Delhi to Bhopal: Museums and mosques
After having spent over a decade in Bengaluru, it was a reluctant move to Delhi. I was upbeat about leaving behind traffic-clogged roads but despondency crept in when I thought about Bengaluru as a perfect springboard to travel on the weekends. Chikmagalur, Coorg, Bandipur—the list is endless. Hoping that Delhi would be a similar jumping […]
Cheap Thrills: Copengahen on a budget
I had recently returned from a week in Kerala and got my hands on a copy of Tales of a Female Nomad. Immersed in the familiarity of travelling alone, I lived the book vicariously through the woman behind it — Rita Golden Gelman. I must admit, it was only the one time that a fan […]
In search of the ‘big five’
Bengaluru was just about recovering from a stifling summer. There had been a dribble of rain, but the city was already pockmarked with puddles. People took to social media to express their love for the rains—photographs of windowpanes dripping with water, with lyrical quotes to match. There’s no fun, however, in splashing one’s way through […]
A Hissterical Find
I’ve never embraced the love for food. I only appreciate it for its sustenance quotient, but rarely peg it high on my list of things to experience when travelling. But when one talks about Taiwan and its night markets doused in the smell of sesame oil, I am the first one to volunteer for a […]
The Willow World Of Sangam
A desperate yell erupted right after the crisp, cracking sound broke the misty silence of the village: “Catch, catch”! It was World Cup 2015 time and reluctant as I was, I found myself dragged into the excitement. On the edge of the highway at Sangam, 42 km south of Srinagar, a cricket game between local […]
Turning back the clock
Mohammed Iqbal and I balanced ourselves precariously on the wooden plank—each assigned to an edge. Him more confident than me, given that an old strip of wood wasn’t the best place to listen attentively to stories that were about to unfold. Right above my head, the clock made its presence felt with an unvarying “tick […]
Between Hills And Sea
Decidedly the most well-located metro for accessible weekend getaways, Bengaluru is a treat for those who drive. Silvery-grey highways take off in all directions, ferrying travellers to dense national parks, coffee-bush draped hills, breezy corniches and crumbling atmospheric temple towns. From a robust inventory of destinations that lie less than 400km away, I knew exactly […]
A Diwali In The Hills
Only the paws and wet black nose wedged in between gave away Pluto’s hideout under the couch. It was the Diwali weekend of 2013 and my flatmate’s young Labrador couldn’t comprehend the source of the catastrophic sounds that boomed from all directions. To watch him whine, fret and dig deeper into the quilt with her, […]
Bengaluru To Ramanagara: On The ‘Sholay’ Trail
“Thakur,” my colleague called out from across the cubicle. “Can you please send me the weekly report?” The thick shawl wrapped around my shoulders as protection from the air-conditioner’s draught perhaps made the nickname inevitable.
Delhi to Naggar: Mountain Lullaby
Daydreaming comes naturally as I sit on the terrace café of my hotel in Naggar, a small town in Himachal Pradesh that borders Manali. The morning light is perfect—I don’t have to squint to keep the sun out. I prop my feet up on a wooden bench and dig into a bowl of home-made crunchy […]
Bengaluru To Pollachi: Beating The Heat
Tamil Nadu? In this heat?” My mother questioned my seemingly ludicrous pick for a weekend break from Bengaluru in June last year. After all, April and May are the region’s hottest months, with June bringing a few relieving showers. The best time would have been from November-February. What I had held back—to surprise her later—was […]
Delhi To Jayalgarh: Skirting The Alaknanda
A rock track blaring on the music system, incessant grumbling for a cup of tea and a holler for a temple stop for good luck miraculously synthesized into a soothing hum once the entire family had wiggled into comfortable zones, both in the car and in their heads. It was a rare occasion—three generations of […]