The Potion
When we were little, my brother and I dreaded falling ill. Not because of the fever that gave us chills or the cough that made our ribs hurt or a million visits to the bathroom that left us dehydrated. … Read the rest
Finding Graham
The year is 1936. The Dutta family from Sylhet ( then undivided India, now part of Bangladesh ) were proud of their son, Ramesh. He had studied and graduated in Geology from Presidency College, Calcutta.
The shining light … Read the rest
The Mughal Mallika of Hindustan: The then and now of Noor Jahan
My love for Noor Jahan[note]Mughal Queen married to the fourth Emperor Jehangir. She was his last wife. She died in 1645, 18 years after her husband[/note] started over a decade ago. It is probably why I go the extra mile … Read the rest
Belgrade
I traveled to Belgrade in February carrying the information that a first time visitor to the city would normally have – the confluence of two rivers, Sava and Danube, old fortress, museums, squares, temple, a mausoleum and the unmissable Knez… Read the rest
All in a Flash Flood
It’s August 2010 and I’m in a village called Domkhar Barma half way up the Domkhar Valley, western Ladakh. The mountain river coming from the snowmelt higher up the valley divides the village with a few houses on the far … Read the rest
Jenny wants to Sing
The song draws to a close. We are a small group sitting, mostly cross legged, on the floor of a Tibetan Buddhist shrine room which somehow feels golden, with glorious, colourful Tibetan art on the walls and surrounded by statues … Read the rest
Bakshi Barir Pujo: An Old Custom and its Storied History
The penchant for witnessing a traditional ’bonedi-bari’[note]An aristocratic home, associated with traditionally refined landowning families[/note]Durga puja[note]The autumnal festival dedicated to the invocation of goddess Durga. Puja means worship [/note] in recent years probably arises out … Read the rest
Love, Loss and Objects from the Past
Smile – and the world smiles with you. Grieve – and you grieve alone.
These had been the words I had somehow memorized in my childhood when I first went to school. It was a school run by Catholic nuns. … Read the rest
The Mere Tale of an Er….
‘Everyone thinks that they have the best dog and none of them is wrong’
On one rainy day, the tiny tots of the family caught me unawares. “Do tell us a story please…..!”
Oh sure, let me start. Once upon … Read the rest