Jalebi Bends Photo

Photographer’s Note

With the hairpin bends down to Lamayuru, surely one of the most picturesque and dramatically situated villages in India, if not in world.

Masterpiece of road design and engineering, the Hangru loops, popularly known as jalebi bends-carry the Kargil-Leh road down from Lamayuru to Khaltse. KUDOS to Border Road Organiztion, under Indian military who construct these roads. This is the point, virtually whole of the stretch can be seen in all its serpentine length of bends, loops and whorls.

Some more info: There are total 23 such bends. There is one particular point from where one can see all those bends (hard to capture thoug). The color of mountain is due to the alloys and minerals it has got. One can see not just gray, but red, russet, dull purple, ochre, pink and even green.

HIRAKZ, delkoo, goodwill, ramthakur, oochappan, Buin, Vato_Law, jjcordier, marom, tinamunk3, rahul__rahul__ has marked this note useful

Critiques | Translate

dvlazar (6488) 2006-07-23 9:20

This is amazing to look at - very daunting to drive on surely! Fantastic point of view and high angle - its just crazy.
Nice work,
dave.

HIRAKZ (168) 2006-07-23 9:21

Hi Vandana,

Fantastic photograph. You reminded me of my journey to Ladakh from Delhi on my bike. This is indeed one of those glorious places, and of course, marvels of engineering and sheer dedication of the Border Roads Organisation workers. Not many are aware that about 600 of these workers die every year serving in hostile and inhospitable conditions etc. But they do keep the country connected.
Thanks a lot for sharing.
Hirak

[2] +

MichaelTrezzi (3170) 2006-07-23 9:28

Hello Vandana, Welcom to TE. This is a great view of the Ladakh road bends. The composition is very nice, most of the bends just in one third of the pic. Tnanks for sharing. Cheers, Michael

ramthakur (1501) 2006-07-23 9:28

Various shades of earth make this image quite interesting.

sabyasachi1212 (19546) 2006-07-23 9:29

Hi Vandana,
Excellent POV. The loops have been beautifully captured. On a steep decilne like this, light (or the lack of it) isn't always easy to handle but you have managed well. Having travelled on that road, I can second your opinion on the engineering marvel.
Best Wishes
Sabyasachi

delkoo (34414) 2006-07-23 9:30

hi vandana
very nice composition, i was there last year and i was very happy when we reached Lamayuru. one recognize right away that the photograph come from ladakh by the gorgeous colours of the rocks.
well seen and well done

didier

goodwill (4029) 2006-07-23 9:32

Hi Vandana,
Winding roads in India!!
Never seen such great place.
Hats off to Indian Army and to you too for showing this marvel to the world.
Best Regards,
Rajeev

oochappan (22032) 2006-07-23 10:43

Very impressive mountain view looking in to the depht with the winding road indicating the inclination. A sharp textured detailled shot with well contrasted light and shadow and color variation up to reality of these barren mountains.
One of the better lately seen here of this region.
Well done Vandana
Henk

DarkoG (2284) 2006-07-23 11:06

REally fantastatic place.
Strange, somehow frightening but still beautiful.
Good photo with excellent sharpnwes and nice compo and POV.
Regards Darko

agussaptono (192) 2006-07-23 11:15

Hi Vandana,
Agree with you, that the view is very dramatic and very beautiful. I wish I could see with my own eyes, someday.

agus

celinaconroy (717) 2006-07-23 11:37

Hi Vandana,
I'm sure I can't think of anything different to add that hasn't already been mentioned by others.... except to say you have superbly captured a scene of great magnitude with all the various textures and colours. Great perpsective and clarity also.
Celina

Buin (37816) 2006-07-23 12:03

Hallo Vandana!
An interesting an really dramatic scenery! Apart from the incredible street the colours of the several parts of the slopes are astonishing. Your point of view couldn't be better I think. Thank you for showing!
Greetings from Germany!
Frank

Vato_Law (11682) 2006-07-23 12:09

Hello Vandana,
This is really beautiful! I love this snaky road, and all it's surroundings. The patterns and pallet of colours present on this photo are simply gorgeous! Well seen!
Rgds.
Paulo

mike-tango (163) 2006-07-23 14:16 [Comment]

Show Comment +

jjcordier (24776) 2006-07-24 1:54

Fantastic road in a great landscape.Very good composition and colours
Best regards
JJ

Arvind (309) 2006-07-25 10:14

Hi Vandana. Thanx a lot for a nice pic to see. I have been travelling in this region since Kargil War ( 1999), actually I had covered the war through my photographs. I have passed thrugh all these roads somany times, BUT your imagination, visualisation and picture is superb.Different Colours of the rocks and moutains making it stand above all.I think light was a bit cloudy that time, when u took the pic. and it was good for ur pic because I also stopped once on my way to Leh, on the same spot perheps and took the pic, but because of the harsh sun light, half of the portion of my pic got burn.

marom (467) 2006-07-26 8:39

Hi Vandana
How is it possible to drive this road and survive? This is a very much moon-like landscape. Beautiful and scary, there is something in this view what draws and says come to me. Congratulations
Cheers
Roman

sarju (5308) 2006-07-26 17:14

excellent perspective indeed
your sharing of these photos is much appreciated
cheers ... sarju
PS: I can't wait to go here again in the sept and take some photos ..

tinamunk3 (6382) 2006-07-27 14:53

Hi Vandana,

Oh yeah - we have the same picture :O) I remember this trip from Leh to Lamayuru as if it was yesterday. Those hairpin bends were unbelievable. As you write they were hard to capture but I think you did a great job. You really managed to capture the hight and not least the amazing colours.

Really nice shot.

:) Tina

chanjits (4409) 2006-07-29 20:52

Nice shot but it is not Jalebi road it looks more like a snake but you have composed it well detailed shot with great depth of field.