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Ladakh - Planning The Trip

Over 2000 Km by road, in around 10 days. Stunning landscapes, wonderful people. That sums up our Ladakh trip. But how did it actually work? How did we make it happen? Read on to find out!  Leh, the capital of Ladakh , is accessible by air and road. Flying into Leh is the easiest, and time-saving option, while the road is the time consuming one, but with the added advantage of driving past some of the most beautiful landscapes in our country. Each option has much to recommend it, and we chose the road for just one reason – altitude sickness. Altitude sickness was one of my biggest concerns, since I suffer from motion-sickness. Yes, I do travel a lot, but that is despite my condition, and, over the years, have learnt how to handle it. I struggled with it when we visited Nathu-La in Sikkim, and wondered if I would be able to manage a week at the even higher altitudes that we would encounter in Ladakh. This was the reason we stuck to a basic plan, of only 9 days in Ladakh, thoug...

Book Review: Rough Passage to the Bodhi Tree, by Shiv K. Kumar

The story of the Buddha normally begins with the story of his birth… sometimes even before, with the omens which heralded the birth of a great soul. Shiv K. Kumar, however begins his story of the Buddha with Siddhartha choosing to participate in an open competition to win the hand of the princess Yashodhara. In doing so, he makes it quite clear that he wants us to see Siddhartha, not just as  someone destined for greatness, to forget for a moment that we already know of his journey to enlightenment, and see him as a human, confused by what he sees around him, yet not hesitating to do what he thinks is right. 

A Halloween Walk with the Travel-Loggers

Walking down from Sewri Railway station, we were met with blank stares when we asked for directions to the Christian Cemetery. It was only when we asked for ‘ Church ka bada Kabrastan ’, that a few people nodded and showed us the way. If they were surprised that a woman and a child were asking directions to the cemetery late in the evening, they didn’t show it! Anyways, what were we doing, going to a cemetery so late? We were heading there to meet our fellow Travel-loggers and set out on a Halloween themed walk, starting at the cemetery.

Jog Falls - A Foaming Curtain of White

A white curtain covered the entire landscape. There was no trace of the green which was so evident all the way up the mountains, and the fog was so thick that even the person standing next to me seemed to blur. And then, as if on some hidden cue, the cloud curtain parted…… and brought this into view…. The Jog Falls!

Koti Teertha, Gokarna

Koti Teertha - the name literally means - a thousand springs. 

Skywatch Friday - Sunset at Gokarna

Gokarna lies on the West Coast of India. Which means, we should have a good view of the sunset from anywhere. As it turns out, that is not true, thanks to the mountains and hillocks which cut off our view of the sun at different angles. To see a good sunset, you need to be at the right place, at the right time. Strictly speaking, we weren't. We missed the sun actually going down, since the monsoon clouds put a premature end to the spectacle, but what we did see was a beautiful play of light....

Book Review: Kaurava by Krishna Udayasankar

What makes a book good? Is it the story? Is it the author? Is it the language, the usage of words? Most of us will agree that it is a combination of the three that makes a book what it is. When the story is one you know well, you expect the retelling to be brilliant, which puts the onus on the author. Krishna Udayasankar’s Aryavarta Chronicles series, as we know by now (or at least those of us who have read the first – Govinda – know) is her rendition of the Mahabharata. When I began reading ‘ Govinda’ , I wondered how she would treat a much retold story, and if you have read my review , you would know that she succeeded in surprising me. Image Courtesy:  http://govindashauri.blogspot.in

Faces in the Crowd - The perfume man

At most temples, we only see vendors selling items for the Lord. At the Govind Dev ji Temple in Jaipur, this lone man sat by a pillar, adding a touch of fragrance... He happily obliged with his wares to whoever wanted to try them out, neither calling out nor encouraging them, selling to only those who asked him for some. Most people regarded him as just one of the other priests, and his perfume, another blessing of the Lord, so maybe it was so. In a time when even priests are pushy and adept salesmen, this man stood out for his silence, which is what made me click him.