Tsomgo/Changu Lake - Sikkim | For Saturday Snapshot #PicturePost

Tsomgo/Changu Lake, Sikkim

Tsomgo/Changu Lake is a glacial lake situated at a height of 12400 feet.  It is about 40 km away from Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim. On our visit to Tsomgo/Changu Lake, we were quite lucky to find snow there. The views were absolutely breathtaking, as you can see in the pictures below.

Tsomgo/Changu Lake is revered by the local people. In the local Bhutia dialect, the name Tsomg is said to be made of two words - 'Tso' which means "lake" and 'Mgo' meaning "head" which literally translates to the meaning "source of the lake".

Steep mountains surround the lake and these mountains are covered with snow during the winter season. When summer arrives, the snow melts and it becomes the source of this lake. I am posting from of my favourite pictures from our Tsongmo Lake visit for this week's Saturday Snapshot.

Where Flowers Bloom So Does Hope | Wordless Wednesday #FlowerQuotes

Linking it to Wordless Wednesday

Flowers are the Music of the Ground

Linking it to Saturday Snapshot.

Saturday Snapshot is the brain child by Alyce of At Home With Books. It is currently being hosted by Melinda of West Metro Mummy Reads. It’s easy to participate – just post a picture that was taken by you, a friend, or a family member and add your link on Melinda's site.

Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince by Anuja Chadramouli - A Book Review

Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior Prince
by Anuja Chadramouli #BookReview

I am back again, with a review of yet another book from the mythology genre - Arjuna – Saga of a Pandava Warrior-Prince – by Anuja Chadramouli. If you follow book reviews by on this blog, then you would know that I love books based on the Indian Mythology. That’s why whenever I have the opportunity to read such books, I don’t let that go. I received this book from Leadstart Publishing along with 'Asura' for an unbiased review. You can read my review of Asura by Anand Neelakantan here.

Quoted from the blurb:

Arjuna is the immortal tale of one of India's greatest heroes. These pages retell in riveting detail the story of the Pandava Warrior-Prince who has captured the imagination of millions across centuries. This is the intense and human story of his loves, friendship, ambitions, weaknesses and follies, as well as his untimely death and revival, his stint as a eunuch, and the innermost reaches of his thoughts. 

Told in a refreshingly modern and humorous style and set against the staggering backdrop of the Mahabharata. Arjuna’s story appeals equally to the average, discerning reader and the scholar. It spans the epic journey from before his birth, when omens foretold his greatness, across the fabled, wondrous landscape that was his life.

Asura – Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan - A Book Review

Asura – Tale of the Vanquished
by Anand Neelakantan  #BookReview

Asura – Tale of the Vanquished by Anand Neelakantan is a very different book on the Indian mythological epic, Ramayana. To put in simple words, it is a radical take on our conventional Ramayana. Read it with an open mind and you will be able to appreciate the author’s view.

We have all heard the epic tale of Ramayana. My earliest memories of it are of the Ramayana serial by Ramananda Sagar, which was telecast on Doordarshan. I was a kid then but even then, I knew that Rama was the hero and Ravana was evil personified. This belief is deeply rooted in us Indians. That is why when I read this book Asura by Anand Neelakantan; it took me a while to absorb what I read. 

The blurb of the book best describes what the book is all about.

The epic tale of victory and defeat...

The story of the Ramayana had been told innumerable times. The enthralling story of Rama, the incarnation of God, who slew Ravana, the evil demon of darkness, is known to every Indian. And in the pages of history, as always, it is the version told by the victor that lives on. The voice of the vanquished remains lost in silence.

But what if Ravana and his people had a different story to tell? The story of the Ravanayana has never been told. Asura is the epic tale of the vanquished Asura people, a story that has been cherished by the oppressed castes of India for 3000 years. Until now, no Asura has dared to tell the tale. But perhaps the time has come for the dead and the defeated to speak.