(All dates are CE – Common Era or what was earlier referred to as AD) I was in the coastal town of Nah Trang in South-Central Vietnam for a week, on work. While chatting with a colleague over dinner, our conversation eventually moved on to…
Located by the estuary of the Thu Bon River, Hội An is an incredible charming and magical little town in central Vietnam. Representing a great example of a South East Asian trading port (active from the 15th to the 19th century), this well preserved town…
In a previous post, I had written on the iconic riverfront of the Ganges in Varanasi. In this one, I invite you to join me on a journey into the ancient, labyrinthine area that lies just behind the riverfront – deep into the heart of…
“Banaras is older than history, older than tradition, older even than legend and looks twice as old as all of them put together”, wrote Mark Twain, during a visit to the city in 1895. And he couldn’t have said it better. Cradled by River Ganges,…
The study or religion and the study of art reveal a strong relationship between the two and in Hinduism this relationship is as strong as it is comprehensive, rich and enduring. Art has always been an integral part of Hinduism in terms of a profusion…
At the foot of your secluded waterfall I knew not, when This earthen pitcher of mine brimmed and overflowed – Rabindranath Tagore (translated by Shumon Sengupta) ********************************************* In my previous post, I had described our trip to the beautiful Athirapalli Waterfalls on the Chalakudi River…
************************************************ Placid waters beneath with drifting hyacinth, azure blue skies high above with birds in flight and a beautiful little palace peeping out from the dense tropical vegetation in the middle – all taken together left us totally spell bound. In the mornings we woke up…
****************************************************** “Now you may wonder if Geo Brunton’s spirit was still lurking around benignly somewhere in his boatyard by the expansive harbour. But then if that was indeed the case, Minnie and I surely would have bumped into him somewhere along the long, narrow, diffusely lit, deserted, silent,…
********************************************************************* In my previous post, I wrote about our visit to the 16th century Jewish Synagogue – called the Paradesi Synagogue in Mattancherry, Kochi. I also wrote at length about our visit to the Dutch Palace, with its spectacular murals. We were touring Kerala, “God’s Own Countr”y with Compass…
There are many beautiful waterfalls in India, and Athirapalli is not necessarily the grandest of all. However, it has a charm and appeal, unique to itself, with dense greenery all around and forested hills in the backdrop, to which the tropical monsoon of Kerala lends its misty…
********************************************** “It was sad that the Paradesi Synagogue was long past its days of glory and splendour. It had been a mute witness to the rise and eventual inevitable decline of the Jewish community and heritage of India. A major symbol of India’s cultural, ethnic and…
******************************************************************** We visited “God’s Own Country” from the 20th of October to the 3rd of November 2013 with Compass India Inc. The customized tour was designed well in advance, based on extensive conversations with Compass’s highly competent staff. Clearly, they knew their business well. The…