Allow me to take you on a virtual tour towards the North Eastern part of India, specifically to parts of Shillong and Cherapunji in Meghalaya and Kaziranga, Pobitora and Suwalkuchi in Assam.
But, lets begin at the Netaji Shubhas Chandra International Airport (CCU). We reached here at around 2330h, our flight was 1040h, next day. With more than ample time, we camped in the lounge. I didnt manage to sleep, instead, I got fascinated by the empty chairs!
Past the security check, the wait was over quick, and we were airborne. The flight was a short one, it felt like we climbed, the hostess gave the refreshments, and we landed.
With this, we landed at the Lokpriya Gopinath Bordoloi International Airport (GAU), Guwahati.
From here, we loaded up on Toyota Innova, and were on our way towards Shillong, Meghalaya. Approximate time to get there, 5 hours.
As my cellphone started playing the acoustic version of Coldplay’s Shiver, I woke up. Time on the clock..0330h. Nice! On time!
Got dressed up and ready and I met up with the rest of the cab-mates to the trip to Tiger Hill. The cab would take us to Ghoom, and back. I would get down at Ghoom and head back to my base camp, at Siliguri.
A point to note, if you are interested to go to the hill in the morning, you must book your cab the previous day evening. Normally, the hotel where you stay will assist. And yes, go early if you want a decent spot. It gets very crowded really soon.
Anyway, we made it there by around 0545, sun being scheduled to rise at 0600h. Clouds dominated the scene and disappointment loomed absolutely like the dark clouds.
This is morning 0545h
I jostled around, trying to make a bit of space for myself, just in case the sun came up good and I managed some shots, just in case.
And then, the clouds moved away, just a bit though, but enough I feel.
The sun!
All wanted the sun!
Loved the Phablet.
As for the sunrise, this is all you can see…and frankly, the “sunrise” didnt impress me much.
But this did!
The Kanchenjunga, I think!
Encore!
I loved the view of the mountains and the way the clouds moved about. Also, as an after thought, maybe visiting the Tiger Hill, a little later in the day, around 1000h, would have been better. The sun would be brighter, less crowed, and the reflections on the peaks much more clearer. Need to verify this idea actually.
On the way back, a few more shots which made me happy.
Same peak, different Viewpoint
The fence, and the peak
Eventually, we reached Ghoom and I parted ways. Took a few shots at the Batasia Loop and then, flagged a taxi and slept in it till I reached Siliguri.
Batasia Loop Memorial
Shopping on the loop
View from the loop
So, this is how my trip was of Darjeeling. I hope you liked the series. The rest are here – D1, Loco and D2.
Next trip?? Not sure yet, but I have a few plans 🙂
Continuing from Darjeeling station now!
I walked towards the Mall. En route, I stopped for a cup of refreshing coffee at a shop just past Das Studios. If you want to buy old photos or anything related to photography, this place is a good place to start.
Refreshing cup!
The road has shops lining it, selling woolens and other collectibles too.
Finally, the Mall. In the nutshell, its an open meeting ground of sorts. A balcony of sorts on one side, normally used as a Durga Puja Mandap or for delivering speeches is on one side. Shops line the other side. There are two paths leading to Mahakal temple and the Himalayan Mountaineering Institute and the Zoo. All three places are worth visiting. Bear in mind though, the HMI and Zoo follow a 1000h-1600h operating schedule.
Street shops near the Mall
The Mahakal temple is situated after a climb, not a lot though. You will not get any mountain views from there, but its serene and peaceful, right within a jungle of tall trees. Be advised, there are lots of monkeys here. But normally, if you do not bother them, they will not bother you.
Entrance to the Mahakal Temple
Prayer wheels, Mahakal Temple
As I returned from the temple back to Mall, I noticed this certain kid, posing to his father. I couldnt resist taking a few shots. I sent them the photos once I returned back.
On the route to the HMI and Zoo, I came across some local flora. This certain flower, a variation of Bougainvillea, it seemed, looked native and abundant there.
Local Flora, up close!
Local Flora II
On the way back, I again stopped at a roadside cafe, had a cup of coffee, a plate of Momo. The view from there, had there been lesser clouds, would have been amazing, but I had to be content with shooting this windchime in the sun.
Chime In!
Just before I left, I met with this local fauna! He was fluffy, and cute and was aptly named Bhaloo!
Local Fauna: Bhaloo
On the way back, I had another cup of tea at a stall in the Mall, and loitered around there, checking out the local shops to buy anything interesting. Ended up buying some handmade incense sticks from a shop.
Evening shopping spree
While coming back, I hit the Glenary’s. They serve awesome food in reasonable rates and is one of the best places to have a hearty meal. Do try it.
I returned back to the hotel, switched on the lights, and saw this, on the wall.
The Lucky Wall
I dont mind the kisses, but I wish they werent just on the wall though.
Anyway, with a wake up call scheduled at 0330h, next morning, i retired for the day. You may ask, why so early? Well, I was going to Tiger Hill the next day. Do I make it on time, see the sunrise? Find out in the next post. Coming up soon!
This is a continuation of my trip to Darjeeling. How I reached here, and what I saw, check them here
Now, I was refreshed, and off I went walking back to the station. Now, there are two types of locos here, the Diesel one, and the heritage steam one.
The diesel trip from Darjeeling to Ghoom and back will cost you Rs 650 while the steam one, for the same distance will cost you Rs 1050. Be advised, there is pretty immense rush there, so book in advance.
Enough talk, now the photos!
In the service of the nation, since 1940
The Diesel! I wasnt too impressed by it!
Ahaa!!
Now we are talking!!
Some steam!
And…some more!!
One thing is for sure..you can never get enough of steam engines! They are simply wow!
Darjeeling, the Queen of Hills, as she is fondly mentioned around. It was a summer retreat of the British, much like Shimla, Ooty, etc. and has a lot of British heritage strewn around. Two things, make Darjeeling very famous, all around the world, its Tea, fine and flavoured and the Darjeeling Hill Railway, a narrow gauge line from Siliguri to Darjeeling.
For anyone, who hasnt been here yet, and is planning a visit to this side of the country, do make Darjeeling a part of your itinerary for sure.
I ll break the complete journey into parts, and let in a bits of information as and when I see necessary, so that, for those who have been here, feel refreshed, and those who havent, should feel tempted and inspired to visit again. Hope you enjoy the journey, lets begin.
I started from Venus More at Siliguri. Shared taxis are plenty, and they charge about Rs 150 for the trip to Darjeeling. The traditional route, of Hill Cart Road, with the train line snaking along the mountain has been washed out at Tindharia, hence, the Mirik/Rohini – Pankhabari road is being taken.
The Hill Cart Road, the train line on the right here!
The train line snaking into the hills
The road via Pankhabari is one of the steepest and is filled with twisty turns and scenic views. If you are motion sick, please take the medicines before you go by this route, you ll need them.
Just one of the many hairpin turns on the road
En route Darjeeling, we come across, the major Kurseong, Sonada and Ghoom.
TV tower of Kurseong, at times visible from Siliguri too!
The road continues to snake through, and just past the Ghoom station, you ll find the famous Batasia Loop. In this loop, the train does a full round of a hill and executes an ascent or descent of a steep gradient. There is an Army memorial there. More on Ghoom on the return trip.
Another, Top-Down view!
It took almost 3 hours to reach Darjeeling, and I was famished. If you are a vegetarian, I cant give any recommendations, but if you dig meat, head straight to Keventers. Ask the traffic police, and they ll be happy to show you the way. Once there, DIG in to the English breakfast. I had sausages, ham, bacon, eggs, a couple of butter toast and a mug of hot chocolate.
Try sitting on the Open Air part!
The view from there is pretty mesmerizing. One side is the street, photos below, and the other side is the valley. The valley is generally covered in clouds, as was this day, and hence I actually didnt bother to shoot.
The Clock Tower atop the Government Building
For the ones who cant live without Pizza or Fried Chicken, theres some hope too!
Post the breakfast, I went in search of my hotel to stay. I would always recommend that you book one previously, and not be stuck with the hassles there.
Part II will be up very shortly, as soon as the photos get uploaded that is. With a struggling internet, it might mean tomorrow evening. Stay tuned. I go to the station, and shoot some locos and then I explore bit of local flora and meet up with a fluffy local fauna too.
Heres the second part of my Siliguri street shots. Also featuring my cousin brother, Mayukh Haldar, who is also an excellent shot himself.
The paper boat..sideways!
Yup, thats my bro!!
School Vans
Apart from these two parts of the post, I covered Holi (the festival of colors) at siliguri too. See it here!
I ll be here for a couple of more days, but before I leave, I am scheduled to visit Darjeeling . I hope to make the trip successfully and return with some shots that make me, and you happy.
Hey there,
If you have checked my recent posts, you would know that currently am at Siliguri. Its a town within the state of West Bengal which is the passage to the 7 sister states of the North-Eastern states of India. There are hills, tea gardens lined around this place, and a cool-ish weather all round the year. And, I was born here too!
Anyway, this place provided me with perfect opportunities to try out the street photography skills. As I soon found out, the people here are happy to get clicked and even happier when you show the photo. As with most places in India, the ladies are a tad camera shy and, unless you know her well enough, no point pushing it. So here are my shots.
Last year, around this time, I was in Bangalore, with a bunch of colleagues who turned out to be close friends, smearing each other with colour and having fun. This year, am at my granny’s place, in the town where I was born, the gateway to the North East India, nestled at the foothillls of the Shivalik mountain ranges, Siliguri.
Anyway, its Holi again. The festival of colors and joy and fun. I missed my friends pretty much, and the only way I was going to suppress the feeling, was by going about making some photos! So, here goes, Holi, through my lens!
Pre Holi masks for sale!
This holi, a new hairdo 😛
To the next locality…
Vibrant!
Decked up for the next round!
I like the peek!
Two face??
The last photo and the featured image, I couldnt find a model to try the shots on, so, I became the model and taught my aunt (Mummum) to shoot using a DSLR! A few trial and errors, yes, but after about an hour of training, she managed to get the focus correct and shoot straight! Good results I ll say!
Add some color to your page, show off your holi shots too!!
I love it when the weekly photo challenges are a bit theoretical in nature. This week, its the Rule Of Thirds. I am sure you all have come across this rule, by choice or not. Check out the challenge page and other responses here.
Lets just begin. Divide your frame into 3 parts, horizontally and vertically and then keep your most important subjects on the intersecting points of the grid or on the grid lines. Remember the grid option in your phone’s camera, yes, thats the grid for this superb rule. And try to avoid the center block.
When we align the photos suitably, you ll notice almost immediately, that the look and feel of the photo changes and becomes much more pleasing and natural to the eye. Go ahead try it.
Here is an example of the rule.
Here, the bird on the foreground is almost in the left third, while the one in the background is on the right thirds. The opposite river bank is in the upper third.
This is one of the most common rules which immediately makes your photo look better.
TRAVELOGUES AND TREASURES 