Panjab – Hari Ram Gupta

Panjab, the land of five rivers, today stands divided across Pakistan and India. Fragmented by religious division, fuelled by paltry politics of the British empire in India, it’s language and culture caught in a downward spiral. History of Panjab, from the perspective of historians of the bygone era, is the...

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Nanak meets Buddha

Borobudur Temple at Yogyakarta is a magnificent architecture from the era when Buddhism flourished in Indonesia. The three tiered temple design represents man’s internal progression from worldly to blissful state of formless, as taught by Buddha.                                                      Kamadhatu represents engagement in worldly desires. It displays intricate stone carvings depicting...

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A warrior’s epic crossing

My article “A voyage – A warrior’s epic crossing” has featured in January 2014 issue of Asian Geographic. Unfortunately, the editor has truncated the story, probably to fit in a centre-fold page. The full length story has earlier featured on my Blog titled “Thirty years – In search of General...

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Nature’s Perfection

 Life stooped with years of learning, Is no comparison to a glance at nature’s perfection.   Engrossed in the journey of life, mankind remains passionate about advancing it’s learning. We remain fascinated by our accomplishments and egoistic in showcasing them. Yet, a mere glance at the nature and we can...

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Mount Bromo in Jeep

The Caldera of Mount Bromo is a constant reminder that beauty in nature is not without its other. In this volcanic region lie the stories of death and regeneration, tranquility and disaster. For years, the Tengger Hindu people of Indonesia have lived in the fringe of this volcanic mountain. In...

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The Kingdom of Guge – A lost Tibetan Civilization

My article “The Kingdom of Guge – A lost Tibetan Civilization” has appeared in January 2014 issue of Asian Geographic. Little explored by adventurers in the past, Tibet today is strictly controlled by the Chinese government and travel within the region has been restricted ever since the Dalai Lama’s flight...

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Nyalam

Nyalam, literally translated as “Gateway to Hell”, is a town in Shigatse prefecture of Tibet, bordering Nepal. Till ten kilometers before Nyalam from Tibet side, at an average height of 12,300 feet above sea level, the plateau is just a flat land with huge snow clad Himalayan mountains rising above...

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Seeing beyond Seeing

“Seeing beyond Seeing”, one gets blinded by the experience, reminded at summit that it is not the end but just a start of journey to other side of the mountain, taking one right back to the world.   An early morning walk in Borneo (Malaysia) at Kalimantan Indonesian border, one...

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Do you know?

Do you know where you are heading?   Journey of life is a river whose goal is the ocean. The future will always be uncertain, so use wisdom of men who have been around before us, as the guiding map.   Click first photo below and scroll to view series...

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Renunciation

In Myanmar, faced with young children being trained into the order of monkhood, one is left wondering if renunciation is the solution to preparing the young for facing worldly challenges?   Would it not be better if children are skilled in their youth to become active contributors in the society,...

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