THE HAMPI EXPERIENCE

Virupaksha Temple Complex

Hampi has been in my ‘must visit places’ list for some time now and with a long weekend, I could finally make it! A world UNESCO site, Hampi (former capital of the Vijayanagar Empire) was one of the richest cities in the world at its prime. It is an idyllic town, with the skeletal remains of what once was a thriving city.

RANDOM RAMBLINGS: MY SUITCASE

 My life in a suitcase, never to unpack-
Always ready to to 'go'. Where to? I don't know...
Until I reach somewhere...Am I meant to be there?
for the time being I think...
But do I belong there?
No idea..Maybe I do, yea..just maybe..

STREET SHOPPING LOVES

OH! how I love street shopping! And whenever I'm in Kolkata, Hati Bagan is a must visit for me. I get most of my accessories from there. But you just don't get jewelry in Hati Bagan.

ALL THINGS GO

Sufjan Stevens is one of my fav artists ever..I was listening to his newly released album today and as usual most of the tracks were amazing! What I love about his music is the fact that he talks about the little things in life. Everyone seems to drone on about the big picture and all things grand and shinny. Who's got time for the little things, huh? Well, not this guy..at least that's what I think..I mean, he appreciates a girl's croquet skills (Futile Devices), he sells his clothes for freedom (Chicago) and he notices how in the morning, through the window shade, the light presses up against Casimir Pulaski's shoulder blade while she sits reading a book...you get the drift, yeah?  

THINK RIGHT...YA?

HAPPY DIWALI!

The festival of lights is here. I feel blessed to have my mum and bro with me in my new home in Bangalore, for Diwali. We've been having a pretty rough time, with the cyclone Hud Hud, which has practically devastated my home town Vizag. Our house is in a bad state, windows broken, balcony railings broken, trees gone, no electricity...Dad had to rush down to Vizag from Calcutta (where my family is presently based) to try and fix things. And hence he couldn't make it Bangalore. Missing you, Baba. On the bright side, things are improving in the city very quickly. Semblance of normalcy has been achieved. Electricity and telephone lines are almost restored. Thank god for that!

COUNTDOWN BEGINS!

The countdown begins! Durga Pujo is just a month away! Yeaaa! It's such an exciting time of the year, especially for us Bengalis. Kolkata right now is preparing for Ma Durga's arrival, in full swing.

DON'T REGRET

Been almost a month already. New city, new job, new house, new everything! Was the whole shift worth it? Well, only time will tell..so far so good, though! And that's all one can hope for..living away from your family, moving out of your comfort zone, testing yourself...can be tough..but it feels good at the end of the day! There's definitely a sense of achievement. Just ticking off another thing from my "to do" list, I guess...

DREAM A LITTLE DREAM

There are some dreams which I fervently wish I could capture and bottle'em up forever. Sometimes they are vivid and sometimes things are blurry, but only the feeling is left...like an aftermath.

MEMORY LANE

England will always hold a special place in my heart.I grew up reading the books of Enid Blyton, Roald Dahl and Jane Austen and watching movies like Marry Poppins. So obviously, I went searching for all the lovely things that Miss Blyton had described in her oh so lovely books! The lush green meadows, the daisies, girls in pretty lace frocks and hats on a glorious summer day, charming ladies in the park with picnic baskets full of goodies like freshly baked cakes and biscuits, sandwiches, and strawberries with whipped cream....ahhh...

DOORS AGAIN

Some more interesting doors...

SUMMER FRUITS

I'm a bit fussy when it comes to fruits, I’m sorry to say. I mean, come on, who likes sour oranges or grapes! And I like trying new stuff. For example, I loved the ‘Dragon fruit’, which I tried in England. It’s so amazing to think that it’s actually a cactus fruit! We rarely find it here in Calcutta and it’s darn costly too. But some of my local favs are the ‘Rattling Rose Apple’, colloquially "Gulab Jaam", the Wax Apple i.e. Jamrul and the Musk Melon or Kharmuja. 

Ever get that feeling? When you smell something amazing and you wish that you could just eat it up? Well, I get it whenever I smell a rose! And Nature's solution to this problem of mine comes in the form of the Rattling Rose apple. It’s subtle, delicate and tastes like rose. Perfect! And the Wax Apple, so pretty to look at and it tastes just like summer! 

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: DOORS

There's something about these rusty old doors and window (some wooden, some iron) that's so alluring. I found these beauties during my travels in India.

TRAVEL PHTOGRAPHY- VARANASI

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY- BISHNUPUR

Went to 'Bishnupur' (which is a small historic town in the state of West Bengal, India) last weekend with my family. Its known for it amazing Terracotta temples, which were made around the 16-17th century under the rule of the Malla kings. I was mesmerized by the beauty of these structures and the exquisite artistry of the craftsmen of the region. We hired a cab from Calcutta and drove to Bishnupur (though I would recommend anyone planning a similar trip, to take the train, as its much more comfortable), via Tarakeshwar ( known for the famous Shiva temple), Jayrambati (birth place of Sree Sharada Devi) and Kamarpukur (birthplace of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa). Being reluctant followers/believers of organised religion, we just couldn't get ourselves to go through the whole business of hiring a 'panda' (people who make sure you get a personal 'darshan' i.e to see the deity in the temple). Plus it was kinda icky-mucky...so I decided not to go inside, while the rest of my family braved on...Anyhoo, waited outside with my brother Sid, until my Dad came back from the temple. And behold! I see a nice little yellow colored snake in the pond swimming right in my direction(or so it seemed like!). Luckily, I managed to take a few snaps of him. It was quite an ironic experience for me because snakes are considered to be Lord Shiva's Vahana. So, in a way, or at least I believe, I got a personalized 'Darshan'!