From Dusk To Dawn

The Festival of Lights, Diwali 2021. India is a place where colour is doubly bright. Pinks that scald your eyes, blues you could drown in. Kiran Milwood Hargrove Circles in the sand A colour wheel that spins like crazy. Orange crush Festive decorations become a time machine. Everglow Hand painted aipan mark Goddess Lakshmi’s entry.…

It’s All About The Light And The Way A Gurkha Fights.

"If a man says he is not afraid of dying, he is either lying or a Gurkha."-Field Marshal Sam Manekshaw A legendary statement made by a legendary man. I had my light bulb moment when I first heard of the Battle of Nalapani. It was fought between the Gurkhas and the British right here in…

Memories Of The Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Have you ever been to a place, saw the things you knew were there, then have your mind completely blown away by something you see unexpectedly? “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown." Anthony Bourdain Perhaps Anthony Bourdain knew best. I was in Shri Harminder Sahib, aka the Golden Temple in…

Spots And Dots Of A Kumaoni Pichora

The last time we wore our ‘Kumaoni pichora’, or 'leopard spotted stoles' as my youngest insisted on calling, was for my cousin’s wedding two years ago. I took this picture of my mother around that time. She was among the few ladies who glowed in her distinctive Kumaoni nose ring. Draped on her was the…

Make A Wish At The Aeroplane Gurudwara in Punjab, India

So what connects a miniature airplane to a gurudwara (a place of worship for the Sikhs) in Jalandhar ? This particular gurudwara goes by the name of Shaheed Baba Nihal Singh Gurudwara except it is also referred to as the ‘Hawai Jahaz (aeroplane) Gurudwara’. Intriguing, right? A bit of online research and ...voila! So there…

Story Of my Spirited Hike To The Daultabad Fort.

A fort on a steep plateau like hill was the Daulatabad Fort in Aurangabad. Other than a faint outline, not much was visible from a distance. The fort sang its siren song and I was spellbound. I had a sudden urge to walk its highest ramparts. Climbing up to the fort was not easy even…

Unlocking The Secrets of These Everyday Objects

I had spied the lock at a Handicraft Fair. It was solid, heavy and had gorgeous pattern in silver all over. Best of all, it had three keys strung on a thread alongside. Lock & Keys! "Three? Perfect for our family. Everyone gets a key." "Actually, you need all three keys to open that one…

Unlocking The Secrets of These Everyday Objects

I had spied the lock at a Handicraft Fair. It was solid, heavy and had gorgeous pattern in silver all over. Best of all, it had three keys strung on a thread alongside. Lock & Keys! "Three? Perfect for our family. Everyone gets a key." "Actually, you need all three keys to open that one…

FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) At Ajanta Caves!

Google Aurangabad and Ajanta Caves comes up as a must visit spot, every time! Incidentally the caves are around 110 kilometres from Aurangabad with absolutely no other historic or cultural site to see along the way. I almost missed it but the pressure of FOMO (Fear Of Missing Out) was tremendous! Anyway Bunker, our talkative…

Sunday Walk Through Paltan Bazaar, Dehradun.

Things I tell myself the night before Sunday walk: a) Be resolute, be strong. Be ready to abandon bed-blanket on a Sunday morn. Sigh! b) Be on time to hit the trail. Set the alarm for 5.45 and 6.00 am. Another one for 6.15. Then RUN! c) Carry the essentials. Excitement , wonder, curiosity, and…