One only needs to look at India’s numerous forts to understand just how much history and culture exist here. For centuries, rulers have left their mark so that today these symbols remind us of what a rich past we have. Strolling through shadowed hallways, it is easy to feel...
Following the period of austerities of shraddh, Navratri flags off the festive season of dance and divinity. During the Navratras (Navratri), Durga is worshipped and invoked with kalash, flowers, and prayers.
Folk legend says the evil forces of demon Mahishasura posed a threat to humanity. All the gods combined their resources...
It’s festival time at the Baluchi – The LaliT Mumbai’s signature restaurant – which is hosting the Goan Food Festival from the 21st to the 30th of July. It is rightly branded as Susegado Mumbai, ‘Susegad’ meaning a relaxed attitude and enjoyment of life to the fullest. Not just...
Varalakshmi is the Goddess Lakshmi who grants boons. On a Friday of the Shravana month, women across many southern states of the country prepare to perform the Varalakshmi Vrata or a special puja that is held to worship Goddess Varalakshmi. Believed to be equivalent to worshipping the Ashta Lakshmi...
Trupti - a word I truly understood the meaning of when I attended the Palki Utsav held at Shri Chitrapur Matha in Shirali (Uttar Kannada) yesterday on the occasion of Kartik Poornima - which is celebrated with a lot of gaiety and pomp in most parts of southern India....
India Beckons wishes its readers a very Happy Gudi Padwa!
Gudi Padwa (the first day after the new moon day or amavasya in the month of Chaitra) is celebrated as the New Year day in Maharashtra, while it also is commemorated in different parts of the country as Ugadi (Telugu...
Stretching from the arid landscapes of the Sahara Desert to the steamy jungles at the heart of the continent and the Southern wine country, Africa’s vastness and diversity are staggering. After four trips exploring all corners of the continent, I have still only just scratched the surface and never...
Do you want to see a glacier up close? Close enough to hear its creaks and cracks, to see huge chunks of it fall into the water below, then look no further than Argentina. This wonderful country has such a variety of landscapes to offer. From the colourful landscapes...
Guru Purnima is commemorated by Hindus, Jains and Buddhists on the full moon day of the Hindu month of Ashad. It is a day sacred to the memory of Maharshi Ved Vyasa, the ancient saint who edited the four Vedas and wrote the 18 Puranas, the Mahabharata, and the Srimad Bhagavatam. Guru Purnima...
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...
Congratulations on deciding to tie the knot! If you are wondering what could possibly top the occasion and possibly make it even more magical, there’s just one answer- destination weddings. If you are wondering what the hype of such celebrations is associated with, say it aloud with me ‘carpe...
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...
Chef Manish Kusumwal, the Corporate Chef at Keys Hotels, shares special Onam recipes with India Beckons readers.
Malayalis around the world are celebrating Onam as it is a harvest festival, one of three major annual Hindu celebrations along with Vishu and Thiruvathira, and it is observed with numerous festivities. The...
Dear readers,
Wow! February rushed past - did anyone notice it had an extra day? But we are in March now and we find ourselves in the midst of an epidemic that has become an international concern - the coronavirus, which has affected people in many countries, while some have...
In India, the Mahashivratri, which comes on Krishna Chaturdashi of the month of Phalguna, is celebrated by Hindus each year with great pomp and revelry. This year, it is falling on the 4th March. It is the most important of Hindu festivals, which is said to be the convergence...
