An Idler's Vision

Hang Out There

2011-10-27T22:10:00.005+05:30

Tindharia in the Darjeeling hills is the first important railway station on the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway.
It is on National Highway 55 which connects - when it is in working order - Siliguri to Darjeeling.

We drove up to it one Sunday afternoon with some friends last July. One of them, a Darjeeling tea expert, pointed out the Tindharia Locomotive and Carriage Workshop to us. The three rooftops perched on the top of the hill made a pretty sight.

We drove past and went up to the railway station. It was also a lovely old building. I wished we could have taken a train ride there, but the train service had been suspended because landslides had snapped the road link and damaged the tracks beyond Tindharia.

We wondered whether repairs would be completed. The scene changed completely in September, when the earthquake struck. A large part of the hillside below the locomotive workshop fell away.

We drove up in the direction of Tindharia today with our younger daughter. She loves the railways, particularly the DHR. This time we couldnt even reach the station.

I did not have my camera with me. These pictures were taken on my old fashioned (four years old is old fashioned these days) phone camera.
No complaints. They pretty much convey what we saw.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway (DHR) is a World Heritage site.

The UNESCO World Heritage Committee describes it thus:
"The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway is the first, and still the most outstanding example of a hill passenger railway. Opened in 1881, it applied bold and ingenious engineering solutions to the problems of etablishing an effective rail link cross a mountainous terrain of great beauty. It is still fully operational* and retains most of its original features intact."

*see above

Box of Rain

2011-05-09T09:03:00.006+05:30

I watch the rain from my new perch in Siliguri. What a downpour!

This one was taken two hours after the first picture.

And these two several hours later. These are the Darjeeling hills.

Compliments of the Season

2010-06-29T16:26:00.002+05:30

Ixoras are in full bloom and this first picture is a pot-pourri - by Mithoo the gardener. There are several colours and sizes of flowers to be found on different bushes dotting the compound.

This bush in the picture above produces both orange and yellow flowers.

This one is a classic flower - fiery orangey red.

This is a bush of miniature blooms.

Wow, strike me pink! This is the first time we've managed to grow this colour!

I have no words for these - but Mithoo Mali has done a great job arranging them.

Another precious new entrant this year - golden yellow.
I hope these flowers have brightened your day, wherever you are!

...And March Sunset

2010-03-06T09:50:00.003+05:30

A March Morning

2010-03-04T12:41:00.008+05:30

'Oh, I've Seen Fire and I've Seen Rain...'

2009-09-01T18:31:00.005+05:30

See SkyWatch Friday - other people's skies!

Flowers for Joy

2009-04-17T22:04:00.008+05:30

Some of our dahlias were displayed on 'Today's Flowers'.
Here's one of the plants that produced the spiky pink cactus variety.

And this lot against the cold weather morning light.

Full House, here!

Ah, I miss the cold weather!

Partha Sends Flowers!

2009-03-19T11:48:00.003+05:30

These lovely blooms were grown by our friend Partha and his family on the terrace/balcony of their flat in Siliguri. Aren't they bold and beautiful?
Partha's Nokia phone has produced superb images, as always!

One Hundred Days Without Rain

2009-02-27T10:23:00.009+05:30

...spells bad news for the tea gardens here in the Dooars. These are pictures of the sunset last Sunday, taken from our bungalow. The clouds turned out to be ornamental.

See skies from around the world here.

Dahlias and Daydreams

2009-02-17T09:35:00.012+05:30

Salman likes to pose among the gerberas

Salman and Goni goof off after a long day in the garden

This is my world, this Tuesday. See more worlds here!

Mellow Yellow

2009-02-13T11:42:00.002+05:30

Yellow Phlox!

Prince of Orange

2009-02-12T17:51:00.006+05:30

Arent they perfect? I thought so when I took these pictures.

A February Evening

2009-02-11T21:40:00.009+05:30

Watch skies from the world over at SkyWatch Friday.

Stripe Me Red!

2009-02-11T10:31:00.003+05:30

This is my flower today, the Dahlia. See more flowers from today.

Friendly Faces in the Garden

2009-02-10T19:35:00.006+05:30

That's my world, this Tuesday. See other people's worlds too!

China Blue

2008-12-12T19:51:00.015+05:30

This SkyWatch is courtesy my brother, TR (below). These pictures were taken at the Great Wall by Xie Songxin, Editor at China Daily, when TR visited China last summer.

Xie by TR

View more skies from around the world here!

'Royal' Blue SkyWatch

2008-11-27T21:01:00.009+05:30

Airbrushed

Inside, Outside

Rajbari : The Cooch Behar Palace

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Hobby Horse

2008-11-24T21:39:00.003+05:30

Baking Day

2008-11-20T14:44:00.003+05:30

This one's for you, Barua.

Afternoon in the Park

2008-11-19T21:37:00.002+05:30

Cold Weather Games

2008-11-13T17:31:00.007+05:30

Cold weather evenings here are touched with melancholy. It becomes dark so early, and the evening is so short. The day does a quick-fade, and spirits dip even as we get a thrill looking at all the play of light in the Western sky.

See more SkyWatch Friday posts

Cold Moon

2008-11-12T20:18:00.003+05:30

All in a Day's Work

2008-11-10T12:03:00.002+05:30

Please click on the picture for an enlarged view

Look, SkyWalker!

2008-11-08T18:20:00.000+05:30

Talk about walking into the sunset! This man here is helping to pull down the scaffolding that formed a structure that housed the image of the goddess during Kali Puja. The little white dot in the sky is Venus, setting.
Location: Mal Bazar, Dooars, India.

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Diwali

2008-11-04T23:09:00.000+05:30

Idler's SkyWatch Post

2008-10-31T21:49:00.000+05:30

You cant get more idle than this. I didnt take any pictures of the sky this week, but Partha Dey, who is a family friend, sent me two beautiful pictures he took on his Nokia phone camera.
One is of a jet plane flying over Bagdogra, our airport town, and the other is of the wonderful view of the snow covered Kanchanjunga range of the Himalayas as seen from his office and from his home in Siliguri.

I have started this blog for pictures because my nephew wished it. His wish, etc. I'm happy to take part in SkyWatch Friday again, even if these are not my pictures.
Catch SkyWatch Friday posts from the world over!

Hidey Hole

2008-10-28T16:06:00.000+05:30