Chambal Valley – Protected by Infamy, Curses and Crimes The Chambal Valley is a cursed land as per mythology. It boasts of a barren and ravaged landscape, ravines, gorges and jungles. Bandits and dacoits. Outlaws and lawlessness. The setting for many iconic movies and the backdrop for many legendary Indian Robin Hoods… It remains pristine and untouched...
Malana, The Magic - Of ancient Sages, Myths, Alexander and Malana Cream. This is a strange story and a real place. It involves ancient sages, kings, mythology, legends, history and drugs. To understand this, you have to get to know the ancient sage, Jamadagni, and a bit of Hindu mythology. Let me start with ancient times...
Quarantine Queues This is a ramble about the Quarantine. And the self. Why Queues, you ask? No reason, I say. Of course, the Quarantine has Queues – in front of the provision shops, transport hubs, liquor vends, etc. Hence, Quarantine Queues. There is no other connect that this blog has with queues. Actually, I used the word...
Sidi Saiyyed Mosque, Tree of Life, IIM Ahmedabad and the medieval Afro-Indian connect. What, you may ask, are these three doing together. A place of worship, a tree, a business school and medieval Afro-Indian connect... There is a link, I assure you. Read on… The Sidi Saiyyed Mosque is in the city of Ahmedabad in Gujarat, India....
Trichinopoly Cigar, the one that Churchill loved and Sherlock Holmes used was from a town in British India that lent its name to it - Trichy What was it that Winston Churchill, Sherlock Holmes and the average Balaji in South India loved? The Trichie or Tritchie. The Trichinopoly Cigar which is a type of cheroot that...
History of the famous Dance of the Seven Veils, its link to the origin of striptease and how it is similar to Travel experiences I have always felt travel is a bit of a strip-tease like the famous proverbial Dance of the Seven Veils. Most times that I travel to a place, I find some facet...
A look at the Parsi Tower of Silence, the ritual of Sky Burial, the legends and rationale behind it and the link to the Birds of Prey. Sky burial is the practice of ritualistically leaving the dead as food for the birds of prey and Mother Nature. Sounds gruesome doesn’t it? There must be some rationale...
The KudaKkallu are ancient umbrella shaped burial sites in Kerala Kerala is located in the southern part of India. Stunning natural beauty, beaches and a very relaxed way of life typify this land. For this reason, it has become a staple for tourists visiting South India. Many other things make it a much-visited place. For instance,...
Fatehpur Sikri, is a beautiful, historical town near Agra. It has unfortunately been overshadowed unjustly by its more famous neighbor, the Taj Mahal. On my maiden visit to see the Taj Mahal in Agra, I was quite unimpressed with it. Strange? Maybe, but true. Don’t get me wrong – it is indeed beautiful and awe-inspiring. But...
Easter traditions across the world Easter traditions are similar yet different in various parts of the world. From simple painting of eggs and Easter Parades to the sumptuous Easter meal and lots of chocolate. There is the Smigus-Dyngus (Easter Monday) in Poland when the entire country becomes a huge ground for water fights on the streets…...
