My last visit to Varanasi was nearly 10 years ago and it was so brief that I barely had time to dig into syrupy jalebis and crispy kachoris. This time, I had told myself that it would be a foodie…
Temple Town Bishnupur ~ Stone & Terracota Marvels
I grew up in Kolkata during my school and college years but sadly did not get to see much of Bengal then. I made a day trip to Kalna sometime back and was planning a trip to Bishnupur which finally…
Stepping into 2019; with Hope
Happy New Year 2019 to everyone reading this piece. I am writing after several months ; most of this time was spent in self introspection, travel and reading. I stepped into 2019 with hope thanks to a teenager who I…
Deoriatal and Chopta Chandrashila Trek
Sometime in February; when the winter sun was blazing down in Bangalore; I was yearning for the mountains. I toyed between a quick drive to the Nilgiris, a couple of hours away or make way to the Himalayas for a…
Why Cellular Jail in India is more than a National Memorial
I was born in post Independent India and grew up in the 80’s of Kolkata. Storytelling afternoons with a dadu (grand uncle) who lived with us were nearly always about Indian Independence. In between the stories of his childhood that…
The Unmissable 20 Kolkata Durga Pujas in 2017
Durga Puja has evolved over the decades from being an annual religious festival to one of art and culture. This year too, I traveled across Kolkata, pandal hopping from one corner to another experiencing the grandeur of Durga Puja. I…
Visit to Jallianwala Bagh is a connection to India’s Independence
I have visited two very important places this year intimately connected to Indian Independence; the cellular jail in Port Blair and the Jallianwala Bagh in Amritsar. Needless to say both left me with a deep sense of grief laced with…
10 Must Do’s on a Rishikesh Trip
I first visited Rishikesh as a 6 year old and have vague memories of playing by a river throwing stones and crossing a narrow hanging bridge in measured steps. Whenever I browsed through those black and white photographs in the family…
Journey to Badrinath along Alaknanda River and the Pancha Prayag
The journey from Haridwar to Badrinath and Mana is one of the best mountain drives in India. This 320 kms stretch of winding mountain road which is NH58 traces the journey of Alaknanda River for nearly 200 kms until its confluence…
Photo Story of Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh
After about a week of traveling in the Himalayas we reached Rishikesh. We had missed the Ganga Aarti in Haridwar on our way up and we wanted to witness the Ganga Aarti in Rishikesh. In Rishikesh it is conducted in…