Yesterday was a crazy day of hitchhiking that included visiting Saspol, Alchi, Likir, Basgo and finally reaching Leh to stay for the night. On the next leg of our journey we want to first head to Turtuk from Leh. Since this is winter time in Ladakh we don’t want to make too many fixed plans…
Category: Heritage
A Rendezvous with Bharmour, in Winter
We wake up at HPTDC’s Hotel Iravati in Chamba and decide to leave for Bharmour by an early morning bus. It is winter, we have celebrated Christmas the previous evening sipping wine over a bonfire in Chamba. The weather is already cold and promises to be much chillier in Bharmour. The distance from Chamba to…
The Pristine Village of Sharchi in Tirthan Valley
After spending a peaceful couple of days in a remote paradise close to Great Himalayan National Park (GHNP) in Sainj Valley and attending the Deori village festival, I along with a friend wanted to explore a Sharchi village (Pronounced Sharchi, although the post office denotes it as Sarchi) which had eluded me 2 times on…
Hitchhiking in Winter in Ladakh : Alchi, Likir, Basgo and Leh
It had been a cold and almost sleepless night at the Onpo House in Saspol. Inspite of the many warm blankets provided by the owners, the concrete walls of this annexe had allowed the cold to seep in. I had developed a slight fever overnight and the dim sunlight made matters worse in the morning….
A Day in Misty Kurseong
Initially I was keen on travelling to Kurseong via the DHR (Darjeeling Himalayan Railway) and had even booked a ticket for the journey from Darjeeling to Kurseong on the Red Panda Express that departed from Darjeeling at a reasonable time. The fare for the same was a meagre 50-60 Rupees and made me book the…
Basar Confluence – An Authentic Tribal Festival in Arunachal Pradesh
First the sad part – I was distraught at not having been able to make it for Basar Confluence or BasCon 3.0 in 2018. Especially after coordinating with Doni and discussing the logistics for the trip to Basar, continuing onward for Mechuka Adventure Festival and possibly to Namdapha National Park. Now for the Happy part…
Dukpa Tseshi Festival of Dokpas – The High Altitude Nomads of Sikkim
The air is thin as we drive farther away from Thangu on the popular road from Lachen to Gurudongmar Lake in North Sikkim. The journey from Delhi has already taken over two days. Time is irrelevant here; and it shouldn’t matter too; for we are documenting Dukpa Tseshi – festival of the Dokpa tribe that…
Old World Charm of Landour, with Rokeby Manor
On the circular path of Landour, a board hanging on a tree announces ‘If we liked noise we wouldn’t live here, if you like noise you shouldn’t be here.’ Immediately, an inexplicable rush of happiness courses through my veins. I’m no stranger to Landour; having spent multiple lazy vacations in this tiny fairytale town (if…
My Escapades in Bihar : Places to Visit in Patna
Like most Indians, I had grown up with a hackneyed old view of Bihar as a state of chaos, lawlessness and gross mismanagement. And my growing up years did nothing to change this view; even the Bihari labours at my family establishment were a funny lot but managing them reaffirmed my thoughts that Bihar must…
Offbeat Museums with Cultural Treasures across India
When I am travelling to an offbeat ; I always make it a point to check out if there’s a state museum around. Usually state museums are located in capital cities and they make the best places for an introduction to a state’s culture for travellers like me. Over the course of my journeys across…
Tribes of Nagaland – Hornbill Festival
As briefly mentioned in the earlier photo story; the Hornbill Festival near Kohima in Nagaland is a great place to have a glimpse of the different tribes of Nagaland in their traditional attire. Names of the various tribes of Nagaland are : Ao, Angami, Chakhesang, Chang, Kachari, Khiamniungan, Lotha, Konyak, Kuki, Phom, Rengma, Sangtam, Sumi, Pochury,…
Photo Stories from Hornbill Festival, Nagaland
I’d sipped a glass of delicious rice wine in someone’s home in Guwahati and had instantly made up my mind to go and attend Hornbill Festival. You see; the wine had been procured in Hornbill Festival near Kohima in Nagaland. That was the tipping point. I am rarely excited by the idea of bucket lists…