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…

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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…

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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…

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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.

Kirtan Das and the Art Village of Orissa

Something about his quiet demeanour stood out, his smile was humble, warm and inviting. His small home, dimly lit by a single naked bulb, was cluttered with rolls of canvas, painting materials and shelves full of curios.

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…

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The Sun Temple and the One that came before

Sun temples are fascinating in themselves. Most of them are built in alignment with the light of the sun, such that on specific days (usually the equinox) the rays from the sun create a straight line directly down the centre of the structure. This was true of the temples built by the ancient Pharaohs in Egypt as well as the Kings in the subcontinent, apart from elsewhere in the world. Added to this great feat of science thousands of years ago, is also the beauty and art that surround the temples. Keeping religion aside, sun temples are great places to visit to experience a wonderful coming together of science and art, especially at sunrise.

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…

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An unexpected tea stop

On the way we spotted a few men huddled by the side of road, on the outskirts of a tiny village, smoking and gossiping. This is not unusual in Gujarat or really anywhere in India. True to form, Hoshner squeezed the car on to the side of the road and jumped out to take a few photographs. Within seconds he was surrounded by people and it took me a minute to realise that all the village folk had materialised out of nowhere, wanting their picture taken.