Ruminations of Wanderlust
A land where imaginations find wings and hopes are restored that this Earth indeed is an awe-inspiring place and one need only leave their comfort to find it. Three peaks with glaciers at the pass where the wind howls loud and strong. "Make a wish and stick a coin", that was a simple instruction from… Continue reading Postcards from Spiti
Just like the essence of this land, its people embody the joy and resilience, core to life. Tsering (right) and Yangkit (left) work the fields against the backdrop of gorgeous snow-capped mountains. The day in these villages start early with milking the cows, cooking, working the fields, and returning to household chores again, including caring… Continue reading Faces of Spiti
It has been more than a year and I have tried numerous times to put ink to paper in expressing those few days spent in the lap of absolute bliss. At first, it was the reverence and notion that putting any words to it might violate what I experienced in those mountains, and later, as… Continue reading A Tiny Infinity – Lahaul & Spiti
“If you ever write about this, name it The Search For A Perfect Thangka,” says Norbu, my guide, and displays his pearly whites in a smile. “Very funny, but I will consider it,” I respond, “and you can be my editor for the article!” After driving me around for almost two hours in a near-deserted… Continue reading A Glimpse Of Love
The crisp morning Himalayan air whips through my hair. I look out at the first glow of sunrise from my hotel balcony. I have been coming to Rishikesh every year and the stay at Divine Ganga Cottage is becoming a norm. I particularly love the fact that, in this hotel, I find the quiet and… Continue reading A Banter In The Mountains
In Greek, “nostalgia” literally means “the pain from an old wound”. It’s a twinge in your heart, far more powerful than memory alone. This device isn’t a spaceship, it’s a time machine. It goes backwards and forwards, it takes us to a place where we ache to go again. ~ Don Draper This is the… Continue reading The Soul of Kashi
In a bylane of Banaras, we went to witness the age-old tradition that is still kept alive in these parts of the country - an akhara. The traditional wrestling format imbibes the spirit of guru-shishya traditions. In the early hours of the morning, seeing these athletes in action was an experience like never before.
Varanasi celebrates Dev Diwali - Diwali of the Gods, which takes place 15 days after the usual Diwali festival on the full moon day. Morning sees the devotees swarm the riverbank to take a dip in the holy river and as the sun sets, the ghats are lit up with a million tiny lamps to honour the… Continue reading Dev Diwali
Kashi, or Varanasi/Banaras as it is known today, is the oldest continually inhabited city in the world. The history of the place is writ amongst its charming ghats to its maze-like by-lanes. Life here is bodacious, vivid and gives you a sense as old as time itself. The Ghats This place is an important site… Continue reading Postcards From Varanasi
I anxiously look out from the passenger seat of the white Tata Indica cab as it tries to meander through the semi-blocked narrow strip of the road. Jai, my guide, chips in once again; he has been talking all morning, “it’s the landslide season ma’am”. I smile and nod at him through the rear-view glass… Continue reading Cave Fit For A Sage: Vashishta Gufa