Looking back

I was going through some posts in my blog today and suddenly it dawned on me. I have been on blogger for almost five years now. And there are certain conclusions that I could draw.
1. The readership of my blog is still crappy. I get maybe 7-8 visits in a day, and sometimes not even that.
2. The annual frequency of blogposts has gone down alarmingly.
3. The quality of writing has remained the same or maybe has deteriorated with a few bright spots.
4. I still think that I used to, and still do write fairly competently.
5. Reading some of those posts brought back a host of memories, more good than bad.
6. I love my blog.

Gurudwara Nankana Sahib-Pakistan

Gurudwara Nankana Sahib-Pakistan, a photo by Shubh M Singh on Flickr.

My most viewed picture on flickr, and by a long way. And it is not even a good picture.

Qutub Minar

Qutub Minar, a photo by Shubh M Singh on Flickr.

This saturday, I went to Delhi to get back a lens that I had given for repair. Luckily, and many many rupees later, it seemed to have been fixed up OK and seems that it wants to stay that way. Anyway, I had a few hours to kill and I decided to kill them at the Qutub Minar. I have seen it from afar on a number of occasions, mostly from the metro, but never actually got around to the sandstone myself. And I must say that it is one of the most interesting things ever.
The way that architecture involved, the hindu elemnets, and the people milling around. All made for a very interesting and enriching afternoon. I took my 300mm for a walk as well, and it is now ok.
As an aside, I realized that the Saket metro station is probably closer to the Qutub minar than the Qutub Minar railway station.

The Lion Capital of the Ashokan Pillar in Vaishali

The Lion Capital of the Ashokan Pillar in Vaishali, a photo by Shubh M Singh on Flickr.

It has been a long time since I was in Vaishali. I got down on a train that was way too late at the Chakia railway station and made my way through unending paddy farms and water to the Kesaria stupa. The first view of the stupa through the bus was immediately electrifying. And it grew as I walked and climbed through the terraces and the headless statues of the Buddha in the Bhoomin Sparsh mudra. And before I knew it, I had missed the last bus to Hajipur. So I hired a cab and a very expensive cab at that who sulkily dropped me off a Kolhua where I saw this lion who had been waiting for me for a thousand years and more.