Travel Stories
How Cartier scented a San Francisco symphony: for Mint Lounge
The House of Cartier has created three scents that will perfume the San Francisco Symphony hall at three key points during the performance—but we are not certain how it will be achieved.
For Going.com on Kerala
A travel story about Kerala for a largely American audience
Luxury Bhutan: for The National, Abu Dhabi
I am crawling on all fours on a bund between the emerald paddy fields in Punakha Valley, Bhutan. Ahead is the fabled Mo Chu river. All around, perched on hillsides are Buddhist nunneries and monasteries, their prayer flags bringing to mind a Matisse print. This is Bhutan: carbon-negative, Buddhist and a pioneer in sustainable tourism. What I am after is neither Zen nor spiritual but a hoopoe, a stunning bird that is linked to wisdom in Farid ud-Din Attar’s wonderful poem, “The Conference of the Birds.” Birders come from all over the world to Bhutan for its extravagance of wildlife. This tiny country, about the size of Switzerland contains 774 species. In comparison, neighbouring India— nearly ten times the size— has just 1200 species.
For Mint Lounge India on Bhutan
Does thinking about death five times a day increase your happiness? The Bhutanese seem to think so. Throughout the mountain kingdom, death mixes with life in ways that are subtle, yet beautiful. Consider tsa tsas for instance. Families fashion these tiny stupa-like pyramids using clay mixed with– get this– ashes of dead relatives and leave them as roadside offerings. The ubiquitous prayer flags also memorialize the dead, as do some thangka paintings and chham dances. Funerals are communal affairs– since Buddhists believe in reincarnation, death itself is seen as a new beginning.
For Moneycontrol India on Bhutan
Ten experiences that you can do in Bhutan that are fun and unique to that country.
Hotel Review: andBeyond Bhutan
This is the first Asian outlet from andBeyond and, while more Asian properties are in the works, Punakha River Lodge has set a high benchmark.
Condenast Traveller India: Bangalore Beer
I am a relatively new beer drinker but the craft beers in Bangalore are fresh and terrific. This piece examines why Bangalore has become hub of beer in India.
Birding in Costa Rica: for Condenast Traveler US
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.
Mint Lounge India on Costa Rica
You have to know me to realize this, but something I did last month was pretty crazy. I mean, looking back, it was wonderful. But when I actually did it-- I mean, talk about insanity.
Latest Articles
The cult that conquers: Hindustan Times
It is December in Bangalore. Finally, the bean that Bangaloreans wait for, and celebrate with a josh that is akin to how Delhiites celebrate the musk melon or how the whole country celebrates the mango during the summer.
Poem: Silence: in the DMQ Review
This poem was nominated for the Pushcart Prize. I am pinching myself. I had submitted it to the DMQ Review, which published it and later nominated it. Details in the post.
Annual Street Fairs: Hindustan Times
This is what I love about living in Bangalore. Amidst this tech-driven startup-city lies an agrarian festival that has somehow survived and thrived.
St. Mary’s Feast: Hindustan Times
I stand amidst the devout at St. Mary’s Basilica in Shivaji Nagar. We are gathered here to celebrate Mother Mary’s birthday.
Karnataka Rajyotsava: for Hindustan Times
Underneath the pomp of the Karnataka Rajyotsava lies a frustrating truth, and this is something every Bangalorean knows.
Poem: Indestructible: Southword
This poem was published in Southword: New International Writing. This is a print literary journal published twice a year by the Munster Literature Centre.
When you tire of Diwali taash parties and laddus
Around Diwali time, when I have eaten more motichur laddus and murukkus than I can resist, I think of ragi mudde, mainly because it is the healthiest food that I know.
Poem: Braided Rivers: in Indian Literature
This poem was published in Indian Literature, a bimonthly publication of India's Sahitya Akademi
Is it nutrition or a delicacy?
There is no polite way to say this and I might be burned on the stake for saying so but hey, is it a protein or a delicacy?
