Music of the Ganges

I have been addicted to the Himalayas since I was a child. One of the reasons for shifting base to Delhi was the proximity to the Himalayas. Last month I got yet another opportunity for a quick trip to the Himalayas.

Kaudiyala is one serene spot, I keep going to again and again. The place, 35 kms upstream of Rishikesh, carries a special memory for me. This time round, I was with family and we chose to stay at the Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam rest house. The location, as happens with all GMVN rest houses, was the BEST.

View from GMVN rest house

With the pristine Ganga flowing right in front of the rest house/tourist house, the place is as serene as it can be. 

      

And the loud roaring rapids were a constant company as the curve in front of us was also a shallow step (as is evident from the picture above) down for the fast flowing river. 

 

Far on the right, across the Ganga, past the expansive pebbled shore was a camp site with welcoming tents.  

Because we visited in April, the tall hillock in front of us wore a parched look although the trees and shrubs nearer to the water level were green.

Bhagirathi roaring down to meet Alaknanda at Dev Prayag

View from the top - Canoeing at the Ganges

I can go on and on about the Himalayas, the Ganges and the ambiance. Every time I go there, I come back with renewed intention - I am going back there soon. 

Few more glimpses of Arunachal Pradesh ...

Can't get over with Arunachal ever !!!  So many images, I can go on and one. For now, yet another post on Arunachal glimpses.

Anjaw district with just one person per sq km population density is the least populated district in the entire country. Often, people live in solitary houses far away from the main village and in most of the times, on mountain tops accessible only by feet.

One such solitary house

Continuous lush green mountains will suddenly look torn out at places ... that is none other than jhoom kheti (jhoom cultivation). Debates continue if this pattern is good or not, but this has been the way of life in Arunachal for quite some time now.

  

Lush green mountains wear a torn look

Before the Border Roads Organisation built the pucca bridge at Moshai across Lohit river, the only way people from Moshai and Kaho, the last village on the Indian border in Anjaw district, could commute was using this hanging bridge at Kibithoo.

The hanging bridge at Kibithoo on the Lohit

And now, the ultimate ... the mighty Lohit in the upper reaches of the Anjaw district ...

And there is more to Lohit and Anjaw than this. May be sometime later again. Enjoy !!!