‘A thousand years of silence in a goblet of calcareous blue, of distance and moon, fashioned of the bare geography of night.’ I remembered the words of Pablo Neruda, the great Chilean poet as I stood in the desert, watching the wind mould the sands of Thar. The morning sun cast a golden glow over […]

The lake shimmered in the afternoon sun. As the water lapped against the boat, I sat back and closed my eyes, enjoying the brief respite from the heat in the middle of Lake Pichola. I was in Udaipur, which has often been called the Venice of the east, and not without reason. Udaipur is a […]

The red and green enamel whispered against my skin as I fastened the necklace around my throat. In the mirror, the diamonds, the size of small pebbles, shone brightly. Though it looked like a necklace composed solely of diamonds and gold, on the back was a brilliant design of flowers and leaves. As per traditional […]

The pale red stone monument seemed golden in the morning light. It made for a beautiful sight – tall, proud and immeasurably patriotic. Tourists, like me, thronged around the area, marvelling at this British monument which has now become a symbol of everything India. Even so, it filled my heart with pride – and grief […]

The fort appeared tall and majestic. A sea of red against the myriad colours of the city. I craned my neck to examine the tall gate as we walked towards the entrance to the fort. Lahori gate, the imposing, beautiful flame-coloured entrance to the fort towered over me. I was in the majestic city of […]