ROHTANG PASS , HIMALAYA

Sometimes journey is better than the destination. This post  is about such a beautiful and eventful

  journey to Rohtang Pass, a landslide-prone area  situated in the  Leh- Manali highway. Opened only 

for about four and a half months in a year in summer, this 298 mile highway is designed, built and

  maintained entirely by the Border Roads Organization (BRO) of Indian army. Starting from Manali,

 this strategic military route ends at Leh, a district in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. In

ancient time, Leh was an important   stopover on trade routes along the Indus valley between Tibet to

 the  east, Kashmir to the west and also between India and China for centuries .

This  Journey  starts from Manali, a beautiful Hill station located in the northern end of Kulu valley,

 Himachal Pradesh, India.Roads in Manali are lovely and beautiful with heavily laden branches of

Apple trees on both sides. Serenity of Manali is often disturbed by the sounds of  twittering birds and

 gushing waters flowing through several creeks on roadsides. Eucalyptus trees, towering coniferous

trees, sweet scented  apple trees and  divine Devadaru (Deodar) trees can be seen  on the roadsides

  swaying  and whispering with  the pleasant mountain  breeze.

Rohtang Pass is situated in the eastern Pir Panjal range, the largest range of lower Himalayas.
In olden days, people from northern side of Rohtang Pass tried to cross the pass to discover the
other side. The road trip to Rohtang pass itself  is amazingly beautiful, scenic, adventurous and
eventful than  reaching  it. It took almost 3-4 hours from Manali to reach the destination..

 The road to this mountain pass is really horrible with frequent traffic jams and long queue of
vehicles . Starting early can only  help you to reach the destination on time. One can also hire a taxi
 from Manali with experienced  Sherpa  drivers to guide you in this adventurous journey. Sherpas are
  elite mountaineers and expert  drivers  from mountainous Nepal.

Manalis’s peace and serenity along with the mind-blowing sceneries can make you feel like
  travelling through a paradise on earth . People here mainly depend on agriculture for their
  livelihood.  Many people derive their income from sheep, goats, and other cattle. Large flocks of
sheep and goat may often block your way and many times you feel to jump out of the car to
 capture these beautiful moments of  village life.

Trekking and travelling through this most spectacular and picturesque landscape in the world is one
 of the  beautiful experience that can be cherished in the entire life. Besides the Greater Himalayas
( highest and northern most section of the Himalayan mountain ranges), there are several parallel
lower ranges of Himalaya. The southernmost of these, located along the  northern  edge of the Indian
plains and reaching about a thousand meters in altitude, are called the Sivalik Hills and  further north
is a higher range, reaching two to three thousand meters is known as the Lower  Himalayan Range.
Rohtang Pass lies in the Pir Panjal range ,which is group of mountains in the Inner Himalayan region.

Rohtang Pass remains snow bound in winter for over six months. Based on snowfall , it opens from
 May to November only. Rest of the time it is difficult to cross due to snow storms and avalanche.
This  high mountain pass also known as gateway to Leh Ladakh, is situated at an elevation of 3,979
m (13,054 ft) above  the sea level.The twin peaks of Geypan is also visible from Rohtang.The pass is
situated on the watershed between the water basins of the Chenab River and the Beas River.

The winding road through the high mountains with snow cap and lush green valleys is really a

spectacular view .The spiral road going up is really awesome and feels ecstatic the higher you go.

 Mount Everest, the highest peak in the world  is located in  a section of  the Himalaya .

 The highway crosses many small streams of ice-cold water from snow-capped mountains and glacial

 melts. Glaciers melting alongside makes the road  wet and slippery  which requires  good driving

skill to negotiate the fast-flowing streams. A Glacier is a large mass of  dense ice formed over many

years and does not melt during the summer.The  Himalayan range  is a great source of fresh water

 and encompasses about 15,000 glaciers . The major Himalayan Glaciers in India include Gangothri

(origin of river Ganga), Yamunothri ( origin of river Yamuna), Siachin, Khumbu, Lantang etc .

The word India is derived from the Indus  river also known as Sindhu. Indus river originate from
Tibet in the  vicinity of lake Manasarovar in the Himalaya . The major cities of the Indus Valley
Civilization such  as Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro dates back to 3300 BC, and  representing some of
the largest human habitations of the  ancient  world  was flourished on the banks of river Indus. Other
 than the Indus, major rivers originating from the  Himalaya are Brahmaputra, Jhelum( Vitasta), Spiti,
Chenab ( Chandrabagh), Sutlej  (Satadru), Ravi (Iravati), Beas (Vyas/Bipasaha) ,Ganga and Yamuna.

Rohtang  pass lies at an altitude of 13,054 ft or 3,980m, is one of the highest mountain passes in the
 world. Since before recorded history mountain passes played a key role in trade, war and migration.
As you progress the greenery disappears and the mountain slopes become more brown  and  arid.
But you can still see at a distance the beautiful sight of glaciers, and snow covered mountain peaks.

The Himalayan road is narrow, bumpy and damaged at many location. The drive to the pass is really

scary and one will start experiencing the true roughness of the Himalayas. The highway has many

damaged stretches and under-maintenance portions .The riding quality is not good at many places and

 utter care is required when there is fog and the road  is invisible and slippery. Awesome and breath-

catching trip through this pass is a real combo of beauty and danger.

There can be unpredictable occurrence of snow storms, rain and high winds in this journey. A  little
rainfall can trigger landslide making it very dangerous to cross the stretch of  road. The Manali-
Keylong/Leh highway which leads to the amazing Leh-Ladakh  has seriously narrow and sharp hair
 pin turns which make you really scary and can cause  adrenalin rushes, till you reach the pass .

Several episodes of the History Channel's Ice Road Truckers series spinoff IRT Deadliest Roads

dealt with truckers crossing the Rohtang Pass to deliver supplies. IRT is a reality television series

premiered on History channel  in which truckers battle some of the harshest conditions on Earth to

get their cargo where it needs  through the most dangerous routes in the world.

Those who want a thrilling and adventurous ride can opt for a Mountain ATV ( All Terrain
vehicle) at  Rohtang.  Motor bike tour is another adventurous safari which crosses over high
mountain passes, providing spectacular views of the snow capped peaks and rugged terrain .
One can also indulge in activities like  skiing, sledding or can ride a snow scooter at Rohtang pass.

 Paragliding has been one of the most popular tourist attractions at Rohtang . Paragliding is subject to

 wind conditions  and is recommended only for adventure seekers. Soaring in the sky  and riding with

the wind and clouds  assure a panoramic view of the valley and the surrounding mountains .

This place is  a vast land covered in snow. The oxygen content is low and you cannot walk more
than 100-200m in a go. But the scenery and not-even-thought-of surprises along the highway in
this  picturesque landscape of endless mountain ranges is enough to makes one enthralled.

Mount Kailas of Himalaya is considered as the abode of Hindu God Shiva and his family. Parvathy

Devi ,the wife of Lord Shiva, is considered as the daughter of Parvat (personification of Himalaya)

  and hence called Parvathy. The Sanskrit poetry Kumarasambhavam by the ancient classical poet

 Kalidasa ( believed to be lived  in 5th century AD) starts with a canto praising the Himalaya

Mountain. (Astyuttarasyāṁ diśi devatātmā himālayo nāma nagādhirājaḥ |pūrvāparau toyanidhī

vigāhya sthitaḥ pṛthivyā iva mānadaṇḍaḥ) . This sloka praises Himalaya as the king of all mountains

who stand at the northern frontier and stretches between oceans on east and west to border the heartland of gods .

As per the Indian epics, in those days, mountains are said to  have wings and they could fly. In the

 process the rishis and sages meditating  on the mountains were at a risk of falling off. So Lord  Indra

 began to  cut the wings of mountains. The wind God (Vayu Deva), the father of Hanuman rescued
  Mynaka mountain, the son of  Himalaya  and hid him under the sea. As a gratitude Mynak hiding
 under the sea rises from sea to provide a rest stop to  Hanuman on his way to Lanka in search of
 Sita Devi, the wife of Rama, kidnapped by the asura king Ravanan  ( Ramayana).

Himalya is a Sanskrit word which means abode of snow. This youngest mountain range mainly

 consist of sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. The Himalaya played a prominent role in shaping the
 culture of south -east Asia and is a source of many major rivers. As per modern theory, Himalaya
is formed as a result of continental collision between Indo- Australian plate and Eurasian Plate. After
Arctic and Antarctica ,Himalayas have the third largest deposit  of ice and snow in the world .

The road often collapses at many parts which make tourist vehicles, supply trucks and military

vehicles gushing one behind the other trying to  navigate through tight roads. The rough terrain

 compounded by slippery roads and snow make long and heavy traffic jams. Nearly 87.3% vehicles
 reaching Rohtang Pass belong to tourists while 8% vehicles belong to Army, including private trucks
 on supply. These trucks are on duty for the Army and military establishments in Ladakh -Leh region

of Jammu and Kashmir along the China and Pakistan border .Rohtang tunnel ,an all-weather alternate
 route is under construction by BRO, which reduce the travel distance between Manali and Keylong.

Rohtang Pass is a busy military and tourist road and military convoy will always come from opposite

side . The Pass is also  frequented by  adventure seeking people to experience  the snow laden peaks,
crystal glaciers , rivers and magical mountains of great heights. This journey is an unbelievable
combo of beauty and danger, one  can only see with their eyes to believe. With many surprises this
 trip gives you  best and closest view of the Himalayas and once you make it to the top you will forget anything.

 

 

Note: Before going to this place you have to get necessary permissions and also don't forget to make

 special packing ( food, necessary clothing ,medicine etc.).

 

By Road : From Manali , Himachal Pradesh- 50 km

Time required ( can vary ): between 4-5 hrs

.

 

OLD FORT NIAGARA

A unique blend of history and scenery, that is Old Fort Niagara. Overlooking Canada, this military 

site  is  located  at a distance of 14 miles  from the  Great Falls of Niagara in Western New York.

 This state historic site witnessed the tussle by super powers to control and capture North America.

Here exotic French architecture  in its  rustic color captivates and bewitches the visitors .

 The fort complex with its two storied French castle and a bake house next to it  

is situated on the  eastern bank of Niagara river at its mouth on lake Ontario.

A castle is often protected by huge gate with wooden  doors having metallic  parts and a  drawbridge. 

 Drawbridges are movable bridges that can be raised or lowered to regulate the entry and exit to  the

 castle surrounded by a moat (ditch). This bridge can be moved or destroyed at the time of any attack.

A castle can be attacked in different ways like fire, battering rams ( heavy object rammed against the

  door to break it), ladders, catapult ( Ballistic device used to launch a projectile at a great distance),

  mining/digging and siege (attackers wait outside castle without allowing anyone to enter or go

  outside which often last for months until the supply of food and water for  inhabitants lasts).

The second floor of the castle consist of  living quarters and a chapel which is one of
 the  earliest permanent churches  in Western New York.

Castles have defensive walls with cut or slits on the walls known as arrow loops through

which soldiers can fire without being hit.

The first military post at this fort was constructed by  New France  in 1678 to protect  their

interest  in North America. From them  control of the fort went to Britain  in 1759. After the

 1812 war and the Treaty of Ghent  that followed it,  Britain  lost  the fort to USA in 1815. 

During 1944-46 , fort also served as a camp for German prisoners of World war 11.

Since 1963, US coastal guard  took control of this 250 acre land and the  fort from US army.

 The fort consist of several buildings including a provisions store house and a powder magazine.

The  provision store can  store up to 7000 barrels of food for the post .The 4 feet thick walls of the

powder magazine( brick and  stone structure used to store gun powder) can withstand direct hits

 from any enemy mortar. 

 The fort still keep many of the original artillery artifacts used by the former occupants. 

Inside the powder magazine there is a display of racks  in which gun powder was stored.

There placed five Canons outside, pointing George Fort in Canada across the river. Fort George is

 an abandoned military  site  built by Britain after Jays Treaty (1796), which required Britain to  

withdraw from Fort Niagara.

North redoubt , Millet cross and three historic flags on the parade ground  commemorate the

three nations (France, Britain and USA) that once occupied this fort ( Photo:Arasu)

 Firing demonstration at Fort Niagara from muskets ( loaded firearm fired from the shoulder). 

The best time to visit the Fort is  summer especially July 4th, when the  historical  reenactments of

18th century war,music and living history programs along with other activities are conducted.

 The fort now serves as Fort Niagara State Park and Museum and known as Old Fort Niagara Historic

 Site.This landmark fort in the village of Youngstown, (famous for  vineyards and lush green

 agricultural  land)  is a great place  for archaeologists and common people to visit and enjoy history .

 

Note: Cameras Used :-Canon Power shot A490, Canon Power Shot SD 400, Nikon DSLR (Arasu) 

 

Location: Fort Niagara State Park
                Porter, Niagara County
                New York, USA

Contact: Old Fort Niagara .
               P.O. Box 169
              Youngstown, NY 14174
              Phone:  716-745-7611      

                   

              

NATIONAL MALL- WASHINGTON DC

National Mall is a beautifully portrayed landscape with an array of  National Monuments,

    Museums ,Land Mark Buildings and National Memorials .This well designed park  is situated

in the heart  of Washington DC, the most powerful and  planned capital city in the world,.

The White house and  cherry trees add a magnificent elegance and beauty to this famous mall.

 Modelled in Baroque style ,many believe that the design of the city include some  masonic

 symbols. This aesthetically beautiful mall stretches in an area of 5.2 miles from Capitol

 building past the  Washington  Monument and  ends  at the Lincoln Memorial .

Washington DC is a Federal district  under the exclusive control of congress and is not part of any

states. Located along the bank of Potomac river , the capital city was built on the land ceded by  the

states of Virginia and Maryland. The land taken from Virginia was returned to the state in 1847.  

The legal name of  Washington DC is District of Columbia. The name honor the first president of

America and  Columbia is a poetic and historic term used for the  United States  (  female

personification of the name of Christopher Columbus). The bust of  Columbia is depicted

 in the fractional currency of US, introduced after the outbreak of civil war.

 US Capitol is the home of congress built in 1880 and situated at the eastern end of National

Mall . Thomas Jefferson attributed the name Capitol to this  neo classical style building.

Capitol is a Latin word for the  Roman  Temple of Jupiter Optimus Maximum .The building itself

has a subway system to carry politicians from the House and Senate office buildings to the Capitol.

Planning for the National Mall began in 1791 and was officially established in 1965. French born

American architect Pierre Peter Charles L'Enfant first  planned and designed the layout

of streets in Washington DC. The purpose of National Mall is to provide a monumental, dignified,

and symbolic  settings for the governmental structures, museums and national memorials.

The array of renowned Smithsonian museums in  National Mall gives it  a special glory and pride   .

Smithsonian  Institutions  stands for the increase and diffusion of Knowledge. Established in 1846 as 

per the will of the founding donor James Smithson , 30 million people annually visit the museums

without any admission charges. Among the 19 Smithsonian Museums  11 of them are situated in the

 National Mall area.It would definitely take weeks to absorb the exhibits displayed in these museums.

Bike share, Circulator ( Districts local bus service), Pedi cabs, Shuttle services, and Open top sight

seeing are the best options for newbies to DC. Other than walking  around, visitors can also  opt

for the  fun filled Segway tours( electric vehicle with two wheels travel at  a distance of 12.5

miles/hr ) or can go for a Duck  tour (DUKW, amphibious vehicles originally used by the Army

that  travel on  land and water)to virtually cover the sheer sized mall area. 

The symbol of US Presidency and  power, the White House is  situated in the National
Mall area. White house is a metonym for the executive office and official residence of the president
of United States. Constructed in a  neoclassical way with six levels and 132 rooms, it receives
approximately  6000 visitors per day.

Depending on the viewers vantage point, this long and rectangular pool dramatically reflects Lincoln
Memorial, Shade trees and Washington Monument . Ducks and Seagulls can be often seen relaxing
 and swimming in this pool .Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool is the biggest reflecting pool in DC.

Lincoln Memorial was erected to honor Abraham Lincoln the 16th president of America.36 

pillars of the memorial  represents the 36 states at the time of  his assassination. This  Memorial 

 was constructed with  yule marble from Colorado .It was the location for Martin Luther  King's

 famous and inspirational "I have a dream" speech which gave birth to civil rights movement .

 Lincoln memorial in the form of Doric Temple resemble the  Greek Parthenon .Inside this famous
 Memorial, the 19ft sculpture of Lincoln sits on a chair with carved  inscriptions of his two famous
speeches ( Gettysburg Address and second   inaugural speech) on the sides. The back side of the five
 dollar bill displays the Lincoln Memorial with Abraham Lincoln's face portrayed on the front. 

Completed in 1943 in classical revival style, Jefferson Memorial rest at tidal basin along the banks of

 Potomac river in DC. Thomas Jefferson was the president, statesman, architect, drafter of the

 Declaration of Independence, adviser of the Constitution and founder of the University of Virginia.

Freedom is not free. This world war II memorial reminds us the price of freedom. Made with stone

 and  bronze, this  is a tribute to the Americans who lost their lives in the world war. Tying together

Pacific and Atlantic aspects this memorial has a freedom wall of gold stars representing the fallen and

 missing ones in the war. The fountain in the memorial is surrounded by Pillars arranged in

 half circles representing each state and federal territories of America . 

With more than 3000 blossoms National Cherry Blossom Festival commemorate  the gift of cherry

 trees from the Mayor  of Tokyo. This is a festival to celebrate the friendship between America and

 Japan. Thousands of people from across the world flock to the Mall to partake in this spring festival.

 From 1967, Blossom  Kite Festival or Smithsonian Kite festival is also held during cherry blossom.
  The festival Features Kite flyers from across the US which is a real fun time for kids and family.

National Mall  can be called as the front yard of America. People gather here to participate in
 the president  inaugural ceremony, to watch parades, take part in rallies and protests, to attend
patriotic concerts  and also to watch fire works .This  Huge and green grass yard  at National
 Mall  is a wonderful spot for picnic and recreational activities.

Boys play Frisbee, girls rotate hula hoop, kids blow soap bubbles, children fly kites and  youngsters

play football. Fairs, team sports, cycling, jogging, walking, reading, playing and sometimes fireworks

can  be watched and enjoyed here. The park area is kept neat and clean in spite of the huge crowds

 visiting here. Colorful food trucks and neat restrooms are also found nearby.

 

Located at National Mall, Washington Monument is a stone structure with an

aluminum cap, a rare and valuable metal of the period. This  tallest obelisk and

stone structure  in the world commemorate George Washington, the  unanimously

elected  president and greatest visionary of America .The monument was damaged by the

Virginia earthquake (2011) and Hurricane Irene and was closed to repair for 32 months.

It retained the title of tallest building in the world until the completion of Eiffel tower. 

 

 

 

Location: Between Independence and Constitution Avenues

                Washington DC

 

Note: Parking is premium or restricted on week days in the city.

          Street parking is free/limited on Holidays.( difficult to get parking space on holidays).

          Better to depend on public transit ( Metro Rail and Metro Bus) .

 

 

SPICE BUSH SWALLOW TAIL BUTTERFLY

 Swallow tail butterflies are one among the 15000 to 20000 species of butterflies on the earth.

Spicebush Swallow tails are long lived large butterfly with brown or blackish body having shiny blue

 or green wings.They are also known as Green clouded butterfly and mostly found in North America .

Bright orange spots on the upper surface of the hind wing helps to identify spicebush swallowtail

butterfly from other swallow tails.The eggs are laid singly and the caterpillars mainly feed on

Spicebush   or Sassafras leaves. Spicebush is a understory plant with spicy smell and red berry

 fruits.White tail deer eat the twig of these plant and swallowtail caterpillars feed on the leaves.

 Sassafras, the other host plant of spicebush caterpillar is a deciduous tree important to wild life. The

flowers of Sassafras are greenish yellow and grow in clusters. Sassafras tree has analgesic and

antiseptic properties. It gives off an aromatic smell of root beer and licorice and is used in perfumery.

 Sassafras is unique with its three distinct leaf patterns ( three-lobed, mitten-shaped and simple) in the

  same tree. Fruits are eaten by birds and leaves are browsed by woodchuck and cotton tails. Deer and

 rabbits feed on the twigs while the stems are munched by beavers, black bears and  Squirrels .

  The caterpillar of spicebush butterfly is a natural  mimicry artist. They keep on intimidating their

potential  predators throughout their larva and pupa stages. Their earlier instar resembles a large  bird

 poop/ bird dropping in brown ,green or bronze color with a white tinge . Instar is the developmental

 stage  of arthropods such as insects between each moult  until sexual maturity is reached.( no photo )

 Spicebush caterpillar is a sheep in wolfs clothing. They adopt  protective  or  defensive mimicry

 ( like Batesian mimicry) on contrary to aggressive mimicry. Here a harmless species has evolved

to  imitate the warning signals of a harmful species directed at a common predator. Spicebush

 swallow tail caterpillar was also characterized as 'Caterpie' the serpent  in Pokémon series .

 These caterpillars make their own curled leaf shelters by spinning the silk produced from their body.

They feed at night and rest during daytime. Fifth instar stage of this caterpillar is the most  fascinating

stage in its entire life cycle .In this phase they develop two large staring eye like spots and

camouflage as a  small snake to scare the predator who want to dine them .

The actual head of these caterpillars are small with pink or green color and is often kept tucked

underneath the body. When disturbed they rear upon its hind leg and sways its head tucked under

the body to make appear the eyespot even more larger than they really are. They also shoot out a

 foul smelling liquid and smear it on the enemy from its forked 'Y' gland .

They turn yellow when they mature and  spins a silk harness to secure itself to a stem. The Pupa or

Chrysalis is the last stage in  this beautiful life cycle before it emerge out as a beautiful butterfly.

This  stage can last for two to three weeks. In this stage they mimic as a leaf and adopt green ,

yellow or brown  color depending on  the color of the surrounding area .

With a wingspan of 3 to 4 inches, the emerging butterfly must rest for a few hours to allow its body

to  dry and harden before it can take its first flight .The entire development process of a spicebush

butterfly from egg to adult may take an entire month. Many people enjoy raising these cute butterfly.

 Spicebush swallowtails is one among the largest butterflies in the world. Like humming birds, they

flutter their wings while feeding and unlike many other butterflies they  take lower flights close to

ground. From 1991 they are considered  as the state butterfly of Mississippi ( nick named as The

 Magnolia State or The Hospitality State) of United States.

 

 

Location: Jefferson City

                 Missouri