The rainbow village

High in the mountains of Himachal Pradesh is the land of truth — Sarchi — where justice lies in the hands of the goddess Apple-laden trees all around, a full rainbow high up in the clouds, a green fantasy land in the mountains —aah! if only I could take this back home. Sarchi is a […]

Dreamscapes

When you see the many faces of Arunachal’s mountainous land in multiple shades of blue and green, you are awestruck by the surreal surroundings The curves become smaller and smaller as we approach Sela Pass, the highest pass in Arunachal Pradesh at 13,700 feet. The curvy mountain road is narrow and looking down is a […]

Colonial heritage

Call the present to a halt and explore Mussoorie as a journey to the historical period of British imperialists because there is much more to it than the magnificent mountains Does the road wind up-hill all the way? Yes, to the very end. — Christina Rossetti You reach Dehradun and if, perchance, you have read […]

Freedom trail

Amritsar is a good place to celebrate Independence Day. You can honour the heroic spirit of Jallianwala and watch the retreat ceremony at the Wagah border Wagah is where you can cross the border to Pakistan on foot. Here a retreat ceremony called lowering of the flags is held every single evening since 1959. Hundreds […]

An iconic museum

A trip to the Corbett Tiger Reserve brings alive the many shades of Jim Corbett’s life on his 143rd birthday A Britisher in India, an army man with a moustache, wearing a hat and shorts, with his feet resting on a slain tiger… “Would I call him a hero?”I wonder, standing before the painting of […]

Dasvidaniya Russia

Moscow’s red square street remained the world’s nerve centre as the curtain came down on the month-long tournament last week Moscow: Thousands thronged the iconic Red Square for one last time on Sunday night after the World Cup final to catch up with the activities that has kept the adrenalin flowing ever since the tournament […]

Poetry in stone

Mahabalipuram is an amazing open art gallery of rock-cut temples and magnificent sculptures, suggesting several sagas from Hindu mythology Remember reading about Mahabalipuram in school? This coastal town had an important seaport as far back in time as the first century. About 60 km from Chennai, on the Bay of Bengal coast, it is a […]

A stroll through history

There is history at every turn, an architectural gem in every corner. Nawabi Lucknow has an unmatchable charm The sun shone bright, it was starting to get hot. But that did not deter me from lacing my shoes, putting on my hat and sunglasses, picking up my water bottle, and stepping out on the streets […]