Jaisalmer, the golden city of Rajasthan, exudes an air of regality that is unrivalled. Yet, to truly unravel its opulence, one must approach the exploration of this majestic city with thoughtful planning. Here, where the dunes whisper tales of bygone eras, and the forts stand as stoic guardians of...
Temple bells, laughing waters, sacred rituals, and colourful pilgrims are just some of the features of this oldest holy city of India - Varanasi. That's why a weekend trip from Mumbai to Varanasi was irresistible and I had to tick it off my bucket list.
Day 1: I reached in...
Step wells of India have always mesmerised tourists from far and wide for their unique architecture and carvings. Not only does Rani-ki-Vav in Gujarat belong to this class of picturesque landmarks of India, but it also has a special historical beginning to it. There are various monuments which were...
With the advent of the Shravan of the Hindu lunar calendar, a number of people in the northern states of India and parts of Nepal gear up for Teej. Also known as Hariyali Teej, the festival marks the bounty of hariyali or greenery that the monsoon bestows upon the...
For centuries, we have been an agrarian country rich with indigenous and sustainable practices. As the topography of our vast countries varies from plains and plateaus to hills and coasts, so do farming practices and indegenous crops. One such community that has been able to retain its unique indigenous...
Tripura’s population contributes significantly to India's ethnic values, as people of different ethnicity reside here. The tribal people’s rituals are also significant aspects of the cultural life of Tripura, with each tribe having its own festivals, mythology, poetry, and dance. Two of the most important festivals of Tripura are...
What is Kolkata famous for? If we were to ask you this question, then we are pretty sure your answer would have at least two heritage dishes: rosogolla and macher-jhol.
Well, that is a conventional right answer. Even a recent report indicates that only 4% of the entire population in...
These ghats of Haridwar for cleansing your soul
Haridwar, the literal translation of which is the door to heaven, is considered to be one of the holiest cities in India. It is the second-largest city of Uttarakhand and is located by the banks of the holy river Ganges, which...
An American dancer and choregrapher had once said: "Dance is the hidden language of the soul". How true this is for all of us who look for an outlet through this language. India is blessed with many art forms and dance art forms, of which the dance-drama art form...
I was fortunate enough to finish with my Vaishno Devi yatra just in time because immediately after the day I returned to Mumbai from Jammu, there was a lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has wreaked havoc in many parts of the world already.
When I came...
The door's adorned with mango leaves, doorstep with rangoli...
The main doorstep of the house is being adorned with fresh mango leaves. A garland of yellow and orange flowers are also being made for the doorway. Rangoli, or muggu as it is locally known is being drawn at the gate....
The Conflictorium: a space to deal with history of conflict in our lives
In a quaint little old Parsi building in Mirzapur, Ahmedabad is the Conflictorium - a space that has been set up to help people interact with the concept, history and presence of conflict in our everyday lives.
The...
Gudi Padwa is the lunar new year celebrated by the Maharashtrian community in India. On this day, families come together to hoist a gudi and pray for a prosperous year. The entire community participates in swagat yatras organised locally to welcome the new year. And then gorge on a lunch of...
