The smoke from his chillum rose high and then merged with the fumes from the aarti. Right next to it, was the Kathak dancer performing a chakkar – all to the tune of tabla. I felt the essence of Banaras through these moments – all captured in the magnificent Varanasi street art. Visiting one of … Read more
If you are in one of the oldest continuously inhabited city in the world and are short of time, all you have to do is go along its lifeline. This is precisely what I got to do in that one day that I spent in Varanasi. Going along the Varanasi Ghats along the River Ganga … Read more
Was it right or left? And did one go up the stairs or past it? The Bhool Bhulaiya in Bara Imambara Lucknow tended to baffle the best. “It’s pretty impossible to get out of that maze without help” – That is what my friend told me after threw up a challenge at me. This was … Read more
If the Bara Imambara in Lucknow was about the brilliance of the dark, twisted passages of the crypt – Bhool Bhulaiya, then visiting its younger cousin was all about a glittering jewel of the night. The Chota Imambara did not pale in comparison to its giant predecessor. It, in fact, shone brilliantly in the depths … Read more
“You might get lost if we get to the Kumbh Mela. There are just too many people“. These were the words of a harried mom when I was a child expressing a wish to see this rare festival. In fact, she repeated the same when I told her that I was going to the Kumbh … Read more
Summer or Winter, every visit to the “City of Nawabs” had me gripped with its amazing history, delightful art, colorful culture & yummy food. The capital of Uttar Pradesh has something for everyone – so much that you might find that two days are not enough to enjoy it all. You might ask me what … Read more
With the heritage trot through Old Lucknow, you might have got a glimpse of its history that extends beyond the Nawabs. The Hussainabad Ghanta Ghar to be precise, is what might have given it off. In case you have missed what this is about, take a peek at my last post on the Heritage Lucknow.You … Read more
The one thing that seemed pretty strange to me when I walked around Lucknow is that none of the heritage monuments I saw were palaces. Given the grand structures like the Bara Imambara, Rumi Darwaza and Chota Imambara, I expected to stumble upon the majestic residences of the Nawab. However, as fate be, almost all … Read more
While the Bara Imambara, the Residency and Chota Imambara is there on almost every visitor’s list of attractions in Lucknow, it is time to add a few offbeat places to this list. Last week I shared my heritage walk of Kaiserbagh which I am sure you have already included to your itinerary. This week, you … Read more
Whether you are a connoisseur of food or arts or heritage – there is no missing the epic city of the Nawabs – Lucknow. If you leave out the food bit, then the other two are what appeal to me. This was the city that popularized my chosen form of dance – Kathak and one … Read more
If it is your first time in India, there is no missing the Taj Mahal. For that matter, for those of us in India, if you are in Agra, there is no missing this monument either, even if you have seen it umpteen times. Naturally, if our last stop of the Indo-Nepal Road trip Indo-Nepal … Read more
It had been several years, rather over 2 decades that I had visited the Red Fort in Agra – popularly referred to as Agra Fort. Naturally, when an opportunity presented itself in form of Agra being a pit stop on our return from the Indo-Nepal trip, I was keen to refresh my memories.Agra Fort seemed … Read more
