Ismail

Smaller towns that have ruins and monuments spread around usually have a plethora of auto drivers willing to take you around for a small fee. Settling on this fee involves typical Indian style of negotiation, with you and the auto driver smiling and laughing, with some small talk thrown around, till a price is decided….

Storytelling in Stone

Whatever your religious leaning, if any at all even, a visit to these two towns is not the run of the mill ‘temple’ visit. It is journey to time long past and the chance to experience and appreciate what some would consider to be amongst the greatest artistic achievement in South India.

The Forgotten Chettiars…

But the red dust and eerie silence is quietly watched over by some of the largest, most beautiful, stately mansions one has ever seen. They fill this village, and all the others in the region, reminiscent of a bygone era, when the rich and enterprising Chettiar community, financiers of the royals, lived like kings.

Of Sadhus and Sins

One of the largest religious gatherings in the world, the Kumbh Mela is also the largest outdoor party for Sadhus or Hindu priests. Held every three years in 4 different locations across Northern India, the Kumbh is the Hindu version of Sunday confession. Every three years people gather, from all across the world, to pay…

Ramzan in the City of the Nizams

Festivals in India are celebrated with great gusto, for as a people we do not believe in moderation when it comes to the veneration of any of our religions. Combine this passion with narrow bylanes, wares that sell at less than half price, women bargaining at a volume that competes with the call for prayer…