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....
After sleeping (in nidra) for the four-month Chaturmas period, Lord Vishnu is said to awaken on probodhini (awakening) ekadasi, also known as the devutthani (Lord's awakening) ekadasi. This is an auspicious day, not only because the Lord is awakening from his slumber but also taking charge of his duties...
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...
Going to Belgium made me experience a lot of new things as it was not just a new destination but my first international trip as well.
The day came and I took an eight-hour-long flight from Delhi to Brussels. The flight was comfortable and I ended up sitting next to...
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...
India is a country of diverse cultures and languages. Amongst these, one of the most celebrated cultures and community is that of the Bengalis. Their celebrations range from the massive Durga Puja ones to the Poila Boishakh festivities - everything they do is resplendent with immense sweetness and colours....
It is the occasion of Shri Ram Navami today, celebrated with much gaiety and pomp all over the country. It is also called the festival of the spring since it is right at the outset of spring, its timing coinciding with Baisakhi and other harvest festivals. Some celebrate this...
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...
The spring celebration of Holi sees many parts of India erupt in colour but perhaps the best place to witness it in all its glory is Mathura, home to Vrindavan and Barsana. Here, the festival can last for two weeks. Thousands of tourists descend on the region for a...
Touristy places are incredibly convenient as they boast infrastructure and amenities for the comfort of visitors. But if you are someone who prefers to take the road less travelled and cannot be too bothered with amenities or the lack thereof, India has some fabulous offbeat places to visit. Check...
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...
Kumbh mela, by far India’s most revered and sacred festival, is now also inscribed by the UNESCO as the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. Tens of millions of devotees attend the purna kumbh mela that takes place every 12 years in Prayagraj, Haridwar, Nashik-Triyambakeshwar and Ujjain. Apart from this,...
As soon as the New Year dawns, the people of Tamil Nadu get ready for their annual celebration of Pongal – a great harvest festival, celebrated by one and all. Pongal is the first day of the month of Sankaranti, on the Makar Sankaranti day that falls on January...
