This is a tea garden in the Himalayas. They were just starting to pluck the leaves. These tea plants are not hibrids, but the original plants brought from China 200 years ago. A very fine quality of green tea is made from the leaves after fermenting and drying them. A hot cup of tea is very welcome in the cool climate.
Manikaran. Tou can see the steam rising out of the hot spring in Manikaran. Some people tie little cotton bags of handfuls of rice and float it in the hot spring to become cooked rice.There are Hindu and Sikh temples in Manikaran, who both offer the traveller delicious hot food free! I had a tasty lunch in the Sikh temple.
The locals make an ice cream known as kulfi. To freeze the thickened milk, they don't use the refrigerator, but keep the vessel in the swift flowing , cold river Beas for a few hours. This man sold the kulfi served on leaf plates of the Palash tree. The Kulfi was delicious!
The Himalayan mountain goats were being led to the pastures on the higher ranges. They come down to the lower ranges just before winter. The softest wool in the world, cashmere , is made from their wool.
A Tibetan shop in Dharamsala selling woollen articles.
The locals make an ice cream known as kulfi. To freeze the thickened milk, they don't use the refrigerator, but keep the vessel in the swift flowing , cold river Beas for a few hours. This man sold the kulfi served on leaf plates of the Palash tree. The Kulfi was delicious!
The Himalayan mountain goats were being led to the pastures on the higher ranges. They come down to the lower ranges just before winter. The softest wool in the world, cashmere , is made from their wool.
A Tibetan shop in Dharamsala selling woollen articles.
Many Tibetans, including their leader, the Dalai Lama stay in Dharamsala as refugees.
I just caught a glimpse of the great man as he was going to inaugurate the cricket matches.
Looks cold. But with a hot cup of tea, everything becomes warm. Those goats are superbly obedient, walking calmly and orderly...
ReplyDeleteWhat a novel idea, eating kulfi off a leaf plate! I hope some day we will all be eating ice cream out of leaf bowls and not plastic cups.
ReplyDeleteWow what a treat ...free lunch and ice cream for desert. Now that is a green method for making ice cream. Shailaja bamboo bowls are now being used for all sorts of things. Why nor make them for ice cream...bamboo cups.
ReplyDeleteThe textiles are artistic...
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend.
ruma
Stephanie, a hot cup of tea... a cup that cheers! Have a nice weekend!
ReplyDeleteShailaja and Helen, Bamboo cups would be a good eco-friendly idea.
Ruma, thanks. Have a fun weekend!
That is one of the most amazing posts! I was especially wowed by the floating bags of rice. Yum!
ReplyDeleteSuch an interesting post! How i would love to visit himalaya...
ReplyDeleteWow! the Himalayan mountain goats look so adorable!
ReplyDelete