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Showing posts from July, 2013

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The Elephanta Caves

The Elephanta Caves , located on Elephanta Island, or Gharapuri, about 11 Km off the coast of the Gateway of India, Mumbai, are a UNESCO World Heritage Site. A visit to these caves, excavated probably in the 6 th century CE, is awe-inspiring, and also thought-provoking. Over the years, I have visited the caves a number of times, and also attended a number of talks by experts in the fields of art, history and archaeology on the caves. Together, they help me understand these caves, their art, and the people they were created for, just a little bit better. Every new visit, every new talk, every new article I read about the caves, fleshes out the image of what the island and the caves would have been like, at their peak. I last wrote about the caves on this blog, in 2011, almost exactly 11 years ago. Since then, my understanding of the caves has, I would like to think, marginally improved. Hence this attempt to write a new and updated post, trying to bring to life, the caves of Elephan
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On the River at Wayanad

Walking in a tea plantation, s urrounded by the aromatic leaves, we watch women pluck them. Not one of them turns as we stroll by, such is their concentration. Or maybe they are simply used to visitors like us! We have walked in tea plantations before, but I have been promised that there is something different awaiting me.
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Book Review: The Karachi Deception by Shatrujeet Nath

Thrillers , especially spy thrillers hold a special fascination for me. I remember a time when my dreams were filled with me in the role of a spy, braving dangers and deception to serve my country. That, of course, was a long time ago. With the passage of time, the fascination for thrillers never quite passed, but as I discovered other genres, the enthusiasm lessened, though I still pick up the occasional thriller, mostly for the thrill of the adrenaline rush I get without having to move from my chair!
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Random Ramblings.....

Usually, when my blog shows signs of neglect, it is because I am travelling, or suffering from writer's block. This is the first time however, that I have genuinely had loads to write about and loads to share, been in the house, near a net connection, and yet been unable to write. My father-in-law passed away on the 10th of July. He was in the best of health, so it wasn't just unexpected, but also a shock for all of us. As we struggled to cope with the loss, I was struck with so many thoughts, I itched to pick up a pen and jot them down, but none were on hand, thanks to the state of our house (and of course, our mind).  Today, as I type, the rain is lashing outside. There is so much work to be done, but we aren't in the mood to do anything... just yet. I have so much to write, but the words refuse to come.  As I try to focus my thoughts and write about my travels, I realise that my mind is still filled with thoughts of another journey.... the last one we all t
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Wayanad - Journeying into the wild at Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary

“Are there tigers here? Will we see any wild animals? I don’t want to see just deer!” That was Samhith, protesting against our waiting in the long queue for the Jeep Safari at Muthanga Wildlife Sanctuary in Wayanad. Considering that he wasn’t even standing in the queue (it was our uncomplaining and patient guide doing so), his outburst wasn’t really justified, and I told him so. I reminded him of the Gaur and elephant we had seen in the forest en route to Wayanad, and reassured him that there were surely some wild animals in the jungle, and if he kept quiet and looked out for them, he would probably see some. Meanwhile, I kept my fingers crossed and prayed that we indeed would see something more interesting than ‘just deer’!
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Skywatch Friday - A little house

Stuck at home as the weekend approaches, t his is where I wish I was...... Nestled within a vast coffee estate, this tiny house looks inviting, doesn't it? I clicked this pic on our visit to a coffee estate at Coorg. For beautiful pics from around the world, visit the Skywatch Page .
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Book Review: Manto: Selected Short Stories, Translated by Aatish Taseer

I had heard of, but never read Manto before.  
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