Travel writing and photographs from the Himalaya and beyond, by Pushpender Singh Gusain. Essays on journeys, people and everyday experiences, in English and Hindi.https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/enhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/going-the-extra-mile-for-daily-news/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/going-the-extra-mile-for-daily-news/DEHRADUN was once a popular destination for those on the verge of retirement and looking for a place to settle down. Following this trend, my father bought…Tue, 08 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifememoriespublishedhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/high-adventure-on-the-way-to-kedarnath/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/high-adventure-on-the-way-to-kedarnath/AMONG the numerous popular treks in Garhwal Himalayas, one from Ghuttu to Kedarnath via Khatling and Mayali pass is for those looking a little more…Sat, 20 Sep 2003 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhimalayatrekkingpublishedhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/badrinath-abode-of-lord-vishnu/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/badrinath-abode-of-lord-vishnu/STEEPED in Hindu mythology and tradition, having the source of the Ganga river and being home to one of the four dhams and maths, Uttarakhand has remained…Sun, 06 May 2001 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhimalayapilgrimagepublishedhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/milam-glacier-trek/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/milam-glacier-trek/Gori Ganga is an arterial waterway of upper Kumaon, and most of the trek from Munsayari to the Milam glacier is along this route,Sun, 11 Oct 1998 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhimalayatrekkingpublishedhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/hundred-years-of-the-shimla-rail-line/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/hundred-years-of-the-shimla-rail-line/The Kalka-Shimla rail route, which completes 100 years tomorrow, offers the charm of old-world travel amidst lofty pines and lush green, misty mountains.…Sat, 17 Sep 2016 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhistoryhimalayahttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/a-kashmiri-friend/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/a-kashmiri-friend/With the approach of winter, a large number of people from Kashmir descend to different parts of India. Most of them sell woollen products, few take to…Mon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifepeoplehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/a-tribute-to-bombay/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/a-tribute-to-bombay/It was astonishing. I was from a small and peaceful city like Dehra Dun and hardly crossed eighteen years. It was just a chance that my family decided to…Mon, 03 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelmemoriescitieshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/an-adventurous-bus-journey/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/an-adventurous-bus-journey/To my delight, I saw a DTC bus docked at the departure platform designated for Dehradun at ISBT Delhi in February 1989. And I considered myself lucky when…Mon, 10 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelmemorieshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/churdhar/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/churdhar/“I like the mountains because they make me feel small and help me in sorting out what's important in life.” ― Mark Obmascik,Thu, 30 May 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhimalayatrekkinghttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/learning-the-hard-way/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/learning-the-hard-way/In 1993, inspired by the spirit of social service, we (a few friends) formed a youth body in Chandigarh with the noble objective of channelling the energy…Thu, 18 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifeexperienceshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/learning-to-cycle-on-the-way-to-kasauli/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/learning-to-cycle-on-the-way-to-kasauli/One fine morning in the early eighties, my roommate and I planned to visit Kasauli from Chandigarh. The bus was a costly affair for us. Thus, I suggested…Tue, 21 Nov 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelcyclinghttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/memory-and-the-taste-buds/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/memory-and-the-taste-buds/I stayed in Mumbai (then Bombay) for a few months in 1980. I liked its architecture and high-rise buildings; was impressed by the efficiency of local…Wed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifememorieshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/musings-about-bombay/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/musings-about-bombay/I arrived at Victoria Terminus (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus) around midnight in 1979 with all the imagination and apprehension of a teenager about…Wed, 31 Jul 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainmemoriescitieshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/no-substitute-for-experience/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/no-substitute-for-experience/There is an unmanned toll plaza a few km before Paonta Sahib when traveling from Dehradun. A few days back, while returning to Chandigarh from Dehradun…Sat, 26 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifeexperienceshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/nura-the-young-juice-vendor/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/nura-the-young-juice-vendor/About 15 km before Dehra Dun, while traveling from Paonta Sahib, one comes across two km long undulating stretch with dense growth of tall, straight and…Fri, 07 Jul 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainpeoplelifehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/pedalling-from-chandigarh-to-shimla/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/pedalling-from-chandigarh-to-shimla/The year was 1981, and the Christmas holidays were about to approach. We, three friends in their late teens, planned an outing during the impending break.…Fri, 02 Feb 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelcyclinghimalayahttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/pele-and-the-shoeless-ones/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/pele-and-the-shoeless-ones/I recently read the autobiography of the great footballer, Pele. His father was also a footballer. But a knee injury ended his football career and the…Tue, 19 Dec 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifepeoplehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/quite-an-experience/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/quite-an-experience/It was the last week of September 2008 and twilight had just set in. The ensuing darkness engulfed the hillock that houses the imposing Shri Damodar…Thu, 14 Nov 2013 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifeexperienceshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/sweet-and-sour-experiences/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/sweet-and-sour-experiences/Recently, I was visiting my native place in Pauri Garhwal, Uttarakhand. I had just crossed Haridwar on my onward journey when I received a call from my…Wed, 30 Oct 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifeexperienceshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-angel/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-angel/It is the first week of November 2021. The time is about 6 PM and darkness is in the process of engulfing the surroundings. Being Deepawali eve, there is…Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifepeoplehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-journey-of-a-newspaper/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-journey-of-a-newspaper/Dehra Dun was once a popular destination for those heading into retirement and looking for a place to settle down. Following the trend, my father also…Thu, 03 Aug 2023 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifememorieshttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-story-of-a-shoemaker/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-story-of-a-shoemaker/A few days back, after a long gap, I visited a cobbler to get my 7 year old leather sandals repaired. My adolescent son used the sandals for a short period…Sat, 17 Aug 2013 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainpeoplelifehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-unknown-saviour/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/the-unknown-saviour/A few days after our marriage in December 1991 at Dehradun, my cousin invited us for dinner. He was serving in the Army and resided in Clement town, an…Sun, 20 Sep 2026 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifepeoplehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/where-there-is-a-will/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/where-there-is-a-will/Whenever I read about blood donation camps in newspapers, it reminds me of the first camp organised in 1993 by our fledgling organization in Chandigarh.…Fri, 14 Jun 2024 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainlifehttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/aapadhapi-mein-jeevan-ki/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/aapadhapi-mein-jeevan-ki/कुछ दशक पहले अभाव में जिया जीवन खाकर रुखा-सूखा रहते थे निश्चिंत, प्रसन्नSun, 12 Apr 2026 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainhindipoetryhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/churdhar-hindi/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/churdhar-hindi/‘मुझे पहाड़ प्रिय हैं क्योंकि वह मुझे मेरे बौनेपन का अहसास कराते हैं’ - मार्क औबमास्चिकSun, 28 Jan 2018 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusaintravelhimalayahindihttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/main-hoon-kaun/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/main-hoon-kaun/मैं दौड़े जा रहा हूँ बेतहाशा सब कुछ पाने की मन में लिए आशा नहीं रखता हूँ पास-पड़ोस जानने की कोई जिज्ञासाTue, 01 Sep 2020 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainhindipoetryhttps://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/sukhmay-jeevan/https://pushpender-gusain.pages.dev/blog/sukhmay-jeevan/घरेलू हिंसा में हो रहा है इजाफा एक अन्य पहलु तालाबंदी का सामने आया चलो कुछ हटकर सोचें और करें नये प्रयोग तालाबंदी के दौरान करें समय का सदुपयोगWed, 01 Jan 2025 00:00:00 GMTPushpender Singh Gusainhindipoetry