Chhatris or Cenotaphs of Orchha, Madhya Pradesh
Quite some time back, I was in Orchha Madhya Pradesh, capital of erstwhile Bundelkhand kingdom. Bundelkhand was kind of etched in my memory because of a poem from my high school text book. “Bundele har bolon ke munh hamne suni kahani thi, Khoob Ladi Mardani woh to Jhaansi waali Rani thi”. This means I have...
India Travel – Beyond the regular Tour and Travel Packages
India Travel – Beyond the regular tour and travel packages
There is an India beyond the Golden Triangle of Delhi-Taj Mahal-Jaipur and possibly, Goa. Travel to India must include at least some if not all these places that are less-known but manna for the experiential traveler. This is not to say that one should not visit the...
Indian Culture – of Oneness with many Facets
Once I met an Israeli tourist in Laos. He had been to India a dozen times. He made a statement which has stayed with me forever. “When you visit any country you can see temples which are a couple of hundred years old. But when you are in India, you can sit next to the...
Bhangarh Fort in Rajasthan, India – Haunted and Hauntingly beautiful
Bhangarh Fort – history, royalty, wars, a one-sided love story, black magic and GHOSTS
Bhangarh fort! Let me tell you a story about it - a fairy-tale with a twist. This is a story of a beautiful princess. She lived in a majestic fort on a hill in Rajasthan. A poor magician nearby fell in love...
Assam from Mythology to Neo Vaishnavism of Srimanta Sankardeva
Assam's cultural landscape can be looked at as pre and post Srimanta Sankardeva. In the ancient time, Assam was a country known as Pragjyotishpur. The name is mentioned in the Indian Epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. The literal meaning of this word is “astrology of the east” or “jewel of the east”. However, in the medieval period...
Travel Musings – Being Shiva – Create with love, Abandon without a care
Travel musings
Solo travel has a great way of clearing the mind. It allows one to think and delve into the self in relative anonymity. Paradoxically, the constant movement of travel induces a strange stillness of the mind - Samatha and hence Vipassana, as the Buddhists would have it... These are some of my travel musings...
Baobab: the “tree of life” is slowly dying
The exquisite silhouettes of baobab trees at sunset is a popular postcard for anyone who has been (or aspires to travel) to Madagascar or Southern Africa. This popularity of the Avenue of the Baobabs in Madagascar has brought some recognition to this grand but beleaguered species. In addition, various popular movies...
Chambal Valley – Protected by Infamy, Curses and Crimes
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...
Isalo National Park – arid ‘Wild-west’ landscapes, Lush gorges & ‘Paradise’ pools
Few tourists visit the not so well known Isalo National Park in South Central Madagascar. The emblematic attractions of Madagascar i.e. the lemurs are present here but not as much in number as the more popular parks like Ranomafana or Andasibe. In addition, the relatively long time taken to travel here makes it less appealing! However,...