Higher Window: From Smog to Splendour: Two Flights, Two Stories
I usually prefer the aisle seat when I fly. Yet, on my last two journeys, fate placed me by the window—and what a difference that made! Both times, the aircraft’s higher window opened to a canvas of clear, azure winter skies. But the stories those skies told were worlds apart.
Flight One: A Grey Blanket Over Delhi
My earlier flight to Delhi was tinged with dismay. As we cruised above the clouds, the upper skies were a serene blue, but as we descended, a thick grey shroud of smog swallowed the city below. The aerial view was almost obliterated, leaving only a dull haze where vibrant streets should have been.
Later, friends in Delhi remarked that they hadn’t seen blue skies for years—an unfortunate testament to the city’s worsening air quality. During my trip, the smog seemed omnipresent, clinging to every corner I visited. It was a sobering experience, and here are a few pictures from that journey:
Flight Two: A Himalayan Surprise
My next flight was a revelation. Somewhere above Gorakhpur, amidst the same crisp winter skies, a breathtaking sight unfolded—the majestic Himalayan range, shimmering in the distance. From my vantage point, one peak stood out: not razor-sharp, but towering gracefully above its companions.
Curiosity took over. I zoomed in, captured the silhouette, and later scoured the internet for clues. After several comparisons, I found striking similarities with both Mount Annapurna and Mount Dhaulagiri. A photo by Mr. Manju M Nath and an AI-assisted analysis tipped the scales toward Dhaulagiri.
Here’s what the AI suggested:
“The central peak is Dhaulagiri I, not Annapurna I, based on its strongly isolated, broad pyramidal shape. Dhaulagiri rises as a single dominant massif with a long, gentle left shoulder and a steeper right face, closely matching the silhouette in the photo. Annapurna I, by contrast, is embedded within a long ridge system, appears less symmetrical, and rarely stands out as a solitary pyramid when viewed from the southern plains. The relative arrangement of nearby smaller peaks and the peak’s visual dominance are characteristic of Dhaulagiri.”
And so, here are my pictures from that unforgettable flight—along with the comparisons that made me marvel at nature’s grandeur:
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