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...
Jaipur usually tops the list of best places to visit in Rajasthan, and for good reason. The Pink City is colourful, historic, packed with culture, and BECKONS travellers from all parts of the world. But while most people travel to take in iconic sites like Amer Fort and Hawa...
My penchant to visit offbeat destinations took me to the picturesque and virgin territory of Dharamshala. It is snuggled in the lofty Dauladhar Mountain on the Himalayan ranges on three sides only to give way to a lush valley on one side. It is divided into Lower and Upper...
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...
Picture the serene backwaters of Kerala with its rain-washed monsoon splendor. Add to that, a number of boats flashing through the waters, racing each other with over a hundred paddlers thrusting their oars in union. That’s the Nehru Trophy Boat Race for you.
Something that began as a Vallam...
It is that time of the year when the pleasant February air BECKONS travellers who enjoy winter breaks much more than the summer ones. Usually, people run to warmer locales in winters (running away from the chills) but Himachal Pradesh is another story. It makes you fall in love...
“Holi Hai!” The sound of that instantly conjures a visual of a cloudburst of colours for anyone who has ever seen what Holi is. In a brilliantly plural country like India, every festival has its own unique tradition in different parts of the country and Holi is no different.
Holi...
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...
Goa BECKONS many visitors for various reasons. For me, travelling around India has been a fascination for some years, with paying my respects at various pilgrim and holy temples being the main agenda on most of my trips. In the past six years, I have travelled widely in India...
Goa with its lush paddy fields, verdant hills, and the gushing shoreline is my go-to destination in the rains. This year, my stay in the most sought-after room (with a swing in the sit-out and easy access to a private beach) at the iconic Cidade de Goa Resort in...
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...
Cambridge has many hidden gems just waiting to be discovered. First-time travellers to this city are simply overwhelmed by its rich cultural heritage and history that dates back many hundred years. Hats off to Cambridge Bike Tours for doing a fantastic job of giving tourists (and local British travellers)...
Delhi means so many things to so many people. For people living in Delhi, no other place compares to it. Having spent my childhood in Delhi, having worked there in later years, and having close familial ties there, I have a fondness for the city that ensures I keep...
Kerala’s capital Thiruvananthapuram is one of those incredible places that seems to have everything that fascinates travellers from far and wide. A long history spanning centuries, temples, beaches, nearby getaways, mouth-watering cuisine is what makes it a rich destination to explore – what more could those with a thirst...
