Upendra Swami

Two valleys where flowers missed you this lockdown

Upendra SwamiMay 29, 2020384 Views2

India has big number of exceptionally stunning valleys of flowers across its peninsular region, and top among them is definitely the ‘valley of flowers’ in Uttarakhand’s Chamoli district inside the Nanda Devi Biosphere reserve. It is so popular that whenever you talk about Valley of Flowers, it is presumed that you are talking about it. But there are many other valleys of flowers and a handful of them are in the Himalayan region itself. They might not be as popular as the Valley of Flowers in the Nanda Devi Biosphere reserve but they are equally beautiful and worth a visit. Yumthang in North Sikkim Har Ki Doon valley in Uttarakhand Well, here I am not talking about all the valleys of flowers. That isn’t the purpose of the post. I am loking at what we have missed this season due t...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown effect | A yatra without yatris!

Upendra SwamiMay 25, 2020479 Views2

Chardham yatra is one of the India’s major pilgrimage and it is second time in last eight years that it has to be shelved. Last time in 2013, it was due to an altogether different reason as Yatra has to suspended and finally called off due to devastating floods in Uttarakhand. But that year, Yatra started in usual manner with all customs and rituals, but met a catastrophe on 16th & 17th June when extremely heavy rainfall and sudden melting of glaciers created a havoc like never before. Thousands of lives were lost and villages after villages were washed away. So, that year Yatra didn’t resume. Now this year again Yatra has been suspended because of lockdown due to Corona pandemic. The temples have been opened but routes are closed for yatris as no travel is allowed for this purp...

FoodInternationalReviews

Lockdown chefs! Try some of these Timeless Virginia Recipes

Upendra SwamiMay 23, 2020823 Views0

Many consider Virginia to be the birthplace of American cuisine, with Thomas Jefferson regarded as "America's First Foodie"... so you know this American state takes its food seriously! Virginia state's signature cuisine is a reflection of its abundant agriculture. All across Virginia, its talented chefs have access to fresh ingredients and artisan products year round, to design menus that are as creative as they are comforting. But why are we talking of food when we can’t venture out of home due to lockdown? So in these Corona times, while stuck at home, why not recreate some of Virginia's signature dishes for yourself? Here are some traditional recipes for three of those famous dishes, along with some of the top chefs' interpretation of those same plates. Bring a little Virg...

AdventureIndiaPhotogallery

Missing Ladakh : Let’s go for a photo journey!

Upendra SwamiMay 21, 2020438 Views5

May is about to end and many of us like me will be getting restless as Ladakh season gets closer. For many, Ladakh is an annual ritual, for many others it is an ambition of lifetime and you definitely can't doubt the feelings of all of them who are terrified with the prospect of the season getting a corona wash-out. Although, limited transportation seem to be resuming but actual travel doesn't seem to be happening in the near future. Good, if it happens this season at any point of time. I am sure many will rush with their bikes. But till then, lets go on a photo tour of Leh, a glimpse of it. Flying over Ladakh is an experience in itself But honestly speaking, covering Ladakh in a single feature or a post or a gallery is not justified. It is so vast and vivid, that you need umpteen ...

InternationalNews

Where will you travel after COVID-19 lockdown ends!

Upendra SwamiMay 10, 2020745 Views0

It is indeed very frustrating to get locked up at home. Most of us love to travel and we would like to pack our bags and move out on the very first opportunity provided. But that does not seem to be happening in the near future. It is just a wild guess; everyone is making that when can we travel like a free bird again. But we can certainly make our priorities on where are we going to travel first, once this damn lockdown is lifted. As most of the countries are in lockdown and at least 93 percent of the global population now lives in countries with coronavirus-related travel restrictions, Tourism and Travel has become one of the most affected industries by COVID-19. iVisa has tried to understand how this context of fear and uncertainty is going to affect the future of travel. It conducted ...

IndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown Chronicles : Last 10 days which weren’t the last

Upendra SwamiMay 7, 2020285 Views0

What were presumably supposed to be the last ten days of a 40 day nationwide lockdown in two phases- a 21 day first phase and a 19 day second phase. Ten days of hope and anticipation, which actually concluded in start of another phase of distress. Altogether a big human tragedy has unfolded in all this, which reflects in the first image. Experiments with camera continued but many other things keep happening! Let's travel through these ten days. Also read: Lockdown chronicles : Photo diary of first 10 days of forced sit-in DAY 31 Lockdown Chronicles Day 31! : Life in a metro! With nowhere to go in the lockdown, this migrant labourer has nothing else but shade of an under-construction flyover to cook his daily meals! DAY 32 Lockdown Chronicles Day 32! : While everyone was...

IndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown chronicles : Another 10 days passed and ten more to go

Upendra SwamiApril 24, 2020364 Views2

So as expected, what was supposed to be the last day of initial 21day lockdown period, actually brought the confirmation of taking this to a 40 day sit-in. Now, another set of ten days has passed. It has been a month of being stopped into walls of the house, besides some bare minimum steps outside to get things for daily needs. There have been few other reasons to move out as well, such as providing relief to some very needy people around and field trips owing to journalistic profession. But, what continued unabated was putting camera to regular use. So here is the snapshot of third set of ten days into lockdown. Also read: Lockdown chronicles : Photo diary of the first 10 days of forced sit-in DAY 21 Lockdown Chronicles Day 21 : Looking back to the first phase! When life w...

IndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown chronicles : Next 10 days and counting

Upendra SwamiApril 14, 2020354 Views8

Things had taken a shape of routine in the next ten days of the lockdown due to COVID-19 spread. Well, I am talking about the photography routine. Although even without photography, watching these trees across and all the avian species moving around had become bit fascinating. Still, nothing can be compared to vagabonding around. That is yet some days away. Hope remained that 21st would be the last day, although all indications point to the contrary. Till then, here are the chronicles of the second set of ten days. (You can follow me on Instagram to see all these as daily feeds.) Also read: Lockdown chronicles : Photo diary of first 10 days of forced sit-in DAY 11 Lockdown Chronicles Day 11 : Almost four floor high neem tree is actually a landing and resting site for most of the...

IndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown reads: Walking down the Agra’s necropolis, in the shadow of the Taj

Upendra SwamiApril 5, 2020468 Views0

Walking around Taj Mahal is like roaming within different layers of Mughal history. Once you start peeling off these layers, you get to know—one after the other—many lesser known facts and events of the period which was largely overshadowed by a single story of love. As one of the curators of our walk, Shradha Arora would say it as the ‘shadow of the Taj’, a ‘necropolis’ where all dead lay buried, including the other queens of Shahjahan, all of whom have largely been forgotten. We all know about Mumtaz Mahal and the story of Taj Mahal. In an earlier post we also talked about the first wife of Emperor Shahjahan. Kandahari Begum, as she was know, has her tomb at Sandali Masjid complex on the other side of the Taj Mahal complex, but not the part of it. We are now going to talk about other...

IndiaPhotogallery

Lockdown chronicles : Photo diary of first 10 days of forced sit-in

Upendra SwamiApril 3, 2020333 Views2

For all travel bugs, it is hard to- not just stay at one place but confined to boundaries of their homes. No different for me. It isn't so that my routine has changed drastically, but it is in your mind that you have been forced to do something by a competitor who is in no mood to give you any chance. With spring travel planes shelved, I had to put camera to some use to keep my hands in habit of holding the five kilogram heavy tele lens. Trees across my first floor balcony became the frames and birds & flowers the characters. So, here are the modest offerings of the first ten days of nationwide lockdown due to coronavirus. DAY 1 Lockdown Chronicles Day 1! : Putting camera to some work during lockdown. A pair of yellow footed green pigeon on the tree right adjacent to my balcony...