Anita'sTreasures

Leh & behold!   Leh — the capital of the Ladakh district in Jammu and Kashmir , is nestled to the north of the Indus Valley - the river which gave India its name. Leh is located at an altitude of 11,500 feet or 3,600 meters and faces extreme temperatures, especially in winters. When the rest of the country has already started feeling the summer heat, it is still "officially" winter in Leh! It is not until June that summer actually sets in this picturesque town of the Ladakh region. So if you are touring Leh around this time, why not head outside and make the most of the bright sun by visiting some of the tourist spots in the city? The Shanti Stupa I am certain that as a tourist in Leh you would be visiting the famous Gompas of Hemis, Thigsey, Stakna, Spituk and Shey. You would also be touring the historical Leh Palace . But why not spare some time to sightsee two more unusual but equall

CHOCOLATE MOUNTAINS     I have seen nature in all its glory – snow-clad peaks, verdant greens on an undulating landscape and even still waters in differing shades of blue. But the sight which left me utterly mesmerized was the hues and colours of a rugged mountain side... It seemed like a portrait painted by a pensive dreamer, an isolated idealist. The monochromes had infinitely more depth than a riot of rich colour. And where was this epiphany? On the high altitude journey from Leh to Kargil one late afternoon in December. I scarcely expected nature to treat me to this marvel. And I realised how great a treat this sight was when I figured after numerous trips that this mesmerising panoply can be enjoyed only during a particular time of day. At first sight, the landscape throughout the Ladakh region looks quite dull and drab during the winter months. A cluster of mud houses dot a bare mountainous terrain. Skeletal, rake-like trees stand tall to remind one that

Breakfast at Noon   Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, right? Well, then you can understand why three newlywed “fauji wives” including yours truly, decided on a breakfast with a difference one fine December day. Cooped up in sub-zero conditions in a temporary accomodation of a small room made of tin and asbestos sheeting was hardly the stuff of honeymoons, so why not make use of our heavenly surroundings in Ladakh, we thought! We were there only for a couple of months at a stretch and the officer's mess saved us the drudgery of cooking. So there was plenty of time to appreciate the truly magnificent beauty of the Great Himalayas all around us. Even our measly abode had a grand view: the Indus flowed just a few feet away, and further down it carved out a strategically placed sandy beach for us to picnic on! So one day we decided to pack a hot breakfast (aloo paranthas and cutlets with potato

WARMTH IN THE COLD     The people of Nurla, a small sleepy village near Leh celebrate New Year's Day on 4th January every year and we have been fortunate enough to attend the festivities. Indeed, we were eager to see how village folk would celebrate, considering that the temperature was somewhere between -20 and -25 degrees Celsius. Needless to add, it was bonechillingly cold and everyone has to be swathed in three or four layers to keep warm! That, of course, does not make for much leeway when it comes to party togs! Nevertheless, at six in the evening, a group of nine of us made for the community hall of Nurla village. After going past numerous bare brown trees and long stretches of mountainous terrain, we reached our destination. It seemed as if nature was totally oblivious to the fact that we were ushering in the New Year. Everything was still and calm and, some would say, very depressing. There were only shades of brown to be seen everywhere, no gre