Winter is here and even sultry Mumbai has not been able to remain untouched by it’s pleasing touch. Unlike the north of India, winters in Mumbai are about hot afternoons but pleasantly cool mornings and evenings and if you too dread the cold like I do, it is just the right amount of winter you would need – warm enough to keep those bulky blankets and woolens at bay and cool enough to give a respite to fans and air conditioning. Continue reading “Vineyard Hopping in Nashik”
It had been six months since we moved to Chennai and we had already covered the most popular weekend escapes from Chennai, Pondicherry and Mahabalipuram. Now, Chennai does have some really beautiful temples in its vicinity but we were not yet keen on a temple tour. So, the Easter weekend of 2015, leafing through the pages of Lonely Planet, we came across Gingee. It’s description was enough to get our interest going:
“Somewhere 37km east of Tiruvannamalai, nature sprinkled a smattering of marbles – rounded boulders and lumpy rocks – in shades of grey, brown and red over the flat green paddies of Tamil Nadu. Then man turned two of these stony protrusions into the Rajagiri and Krishnagiri (King and Queen fort).”
It went on to say, “These edifices, poke out of the Tamil plain like castles misplaced by the Lord of the Rings.” Continue reading “The fantastical Fort of Gingee”
This past Sunday was the 14th edition of Mumbai Marathon. The one day when Mumbai’s arterial roads are cleared of traffic and thrown open to all those interested to run, walk or even waltz around.
It was probably in my fifth or sixth standard history class that I first came to know about Hampi.
I remember being wonderstruck by the black and white picture of the bird’s eye view of Hampi as the teacher proceeded to tell us about the capital city of the once powerful Vijayanagara Empire that was lost till its ruins were discovered. For my naive mind, the tale of a 600 year old city with its ornate temples, grand palaces, imposing gates, bazaars consisting of straight parallel rows of shops, tanks and bathing ghats still intact was like the proverbial time machine. All I wanted to do was to ride that time machine for a glimpse of the fantastical past. Continue reading “A time machine called Hampi”
They say that a picture speaks louder than words. So, this time I thought of cutting down on words and let pictures do most of the talking.
The Nalsarovar Bird Sanctuary near Ahmedabad in Gujarat consists of a 120 sq km shallow lake and marshes. Situated 65 kms away from Ahmedabad, the lake attracts a wide variety of migratory birds in winter and spring.
The shallow waters of the lake and grassy marshes are favorite feeding and nesting grounds for migratory as well as indigenous birds. Continue reading “Nalsarovar – A Photo Blog”
Wanderful Weekendz 