Month: March 2014

culture, india, travel

walking the streets of kochi – the street art

graffiti that always catches my attention and keeps me revetted. i don’t know if this happens to you, but once i see one piece of graffiti or street art in a city, i start searching all the walls almost frantically. because if there is one piece, there are always more! i scanned the walls as i made my way from rome to venice years ago, i searched the walls to find graffiti in varanasi, visited … Continue reading walking the streets of kochi – the street art

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royapuram station
culture, india, travel

6 things YOU didn’t know about Chennai & Madras

i have to admit it, i cannot lie. i visited chennai every summer when i was in school and recently lived there for two whole years but i didn’t know all these things about chennai. when i visited last week, i decided to act like a tourist and comb the streets for facts, fiction and stories that quenched my thirst. and wow, what a find! i dare you, … Continue reading 6 things YOU didn’t know about Chennai & Madras

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india, photography, travel

6 water bodies with an unusual tale

my article: “6 water bodies with a story to tell” is now up at The Alternative. this piece talks about crocodiles, 17th c rain water harvesting and a bubbling tank – amongst other things! let me know other water bodies with crazy stories that you have come across while traveling or in your city. pasting the link and text below. 6 Water Bodies in India with … Continue reading 6 water bodies with an unusual tale

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india, photography, travel

amritsar and her golden temple

let me begin by saying that i am a confused atheist. my parents never really took us to temples; no childhood memories of peeping over those bars for the ‘darshanam of shiva’. my mother prayed fervently till i was around 14 – she bribed god, begged god, gave up chocolate in exchange for better marks in exams for her kids… you know the stuff. and … Continue reading amritsar and her golden temple

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culture, india

chennai “rediscovered” (coming up soon)

i’m off to chennai… the land of my forefathers and the land of my parents. i never grew up there but in pune. i recently read degree coffee by the yard and you might have read my review here. it got me thinking that i didn’t know the history of chennai. so while this trip is a family reunion, it is also about me rediscovering, … Continue reading chennai “rediscovered” (coming up soon)

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india, nature, travel

varanasi by the ganga: a sketch

it was the first night at varanasi. as i decided to venture into the dark  & dingy ganga-fuji restaurant. the owner waxed eloquent about his food and chatted about tourists, varanasi and everything by the river. the food turned out to be decent though not as brilliant as he promised it would be. he was warm and chatty and made the experience interesting. what i liked … Continue reading varanasi by the ganga: a sketch

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india, nature, people, travel

why i LOVE to HATE varanasi

I love Varanasi. And at the same time, I hate Varanasi! Read no further, if you cannot understand this emotion… if you think you feel the same, continue.  Varanasi startles each of my senses every time I visit… and it always takes a little time getting used to the city. From the loud, incessant horns and the clanging temple bells to the dung-lined lanes with … Continue reading why i LOVE to HATE varanasi

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merrytoREAD

book review: island of a thousand mirrors

Island of a Thousand Mirrors by Nayomi Munaweera is erotic and sensual. It is not a story of lust, but it is a story of human emotions and turbulence. It is erotic in its descriptions, it is sensual in the nakedness with which it bares the protagonist’s soul. It is contained in its depiction of a war-struck Sri Lanka; the country and it’s turmoil is neither … Continue reading book review: island of a thousand mirrors

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culture, india, travel

five best places to celebrate holi

First published on the AudioCompass Blog, written by moi 🙂 This is the link to the piece there: Five Best Places to Celebrate Holi Holi, the wildest Hindu Festival is loud, chaotic, lively and colourful. And, of course, you want to celebrate it. This festival is not celebrated in the South of India, so we focus our lens to the cities and towns in the rest … Continue reading five best places to celebrate holi

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