People

Our Panna is quite a dry forest. The green you see now will wither soon,” 20-year-old Iden Lal smiles at me as we walk across the dry deciduous expanse just within the territorial area of Panna National Park. What I notice first is how…
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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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It’s that time of year when everything is bathed in a warm, fuzzy, honey glow and there’s a sweet fragrance in the air. That might be partly due to summer setting in across India but it’s also because the best (and India’s national) fruit…
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Thousands of tourists from India and around the world have many reasons to come to Kashi, often called the world’s oldest living city. Some come to experience the “real India”, some to wash their sins away, and yet others come here to die…
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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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What’s the Most Scenic Trek on Koh Chang? People who hike to the top of hills on Koh Chang are often disappointed when they get there as the views are blocked by trees.  The trek up Khao Laem, in the southeast of Koh Chang…
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Think imposing palaces and gigantic forts, and Rajasthan comes to mind. Though Udaipur City Palace, Jaipur’s Hawa Mahal, Jodhpur’s Mehrangarh or the Chittorgarh fort are among the more popular ones, there’s one that deserves equal…
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“You must make your way to the gateway of the Deccan through Malwa,” declared Anu aunty. My husband and I were in her dining room in Indore, gorging on home-made dal baati, a speciality of the region. I was trying not to overeat in…
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“Ex Muslim and Queer, facing Islamophobia.” My eyes sweep through the hard-hitting banners and rainbow flags. I’m among the 15,000-odd attendants at the 12th edition of Queer Azaadi Mumbai Pride march on February 2, the first in the city…
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The Global Context—A Clarion Call The Lancet, a prestigious medical weekly says, “The global ambition towards universal health coverage by 2030 necessitates ensuring that all populations have good access to quality health services.” This…
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In the last dozen years, I’ve made at least one annual trip down this road; very often on my own, down a cut and dried route. It starts with a night bus from Delhi that reaches Haridwar in the wee hours. A quick chai in the lone, just-open…
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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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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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Awesome surfing, the coolest street art, yoga studios, hipster cafes and beach bars – it’s time to find out the best things to do in Canggu, Bali.  Canggu is one of the hottest destinations in Bali right now! Buzzing with…
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