The flawless blend of history, culture, architecture, natural beauty, spirituality, and serenity - Pondicherry is a must on every traveller’s list. It is one of those places that feels as familiar as home no matter whether it is your first visit or the tenth one. Such is the hearty...
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...
It is said that in order to truly connect with yourself, you have to disconnect from the world. And, when you come to think of ways to disconnect, camping in the wild has proven to be one of the most effective ways to do it. Imagine, sitting in the...
Alibaug (Arunima Takiar, 2019)
Cracked seashells,
your pointed edges
lucidly reveal
intact sand grains
wrapping fervently
around your body parts,
twisted in
unfamiliar time zones
fast-forwarded
from a past
of splinters
that defied
permanence,
trodden by
unknowing feet
on happy sojourns,
(broken)
not lost,
vestiges
in shining specks
of beach shimmer
that defy
impermanence.
When yours truly wanted to escape for the weekend and was looking for inspiration to write a poem, a...
Located in the western state of Rajasthan, Alwar is a small city that is rich in culture and is often visited by domestic and international tourists. Home to a fascinating museum and a gorgeous fort, Alwar shares close proximity to the Sariska Tiger Reserve, making this city all the...
Another action-packed IPL evening peppered with some pampering at an elegantly-designed art deco style hotel in the Heritage Precinct of Mumbai made for a great mid-week outing.
IPL was fun and thrilling, in turns! Much to the relief of Mumbai Indians supporters this time, the MI gave a decent target to...
A land of many cultures, several factors over the centuries have influenced the architecture of India. From the artisans who came to the country and built monuments of grandeur to the distinct seasons of its regions, inspiration from diverse sources resulted in unique and spectacular buildings that have stood...
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...
Sometimes we need to make that external physical journey in order to make that inward spiritual journey and connect to our souls. That is the essence of the Pandharpur Yatra (pilgrimage) or ‘Wari’ as it is more commonly referred to.
The Wari
Sant Tukaram was the first one to set out...
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...
Today, Gurpurab or Guru Nanak Jayanti (the birth anniversary of the first Sikh guru), also known as the Prakash Utsav, is being celebrated with much aplomb in India and amongst the Sikh community and followers of Guru Nanak Dev all over the world.
Prabhat Pheris (early morning singing of hymns starting from...
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)...
Colorful dances, multicultural extravaganza, classical music, spiritual teachings, mouthwatering street food of aamchi Mumbai and dilwalon ki Dilli, puppet shows depicting stories from the Ramayana, Bollywood music, and loads of enthusiastic people enjoying the revelry – that’s what Diwali in London at Trafalgar Square (also known as DOTS for...
It was truly an exhilarating experience to visit Ladakh. Still untouched by urban jingbang, this far-flung and virgin snow desert with an air of enigma is a tourist’s target with a difference. The topography varies in height between 8,000 to 15,000 feet and is referred to as the “roof...
