Month: April 2016

Saturday Bonus Shot

Posted on Posted in Shimla, UncategorizedTagged , , ,

IMG-20160403-02105

Shot from the new triple level parking lot. Parking is a big problem in Shimla and you can be towed away if you park in an unauthorized corner. Of course there are no signs to tell you which corner is authorized and which not. You have to be a driving genius to park in this tight new parking and getting out qualifies you for Le Mans.

Small Piece of Refurbished Empire

Posted on Posted in Shimla, UncategorizedTagged , , , 4 Comments

IMG-20160403-02069

 

 

The view near Scandal Point in Shimla, Himachal Pradesh, India. This was the summer capital of the British in India. They trekked or came by train to these hills to escape the searing heat of the northern planes. These concrete buildings have replaced wooden ones which had rotted over the centuries. I had the good luck of having stayed in the wooden versions of both the Post and Telegraph and the LIC guest houses situated right here.

A Holy Dip at Sacred Golden Temple

Posted on Posted in My India, UncategorizedTagged , , , ,

IMG-20160327-01784

 

A Sikh devotee seeks blessings by taking a holy dip in the pond that surrounds the Golden Temple. The Golden Temple is in the prosperous city of Amritsar in the Punjab. The Sacred Book Guru Granth Sahib is kept inside the temple. The book is a  compendium of wise sayings of the Gurus and other religious poets of India. The holy book shows the path towards an honest and fruitful life.

The book is considered a living person and given this status by law.

IMG-20160327-01779

Devotees come from all over the world to pray here. They donate generously to the Temple and the latest technology is being used in the upkeep of the holy place. A common meal inside the temple is a big feature of the Sikh religion. Rich and poor and people from all castes and creeds assemble in the huge halls of the temple to have a communion meal. It is estimated that a 100,000 people eat free meals every day  in the dining halls which are open for twenty-four hours throughout the year.

IMG-20160327-01769

People listen to the prayer songs of Guru Bani seated on the marble floors all around the temple.

IMG-20160327-01790

 

Everyone is required to keep their heads covered within the precincts of Golden Temple.