Ganga Aarti at Triveni Ghat Rishikesh

I took a private bus from Delhi that took me through Muzaffarnagar, Roorkee and finally to Haridwar. The wheat fields were golden brown as they swayed in the summer wind. A...

Betel Leaf or Paan Stuffing and Beedi

We had reached Keri a village in Ponda, Goa. A wooden bridge over a marshland took me to the other side. I watched the birds chirping and diving into the marshes for their catch. As...

Sunrise at Halebid

An edited version of this article was published in The Hindu on 28th March’15 I waited outside the premises of the Hoysaleshwar Temple that had long stood the test of times....

Kaup Beach

I had reached South Kanara or Dakshin Kannada which was part of the erstwhile Madras Presidency. Mangaluru or Mangalore was earlier called Mangalapuram after the presiding deity of the city Mangaladevi....

Gudi padwa

Gudi Padwa is the first day in a Maharashtrian calendar in the month of Chaitra Shuddha Pratipada. It is the New Year for the Maharashtrians and they do sure celebrate it with...

Solo Travel

In my recent long distance travels whilst returning home by train the gentleman next seat asked me what took me to Kannur? “I was keen to explore Kannur”, I responded. He...

Tawang Market

I love to visit markets whenever I visit any new place. It gives a great insight to the produce of the region, local food and the culture of the region. The...

Mimisal Fish Market

I was in the arid land of Chettinad when I decided to explore the coastal area around Karakudi. Thanks to the folks at The Bangala they drove me down to Mimisal 43...

Park in Prashanti Lodge

APPROACH & ACCOMODATION The Prashanti Lodge is based in Bhalukpong town towards the Assam state. I stayed in this hotel when I was returning from Arunachal Pradesh. This town lies in both...

Chettinad Lunch at The Bangala

During my visit to the land of Chettiars – Chettinad I stayed at The Bangala a heritage boutique resort for a week and scouted all around the villages of Karaikudi. During my...

A Chettinad House

An edited version of this article was published in the February’15 issue of  Travel + Leisure India and Southasia magazine as Chettinad’s treasure chest   A beautiful Kolam (Rangoli) welcomed the visitors...

Sunset in Arabian Sea

An edited version of this article was published in the Feb’15 Vistara in-flight magazine. The waves lapped at my feet as the golden disc slipped down the horizon. The sky was...

Sela Pass in Arunachal Pradesh

The butterfly counts not months but moments, and has time enough goes a popular quote by Rabindranath Tagore. When you are in the company of nature nothing beats those moments of...

Sangetsar Lake

Sangetsar Lake is considered very pious by the Buddhist Lamas in Arunachal Pradesh. A lake that was said to have been formed due to the post effect of an earthquake has...

Arunachal Pradesh

When I received the gift voucher of 30,000 INR from makemytrip.com I wondered which destination in India should I travel to? The customer executive from Makemytrip suggested the touristy kind of...