TheEnigmaBytes (formerly TheUniverseBytes), blog was dormant due to personal reasons but now back in action.

Amarnath Yatra: Come and take the blessings of Lord Shiva

History of Amarnath Temple
There is no clear cut information of the discovery of the cave. The credit of discovery goes to a shepherd (Gujar) Buta Malik, it is said that he was given a bag full of coal by a saint. When the shepherd opened to see in his house it was a bag full of gold. The happy shepherd went back to thank the saint but found a cave with a lingam inside it . Then onwards this place has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage .Another legend says that Kashyap a sage drained the lake of Kashmir and found the cave along with the lingam in it. Hindu mythology says that this Amarnath cave is the cave which was used by Lord Shiva to tell about the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvathi. He was looking for a secret isolated place to tell this "amar katha" to goddess Parvathi. So he selected this cave. And as a preparation he left his vehicle Nandi, the bull in Pahalgam (Bhail Gaow), released the moon at Chandanwari, snake at Lake Sheshnag, Lord Ganesh at Mahagunas parvat, five elements of life at Panjitarni. Finally he created Rudra (Kalagni) and ordered him to set afire and eliminate every living thing in and around the holy cave. Then Lord Shiva took Parvathi Goddess inside the cave to tell the amar katha. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus - about 400,000 people visit during the 45-day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July-August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month of Shravan. The Shivlingam has melted owing to the rise in temperatures. It is a normal phenomenon; weather affects its shape and size”The other ice lingams had not completely melted. Many environmentalists blamed global warming for the The Amarnath caves are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. Inside the main Amarnath cave lies an ice stalagmite resembling the Shiva Linga, which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter. This lingam is said to grow and shrink with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival. According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. There are two other ice formations representing Parvati and Shiva's son, Ganesha.


Safeties to be taken in Amarnath
There is more cool that’s why carry caps, glosses, jerkins, socks etc. compulsory. We feel un comfortable with less oxygen. Take some suggested items such as Halls, Vicks, Torch light or candle, match box etc. The climatic conditions are very uncertain. Rain or snowfall may take place at any time or place during the Amarnath Yatra. It is to be particularly noted that abrupt changes in temperature might occur. Sunny weather may turn into rain / snow fall in a short time . The temperature may fall up to -5° C.

Importance of Amarnath Temple
Amarnath cave temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva. An enshrined image of ice naturally formed in a cylindrical form which resembles Lord Shiva-Linga, begins to take its shape on the first day of the bright half of the month and reaches its full size on the full moon day (Poornima). After getting its fullest shape, it begins to wane and disappear on the new moon day. According to the tradition, the largest ice formation is considered as Lord Shiva Linga, one on the left side of the linga is an ice formation of Lord Ganesha, and on the right are formations of Parvati and Bhairava. The Amarnath temple is around 46 kms from Pahalgam in Jammu and Kashmir and 4500mtrs above the sea level. The time of pilgrimage to this holy shrine is between July and August. The guard of the absolute, lord Shiva, the destroyer, is present in the form of ice Lingam in this cave located at a more remote end of the valley of Lidder. This lingam is made naturally of a stalagmite of ice which awakes and weakens with the moon. There is no clear cut information of the discovery of the cave. The credit of discovery goes to a shepherd (Gujar) Buta Malik, it is said that he was given a bag full of coal by a saint. When the shepherd opened to see in his house it was a bag full of gold. The happy shepherd went back to thank the saint but found a cave with a lingam inside it . Then onwards this place has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage .Another legend says that Kashyap a sage drained the lake of Kashmir and found the cave along with the lingam in it. Hindu mythology says that this Amarnath cave is the cave which was used by Lord Shiva to tell about the secret of life and eternity to Goddess Parvathi. He was looking for a secret isolated place to tell this "amar katha" to goddess Parvathi. So he selected this cave. And as a preparation he left his vehicle Nandi, the bull in Pahalgam (Bhail Gaow), released the moon at Chandanwari, snake at Lake Sheshnag, Lord Ganesh at Mahagunas parvat, five elements of life at Panjitarni. Finally he createdRudra (Kalagni) and ordered him to set afire and eliminate every living thing in and around the holy cave. Then Lord Shiva took Parvathi Goddess inside the cave to tell the amar katha. It is a popular pilgrimage destination for Hindus - about 400,000 people visit during the 45-day season around the festival of Shravani Mela in July-August, coinciding with the Hindu holy month ofShravan. The Shivlingam has melted owing to the rise in temperatures. It is a normal phenomenon; weather affects its shape and size”The other ice lingams had not completely melted. Many environmentalists blamed global warming for the The Amarnath caves are one of the most famous shrines in Hinduism, dedicated to the god Shiva, located in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. The shrine is claimed to be over 5,000 years old and forms an important part of ancient Hindu mythology. Inside the main Amarnath cave lies an ice stalagmite resembling the Shiva Linga, which waxes during May to August and gradually wanes thereafter. This lingam is said to grow and shrink with the phases of the moon, reaching its height during the summer festival. According to Hindu mythology, this is the cave where Shiva explained the secret of life and eternity to his divine consort Parvati. There are two other ice formations representing Parvati and Shiva's son, Ganesha. The cave is situated at an altitude of 3,888 m (12,760 ft), about 141 km (88 mi) from Srinagar, the capital of Jammu and Kashmir. The Central Reserve Police Force, Indian Army and Indian Paramilitary Forces maintain a strong presence in the region due to concerns of security and hence prior permission is needed from the Government of India before making a pilgrimage (Note: as of June 2009, no permit was necessary to go to the cave, even for foreigners. The story narrated by people about the discovery of this Holy Cave is of a shepherd Buta Malik. He is given the credit of discovering this Holy Cave. Story goes like this, that a saint gave Buta Malik a bag full of Coal. On reaching his home when he opened the bag , to his utter surprise the bag was full of gold coins. This made him overwhelmed with joy. He ran to thank the Saint. But, what he found was that the Saint had disappeared. Instead, he found The Holy Cave and Shiv Lingam there in. He announced the discovery of this to the Villagers. Then onwards this has become the sacred place of Pilgrimage. The ancient epics narrate an other story which goes like this. The valley of Kashmir was under water. It was a big lake. Kashyap Rishi drained the water through number of rivers and rivulets. In those days Bhrigu Rishi came that way on a visit to The Himalyas. He was the first to have Darshans of this Holy Cave. When people heard of the Lingam, Amarnath for them became Shiva's abode and a Centre of pilgrimage. Since then Lacs of devotees perform the pilgrimage through tough terrain and avail eternal happiness. The trek to Amarnath, in the month of sharavan (July August) has the devout flock to this incredible shrine, where the image of Shiva, in the form of a Lingam, is formed naturally of an Ice Stalagmite, which waxes and wanes with the Moon's cycle. By its side are fascinating, two more Ice Lingams, that of Maa Parvati and of their son, Ganesha.

The annual Amarnath pilgrimage in Jammu and Kashmir kicked off on Thursday with over 15,000 pilgrims beginning the climb to the cave shrine dedicated to the Hindu god Shiva. 
The cave shrine has a natural ice stalagmite that is worshipped as a Shiv Lingam, a symbol  
of Lord Shiva.

'More than 7,000 yatris began their uphill 14-km trek at 8 am on Thursday from Baltal to the cave. Another batch of 1,100 yatris has also left the Manigam transit camp for Baltal,' a senior police officer said.
'All the pilgrims are safe. Adequate arrangements of security have been made at Baltal, Manigam and all along the yatra route,' he added.
Another batch of 8,000 pilgrims left the Nunwan base camp in Pahalgam town for Chandanwari, the first of the four stopovers in the 35-km trek from Pahalgam to the cave shrine, located at a height of 13,500 feet.

Hari Prasad, 49, a resident of Haryana who left the Manigam transit camp for Baltal, said: 'We shall pray for peace in Kashmir and the rest of the country when we reach the holy cave.'

'This is the land of saints and 'rishis' (sages) besides being the abode of Lord Shiva. The people here are nice and hospitable. This is my third yatra and I know the locals have always helped the yatris in times of emergency,' he added. 


Extraordinary security arrangements have been made for the pilgrimage this year .
Around 3,000 Border Security Force (BSF) troopers reached south Kashmir's Anantnag district Wednesday to provide security to the devotees. 

While 1.5 lakh pilgrims have registered themselves so far, it is expected that the number of pilgrims will cross the half-million mark this year.

The nearly two-month-long Amarnath Yatra (pilgrimage) ends August 25. 

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Top 10 Most Dangerous Dogs

Are you afraid of dogs? What do you do when you see a dog in the street? If you don't do much, then I recommend that you RUN...because if they are one of these dogs, then you will surely need to visit the hospital and get a few shots right in the butt.




10. Boxer

Developed in Germany, the Boxer is a breed of stocky, medium-sized, short-haired dog. The coat is smooth and fawn or brindled, with or without white markings. Boxers are brachycephalic (they have broad, short skulls), and have a square muzzle, mandibular prognathism (an underbite), very strong jawsand a powerful bite ideal for hanging on to large prey. The Boxer was bred from the English Bulldog and the now extinct Bullenbeisser and is part of theMolosser group.
9. The Dalmatian

The Dalmatian (Croatian: Dalmatinac, Dalmatiner) is a breed of dog whose roots are often said to trace back to Dalmatia, a region of Croatia where the first illustrations of the dog have been found.[1] The Dalmatian is noted for its unique black- or brown-spotted coat and was mainly used as a carriage dog in its early days. Today, this dog remains a well loved family pet and many dog enthusiasts enter their pets into the competitions of many kennel clubs.
8. Chow Chow


The chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears, which are rounded at the tips. The breed has a very dense double coat that can be either smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck, giving the distinctive ruff or mane appearance. The coat may be one of five colors including red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, and cream.




7. Presa Canario


The Perro de Presa Canario is a large Molosser-type dog breed originally bred for working livestock. The name of the breed is Spanish, means "Canarianblood hound," and is often shortened to "Presa Canario" or simply "Presa." The breed is also called Dogo Canario, mean Canarian Molosser.
Presas are of strong character and are dominant animals requiring early socialization and obedience training In some situations, the Presa can be aggressive toward other dogs and suspicious of strangers Once the dog has been properly socialized and trained this becomes the exception rather than the rule. Many Presas share their homes with children, other dogs, cats, horses and other farm animals. 


6. Doberman Pinscher


The Doberman Pinscher (alternatively spelled Dobermann in many countries) or simply Doberman, is a breed of domestic dog originally developed around 1890 by Karl Friedrich Louis Dobermann. Dobermann Pinschers are among the most common of pet breeds, and the breed is well known as an intelligent, alert, and loyal companion dog. Although once commonly used as guard dogs or police dogs, this is less common today.














5. Alaskan Malamute


The Malamute retains more of its original form and function than many other modern breeds. If a dog owner cannot cope with a dog that will not comply with the owner's every command, a more compliant breed should be selected. This dog has a long genetic foundation of living in the harshest environment imaginable, and many of its behaviors are evolved to conform with "survival of the fittest." Independence, resourcefulness, and primitive behaviors are common in the breed. While intelligent, they are widely believed to be one of the most difficult dogs to train. However, if the training is kept fun for the dog and not repetitively boring, success is within reach.






4. Husky


The Siberian is a medium-size, dense-coat working dog breed that originated in eastern Siberia. The breed belongs to the Spitz genetic family. It is recognisable by its thickly furred double coat, sickle tail, erect triangular ears, and distinctive markings.
Huskies are an active, energetic, and resilient breed whose ancestors came from the extremely cold and harsh environment of the Siberian Arctic. Siberian Huskies were bred by the Chukchi of Northeastern Asia to pull heavy loads long distances through difficult conditions. The dogs were imported into Alaskaduring the Nome Gold Rush and later spread into the United States and Canada. They were initially sent to Alaska and Canada as sled dogs but rapidly acquired the status of family pets and show dogs.



3. German Shepherd 


The German Shepherd Dog is a breed of large-sized dog that originated inGermany. The German Shepherd is a relatively new breed of dog, with its origin dating to 1899. As part of the Herding Group, the German Shepherd is a working dog developed originally for herding and guarding sheep. Because of its strength, intelligence and abilities in obedience training it is often employed in police and military roles around the world. German Shepherds currently account for 4.6% of all dogs registered with the American Kennel Club. Due to its loyal and protective nature, the German Shepherd is one of the most registered of breeds. 


2. Rottweiler


The Rottweiler is a medium to large size breed of domestic dog that originated in Rottweil, Germany. The dogs were known as "Rottweil butchers' dogs" (German: Rottweiler Metzgerhund) because they were used to herd livestock and pull carts laden with butchered meat and other products to market.[1]Some records indicate that earlier Rottweilers may have also been used for hunting, although the modern Rottweiler has a relatively low hunting instinct.
The Rottweiler was employed in its traditional roles until the mid-19th century when railroads replaced droving for getting livestock to market. While still used in herding, Rottweilers are now also used in search and rescue, as guide dogs for the blind, as guard or police dogs, and in other roles.



1. Pit bull 


A Pit bull is one of several breeds of dog in the molosser breed group. Many jurisdictions that restrict ownership of pit bulls, including Ontario, Canada, Miami, Florida, U.S.[2] and Denver, Colorado, U.S.,apply the restriction to the modern American pit bull terrier or any other dog that has the substantial physical characteristics and appearance of being a cross of this breed. However a few jurisdictions, such as Singapore and Franklin County, Ohio, U.S., also classify the modern American Bulldog as a "pit bull-type dog", while in the United Kingdom a pit bull is an American pit bull terrier. All of the breeds share a similar history, with origins rooted from the bulldog and a variety of terriers. The dogs called bull terriers before the development of the modern bull terrier in the early 20th century may also be called pit bulls. Pit bulls are popular breeds used in dog fighting.
Widely reported pit bull attacks have resulted in breed-specific legislation being enacted in several jurisdictions, and in increased premiums for liability insurance. Some airlines have placed restrictions on air travel for pit bulls, though in some instances the restrictions are in place for the dogs' own well-being.

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Can Asteroid 2012 DA14 impact Earth on 15 Feb '13?


A 150-foot asteroid orbiting Earth called 2012 DA14 will pass so close to Earth it will fly UNDER man-made satellites orbiting our planet.
Nasa's Impact Risk report said that the odds of the space rock actually hitting our planet are very low indeed - but on February 15 next year it will pass just 17,000 miles from Earth, closer than 'geostationary' satellites.  
If an asteroid of that size hit our planet, it would cause an explosion similar to a nuclear blast.


Two astronomers from the the Observatorio Astronómico de La Sagra in Spain spotted 2012 DA14 in late February and its orbit has been calculated to be very similar to Earth’s.


Some reports suggested that on February 15 next year an impact was a possibility, but U.S astronomer Phil Plait, the creator of the Bad Astronomy blog, has ruled out an impact.






According to RT, NASA has confirmed that the 60 meter (or 197 feet) asteroid, which was spotted by Spanish stargazers in February this year, has a good chance of colliding with earth. The scientists suggest confronting this asteroid with either big guns or, more strangely, with paint. The problem with either option is that there is no time to build a spaceship for the operation. A spaceship could either shoot the asteroid down or simply crash into it – this would either break it into pieces or throw it off course. 


NASA expert David Dunham suggested: “We could paint it.” The paint would change the asteroid’s ability to reflect sunlight, alter its spin and change its temperature. However, even taking the asteroid off course could be dangerous when it returns in 2056, according to Aleksandr Devaytkin the head of the observatory in Russia’s Pulkovo, as told to Izvestia in Russia recently. 


The asteroid’s closest approach to earth is scheduled for 15 February 2013, when they predict that the distance between it and earth will be under 27,000 km (16,700 miles). With the asteroid zooming that low, it will be too late to do anything with it besides trying to predict its final destination and the consequences of impact. However, NASA’s David Dunham did say: “The asteroid may split into pieces entering the atmosphere. In this case, most parts of it will never reach the planet’s surface.” But theories are that if the entire asteroid did crash into the planet, the impact will be as hard as in the Tunguska blast, which in 1908 knocked down trees over a total area of 2,150 sq km (830 sq miles) in Siberia. So keep your head down and watch the skies.



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The Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa

Blue Lagoon Geothermal Spa was voted the best medical spa worldwide.
It's located in Iceland and its massive lagoon holds six million liters of geothermal seawater, which is renewed every 40 hours.
























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Know your processor


What's a Core i7 and why is it better than an i3? There's also Core i5? And what about AMD? Figuring out your processor is half the battle of buying a PC.

What is a core?
In layman's language, a core is the part of the processor responsible for carrying out calculations needed to execute programs. When a chip has multiple cores, it means it can process multiple instructions at the same time, thus increasing the software's speed.

Intel has three main Core families...
Core i3: Has two cores and Hyper Threading (HT) - a technology that simulates more cores than actually exist on the processor. This improves performance of programs that can utilize the extra cores. The i3, however, lacks Turbo Boost for extra muscle when needed. Ideal for average users.

Core i5: Has four cores, but no HT. Consumes a little more power than i3. The i5 comes with Turbo Boost that allows for an increase in clock speeds in the range of 300 to 400MHz. For example, if the processor has a speed of 2.8GHz, Turbo Boost will push the speed up to 3.1GHz. Ideal for power users

Core i7: Has four to six cores, with HT. The least power-efficient, but the most powerful. Ideal for professionals who work in 3D or edit multimedia.


AMD..
While AMD doesn't have Intel's raw performance, it's still good enough for everyday tasks and comes at a cheaper price. Of the lot, two AMD processors deserve mention.

The A 3870K: Has four cores and is part of the Fusion series. It promises better graphics at budget prices. Ideal for average users who want a bit of a gaming boost.

The FX 8150: Has eight cores and is part of the Bulldozer series. Not power-efficient and a bit slow in less demanding tasks. But works great in intensive processing tasks like video encoding and 3D modeling. Ideal for a professional on a budget.


What is Ivy Bridge?
Every year, Intel comes out with a new class of processors. The new Ivy Bridge is the third generation of Core i processors, and can be identified by model numbers that begin with 3. In terms of performance, Ivy Bridge processors average 10% faster than last year's Sandy Bridge processors. They are also more power-efficient.

Last but not the least, What is Trinity?
Trinity is AMD's new architecture, replacing the current A series Llano CPUs like A3870K. They can be identified by model numbers that begin with 5. They will be slightly better in general computing like web-browsing or office work, but offer vastly better performance for 3D gaming.

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India's most spectacular Highways

Mumbai-Pune Expressway
An oldie, but a goldie nonetheless. When the Expressway was first thrown open to the public, we were all stunned here was India's first truly world-class express highway. No small engineering feat, the road made the trip from Mumbai to Pune an absolute breeze (although these days, it's not uncommon to encounter huge jams due to landslides or broken-down trucks). 

It has it all long straights on which you can let your car loose (two-wheelers are only allowed on a limited stretch), sweeping bends and tight ghat sections where you can have some serious fun. For best results, head out really early, to beat the traffic, and try and get hold of a convertible sportscar! There are enough rest, food and fuel stops along the way (the potato vada at Kamat's restaurant in Khandala is highly recommended), and you'll arrive at your destination with a smile on your face.





Hassan To Belur/Halebid
A slightly off-beat road, to be sure, but a great one nonetheless. Hassan is a fairly large 'small' town about 130 km from Bangalore, and the drive there is itself rather good fun. From Hassan, there's an inside road that leads to the twin temple sites of Belur and Halebid, and it's a truly wonderful drive.
There's hardly any traffic on it, and the surface is smooth, with lots of twists and turns to keep things interesting. You're likely to get lost, because there aren't many signboards along the way, but when the road is that good, who cares? At the end of the drive, you'll have the architectural marvels in Belur and Halebid to keep you company. For more driving pleasure, continue from Halebid to the temple town of Dharmasthala, which also has a fantastic vintage car museum.



Bhiwandi to Nashik
We'll be honest -- the small town of Bhiwandi, on the outskirts of Thane, near Mumbai, is the sort of place to which you would 'send your mother-in-law on holiday', to paraphrase the immortal words of Sir Ian Botham. It's dusty, grimy, full of godowns and, well, not much else but the highway from there all the way to Nashik, India's wine-capital, is fantastic. The surface has recently been re-done, adding to its allure, and with a fast, nimble car or bike, there is a great deal of fun to be had.
You have long straights combined with sweeping corners, and a really nice one-way ghat section lets you attack the tight corners with gusto. Once in Nashik, wind down with a chilled glass of Chardonnay.



Vadodara to Ahmedabad
The joke is that most Gujaratis won't use this express highway because they have to pay a toll. Even if that's true, it's a good thing because you have more of the road to yourself -- and it's a great road. Approximately 90 km in length, it's not exactly a world-tour, but with its smooth surface and arrow-straight nature, you can go very fast on it
It's not unheard of for the distance to be covered in considerably less than an hour, to give you an idea. Enjoy it, but with caution!

















Masinagudi to Ooty Via Kalhatty
If you like hair-pin bends, prepare to be transported to heaven -- the Kalhatty ghat has 36 of them, squeezed into a mere 20 km. Setting out from the small town of Masinagudi, inside the Mudumalai wildlife sanctuary in Tamil Nadu, the road is narrow, but smooth, allowing for spirited driving, with the forest on either side.
The ghat section begins normally enough, but rapidly becomes extremely steep, and you need to be a skilled driver to not burn your clutch on the hair-pins. Buses going over the side are quite common drive with care. Once you reach Ooty, stretch out and relax in the still-pleasant hill station.



Maneybhanjang to Sandakphu
This one's slightly unusual, in that you can't actually drive on the road by yourself. The only people allowed to drive are those that own and drive the vintage Land Rovers, which ferry people to and from the village of Sandakphu, 12,000 feet up in the clouds. Maneybhanjang is near Darjeeling, and the trip from there to Sandakphu is one you won't forget in a hurry, it takes close to eight hours to drive a mere 35 km, over a terrifyingly steep, broken road that criss-crosses India and Nepal.
The views are breathtaking, though, none more so than from Sandakphu, from where you can see four of the five highest mountain peaks in the world. The route is also a paradise for trekkers.



Kaziranga to Tawang
If you're in Kaziranga, one of the loveliest national parks in the world, you can consider yourself lucky to begin with. Get hold of a sturdy car, preferably a four-wheel driven SUV, and point its nose in the direction of Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh -- this will round off the experience in no small measure. It's a two-day drive, and you'll have to break journey in a place en route, you'll cross the lovely Orchidarium near Bhalukpong.Dirang to Tawang is where it starts to get really interesting -- on the way to the snow-bound Sela Pass at 14,000 feet, you'll drive up a perilously narrow road with huge drops on either side, with black ice on it. Once through the pass, you drop back down to Tawang, at 10,000 feet, and its beautiful, 400-year old Galden Namgyal Lhatse monastery. From Tawang, there's another fabulous drive to Zemithang, on the border with Tibet the current Dalai Lama came through here when he fled to India.


Yamuna Expressway
All right, so this road hasn't even been formally thrown open for public use as yet and, given the political machinations in Uttar Pradesh, it could be a while before that happens. Those lucky enough to have got sneak previews say that it's manna from heaven for drivers smooth, wide and pedal-to-the-metal throughout.
Apart from its practical considerations (vastly reducing the driving time from Delhi to Agra), the road is bound to see plenty of exotic machinery being blasted up and down. You can too get a sneak preview, if you know right people.



Manali-Leh
A true test of grit and character this route is the stuff of legend, and if you haven't done it at least once, you cannot claim to be a true road-tripper. Plans are apparently afoot to construct a proper highway, which will ruin the experience, so get there quick.
Taking along a bike is the best way to fully experience the mind-boggling landscapes (and near-moonscapes) that you'll come across, and you'll have to be prepared for all manner of hardships -- breakdowns in the middle of nowhere, freezing temperatures, rain, landslides and mountain sickness, to name but a few. Once you enter the town of Leh, though, the sense of achievement you'll feel will be worth it. The other route, from Srinagar to Leh via Kargil, is just as spectacular!



Mumbai-Goa on NH17
This is another classic road. A lot of people driving to Goa now take the Mumbai-Pune-Kolhapur-Sawantwadi route, which is longer, better surfaced but a bit boring; NH17 still has more character. It's best done during the monsoon, when the surroundings are an impossible shade of green. The road is a dual carriageway, so overtaking must be done with care, but the right car or bike in the right hands will provide plenty of thrills.
Any number of roadside eateries will keep you refreshed, and for a bit of added adventure, you can veer off NH17 into one of the smaller roads, which tend to be great to drive on as well. Or you can drive straight down to where the road ends -- Kanyakumari

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