“Silence on a hill where the path ended
and then the forest below
moving in one long whisper
as evening touched the leaves.”
~ William Stafford
I didn’t quite understand why the clouds were like this that evening. Anyway, it was wonderful!
Date of Photography: December 19, 2011 (Just after the sunset…)


Stunning images, Nandini.
You’ve captured the unusual cloud formation really well.
It surely was unusual.. Thank you so much, Victoria.
The clouds all seem to be racing to look at something on the other side of the hill.
Yes that is another interpretation. I saw it as smoke rising from behind the hill.
Thank you for your comment. Good to see you after such a long time.
seems like the unseen horizon is on fireee,….
again an Awesomeee shottt
and it has reminded me of a poem on evening by Nirala .
दिवसावसान का समय -
मेघमय आसमान से उतर रही है
वह संध्या-सुन्दरी, परी सी,
धीरे, धीरे, धीरे,
तिमिरांचल में चंचलता का नहीं कहीं आभास,
मधुर-मधुर हैं दोनों उसके अधर,
किंतु ज़रा गंभीर, नहीं है उसमें हास-विलास।
हँसता है तो केवल तारा एक -
गुँथा हुआ उन घुँघराले काले-काले बालों से,
हृदय राज्य की रानी का वह करता है अभिषेक।
अलसता की-सी लता,
किंतु कोमलता की वह कली,
सखी-नीरवता के कंधे पर डाले बाँह,
छाँह सी अम्बर-पथ से चली।
नहीं बजती उसके हाथ में कोई वीणा,
नहीं होता कोई अनुराग-राग-आलाप,
नूपुरों में भी रुन-झुन रुन-झुन नहीं,
सिर्फ़ एक अव्यक्त शब्द-सा ‘चुप चुप चुप’
है गूँज रहा सब कहीं -
व्योम मंडल में, जगतीजल में -
सोती शान्त सरोवर पर उस अमल कमलिनी-दल में -
सौंदर्य-गर्विता-सरिता के अति विस्तृत वक्षस्थल में -
धीर-वीर गम्भीर शिखर पर हिमगिरि-अटल-अचल में -
उत्ताल तरंगाघात-प्रलय घनगर्जन-जलधि-प्रबल में -
क्षिति में जल में नभ में अनिल-अनल में -
सिर्फ़ एक अव्यक्त शब्द-सा ‘चुप चुप चुप’
है गूँज रहा सब कहीं -
और क्या है? कुछ नहीं।
मदिरा की वह नदी बहाती आती,
थके हुए जीवों को वह सस्नेह,
प्याला एक पिलाती।
सुलाती उन्हें अंक पर अपने,
दिखलाती फिर विस्मृति के वह अगणित मीठे सपने।
अर्द्धरात्री की निश्चलता में हो जाती जब लीन,
कवि का बढ़ जाता अनुराग,
विरहाकुल कमनीय कंठ से,
आप निकल पड़ता तब एक विहाग!
- निराला
Thank you for sharing this poem. Very thoughtful of you. The poem is really beautiful, contains many complicated Hindi words (it took me a while to grasp it hehehe).
So you know Hindi very well?
errrr….i cant say i know it really well…but yeah .it being my mother tongue i know it somewhat ….:)
Even I can’t say that I know it really well. Studied it till school. And that was it (at least the writing part).
hehehe same same
This is great; is this Hindi or Sanskrit ? I am a sanskrit scholar as we speak I am translating the Hitopadesa by Narayana I will do some research and attempt a translation … Namaste
Hello Helen…the poem is in Hindi….. pleased to meet a sanskrit scholar here …are u translating it from sanskrit to hindi ??
no I will attempt to do to English … I have a friend who is Mararti so we will look at it together it will be fun oneday … Nirala seems to have been a good guy with a sad life
Wonderful moments and poem… Thank you dear Nandini, love, nia
Gorgeous shots, Nandini.
I love your “gorgeous”. Thanks, Bob. So nice of you!
Thank you very much, Nia.
Really atmospheric, Nandini. Those clouds are pretty special.
Aren’t, they?
Thank you, Karen!
Fabulous Nandini!
Thank you, Gilly Gee.
just amazing:) what else can I say???
Thank you for your wonderful comment.
oooohhh, yummy, streaks of light, smoked peaches and honey
Wow, ‘food’ interpretation. I loved it
Now, shall we start eating?
Fantastic Hues… love it
Me too
Thank you for your comment.
Beautiful photos, what a great moment you captured.
The depht in the last photo is quite amazing!
Thank you, Pablo! Always a pleasure to hear from you.
i don’t quite understand why they looked they way they did either – but am glad you had your eyes open to see them, and that you captured the moments and shared them
Glad you liked them, Chris!
Thank you. We all should be aware all the time, don’t you think?
Love the crazy clouds!!
Ooooh, ‘crazy’ is a perfect way to define them. Thanks, David!
Awesome capture Nandini! Love the colours.
Thank you, Madhu!
Beautiful as always jerr:)
Thanks Tom
good to hear from you..
Great shots Nandini!
Thanks, David.
Two layers of clouds. One which is still and the other in motion. Seems similar to something…..us…
Hmmmm deep thinking Lee. Thanks for sharing.
wc lady…
A very special effect.
Indeed. Thanks, Marion
Wow – thats awesome! Thanks for showing us your sky : )
My pleasure, totally!
Thank you for your comment.