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Ekta Kubba

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Tripping Down the Ganga: A Son's Exploration of Faith

by Siddharth Kapila

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Nov 12, 2025 08:45AM

Ekta Kubba is currently reading

The Land Of Flying Lamas & Other Real Travel Stories From The Indian Himalaya

by Gaurav Punj (Goodreads Author)

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Reading for the 3rd time

read in November 2018

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Ekta Kubba said: " I purchased this book in 2018, and have already read it twice. This book and the next one in the series 'The Land of Moonlit Snows' are like travel bibles to me. It is the first book by Gaurav Punj. He has very well cleared the concept of the lower H I purchased this book in 2018, and have already read it twice. This book and the next one in the series 'The Land of Moonlit Snows' are like travel bibles to me. It is the first book by Gaurav Punj. He has very well cleared the concept of the lower Himalaya, the middle Himalaya, the greater Himalaya and the trans-Himalaya. The basics of trekking, misconceptions related to it, and some wonderfully helpful tips will be on hands of the trekkers after reading only some initial pages of this book.

(When I write 'the group' it doesn't mean that a single group went on trek to all these places. The members abd the time are different. Only the organiser-cum-guide is same, Gaurav Punj, GP)

Every place, mentioned in the book, is painted with beautiful words and breathtaking landscapes. The places chosen by him, takes you far away from the mad crowd. There's Lidder river and Aru valley of Kashmir, and a trek to a glacier in the valley. Then there's Ladakh that once again, through Khardung La blockage, proved that Nature is mightier than everything. GP takes the group to his favourite Kullu Valley, where they explored the lost city of Thava, and they so much fell in love with the temple and the culture and people behind it that he and Rujuta decided to take the vows of marriage at that place. This was wonderful. Reading about the pastures of Kara in the Spiti valley mesmerized me. It took me into an enchanted land.

'Time may stand still at many places, but in the pastures of Kara it waits for you. It lets you make as many attempts as you want at grasping all the beauty of the Himalaya filtered into this one place.'

Then there are Rupin and Supin, the tributaries of Ton river, where Duryodhan has always been worshipped. The treks to the beautiful meadows of this valley are considered among the most beautiful treks in the Himalayas. Then GP leads his group to watch the Nanda Devi peak coming out of the veil. Then he takes his group towards Darma valley, the land of flying lamas. Reading about the meadows of this valley took my breath away. Then the group ran a fund raising marathon in Darjeeling hills, and they enjoyed the local hospitality in Sikkim, and experienced the artistic tourism.

The icing on the cake is the 'reality check' section that is written by some trekkers of the groups, their experiences of certain moments during the treks expressed in their own words. And the book ends with Rujuta Diwekar's tips on trekking and keeping one nourished for full energy. Rujuta is GP's wife and a nutritionist.

This book is a wonderful read. Even if you are not travelling, it takes you to the places mentioned in the book, and then you are compelled to plan a trip to one of these places. The difficulty, that you'll face, is to choose a single place out of all these amazing locations. This book is one of my most treasured possessions. ...more "

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(page 191 of 203)
— Nov 25, 2018 09:46AM

Jun 08, 2020 01:48AM · see review