Summer Holidays: Relive Shahrukh Khan’s ‘Gerua’ Moment in Iceland

Mritunjay Tiwari, social worker and photographer, visited Iceland and captured the land of fire and ice on film.

Mount Vesturhorn near the town of Hofn, is a set of dramatic mountain peaks facing a rocky coast, black sand beach and a tidal flat. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari) 

Shahrukh Khan standing atop a crashed plane, Dilwale came and went but what stayed with the audience are the stunning locations of Iceland showcased in the song ‘Gerua’.

Mritunjay Tiwari, a social worker and photographer from Bihar, visited Iceland and captured the land of fire and ice on his camera – this is his travel blog.

Northern Lights (Aurora Borealis) weaving across the most iconic mountain of Iceland, Mount Kirkjufell, with the adjoining waterfall, Kirjufellfoss, at its foot. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari)    

Iceland, despite its name, is not completely covered in ice; that would more accurately be Greenland, its North American neighbour to the west. Over 8% of the country is covered by Vatnajokull, the largest-by-volume glacier in Europe.

The Glacial Lagoon at Jokulsarlon is a pristine lagoon filled to the brim with icebergs from a calving glacier (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari) 

Iceland is also a volcanically active island, Eyjafjallajökull famously erupted in 2010, causing flooding, evacuations, and completely disrupting air travel across Europe.

The tension and coexistence of fire and ice in Iceland are responsible for much of the country’s amazing landscape.

The Ice Beach at Jokulsarlon. Icebergs from the Glacial Lagoon pass out through a small channel to the ocean and to be washed up on it’s black beach before ultimately succumbing to the waves. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari)

What attracts tourists in hordes to Iceland is the Aurora Borealis (aka Northern Lights) Iceland is perhaps the best place in the world to witness this awe-inspiring phenomenon.

Icelandic is a notoriously complex language, but fortunately for travellers the vast majority of residents speak fluent English.

Huge rock sea stacks dominate the ocean fronts across Iceland. This black sand beach is in the village of Vik. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari) 

Traveling in Iceland is generally easy, with quality travel facilities available in cities, towns, and even many small settlements that dot the countryside.

Although few people live outside of the greater Reykjavík area, access to other parts of the country is easy with the Ring Road, a paved road around the perimeter of the country. The rugged and stark interior of Iceland is accessed by dirt F-roads.

Foss means waterfall in Iceland. Waterfalls abound all across the country with Dettifoss and Selfoss (featured here) being the most powerful by volume waterfall in Europe. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari)  

Every season in Iceland is a visual treat, Avoid the months of April through September though – it is crazily busy then and hotel prices are sky high. Iceland is a costly country to travel but the facilities across the country for tourists are superb.

The best way to explore Iceland is by a self-driven rented car easily available across the country. (Photo: Mrityunjay Tiwari) 

(Mritunjay Tiwary gave up city life to work for blind people and the girl child in rural Bihar but retained his passion for wildlife and landscape photography)