Category Archives: Thoughts

My Sojourn in Kolukkumalai (Part 2) – The Tea Factory, The Workers And Some Conversations

If you missed Part 1, read here – My Sojourn in Kolukkumalai (Part 1) – An Early Appointment With The Sun and Suicide Points Alam (our driver) was telling us about his daily life before we stopped at the suicide point. He was used to making three, sometimes four round trips to the Kolukkumalai factory. That isContinue reading “My Sojourn in Kolukkumalai (Part 2) – The Tea Factory, The Workers And Some Conversations”

My Sojourn in Kolukkumalai (Part 1) – An Early Appointment With The Sun and Suicide Points

“And that is the suicide point”, our driver said and allowed the jeep to splutter to a halt so that we could scramble out. A tall rock, smooth and majestic, which reminded me of the hacked torso of an unfortunate lone messenger who dared to carry a peace treaty to the enemy barracks, was theContinue reading “My Sojourn in Kolukkumalai (Part 1) – An Early Appointment With The Sun and Suicide Points”

Valley of Flowers, Travellers and Pilgrims

Valley of Flowers – if you haven’t taken a look at the hyperlink, I’ll state the obvious, it is a valley of, guess what? Flowers!

But these aren’t just any flowers. At least not the ones you can order online for your mom’s birthday. They are flowers which are a part of the sacred Himalayan alpine vegetation.

SR Guest Posts: NIK & MAYHEM SHORT STORIES SERIES by Anahita

I wanted to ask the inevitable, “but” or “so what happened?” But he sensed my hesitation and added “a week before our wedding, she realized, she didn’t love me anymore.” I gave him a quizzical look, because either he was taking me for a fool or this was some Bollywood romantic gone sour.

Petrichor- The Smell of Childhood

I don’t remember my childhood. Nothing except the smell of the monsoon rains, right before they lashed onto the verandah. Me, the solitary crawler, both enchanted and perplexed by a sudden downpour, would rush indoors to the safety of my mother’s lap. Such memories are vague, rather loosely etched on my mind. But the smellContinue reading “Petrichor- The Smell of Childhood”

A Chance Encounter In McLeod Ganj And The Musings Of A Wandering Mind

Woods are enchanting.They are partially the reason for my fixation with mountains. While reading Enid Blyton’s The Enchanted Wood in my childhood, I had convinced myself that woods were magical. And somehow they held more of a sway over me, it seemed to be more potent than the magic of the toys which used toContinue reading “A Chance Encounter In McLeod Ganj And The Musings Of A Wandering Mind”

About Goodbyes And The Plight Of A Traveller

This is not about the goodbyes you bid to people as you hug and smile with the promise of meeting again. It is about those goodbyes which ring a bell of finality, of an end. Every time I visit a new place, I find myself taking an oath to return. Because I feel that IContinue reading “About Goodbyes And The Plight Of A Traveller”

Lithuania – My Visit To The Country Which Had Intrigued Me Since I Read Hannibal

My curiosity about Lithuania, was deeply connected to Thomas Harris’s works. I looked at it as the majestic country where Hannibal was born and which shared Hannibal’s fate of destruction at the hands of the Nazis. And like all booklovers, I would like nothing better than to go and visit the country of the anti-hero. SoContinue reading “Lithuania – My Visit To The Country Which Had Intrigued Me Since I Read Hannibal”

Getting Rid Of Sexist Ads Will Help Us Build An Equanimous Society.

We try to tell ourselves that we are progressively moving from a predominantly patriarchal society to a more equanimous one. In this progressive society, women have equal opportunities of education and men cry when they want to. Sexism is a textbook concept, a reminder of an era that was. But are we actually that progressive?Continue reading “Getting Rid Of Sexist Ads Will Help Us Build An Equanimous Society.”

My Visit To Vrindavan Showed Me how Small Towns Retain Their Identity In The Face Of Globalisation

The homogeneity of big cities is nerve wrecking for me. The malls, all with different names, but same shops. The roads with different names, but same cars. The cities, with different names but populated by the formal banter of “excuse me” and the rudeness of honks. Tired of the daily gruel, I headed to VrindavanContinue reading “My Visit To Vrindavan Showed Me how Small Towns Retain Their Identity In The Face Of Globalisation”

The Pigeons of Jaipur

The City Palace is one of the most frequented tourist destination in Jaipur. Throngs of tourists, both Indian and foreigners, come to see this beautiful palace/museum everyday. The City Palace, Jaipur All the tourists, whether they arrive in those mammoth Volvos or in the humble ‘desi’ alternative– the cycle rickshaws, have to enter the vicinity of theContinue reading “The Pigeons of Jaipur”