Prayer Wheel, Ladakh

Prayer Wheel, Ladakh:
The mani or prayer-wheels will carry off your prayers to the beyond, when visiting the Buddhist kingdom of Ladakh. A beautifully embossed hollow metal cylinder mounted on a rod handle, the mani contains a mantra-scroll inside and comes attached with a light-weight chain for easy rotation. Each clockwise rotation or mudra evokes 50 blessings. The prayer wheels built for instant salvation can be found in varying sizes all over the country. There are big ones located in central city areas with handles on the left for people whizzing past in cars. Handheld prayer wheels or chokhors are for the ones who want to worship on the move. Also bucket size wooden prayer wheels are lined across all town streets.
(Content & Photo credit: Thrillophilia)

Moore Plains, Ladakh

Moore Plains, Ladakh:
Photography enthusiasts can indulge in some hard-core landscape photography in the famous Moore Plains lying on road via Pang. Situated on a plateau, it is a wonder for such an expansive flat piece of land to be located at an altitude of 15,400ft. One can also indulge in some fast speed, almost reckless driving here, as the roads are unbelievably even and in great condition. It is advised though to practice safety while exercising bravado and also to definitely make a significant halt to capture some brilliant land-scape and wide angle shots which are bound to impress all.
(Content & Photo credit: Thrillophilia)

Purbasthali, District Burdwan, West Bengal in February 2015

Purbasthali, District Burdwan, West Bengal.
Get there before the birds leave.
A boat ride on the oxbow lake during sunrise is a bird watcher & photographer's delight.
Get up early and be on the boat by 6am. The guest house person will arrange it. Rate for boat Rs 100 per hour. You will need to spent at least 3 hours. The oxbow lake is big, 2-3 kms in length, is shallow and has clean water.

Food and Accomodation:
Very basic guest house - 2 rooms with 4 beds. Has attached loos with WC. No kitchen, food comes from a house, chicken curry and rotis @ Rs 100 per head for dinner; fish curry and local rice for lunch with Begun bhaja thrown in @ Rs 80 per head.
Place is reasonably neat and clean sans TV or any other creature comforts. You can sit on the verandah on plastic chairs and have your hooch. Though the beds are there, would suggest carry your own sheets, blankets, pillow covers, towels and soap. Rate Rs 500 for a room. Visitor's should ideally carry their own bedding.

Route from Kolkata:
a) Via NH2 upto Burdwan (Bardhaman) - take the Nabadwip road from here - Kusumgram - Nabadwip - Parulia (nothing to do with Purulia) - turn right to Purbasthali, follow the road, go past the railway crossing, keep on the 'tarmac' road, go for about 3.5 kms, you will come to a village called Kathasali, go past the school, post office and the road will turn left.
Bang in front you will see a gate PARIJAYEE ABAS.
Distance from Salt Lake (Kolkata) is 202 kms.
Time taken 4hrs 30 mins.
b) Via Dankuni, Kalna on the Katwa Road, distance 132 kms.
Time taken 4hrs 30 mins.
c) Via NH34, Ranaghat, Krishnanagar, Bethuadahari.
Time taken 4hrs 30 mins.

Barring the Kolkata to Burdwan stretch in Route (a), roads are quite bad.

Enjoy the pics of lush green rural beautiful West Bengal.

Content & photo courtesy: Neeraj Pandey, true Indian Roadie from New Delhi, presently (February 2015) rampaging West Bengal in his Germaine Red Maruti Swift after driving to Kolkata from Delhi!

Ride to Sambhar Lake, Rajasthan by Arjun Uberoi in February 2012

The Sambhar Salt Lake, India's largest inland salt lake, sits 96 km south west of the city of Jaipur (Northwest India) and 64 km north east of Ajmer along National Highway 8 in Rajasthan.
The flat saltbed has brine under the surface.
A motorcycle or car can just be sucked in.
If It wasn't for Woodland , our friend ‪#Arjun Uberoi‬ would have come bare foot from Sambhar Lake.... Woodland Born Tough!
Photo & content credit: Arjun Uberoi, who decided on a weekend ride to Sambhar Lake in February 2012.