The Journey to Chilapata Begins Travelling to Chilapata National Park was an impulsive decision. Nevertheless, I will always be thankful for all such impulses that lead me into wondrous worlds which I would have otherwise been oblivious to. We boarded the 8.20 pm KanchanKanya Express hopeful of energising ourselves and rising from the urban stupor that was fast enclosing us in its deathly grip. We desperately wanted to be thrown into lush greenery and spend 3 days in serene bliss. However, what we got was more than the ordinary ‘bliss’ that…
Year: 2018
Andharban Jungle Trek and a Gang of Girls
Andharban Jungle Trek – The Jumpy Start A surreal rattle was drumming a shrill jingle in my heart as I paced the empty lane which was marked as my pickup point. I was on my way to my first ever solo trek in one of the most amazing forest patches gracing this beautiful planet. I wanted myself to believe I could do it. The Andharban Jungle trek was yet to start and I was already throbbing with excitement. The Andharban Jungle Trek was marked with a lot of slips –…
Ranikhet – Tales from the Queen’s Meadow
Travelling to Ranikhet in the summer of 2016 It was the peak of summers and Gurgaon was boiling. We needed a respite from the grime and sweat and from our own flaring tempers. The hills around Ranikhet in Uttarakhand were alive with the peace we were craving for. So we surrendered unabashed to its allure only to return excited, energized and euphoric. With the numerous choices laid bare owing to the locational advantages of Delhi, we had a difficult time making our selection. We chose Ranikhet because we were enticed…
Short Story – The Room Below
The Fear Mira was scared. They seemed to be all over the place. The men in white wearing stiff black caps with huge black pistols hugging their waists. She did not know why but the sight of uniformed police men swarming her neighbour’s compound made her go cold. “There! There! Can you see his legs hanging? Can you see it Mira?” Latika, her maid, was pointing out to her excitedly. “Stop it Latika!” her mother had chided the maid. “Take Mira downstairs. Can’t you see she is scared?” Saddened at…
Uttarakhand Hikes – On the Serpent’s Trail
Uttarakhand Hikes – Exploring the Dhaulinag Temple We count the hike to Dhaulinag temple as one of our most exciting Uttarakhand Hikes. Our stay in Vijaypur, Uttarakhand, was quite an eventful experience to say the least of it. It was spiked with allergy bites, back breaking falls (which still makes it difficult for me to remain seated for long), a swim in the boisterous mountain rivers, overturning of Kayaks and many more. On the whole it was exhilarating, exasperating and ecstatic. Though difficult to believe, but it was stupendously stress relieving.…
Chestnut Grove Himalayan Lodge – Hotel Review
The Bell Beneath the Chestnuts Nestled snugly in a thick grove of green chestnut trees, The Chestnut Grove Himalayan Lodge is truly a traveler’s delight. Located strategically between Bageshwar and Chaukori in the sleepy hamlet of Vijaypur, in the Kumaon region of Uttarakhand, Chestnut Grove receives a motley footfall during season and even during off-season. Most use this as a night halt enroute to Munshiyari and then decide to stay on for another day. Tourists also stop over on their way back. For us however, it was a 6 night stand and an experience which we…
How the Rainbow got its colours
Listen to the story about how the beautiful rainbow got its colours the sky on my Youtube Channel Tales for Tots – Where Tales come to life Read the full story on how the Rainbow got its colors here: Rainbow Colors for the Sky Once upon a time there lived a little boy called Joy who loved to play with colours. He coloured the white walls of his house with a beautiful pink like the bouganvilleas in his garden, the brown roof of their gardening shed a bright green…
How the Cactus got its thorns
The story about how the Cactus got its thorns begins when… A long time ago, in a far away land there was a huge forest. It was green and lush and filled with juicy fruits and beautiful flowers. The fragrance of those flowers filled the surrounding areas with a beautiful perfume. In the middle of the forest there lived a big mountain. He was a huge mound of rock. He was covered with a thick rich coat of velvety moss that was Emerald green in color and looked very grand.…
Short Story – The Chant of Faith
Short story about a doctor’s trust in Faith She pushed in the needle well aware that a bad stitch would leave the child scarred for life. “Does that hurt sweetie?” crooned the mother standing behind her. The child lay still before Amrita, eyes brimming with tears. She was not looking at her mother. Her eyes were fixed on Amrita, searching. Amrita knew that glance. Her patients would always look at her at moments such as these and she would placate them. She smiled back looking deep into her eyes while…
The King’s Offering
Mohan settled down in his usual place near the traffic signal. He looked up and realised she was still there on the other side of the road. He averted his eyes quickly though not before she had shifted her gaze too. It seemed that neither could face each other – the little girl in a worn down printed dress and the one- armed beggar. The father and the daughter. He willed her to leave but knew she would be there till he was done. It was the same everyday ever…
