this structure would be very charming and inviting.  (Ross island, Andamans, 2008)

Nilgiri Mountain Railway with steam locomotive Some amount of walking around and climbing gives you the vantage points you have been looking for. The steam locomotive puffing with full force on the gradient on this lovely route of Nilgiri Mountain Railway that passes through dense forest and the Nilgiri mountains . At a spot like this, it is all very quiet and the sound of approaching steam engine gets you in a state of high alert and excitement no less than what was felt by the brother-sister duo in the film Pather Panchali by Satyajit Ray , when they heard the whistle of the steam locomotive from a distance and ran through the fields to catch a glimpse of the approaching beauty - one of the most enchanting cinematographic sequences ever filmed. (somewhere near Lovedale , 2007) Here is my blog post on Nilgiri Mountain Railway

A stop for Nilgiri Express This stop for Nilgiri Express is meant for water to refilled in the steam locomotive. The cute little stations and surroundings are so pretty that you cannot but resist getting down at each station where the train makes a stop. There are vendors selling crispy vadas and chai at each of these stations. (2007 ) Here is my blog post on Nilgiri Mountain Railway

Enjoying the meal at the monastery after the festivities, Bhutan  Everyone who attended the festivities was welcome to partake the meals which were lovingly cooked by the village folk. They were keen that everyone including visitors like us joined in for the meal with some local arak (ara). No wonder Bhutan is seen as such a tourist friendly country. (Bhutan, 2015)

The artistes step out in the monastery grounds for a dance performance After the elaborate dressing up and putting on the fierce looking masks, the artistes step out from the crowded changing room into the monastery ground for a spectacular dance performance to the cheer of waiting crowds which has people from near and far. This ritual will be a colourful extravaganza with a slow beat typical of monastery dances. The young lad on the left announces the arrival of the troupe by beating the metal disc in his hand. (Bhutan, 2015)