Dodging monkeys, listening to birdsong, the drive from Nainital to KunjAkharak, through the Naina Devi Himalayan Bird Conservation Reserve, is a planet lover’s delight “Come here,” says Harinder Singh Bisht, my guide and guard with the Vinayak Forest Rest House. Precariously, he stands at the edge of the mountain, pointing out the villages in the […]

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In the sleepy Himachal village of Garli, time comes to a standstill. Part of the heritage zone, it is home to architectural marvels where tales are lost in rubble There is magic in the morning air. It isn’t raining anymore but the dark clouds are floating. The snow-capped Dhauladhar range shines in the distance. A […]

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A walk with Rana Safvi in the Walled City brought to life the battles of Delhi’s first female Islamic ruler Sultan Raziya. And along the way emerged more treasures   No ornamentation, no decoration—it could have been a mound of carefully placed stones, anything except the tomb of a ruler. The only female Islamic ruler […]

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With holidays around the corner, here are five places close to Delhi that make you forget the madding crowd 1. Mangar Bani & Sohna On the Gurugram-Faridabad highway there is an ancient grove called Mangar Bani. Guarded zealously by the local Gujjar community, this is said to be the last sacred grove in the Aravallis. […]

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Smiling faces, apple orchards, Bhima’s rock stove, high-altitude hockey turf–the hill town of Mashobra melts hearts and lifts spirits I was in paradise. No horns, no rush, just bright flowers and rolling green mountains. The sweet fragrance of fresh air urged me to keep my balcony door open, but “There are monkeys around and they […]

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