Small towns: Wannabe cities
As the taxi jolts its way through the traffic, I see the landscape change. I am travelling from the capital to Bareilly. Everything around me looks grey, although it is 11 in the morning. The smog-laden air…
Idhar khuda hai
I exit from the lift and look frantically for a place to sit. There is no seating arrangement in place. I refresh the NTES app on my phone. At least an hour more of waiting. I have…
Wardha East ke famous vade
There is a serene calm about small railway stations. My favourite railway station is Sewagram. It is always clean, never cramped with crowds and has that open spacious feel to it. I love to wait there and…
The glory of the Pantheon in Rome
One of the most celebrated architectural edifices you will encounter in historical centre of Rome is the ancient Roman temple- the Pantheon. The name of the building is derived from the Greek for ‘pan+theion” which literally means…
The Column of Marcus Aurelius
In Rome, as you take that mandatory walk around the historic centre, that most tourists do, you will find yourself in a shopping arcade which hosts the latest fashion brands. This is the Galleria Colonna, which is…
Hiuen Tsang and his pilgrimage of discovery
Indians traditionally have never been good at recording history. Knowledge was often transmitted through the oral tradition. Most of what we know about our ancient history comes from the writings of foreign travellers. Hiuen Tsang was one…
Passage through history: Heritage walk in Ahmedabad
We happened to be in Ahmedabad to attend the convocation ceremony of my niece Jyotsna at the Indian Institute of Management. Since we had an extra day in Ahmedabad, we were wondering how to spend it, and my…
Indian Railways and IST
My train is scheduled at the unearthly hour of 11.30 p.m. Stubborn officials who quote absurd rules of reimbursement demand that I travel to another city in this heat instead of getting on a train from a…
Piazza Navona: An ode to the genius of Gian Lorenzo Bernini
The final element- Water. If you are a Dan Brown fan, and if you’ve read Angels and Demons, you will surely recognize this place. This is the place where Robert Langdon finds the assassin trying to drown…
The glitz and glamour of Cannes
So Aishwarya Rai and Sonam Kapoor are making waves at Cannes? Never mind! We were on a Mediterranean cruise and spent a day in Cannes a week before the 2016 festival. Have a look at the real…
