FindingLostWoods

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THE #WORLD OF #DRAGON: Today, I am extremely excited to share with you guys my first experience of Macro #photography. As evident through my previous pictures, my interest has been majorly on nature photography and capturing the avian/ the mammals in the vast wilderness.. It was a while ago when my inclination towards these tiny yet essential creatures started developing.. However, it was only during my last West Bengal trip, wherein I tried my hand in the field of insect photography.. with the help of additional filters (which I'd borrowed from a fellow bird watcher, then).. Trust me, it was a stupendous experience altogether. With actually narrowing down your vision, making it more focused on the ground, or on the leaves or the stems or #tree branches, getting into the bushes at times to get that one great shot. All that gives me a different sort of high (if i can call it that) ;).. The study of #entomology: a behavioral study basically is what I am now looking forward to.. through secondary #reading and gaining on field experience during my travels... I hope I can one day recall at least few insect species just like I do for birds and others. Really looking forward to bring forward more of my work on entomology. #findinglostwoods #nature #insects #travel #travelblogger #delhigramer #incredibleindia #wings #life #science #ecology #environment #wild #wildlife #nikon #natureclub #instatravel #instadaily (at Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary)

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The only bird that reminds me of a nice and lavish sun bath: the majestic Black #Cormorant, commonly known as the "Black Waterfowl". Witnessing this carnivorous bird perched ashore while holding their wings out in the sun, is a very common sight be it in the backwaters of #Kerala or in the #Ganga belt of North #India. These birds are no less than any stylish action hero! The way they dive into the water to devour #catfish fingerlings is just too camera perfect. However, the #usa govt surely feels differently for this specie given the destruction caused by these action heros in the East Sand Island (where they usually nest). As a result, killing of these birds are now undertaken by the government in order to save the fishes. To what extent is this justified ? Well, I'm not sure myself! Even in the #Pong Dam region, #Himachal Pradesh this bird is known to cause a ruckus, thereby upsetting the fish farmers. Nonetheless it's a delight to watch this black beauty in action. ;) #incredibleindia #findinglostwoods #ornithology #wildlifephotography #travelphotography #travel #black #cormorant #bird #indianblogger

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THE INFAMOUS #CAMEL RIDE - Who hasn't been on the back of a camel and enjoyed a humpy ride... I mean c'mon that used to be one of the greatest and irreplaceable source of entertainment. Even I have my childhood #stories around this expressionless creature. But wait a minute! Have I ever wondered how does this domestication of animal business for #tourist entertainment work? No, I haven't until recently (4 years back to be precise). Dominating and taming animals have always been a matter of pride throughout the #human history. We say we are the rulers or guardians of #Earth and thus we do have the right to tame the rest of the brainless creatures. But as rightly advocated by the Julia Roberts short #film, "We need the Earth to survive and it is not Vice versa!".. it never was.. we just assumed our supreme authority over it. #Asia and South Africa have seen the unnatural rising of such animal venue attractions thereby cancelling out the efforts made in terms of conservation or captive breeding. Captive breeding won't show any benefit unless the animal is released into the wild, eventually. This sort of #entertainment is so innate in our #culture or #society that we don't realise that its a kind of cruelty & is against animal welfare. Tying down the #animals, torturing them while training and letting them burn is absolutely heinous and unsustainable! With such a massive bundle of #biodiversity endowment, #India cannot afford for such cruelty when biodiversity #conservation is the most called for! Let's strike off "riding an elephant" from our travel bucket list.. Let's save our #planet because it is "OURS".. #juliaroberts #findinglostwoods #travel #travelphotography #wildlife #delhigram #nature #southafrica #caging #tourism #business #incredibleindia #instadaily (at Rann of Kutch)

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The Naked tree - I always had this burning desire to visit the western tip of the country, the land of #white #dessert - the Rann of #Kutchh. However a #lover of #green, this particular #naked #tree standing in the middle of nowhere was able to grab all my attention at once. I still don't know what exactly about this particular spot or this particular tree had kept me glued to this place for an hour or so. I can only imagine how haunted and creepy would this place look after sundown. This "nothingness" in the air was so powerful, consuming and unique in its own way that I don't think i could have asked for more at that time. Every form of nothingness I believe carries some of bit of #truth coupled with huge amount of hope which remains unseen. The shades of #browns and #grey was nothing but sheer #darkness beyond which was a ray of true light or hope (as we usually call it). #findinglostwoods #incredibleindia #india #indiablogger #thenakedtree #nothingness #rannofkutch #travelphotography #gujarat #gujarattourism (at Gandhidham, Kutch , Gujrat)

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Shades of Womanhood - She is an epitome of strength and #beauty. Absolutely power packed! - She is an embroider belonging to the cobbler #community - The Mochi tribe. When she calls out her little ones, with a hint of tension, her voice is then sharper than any sword. She calls herself the descendent of Vasudeva and that no trouble can harm her or her family in Vasudeva's presence. Whichever way your eyes can go vibrant ghagras, kancholis (the backless blouses) and odhnis is all you see, #painting the #white canvas with beautiful #colors. Those ornaments are her pride and thats what completes her. Those wrinkles on her face are indicative of her aging body while her soul refuses to grow old...we are the city girls busy climbing our career ladder while these are the women holding tight on to their roots and cultures... #findinglostwoods #incredibleindia #peopleinframe #red #indigenous #tribe #india #indianblogger #Delhiblogger #gujarattourism #travel #travelphotography (at Gujarat)

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THAT EXQUISITE CUP OF TEA - "What a #beauty this place is".. this was my initial reaction when I'd first witnessed the lush green tea gardens, situated in the hills of Munnar. The sight itself instantly multiplied my desire to have a steaming cup of nicely brewed #tea. But such #pictures are a mere delusion as they mask out the ugly #truth hidden underneath these #green carpets. Unimaginable levels of exploitation that the labourers (#women mostly) working on tea estates owned by huge multi millionnaire #international and #national business houses, face, which makes deaths from chronic hunger & starvation, an inevitable outcome. The very cheerful #faces that we usually see out there in the #movies or #tourism #posters are not that cheerful after all. If you have a closer look, stuck inside the vicious cycle of #poverty owing to inhuman wages, denied of their basic #human #rights, these #beautiful tea gardens often will show you shades of #red (of murder) instead of green. The nasty roots of bondage like thinking hasn't really left our society or our thinking, then what makes us say that the #imperial era cease to exist?? "#Change the way you think..and rise against the immorality done..." #findinglostwoods #changeisgood #nature #travelphotography #travelblogger #india #indiablogger #scenery #delhigram #love (at Munnar, Kerala)

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The Trongsa Palace - Almost a 4 hour long drive from #Bhumthang took me to this #beautiful #palace constructed very strategically on a steep ridge surrounded by spectacular #valleys from all sides is an #architectural #beauty in true sense. It was constructed by the Late #King Jigme Dorji Wangchuck as a focal point from where unification of eastern #Bhutan took place. Today, it holds offices of the administrative wing of the #Royal government. Around 2 kms to the left of the dzong (#palace) flows the Mangde Chhu #River, which now supports the on going construction of Mangde #Chhu Hydroelectric #Plant (one of the biggest in Bhutan), funded by the GoI in exchange of electricity supply into the Eastern grid, #India. This mega project is right now the highlight of the Indo - Bhutan energy cooperation. Apart from the economic angle, preliminary studies show the significant negative impact of the under construction HEP on #Manas #National #Park (a UnESco declared world heritage site) in #Assam, thereby disturbing the #Himalayan #ecology and the #winter #capital, #trongsa itself.. #findinglostwoods #lonelyplanet #hydropower #himalayas #delhi #nature (at Trongsa, Bhutan)

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Flying #Mantras - One can never get done with the #Valleys of #Bhutan! Those #beautiful valleys linked with several passes, you will always want more of them. These passes are a connecting spot where you can halt and let yourself get consumed by the lovely ambiance of #peace and #spirituality. Prayer #flags are another distinctive feature of the Bhutanese landscape. While trekking you'd come across hundreds of these tall flag poles encrypted with several #Buddhist Mantras and #prayers across bridges/ ridges/ #rivers or in front of houses/ #monasteries etc. It is like almost impossible to not see one of these #spiritual flags. As per the norm, the #mountain #wind is supposed to carry these prayers to God's abode and bring back peace, harmony, good omen, longetivity and loads of prosperity. To my surprise, this #tradition of writing prayers on rectangular pieces of cloth were supposedly a common practice in #India during the era of kingdoms and the battles. To Bhutan, this tradition comes from the Buddhist #Tibet. I dont know about the Buddhist Mantras much but these flags definitely creates a dreamy aura, which is extremely peaceful and relaxing to witness. A must experience of #life. #findinglostwoods #natgeotravelpic #delhigram #instamood #love #nature #beauty #travel #travelphotography #nikon #himalaya (at Mongar Dzong, Mongar, Bhutan)

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The Burning Lake - On my way to #Bhumthang, there was a feeder road which we took to reach the famous Burning Lake: a #pilgrimage site. Okay! So, when I was told that we shall halt at this place called the Burning #lake, I first thought, is it really possible to witness a lake on #fire? Why would somebody ironically name it like that... I was being a little less logical of course but i really was hoping to see something I'd never seen before. Something absolutely UNUSUAL ! Later when I read more about this place it said that this place has a #history which gives the burning lake it's name! (Inquisitive readers can google it..).. As I was walking in towards the Lake, I saw that the entire path and the #mountain walls were decorated with hundreds and thousands of prayer flags .. and something called Funerary #Stupas. Funerary Stupas are nothing but tiny stupas created by using crushed bones of the dead. That's how the dead is kept alive and regarded in parts of #Bhutan. This beautifully embellished path led me to the ultimate gorge and the Lake, which was anything but not on fire ;). So, there was nothing unusual about this lake but the mountain stones in the gorge that have taken different shapes e.g. shape of a man's face over the years was both fascinating and a little spooky. Such identifiable shapes were many to be seen within the gorge plus this place has a history of supernatural existence and it was almost sundown, all of it made the entire ambiance a little too spooky :o. This particular gorge is also said to have seen quite a few human deaths owing to sheer carelessness. Each stone inside the gorge was way too slippery to walk on thereby making it highly accident prone. This is an interesting spot for hikers/bikers to halt and a must visit but surely not a playful one! #findinglostwoods #travel #travelphotography #traveldiaries #nature #lonelyplanet #hike #bike #natgeotravel #himalayan #nikond5200 (at Jakar Town, Bumthang Valley, Bhutan)

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THE PAHADI LIVELIHOOD - While the official profession of #Uttarakhand remains admission into the "#Indian #Army", the local villagers in the #Himalayan foothills remain occupied with their daily practice of collecting "Fodder". The villagers with land holding practice fodder #farming while the ones with no or marginal #lands have to rely upon the nearby #forest for the supply of fodder, making them extremely dependent on the immediate #natural resource. On my way to village Kaudiyala, this was the most common site in the region wherein #men and #women have to walk over long distances to fetch fodder for their livestock to survive. Infact the #village kids here grow up, mostly listening to #adventurous #stories from their elders about their daily fodder fetching task. Based on the #social norms, in most village setups across the #country, fodder and #firewood collection is usually a task associated with women of the #family while the men are busy cultivating their land or with non #agricultural labor. But to my surprise here I saw quite a few number of men actively contributing to the same task. Often these #mountain communities have to face problems owing to extreme fodder scarcity. This is primarily a result of some ill practices like that of #green felling, lack of appropriate #technology for enhancing crop production, increasing #population and limited resources, in the end advancing #poverty in such mountain ecosystems. #findinglostwoods #nature #travel #life #peopleinframe #conservation #travelgram (at Kaudiyala)

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TETHERED TO A SILENT SHORE .... Born out of wood to rule the ebullient sea, Unruly waves -a many -kissing its feet. It dreamt of the journeys far afar, Adorned up to the hilt in its vermillion avatar. But life had other plans for the wood Phoenix, Reducing its playground to a river stream. It was none the worse nevertheless, Sea or not, the river heaved no less. Days came and went, past became present, Canvas became the trend - be it boat or tent, Now it lay here abdicated by the oar-man, Understand or share its pain....ahoy! no one can. Even if in a serene heaven loneliness is forced, You are but a boat tethered to a silent shore. - Special Inputs by @bwithrajlko #findinglostwoods #sea #poem #art #poetry #wood #river #travel #rishikesh #india #life #boat #phoenix #incredibleindia #thought #philosophy #water #stream #greens #travelphotography #travelgram #Delhiblogger #sunset (at Hrishikesh)

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THE WADING STORK: Wading because I am a leggy lass narrated in several #Hindu epic pieces and the famous Panchtantra #tales as I recall from my childhood days..I have milky #white #feathers with a hint of #red painted on my back.. spotted all over the #Indian subcontinent. On one hand, "Mirshikars" have been prominent tribal hunters in parts of #Bihar ..hunting me down since several generations. On the contrary, some consider me nobel and a true sign of fertility. Homo sapiens are quite peculiar that ways..haa..I don't even have much tantrums as I simply feed on those little #fishes and worms which makes me so strong that I can even stand still on one leg for long durations (that's actually when I pose just for the camera). My existance is extremely dependent on the availability of wetlands. Erratic #rainfall in #north #India often makes me go missing.. :o. Try not let me burn down amidst the threats of #climate change.. "Save wetlands...Save Me".. #findinglostwoods #nature #life #planet #paintedstork #wetlands #incredibleindia #wildlife #travel #delhigramer #wildlifephotography #water #sustainable #earth #nikon (at Rajasthan)

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The Rising: That evening, walking past a quite ridge in spite of the dimming lights of dusk, these naked stems of a massive #tree seemed to have risen in respect of the mighty #Sun #God. Of course, the life giver deserves that bit, I guess.. #People however, come and go, nature nurtures us, and in return we give back to it all that is unwanted. So many different #moments during my travel chapters are just flawless.. are just ideal.. breathtaking and pure!..What would our lives be without such numerous colors and shades.. a place without the red sky, the chatty #rivers and #mountain streams, the lush #meadows... There won't be much left to savour in life or to survive. Our lives would become so meaningless.. and so dull! At times it's a struggle for me to add #words to my thoughts when I come across moments that marvelous and that powerful.. Nothing less than a #painting inspiration! #findinglostwoods #love #nature #instamoment #travel #life #living #paradise #utopia #beauty #respect #picture #ambience #delhigramer #india #instatravel #instadaily (at Rajasthan)

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BEAUTIFULLY CAMOUFLAGED: My eyes were on a keen look out for birds...white.. grey..blue...black ..birds and more birds... concentrating least on what might fall before me on the ground. Amidst this dense CMK bird sanctuary, (which is some 30mins drive from the Jadavpur Varsity, Kolkata) beautifully camouflaged was this non venomous reptile waiting for me (I guess) ;). Just when I was about to step on it heedless of its presence around me ...I'd noticed the keel scales and the continuous #black and white stripes of a relatively small "Buff Striped #Keelback" very swiftly crossing my path.. However, non #venomous, I was still a little creeped out (frankly) but it has been a common sighting during some of my #monsoon #jungle #trips located in #coastal areas... I find this a better looking one than its brown- vermillion counterpart.. The name of this #sanctuary can be quite misleading as spotting #birds was a rare instance.. nonetheless it is a hub of numerous #insect, #snake, #lizard species.. and #mosquitoes ..Hence a major CAVEAT - Although one of the basic rules of forest trekking but m repeating the same - Do not attempt to explore this place without continuous application of a mosquito repellent cream on your exposed skin and of course minimal exposure of skin is the best! #findinglostwoods #reptiles #reptilesofinstagram #travel #wildlifephotography #wildlife #nature #living #beautiful #incredibleindia #sea (at Chintamoni Kar Bird Sanctuary)

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The old #man and the #sea, written by #Hemingway in 1951, though is considered among his last major work is the one read by almost all. But #walking along the #shores of southernmost #Indian #ghats one can actually see it come alive with such casualness that one almost certainly misses it. For me the #sight was not only a walk away from the hubbub of the citylife but also a walk down the #memory lane into the school time literatures. The clear water - as fresh as a newborn - juxtapose with the old man in a diaplated boat is as close to oxymoron as it can get. The God's own country with it's own uniqueness. It didn't really feel odd to let that #serenity engulf me! #sea #incredibleindia #kerela #travelphotography #kovalam #ashokabeach # boat #Blue #horizon #livetotravel #godsowncountry #arabiansea #amateurphotography #nikon #nikond5200 #peopleinframe #findinglostwoods #indiablogger #Delhiblogger #travelblogger #travelblog #trivandrumdiaries #trivandrum (at Country Club Kovalam,Ashoka Beach)

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THE BEAUTIFUL TRANSFORMATION ! - An Irish saying goes like, " #Butterflies are souls of the dead waiting to pass through purgatory". Apart from carrying huge aesthetic significance this vivid set of insects are an important indicators of a #healthy #ecosystem and tells us about the existing #biodiversity in more than one way. Being extremely fragile in their build these lovely creatures remain highly #vulnerable to the threats of climate change and weather variability. Human #society since ancient times have been associating their luck to these winged insects. As an example, it is a belief that arrival of a black #butterfly is symbolic to arrival of good #news of some sorts. The beauty of this insect is such that it's almost impossible to not believe any good omen associated with it. #nature #ecosystem #sustainability #climatechange #wildlife #indiablogger #wildlifeblogger #amateurphotography #nikon #natgeo #kerela #kovalam #insect #beautiful #changeforgood #superstition #findinglostwoods #incredibleindia #travelphotography #travel

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THOSE ANTLERS! : It isn't just the bigger cats of the Indian forests that generate a constant demand for this marvelous specie called Chital/ Spotted Deer. Seizures, followed by the practice of shedding male antlers is a huge business attraction in the subcontinent. These beautiful horns are either sold as decorative items or as crushed pieces to be converted into cutlery items. They usually move around in small herds to prevent themselves from the predators's trap ... But this poor chap seemed to have lost its way as his fellow herd members were nowhere to be seen. It would just be a matter of few hours .... if it's lucky then days.... before it would be consumed by one of the big cats of the jungle! (at Rajaji National Park, Chilla)