Enthralling Trails

It rained the whole night, and we decided to walk nearby to lift our spirits. Our walk brought us across a pair of horses that belonged to a nomadic pastoral family who had settled near our residence. These horses usually roamed freely, but on this day, they seemed to be standing still and moving slowly, as if their movements were restricted. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that their legs were free but appeared to be mentally restricted. This made me ponder how often we become trapped in our thoughts, reminding me of a similar incident. My day began early on that particular day. I raced to my office cabin to start my scheduled work. My office space is a beautiful cabin with windows on both sides, providing excellent ventilation. One side of the cabin faces long fields. As usual, I opened the windows and turned on the fan to ventilate the room. Looking out into the dried fields just outside the window, I noticed burnt embers, three brick stones in a circle, and a piece of rag flying ...

  The following morning, we left Pahalgaon for Gulmarg, a hill station with snow-covered mountains. Our journey included a visit to the Martand Sun temple. The temple was located on a plateau and its ruins were visible. The temple surrounded by green hills is a scenic spot. It was a hot summer day and the open hills and the piercing sun rays prevented us from understanding the details. The Martand Sun Temple is not only a UNESCO World Heritage site but also listed as a national monument by the Archaeological Survey of India. The intricate sculptures and carvings remain visible despite being destroyed by multiple earthquakes over the past 1200 years. The large flat stone steps lead to the main temple, which has a central courtyard with images of Lord Vishnu, Ganges, the Sun deity and others to complement the walls. The courtyard was in ruins and was surrounded by intricately designed pillars. During our visit, a frail woman stood near the temple with a couple of white rabbits, askin...