AnniHILLation

This is not the usual travel piece. It points out the ongoing mindless destruction of the Himalayan hills many city-dwellers love The hills are alive with the sound of destruction/With songs, they have sung being cut for wider roads/The hills fill my heart with the bleakness of development/My heart wants to turn and go home. […]

Pulsating Paharganj

Narrow alleys, crammed shops, horns and bullock carts, a walk in the bustling area is a baffling experience but this is what colonials and foreigners find so exotic Screaming rickshaw wallahs, the din of horns and grey sky greet me as I cross the road in front of New Delhi Railway Station to find myself […]

Our Metro, their Metro

DMRC can draw upon the experience of European public transport systems to serve commuters better. Our network is much cheaper but last mile connectivity is still a problem Recently there was a report by Centre for Science and Environment that Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) is the second most-unaffordable metro system when it comes to […]

Bastion of Dutch Ceylon

Over the years, the Dutch Hospital in Colombo has come to have several purposeful roles while retaining its colonial charm In the early 17th century, Sri Lanka was ruled partly by the Portuguese and partly by the indigenous kingdoms. To rid the land of overbearing Portuguese rule, the King of Kandy called on the Dutch […]

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 […]