Most Indians of my (Ambika) generation have grown up with stories of the British rule, the valour of many fallen Indians, the freedom struggle and ultimate independence. For those like me, whose grandparents were intimately involved in the struggle and subsequent making of the country, the stories were more personal. My maternal grandfather, grew up…
Category: Travel
6 Diverse Vistas Around India You Can’t Miss
Explore these six stunning but different sights around India to get a sense of just how much beauty this country has on offer.
The Dance of the Fireflies
About 4 hours from Bombay is a lovely little village that sits by the Pravara River, around 780 m above sea level. The region is a cornucopia of natural beauty, with several waterfalls, deep valleys, scenic vistas, and a lake surrounded by towering ridges and peaks of the Western Ghats. The village and surrounding valley…
A Glimpse into the history of Lucknow
As kids who grew up in India, we were taught about the importance of Lucknow during the struggle for independence. It was during the revolt of 1857, India’s first big war of independence, that Lucknow won a prominent place in the history books. As one grew older, many perhaps forgot about this fact, who really remembers…
Travelling India in 2S
Some of my earliest memories of travel involve my parents, me and two or three massively stuffed suitcases piled into an unreserved compartment of the Saurashtra express. It was the annual summer vacation to my grandmothers ancestral home amidst the Chikoo and Mango orchards, in the sleepy seaside town of Gholvad, on the Gujarat border. In…
Six Great Hacks for Travel in India
Check out these great travel hacks to save money on the road and see the country on a budget !
Of Nawabs, Shabab and Lucknowi Kebabs!
Why Lucknow should be on the top of every foodie’s travel list!
Agra, Beyond the Taj
Any mention of Agra conjures up the famous Taj Mahal, and perhaps as an after thought, the impressive Red Fort where the Emperor who commissioned the Taj was imprisoned. The usual tourist jaunt and tour bus to Agra includes a visit to the Taj, the Red Fort and sometimes perhaps Fatehpur Sikri with the imposing…
You haven’t seen Holi, until you’ve seen the Lathmar Holi of Barsana and Nandgaon!
Lathmar is a unique Holi celebration, where enacting an age old tradition, the women of Barsana in UP repel advances from the Nandgaon’s men using sticks.
India’s City of Love
Agra is also a city where you can see the Taj from many angles, reinforcing one man’s deep love and devotion to his favourite wife of 3 decades. Whether you sit in the famous Mehtab garden across the river, or take a boat ride and view the mausoleum in the soft orange light of the setting sun, the monument of love glows, commanding your complete attention.
A Glimpse into Tribal Orissa
Travel around India, to the extent that we are attempting to do, is incomplete without an opportunity to interact with the myriad indigenous populations of the country, be it in Ladakh, the Andaman Islands, all over the North East or for that matter in the interiors of any of India’s 28 states. Recently on the eastern leg of…
Gujarat’s Islamic roots
Gujarat, a state rooted in Hindu and Jain mythology and religious history, is home to some of the early forms of Islamic Architecture in India. Like other regions in India, it completely transcends the modern concept of a ‘state,’ reinforcing, once again, that this country is an amazing confluence of cultures and religions. Several buildings…