Category Archives: Adventure

Himalayan rides : Batal of Chacha-Chachi Dhaba

June 19, 2017 swamiupendra 2 Comments

Rarely anybody passes through here without having a tea or something to eat.

Its all about love of nature and adventure that drives you to land unseen. The passion keeps accompanying you in your solo journeys. We have already travelled from Manali to Gramphoo via Rohtang pass.

Also See: Milestones to Ladakh: Manali to Gramphoo

From Gramphoo, we moved right alongside the Chandra river towards Spiti valley and reached to Chatru.

Also See: Hiamalayan Rides: Gramphoo to Chatru

I was heading towards Chandratal lake. I had no intention to go towards Kaza as I had already travelled to Kaza some time back. From Chatru I had a very tough ride to Batal. As I said earlier, Batal is a very important stopover. Once you cross the river Chandra at Batal and move uphill, there is a diversion. One road further up takes you to Kunzum top and then to Kaza in Spiti valley. Another road takes you deep inside the Chandra valley towards Chandratal. We will travel that distance next time. This time we are just talking about Batal.

Also read: Himalayan Rides: Chatru to Batal

Approaching Batal from Chatru and Chota Dara

Batal is located at farther end of a wide fat valley. Valley narrows at this point and then again widens up towards Chandratal after a few kilometres. It also gets important as there is tough climb upto Kunzum pass after here. Chandratal is also further 14 kilometres from here. Hence it makes a good resting point and have some food and fun. But it is also a good place to stay overnight.

Batal now has a few dhabas. Some time back there was only one- Chandra Dhaba. Actually Batal has now got associated closely with Chandra Dhaba, both of them have acquired a sort of legendary status. Chandra Dhaba, more so because of its owners Dorje Bodh and his wife Hishe Chhomo.

44 years is not a small period and this ever-loved couple fondly called as Chacha-chachi has been running Chandra Dhaba for last 44 years at one of the most difficult terrains in the world in most hostile conditions, weather and poor connectivity. Its not a mean business. They do it for the love of their work and this place. They have been providing adventurers- bikers, drivers, passengers, trekkers, et.al. with food and shelter for all this long in their very humble and jovial way. But not just this, they have also been helping and rescuing the travellers and adventures caught in sudden weather, snowfalls, landslides or any other emergencies.

Dorje Bodh serving tea to travellers at his Dhaba

This extraordinary couple is now part of many adventure folklores for decades and deservingly enough, have also been recognised with many awards, including Godfrey Philips bravery award. You can also a watch a video of a candid chat with Chacha Dorje Bodh by clicking on the link below-

Now few more dhabas have come round, although Chandra Dhaba still retains its premier status. In this region, all dhabas also double up as night shelters for the travellers. They are very handy for all those, who have to make emergency halts because of either getting late or adverse weather conditions. Travellers also make scheduled halts at these dhabas when they don’t want to carry tents with them.

These dhabas are descent place to stay. Mostly there will be beds inside the dhaba on one side, like a dormitory. Dhaba owners will be providing the sleeping bags and blankets. Since the dhaba and the kitchen will also be inside in the same area, therefore it will be cozy and warm in the night, while it would be freezing cold outside. Dhabas provide the breakfast and meals.

For all those, who love extreme adventure, there is plenty of place around to pitch tents and enjoy starry nights. Besides, there is also a PWD rest house in Batal, just opposite the Chandra Dhaba, and also some igloo shaped fibreglass fabricated forest huts.

Buses going from Manali or Keylong to Kaza also stop here for some time. Truckers with essential supplies of the region will always make a halt here. Actually earlier, when there was no road connectivity to Chandratal then, people will make Batal as the base and then trek to Chandratal. Even today, whenever that road is blocked, or just for adventure, people will trek for 14 kms from Batal to Chandratal. There are people who will take a bus from Manali, get down at Batal, trek to Chandratal and come back, and then they will either take another bus to Kaza or back to Manali.

Also read: Mesmerising & Captivating Chandratal Lake

During the season time, you will find many tourists here at time during the day

Batal is at an altitude of 3910 metres and it is located in a very hostile terrain. This place remains inhabited for almost six months from April end to October end. Rest of the time it remind inaccessible and even reaching through helicopters might be tough task during winters. Even during so-called summer months of adventure season, occasionally there might be heavy snowfall leading to road blockades. One should always be prepared physically and mentally for any eventuality.

But once you are here the beauty of the nature only steels the resolve to go further.

Way to Kunzum and Chandratal. You can see the bridge on the Chandra River.

Himalayan Rides : Chatru to Batal

June 11, 2017 swamiupendra 9 Comments

In the last episode of Himalayan Rides, we (me and my readers) travelled from Gramphoo to Chatru on way to Chandratal. Now we are travelling from Chatru to Batal. Batal is a very important stopover. Once you move ahead of Batal there is a diversion. A road uphill takes you to Kunzum pass and then to Kaza in Spiti valley and another one moves deep inside the Chandra valley towards Chandratal.

Also see: Himalayan Rides : Gramphoo to Chatru

Its a very small stretch in terms of the total ride but still I thought to devote a full post to this, as this one was very important in letting me know what to expect on the way ahead and what I need to do to keep myself better prepared.

Spiti valley Dhaba just a few kilometres from Chatru

Time for photography is time of rest for the machine!

Batal is just 31 kilometres from Chatru. Chhota Dara is 17 kms from Chatru and Batal is another 14 kms from there. But this 31 kms journey is no pushover, as it tests your riding skills. The route might not be too tough for four wheelers but it is tough one for bikes, specially the stretch from Chatru to Chhota Dara as at many places you have to ride through boulders and stones. This stretch can take a heavy toll on your vehicles, so keep them fit for it. There are few running streams to be crossed and one or two of them can be tricky for the first timers, more so if you don’t want to put your feet into the water.

Chota Dara: On paper this is a village, but there are only stones and stones around. A PWD pesthouse is there. Then there is also a Spiti Valley Dhaba on the way, which can provide you with some tents to stay and also breakfast and meals.

Alongside the whole route is work going on to lay optical fibre cables

I had a bit of uneasy experience on water crossing on the stretch. Actually, it was the first tricky one of the trip. I had brought a pair of water and snow proof shoes with me. But in the morning when I was packing the things at Chatru, I found that the sole of my both the shoes have not just only ripped off, but broken into pieces beyond any kind of repair. I actually tried to use the puncture solution to fix it but it only worsened. There was no alternative other than to how them. With heavy heart, I discarded them to dustbin. They had come to me all the way from Geneva, Switzerland.

But now there was an immediate problem for me. Till Chatru, I had not required to cross any stream, hence I didn’t fell any requirement for waterproof shoes and I carried on in my sports shoes. Now, if I required them then I can get a new pair only at Keylong. Till then I had to make sure that I don’t let my sports shoes get wet.

The view around always keeps us energetic!

And, I had a testing time just immediately. After I crossed Chota Dara, there was a stream flowing down from the mountains, crossing the road over to Chandra River. It was a tricky one as it was spread wide and it was tough for me to gauge the depth. Though, I was sure that it was not too deep but I had to ensure that I cross it smoothly so that I don’t have to touch me feet anywhere in between. Since I was bit weary of the stones and pebbles under the water, I was bit indecisive for more than a minute on which side to cross the stream. Luckily for me, a truck came from the behind and as it crossed the stream, I got an idea of the actual depth and concentration of stones, making it easier for me to follow and cross, that I finally did. Was I going to be equally lucky everytime till Keylong? Only time will tell.

Once I reached closer, I had to be careful

You can also see the video of this journey and my experience of crossing the stream by clicking below-

But it is definitely thoroughly enjoying as we pass through the beautiful Chandra Valley with snow-capped mountains all around from Indrasan, Deo Tibba, Ali Khan Tibba, White Sail, Papsura peaks and ranges. There is also a trek from Manikaran that brings to Chota Dara by crossing the Sara Umga pass. Stunning beauty around was actually reward for the tough ride.

You can cover this stretch of 31 kms in about three hours, depending on your riding skills as well as on time you give yourself to enjoy the surroundings. Early morning departure from Chatru will give you good time at Batal to eat and enjoy.

Enjoy the journey from the start, read:

Milestones to Ladakh : Manali to Gramphoo

Next: Chacha-Chachi’s Batal!

Please feel free to share but not so free to copy and paste!

Adventure, India, Photogallery

Himalayan Rides : Gramphoo to Chatru

May 28, 2017 swamiupendra 6 Comments

Gramphoo is 15 kms downhill from Rohtang top. Gramphoo is the place where roads to Lahaul valley and Spiti valley bifurcate. We have already travelled from Manali to Gramphoo via Rohtang pass.

(In case you have missed it, you can read it here– Milestones to Ladakh : Manali to Gramphoo)

In Spring and autumn times, valley is laden with flowers

From Gramphoo one road leads to Keylong and then towards Leh and another one towards Kunzum Pass and then to Kaza. There is also stark difference between roads on the two sides. Keylong-Leh road is the sort of expressway compared to this one. Road from Gramphoo to Chatru passes through narrow valley along the Chandra river. However once you cross the Chatru village, Chandra valley widens up.

Some areas are barren, while some are rich in vegetation

While moving towards Chatru there are a couple of water falls on the road. They don’t pose any problems for the four wheelers and these ones are not even tricky for two-wheelers as well. But you never know when it is raining heavily, they might pose some difficulties. It is better to be careful as situations will be different in different months and it can always change very rapidly.

Waterfalls look beautiful on other side of the valley

Even waterfalls on our side look glorious from a distance

Seemingly innocent water-pools may suddenly turn into high-voltage streams

Route from Gramphoo to Chatru is comparatively enjoyable because of roads, landscape and bit of inhabitation. Actually one can also say that because of some what better road, this stretch gives you an opportunity to enjoy the surroundings.

Widening and work on roads is a constant process here. Also the whole area is being connected through OFC network, hence you will always find either BRO or other PWD teams on work at short distances.

Networks: In the above image, you can see bulldozers camped at a distance. This spot is around eight kilometres before from Chatru. It is said that while going from Gramphoo to Chatru, this is the last spot where you might be able to connect to a mobile network (that too just BSNL). As soon as you move ahead of this point, you will not find any networks on your mobiles upto Chandratal or Kunzum pass.

Hanging bridge at Chatru that is not yet used

Once we reach Chatru, we cross on the Chandra river to the other side.

Old iron bridge used to cross the Chandra river at Chatru

Chatru is next village from Gramphoo towards Kunzum Pass. Located at an altitude of 3300 metres, Chatru is 17 kms from Gramphoo and in the perspective this stretch from Gramphoo to Chatru has the better roads in comparison to other stretches towards Batal, Chandratal and Kunzum pass.

Actually it is tough to call Chatru even a village. There had never been a permanent village here. It was a base for nomadic tribes and shepherds. Chatru is also an important base as normally this is where Hampta Pass trek will end, if one does not include Chandratal in it. On the other side of river there is a plenty of grounds for camping. Just along the bridge are two restaurants. They have been here for many decades now. Actually for commuters these two restaurants (another one is coming near by) are what Chatru is all about.

Night Shelter: As with whole of this route in Spiti or Lahaul valley, dhabas also double up for night shelter

In the above image, you can see the Chandra dhaba with a tent. Front portion of the tent works as store and kitchen and on the other end are beds for commuters to stay. They provide bed and blankets.

Another dhaba is the Prem dhaba that you can see in the image above. This has got more space. On the right is the kitchen and the eating area, while what we see right in front (where you can see my bike parked) is a pucca garage with many beds inside. This shelter prevents better from cold of the night. Besides these two (or may be three this year) dhabas, Chatru also has a PWD rest house where tourists can stay subject to availability of rooms. This PWD rest house is around three-quarter of a kilometre further ahead on a uphill diversion from the main road. Rest house has two sets, but doesn’t have a water supply or electricity. Actually, owner of Prem Dhaba is also the caretaker of this PWD rest house. Normally travellers will prefer (even he too will prefer) to stay at Prem Dhaba only, as it has more space, food, running water and some solar light. Secondly PWD rest house is off the route, while these two dhabas are right on the road.

Satellite connect: Since I had no prior information about (non) availability of networks here or the above mentioned spot with last signals of connectivity, I was desperate to get in touch after I reached Chatru. Also, because I had lost half day due to NGT permit issue requirement at Gulaba, my schedule was in haywire. I reached Chatru in evening tired. Originally I had planned to end the day at Chandratal. Hence I asked the owner of Prem Dhaba about any chance of connectivity. It was he who told me about the spot some seven kilometres back. I was in no mood to ride back to make a call and then come back here. It was than he told me about a satellite phone uphill in the village.

There was a agro unit uphill, which actually formed the core of Chatru village. I went to PWD rest house, parked my bike there and jumped a few walls to reach to take a path towards some houses and a shed inside the fields. There was a agro unit which produced different crops here in the valley- peas, potatoes and few others and then packed and transported them to other areas. That unit had a satellite phone in its premises, services of which they also lend to commuters for a charge. I was able to make a call back home from there and actually at such height in these conditions it cost me just negligible to make a comfortable call. I might not be able to recollect precisely, but I made call for less than thirty rupees from there.

My search for the satellite phone also gave me a bit of insight about this place. This valley is said to have one of the best quality of peas and potatoes produced in the entire region. The owner of the agro unit (his is the only private owner of such unit in whole valley) had more than 100 acres of land. He had a fairly descent set-up with a big house for himself (with water and solar lights) as well as place for his staff (of more than 50) to stay, and a power generating unit for his unit to process and pack the agri produce. That was an interesting story in itself.

You can also see a video of the route below:

Adventure, India

Milestones to Ladakh : Manali to Gramphoo

April 29, 2017 swamiupendra 9 Comments

Although the number of bikers to Ladakh is constantly increasing every year, but even then biking to this terrain is no mean business. It is physically challenging and psychologically draining. The human & the machine, both need to be best of fitness. This journey can be divided in different parts. Although few bikers would try to do it the other way by taking off from Srinagar to Leh and then returning from Manali side, but still Manali-Leh is the most favoured route; and, there are various reason for this to be.

First part of the journey is from Manali to uphill Rohtang La and to downhill Gramphoo on the other side. Rohtang La at 13050 feet is the first mountain pass en route Leh.

Between Manali and Marhi, you may find some little waterfalls emerging out of melting snow and many tourists enjoying them, but bikers rarely get interested in them.

You will find many shops on the way renting out woollens, jackets, gloves and shoes to tourists going to Rohtang and wishing to play some games on snow. Though there is nothing for bikers in it, but it might still remind few of us to check, whether they have rain covers to protect from intermittent rains and shoes to steer them through some running streams on roads.

Soon you reach to intersection which dissects road to two directions, one to Rohtang (towards the right in the image below) and another to Solang (one going straight in image below).

Thereafter starts the steady climb. Its gradual till the top and enjoyable.

Rohtang is a favourite excursion for all tourists coming to Manali. This has often resulted in an unabated mess at the pass. With things going out of control, NGT (National Green Tribunal) has stepped in. It has made some strict regulations, permits are necessary and green tax has been imposed.

Vehicles lined up to get permits at Gulaba NGT check post

Check post is at Gulaba, which is roughly 24 kms from Manali. After this point, you can’t move ahead to Rohtang without a permit. But for bikers, permits are not issued here, it has to be obtained from Manali itself. Permit is issued for a fees of Rs 100 and you need a photo id card, PUCC for your vehicle, vehicle registration papers and valid driving license. Permits are separate for Lahaul valley (towards Leh) and Spiti valley (towards Kunjum and Kaza). Route has to be mentioned in application form. Permit for four wheelers can be obtained either from Manali or from Gulaba check post. Bikers going to Leh should be very careful about obtaining the permit, other wise one can loose precious time, energy and petrol, as I accidentally did. I missed the permit, was not allowed to go past Gulaba, had to go back to Manali to get permit. I lost almost four hours in the process and as a result could not reach my planned destination of the day.

From Gulaba we move towards Marhi. Manali-Rohtang is a scenic route of 52 kms and roads are perfect atleast till Marhi.

Marhi is an ideal point to have seem break before serious climb to Rohtang starts. You can even see the top from here. There are number of food joints here and lot of things to kill your time. People wary of cold, weather and thin air at Rohtang, like to spend more time in Marhi.

After that roads start to deteriorate as we approach close to pass. AT many places, road is also being widened. Lot of construction activity makes riding challenging. Lets see what happens when the roads open this year.

Stretch from Marhi to Rohtang is also known for its traffic jams, prompting authorities to regulate movement of traffic. Narrow roads, high cliffs, bigger vehicles, potholes, streams, all these some times compound the chaos and for bikers it is a challenge to go past this mess.

It feels quite satisfying once we reach the Rohtang top, as it is first of the great passes on way to Leh.

Its quite an atmosphere here with people all around, having fun.

Way to Rohtang is just prelude to the actual tough journey ahead. But it is still a major milestone.

After Rohtang only the locals going ahead or the adventures move ahead. Picnickers normally return from here.

Gramphoo is 15 kms downhill from Rohtang top. Road from Rohtang top till 4-5 kms was good in condition but next ten odd kilometres to Gramphoo were terrible last year (2016) due to widening of road and large scale repair work.

One also needs to understand that road conditions on these two stretches is lot dependent on weather as well as month of travel. Early in the season (June) roads will be worse than what one will find towards the end (September-October). Month of travel will also decide the amount of snow and running water (nallahs) one might find on roads. Thats the reason, September end is considered to be one of the safest time to ride or drive on these roads.

Gramphoo is the place where roads to Lahaul valley and Spiti valley bifurcate. Those going to Leh continue to move straight towards Keylong. And those going to either Kunjum Pass and Kaza or towards Chandratal lake take right turn at Gramphoo along the Chandra River. My final destination was Leh, but I also wanted to cover Chandratal lake, hence I took the road to Spiti valley.

Want to see a video of the route. Please click to the link below-

Adventure, India, Photogallery

Getting ‘high’ in the hills!

March 19, 2017 swamiupendra 7 Comments

Fermented alcoholic drinks have been part of different local cultures since time immemorial. They have been part of local traditions and the art has been transferred from generations to generation. Many survived and many modified themselves. In India, wherever you go, you will find such local flavours in deep interiors of the hinterland. One such famous drink is Tongba. You go into hills of Sikkim and West Bengal and you won’t be able to miss it. During my treks to Sandakphu and in North Sikkim over the years, we could see it everywhere and actually enjoyed it… if not for taste then for its culture, and of course the unique way it is served in a container which itself is called as Tongba.

This drink is actually traditional and indigenous drink of Limbu people of eastern Nepal and perhaps travelled with them to the nearby areas of mountains of Sikkim and Darjeeling and to some parts of Tibet an Bhutan as well. Border with Nepal in the hill regions of Darjeeling district are very porous and not just that, while trekking you will often not know when you have transcended the international boundaries. Hence there was no way that these borders would have stopped the amalgamation of cultures. Therefore, Tongba is very much now the part of the local culture in Indian regions of Sikkim and Darjeeling hills. Best part is that you have to be here to taste it, hence those who have not been here, rarely get to know about it, leave aside tasting it.

Enjoying Tongba at Lachung in North Sikkim

Tongba is actually a heady millet brew. Tongba is this traditional wooden vessel with copper rings on top, bottom and in centre. The beverage is also called as Jaand. It is prepared by cooking and fermenting whole grain millet. It is a long and tedious process, but local people are expert in doing this at their homes. Cooked millet is cooled and mixed with murcha, known to be source of moods, bacteria and yeast, required for fermentation.

A lady cooling the cooker millet at her grocery store cum home cum tongba brewery in her village near Kalapokhri in Singalila hills

Once this is done, the mixture is collected in bamboo baskets, lined with green leaves. The basket is then covered with cloth and left to get warmed naturally for a couple of days. Once this process is over, the mixture is transferred into earthen pot and then covered tight at the mouth to prevent any air from entering in. It is then left like this for couple of weeks or even more depending on fermentation required. Once its done, jaand is ready to be consumed. This is then left to mature.

Lovely hosts, who also run a guest house for travellers

This jaand might be stored for about six months. Longer it is kept, taste intensifies but it becomes more mellowed. Now comes the drinking part, that is further interesting. Whenever it has to be consumed, the mixture is put into wooden tongba and then it is filled with boiled water, left for few minutes and is then sipped with a bamboo straw. The boiled water instantly derives the alcoholic essence from the millets. Once the water is finished and tongba gets dry, you add more water to the same mixture and keep repeating it until the essence is exhausted from the mixture. Drinking itself is an art, so that only liquid is sipped and grains aren’t sucked to your mouth.

Cool night, hot Tongba and some fine tuning on harmonica at Gurdum in West Bengal

So, when somebody sits to drink Tongba, there is invariably kept a thermos of boiled water besides. In hills, tongba also serves as a community drink, where people get together for a chat and a tongba is shared by all by passing it to one-another after every sip. Gives a real feeling of brotherhood! In its drinking manner and sharing, it also reminds me of mate, favourite drink of latin America. Similarly, Tongba is culturally as well as religiously important to the Limbu people of Nepal. It is also offered as respect to guests coming to house or family gatherings.

beautifully showcased traditional utensils

Lovely lady running the restaurant at Lachung in Sikkim, that will also serve you tongba

young ones still prefer modern drinks!

The traditional vessels have always been very fascinating

As tongba, the dried cheese is equally popular in this region

A tongba drink is like what is beer to the commoners and it even tastes like that. Time magazine in an write-up commented long back, “tongba is like Guinness to the Irish or whisky to the Scots; it’s something to celebrate and revel in and to stumble and sing under its influence.”

Those who don’t love alcohol might detest on this, but as a traveller you ought to know and often have a feel of such things to be able to soak in the atmosphere. Try it only if you are comfortable and never overdo a new taste, until you get used to it. Tongba is not that strong in terms of alcohol, but then different bodies, react differently on strange tastes. Better safe! You never know, when you will geta ‘high’!!

SHARE, DON’T COPY

——————————–

Adventure, India

Sambhar is a unique destination

February 25, 2017 swamiupendra 2 Comments

Well, this is final post on this trip to Sambhar. This is a sort of a first for me. First time six posts in six days on trot and also for the first time six posts on a trot on a single destination. Sambhar is on most accounts a sleepy town in Jaipur district. Would have been a village some time back, but has gone bigger now to be called as town.

Sambhar Lake and the town on the left side

How to reach: There are two ways to reach Sambhar- by road and by train. Sambhar Lake actually in its vast expanse touches three district of Rajasthan- Jaipur, Ajmer and Nagaur. Sambhar railway station is right inside the town. This railway station falls on Jaipur-Jodhpur railway line. While coming from Jaipur, this railway station is next to Phulera junction railway station. But express trains don’t stop at Sambhar Lake railway station. There are a couple of passenger trains from Sambhar to Jaipur as well, if you are really interested in going to Sambhar by train. But if one actually takes a passenger train then should perhaps travel from Sambhar to Nawa so that the vast expanse of salt lake can be crossed by train and then can return back to Sambhar for other experiences.

By road, main approach is through National Highway 8. It will depend that you are travelling on NH 8 from Jaipur side or Ajmer side. If you are coming from Jaipur side, drive till Mokhampura, which is almost 50 kms from Jaipur. From here turn right towards Phulera. Phulera is 22 kms from here and after crossing two railway level crossings before and after Phulera, move towards Sambhar town which is just six kms from Phulera. That means Sambhar is just 28 kms off the NH 8 from Mokhampura. But if you are coming from Ajmer side, then after Kishangarh when you enter the Jaipur district than comes a place called Dudu. Turn left from here towards Sambhar which is less than 25 kms from there. Both Mokhampura and Dudu are on NH 8, hence you can use any point to turn towards Sambhar, as per convenience.

Where to stay: Staying depends lot on your purpose, duration and choice of convenience for stay. I wanted to have a feel of the town, so I desperately wanted to stay here. But then you can’t expect luxury. There are four types of stay options. I stayed at Krishna guesthouse which is just on the start of the town on the right side. There are couple of more such guesthouses. They have clean but basic facilities- bed and attached bathrooms. I paid 500 INR for a one night, just for stay. Since this is also a religious town, it also has a couple of what we call as dharamshalas (place for pilgrims to stay). They are cheaper than guesthouses and might even be same in facilities. These dharamshalas are close to bus stand. Then there is also a PWD rest house which has two sets. So if available tourists can stay there. It is cheaper (currently 275 INR per room per day) and best. This PWD rest house is right opposite the bus stand. Lastly, if you want to be adventurous, you can pitch tent on dry bed of the salt lake. The night sky here is very beautiful, which people leaving in metros or bigger towns will never get to see. So, if you intend to do that, than go prepared. Those who don’t want to stay in Sambhar, can get better accommodations in Phulera town, six kms from Sambhar. Many tourists will come to Sambhar just for a day visit from either Jaipur or Ajmer. So it all depends, how long you want to stay here.

What to do: Sambhar is biggest inland saline lake in India. Its is also a wintering destination for migratory birds. It is second largest breeding ground for flamingos in India after Rann of Kutch. It is also a religious town with mythological importance. There is also another prominent temple here- Shakambari temple, located some 22 kms from the town in midst of lake bed. I wanted to go there but couldn’t squeeze it within the time in hand. Sambhar is said to have got its name because of the this goddess. I was more interested in going there to see that side of the salt bed.

So lot of things to do. You can even try to fit all of them in a day trip, but to enjoy more and soak yourself in the atmosphere, better to keep some time in hand. I spent two half days and actually longed for more.

What to eat: You can try local dishes here. There are few restaurants close to bus stand, which serve tea, breakfast, lunch and dinner. You need to search for some authentic local cuisine. Phinni (फिन्नी) is the sweet, this place is famous for. Many shops near bus stand are good to buy them. That is actually also the main market of the town.

A lot of interest has recently been developed in the place. With many films already shot here including PK, there seems to be increase in the popularity. Soon enough, it is going to come up with lots of developed infrastructure. Rajasthan tourism is already panning a luxury train for bringing high-end tourists to Sambhar. Although, not everything is welcomed by the environmentalists and the bird lovers.

Adventure, India, Photogallery

Lot more than flamingos at Sambhar

February 24, 2017 swamiupendra 5 Comments

Though flamingos were my primary interest and they were who actually pulled my all the way to Sambhar, but wintering at Sambhar is not all about flamingos. Flamingos might be very high in count and attraction but there are many other birds coming for winter migration. As I said in my last post, there are more than 70 species of birds coming here every year.

So while I was busy admiring flamingos at Sambhar lake, I couldn’t have failed to notice and try to click few other migratory birds. Pied avocet (pictured above) was the among the first one to come across and was quite attractive because of its distinctive beak and black & white appearance.

Northern shovelers and gadwalls at Sambhar lake

Though there were some northern pintail and pochards as well, but I could manage to get close view of only these northern shovelers and gadwalls.

Black-tailed godwits in flight at Sambhar lake

Black-tailed godwits gave me some very nice shots while flying as above and some wonderful reflections like below. It was indeed one of my favourite photos.

Black tailed godwits make a good reflection

Among the pink glare of flamingos, these migratory birds also had their marked presence. Actually besides the lesser flamingos, eurasian curlew and black-tailed godwits have also among the threatened species of birds of Sambhar.

Among the common birds often found on backyard shorelines to be seen here were black-winged stilts (below). This thin legged bird is often considered to be cutest among the waders.

Sambhar Flamingos14 — a pair of black winged stilt at Sambhar lake

And, then when I covered whole distance from ramp (where I parked my bike) to the railway track, then across the railway track on a high tension power line, I suddenly saw this crested lark (below). It looked so fascinating and keen to give me some cool poses.

I finished with the flamingos and was on my bike again on way back to the main city. I crossed the salt fields and deserted railway stations. Just when I though that I had finished everything at Sambhar for this trip, then suddenly few metres before the railway crossing I noticed another marshy area to my right and there were more birds and in fairly good numbers.

a flock of marsh sandpipers flying over the Sambhar lake

A flock of flying marsh sandpipers caught my notice and in a flash my bike was parked and camera was out. They looked so fascinating in their flight.

Also with them was a small group os bar-headed geese. I had recently seen them in Kankwari Lake in Sariska and it was easy for me to recognise them. I tried to go closer but they were quick to avoid and flew away at a distance (below). So cute! Isn’t it!

In the same group of bar-headed goose, I was also able to notice two Brahminy shelduck. This distinctively beautiful bird migrates from south-east Europe and central Asia and winters in Indian sub-continent. But I could see only two of them.

With this shot of marsh sandpipers, I reluctantly switched off my camera and was back on my bike.

It was indeed a great mini photo-tour. Quite satisfying for me in terms of number of birds as well as number os species, that I was able to capture in my images. The feeling made the return journey a bit less tiring.

World through my eyes

Andhra Pradesh Tourism My all time favourite rain song 'Rim Jhim Gire Sawan...' (रिमझिम गिरे सावन...) from film... fb.me/1ZtBAxsYr 21 hours ago
Immediately after the Comic Strip Festival at start of September, European Capital Brussels will get ready for... fb.me/8RXkAQQd5 1 day ago
Time for some wine & food indulgence! vagabondimages.in/2017/06/22/tim… https://t.co/BtpIUIZPRa 1 day ago
BJP's Ram Nath Kovind will definitely be India's first saffron President dailyo.in/politics/ramna… via @dailyo_ 2 days ago
Its all about love of nature and adventure that drives you to land unseen. The passion keeps accompanying you in... fb.me/8xByDVadt 3 days ago

Follow @swamiupendra

	Time for some wine… on Getting tipsy in Belgium!
	Time for some wine… on Comic Strip Festival gets bigg…
	swamiupendra on Himalayan Rides : Chatru to Ba…
	swamiupendra on Himalayan rides : Batal of Cha…
	pathbreakingwriter on Himalayan Rides : Chatru to Ba…