I feel a spontaneous overflow of an omnipotent affection towards diversity of life on this planet. Some places I had the privilege to explore, a couple of moments that made me contemplate…have been frozen in time. It gives me immense pleasure to be able to share them with you, my friends......
The greatest festival of Bengal, Durgapuja is knocking the door, only a month or so is left. The artists of Kumartuli have no spare time now. Both sides of the narrow roads of this area are always active to contribute their part to make this festival a sucessful one. Sharing some shots , taken in this area this area.
The day started with a very beautiful rainbow in the North -West sky. The dawn was cloudy enough to hide the snow peaks of the Himalaya, but , we had some glimpses of Mt. Kbabu , Mt Janu at around 8 in the morning . We didn't have any fixed programme for the first half of the day. So, roamed about here and there chasing some butterflies and trying to shoot some macros of very tiny wild flowers.
After lunch, we trekked to Rinchenpong monastery to meet our old friends and came to know that the lamas will practice some dances for their ensuing festival in October . So I became very busy to shoot that. Sharing some of those shots.
Morning Rainbow
Trying to shoot some butterflies (" Putali " in local dialect): Photo courtesy Ankita
Outcome of the effort
Close up of some wild flower with PnS camera
Mt Kabru from Rinchenpong, Gayzing town in the foreground
After lunch, we trekked to Rinchenpong monastery to meet our old friends and came to know that the lamas will practice some dances for their ensuing festival in October . So I became very busy to shoot that. Sharing some of those shots.
In Rinchenpong monastery with my lovely friends, Photo courtesy: Ankita
The morning was cloudy, so we couldn’t get any view of Mt K and the other snow peaks of Himalayas. We met the other family, boarded in room No 251, originally who booked Room 252, and whom D.K. shifted to Room 251 to provide us room 252. After tea, we together walked to Kaluk , three KM from Rinchenpongfrom there, after another round of black tea we got a service jeep to Dentam to reach Bermiok, another picturesque small hamlet of West Sikkim.We explored that small area by walking and then returned to Rinchenpong again. After lunch myselg, along with Ankita trekked to Yungsom, a small village, two KM from Rinchenpong to meet our another friend Mr. Dawa Lepcha. Mr. Lepcha was busy in his farm which includes sericulture an vine yard. I delivered him the photographs , taken during our previous trip, returned to Rinchenpong again And spend the afternoon photographing Barn Swallow
Cloudy morning at Rinchenpong
On the way to Kaluk
Bermiok Market
Bermiok Post office
Dawa Lepcha in his sericulture farm
Vine yard in Lepcha's farm
Carpet weaving at Rinchenpong handicraft centre
Work at Rinchenpong handicraft centre
Barn swallow (male)
Barn Swallow (Hirundo rustica) is a common in Northern and Eastern parts of India. This bird is found in wetlands and cultivated lands.
Order: PASSERIFORMES Family: Hirundinidae Size: 18 cm.
Barn Swallow is a graceful small bird and is named so for its affinity for the old wooden barns once found on many farms. Swallows are sociable and often gather in large flocks of different species. They spend a great deal of their time in the air; nearly all of their food is captured on the wing. They are a familiar sight in rural areas, following the farmers as they plough and catching the insects stirred up by their progress.
Both males and females share in the construction of the nest which sometimes takes the two birds eight full 14-hour days to complete. The nests are usually constructed of mud mixed with straw, grasses, or horsehair, and cemented to the vertical surfaces of old beams or rafters. Where a flat surface or crevice is available, the cement is omitted.
Identification: Male - Upper parts iridescent blue-black; forehead, throat and upper breast, rufous chestnut; rest of under-parts buff; tail deeply forked, with white spots near tip of all but central feathers. Female - Similar but under-parts paler and tail less forked.
I Saw this birds many places in India , but could never took it's photograph. They didn't allow me to press the shutter, as they rarely sit in a particular place, always flew away before I could focus at them. During my last trip to Rinchenpong, West Sikkim, I found that they are building nests in some shops.But even then I couldn't take a single shot. But my latest trip to the same place in June, I got plenty of chances to shot this beautiful bird.
Photo feature on Mandarmani , published in Sept 2008 issue of FLOP
Photo feature on Chau masks of Purulia , published in Oct - 2009 issue of FLOP
This photo of an old lady of Uttarancahl was published in Jan 2010 issue of FLOP
Two photographs , published in the March 2010 issue of FLOP
Article on Gandhi Sarovar, Published in the March - April 2010 Issue of GnY
Morning Rainbow
Trying to shoot some butterflies (" Putali " in local dialect): Photo courtesy Ankita
Outcome of the effort 
Close up of some wild flower with PnS camera
Mt Kabru from Rinchenpong, Gayzing town in the foreground
In Rinchenpong monastery with my lovely friends, Photo courtesy: Ankita 
Cloudy morning at Rinchenpong
On the way to Kaluk
Bermiok Market
Bermiok Post office
Dawa Lepcha in his sericulture farm
Vine yard in Lepcha's farm
Carpet weaving at Rinchenpong handicraft centre
Work at Rinchenpong handicraft centre
Barn swallow (male)
