HISTORY & CULTURE
It was the revelatory power of literature that first ignited my interest in history. Of giddying power and political intrigue. Of devastating destruction and undying romance. Of the successes and misfortunes of individuals and kingdoms long lost. Then, travel brought those stories alive in a way no school curriculum ever could, even with the most inspired of teachers.
My choice of destinations reflects my interest.
Ritual cleansing prior to worship, is an age old practice. The use of water to purify oneself, being obligatory in most world religions until today. Traditionally, this purification was done at a river, stream or seashore. As religions evolved, ablution fountains and Lavers started appearing in the outer courts of places of worship. The temple tank […]
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On a peninsula gently cradled in the palms of the Mekong and the Nam Khan rivers, sits the picturesque royal city of Luang Prabang. And crowning it, like the mythical jewel on the forehead of a Naga, is the Wat Xieng Thong. A confluence of rivers is sacred to Asian communities. And that is the reason this auspicious spot was […]
Read MoreWe arrived late. And in the race up to the night festival and back, we left with little or no impression of this historic market town, in the heart of the larger Takayama city. On our return the next morning, after a night at an Onsen nearby, its medieval charm and picturesque setting, took us completely by surprise! Presiding over […]
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No temple festival in India is complete without a procession of the temple chariot around town. Like the Rath Yatra of Lord Jagannath in Puri for example…..that incidentally gave the English language the word ‘Juggernaut’! Originating in the early 17th century, as thanksgiving for a good harvest, and to mark the onset of winter, the Takayama Hachiman […]
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I had assumed for some reason, that the word ‘Rickshaw’ was an Indian export to the English language. Much like Bandanna, Khaki, Pyjamas or even Cot! (R thought that was dumb, because “it is so patently Chinese” ) I was also under the impression that the hand pulled Rickshaws had been banned or discontinued around the […]
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Six concentric terraces surround a central circular ‘arena’ connected by a series of stone ‘steps’ fixed to the retaining walls in a radial pattern, mimicking the rays of the sun. Six more surround them in an elliptical shape and another eight stepped terraces at the perimeter, span a portion of the narrow end of the […]
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Nirvana refers to the ultimate unfettering of the mind from earthly bonds. A quietude of mind and body, a total connection and merging with one’s inner self, a release from all desire and suffering. Enlightenment. The spiritual journey of Siddhartha from crown prince to the “Enlightened One” is one of the most profound stories of transformation […]
Read MoreFor centuries people across the world have tried various means to divine what the future holds for them……pendulums, spirit boards, tarot cards, crystal gazing, palmistry or even from the pattern left by tea leaves or coffee dregs in the bottom of a cup! Heck, I have tried a few just for the fun of it. […]
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Chennai City – Background and photos of the adopted city I’ve been calling home for over two decades.
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Few conquests have been as devastatingly final as the annihilation of the legendary kingdom of the Incas. In under 40 years after their first encounter with Francisco Pizzaro in 1532, the Incas were history. Their gold looted, their religion wiped out and their architecture demolished. With the exception of Machu Picchu and a few other uninhabited […]
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There are some secret places on this earth that man has been forced to create, not to enjoy, but to be able to survive. To escape harsh elements, but mostly, as a refuge from tyranny and persecution. Because he was perceived to be different. Or just because he did not happen to pray to the ‘right’ […]
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Through all my rather obsessive planning for our trip to South America, and to R’s perverse glee, I somehow overlooked the fact that our dates coincided with the presidential elections in Argentina. I realised my blunder when the Buenos Aires soccer schedules were released and I couldn’t find a single match for the entire week […]
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The Urge To Wander 