nature

On the drive down to Kabini from Masanagudi, fine, red earth pirouettes in the windy trail left behind by the tyres of my jeep. In a few hours, we arrive at our accommodation for the next three days, just off the edge of the Nagarhole…
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Any visitor to Nagaland usually passes through Dimapur, before moving on to the hills of peaceful Kohima, home to the Hornbill Festival, 75 kilometres away; the pristine village of the Angamis, near Kohima, called Khonoma; scenic Dzukou…
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Just by sinking my feet into freshly rained-on grass in the middle of a jungle, as opposed to battling to breathe, inside a clammy Mumbai metro compartment, my evening has turned extraordinary. When I find out that a guided nature walk…
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I am sitting with my morning cup of chai in Kutch’s Chobari village when a flock of demoiselle cranes fly into the open space right in front of me. It feels like I have my own little bird sanctuary in this secluded part of Gujarat. These…
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Dear 28-year-old me, We haven’t hung out in a while. At 68, I could blame the knees, but really it’s the foggy brain that seems to be always leaking out of things to remember. And by that I don’t mean bulbs that need fixing or the names of…
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Spring in the eastern Himalayas connotes not only a spectacular burst of flowers, it also marks the peak activity of the region’s glorious passerines, who are busy courting as the temperature thaws. Sikkim’s Barsey Rhododendron Sanctuary…
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The summers of my childhood were defined by three things: books, mangoes and power cuts. Often the three would come together and I would eat through plates of raspuri and langda, while sprawled on the floor reading by the light of a…
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Phone charger, check. Toothpaste, check. Sunglasses, check. Itinerary, check. Ah, the good old itinerary. If someone’s familiar with those long sheets of paper, it’s me. A vacation essential in our house, only Papa found them appealing.…
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The first thing most people would notice about Imphal, Manipur’s capital city, is that it seems to be overrun with shabby, worn down buildings, traffic and dusty streets. And the city often becomes the mirror for the state. But if you have…
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As young, impressionable children, we were allowed to watch TV only on Sundays at my grandma’s house in the Himalayan foothills, even during our long winter vacations. The set was a grainy, black-and-white Jolly, kept behind a shutter, and…
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Is it like rummy?” I ask, trying to make sense of the beautiful cards spread out before me—mythological figures painted in vivid colours with floral and geometric motifs. “Ganjifa is never played with money,” Rajmata rebukes, “the cards…
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An urban lifestyle is stressful and entails juggling multiple responsibilities at the workplace, home and other social settings. This is all the more applicable to today’s working population, as cities get more congested, commutes get…
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Jammu & Kashmir, Srinagar, and beyond Why Go Now: ‘Water trek’ across placid lakes No visitor to Kashmir returns without taking a shikara ride on Dal Lake. We suggest going a step further—and ‘water trek,’ as Kashmiris prefer to call…
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