Delhi- Agra – Jaipur — the golden triangle of India – popular amongst tourists, generally busy at all times of the year & home to many stories that have been told many times over. I have been going to Agra and Jaipur since the time I was a child. I have lived some 20 kms….
Category: Unabashed Uttar Pradesh (U.P.)
Pilibhit Tiger Reserve: Unbelievable, Untouched & Unexplored
India is home to more than 75% of wild tigers in the world today. While that might swell your chest with pride, don’t overlook the fact that we have been excessively reckless with our resources & gifts over the centuries. Back then when we were a country of many princely states where each king harboured…
Wo ek shaam, Benaras ki!
“Don’t you ever dare to book trips without consulting me. Who asked you anyway.” This was my father’s reaction when I had announced that I booked a trip to Benaras the next month. While I was processing his response which was way different than I had imagined. My mother added, “You think money grows on…
Ye Sheher Muskurata hai!
“I am going to buy Chikankari today itself”, I told myself, almost making it sound like a project, taking all the joy of shopping out of it. In another couple of hours, I was in Lucknow, waiting outside Dastarkhwan along with 20 other people. There were a variety of Kebabs, around me, happily marinating, placed…
Five places of evergreen tourism of my state, Uttar Pradesh
“Where do you come from? Delhi or Noida?” “Which part of Delhi do you come from?” When I answer, ‘Ghaziabad’ to these questions. I swear, their eyeballs bulge & tongues come out. People in Delhi & all the villages and cities around Delhi think that people from Ghaziabad dress in Black kurta-pyjama, speak in vernacular…
Of Incredible India: Asaf-ud-Daula & Bada Imam Bara of Lucknow
Unmatched Heritage, proud legacy, splendid stories, indigenous craft, envious art & architecture & delicious food – India is all that & more & this is precisely why India is incredible. In this series, we will bring the untold stories from the nooks and corners of the country, waiting to be heard. Stories from the forgotten…
Nosh Farmaiye ki aap Lucknow me Hain!
Nosh Farmaiye ki aap Lucknow me Hain! (meaning – Have a taste for you are in Lucknow, the capital of Uttar Pradesh). आस्मान की क्या है ताकत जो चुराये लखनऊ| लखनऊ मुज पर फिदा है, मा फिदा-ए-लखनऊ|| Not only for its heritage, culture, legacy and art, Lucknow is also popular for its food. Tunday Kabab,…
Where Lord Buddha gave his first sermon: Sarnath, Varanasi
“Buddham Sharnam Gachhami” They say that it was a fine evening in a spacious deer park. On the green grass, sat a group of monks, some 250kms. away from this humble place called ‘Bodhgaya’. That must be a special day. The air must have blown slowly and smoothly without making any sound. The tree must…
The not so talked about story of Fatehpur sikri!
I remember reading about ‘Buland Darwaza’ in History text books from class VII or VIII. The mention of ‘Buland Darwaza’ almost always is clubbed with the description of ‘Fatehpur Sikri’ just like the witty stories of Birbal, that are incomplete without the mention of Mughal emperor Akbar. Both go together! Also read: the highest gateway…
A wondrous morning & ‘Waah Taj’!
“Let the splendor of diamond, pearl, and ruby vanish like the magic shimmer of the rainbow. Only let this one tear-drop, this Tajmahal, glisten spotlessly bright on the cheek of time, forever and ever .” -Rabindranath Tagore More than three centuries ago, a muslim emperor built an ivory-white monument in the memory of his Persian…
The highest Gateway in the world: Buland Darwaza
“The world is a bridge, pass over it, but build no houses upon it”, reads the Persian inscription on the main gateway, Buland Darwaza. Akbar wanted to commemorate his conquest over Gujarat. He decided to do something extraordinary. Feasts were organized regularly & competitions were a regular affair, he wished to do something magnificent &…
Bare bodies and bare souls, Varanasi
We began with the Ghat where people were bathing and swimming like they were in a pool. A mere dip in the river was supposed to wash away their sins. However, the bare, unclad bodies did not bother anyone and no amount of constant stares could bring embarrassment to the subject.
Food walk down the lanes of Vrindavan, Mathura!
Julia Child once said, “People who love to eat are always the best people.” I took this way seriously. And I am adamant to become the best of the best which is why I eat, gorge & binge. I have been through sizes – from ‘S’ to ‘XL’ – back to ‘S’ & then ‘M’….
Full of Eerie: Chunar Fort, Mirzapur
The Assistant Director of Gangs of Wasseypur died while filming at Chunar Fort, Mirzapur. The local priest says that he continuously flouted the rules of the fort in spite of numerous warnings & thus met his fate. A travel enthusiast couple visits the fort & meets a guide who shows them the dungeons where they…
The dance of holy love and divine passion, Krishna Raasleela at Nidhivan, Vrindavan
‘Madhuvan Main Jo Kanhaiya Kisi Gopi Se Mile Kabhi Muskaaye Kabhee Chhede Kabhee Baat Kare Radha Kaise Na Jale, Radha Kaise Na Jale Aag Tan Man Me Lage Radha Kaise Na Jale, Radha Kaise Na Jale’ The decorated flute plays tunes of love, the peacock wing sways hither & thither, the surroundings are filled with…
11 ways to come closer to the divine in Vrindavan, Mathura!
I grew up watching Shri Krishna. I participated in the dramas that were organised on the eve of Janmashtami. I was frequently dressed as Kanha & a few times dressed as Radha; I remember that. Lord Krishna has always been a naughty figure of god – the one that taught us love. The one that…
The house of the Gods & the monkeys, Vrindavan.
Brindavan mein radhe radhe Sunrak gaon mein radhe radhe Kalideh per radhe radhe Adyedapat mein radhe radhe Taan gali mein radhe radhe Maan gali mein radhe radhe O’man gali mein radhe radhe Gokunj gali mein radhe radhe Siva kunj mein radhe radhe Prem gali mein radhe radhe Shringar bat mein radhe radhe Cheer ghat mein…
The white & the saffron of Vrindavan!
“There are over 6500 temples in Vrindavan. How many can you see in a day, Bhagat?“, said our guide to my father. This came as a response to my father’s naive question, “How many temples are there in Vrindavan? How long will it take to see them all ?” To ensure that we cover the maximum temple…
Magic in Marble: The Taj Mahal, Agra
No amount of words, no exceptional movie scenes & no description in History books can even remotely describe the beauty & magic that The Taj Mahal creates. Taj Mahal is instrumental in putting India on the global map of travel and tourism. It’s not only gorgeous but very mysterious. It’s said that the Taj changes shades…
Life on weekends- Home 