Leg 144, Ngari Gunsa, Tibet, via Pakistan to Ahmedabad, India
DAY01_13.PLN (7.4 KB)
Sunrise over the Himalayas then on to New Delhi and the Taj Mahal in Agra
01-12 Ngari Gunsa ZUAL 8:02 PM Climb to 18.5Kft FLC 90 to 21Kft to avoid peaks
01-12 Kullu Manali VIBR 9:07 PM Sunrise 8:58 PM
01-12 Jallowal VI88 9:39 PM Golden temple next 31°37’12"N 74°52’37"
01-12 Amritsar VIAR 9:54 PM
01-12 Allama Iqbal Intl OPLA 10:07 PM Entered the bad stutter zone again CoherentGTDraw spikes to 600ms
01-12 Faisalabad Intl OPFA 10:39 PM Bad stuttering again until touch down
01-12 Okara OPOK 10:55 PM
01-12 Lallgarh VI1P 11:17 PM
01-12 Sirsa VISX 11:36 PM
01-12 Hissar VIHR 11:53 PM
01-13 Bhiwani VIBW 12:04 AM
01-13 Indira Gandi Intl VIDP 12:23 AM
01-13 Safdarjung VIDD 12:30 AM Lotus temple
01-13 Dhanipur Airstrip VIAH 12:54 AM
01-13 Agra AB VIAG Taj Mahal 1:09 AM
01-13 Jaipur VIJP 1:51 AM
01-13 Vanasthali VANI 2:05 AM
01-13 Ondwa VA1H 2:40 AM
01-13 Udaipur VAUD 3:01 AM
01-13 Ahmedabad VAAH 3:49 AM
Flight time 7:47 19 stops
Departing from Nagru Gunsa, climbing to 18,500ft to cross the ridge
Qusum town before dawn, climbing on to 21,000ft
Over Dundui
The sun is starts to hit the mountain peaks at Giu Thach
Lari still in the dark below
Sunrise over the Spiti river
That’s enough lens flare for today
Mikan and Mikkan on the Pin river
Pin Valley National Park
Thunda Bhuj Parvaty Valley
Kullu Manali Airport on the Baes river
Shamshi in the same valley
Jalpa Forest
Following the Baes river out of the mountains
Sutley river below, Baes river reservoir in the distance, created by Pong dam
Amritsar, Punjab, home of the gilded Golden Temple (Harmandir Sahib)
Harmandir Sahib is the holiest gurdwara (religious complex) of the Sikh religion
Partition museum on the right, chronicling the 1947 partition of India & Pakistan
Faisalabad, formerly known as Lyallpur, historically one of the first planned cities within British India
The Clock Tower, center of the city, on the lower left in the screenshot above
Aka “Ghanta Ghar” گھنٹہ گھر in Urdu which translates into “Hour House”
Durjanpur, indicative of 90% of the landscape in Northern India
Indira Gandi International Airport
New Delhi, the capital of India, central park down in the circle below
Rashtrapati Bhavan, official residence plus Mughal and herbal gardens of the President of India
Baha’i Lotus Temple, opened in 1986 and open to those of all religions
So much to see in New Delhi. Qutab Minar on the left, 73m tapering tower built in 1193 by Qutab-ud-din Aibak after defeat of Delhi’s last Hindu kingdom
Humayun’s tomb of Mughal Emperor Humayun, built in 1572 in the middle
Shri Laxmi Narayan Temple (Birla Mandir) on the right. 7.5 acre Hindu temple complex, up to a large extent dedicated to Laxminarayan. The side temples are dedicated to Shiva, Krishna and Buddha. I could be completely wrong, the picture looks like to be a side temple dedicated to Krishna, the god of compassion. The swastika at the top of the temple symbolizes surya (“sun”), prosperity and good luck. The mirror (left facing) variant 卍 is called sauvastika, symbolizing night or tantric aspects of Kali.
Some images from India’s rich culture, found at the National museum
Agrasan Ki Baoli, step-well from the 10th century
Isa Khan’s tomb, built in 1547–1548 during the reign of Sher Shah Suri
Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of Humayun’s tomb complex
Sri Bangla Sahib Gurudwara, one of the most prominent Sikh gurdwara, or Sikh house of worship
Features a holy river inside its complex with healing properties, known as the “Sarovar.”
There is much more to see in New Delhi, meanwhile my plane is already at Agra Air Base
Agra is where the Taj Mahal is located
17th-century, Mughal-style, marble mausoleum, one of the great wonders of the modern world
A view of the interior
Heading South, more cultivated land, mostly flat with some hills appearing at Sankarwada
Udaipur, Rajasthan, formerly the capital of the Mewar Kingdom
Founded by Maharana Udai Singh II in 1559, also know as the city of lakes
Home to plenty lavish royal residences, and below Nethru Garden, island garden in Fateh Sagar Lake
Memorial of the Rajput hero Maharana Pratap (1540-1597) on the left, the 13th king of Mewar
Jagmandir in the middle and Jagdish Hindu temple on the right
City Palace on lake Pichola, monumental 16th century complex of 11 palaces, courtyards and gardens
Ahar museum, containing sculptures & artifacts dating to the 10th century, plus cenotaphs of royal rulers
Over the years I’ve been conditioned to immediately associate this with a water level puzzle. The Longshot must be in a chamber underneath.
Last stop for today, Ahmedabad, Gujarat, on the Sabarmati River
Hutheesing Jain Temple, 19th-century marble Jain temple
And the Calico Museum of Textiles, devoted to 5 centuries of Indian fabrics & weaving techniques
No lack of visual splendor in India, so much to see. I’ll be heading further South tomorrow.