A city of flowers
Motha: A Frozen Dessert
Motha is a type of frozen dessert from the Jaunsar region of western Uttarakhand. Motha is unique in the sense that it includes natural fresh snow as one of the most important ingredients. I had this experience when Dr. Anil Dutt Sharma, a native of Jaunsar, invited me to try this local recipe at his residence in Tehri Garhwal.
Cords and Stones (Macrame)
Traveling is not just about visiting the new places and knowing new cultures but also to meet new people and learn new things from them. My journeys have exposed me to some interesting artists and their artworks. Another such artwork, which perhaps I would never become familiar with if not travelling, was Macrame. As far... Continue Reading →
The Indian Redeemer
In some of the earlier posts (Secluded Faith, If Technology Fails, Abundance), I have shared the lively experiences and ideas from Mount Abu, the place where I had not only been able to roam but also stayed for 10 months. This post, 'The Indian Redeemer', is a recollection of the exceptional experiences of the first day... Continue Reading →
Vipssana (विपश्यना)
Although I had heard the term Vipassana (विपश्यना) a long time before, I came to know about this practice from Ashish, my university batchmate, who had attended a Vipassana course in 2008. From his description I came to know that Vipassana was a meditation technique to look passively, with closed eyes, towards the body while being... Continue Reading →
The Kolleru Lake
Kolleru lake is described as a large freshwater lake between Krishna and Godavari delta near the coastal part of Andhra Pradesh. Due to the rich biodiversity, especially of both the local and migratory birds, the lake has been declared as a wildlife sanctuary. The lake has also been indexed in the list of Ramsar wetlands... Continue Reading →
The Flying Cobra
In one of the afternoons of my month long time in Pushkar of Rajasthan, we three people, 2 visitors and the owner (named Pradhan alias Ramu) of the Ramues cafe and Shankar Palace where I was staying in, were having the discussion on some random subjects. In that bright and hot sunny day of the summers,... Continue Reading →
Prakash Didgeridoo
While moving up on the stairs from Ganga Beach cafe to the main market street of Rishikesh, a very conspicuous sound, coming from the window of a room, attracted my attention. The sound was characterised by strong unmelodious vibrations but yet mysterious, soulful and attractive. Those vibrations also sounded a little bit familiar to me.... Continue Reading →
Around the Kulams
Kulam (குளம்) is a word of Tamil language which stands for the pool or the pond. I had noticed the use of this word as a suffix with some places of the south India like Koondakulam, Kunthakulam etc., but had never known its meaning until I landed in the state of Tamil Nadu. Although I... Continue Reading →
Coexistence and Expressions
We all might have heard of some examples of coexistence of the wild animal species with human societies. Such examples from ancient times, when the primitive societies were supposed to be in close proximity to nature, are quite imaginable. But with any such examples from contemporary times, besides coexistence, we also expect some degree of... Continue Reading →
Dance of Contentment
Life is not only about to seek pleasure in the awaited expected outcomes but also about to wonder the surprising elements. Experiences of unexpected events could be counted as good or bad or neutral ones, but they do not leave without showing those colours which otherwise remain invisible. For me, travelling is meant to increase... Continue Reading →
Saach-pass
Whenever I see any of the mountains for the very first time, my mind starts to imagine about the view of the world from the top, the places on the peak and about the view on the other side of the mountain. This degree of fascination is proportional to the altitude and the difficulty level... Continue Reading →
Abundance
Perhaps the most common desires among most of the people around the globe are the desires of everlasting happiness, neverending love and to witness novelty from time to time. If these 'everlasting' and 'neverending' labels sound too subjective, proper alternative terms could be 'abundant' or 'overflowing'. In an ideal boundless life, which is usually considered... Continue Reading →
Secluded Faith
The Indian subcontinent is known as a region of polytheistic faith, always ready to accommodate any of the alternative views; one of the reasons that multiple faith systems originated and peacefully coexisted at this place from thousands of years. Indian society has been known for its diversity at multiple levels, including faith. That's why we... Continue Reading →
Images & Ideas 