Kashmir – The People Of The Valley

17/06/2017.Reading time 5 minutes.

A gallery of people from the troubled valley. Just regular people like you and me.

In Photos – Faith & Optimism In Myanmar

28/01/2016.Reading time 2 minutes.

Faith: a belief based on trust. Optimism: an expectation of optimum outcome. Both illogical sentiments, each fuelling the other. Mine have consistently eroded over the years. But the faith and optimism we encountered throughout Myanmar, close on the heels of the show of solidarity during the recent deluge in my city, has left me feeling humbled. “Do you honestly […]

Faces Of Jodhpur

26/05/2015.Reading time 2 minutes.

One of my earliest posts on this blog dealt with my fascination for the ‘people of my places‘: “I find people amusing, fascinating, inspiring. When I travel I enjoy sitting in a cafe, looking out onto a busy street and observing random strangers going about their daily lives. It gives me a feel for their culture. A […]

The Colours Of Jodhpur

20/04/2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

The magnificent Mehrangarh fort perched 120 metres above the city, is justifiably the main attraction in Jodhpur. It is one of the largest and best preserved of Rajput citadels. And one of the better maintained as well, cared for as it is by the Mehrangarh Museum Trust under the aegis of Maharaja Gaj Singh himself. The interiors are impressive, the […]

Capturing Ephemeral Moments In Venice

29/03/2015.Reading time 1 minute.

Travel for me is all about the transient moments I encounter. Fleeting fragments of life that evoke mood and a sense of place. To be able to freeze those ephemeral stories, to ensure they endure long after their momentary enactment, is such a boon. Here are a few examples. All from Venice.In Torcello….Exiting a vaporetto….A selfie beneath the […]

The Masaai Of Tanzania

25/01/2015.Reading time 4 minutes.

Their appearance fit my every romantic notion. Tall, lithe, ebony bodies with elongated limbs, sheathed in bright colored fabric. Short cropped hair on perfectly rounded heads with stretched earlobes. Stunningly beautiful women, weighed down by intricate bead jewelry, who wouldn’t look out of place on the cover of Vogue. Their posture ramrod straight. Their gait almost insolent. But their weary eyes […]

Lessons in Humanity

13/09/2014.Reading time 3 minutes.

“Not all of us can do great things. But we can do small things with great love.” ~Mother Teresa “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.” “There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are many more dying for a little love. The […]

Venice – A Moment In Time

30/05/2014.Reading time less than 1 minute.

A fleeting moment in time, en route to a new beginning.

Calcutta Street Scenes

28/03/2014.Reading time 1 minute.

No other Metropolitan city in India conjures up past urban memories quite like Calcutta does, its squalour and decay notwithstanding. Which makes for eminently fascinating walks through its distinctly dissonant neighbourhoods. Here are some (more!) evocative street scenes from the ‘City of Joy’ that was once upon a time, a ‘City of Palaces’! Early morning fog: The contrasts […]

Caught In The Act

24/02/2014.Reading time 5 minutes.

You might have guessed by now how fond we are of exploring the streets and alleys of urban destinations on foot. By ourselves, or on guided walks led by locals in the know. There is no better way to connect to a city than to get off the beaten path and watch real people. At […]

Shichigosan At Meiji Jingu

18/01/2014.Reading time 1 minute.

On a Sunday closest to November 15, considered the most auspicious day in the Japanese calender, families descend on Shinto shrines across Japan, to celebrate a rite of passage called Shichi-go-san. The name literally translates to ‘Seven-Five-Three’, indicating a medieval tradition among aristocratic/Samurai families that stipulated that boys and girl stopped getting their hair shaved when they turned three, that boys aged five […]

Framed Stories

23/12/2013.Reading time less than 1 minute.

There are times when a passing glimpse through a window or on a street corner, that I didn’t pay much attention to at the time, sticks with me longer than any travel memory. A poignant scene, a mysterious face, those fleeting fragments of life, that register in my subconscious and return to haunt me. And […]