Mahabalipuram Flashbacks of a Glorious Past
We had left Chennai behind and were heading south on East Coast Road towards Mahabalipuram (District Kanchipuram). The concrete clusters of Chennai were thinning down, and we were now driving past the cosy little coconut groves dotting the landscape, conspiratorially huddling with small clusters of low-rise housing and hutments. The hawkers along the road were […]
CHENNAI A Heritage Treasure Hunt
Many a business trip later, I decided to do a leisure trip to Chennai (erstwhile ‘Madras). A friend who had studied in Chennai guided me about the places of interest there. Being a diligent travel buff , I visitedmost of the places suggested by my friend. Despite coming into being at the dawn of the […]
CHAIL A WALK IN THE CLOUDS
While in college, I had done a 7~8 hour group trek from Kasauli to Chail, as part of a youth leadership camp. Th e route was through the Dagshai hills. A few places I remember having passed were Lawrence School Sanawar, Kumarhatti and Solan. Th ough the trek was tiring, Chail’s quiet, verdant, mysterious aura […]
Kila Raipur Olympics … Rural-India Style …
I was perched precariously, with my camera gear, on the crowded 4 feet by 7 feet roof of a guard tower at the far end of the Kila Raipur Stadium. A videographer, who had shot at Kila Raipur earlier as well, had captured the lion’s share of the available roof space. There were 8-10 other […]
Dharamshala – Doorstep Of Dazzling Dhauladhar
Alps to Aravallis, Cairngorms to Karakoram, Hindu Kush to Himalayas – I have gone around taking in the beauty of some of the most majestic mountain ranges. But the dazzling view of Dhauladhar from Dharamshala really took my breath away. En route Dharamshala, Kiratpur Sahib onwards, we were driving in the shadows of the Dhauladhar […]
Lucknow – Of Heritage And Cuisine
When the topic of visiting Lucknow came up in our food and photography group, I recalled a congested and not-so-pleasant city, which I had visited a few years ago. The only bright spot seemed like the presence of Bada Imambara. All the same, hesitantly and slightly reluctantly, I agreed to accompany the group. As the […]
Kotla Sultan Singh – A Voyage Of Emotions
After many days of uncertainties, planning and re-planning, I finally left for Amritsar on 30th November 2013. I was to meet my friend after a gap of 30 years. Little did I know then, that this journey was going to be more memorable than any I had ever undertaken. After the first-day customary visit to […]
Discovering Kochi During Onam
Kochi (anglicised name: Cochin) is now an inclusive name for various towns, including the district of Ernakulam. It is an important port city of Kerala. Though the newer parts of Kochi are like any other bustling metropolitan city, my wanderings in the time-warped Fort Kochi reminded me of the time I had spent in Ubud, […]
Udaipur – An Oasis Of Calm Grandeur
Remember Panna Dai ? The legendary nanny of Mewar royals ? The one who sacrificed her own child when Banbir, illegitimate son of Prithviraj, came calling to kill the royal child ? Well, but for her, Udaipur would have not been in existence today. The royal child she saved was Udai Singh, 4th son of […]
An Oasis Of Calm Grandeur
Remember Panna Dai ? The legendary nanny of Mewar royals ?The one who sacrificed her own child when Banbir, illegitimate son of Prithviraj, came calling to kill the royal child ? Well, but for her, Udaipur would have not been in existence today. The royal child she saved was Udai Singh, 4th son of Rana […]
The Unknown Agra
Much has been written about Agra, but I am still daring to. This Independence Day, I drove to Agra with my wife and decided to do the unusual there. Besides one customary visit to the Taj Mahal, all the rest was nothing that the normal tourist would do. Let me share the details. INDEPENDENCE DAY […]
BEIJING – THE ANCIENT & THE CONTEMPORARY
While recorded history shows Beijing to have been inhabited for over 3000 years, archeologists believe that the Peking Man (circa 500,000 years ago) lived here in caves. As a city, it has seen it all – fires, plagues, invasions, rise and fall of dynasties – and yet it has emerged stronger and more vibrant every […]
Given To Wanderlust?
Experiencing that wistful yearning to travel, and that ache for distant places getting stronger in you? Get up and out, explore your world ! NRI Achievers brings you a travelogue style pictography of six destinations, three in India, and three outside, on three different continents. So sit back and soak this cover feature of ours […]
KASHMIR SPRING SWING !
This was my third visit to Kashmir. The difference was – I was visiting to shoot for a book on seasons of Kashmir for JK Tourism. I was asked by the department to be in Srinagar on 10th April, make that the base, and move around to hitherto unexplored places – unexplored by tourists, I […]
TRINIDAD & TOBAGO-GATEWAY TO THE CARIBBEAN
Last month, NRI Achievers got to converse with the High Commissioner of Trinidad & Tobago to India, His Excellency Chandradath Singh, on a fine midwinter day at his residence. A Career Diplomat with a deep love for music, dance and the arts, a Windies cricketeer who can still bowl a tricky lefthanded spin, the High […]
DOWN THE SCOTCH TRAIL SCENIC SPEYSIDE
I enjoy travel and love capturing the sights, sounds and stories of the places I travel to. And even before I started enjoying a drink, I had always wanted to do the Whiskey Trail in Scotland. So last summer, I finally got around to doing it. When I went around making the bookings, I realized […]
Orchha The Hidden Gem
I led a small group of photo enthusiasts to Orchha in September last year. It is a small town in Tikamgarh, Madhya Pradesh. The town had quite a few surprises in store for us. This quaint little town was founded sometime in the early 16th century by Bundela chief Rudra Pratap Singh, on the banks […]
THE GREAT WALL OF INDIA
The Great wall of China is 173 times longer than the outer peripheral wall of Kumbhalgarh Fort, which measures but a mere 36 km in length. So I would take no umbrage at anyone for not knowing about this magnificent exemplar of Indian fortress building that adorns our Rajasthan’s countryside across the Aravalis… Interestingly, it […]