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…

Lens – Artists Challenge #135: Glimpse into your world.

This week, I have the pleasure of guest-hosting it with the theme ‘A Glimpse into your world’. Show us the things you love that makes your world spin or things about your world that makes you delirious with joy.

Stockholm- Striped And Checked

Say Stockholm and I think of impossibly blue water and cerulean sky, a quietness in the very air that’s always crisp and fresh and an underground that is lit. Serene Stockholm packed in loads of surprises. I was in rapture from the moment my flight landed at the airport. Floored! The airport was a delightful…

Masked Emotions.

Recently I was called to school to update some records. You could say I was eager as my pet Sheru, featured in the header, to get out of the house. The school campus was deserted except for a few workers pottering about refusing to meet the eye. I suppose, after months of isolation and work…

Date with David

I was in Florence for David, the one carved by Michelangelo. Well, if like me, that's all what you think you would see, you are in for a massive surprise. Anyway, this post is all about my date with David at the Galleria dell’Accademia or the Accademia Gallery.

Travelling Into The Tuscan World

"A Chinese poet many centuries ago noticed that to re-create something in words is like being alive twice." -Frances Mayes, Under the Tuscan Sun Tuscany for me was Florence till I signed up for a day tour with lunch at a winery. I was truly excited! Out of the three places the tour promised, only…

Colours of Venetian Isles.

The constant Corona news doesn't let me forget Italy. I hold on to the memories of how I saw it last summer- breathtaking, bustling with life, impromptu street concerts, delicious food and wine to sign off each day. I remember evenings in Venice, shadowy inky gondolas bobbing on the dark blue Adriatic Sea, under the…

Vatican Cameo

I had a wish list of the things I had to see in Vatican. a) Sistine Chapel, specifically The creation of Adam by Michelangelo. b) The Swiss guards in their colourful pantaloons supposedly designed by Michelangelo. By the way, he didn’t! c) Bramante Staircase or the double helix spiral staircase. d) Michelangelo's Pieta. Everything else…