Tiny pooris arranged nicely at a chat shop.

Photo taken at the Har-ki-pauri ghats in Haridwar.

Matho village.

Caught picking..

Actually its a different monk helping the mask dancer to adjust his mask.

The busy lanes of the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok

The best time to visit the floating market is early in the morning between 7am to 9am. It is when the markets will be at their most authentic with most of the dealings catering to the locals. Around 9am the tourists start to arrive and things tend to get a bit chaotic for the next couple of hours. Everything winds down by midday.

Devotees pay their respect to the aarti flames and receive blessings from the priests.

Yumthang

Group of Ladakhis gathered in the crowd praying at the appearance of the Oracle during the Thiksey gustor festival in Ladakh.

Undoubtedly the most special moment of the festival is when the Oracle appears. A chosen lama is possessed by a certain deity during the day of the festival and he goes into a trance state. The possessed lama then answers questions put forth by the people regarding the future prospects for ladakh and the local village for the coming year. He is also said to sometimes answer personal question put forth by the public but puts on a "frenzied display of anger" when asked skeptical questions designed to test himWhile in the trance state the oracle also performs astounding feats of acrobatics like dancing on the end of a ledge high up in the monastery (sometimes blindfolded) and even cutting themselves with knives (they supposedly heals the next day when the lama wakes up in the morning).

The worlds largest (32m) statue of Maitreya Buddha outside the Diskit gompa

Laundary run..

A local monk watching the festivities.

A 'peek' of gold.

The sunlit peak of Kanchendzonga peeking through the cloud cover. As time went on the light shone more intensely on the peak making it glow brighter. This picture is exactly how it was over there in that magical moment. Photo taken from the Lamune campsite on the Yuksom-Gochela trek. 4:44pm

A sweet meat vendor at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok.

It was yummy. A a taco like wrapper filled with sweet cream and grated coconut and carrots. Delicious albeit a bit sweet.

At Kappad, Vasco Da Gama Landing Place

Yumthang

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Traditional Kullu houses in Manali.

The head monk overseeing things as the giant Thagka of Thiksey monastery is being rolled up.

Blue mountain sheep (Bharal) grazing by the Gata loops roadside.

Monks gathered to offer puja to a butter sculpture at the Hemis monastery, Ladakh.

One of the important events of the festival start after it has actually ended. A few hours after the final ceremony all the monks gather in the courtyard or in the main temple of the monastery. Here they offer pujas to the Butter sculptures and Tomas (conical cakes made of barley and butter) created as offerings for the festival. Once the puja is done they take these artifacts on a ritual procession around the monastery compound, accompanied by a lot of cheering and music from the monks.

Vajra and Bell

fall colors..

love the play of the yellow, green and blue colors here..

Kanwar yatra pilgrims walking on the road between Uttarkashi and Rishikesh.

The copper colored mountains near the Hymia village.

The stunning scenery around the Tso Kiagar lake.

The most incredible scenery on this route opens up just after crossing the Namshang La pass. A high altitude (~4800m) grassy plateau ringed by snowcapped mountains and a small emerald blue lake (Tso Kiagar) in the middle. The place is so beautiful that you'll be forgiven for thinking that it is the actual Tso Moriri lake and turn back after spending a few hours there. From the Story : The Tsomoriri Trip.. A troubled trip that couldn't have gone any better..

A more traditional ladakhi style home in the Thukje village.

The wetlands surrounding the Tsokar lake.

The wetlands surrounding the Tsokar lake near Thukje village.

Colorful bamboo hats on sale at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok

The last set of switchbacks before Marhi..

It is while climbing these switchbacks that i got caught in the hailstorm. My camping spot is somewhere to the right of the waterfall. You maybe able to see a hut at the rightmost edge of this photograph.

Waiting for my tent to dry after the rains @ 7:35am

Waiting for my tent to dry after the rains @ 7:35am

The Pushkar Lake

A few of the 52 ghats surrounding the Pushkar lake

Intricate art on the pillars

Zero Point

Piping hot aloo tikki (potato patties) and big fluffy pooris on offer.

Photo taken at the Har-ki-pauri ghats in Haridwar.

Young vendors at Har-ki-pauri. Haridwar.

As i was walking towards the Har-ki-Pauri ghats these kids came up to me sell these odd looking garlands. I didn't buy any, but still they were happy to pose for a few pictures.

The bustling colorful sardar market

Just a day before diwali, the sardar market in jodhpur was a riot of colors.

Photoshoot with the monks at the Dramtse monastery near Trashigang.

Photoshoot with the monks at the Dramtse monastery near Trashigang.

Making the best of what they have.

Kanwar Yatra pilgrims pausing for a moment on the trail between Gangotri town and Gaumukh.

The Korzok village above the shores of the Tsomoriri lake.

The white building in the background is the Korzok gompa.

Sunrise over Tsomoriri Lake.. The sun peeking out through the mountains.

The road leading out of the Tsokar lake towards Puga Sumdo and Tsomoriri.

Coconut Express : A floating coconut vendor at the Damnoen Saduak Floating Market, Bangkok.

I love how the coconuts here are so nicely presented. But i do wonder if its worth all the extra effort.

A Nilgai crossing the road at the Ranthambore National Park

Mehrengarh Fort : The work of angels and giants