[gd1418]

Both belong to the same family and the body colour differs along with the facial characteristics. Both are rare sightings and nocturnal.

Weasel is a shortish body more resembling a small otter and has a predominant brownish coat.

While the Marten has a longer body and pointed snout and has an overall black coat.

It is very easy to get confused between the two since their habitat, behaviour etc., are similar.

Originally Posted by deky

Lordofgondor : Yours is most probably a Himalayan Weasel I did sight the same on my way from Pooh to Chail. This was somewhere close to Jeori (HP). Here are the pics I mamanged

Himalayan Weasel 1

Himalayan Weasel 2

[rock75]

I've been to palampur many times and your travelogue reminded me of my visits.

I missed the pine marten, now i know the care taker at the guest house i stayed at was referring to this animal, he said big squirrel like animal with a furry tail, called shakrala or something locally.

I avoided the Una Amb route and instead have gone through Hoshiarpur on last two visits as it was horrible due to the road being constructed, how good or bad is the stretch now? Would you avoid this stretch if you were to go to Palampur again or is it not that bad as to avoid this route, considering the Hoshiarpur route is atleast 30 km long, and one has to pay Rs 100 or something toll tax too.

[samarjitdhar]

GD sir ji. This is awesome. A travelogue covering a marriage is rare on TBHP. Thanks so much for the pictures. I loved the part where the guests have a sit down lunch. I remember we had so many back in those days for our ceremonies too. Life was simpler and happier that way. Hope your sprain has gotten better now.

[wanderernomad]

Excellent pictures GD bhai. It was nice meeting you on your way. Keep them coming.

[gd1418]

It indeed is a bit bad but the expansion work is going on at a fast pace. Vikram did suggest me the following route after crossing Una:

Chilahera - Hoshiarpur - Ghaluwal - Gagret - Mubarakpur.

But I missed the turn to Chilahera and by the time realised this folly, was almost crossing Amb. Would I avoid this stretch if I were to go to Palampur again depends on when would I go to Palampur. It is quite possible by that time the Una - Amb route is fully functional. And generally in a 4x4 Scorpio I tend to ignore bad roads since I don't feel much problem unless the road itself is a lunar surface.

Originally Posted by rock75

I avoided the Una Amb route and instead have gone through Hoshiarpur on last two visits as it was horrible due to the road being constructed, how good or bad is the stretch now? Would you avoid this stretch if you were to go to Palampur again or is it not that bad as to avoid this route, considering the Hoshiarpur route is atleast 30 km long, and one has to pay Rs 100 or something toll tax too.

Thank you so much. I don't know if a marriage covering travelogue is rare or not, but I had written one such earlier as well

http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/travel...a-gurgaon.html

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

GD sir ji. This is awesome. A travelogue covering a marriage is rare on TBHP. Thanks so much for the pictures.

I agree wholeheartedly. The muscle pull is lingering and it is status quo ante.

Originally Posted by samarjitdhar

Life was simpler and happier that way. Hope your sprain has gotten better now.

[nilanjanray]

Originally Posted by gd1418

Both belong to the same family and the body colour differs along with the facial characteristics. Both are rare sightings and nocturnal.

Weasel is a shortish body more resembling a small otter and has a predominant brownish coat.

While the Marten has a longer body and pointed snout and has an overall black coat.

It is very easy to get confused between the two since their habitat, behaviour etc., are similar.

I saw this fella near Pangot. The guide told me it was a Pine Marten. Managed to shoot it while it ran across the road.

[gd1418]

3rd Feb, 2013

Today was the last day. Had to return back to Gurgaon and also visit Kangra Devi & Jwala ji enroute.

I was ready and came out around 8:30 to check the car and load my luggage. After checking the engine fluids and loading all of my luggage, waited for the rest to come. The guest-house caretaker had packed break-fast of poori-aloo for us to have it on the way.

Checking the car



Loading the luggage



Is there some more luggage?



Finally loaded everything



Caught texting



Tipped the guest-house staff generously for taking good care of my family & I and left.

The first stop was the Kangra Devi or the Brajeshwari Devi Temple.

Entrance



Stall selling worship material



Sanctum Sanctorum



Finishing this headed towards the Jawalamukhi to visit Jwala ji Mata. Reached the temple an hour later.

Entrance gate



Stairs to salvation



When we reached the main temple complex, I saw a que of people waiting for the temple door to open for darshan. It was the "Bhog" time. We too waited and slowly the que grew long & longer. Fortunately we were in the front with about 50 odd people ahead of us.

Waiting in the que



The door opened at 12:40 and slowly the line started moving ahead. Our turn came at 1 pm. I had heard a lot about Jwala ji but was not prepared for what I saw. There was a 4 feet deep pit on the floor that was totally blackened by soot and from several fissures flames of various sizes were shooting up. people were touching the flame and were feeling blessed. I also bent down and touched one of the flames. Though warm it didn't burn my fingers. Strange, or does "aastha" benumbs you?

The "garbhgriha" was crowded and the ushers were keeping the crowd moving on. But then something surprising happened. One of the priests standing inside the pit, came out and pointed towards my family & I and beckoned. With a puzzled look we went to him. Without any prompting he conducted a special pooja for us and then took us to a gilded opening on the facing wall.

A single blue flame was burning. That area & its surrounding was plated in gold. The priest told me that this was the original flame as seen by some shepherd many many many years ago. The priest asked me to touch the flame and take blessings. I touched and touched again. Didn't feel any heat or burning sensation. Bowed my head in front of the Almighty and came out humbled.

The Main Temple



The pilgrimage over, it was time to move on. On the way saw this mountain face full of rounded stones. These stones are normally found in river or sea bed. These are the evidence that confirm that the Himalayas rose out of the sea when the tectonic plates crashed.

Pebbled Dhauladhar Mountain



We stopped here and had our delicious break-fast of poori-aloo. 3 pm. Time to press on the gas. Though Vikram had asked me to stopover at Chandigarh, I decided against it and he informed of the Chandigarh by-pass. Took that which passed through Sector 101 and came onto NH 1 without having to go through the city.

Rupnagar - Kharar - Banaur - Rajgarh - GT Road (Ambala)

Raced straight to Karnal and stopped at Oasis for dinner. The clock read 30 minutes past mid-night when I reached home.

Thus ended my very satisfying and a fantastic Punjab - Himachal trip. Hope you also enjoyed along with me.



p.s. On the 7th it was the reception of Deepak & Ritika in Delhi.

Deepak & Ritika on their reception

[wanderernomad]

You could have stopped at Chandigarh. If I may, the following errata may be noted
1. CSIR-IHBT is not controlled from Mohali, its an independent R&D institute of the Government. The service I belong to has the privilege of being posted to premier R&D institutes.
2. I am at Mohali in a different institute but have course mates, fellow officers in other ones.
3. The pebbled hill face is not Dhauladhar. Dhauladhar is the mountain range that is on the northern and north western axis of Palampur. What you show are the Shivalik Ranges which ofcourse also were formed from the sea bed.

You forgot to mention the wrong direction I gave which prompted you to go in the diagonally wrong direction and costing you almost a half hour on day of your journey. hehe.

[gd1418]

Point very well taken and noted too. I assumed wrongly.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

1. CSIR-IHBT is not controlled from Mohali, its an independent R&D institute of the Government. The service I belong to has the privilege of being posted to premier R&D institutes.
2. I am at Mohali in a different institute but have course mates, fellow officers in other ones.

Geography in school was never my strong subject and though a science student didn't take up geology as a course. It was more about plants.

I deliberately left out the wrong direction from Tribune Chowk as some things have to be brushed under the carpet.

Originally Posted by wanderernomad

3. The pebbled hill face is not Dhauladhar. Dhauladhar is the mountain range that is on the northern and north western axis of Palampur. What you show are the Shivalik Ranges which ofcourse also were formed from the sea bed.

You forgot to mention the wrong direction I gave which prompted you to go in the diagonally wrong direction and costing you almost a half hour on day of your journey. hehe.

[manver786]

Hi gd,

you should try the tea available at CSIR, Palampur, which I found to be very good. In addition, next time, if you go try your hands at paragliding at Bir/Bling.

regards,

verma