Much as I was looking forward to my trip along the Karnataka coast, I was eagerly anticipating the return journey as well. That's because for the first time I would be travelling via the Konkan Railway. The Konkan coast is well-known for its scenic beauty- as it is sandwiched between the Western Ghats on one … Continue reading From a (Konkan)Railway Carriage…
Us city dwellers have a complicated relationship with the rain. We long for rain because it ensures our regular water supply and brings some sorely needed touch of green to our concrete jungle. Not to mention giving us a welcome respite from the scorching heat and dust of the summer months. But the rain also … Continue reading One Rainy Evening…
Ya-na in Marathi means 'Please come' so for us to go to the Yana caves from Go-karna made a lot of sense. It's quite a drive from Gokarna and it was raining heavily along the route which was pretty much deserted. Barring a couple of villages and fields, all we saw were thickly wooded hills … Continue reading From GO-karna to YA-na.
Mirjan Fort in Uttara Kannada Approximate location of Mirjan Fort (shown in red with the wobbly writing!) Along the coast of Karnataka, in the region of Uttara Kannada, along the wide, wide banks of the river Aghanashini lies the Mirjan Fort. It is, to use an overused cliche- one of the 'hidden gems' of the … Continue reading Mirjan- the fort of the Pepper Queen
Mangaloreans clearly love ice-cream. And not just any ice-cream, they love their own indigenous, home-grown brands of ice-cream. During our recent visit to this city we saw several ice -cream parlours, each serving their own flavours and varieties. To sample them all would have taken more than the couple of days we spent there, but … Continue reading From ‘gadibidi’ to ‘gadbad’
We saw this picture while driving past the paddy fields that lined the narrow roads as they wound their way through the villages of Gokarna; in the region of Uttara Kannada in Karnataka. It was also put up on the outer walls of some houses and near the entrance. The driver of our cab explained … Continue reading Burri Nazar Waale…
The Year: 1857 The place: Lucknow Residency The Players: Rebels (or Natives) The rebel forces were made up of troops who had gathered from all over the province of Awadh. they were joined by local landlords, villagers and even peasants. They numbered around 36,000. v/s The British. There were British soldiers, Indian soldiers loyal to … Continue reading The Rebels and The Residency
These mysterious looking squiggles on yellowed paper were pasted on the wall of our resort in Pahalgam. At first glance, I thought they were the usual post-its that so many places have on their walls- with comments and messages from guests who have stayed there. But a closer look revealed that this was not the … Continue reading The Weaver’s Talim
"Take only memories" they say, "Leave only footprints" they say. Being the obedient and responsible tourist that I am, I willingly follow both instructions. I take loads of photographs as memories and leave behind nothing except a prayer of gratitude for the opportunity to see the place. And sometimes a hope that I may revisit. … Continue reading Of Pine Cones and Chinars
Let's start at the very beginning- where exactly is the Pir Panjal mountain range located? To make the location a bit more specific, here's another: Right. So much for geography and maps. Although I find maps very interesting, here's a better view of the Pir Panjal mountain range, as seen from the window of the … Continue reading The beauty of Pir Panjal
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