Day trip to Mount St. Helens, Washington (USA)

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I’ve always had a fascination for volcanoes. The sheer power exuded by nature in it’s form kept me awed and humbled whenever I watched volcanoes erupting on TV channels. Living in Seattle provided a wonderful opportunity to explore the volcanic mountains of the Pacific North West (like Mount Rainier, Mount Baker, and Mount St. Helens). The most interesting amongst these is Mount St. Helens that last erupted in 1980 (5.1 on Richter scale), scooping off the head of the mountain in the process and making it “the deadliest and most economically destructive volcanic event in the history of the United States.”As quoted in the wikipedia, “The volcano is located in the Cascade Range and is part of the Cascade Volcanic Arc, a segment of the Pacific Ring of Fire that includes over 160 active volcanoes. This volcano is well known for its ash explosions and pyroclastic flows.”

You can visit either the north face of the Helens or the South face (you can’t do both in a day). I have been told that the north face has the best view of the crater (and is closer to Seattle as well). The southern face has interesting points like Ape Caves, but I am yet to visit it.

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उज्जैन दर्शन: श्री बड़ा गणेश मंदिर, क्षिप्रा घाट, चारधाम मंदिर व श्री राम मंदिर (भाग 6)

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भारत के हर कोने में भगवान गणेश जी के मंदिरों को देखा जा सकता है और उनके प्रसिद्ध मंदिरों में से एक है, बडे गणेश जी का मंदिर, जो उज्जैन के श्री महाकालेश्वर मंदिर के निकट हरसिध्दि मार्ग पर स्थित है। इस मंदिर में भगवान गणेश जी को बडे गणेश जी के नाम से जाना जाता है।

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डाकिन्यां भीमशंकरम ………..भीमाशंकर ज्योतिर्लिंग यात्रा.

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पिछ्ली पोस्ट में आप लोगों ने पढा कि हम लोग भीमाशंकर ज्योतिर्लिंग यात्रा के लिये इन्दौर से पुणे पहुंचे, वहां रात्री विश्राम करके अगले…

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राजा भर्तृहरि गुफा (भाग 5)

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तभी उन्होने झोले में से एक फल निकाल कर राजा को दिया और कहा यह अमरफल है। जो इसे खा लेगा, वह कभी बूढ़ा नही होगा, कभी रोगी नही होगा, हमेशा जवान व सुन्दर रहेगा। इसके बाद गुरु गोरखनाथ तो अलख निरंजन कहते हुए अज्ञात प्रदेशों की यात्रा के लिए आगे बढ़ गए।
उनके जाने के बाद राजा ने अमरफल को एक टक देखा, उन्हें अपनी पत्नी से विशेष प्रेम था, इसलिए राजा ने विचार किया कि यह फल मैं अपनी पत्नी को खिला दूं तो वह सुंदर और सदा जवान रहेगी।

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Charming Chanderi – of Baiju Bawra, Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya and 1200 Baoli

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The road stretch from Lalitpur to MP border will unhinge your joints. You cross into Ashoknagar district of MP over the downstream water channel of the Rajghat Dam. In rains water flows over the causeway. The landscape turns pretty with Vindhyachal hills and intermittent lakes making their entry. The early rains have made the hills lush with greenery. The beauty was enough for Babur to go ga-ga in his memoirs Babur Nama. The road after crossing into MP is a breeze and soon you see signs of the local Municipal Corporation welcoming you to the historic city of Chanderi. You are surprised to find the town clean with good roads and amazing signs for the tourists. Just looking at the densely packed attractions on the map confirms that Chanderi indeed is brimming with all kinds of monuments – tombs, mosques, gateways, palaces, temples and innumerable baolis.

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Five great reasons to visit Portugal

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This was my main reason of visiting Portugal. The sheer beauty of it is amazing. Of the very little time I spent in Portugal, I experienced a little bit of everything. It is like eating a fancy buffet, where you get to taste everything you have wanted to eat. Coastal Portugal has some of the most amazing sights of the Atlantic Ocean. The little fishing villages, the churches, the bell towers, and the winding streets were a welcome relief from the predictable big cities and the monotonous freeways of America. There is history written all over Portugal. There is a great balance of city beauty coupled with rustic country beauty. There are beautiful churches, castles and palaces. The view of the bay from Lisbon is amazing. If you can endure the heat, the weather is awesome. Portugal is easily one of the most beautiful countries I have visited.

Travel tip: The westernmost point of continental Europe is located in Portugal, and is must see.

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हरसिद्धि शक्तिपीठ दर्शन (भाग 4)

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शिव पुराण के मान्यता के अनुसार जब सती बिन बुलाए अपने पिता के घर गई और वहां पर राजा दक्ष के द्वारा अपने पति का अपमान सह न सकने पर उन्होंने अपनी काया को अपने ही तेज से भस्म कर दिया। भगवान शंकर यह शोक सह नहीं पाए और उनका तीसरा नेत्र खुल गया। जिससे तबाही मच गई। भगवान शंकर ने माता सती के पार्थिव शरीर को कंधे पर उठा लिया और जब शिव अपनी पत्नी सती की जलती पार्थिव देह को दक्ष प्रजापति की यज्ञ वेदी से उठाकर ले जा रहे थे श्री विष्णु ने सती के अंगों को बावन भागों में बांट दिया । यहाँ सती की कोहनी का पतन हुआ था। अतः वहाँ कोहनी की पूजा होती है। यहाँ की शक्ति ‘मंगल चण्डिका’ तथा भैरव ‘मांगल्य कपिलांबर हैं

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ममलेश्वर दर्शन (भाग 3)

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इसका सही नाम अमरेश्वर मंदिर है। ममलेश्वर मंदिर नर्मदा नदी के दक्षिणी तट पर 10 वीं सदी में बनाया गया था। यह मंदिरों का एक छोटा सा समूह है। अपने सुनहरे दिनों में इसमें दो मुख्य मंदिर थे लेकिन आजकल केवल एक बड़े मंदिर को ही भक्तों के लिए खोला जाता है। मंदिरों का यह समूह एक संरक्षित प्राचीन स्मारक है।

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Reaching Manali and drive back to Delhi

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We reached Rohtang at or around 4 PM and passing through the beautiful pass and its valleys amidst dense fog reached Manali at or around 5 PM. Since, Manali was visited many times by all of us and also due to the exertion of the long drive, we preferred heading towards our home without stopping. Steadily, we reached Sunder Nagar via Mandi in Himachal Pradesh covering another 140 km to reach as closer as possible for the return journey, on the following day. On the way we had some apples straight from the trees by courtesy of one of the owners of the orchard. We stayed in a road side Motel situated a few kilometers away from the town of Sunder Nagar, constructed alongside the river Beas at a bargain price of Rs. 1000/- for an excellent room equivalent to a super deluxe room of a 3 start hotel, with excellent facilities and river view balcony.

Lethargically, we started for the journey back to home and reached Delhi by evening with enormous sweet memories forgetting all hardships of the way. A total journey of 2200 kms in 9 days is the most memorable travel I have ever made in my life so far. My car has never betrayed even in the most adverse situations. Next day when we showed the photographs to our friends and relatives, the astonishing remarks filled the heart with joy and smile on the face. I still remember the journey while browsing the photographs and recall each event clearly one by one. My laptop has a screen saver of the picture of Taglang La and my office computer is loaded with the desktop picture of the landscape at Drass. Not many believe, it to be conquered by driving a small car all the way without a professional driver, the photos however, leaves them in awe. Many of my friends are now planning for the trip and insisting me to join them but honestly, I don’t have the dare to repeat this road journey again. Moreover, a lot more destinations are still on my list and want to cover them all one by one and share with all esteemed readers in future. Your valuable comment is most sought on the write up.

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ओंकारेश्वर दर्शन (भाग 2)

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ओंकारेश्वर लिंग किसी मनुष्य के द्वारा गढ़ा, तराशा या बनाया हुआ नहीं है, बल्कि यह प्राकृतिक शिवलिंग है। इसके चारों ओर हमेशा जल भरा रहता है। प्राय: किसी मन्दिर में लिंग की स्थापना गर्भ गृह के मध्य में की जाती है और उसके ठीक ऊपर शिखर होता है, किन्तु यह ओंकारेश्वर लिंग मन्दिर के गुम्बद के नीचे नहीं है।

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Featured Author interview – an involving conversation with our beloved DC

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From then till now, DC has been entertaining us with some of her amazing travel experiences. Her photography skills are commendable and Ghumakkar has had the pleasure to see a few of her best shots. The smooth blend of the science involved in detailing and the art involved in expressing is prevalent in most of her posts. Ladies and gentlemen, with so much to admire , we surely have the onus on us to give this lady a great round of applause.
Please put your hands together for Devasmita Chakraverty , fondly known as DC, who is our Featured Author of the Month of October ‘2013.

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