Did god create the beautiful land first and then peopled it with a tribe to match? Or did He do it the other way around? A niggling question when you are in Nagaland. My initiation to the charm took place outside Kohima – with yummy-ripe pineapples and a sleepy smile by the roadside. I was miles away from the capital city where I was headed to for the Hornbill Festival. We stopped by one of the numerous wayside stalls mounted with seasonal pineapples and began checking out the yellow-golden fruits
A Father’s Day Special – for that great guy who first put my hand to wheels, who made travel grow on me. And who still drives with two chairs so that he and mom can sit and take in the scenery wherever. After my studies, after I got my first job, after my first marriage, my dad told me a secret. “Your mom and me, we had a love marriage.” It was also a full 15 years after I first knew about it. In fact, I had known it all
On Ugadi day if you are in Andhra Pradesh you won’t be able to spot a single mango tree without somebody on it. This day of Telugu New Year – March 23rd this year – is also the harbinger of the mango season. The Hyderabadis love their mangoes. When I say love, they really dig it. The way the grandma loved pancakes. My brother-in-law, a Reddy, when he sits down to eat mangoes, he sits down with a bucket full. No kidding. Quite appropriately their New Year is all about
Maheshwor Shrestha, like several thousand other youngsters like him, came back from the Gulf when prospects there dimmed. He returned to hometown, Gungapur in Kathmandu, Nepal, to pursue his dreams of starting a restaurant. And to marry his childhood sweetheart – a courtship that lasted for 13 years and ‘quite a lot of convincing’ as Maheshwor says. Maheshwor is one of the growing breed of aware youngsters of Nepal – those who believe in their motherland and her capabilities. They take immense pride in their cultural and traditional heritage. Despite
The winding road set in the midst of a coniferous forest was a continuing reminder of the place I was leaving behind. Definitely, Nagarkot was cleaner and greener, above all, quieter. If you are looking for quality time introspecting or bonding, then you have to be away from the hubbub of Kathmandu. And the quickest getaway is Nagarkot. From the cooler climes of the verdant heights, I reached the warmer and definitely shriller plains of Kathmandu. The capital of Nepal was overflowing with life, the energy is contagious and the
Most of us urbanites find forests irresistible. For my part, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave Chitwan. So I asked at the Unique Resorts, where I was staying, to arrange for me one last ride through the forest. Niranjan, the mahout, came with his black beauty, Champakali, an intelligent, frisky hulk with twinkling, naughty eyes. With the dawn just breaking across an argent-blue sky, I sucked in the dewy freshness that lay like a halo over the forest. I trampled through the swampy marshlands, with the moist-laden tall grass
A clear dawn descended, typical of a tropical zone like the Terai where the Chitwan National Park was located. On Mahendra’s recommendation, I decided to go for a canoe ride around the forest to try my luck at spotting some of the famed wildlife. Spotting wildlife, rather trying to, seemed to be the buzzword here. It was only seven in the morning and Mahendra was waiting at the boat jetty; I never doubted his energy and enthusiasm. One sinewy heave-ho from our boatman and we were off. The ride gave
If Pokhara was an escape, Chitwan was supposed to be better – an escape into the wild. I headed to the former hunting reserve of the ruling dynasty and one of the few remaining tall grassland habitats in the world. Here I would be watching an enthralling sunset, canoeing close to crocodiles and generally getting closer to Nature. The bus station in Pokhara was brimming with other tourists who were also Chitwan-bound. My baggage was secured against the bumpy ride and possible rain. Fresh-baked rolls and croissants rattled into paper
Pokhara is a quaint little tourist town which is not really in a rush to get up and get going any given morning. Tourism was a late entrant in Pokhara and till the 60s, the town was accessible only by foot. Most of the valley was meandering fertile fields which gave way for haphazard development. The Fewa Lake is the hub of all tourism in Pokhara. Commercial fishing is allowed in the lake which is a source of livelihood for many locals. Water from the lake is used for irrigation
The city lights and the sights had taken its toll. I was by now ready to give my right hand for some peace and quiet. You need peace? Then go to Pokhara! Nobody actually said it. But nevertheless, it seemed a good idea. Pokhara Valley lies close to 200 kilometres to the west of Kathmandu. By road it takes the better part of a day as the roads in Nepal are nothing much to write home about. Flight takes just half an hour and you arrive even before you get
