Barefoot at Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir
The first thing I felt at Baba Harbhajan Singh Mandir was not devotion, but cold. It had snowed there a few days earlier, and ice was melting slowly all around. We left our shoes at the designated…
A prayer for peace in paradise
On day two of our Kashmir trip, I got into an argument with our driver, Javaid. He said that we would start from Srinagar for Pahalgam the next day at 10 am. Now, both Subodh and I…
Savouring Kashmiri hospitality
We are sailing on a brightly painted shikara on Nigeen lake in Srinagar in Kashmir. We have unexpectedly landed in Srinagar on the day of Eid. Our plans were to travel further north, but those have been…
Savouring Tamilnadu’s healthy claypot cooking
I am a firm believer in exploring new cuisines and learning more about the flavours of the places I visit. I happened to be in Thanjavur in Tamilnadu, where we, a gang of girls who studied together…
The intriguing tale of Begum Samru and her haveli
How did an impoverished fourteen-year-old girl in a brothel go on to reign over a wealthy Indian kingdom for more than five decades, during a phase when the mightiest of empires crumbled? It is a story that…
Naughara: A hidden gem in the alleys of Chandni Chowk
Chandni Chowk is Delhi’s most bustling market place. But early on a Sunday morning, immediately after the lockdown, it seems deserted and quiet. Most shops are shut and an ugly knot of criss-crossing electric wires seem to…
Travel in the times of corona
I am flying anywhere after precisely fourteen months. And it feels awkward and unfamiliar to be carrying a negative RT-PCR report with the boarding pass. In the departure lounge, alternate seats have yellow stickers saying “Do not…
The making of the Mahatma
Lorraine, our guide for the morning, takes us through the cold rooms. We are at the Old Fort in Johannesburg, the site of the notorious prison where people who resisted the policy of apartheid used to be…
An uplifting ride to remember
It was dark when I woke up. It was 3 a.m. I had not packed woollens for my Australia trip. The temperatures in Darwin were warm, and so far Cairns had been quite alright in the evenings.…
The amazing Great Barrier Reef: Our first scuba diving experience
As a child, I would look forward to Sunday mornings when Jacques Costeau, the French oceanographer and explorer would present “The Secrets of the Sea” on Doordarshan. I would be glued to our newly acquired colour television,…
