Photographs from Dehra Dun and beyond

Snows

2011-01-01T11:40:00.003+05:30

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

Happy Forests

2010-09-07T20:29:00.004+05:30

Dehradun hills seem to be made of very porous material. Whenever we have plenty of rains, the hills begin handing it out in the form of little streams springing up everywhere. This one is called 'Nalapani' and is a source of fresh water throughout the year, unfortunately the stream is captured at the source and confined to a water tank except for monsoons when no one can keep it imprisoned.

Here it is enjoying its new found freedom and eager to meet the mighty Ganges, where all streams and rivulets draining the east side of Dehradun end up.

Morpheus

2010-08-06T17:09:00.000+05:30

This was the best in my nephew's collection! I hope he doe's not sue me for copyright violation, even if he does he won't get much!
My nephew's favorites, be it a car or bike or pet, are named after the Greek Gods, Morpheus and Bacchus! I presume that these God's play a big role in an Engineer's education. :-)

Rains, Glorious rains!

2009-10-02T20:23:00.000+05:30

I am so lazy that instead of going outdoors I captured the rainfall from my verandah!

Jungle Sounds

2009-10-02T15:02:00.002+05:30

My jungle has sounds unlike those of Corbett's or Kipling's forest. Only wild animals I have encountered here are monkeys, langoors and wild boar (seen just once in past six years) so the sounds I hear are just birds and cicadas. Here is a sample - enjoy the cicada song and the call of brain-fever bird!

Please overlook the poor quality of video, I only want to relieve you from the tedium of watching the last posting!

Hail Hail!

2009-02-18T22:19:00.003+05:30

Hailstorms were common during March-April in Dehradun of yesteryears. The kids had fun playing with ice pellets though the storms completely destroyed the standing crops. Farmers should be thankful to climate change, at least the hail storms are a rarity now. There has been only one major hailstorm in Dehradun in last five years. It ocurred in March 2007 and gave our lawn a snow-white look. The ice took many hours to melt and sweaters and shawls came out!

Poised for Take-off ?

2009-01-11T14:56:00.008+05:30

Insects have a really simple life, no euphoria in a booming economy and no worries in recession! Some environment experts claim that insects population will grow multifold as a result of global warming. So it is likely to be boom time for butterflies - that is why they say that every cloud has a silver lining!

Deodar (Cedarus Deodara), देवदार

2009-01-04T22:28:00.008+05:30

Deodar or Himalayan Cedar (Cedarus Deodara) is a sacred tree from higher Himalayas. The name is derived from Dev (divine) and daru (wood) or "wood of the Gods". Deodar grows at altitudes between 1500 metres to 3200 metres. Deodar forests can be seen at Mussorie but this picture was taken at Dhanaulti, a small sleepy place 25 kms. from Mussorie.

Dutchman's-Pipe Cactus, Queen of the night

2008-11-05T15:37:00.002+05:30

This plant has been in our house for last 5 years but I never saw it flowering. It was rumored that it blooms at midnight. The other night I saw it blooming and the flower turned out to be really beautiful. Since my father did not know the name of the plant (he is the the one who knows everything about the plants - I am just the waterboy!) a google search was made. It turned out that the plant has got scores of names, following being prominent:

1. Cereus oxypetalus
2. Epiphyllum oxypetalum
3. Phyllocactus oxypetalus

Commonly the flower is know as the Queen of the night and Dutchman's-Pipe Cactus. Information on web suggests that the plant flowers once in a year. But I have found it blooming twice, once in early August and again in September, probably Indian climate suits it. First time there were fifteen buds, four bloomed on the first night and eleven on the second. The second time there were only five or six buds. Plant's name is derived from the way the buds point upwards like a smoking pipe. The buds can be seen opening slightly in the early evening. By midnight the flower is in full bloom and by next morning the flower is closed and the show is over!

Jungle babbler

2005-09-30T22:08:00.000+05:30

This young jungle babbler fell out of its nest when my father accidentally pruned the very branch on which the nest was built. The rest of the day was spent in trying to make the chick comfortable in its own nest ensconced in a flower pot where its parents and foster parents took turn in feeding it (with Jungle babblers it is a commune system where whole group feeds the young ones) till the chick got tired of the fuss and refused to stay clamped down at one place. When last seen it was trying to go up a nearby tree in small calculated steps and the foster parents were egging it on.