8 articles tagged with spiritual journeys
As the first golden rays of dawn illuminate the mist-shrouded valleys of Bumthang, I find myself standing barefoot on dew-kissed grass, watching monks prepare for the day's sacred festivities. There's something about this place—Bhutan's spiritual heartland—that resonates with the energy...
The first time I gazed upon Dal Lake at sunrise, watching the wooden shikaras glide silently across the misty waters, I understood why Kashmir is called 'heaven on earth.' As a researcher of cultural heritage sites, I've traversed many landscapes,...
The thin air of Lhasa at 3,656 meters above sea level hits you first—not unlike that moment when you step onto the field at a high-altitude cricket ground in Dharamshala. But here, in Tibet's spiritual heart, the breathlessness feels appropriate,...
When I was seven years old, my father spread out a faded photo album filled with sepia-toned images of massive stone chariots, towering gopurams, and mysterious temple ruins scattered among giant boulders. 'This is Hampi, beta,' he said, 'the last...
Standing before Uluru for the first time is a moment that defies scientific explanation. As an environmental scientist who has explored ecosystems across five continents, I can recite the geological processes that formed this 550-million-year-old monolith, but nothing prepared me...
There's something profoundly moving about walking the same stone paths that pilgrims traversed over 2,500 years ago. As the morning mist lifts from Mount Parnassus and the first rays of sunlight kiss the ruins of Apollo's temple, I'm reminded why...
The morning mist clung to the pine-covered mountains like gossamer veils, creating what we in filmmaking call 'atmospheric perspective' – those ethereal layers that give depth to a landscape shot. I stood at the trailhead in Paro Valley, my trusty...
The first time I stood in Bumthang Valley with my three kids, watching the night sky erupt with stars above ancient temples, I understood why my late wife Amelia had placed Bhutan at the top of our family travel list....