Then I glanced at upon that hill

As I was moving along the road I glanced upon that hill and for some strange reason I got drawn toward it.

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Kharghar Heights Navi Mumbai

It often happens that people with good eyesight
fail to see what is right in front of them.
They have too much to take in,
I suppose.

- Ruskin Bond

Kharghar Heights Navi Mumbai

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Taj Mahal, The Beauty is in the detail

Taj Mahal has always been an epitome of love and known world over as a symbol of eternal love. I always wanted to visit Taj Mahal as it is one of eight wonders of world.

The experience at Taj Mahal is that of awe! I was in awe of this monument. The more time I spent there the more I was fascinated. It left me wondering about the amount of details that were planned and the sheer amount of work that must have been put in to get this outcome. In awe!

There is a clear plan to make the visit an unforgettable experience. It starts from the travel to the city, bad roads, rude drivers, slow moving traffic and the narrow crowded lanes leading to the Taj Mahal. All of that and much more will force you to drop your expectations to ground.

As you enter the complex an old structure welcomes you and nudges you towards the grand entrance gate. This is where you start witnessing the grand scale of the monument. The gate in itself is a piece of art; the engravings on the gate itself are enough to keep you engaged for a day!

You don't get even a glimpse of the Taj Mahal till this point. You get to see it for the first time as you enter the gate. The white marble covered marvel welcomes you and the awe starts to set in. And it keeps getting deeper as you move closer to the monument.

If you think of it, Taj Mahal is just a tomb but the amount of work that has been done on presentation creates that awe factor!
The tomb is covered by the beautifully designed white marble covered dome. Then there are carvings and designs on all the walls of this dome. The windows are covered with majestically designed marble mesh. Then to add beauty to the dome there are four pillars or minars around the dome. To make it stand out the whole structure is put on a pedestal. Then there are gardens in front to sit and admire this creation. There are water fountains that add to the beauty!
The beauty is in the details! Taj Mahal!! In awe!!!


Taj Mahal Entry Dome


Taj Mahal Entrance gate side view


Entry gate of Taj Mahal


Taj Mahal Entrance


First glimpse of the Taj Mahal


And it keeps getting better with each step


There starts that awe factor


With reflection of the Taj Mahal in the water


The slight mist added to the beauty


Grand and awesome


As the sunlight gets brighter Taj Mahal shines brighter


Taj Mahal from the gardens in front of it


Taj Mahal among the trees


Taj Mahal among the trees


Artistic designs at the Taj Mahal


Arabic writing on the walls of Taj Mahal


Arabic writing on the walls of Taj Mahal


Artwork at the Taj Mahal


Marble mesh at the Taj Mahal


Artwork at the Taj Mahal


Artwork at the Taj Mahal


Artwork at the Taj Mahal


Artwork at the Taj Mahal


There is love is in the air at Taj Mahal.

Tarun Chandel

Green Fields

Do you spend your minutes wisely?
To be still?
To cherish?
To be grateful?
To lift and be lifted?
-Mitch Albom



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Green Leaves

It is never too late or too soon.
It is when it is supposed to be.
-The Time Keeper

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Green Valley

Such a contrast to tall concrete structures
my horizon is not shaped by the straight lines and arcs...

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Green Dreams

कब तक सपनो को हरा ही रहने दोगे
कभी तो इन्हे धूप लगाओ
सुनहरे हो जायेंगे

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Old Green Tree

A small kid used to play around my trunk
As he grew stronger, he started climbing my branches
He used to spend all his evenings trying to scale the branches
He wanted to look beyond the hills, where sun used to hide in the evening
I remember as a young boy he carved some lovely names on me
I also remember him excited when he got a chance to go beyond the hills to pursue his dreams
He did return one day full of smiles had a young boy of his own and lovely wife
They sat in my shade unpacked their lunches and ate
The father tried chasing the son on my branches as the mother collected some dried leaves for the fire
It was a cold evening yet they stayed way beyond the sunset
The mother, father and son had a nap under my shade maybe dreaming for a safer future...

Sometimes in the evenings, like a child, I stand on my tiptoes and spread my branches to see beyond those hills...



Tarun Chandel

Long Winding Road

पाकर एक खाली कैनवस
हाथ में लिए इक ब्रश और कुछ तेज़ रंग
रंगने लगा अपना इक सपना
सीधी लकीरें खींचता, बेधड़क ब्रश चलाता
फैलाता चला गया मैं वो रंग
इमारतें भरी, चौड़ी सड़के भी भरी, भरी तेज़ रेल गाड़ियाँ
भरना नहीं भूला मैं खूब से लोग भी
तस्वीर जो बनी वो कुछ खास ही थी
इक फक्र सा महसूस हुआ मुझे खुद पर

सहारने अपनी इस कृति को हटा जो कुछ कदम पीछे
तो ये जाना की इस जगह की रूह को कहीं खो बैठा
सब था इस तस्वीर मे पर वो रूह जाती रही
इसलिए ये लोग भी यहाँ कुछ बेजुडे से फ़िरते हैं

तलाश मे उस रूठी हुई रूह की, अब अक्सर निकल आता हूँ
उस तस्वीर से दूर, इन टेढ़े मेढ़े रास्तों पर
कि शायद वो रूह कहीं मिल जाए
शायद कहीं इक ऐसी जगह मिल जाए जहाँ लोग प्यार से रहना चाहतें हों

तरुण चंदेल

Mumbai Pune Expressway: Cloudy Sky

किसी मंज़र पर मैं रुका नहीं
कभी खुद से भी में मिला नहीं
ये गिला तो है मैं खफा नहीं
शहर एक से गाँव एक से
लोग एक से नाम एक से...

- Words from a song of Rockstar

Mumbai Pune Expressway: Cloudy Sky

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Clouds in Lonavala

जब जब दर्द क बादल छाया
जब गम का साया लहराया
जब आंसू पलकों तक आया
जब यह तनहा दिल घबराया
हमने दिल को ये समझाया
दिल आखिर तू क्यों रोता है
दुनिया में युही होता है
ये जो गहरे सन्नाटे हैं
वक़्त ने सबको ही बाटे है
थोड़ा गम है सबका किस्सा
थोड़ी धुप है सबका हिस्सा
आँख तेरी बेकार ही नाम है
हर पल एक नया मौसम है
क्यूँ तू ऐसे पल खोता है
दिल आखिर तू क्यूँ रोता है..

- Zindagi na milegi dobara

Clouds in Lonavala

Tarun Chandel

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Mumbai Pune Expressway

Mumbai Pune Expressway

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