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Postcards From Varanasi
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…
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Warrior Monks – The Knights Templar
The Knights Templar have captured my imagination ever since I can remember and I have spent numerous waking hours reading about them – some conspiracy theories, but some fascinating facts too. So, it is of little surprise, when I found out about the existence of a temple connected to the legendary warrior monks in the…
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All The King’s Horses And All The King’s Men
Today known as the home to the Crown Jewels of the British Monarchy – in particular, the world-famous Koh-i-noor, the Tower of London has a darker and bloodier past. Cutting across 12 acres, this castle houses the main White Tower with two concentric layers of defence walls surrounded by an outer moat. Designated as a…
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A Walk Down Thames
The mighty River Thames, that cuts across London is not only a prominent water feature of the city but also a cynosure of its art and culture. Take a walk down the Thames on the South Bank and you will find art installations and artists who all have a story to tell. Here I have…
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A Dash Of Blue
On a chilly, drizzly monsoon morning, taking a stroll along the Lily Pond at Lalbagh in Bangalore I chanced upon this magnificent creature – a Blue Waterhen – who was busy foraging for food and I was all but awestruck at its brilliant display of colours.
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Sights and Sounds of Notting Hill Carnival
A numb thumping sound catches my attention and I look towards my friend inquisitively, amused to see the same look on her face. We are seated in a fairly, packed evening commuter carriage of the Circle Line, having changed from Metropolitan at Baker Street, headed towards my apartment near Tower Hill. Just as the carriage…
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Cave Fit For A Sage: Vashishta Gufa
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…
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London: Music In The Air
Every nook and corner of London has one thing for certain – music. It flows in the city’s very fabric and blends seamlessly into its daily life. Be it the weekend markets or the commute via the networks of tube stations, you can be sure to come across some form of melody floating by. These…
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Stages of Life: Bhoganandeeshwara Temple
On the outskirts of Bangalore, sits a complex of shrines dating back to the early 9th century. This temple with its distinct Dravidian style of architecture is said to have been constructed by the Nolamba and Rashtrakuta dynasties. Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) classifies this complex dedicated to Lord Shiva as one of the oldest…
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Hampi – A Photoessay
Pictures don’t do justice to the magnificence that is this place and below are some images of Hampi that have captured my imagination forever. To know more about the place and some of the references in the images here, please see Echoes Of A Timeless Empire: Hampi.