A Wandering Mind

A lone fort stood over a hill, on an island just off the creek. The island was a small one, with a fishing village at the foot of the hill, and a fort atop it. From what we could see, from across the creek, there was nothing much to be seen. The fort appeared to be in ruins, as were most of the other forts we had seen in the area. Yet, a friend had assured me that I would like the place, and it was all thanks to him that we driving in the relentless heat towards Korlai Fort in Alibag.

Our driver dropped us off at the parking lot. “Go that way. The temple is right there”, he said. The parking lot was full, but the place was eerily empty and silent. A couple of drivers were taking a nap and a chap was selling lemonade. It looked nothing like any temple. There were no flower sellers, no one pestering us to buy puja items...... we wondered if we were in the right place after all. In my broken Kannada, I asked the lemonade man for the temple. He silently pointed ahead, and went back to his reverie. We walked on and soon came to an entrance, where a board assured me, that I was indeed at the place I wanted to be....

The Albert Hall Museum in Jaipur is the oldest museum in the state of Rajasthan. Located picturesquely in a garden just outside the walls of the old city, it is impossible to miss or ignore.

Sometime last year, I got a mail from Lucy at Pocketcultures , asking if I would be interested in being a part of a book they were planning. The topic was games played by kids around the world. The idea was to write about games that were easy to play, could be played anywhere, by any number of kids, and didn’t need any expensive equipment. The topic couldn’t have come at a better time. Download the FREE Ebook here

After a troubled and tension-packed week , Saturday came along at just the right time to brighten things up. Technically, the day began on a cloudy note.. with the rain gods deciding to bring in the monsoon on just the day I had decided to bring out one of my sarees hidden away in the corner of my cupboard! So, in went the saree again and out came the well used Jeans, kurti and shoes.... the best attire for hunting down an auto amidst the downpour. And, will you believe it? The moment I caught an auto driver ready to take me to my destination, the rain stopped!! Well, it was too late to do anything about it then, and off we headed to our lunch date. Yes, "we" - Samhith and me,  were off to the Trident at the Bandra Kurla Complex (BKC) to join my Lavasa friends for a book reading followed by lunch at the Italian restaurant, Botticino, at the Trident. Samhith wasn't really invited, but I couldn't leave him behind, and so I took him along, wondering how he would behave

What a week it has been!!! And this Friday, looking at a weekend which promises to be even more busy, I am reminded of the Friday evening we spent at the Jaigarh Fort in Jaipur. Here is a view from the fort....