Tag: Weekly photo challenge

If you are on summer vacations, or on sabbatical leave or simply have some spare time, take a ride on Indian Hill Railways or Narrow Gauge (NG) lines. You will go through tunnels, little hamlets and over awe-inspiring bridges.

These rail journeys will give you an exhilarating experience when you pass through quaint mountain ranges, and cross over mangroves with thick and lush green environment around you.

Narrow Gauge Journey-Matheran — Matheran Railway Station

Neral and Matheran, in the state of Maharashtra, a hill railway track is a 2 ft. Narrow Gauge line covering 21 km in the midst of thick forests of Western Ghats. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It is over 100 years since it was opened back in the year 1907.

Narrow Guage journey-Toy train, Matheran — Toy train Matheran

Being inside a toy train can be a lifetime experience, the tighter curves, magnificent water bodies and a wide variety of flora & fauna. As the train wheezes up the clear mountains amidst mangroves you cherish these moments of a scenic view. Oh! What a journey it is.

Matheran is the closest hill station to Mumbai in the Sahyadri hill range in Raigad district of Maharashtra State. It is situated at a height of 803 m above sea level.

By train:

You can catch a Karjat bound local train from CSTM (a.k.a. VT Mumbai, India) on the Central Railway to Neral Station.

Use the foot over bridge at Neral and get to the other platform. Inquire about the toy train and whether tickets will be available. If you want to ride in the Matheran toy train, then make sure you have booked in advance.

Narrow Gauge journey- Toy train -Queen of Sahadri Hills — Neral Matheran train- Queen of Sahyadri Hills

The Toy Train

Sir Adamjee Peerbhoy conceived the imaginative idea of a 2-ft narrow-gauge railway from Neral to Matheran (20 km). He imported three specially made engines from Germany in 1905. The railway was opened in 1907. This train became 100 years old on April 16, 2007.

Places to visit in Matheran:

Lake Charlotte – A spectacular waterfall overflows from the lake during and shortly after the monsoons. It has peaceful surroundings of dense evergreen forests, bird songs, and pretty butterflies.

Panorama point – is a very beautiful as you can see a panoramic view of the hills on the left and a beautiful Ulhas River to the right. This point is perfect for Sunrise and is also called “Sunrise Point.”
Heart Point – Here one can see a beautiful scene of the valley and this point looks like a heart, so gets its name.
Monkey Point – At this point can see the monkeys in large numbers and their mischief life-sized.
Malang Point
Luisa Point – The view from here to the waterfall (run off from Charlotte Lake ) during the monsoon is spectacular.
Honeymoon Hill
Echo Point

The other grand narrow gauge journeys in India are:-

Pathankot to Joginder Nagar in the state of Himachal Pradesh
New Jalpaiguri to Darjeeling in the state of West Bengal.
Mettapulayam to Ooty (Udhagamandalam) in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Kalka to Shimla in the state of Himachal Pradesh.

Cherry or Cherries on Top

July 28, 2016

Kash Pals

Black Forest Pie Cake Cream Cake Chocolate Chips

Recently, I attended a friend’s birthday party. The birthday was celebrated on a very grand scale. It was held at a famous 5-star hotel hall. The birthday cake was a Black Forest Cake. A cream cake with a lot of chocolate chips and not just a Cherry On Top but cherries on top!

Let’s celebrate the cherries on top!

Look up

July 14, 2016

Kash Pals

Weekly photo challenge 5 Comments

Petronas Towers, Malaysia — Petronas Towers

As I Look Up, I see this splendid architecture. The 88 storey building features glass and steel exterior and traditionally inspired interior. The sky bridge that connects the two towers is the world’s highest two-storey bridge which is an excellent viewing platform as you get a magnificent view of the city.

Any guesses, where is this located?

Well, it is Petronas Twin Towers located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

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*/ This post is inspired by Weekly Photo Challenge Look Up. /*

WPC: H20-The Waterfall

July 11, 2016

Kash Pals

Nature Weekly photo challenge 19 Comments

H2O is the chemical formula for water. It describes water broken down into its elements.

For me, the waterfall symbolises unleashed creativity in a constant fluid shape that is ever-changing and renewing. It symbolises openness, flexibility, power, form and spirituality which is a primordial symbol association with water in its countless expressions.

Gushing waterfall inside the botanical garden

In literature, water is associated with a symbol of change and is present at turning points. In most cultures, it is a sign of life. Heraclitus, a Greek philosopher, was motivated to contemplate on the waterfall as the continuous evolution of beings. The drops of water which come together to form a waterfall are renewed each second.

The waterfall symbolises unharnessed elemental motion. The force field that one needs to master and control one’s spirituality or spiritual being. The waterfall is symbolic of lastingness of form despite the change of content. Waterfall symbolises immense release of emotion, rejuvenation and renewal of spirit. The four elements of life on our planet of which water is the crucial element and the waterfall, in particular, is continuous creation and renewal.

*/This post was inspired by Weekly Photo Challenge: Symbol earlier and now H2O. For this week’s challenge, share a photo that features H2O; the element of water. Water comes in many different states and guises./*

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