-A window ajar is a prelude in building to the joy of being limitless! That uneasiness of being familiar somehow, sometime, somewhere.......

Thursday, June 29, 2006

India - Border Roads Organisation....

You have barely heard of the name Border Roads Organisation as you start off on the highest motorable road* in the world. And as the ascent begins it would not escape your eye how the road has been cleverly carved through the ruggedly masculine and majestic Himalayas, widening when needed and arching into a narrow and lengthy curve where appropriate. The road undoubtedly is treacherous, but you never feel unsafe even for a moment.







The scene that flanks you beside is a textbook fairly tale image which would never fail to marvel or move any heart. You climb along the misty trails and through the progressively dropping temperature to find your lungs pumping the freshest of fresh airs. There is no civilization in near sight, only the pure white sky and the near bit of road ahead. The far distant peaks promise panorama and peace.






The drivers communicate in their own language, dippers, honks, unfathomable gestures etc all through the demanding drive. It is then you begin to realise, how hard it could be to manage and maintain the road throughout such harsh weather and uninhabitable terrain and as you continue wondering about it you start to notice heavily clothed men and bulldozers working to clear off the fresh snow from the road, often holding traffic. As you drive further higher up, the signboards marked Border Roads Organisation become more frequent guiding you through to safer futures.






Somehow as you manage through a bumpy ride on one unhealthy segment of a longish curve with its metalling worn out off the road, you are greeted to a better maintained segment with a board which reads Inconvenience is Regretted, BRO.

In a nation that is India, to find such a courteous signboard here, in this desolate corner, at an altitude of 15000 feet or so above the sea level under such rough conditions melts your heart away. As they say great deeds go into history books but its the smaller gestures that find their place in the heart.

And as I think of that road and Border Roads Organisation now, I can only infer how it is a rare symbol of what a spoonful of will and discipline can do to India. On their site Shramena sarvam sadhyam reads the sanskrit motto of Border Roads Organisation, i.e With hard work every thing is possible.

Indeed.



*Highest motorable road- Connects Manali to Leh through several passes inc, the famous Rohtang and Khardung La.

Saturday, June 24, 2006

Thursday, June 22, 2006

Hopeful regret...

One day
you will realise
that
when you thought
i would look
beautiful naked,
i was covered in
shame.

Monday, June 19, 2006

Adios...

summers
that
have slowly
melted
and
trickled
through
our
lips
as
wetkisses
and
sprung
into gorges
between our hearts
to drift away
as a warm
and dear memory
into the seawater
of cold winter.

Friday, June 16, 2006

Jyotirgamaya.....

Asato Ma Sadgamaya,
Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya
Mrityo Ma Amritamgamaya
Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih hi.


~Brihadaranyaka Upanishad



From evil lead me to good
From darkness lead me to light
From death lead me to immortality
Let peace prevail into eternity...

PS: Apropos the genius VS Naipaul - The older I get, the more Hindu I become.

Photograph snapped at a shop in Calicut, Kerala India.

Monday, June 12, 2006

slicesnapped...


say paneer, newdelhimoon, new delhi , India.

Saturday, June 10, 2006

Ra...


Another sundown, Himachal Pradesh, Northwest India.

Search Blog

Labels