Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli

Old Post Box on Lower Mall Rd., Kasauli
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Spent a delightful couple of days at this old cantonment town of Kasauli in Himachal Pradesh - a quaint hill-station (built in 1842 or 1845) which is a great getaway during the oppresive Delhi summers - just four and a half hours away by road. There is also a train from Delhi up to Kalka from where one can drive up to Kasauli, a drive of about 40kms. Spotted this old post box on one of our long walks - htere are several great trails and walks in and around this town.

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India

Smiling Man, Serai Amanat Khan, Punjab, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

On way from Amritsar to Chandigarh we stopped by a serai (resting place), Serai Amant Khan, built during the Mughal rule. It's being restored by the Archeological Department, Govt. of India. The beautiful Serai Amanat Khan houses the tomb of Amanat Khan, majestically guarded by the minarets on the four sides of the tomb. The mosque in the vicinity is adorned with beautiful verses in Persian. This serai like the others served as a resting place for the people passing the royal road from Atari to Govindwal. All of them, including the Amanat Khan Serai, has water tanks to serve the inmates staying in the serais.

There I chanced upon this proud, smiling old man who was all too willing to be photograhed. We hardly spoke but the few moments we spent together were as if we were old friends. That's the charm of rural India - dignified informality.

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India

The Howrah Bridge (now known as the Rabindra Setu), Kolkata, India
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

Remember the Geeta Dutt song "Mera naam Chin Chin Choo..." in the Shakti Samanta film "Howrah Bridge" (1958) which was reused in Mira Nair's "Salaam Bombay"? That song kept ringing in my head as we cruised along the Hoogly at night. The cool evening breeze, the silent darkness and the Howrah Bridge emerging out of the dark waters - I felt I was in a dream!

Crows in conference!

Crows in conference!
Originally uploaded by medhekar2000

"Well I dreamt I saw you walking up a hillside in the snow / Casting shadows on the winter sky as you stood there, counting crows / One for sorrow, two for joy / Three for girls and four for boys / Five for silver, six for gold / Seven for a secret never to be told."

From: "A Murder of One" on the album 'August and Everything After' - Band: Counting Crows.