Latest Articles
Poem: Meteorite: in Indian Literature
Published in Indian Literature Issue 342. Sahitya Akademi’s bimonthly journal July-August 2024Life in India involves being constantly interrupted by doorbells and questions. This poem is a response to these interruptions.
Hindustan Times: Bangalore’s lakes
Recently, I saw the premiere of “My Otter Diary” by acclaimed wildlife filmmaker and National Geographic Fellow, Sugandhi Gadadhar and her producer-husband Rana (Raghunath) Belur. Through the film, I got to know the river Kaveri in all her glory. Kaveri looms large in the minds of this city and state. For Kodavas in particular, Kaveri is their home and reigning patron goddess. Which made me wonder, is it because of the river Kaveri that Bangaloreans love their lakes so much?
Poem: a rakish yogi plays water polo: in The Seraphic Review
This poem was published in The Seraphic Review, Issue 3. February 2024. This poem came from a dream that I had. The most vivid part of that dream was the man tossing a bundle of firecrackers at a woman and they are knee deep in water.
Poem: Primordial Snout: in Marrow Magazine
This poem was published in Marrow Magazine, Issue 16 on June 6, 2025. It is based on one of the many street processions that I watch in Bangalore. I follow these processions because the drumbeats, music, and costumes excite me.
Hindustan Times: Cricket, Garbage, Karaga
Is Bangalore the worst municipality in the country? Living in this city, it certainly feels like it. There is so much to be angry about in Bangalore these days. Cricket fans have died in a stampede and still the state government is passing the buck, scapegoating officers so that they can escape blame.
Wisdom Circle: Soul Tribe
A soul-tribe is a close-knit group of people who truly understand and support you beyond superficial connections. In today’s digital age, cultivating these authentic relationships is essential for emotional well-being and personal growth.
Hindustan Times: Kannada language
Let me just come out and say it: Kannada-dalli maathadi. Which is like saying, Hindi mein baath kijiye. Or Tamizh-pesu. I have chosen these three languages for a reason. This week, actor Kamal Haasan offered up a third instance of folks being caught in a Kannada language controversy. The players may be different but the script is the same.
Hindustan Times: Bangalore’s Youth
The humanities humanize us. They make us care. They allow for empathy. If you are sitting in a cubicle, you won’t care about the woman wading through water.
WisdomCircle: Lifelines Part 1
Who are the people you call in a crisis? Not the “car broke down on the highway” type of crisis although that’s bad enough. If something truly awful happened — like your marriage falling apart, or your loved one contracting a life-threatening illness — who would you dial first?
Travel Stories (my favourite type of writing)
Old favourites that I wrote for Condenast Traveler (US edition)
Condenast Traveler US: Costa Rica
We were in Monteverde, the second leg of my family's eight-day-trip through Costa Rica. Our itinerary was tight. We would fly into San José, the capital, rent a car, and drive the La Fortuna region where the dormant Arenal volcano loomed over the landscape like a benevolent pyramid. From there it would be onward to Monteverde, one of the last remaining cloud forests in the world. Finally we'd head to Jaco beach, beloved to surfers, before flying ‘home’ to San Francisco.
For Condenast Traveler US on China
I have come to China from my home in Bangalore, India, to find a tai chi teacher. My pursuit of tai chi has been punctuated by such cultural challenges. When I informed my conservative Indian family that I was interested in tai chi, they were appalled. Why was their Indian child, heir to an ancient and proud tradition of yoga leaning toward an alien discipline?
Singapore fling
Staid, chaste, strict, small—Singapore has heard it all. But this island-nation of 4.2 million people has one thing going for it (many things, actually, but we'll get to that later): Singapore is a sure fling. Having lived in Singapore for two years, I have returned wanting to revel in it as a tourist—to see it all and do it all within forty-eight hours.
For Condenast Traveler US on Japan
I have come to Japan to learn about allure. I’ve been married for seventeen years, and while my marriage isn’t falling apart, it is fraying at the edges. So I have come to Japan to learn about feminine allure from its acknowledged masters: the geisha. Geisha were created to pamper men—but they were also the freest women in old Japan.
For Condenast Traveler US on Mumbai
I am going to Bombay to become a movie star. Why not? Every country in the world, if it is lucky, has a city that allows people to create such gauzy fantasies unfettered by the grim shackles of reality. They thrive and inspire, catalyze personal transformations and fuel creativity, not through wide-open spaces but through vibrant congestion.
For Condenast Traveler US on Goa
Once a hippie haven where even India's tightly chaperoned teens could turn on, tune in, and drop out, Goa has lately gone upscale. Living in a trading port for the Greeks, Romans, Arabs, and Europeans meant that Goans were forced to interact with the outside world far earlier than the average Indian. This has made them friendly but not overly curious about foreigners.
For Condenast Traveler US on Scuba Diving
I don't want to write about this place. Few people know of it; fewer still visit. Perhaps that's the way it should be. In this rapidly shrinking world, there ought to be somewhere that remains remote, even obscure; set apart in space and time; offering the promise of mystery, the romance of discovery. Lakshadweep—the name comes out in a sigh.
For Condenast Traveler US on bargaining
The thought occurred as I eyed a stunning Persian carpet in a downtown Manhattan shop. The Mogul-inspired piece looked terrific but cost thousands more than I wanted to pay. The smile on the manager's face suggested that he was willing to bargain. But where to begin? Middle age brings with it the sobering realization that you can actually learn something from your mother.
For Condenast Traveler US on Cambodia and Laos
Cambodia is like a lotus bud concealing an onion—serene on the surface but eliciting tears as you peel back the layers. The scale of the Angkor temples contrast with the photos of skulls in the Genocide Museum. The peace of a Buddhist monastery gives way to the raucous din of tuk–tuks. I am in Cambodia to meet a monk and to travel the Mekong.