India

Megha Majumdar’s debut novel A Burning is literally setting the world ablaze with its rave reviews. The praise is so universal that I hesitated a bit before opening its pages. What if it did not live up to the hype, or worse, what if it mishandled the geopolitics that dominate today’s India? I need not have worried. Through the stories of Jivan, Lovely, and PT Sir, Majumdar weaves an intricate human drama that touches on a myriad…

If there is one defining image of India that is recognizable worldwide then it would be that of The Taj Mahal. Identified by epitaphs such as “The Monument of Love”, “7th New Wonder of the world’ and so on, this marble marvel is often the #1 item on the bucket list of Indian tourism. An estimated 7 to 8 million (!) people visit Agra every year to see the Taj Mahal. And while the mausoleum…

Once you get over the shock of crowds, the humidity and the tangy sea breeze mixed with the smell of dead fish and sewage that permeates this megapolis, it is easier to open your mind to what Mumbai offers. To make sense of this vast throbbing mass of life you have to get to know it from the ground up and like all great cities of the world, the best way to discover Mumbai’s neighborhoods…

In 2011, my mother traveled half way across the world to spend some quality time with us. This was her first time ever in the US and I thought it was interesting to see what she thinks of this place. So I present, her take on the ways of America after spending a few weeks here.  You can also follow her on her blog On the Top of my Mind . Her guest post below: ——————————————————————–…

Rolling hills, coffee plantations, waterfalls and vivid green landscape–the district of Coorg is the perfect little tropical paradise that offers a welcome break from the craziness that is now Bangalore. The best way to get here is by a car/taxi or multiple bus services on offer by travel operators and the state transport services from Bangalore. Here is our list of 7 things to do when you get there : 1. Lodging at a homestay Being…

Reposting on #throwbackthursday about our trip to Shimla when we were much younger :)! Guest post by Kapil Sood For 9 to 5ers like us, the travel bug bites us ever so often and then one has to get away. One such time was the summer of 2009 when we decided to head to the hill station of Shimla – an extremely popular, populated, and touristy travel destination in northern India. So what’s so great…

About 100 km from the metropolis of Hyderabad, lies a little town by the name of Medak. It’s no different from any other small dusty town in Southern India, except it is home to the largest Diocese church in Asia. The short two-hour drive on Medchal highway (NH-7) is made easy by the good roads and in India that counts for something. If it’s the right season, you may be lucky to get excellent views…

I will start with the obvious. PINK is not just a movie but a social commentary, and is done really, really well. It’s the movie that will hopefully impact the discussion on sexual consent for years to come. At the least, it will bring this discussion to your living rooms. If you haven’t seen the movie, stop reading this review and go watch it. The plot is straightforward enough. Three girls, Minal, Falak and Andrea,…