If We Can Be Friends That Means We're Still In Love Or Never Were

I said I couldn’t do this It’s just too hard on me
How can you make it seem so easy?
We make small talk
Like we used to
But I’m always just pretending

I’ll say I’m fine on the phone
And that my silence just means
I’m getting tired
But I know when you say
You’re going to bed alone tonight
That we’re both being liars

I’m sorry this story can’t end as friends
The way you act like we never were, is just hell
And i’ll never understand how you can
Want me to watch you fall in love with someone else

You say you still want to know me
But what else is there to know?
I’ve shown you my best, my worst and more
We’ve kissed
We’ve made love
And now that’s just supposed to be ignored?

Whip me, burn me
Put salt in my cuts
Kick me, punch me
It could never hurt as much
As ignoring the fact
That we were once us

Pangong Lake: If there is paradise on Earth, it is here it is here

Ladakh Festival - Preserving Ladakh - 1st to 15th September

Ladakh Festival - 1st to 15th September (every year)

Start Date : 1st September 

End Date : 15th September 

Venue : Ladakh

Country : India

Category : Fair and Festival
Ladakh festival is a major event organized every year by the J&K Tourism Department, in collaboration with the local communities and the district administrations of Leh and Kargil from the 1st to 15th of September. Its main objective is to revive and promote the richness, depth and pageantry of Ladakh's centuries-old culture, traditions and folk heritage for worldwide appreciation and enjoyment.

The Ladakh Festival is a unique project of the State Department of Tourism to patronize the revival and promotion of Ladakh's age-old traditions and customs, its cultural heritage and the performing arts. For the tourists visiting Ladakh, the festival provides an opportunity to witness and experience the lifestyle and cultural ethos of a people who have lived for centuries on the crossroads of Asia, receiving and harmonising socio-cultural and religious influences from their neighbouring societies.

The inaugural function is a mega celebration held at Leh with a spectacular procession in which various cultural troupes and village contingents participate in full ceremonial costumes, singing songs and performing various types of dances to the tune of the traditional orchestra. At the Polo ground, where the procession terminates, the participants break into a variety of folk and popular dances, presenting the best samples of the region's performing arts. 

A major polo tournament called the "Ladakh Festival Cup" is also held as part of the festival in which polo teams from different parts of the region participate. Visitors to Ladakh during this period will have the opportunity of witnessing this ancient sport of the western Himalayas being played in its original, wild style with fewer rules and frenzied crowd involvement.

The Archery Festival, one of the most interesting festival held during Ladakh Festival, attracts lots of tourists from all over the India. It is a type of local programme held in the backwoods of Ladakh. The archery festival is a test of archery skills, where all males are supposed to participate passionately, in trying out their skills of perfect aiming in flip-flop rounds. The women also participate actively in dance rounds. Other programmes of the festival include a bizarre of evening musical concerts, mask dances by lamas of selected monasteries and mock marriage ceremonies complete with all related traditions. 

The Festival of Oracles: Matho Nagrang

Location: 27-km South of Leh, Ladakh Region, J&K
Main Attrcation: Matho Gompa
Monastic Festivity: Matho Nagrang Festival

Matho, 27-km south of Leh , straddles a spur at the mouth of an idyllic side valley that runs deep into the heart of the Stok Kangri. Though no less interesting or scenically situated than its neighbours, the Gompa, the only representative in Ladakh of the Sakyapa sect that held political power in 13th century Tibet, sees comparatively few visitors.
Matho Nagran Oracle Festival:
Despite its collection of four hundred year old Thangkas, the monastery is best known for its Oracle Festival Matho Nagrang, held on the 25th and 26th day of the second Tibetan month. Two oracles, known as "Rongzam", are elected by lot every three years from among the sixty or so resident lamas. During the run up to the big days, the pair fast and meditate in readliness for the moment when they are possessed by the spirit of the deity.

Watched by crowds of rapt onlookers, they then perform all manner of death defying stunts that include leaping blindfold around the Gompa's precipitous parapets while slurping kettle full of Chang, and slashing themselves with razor sharp 'Sabres' without drawing blood. The events are rounded off with colourful Chaam dances in the monastery courtyard, and a question and answer session in which the Rongzam, still under the influence of the deity, make prophecies about the coming year.
The Colourful Festive Attires:
One can check out the costumes and masks worn by the monks during the festivals in Matho's small museum, tucked away behind the Du-khang. Men are also permitted to visit the eerie Gon-khang on the roof (strictly no photography), where the oracles weapons and ritual garb are stored. The floor of the tiny temple lies under a deep layer of barley brought as harvest offerings by local villagers.

ADVENTURE TOURISM IN LADAKH....

Adventure tourism in Ladakh has gained much popularity in the recent times. Some of the most popular sports that form a part of the adventure tourism in Leh Ladakh are:

Trekking:  Ladakh is quite famous and popular for the numerous trekking options it offers. Trekking possibilities in Ladakh include short, daylong walks to the mountain slopes, isolated villages, simple settlements, or across a ridge. You can also take long trans-mountain treks, spanning weeks. While trekking, you may come across some rare animal species like gazelles, ibex, ammon, shapo etc.
River Rafting:   Indus and Zanskar Rivers are the main venues for river rafting in Ladakh. The main season for Rafting expeditions is from July to September. For the professionals, the best stretch is on the Indus River, between Spituk and Saspol. For basic training, you should undertake the stretch upward of Spituk up to Karu.
Mountain Climbing: The mountain climbing season in Ladakh extends from mid-May to mid-October. However, the best time for mountain climbing is from June to September, when Ladakh remains unaffected by the monsoon. Permission from the Indian Mountaineering Federation in Delhi is required before ascending a peak in Ladakh.
Cycling: Cycling is also one of the popular adventure sports in Ladakh, India. A visit to the spectacular Buddhist Gompas, through the fascinating local villages, with the Himalayas forming the background, is enjoyed best with a cycle. However, one needs to be a technically perfect biker to cycle on the zigzag roads in Ladakh. The best time for cycling is from mid June to end of September. Some famous cycling routes in Ladakh are the 64 km Leh-Alchi Road, 45 km Leh-Hemis road, Jispa-Gondla, Marhi-Manali, etc.
Camel Safaris: Camel safaris in Ladakh have the specialty of Bactrian camels, having 2 humps. These safaris are one of its kind in India and are organized across the sand dunes around Hunder in Ladakh.
Polo: Polo is a very popular sport in Ladakh. It is usually played in summers at the Leh polo ground on every Tuesday and Saturday. The Ladakh Festival, held in the first half of September, includes a number of Polo tournaments.
Archery: Archery is a traditional sport of Ladakh. Villages and the National Archery stadium in Leh regularly serve as venues for Archery contests in Ladakh.
 

Aryan Race in Ladakh(Brokpa)

Incredible India/Ladakh

......Things to do in Ladakh

Trekking and Camping:
Ladakh is one of the most sought after trekking and camping destinations by adventure freaks in Himalayas. There are a number of base camps from where the trekkers and mountaineers start their expeditions. There are a plenty of options for trekkers and campers in Ladakh region. Some of the most famous trekking and camping destinations are Nubra Valley, Indus Valley, Lamayuru, Shayok Valley and Stok-Khangri.

White Water Rafting:
Ladakh region is blessed with snow fed Himalayan rivers which are conducive for adventure sports like white water rafting. One of the most famous white water rafting destinations is Zanskar river. It is an awesome experience to enjoy white water rafting in Ladakh region, which will make home in your memories for a lifetime.

Archery Dance:
Archery dance is a famous attraction in Ladakh region, particularly in summer season. Archery is considered as the traditional sport of Ladakhis. There are a number of Archery festivals, which are organised in various regions of Ladakh during summer season. It is a must see event while on tour to Ladakh region.

Pangong Lake:
Pangong Lake is located at an altitude of about 4,267 meters above sea level. It lies around Thiksey and Shey villages, which is surrounded by beautiful tall peaks. It is a beautiful sight to see the shimmering waters of the lake which keeps changing from Blue to Green.

Visiting Buddhist Monasteries:
Ladakh is famous for its various age old magnificent Buddhist monasteries. These monasteries present the true picture of the culture and tradition of the region. Some of the must visit ancient monasteries include Thiksey Gompa, Lamayuru Monastery, Shey Monastery, Likir Monastery, Alchi Gompa and Spituk Monastery.

Attending Buddhist Festivals:
Ladakh is famous for its various Buddhist festivals which are organised by various monasteries or gompas located over different parts across Ladakh. One can have the glimpses of Buddhist and Ladakhi traditions, culture and customs

Awesome Ladakh Truly a Heaven on Earth

Welcome to the wonderland on the Earth, a truly heaven and a place to be once in your lifetime span. The lush valley of Ladakh is located at an elevation of 9000 feet and the 2750 meter above the sea level. Ladakh is the crowning glory of Jammu Kashmir and is surrounded by the most two world best snow capped mountains namely the Karakoram ranges and the  great Himalayans.

Ladakh is a very beautiful place and really fantasizing destinations for the visitors on the earth. The visitors from the every nook and corner of the world who is visiting to Jammu and Kashmir never miss the golden opportunity to visit the gorgeous whitish Ladakh. Ladakh is lovingly called as ‘Land like No other’

Famous Places to Visit in Ladakh

Leh: Leh is one of the famous places of Ladakh region and the main commercial hub. Airport of Ladkh is also located in Leh. Main attraction of Leh town is Namgyal Palace, which is a nine story building. Leh was an important centre of trade with Central Asia from the ancient time. It was opened for tourism activities in 1974 for tourist coming from outside countries.

Zanskar Valley: Zanskar is one of the famous tourist attractions of Ladakh region because of its picturesque valleys. It is located to the South of Leh town and surrounded by Zanskar and Himalayan ranges. The valley covers an areas of around 5,000 sq km and the average elevation is 13,154 feet. One has to cross through some of the highest passes of the world to reach this region, which remain closed during the winter months because of the snowfall. It is very famous for its trekking routes.

Nubra Valley: Nubra Valley means Valley of Flowers and is located to the North side of Leh town. The average height of the valley above sea level is about 10,000 feet. Main attractions of the region are Bactarian Camels (Camels with double hump), some of the beautiful ancient monasteries and Khardung La Pass, at an altitude of 18,350 feet.

Buddhist Monasteries in Ladakh: Ladakh is world over famous for its Buddhist monasteries, which are also known by the name of Gompas. These monasteries house a number of Thankas, paintings and ancient Buddhist sculptures. Some of the famous Buddhist monasteries of Ladakh are Likir Monastery, Spituk Monastery, Shanti Stupa, Hemis Gompa, Namgyal Tsemao Gompa, Thiksey Monastery, Lamayuru Monastery, Shey Monastery and Phugal Gompa.

Tso Moriri Lake: It is a beautiful water body bounded by mountains, which expands around 240 km. It is located at an altitude of 14,000 feet near to the Korzok village. It is located to the East direction of Leh town.

Pangong Lake: This beautiful lake is 2.4 miles in width, which is located at an altitude of 4,267 meters above sea level. Turquoise colour of its water is the main attraction of the lake. 75 percent area of this lake is located in China and 25 percent in India.

 

ladakh: Dream called heaven

First Time I Have Ever Loved

This is the first time I have ever loved;
Yours, the first face I can not forget.
I think you are afraid, perhaps, and moved
To wonder whether you should do this yet.
I also am afraid, and yet I know
That wonder is a thing that needs a yes;
Should you step back and let this moment go,
Both you and I will have to live with less.
Please trust my love, as I must trust in yours.
It's strong as steel, as delicate as lace,
Immovable as battered granite shores:
I feel its power and unremitting grace.
So come, my love, and try this love with me;
Let your love speak, and then you will agree.

..........WHAT DID YOU EXPECT??????

You came into my life
As quickly as you left.

You grabbed a cutting knife

And sliced right through my heart.

You didn't mean to hurt

But what did you expect?

My heart now cut in two

It feels beyond repair.

Injury done by you

God, life just isn't fair.

You didn't mean to hurt

But what did you expect?

So here we are, just friends.

But I long to be more.

Desire with no end

Throbbing from my core.

You didn't mean to hurt

But what did you expect?

......what do they know

  I face the world with a smile, no one knows what is hid inside.
 They see only happiness, they cant see the tears I've cried.
 When I am alone I hurt, because here I do it well.
 In front of all the watchful eyes my heaven turns to hell.
 The judge and jury awaits me, everyone has a say.
 In a life that hangs suspended for yet another day.
 Who are they to judge if what I have done is right or wrong?
 In the end I gave her up, but inside still sing her song.
 I don't know how to find the strength I thought I had.
 If only I could play tough it wouldn't be so bad.
 They say that life goes on and someday I'll smile again.
 But, how do they know my pain without being where I've been?
 I've traveled so far from home, and can't find my way back.
 Somewhere along the way I must have jumped the track.
 I saw her just today and her smile is still the same.
 She looked at me so sweetly, but never spoke my name.
 I wonder if she remembers me, It hasn't been that long.
 She may have forgotten me, but I still sing her song.

DO NOT PURSUE

Do not pursue the past.
Do not lose yourself in the future.
The past no longer is.
The future has not yet come.
Looking deeply at life as it is.
In the very here and now, the practitioner dwells in stability and freedom.
We must be diligent today.
To wait until tomorrow is too late.
Death comes unexpectedly.
How can we bargain with it?
The sage calls a person who knows how to dwell in mindfulness night and day,
'one who knows the better way to live alone.'

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT GIRLS

Observation:

      Guys never notice differences in their friend's appearance unless the difference is too obvious (like a very poor haircut that leaves the scalp like a partially mowed lawn). But with girls, it's not the case... Try walking to your friend who is a girl (the phrase girl friend avoided for obvious reasons) with a small stain on your shirt which is usually unnoticeable. Chances are that you would get caught within the first couple of minutes.

Care:
              Guys try their best to be caring but come on... they are not designed for that! Girls often tend to care more than what you want them to and often that makes them question every 10-15 seconds about your wellness. If you are down with fever and you let your best friend who is a girl (quite funny to type) know, chances are that you'll end up answering the phone at least 20 times that day!

Childishness:
                   Almost everyone has some childishness in him/her. The famous quote "There is no point growing up if you cannot be a child at times" is an illustration of that fact. However, the proportion of girls I've observed to be childish is much higher than what I observed in guys!

Talking:
           Even the most silent girl is highly talkative within her group. With guys a reserved guy is a reserved guy wherever he is but with girls, a reserved girl acts differently when she is with her friends and when she is in a larger gang.

Possessiveness:
                I might be generalizing a bit too much here. But many girls are possessive about their friends and belongings! At least that is my observation.

Gossip:
         A girl who stays at home knows much more than a guy who is hanging out most of the day!

Independently dependent:
               Girls seem to depend on someone way too much either emotionally or personally but at the same time they easily switch preferences. Someone who was inevitable a couple of years back becomes a good friend today and a good contact tomorrow. At any point, a person who shows a lot of interest on her is always considered the best by a girl! Again, may be I'm generalizing... But that's something I observed out of my experiences.

Emotional handicap:
            With the brain being locked in an emotional trap, girls usually end up taking decisions purely out of their heart which in most cases will not be correct. Ironically, even after realizing that they made a mistake, it is next to impossible for them to correct that.

Hypocrisy when it comes to guys:
        Girls enjoy guys falling for them but many do not want to reveal that. A beautiful girl almost always confirms that the guys around her are interested in her through unnoticeable gestures. Guys however strong just start shaking at the sight of a beautiful girl staring at them and get caught. But a girl never reveals anything more than a smile at the corner of her lips... Gets hard for the guys to assess her pulse

"""""" WHAT I HAVE LEARNED """"

I have learned-
I came alone and I've to go alone......

I have learned-
People will call you only when they need you,not otherwise...

I have learned-
Extra care of anyone will ultimately fetch you blame,not appreciation...

I have learned-
A simple lie from your close one can break you more than anything..

I have learned-
Its very hard to weep alone when there's no shoulder to support you....

Ultimately, I have learned-
Help people but not beyond your dignity.

.........LETTER TO MOM

.........A poem from Sappho.........

There are those who say
an array of horsemen,
and others of marching men,
and others of ships, is
the most beautiful thing on the dark earth.

But I say it is whatever one loves.

It is very easy
to show this to all:
for Helen,
by far the most beautiful of mortals,
left her husband

And sailed to Troy
giving no thought at all
to her child nor her dear parents,
but was led...by her love alone

Now, far away, Anactoria
comes to my mind.
For I would rather watch her
moving in her lovely way,
and see her face, flashing radiant,
than all the force of Lydian chariots,
and their infantry in full display of arms.

A gem from Ancient Egypt

I shall lie down in my house and pretend illness. 

Then my neighbors will come by to visit me 

My beloved, perhaps, among them. 

How she'll smile while She send the physicians away.
She knows perfectly well what ails me.

######## CHADAR TKEK ######

Chadar means blanket though this trail doesn’t offer the warmth that a blanket does. This once in a lifetime trail on ice over the frozen Zanskar river has emerged as a must do trek for all avid adventurers. The route traversing altitudes of nothing less than 14,000ft / 4500 metres, goes over the frozen Zanskar river traversing deep canyons and gorges otherwise inaccessible during the summer months. And, under the solemn gaze of greyish - white mountain peaks temperatures can plummet to –anywhere between -25 to -30º c. Our halting stages for camping at night are often caves in the hillsides. The altitudes we traverse are all above 4500 metres / 14,000 feet. This is still a traditional winter route used by the Zanskari folk to travel to Leh with no other options. 

...................Mighty Leh Palace....................

Leh Palace overlooks the Ladakhi Himalayan town of Leh, modelled on the Potala Palace in Lhasa, Tibet. The palace was built by King Sengge Namgyal in the 17th century.Leh Palace is nine storeys high; the upper floors accommodated the royal family, the stables and store rooms were in the lower floors.The mountain of Stok Kangri in the Zangskar mountain range is visible across the Indus valley to the south, with the Ladakh mountain range rising behind the palace to the north

...............A Heart of Stone.................

Once I had a heart of stone
For it had surley lost its home
It could not love or wanted too
But in my life, then came you.

The stones began to fall away
As happiness began to fill my day
A feeling so sweet and special too
Could this be love, I pray is true.

My heart now sings a song of love
For I know that it was sent from above
My heart is warm, there is no cold
Hard no more, but with wings of gold.

It soars above the sky so high
Sometimes I think of why and cry
My heart now sings a loving song
For the part of me I thought was gone.

The gift that you have given me
Is so important, can't you see
No more sadness or being alone
For now my heart returns to home.