An early morning walk down Pilgrim Road Mt. Abu

Last night the temperature must have fallen a great extent, the field around my house were covered with thick frost. The frost on the scooter seats were a sight to witness. I picked up my camera and headed for a walk down the old Pilgrim road, this was the road used by the Jain and other pilgrims. It is the road that leads to the world famous Delaware Temples and then on to Achalgarh and Gurushikar where there are temples that are also regularly visited by the devotees. I remember walking as a kid all the way to Gurushikar when the road leading to this place was only a pathway or rightly called a Pilgrims Road.

Today all roads that lead to Abu are tarred ones, the present Pilgrim road is also now known as the Neel Kant Road (literal translation would be Blue Pussy Road). This road today especially during the season period is far for from representing a Pilgrim Road it’s more of a Highway where vehicles ply bumper to bumper.

Have A LOOK AT SOME OF THE SNAPS I TOOK OF OUR FIRST FROST OF THE SEASON.

 Frost even after 8 am

 Frosted dew

Frozen grass

Hey Who says its cold?

Looking for that frozen worm  

Yummy marrow

An encounter with a crazy horse Mt. Abu

It was the summer months and I was going through the relatively empty vegetable market when suddenly I was yanked off my feet. I had just passed a huge horse and it was this animal that had suddenly gone crazy and grabbed me by the flesh on my left shoulder plate. While dangling in the air I managed to let of a wild swing which landed on his snout, this reflex action of mine broke the horses hold.

To say I was shocked would have been an understatement; I was terrified and beat a hasty retreat to get far away as possible from this animal that had gone berserk. Everything happened so fast that only a few people moving around this area had observed what I had gone through. The horse was still pretty mad   and before I could shout a warning he began chasing a young terrified youth. Just then a second horse appeared and this was like providence had intervened, this horse now turned its full attention on this horse, snorting and biting the arrival on its neck. 

Both the animals behaved very strange they seemed to be going at each other , we who were watching all this heaved a sigh of relief when one of them made a beeline out of the market followed by the other . I went to my doctor who made a thorough  examination, the horses teeth marks were embedded in my flesh but thankfully the flesh had not raptured, after giving me a tetanus shot I was discharged. I asked Dr. If I needed any anti-rabies shots to which he replied nay no need,  probably a frustrated horse and not a mad one.

Later I learnt that it was the horses mating season and 99% of the animals were studs, a solitary mare and been recently purchased by one of the horse men operating in Abu. Apparently this female was on heat and hence the strange behavior of the studs in this one horse town of ours. 

Seasonal and Adverse weather condition Abu

Seasonal and adverse weather 

Is Man, in his quest to advance in all disciplines and walks of life and control every element of his surroundings, consciously or unwittingly creating a Frankenstein? Frankenstein is so terrible that he is now being retaliated against internationally for severe and unpredictable weather. Everywhere one looks, one can see a marked change in the climatic conditions around the globe.

Mount Abu this year experienced its hottest and longest summer, the late monsoons and then the November Rain. The long spell of rain in November sure has thrown this Eco-sensitive Abode into a semi-state of confusion. Can you imagine mango trees flowering during the year, even the wild date palm trees have flowered? I’m on the lookout to see what else nature has in store for me.

I only hope we have a short winter and a normal one at that. Abuites are already dreading the coming winter months, especially after seeing the adverse weather in Europe this past week.

 Following the November rain, the mango tree was in bloom.

Date palm in bloom after Nov Rain

 It's Blooming in December

 Shrike

 Tailor Bird

 White-throated Kingfisher

My jaunt to Oria N Jawi Catchment Mt Abu

 It’s been ages since I went on a Jaunt to the Gurushikar area, my trip there today was a cool experience I had gone there in the hope of catching our winter visitors the migratory birds. Jawi was a disappointment as there wasn’t   a single bird, so I returned and headed for Achalgarh hoping against hope that it would not be as disappointing. On reaching there I was elated as a few of our winter guess had made home there for the winter. A few varieties of ducks have landed up a week or so earlier. I’m posting some snaps taken today happy viewing.

 Dab chick

 Greenbee eater

 ID please

Last day of November Mt Abu

Last Day of November: Reflections by the Lake

The legend of the lake, once firm, which states that the lake overflows only after claiming a soul in tragic sacrifice, may be waning. With the November rains, I had thought this tale would resurface in full force as water levels neared the top. But, here we are—a full foot below overflowing, leaving the myth a step from reality.

The lake’s familiar visitors, the cormorants, have returned, ready to roost. This year, though, they’ll miss their usual rocky perches, now hidden beneath the water. This serves as a stark reminder of nature’s shifts and our need for action. Urgent lake maintenance is crucial: the floating debris and scum form a film on the surface that churns the stomach just to look at. Winter has begun, and already a slight, unsettling odour exists. What will this place feel like when the summer heat sets in?

As I walked by yesterday, I captured a few curious monkeys in my lens—a playful interruption in a scene otherwise shadowed by decay and neglect. It’s a beautiful yet fragile time for the lake. Here’s hoping we take on its care with the urgency it deserves, so it can thrive once more.

Took this threesome at the Lake

Seems the crocodile got this poor fellow's tail