Through the centuries, Malwa region in Central India changed hands several times. It was ruled over by the Parmars, the Sultans of Delhi, the Mughals, the Marathas before ending up as a princely state controlled by the British. It was Dilawar Khan Ghuri who formally established the Sultanate of Malwa in the 12th century with … Continue reading Malwa, Mandu and the Romance of Roopmati and Baz
Category: Travels- near and far
The Beauty of Garhi Padhavali
Garh means fort and Padhavali is site of this temple-cum-fort, located about an hour's drive from Gwalior. Bateshwar, Mitawali and Padhavali are all within easy reach of one another, so a visit to one would be incomplete without visiting the others. And here, in a nutshell, is what Padhavali is all about. A 10th century … Continue reading The Beauty of Garhi Padhavali
Sunrise over Mandu
There's a lovely story in the Puranas about why the Vindhya mountains are mostly flat in nature. The Vindhyas were jealous of the Himalayas and tried to grow in height to outdo them. The local people feared that these mountains would obstruct the sun. So they prayed to Rishi Agastya for help. Rishi Agastya was … Continue reading Sunrise over Mandu
A Dacoit, An Archeologist and the Temple Ruins of Bateshwar
It is impossible to drive through the rocky, dusty and largely barren landscape of this region without thinking of the bands of dacoits that once roamed freely here. We pass signboards bearing names like Bhind, Morena and Chambal- all famous (or notorious!) because they were home to the dreaded dakus; some of whom have been … Continue reading A Dacoit, An Archeologist and the Temple Ruins of Bateshwar
Chausath (64) Yogini Temple of Mitawali
CONTEXT: Chausath or 64 is an important number in tantric rituals. The number 8 is regarded as having great power and it is the square root of 64. Which means that 64 has even greater power and is more auspicious. In tantric literature it is considered sacred, mystical and is used in rituals to acquire … Continue reading Chausath (64) Yogini Temple of Mitawali
The Lighter Side of Train Journeys
The trip for this year is done and dusted. I've said it once and I'll say it again- trips with friends are like a tonic for the soul. The memories remain, as do the pictures. We saw some beautiful spots, marveled at several monuments, soaked up the ambience of a few out-of-the way places, laughed, … Continue reading The Lighter Side of Train Journeys
Notes From My Travel Diaries
The hangover of a trip lasts much, Much longer than the trip itself. It takes a while to settle back into the grind of daily routine, to cook, clean and worse; get back to work. Ughhh. At such times, it's very tempting to just sit back and relive memories of the trip and plan more … Continue reading Notes From My Travel Diaries
Dholavira- An Ancient City
Dholavira is the site of a Harappan city which was part of the Indus Valley Civilisation- 5000 years ago. More than 1000 sites have been discovered till now and Dholavira ranks as the 6th largest among them. The other well-known ones are Harappa and Mohenjedaro (which we read about briefly in our history books, what … Continue reading Dholavira- An Ancient City
The ‘Bhungas’ of Kutch
There's something new and interesting just waiting to be discovered on every trip. The trip to Kutch was a revelation in so many ways that to dwell upon each would require several blog posts. But speaking of dwelling- one of the most fascinating aspects of Kutch is the 'bhunga' A bhunga is a unique, traditional … Continue reading The ‘Bhungas’ of Kutch
The Eye of the Beholder
As an intrepid armchair traveller and an enthusiastic real time traveller, I have certain confessions: I follow travel writers, bloggers and influencers on Instagram. Mostly to satisfy my cravings by travelling vicariously. And also to look out for likely, do-able destinations for myself. I enjoy discovering new (to me) places but I also love revisiting … Continue reading The Eye of the Beholder
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