The new year eve brought snows with it though only the highest peak visible from Dehradun (Surkanda, Atltitude 10000 feet approx, taking its name from the Surkanda devi temple on the peak) was covered with snows. This is the most handsome of all peaks visible from Dehradun, looks just like the Himalayas we read about in school books!
Surkanda peak is somewhere in the middle of the Himalayan range visible from Dehradun. The image below has tried to capture the whole north view from Dehradun by stitching together several images, this was taken during a rare clear day in the monsoons (the water storage tank under construction spoils the whole view - there should be a law against building such tanks!)
Happy New Year Friends!
Surkanda Devi Temple
The Surkanda peak lying at an altitude of 2,750 m. in the western part of tahsil Tehri, and is famous for the temple of Surkanda Devi. It is about 8 km. from Dhanolti on the motor road running from Mussoorie to Chamba and is connected with Narendra Nagar which is about 61 km. and with Tehri which is about 41 km. by motor roads. To reach the temple one has to leave the Mussoorie-Chamba road at Kadu Khal and climb a steep ascent of about 1.5 km. on foot. The legend is that Sati, the wife of Siva, gave up her life in the yajna started by her father. Siva passed through this place on his way back to Kailash with the dead body of Sati whose head fell at the spot where the temple of Surkhanda Devi stands. It commands a beautiful view of Dehra Dun, Rishikesh, Chandrabadni, Pratapnagar and Chakrata. Flowers of varied kinds and colours and indigenous herbs grown in abundance here and some of the beautiful birds of the western Himalayas are also found in the neighbourhood. A local fair is held on the occasion of Ganga Dasahra in Jyaistha when hundreds of devout pilgrims visit this place.
(description courtesy http://tehri.nic.in/tourist/surkanda1.htm, images picked up from commons.wikimedia.org and photos.igougo.com, hey guys don't sue me, you won't get even lawyer's fees out of me! )
Some lovely photographs of the temple and surrounding areas can be seen at
http://surkandadevi.fotopic.net/c962492.html
goodmrmng rakeshbhai,
ReplyDeletewonderful pics of mighty himalaya,hope to land my private jet/helicopter near your house,if destiny permits,else,car ki dikki hai na..
one more thing, how did u stitch the second photograph for panoramic view?.. :)
ReplyDeleteGood Morning Jaggubhai!
ReplyDeleteThe civil helipad is just 10 kms from my home. You can land your helicopter near my house only if you are a mosquito capable of landing on stamp size spaces. :)
Re stitching, please take my descriptions with a spoon (pinch is too little) of salt!
I have simply taken a series of pictures using nikon digital camera with panorama assistance and later rejoined the same using their arc-soft panorama-maker software. :)
R M
ReplyDeletewish you very happy new year
wonderful picture....add some more description
also need info on surkanda devi...mythological story or history
Hi Sri
ReplyDeleteThanks you man, and wishing you the same!
I did not know much about Surkanda peak except that it is staring at me round the year! So did some google search and found that every one except me knew all about the place. :)
Hi RM,
ReplyDeleteI heard about surkanda devi through one of the members of my yahoo group srilalitha (dedicated to the worship of mother srilalitha. Link www.groups.yahoo.com/group/srilalitha)
I am happy you are daily seeing her from your window...very lucky man.
Beautiful! thanks for sharing!!
ReplyDeleteHi Uma,
ReplyDeleteLong time no words! I hope that you are doing so well that no time is left to spend on yakking with unemployed people. :))
Happy New Year!
RM,
ReplyDeleteHi - Can you test mail me at alphabet1@rediffmail.com
Thank You
Hi Rm,
ReplyDeleteWonderful pictures!!! Can u test mail me @ vjasrani76@yahoo.com
Hi RM,
ReplyDeleteHappy Holi
Hi Sri
ReplyDeleteThanks a tonne, have a deep dip in colors. :)
Some comment at right place,
ReplyDeletesome comment at wrong place,
But I comment at the best place -
see the photos that chills the hot summer.
Keep smiling!
Hi sunblock
ReplyDeleteYou seem to be a good poet. Keep rhyming!
:D
ReplyDeleteGood night!
A mister, slept early ?
ReplyDeleteThats what happens when one mints money before 3 days holidays ... the need to count and rush to evening bank ...
:D
Hey RM, google and findout how to put real smilie, man, in comments!
psst: Whats M stands for ?
Hi mo h
ReplyDeleteminting money? not me, I would prefer to get some from RBI's mint. :D
I surely don't need google to search for a real smile with God allotting me that permanent grin. :))
M is for Mohan, I have the same name as the ex RBI Dy Governor who refused to toe the Govt. line and was shunted out. :)
Wot a conceited person I am dealing with :))
ReplyDeleteHow about Mint with a Hole ?
ReplyDeleteBlow, blow, thou winter wind
ReplyDeleteThou art not so unkind
As man's ingratitude;
Thy tooth is not so keen,
Because thou art not seen,
Although thy breath be rude.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most freindship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
Freeze, freeze thou bitter sky,
That does not bite so nigh
As benefits forgot:
Though thou the waters warp,
Thy sting is not so sharp
As a friend remembered not.
Heigh-ho! sing, heigh-ho! unto the green holly:
Most friendship if feigning, most loving mere folly:
Then heigh-ho, the holly!
This life is most jolly.
This World!
ReplyDeleteBedlam of Morons
And among those all that dwell
I am the greatest of all…
They say…
Every experience is an education
Provided we learn something from it
And that education is worthwhile only if
We make sense of what we learnt
Maturity comes from the experiences we face
Life kicks sense into us
But, if a man refuses to learn anything
He’s surely a King at the Bedlam of Morons…
Yeah! I am Undefeated! !
The undefeated king of Bedlam of Morons! ! !
Soumya Dash
@sunblock
ReplyDeleteShakespeare to Soumya Dash in 24 hours?
:))
Rakesh bhai,
ReplyDeleteWhat a snowy mountain you are surrounded by / backdropped by ... !!!
@mo h
ReplyDeleteOh that view did not last for more than a day or two. Now we are surrounded by tourists from Delhi clogging the roads to Mussoorie - enjoying their three days weekend in a long traffic jam. :))
I am sure compared to your school days, the environment effect has affected the snow, RM ?
ReplyDeleteYou would know by comparison ?
and, it lasted only couple of days,
ReplyDeletewith your profiling like catching the only rally that happened for 2days making a long kill on a trending day, you photographed the snow2010 for eternity :))
Mighty and majestic
ReplyDelete© Brandon Herrero
Mighty and majestic, standing tall,
Looking over the grassland they continue to rise.
Protecting God’s creatures both big and small,
The echoing sounds of nature abounds.
Atop their peaks collecting crystals,
The whiteness is so pure and clean.
Icicles glimmer so they can be seen,
A crisp chill is in the air.
Dew falls upon the blanket of green,
While blades sway in the breeze.
Shimmers of light bouncing all around,
Grass: green, soft and round.
Oh trees you give shade from the sun and heat from the rays,
You provide safety and comfort all of the days.
To all the birds and creatures of the forest,
You are a mighty guardian.
Up above where clouds roam free,
The beautiful blue sky is looking back at me.
Once the sky turns blue to black,
A twinkling of stars is looking back.
Reflections on the water,
The mighty hills do show.
Ripples of water splashing on my toe,
There is peacefulness like no other.
lovely poem sunblock, thanks!
ReplyDeletehey, rm, you dumbo,
ReplyDeletewhy dont u come n show ur happy face once a way ?
@ mo h
ReplyDeleteCome to Chennai, you mean?
:)
repeating ... ...
ReplyDeleteyou pretending dumbo,
@ mo h
ReplyDeleteI assure you "dumbo" is no pretension, that is the genuine thing!
:)
I heard whn u sat on the backbench the classroom was turned 180°
ReplyDeleteOk, bye, catchyou later ...
ReplyDeletehave a good trading,
and reserve me a cup of chai too.
:)
The Eclipse
ReplyDeleteI stood out in the open cold
To see the essence of the eclipse
Which was its perfect darkness.
I stood in the cold on the porch
And could not think of anything so perfect
As mans hope of light in the face of darkness.
Richard Eberhart
Wow!
ReplyDeleteBuzzzz ....buzzz ....
ReplyDeleteBelieve me when I say,
ReplyDeleteI love the humble bee!
From dawn to dusk,
Making honey for my tea.
Believe me when I say,
I fear the daring bee.
With flashing blade
He defends his home
From miscreants like me!
@bee
ReplyDeleteGood God! Even bees have stopped hard work and taken to poetry. :)
Hey, R M,
ReplyDeleteHowz virtual commodities going!
Your posts in the sites are great,
shows the chill climate there produces geniuses.
Takecare, Bye!!
Hope to get the immediate deadline over in couple of months, so that i can harass friends more...
:D
Hi moh
ReplyDeleteSuch harassment is always welcome. :)
:D :D :D
ReplyDeleteam missing all this fun ...
will catchup soon.
:))
Ketchup? I love that. :D
ReplyDeleteyep, will go well with freedom fries ...
ReplyDeletemmm ... now i realize freedom can fry people ...
ReplyDelete:D
now what pipelines you are scheming up, mister ...
ReplyDeleteat this rate we may need a fort [opportunity] knocks here :)
Aha, hope somebody will store gold there. :)
ReplyDeletei thought i already know that somebody is living in [near] shivaliks ...
ReplyDeleteAll that glitters is not gold. :D
ReplyDeletetrue ... it may be platinum ... or palladium ...
ReplyDelete:D
at the least silver ...
:))
Tin foil?
ReplyDelete:))
yep, some do tinfoiling the gold too, to avoid it eroding ...
ReplyDelete:D
Have a good day, buddie.
ReplyDelete"Good Morning Sunshine
Good morning, sunshine
a good morning to you.
Good morning, sunshine
and a good day too.
Keep a smile upon your face
for all the human race
and a good morning, sunshine
and a good day too.
Don't let earthly burdens bring you down
keep a smile and not a frown.
Good morning, sunshine
and a good day too
and know I love you.
All through the day
keep your chin up, your head held high
and you'll have a good morning, sunshine
and your day will be just fine.
© Sherri Emily Avery "
I would keep this blog as my dp to lodge many good souls' poems
ReplyDeleteHi sunblock!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the sunshine, here it is cloudy, rained almost all night.
That is a good idea, a DP with zero AMC. :)
Ok, now this is a poetry repository ...
ReplyDeletelemme add my portion too ...
here it goes ...
"
Even in the biggest storm
You can find a shelter,
When you know your inner home
You are best protected.
Stillness will embrace you here,
Warmth will sweep all over,
You will see your deepest fear
As a chance to grow on.
You will cast your eyes to look
At the face of peril,
And will see the greatest view,
And will feel so merry
That you are a part of this
Wonder-ful performance
And you had the strength to be
Actor, writer, audience.
You have tried all roles and miss
Coming to a good end.
So you have the expertise
To create a dreamland."
Have a great trading season.
Take care, Bye.
Good Morning, RakeshBhai ...
ReplyDelete:))
Good Morning Moh bhai!
ReplyDeletegood morning,
ReplyDeletein an old-morning-post
r m
:)
but the photos still keep the weather frozen still,
we can boldly say
"no elnino, no environment calamity, no ozone can ever melt this snow"
:D
Hi moh
ReplyDeleteGood Morning!
Laziness is the art of doing nothing! Now it is going to snow again in a few months so I won't have to post again. :)
cool .... literally and physically,
ReplyDeleteif you get excess, send it my way
:D
yee god, you have perma frosted this website ...
ReplyDeleteglad to know that, since its a cool pic this rm has posted ...
hey RM, man,
Merry Xmas & rest next week!!
regards
mo h
Thanks Moh! Merry Christmas to you too. :)
ReplyDeleteMy blog reminds me of the broken watch, but this one tells the correct time only once in a year!!
Wish You all a Happy New Year, RM!
ReplyDeleteConvey my regards and well-wishes to dad n mom ...
Thanks Mo h!
ReplyDeleteWishing you a Very Happy New Year!
@r m
ReplyDeleteHi, good morning, I recently went to Surkanda Devi Temple, a new (huge) temple has been constructed, these pictures will now have historical value! :) I can send some pictures, if you are interested....
:(
ReplyDeleteHi, Nice post! Would you please consider adding a link to my website on your page. Please email me back.
ReplyDeleteThanks!
Harry
harry.roger10@gmail.com
RM, long time!! I'd almost forgotten what a wonderful writer you are and something of a passionate environmentalist like me. Post something new, I'm very much in the boring unemployed bandwagon -- we have the most fun! ;)
ReplyDeleteHi Uma,Welcome back! It sure is fun being unemployed - long employment in the same work makes life rather boring. :)
ReplyDeleteI'll try to borrow or steal some pics to post here. I did borrow a few pics last year but my natural laziness prevented me from posting them!
regards.
rm
RM, so glad to see your reply. I thought you might not check in very often. If you need to borrow pics, it's time to take a vacation! :o) We had good rains this year and that's made me very happy. It makes the air worth breathing and the eyes get to feast on some patches of green...I'm looking forward to your new blog post. Don't be lazy! ;)
ReplyDelete@Uma
ReplyDeleteActually I never check here, but thanks to the honest postman Google, every comment is forwarded to my email. :)
You had good rains! We had beeeeeg rains, Even now clouds are not letting Dehradun alone. Every few days they catch you off guard and give a good drenching even in October!
I'll try to get out of lethargy and do something about the blog but I don't mind admitting that lethargy is not such a bad thing. :D
regards.
rm
Lucky you have comment forwarding to your mail! I wish there was rain forwarding from Dehradun to Pune! We had a shower day before yesterday but it still doesn't seem like winter.
ReplyDeleteAre you investing in stocks these days? I've bought tatasteel and ceat tyres, I keep scouring the net for value stocks. I have learned some basic things about reading a balance sheet :)
@Uma
ReplyDeleteNo rains left to forward, however, I am sending back the scattered clouds originated in Indian Ocean & Arabian Sea!
No investments, only trading these days. Besides Tatas & Infy there is hardly any other Indian Company whose balance sheet you can rely upon. :)
regards.
rm
RM, the clouds you sent have arrived!! Did you send by courier? :D Ab mausam bada suhana hai...Love winters.
DeleteYou are right, too much fraud in India. The NSEL fraud is beyond imagination. So far we used to worry about cheater brokers but now entire commodity exchange is run by crooks! Same fellow Jignesh Shah was also on the board of MCX as Director, so two major commodity exchanges are frauds. Now for stock exchange and the companies listed therein...Mercifully SEBI is being very tough on these people and attached properties. Perhaps, if they had been politicians it could not have acted so tough...Who knows? Investors have lost a lot, especially their trust.
Congrats! That was heavenly courier service, fast delivery and free too!
ReplyDeleteThe activities of MCX promoters was always suspect. Previous SEBI chief did not permit them to open stock exchange, so he was denied extension. The present one came and gave the stock exchange permission to MCX at once!!
Sad... :(
ReplyDeleteSEBI is one regulatory body that was doing its job. The others (police, courts, CBI) are all totas
ReplyDeleteOn a different note, can you see snow on the Surkanda peak?
DeleteNo snowfall as yet, clear blue skies, clouds have not returned from Pune as yet. :)
ReplyDeleterakeshbhai, sorry poking my nose, legs and other things here, "clouds" are still hovering over national capital. south is having "sunny days"
ReplyDeleteHi Jaggubhai!
ReplyDeleteDon't worry, I am sending some cold weather your way, got too much of it. :D
Hi RM! Pune is pleasantly cool these days, though the afternoon sun can bake you like a burned cake. I might get some relief from watching the snow-capped Sukanda peak!
ReplyDeleteJaggubhai! Good to see you, I wondering when you'd make an appearance.
@Uma
ReplyDeleteLucky you! My room temperature never goes beyond 14 degrees these days. Have to keep my hands in jacket pockets all the time! I don't mind becoming a burnt cake for a change. :)
rakeshbhai, check your room thermometer, it must be broken, my teeth chatters from morning till high noon here in mangalore..
ReplyDeleteuma, jaggubhai appears during festival and new years time.
@Jaggubhai
ReplyDeleteTeeth chattering at 32/19 degrees? Must be eating too many sweets! Try 'dantkanti' toothpaste from Baba Ramdev's lab. :)
rakeshbhai, only ramdev knows whats there in dantkanti toothpaste? by the way, tommy is big fan of ramdev baba, tommy does all kind of "asanas" religiously daily before sleep...i had posted some pics before...LOL..
ReplyDeleteDon't disclose these unique qualities of Tommy to the ruling party folks. They will raid your house and put Tommy under every kind of tax scanner! :D
ReplyDeleteyeah, u r right...LOL
ReplyDeleterakeshbhai,
ReplyDeleteinteresting news for you:
http://www.daijiworld.com/news/news_disp.asp?n_id=207744
if you are still lazy to move the fingers, i will paste it.. LOL..
For a change, Mangalore too feels winter chill
Daijiworld Media Network - Mangalore
Mangalore, Dec 18 : 'We do not feel the real winter in Mangalore' was a common complaint from either residents or people who came on vacation over the last few years. The weather in Mangalore, except during the monsoons, seemed the same all year around.
But it seems this week the winter has arrived in Mangalore as well as in Udupi district in all its glory. On Monday December 16 night, Mangalore recorded a chilly 16.2 degree celcius while in Udupi it was still low at 15.2 degree celsius.
Though during the day the sun shines as usual, the mornings are deliciously chilly and the nights bitterly cold. Over the last few days, cool breeze has been blowing during the day, keeping the weather pleasant. Freezing water greets early birds and complains of cold and sore throats have become common.
As Christmas season arrives, Mangalore is expecting a huge number of visitors from around the Gulf and the west for Christmas celebration.
People pray that this beautiful weather continues to be pleasant around the twin districts.
so rakeshbhai, Merry Chirstmas and Happy new year, and lotts of love from Jaggu and Tommy
Merry Christmas Jaggubhai & enjoy the chill!
ReplyDeleteI guess Tommy will be looking forward to the Christmas Dinner table! Here is some appetizing stuff for Tommy!
ROFL! Tommy under tax scanner! Then they might also grill some of Tommy's followers...maybe we should change our meeting venue?
ReplyDeleteRM, Cheema is back in action! (Not stock market action but he got a private sector job and is settled down in his hometown. (I'll miss his photos clicked from remote areas of India, tho). He spoke to Jaggu and me. I don't think he knows about our secret meeting venue.. ;)
ReplyDeleteMerry X'Mas to you both! Pune has actually gotten a bit warmer.
ReplyDeleteHi Uma
ReplyDeleteGlad to know about Cheema Paaji! Will contact him on email - must disturb his peace. :D
Merry Christmas! It is a white Chrismas some 25 Kms from here (in Mussoorie).
ReplyDeleteI don't think today is going to be a good day for tatasteel...volumes falling since many days...might test 390 in coming days. I'm waiting to add more around that level.
ReplyDeleteWow! White Christmas! How lovely! Do you ever get snow in Dehradun?
ReplyDeleteNo! During very heavy snowfall, it snows upto 4000ft above sea level here. Dehradun is at 2000ft.
ReplyDeleteIt did snow here once due to freak weather in early forties, heard about that from my grandpa. :)
So you will have to be content with watching the snow on Sukanda! But you do get hail the size of golf balls, right? I remember one photo of your garden with hail.
ReplyDeleteIndividuals have a prompt mental and enthusiastic reaction when they see a logo. logo design service
ReplyDelete