The Impulsive Traveller

The biting chill, the cloudy skies with only a dirty cloak to cover the urchin's shivering body...nose watering and running like the flowing water of the Dal lake where he rows his shikara...to reach his school...torn boots and hungry eyes....this is our paradise on earth...and we talk of retaining our heaven...Have lost my heart to these small chi ldren there...and as for the government they can keep sending convoys after convoys of soldiers and garrisons...lets feel the heart of this land to help...its also in our hands

As soon as the bleak morning sun streamed through the thick window curtains, my eyes flickered and opened to the sound of the chugging and pulling train. Heavy-headed from the long night's sleep, I pulled up myself and drew back the curtains to see that which took my breath away. I was speeding across a beautiful, serene river, the rising red disc of the sun's rays perpendicularly reflected on the placid waves, forming a kaleidoscope of  mirages and tiny drops of light. I could see in the horizon, a single shaft of a boat on which a fisherman was tugging along his line in hope for a good catch at the wee hour of the morning. The river was foliaged and fringed on the two sides by tall coconut tree bowing towards the river in all their humility, made the landscape so enduring. As I write this piece, I realize that the train journey from Mumbai to Kochi has sixty four such rivers, big or small that are dotted with the tropical v...

The whiteout around us circled and blinded us as we climbed the slopes of Himalayan peaks in our Travera that was our lifeline here in Srinagar....The untimely snow in the the higher ranges of the Himalayas had caught all tourists unaware in the month of April...but this place was a lure inexplicable...This was Gulmarg which was covered with ten feet of snow... In this haze of snow that lay everywhere like a sheer white cloth on mother earth, we were nearing unknown land and unending sea of snow..when suddenly we saw a crowd in the distance and as we neared further, we saw a bunch of earlier invisible tourist crowd...We breathed a sigh of relief on seeing signs of life as we were venturing into unknown territory and we didn't know what to expect... This was a small market place with a difference...the small shops boasted of the best boots, socks, gloves and furry coats on rent! and you didn't have a choice but to hire these commodities whether you had these on or not. Th...

Times have come to naught it would seem! This apathy factor of everyone around us― we are just not bothered about others….whether someone lies bleeding on the road or a robber runs away with stuff or someone guns down a person in broad day light….what are we doing as spectators and why aren’t we moved enough? Why? Why? I have donned the task of a ‘cop’ going around the sultry summer sun in the busy market place, questioning onlookers or even hawkers, trying to find out who stole my laptop….. The day was full of activities...the housemaid didn't turn up on time so I set about completing my household chores trying to meet the deadline. Like an automaton I managed to complete washing, swabbing and cleaning on time. As soon as I procured the car keys from inside the drawers, hung my laptop around my shoulders and my lunch box and went down the steps two at a time to my car...it was already 10 AM and I had to be in office by 11! I decided to call office to inform that I would be in lat...

THE CLASS ACT A paramount part of her life was spent here in Pune. She did her Pre-University from Wadia College, and went on to complete her degree in Applied Arts from Paris when her father was sent there on an Ordnance mission. Anupama Singh is one of the eighteen artists in India to be chosen by United Nations Development Project (UNDP) to work with a plethora of artisans spread far and wide in remote places of the country. A rare combination of pen and sword has guided her through life’s journey. Anupama Singh’s father was a celebrated Army Officer and mother, Prabhjyot Kaur is still a renowned Punjabi novelist whose writings are inspirational and find their markings in every Punjabi literary record. Anupama’s artistic talents came to the fore at a very young age with her parents encouraging both the sisters to pick up fine arts. “At a young age my sister and I had been encouraged to hone our skills in every aspect of art and crafts,” she reminisces. “Although my father h...

A TIMELESS EXCURSION The land of Sandalwood, Elephants and Coffee ! the Deccan heartland holds many topographical and natural wonders. As my hired car sped past the Western Ranges, I wondered at nature’s miracle. Thick foliage on both sides with small springs rising from small cracks and crevices on the rocks, interspersed at regular intervals. The road looked down menacingly down on the right. I was headed towards Hampi – my destination, a 350 Km drive from Bangalore, the ‘Silicon valley’ of Indian. Learing behind the hub ub of modern civilisation. I was heading for an excursion back in time. Hampi has been declared one of the world heritage Monuments of India. The 14th century capital city of the Hindu Kings called Vijaynagar Empire lies in the plateau, in the state of Karnataka. The ruins, excavated recently spread over an area of more than 26 Sq Kms, protected by the tempestuous Tungabhadra river in the north and by rocky granite ridges on the three sides. A terrain such as this wa...