Low rolling hills gradually soaring to touch the core of the himalayas...the beautiful district of darjeeling encompasses in its fold, a series of magnificent valleys, rain forest, and towering peaks...some of which never fail to rise up to the azure sky...

the lush green surrounding and the fresh cool air of the mountains have made me come back to this land again and again. this is my 9th visit to darjeeling. after finishing off some urgent work in silligri, we began our journey for the queen of hills. it was already dark when i reached my hotel - new elgin. located at the hill top, about half a kilometre from the mall, Hotel New Elgin reflects a british colonial architecture. i settled to my room and waited for my fuming cuppa black coffee to arrive...

my every visit to darjeeling has been showered with new surprises. the nature here never fails to present you with its new colors and you would never get tired of walking and looking around this hilly township. this is just an ideal place for the photographers. with a tremendous seasonal variety, this enchanting land will offer you to explore more than you would have imagined.

i did not have much to do for the evening and was too tired to keep my eyes open. so i quickly took a shower and ordered for my dinner, a warm bowl of tukpa - a bland tasting tibetean cuisine - noodle soup - as soon as my coffee arrived. it would be a wait of another 45 minutes and then i can finally settle on the king sized bed placed right beside the window.

the next morning was not what i had expected it to be, but it certainly did not disappoint mee either. there was no sign of sun anywhere, and i was sure i wouldnt get a glimpse of the majestic kanchenjungha throughout the day. mists all around, with a grey shade covering the azure sky. the exuberance of the monsoon had transformed the landscape into an abundance of miracle. the beauty of the swirling mountain mists and the soft soothing sibilant of falling rain engulfed mee throughly.

i took as many phtographs of bracketed exposures as i could. the relatively thin presence of tourists gave me a secluded feeling...away from the hustle bustle of the city life, the monsoon in darjeeling gave me a perfect option to get connected to the nature...a walk of about 35 minutes from my hotel took mee to a beautiful place offering the most breathtaking view of the green hills covered with mists....

(to be continued...)

it takes a lot to laugh...

Everything, beautiful or ugly, that begins comes to an end sooner or later...like my 10 day “on the wheels” trip to assam came to an end...i was happy to go back to kolkata but all in tears to leave this nature infested 'country'...i had traveled much of upper assam this time..and all that on roads...the journey began 10 days before from Guwahati...and this halting and stopping to spend a night or two at places like tezpur, nagaon, kaziranga, jorhat, golaghat, dimapur, khatkhati, dibrugarh, tinsukia, mangaldoi....

sometimes we got grilled in the scorching sun sometimes the rain drenched us completely...there would be bright sun and the very next moment dark clouds would engulf us...every moment was magical...giving space to rebuilt new images....nature here is so fascinating that it keeps talking to you in its own intriguing way...you have developed a deep rooted connection with the nature even before you have realized it...

wake up to sip over a cuppa assam tea or some warm coffee and deluge yourself into the tranquil piece of land....i couldnt stop thanking for such a mesmerizing creation....but life is not only about beauty and joy...and “on the wheels” trip to assam offered mee a varied contrast of life....