Amidst the Thunderdragon. Magnificence of Bhutan is better experienced than described. This is the endless ranges of the green Himalayas between Phuentsholing and Thimphu with the low setting sun.
Reflecting on Nubra. No, this is not a lake. Just a water logged area from a recent rain which is reflecting the Karakoram range in the Nubra valley. This vast valley of cold desert is at 10,000 feet is formed by Shyok river and the Siachen rivers.
Skyline of Singapore. Like all major cities, the skyline will keep changing and expanding every few years, it still is, but in the meantime, Marina bay sands, Gardens by the bay, Central business district, marina barrage in a frame.
Alice fell through a hole and landed up in wonderland and I had to roll down a valley from McLeod ganj to reach Tsechokling Monastery.
Supertrees, Gardens by the bay, SIngapore. After a country is done putting together a brilliant infrastructure it moves to other things, like building a 250 acres landscaping project on land reclaimed from the sea. With man made lush greens till your eye can see and these giant "Supertrees" aiding the functioning of these gardens. These trees are an answer to why should trees be dwarfed by skyscrapers. They are solar photovoltaic systems , air venting ducts, vertical gardens of plant species from all over the world and come to life with light at night by all the energy they collected during the day.
Meguro river and Cherry blossoms at night, Tokyo, Japan
Torri is a traditional Japanese gate found at shrines. Fushimi Inari Taisha, is a Shinto shrine where Inari Okami, the spirit of the fox god is worshiped. The many bright orange Torri, gates, line up on a walk up the mountain, giving a surreal feel.
The idea of Thimphu, Bhutan
St Paul's Cathedral , London
On the bridge near Sakuranomiya station, Osaka, Japan
Radhanagar Beach and a cloudy sunset, Havelock, Andaman Islands, India
Mornings in Tokyo, Japan . Lovely single seats and tables at cafes, restaurants and pubs !
The very attractive Ministry of Communication and Information building in SIngapore. I hear this building has 927 windows and the colour shades increases in intensity with height.
In Vietnam many couples to be wed get their pictures taken in beautiful places and buildings , including the Ho Chi Minh museum in Saigon.
Rinpung Dzong in the backgroud, Paro, Bhutan
Millenium bridge from the stone gallery of St. Paul's Cathedral, London
At Changangkha Lhakhang, Thimphu I asked this old lady if I could take her picture and she gladly went and sat between her friends and created this wonderful frame for me.
“The cherries’ only fault: the crowds that gather when they bloom”
— Saigyo, 12th-century poet.
Pathway with Sakura at the perfect bloom, on the walk to Ginkaku-ji, Kyoto, Japan
Oops! Kids at their home with a store front, Haa Valley, Bhutan
Achutharaya temple, Hampi, India
On top of Kyoto main station, Kyoto, Japan
First afternoon with Sakura at Shinjuku Gyoen, Tokyo, Japan
The famous Paro Takstang, Bhutan
It was calm and cheerful stillness standing in the courtyard of Thieu Tri Tomb, Hue, Vietnam
Lotus waiting to be offered to Buddha on a rainy morning. At the Wat Phra That Doi Suthep Temple in Chiang Mai, Thailand
"Where there is ruin, there is hope for a treasure" ~Rumi
The rare cyclone hit Dhanushkoti (Dhanushkodi) in 1964 that wiped away the town with 800 people and the a boatmail train with 115 passengers still talks to you if you want to listen at this place.
It's eerie and calm, strong and still, pristine and damaged.
These ruins are a museum, still standing for the lives lost in that storm.
London eye at night.
Sikkimese
Dhanushkodi, India
Japanese maple in spring, Ginkaku-ji, Kyoto, Japan
A selfie with Sakura, at Kiyomizu-dera, Kyoto, Japan
Street art in Jew town, Kochi, India
The famous yellow taxis of Calcutta, India
Door of Monastery, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India
Sisowath Quay, Sunset at the river promenade in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Busy yet a calm side to the capital.
View of Triund and Prayer flags, Mcleod Ganj, Dharamshala, India
Chemrey Monastery or Chemrey Gompa is a 1664 Buddhist monastery, approximately 40 kilometres from Leh on the way to Pangong tso, Ladakh
The Galle Lighthouse, Galle, Srilanka
Temple complex of Angkor Wat. The most famous framing. Yet you know you have to have one !
Without disturbing its stillness, Serpom Monastery, Bylakuppa, Karnataka, India
On the walk from Kiyomizu-dera on this street called ninenzaka towards Gion, Kyoto, Japan.
With how much effort the dress up studio , “Henshin” Studios, puts in and the accessories, it is easy to confuse them to be real Geisha unless you know the subtle wrong features that are deliberately put into their attire by the studios.
A runway at 17,000 ft on the way to Lake Gurudongmar, North Sikkim, India
Prayer wheels at Ranka Monastary, Gangtok, Sikkim
Chasing cherry blossoms and trains on the way to koyasan. The platform, the station master, the cherry blossoms, even small stations like this have so much beauty to offer. Kii-Hosokawa station, Wakayama Prefecture, Japan
Chapel in Christ church, Oxford, England
Lachung, Sikkim, India
Nuwara Eliya gardens, SriLanka
They do strike a perfect pose. Women visit the shinto shrine in their traditional kimono at Fusimi Inari Taisha, Kyoto, Japan
Radhanagar Beach and a cloudy sunset, Havelock, Andaman Islands, India
Shinjuku Gyoen, Cherry Blossom, Tokyo, Japan
Tea plantations, Kotagiri, India
The Maitreya Buddha of Diskit. A 100 foot statue looks like a small blip in front of the Ladakhi and Karakoram ranges in the village of Diskit in Nubra Valley. Just another measure of the scale of the landscape. The statue's construction was started in April 2006 and it was consecrated by H.H. the Dalai Lama on 25 July 2010. Mr. Nophel says the statue was built with three main functions in mind - protection of Diskit Village, prevention of further war with Pakistan, and to promote world peace.
Kalapathar beach, Havelock, Andaman islands, India
Philosopher's path adorned with sakura, Kyoto, Japan
There are so many stories while walking through Gion, Kyoto. One such through the window of a restaurant.
Nuwara Eliya, Srilanka
Radcliffe camera, Oxford, England
The Buddha tooth relic temple stands at the edge of chinatown against the city scape of Singapore. It is as magestic and richly designed on the inside as it is on the exterior. Singapore slows down inside this temple.
Do you spot the ballerina somewhere? 🙂
Tu Duc Tomb, Hue, Vietnam
Windermere on a Sunny September, Lake district, England
Watching the Sakaru and the train going into Sakuranomiya station, Osaka, Japan
Yochi-in at Koyasan is one of the many temples that offer lodging , shojin ryori (vegetarian buddhist cuisine) and even a small onsen. The most pleasant and enriching stay in Japan.
Triund peak, Mcleod Ganj, Dharmashala, India
Buddha, Namdroling Monastery, Bylakuppe, Karnataka, India
Ta Prohm, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Street art, Shoreditch, London
Shy at first but when I asked the girl how they eat so much chili, she translates it to her mother and they exchange a laugh. At weekend market in Thimphu
Ema or Chili is present in all Bhutanese dishes and in great quantities. But talk to them and you realise that even with all the chili spice in their food they are calm and happy people.
Camels on Hunder sand dunes in Nubra Valley, Ladakh, India
Bir valley, Himachal Pradesh, India
Coffee flower buds, the short lived coffee flowers in Chikamangaluru, Karnataka, India
Behind the blues, Pondicherry, India
Gardens by the bay and the night, SIngapore
The famous Arashiyama Bamboo groves. Kyoto,Japan.
If you have seen pictures of these groves without people and you assume it is one of those non crowded places, then the images are fooling you. There are usually and always a lot of people here. But yet, you do feel how serene the place is and at times even hear the bamboo creak and sway.
Apple season, Bhutan
Haji lane, Singapore
Very cheerful sight of Sisowath Quay from the open roof top restaurant le moon in Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Street art, Haji lane, Singapore
Stenzin Lamo, this beautiful six year old, hands down overshadowed the roses. From the little town of Diskit of nubra valley, she and her brother Zangldan go to school across the valley to Lakjung . Looking at the terrain and the altitude of the valley it makes you wonder how many days in a year they miss school because of weather .
The brown Pangong Tso, Ladakh, India
Calcutta streets and the hustle. India
Wooden cantilever by the school, Thimphu, Bhutan
Paro International airport with Dzong in the background.