Sariska & Alwar : Unsung Historical Delights

It was a cold January morning and I was on an assignment to unearth the seen and not so seen attractions around Sariska and Alwar. By the end of the trip, I couldn’t help but wonder how come this region retains its offbeat charm despite being so close to Delhi?! And I couldn’t help but…

Cherry Blossoms in Nagaland, India

After a lucky ride to get to Pfutsero in Phek district (what? where’s that!) of Nagaland, and sleeping soundly in the tourist home, we were roaming around town. I’d spotted a nice green valley and we were all keen on just walking around and knowing more about life in rural Nagaland. Then someone threw the…

Heritage Walk : Churches of Old Goa

I was no stranger to Goa; having studied college in Pune and Bombay. On one of those trips, it was a pleasant surprise to come across some old churches around Panjim (Panaji). I was instantly reminded of the Portuguese history of Old Goa and waited for a opportune chance to explore the Churches on a…

Wanderings in Lahaul : Trilokinath Temple

It was turning out to be an epic trip of sorts. On this sojourn, I had entered Pangi Valley across Saach Pass and after exploring this forbidden region had reached Udaipur in Pattan Valley (Lahaul). In more unforgettable adventures, I had totally fallen for Miyar Valley and after missing the only bus of the day;…

Slow Travel in Kausani, Uttarakhand

It was the epic year of 2015 and I was still without a permanent home. I’d started exploring Kumaon in the summer beginning my journey from Nainital and was slow travelling in this region as far as Munsyari. I had no fixed plan and reached Kausani after coming back from the Milam Glacier Trek. Kausani…

Chasing Tranquility in Majuli island

I figured that it was quite easy to reach Majuli island from Guwahati and reached Khanapara early in the morning. The locals pointed me towards shared transport from Guwahati to Jorhat and I was pleasantly surprised to find a good seat which cost only 300 Rupees. The route from Guwahati was suggested as the easiest…

A Travel Guide to Pondicherry’s Attractions

Over the past few years of my travelling days, I had barely explored South India beyond the obvious and in 2017 I set about correcting it. It was the last week of September and I arrived at Chennai airport at the stroke of noon. I wanted to head straight to Pondicherry from the airport itself….

A Quick Travel Guide to ‘Pink City’ in Jaipur

Rajasthan’s capital, Jaipur is no stranger to tourists. It is most preferred destination on the popular Golden Triangle Circuit (Delhi-Jaipur-Agra). Jaipur has the distinction of being North India’s first planned city; but it was not always the burgeoning metropolis that it is quickly transforming into. Even in the present day, the original ‘walled city’ of…

Two Days in Udaipur – Most Popular Tourist Attractions

I had visited Udaipur for the first time as a teenage kid; when my grandfather insisted that we go to his daughter’s home. My memories of that trip are of a tasty meal (which surprisingly included karela vegetable) that we had in the train. I remember my elder cousin took me around Udaipur on a…

Chamba, Himachal Pradesh : Experiences & Places to Visit

We had changed buses at Chamba bus stand on our way to Khajjiar because the road to Dalhousie was snowed out. Chamba seemed like a crowded place, but then all important bus stations are full of people. I had faint memories of Chamba, having explored it almost two decades ago on a roadtrip with my…

Wisdom of Tradition : Food in Indian Baltistan

As a region, Baltistan refers to the area after the end of Nubra Valley in Ladakh. Before the partition of undivided India in 1947, Baltistan was a part of Ladakh. Presently, most of the region comprising Baltistan comes under Pakistan occupied Kashmir (PoK) and only a small part of Baltistan lies in India. Baltistan was once…

Life in Malana, In Photos

With centuries of history behind it, Malana certainly seemed intriguing. The initial look of the village hadn’t been inspiring at all, every home looked to be built in concrete and it felt like a dirty village. I have documented these experiences and more in Winds of change in Malana. I was quite keen on attending Malana…