Of People and Places

To the lighthouse Up, up, all the way up. The dizzying spiral never comes to an end. You hold on to the railing for balance, and then you look down and you gasp! Your climb to the top is not without its rewards. Where else would you feel on top of the world; the sea – your kingdom, the colorful boats in its eddies – your subjects. You are high enough to get a bird’s eye view of the birds! I see a family of kites and their nest in one of the trees below. There’s a delightful little stream that has escaped from the beach, like a naughty child, and made inroads into the sand. The vast sense of scale, of space in the Arabian Sea is mesmerizing. If you look closely you might spot dolphins shimmering in the sunlight as they discreetly find their way to the surface. I am atop Kapu lighthouse, a 115 year old heritage lighthouse a few kilometers inland from the quaint town of Kapu near Udupi in Karnataka. It is a functional lighthouse over the choppy Arabian Sea, having guided...

Art on the train Digital illustration is not in my comfort zone so thought I'd take a shot at it :) There was a little girl on my train once She colored a man yellow Took my sketchbook and my markers While an old passenger did bellow “She’s ruining your book, Don’t give it to her Whoever heard of a real live man Being colored completely yellow!” The girl looked at me worried Waiting for a rebuke I just looked at her and smiled So she went back to my sketchbook. She next drew me a landscape A town of yellow houses A four coloured rainbow with two clouds In bold lines without pauses. “Have you ever seen houses so tawdry So out of whack and childish?” The old man scolded and grumbled We paid no heed and enjoyed ourselves While the train in the tunnel rumbled. This was an annoying encounter for me on the train from Hoshangabad to Bangalore. I have met a great many kids in my train journeys and invariably,when they see my sk...

On a recent trip to Maharashtra, I saw this kaka and kaki at the Pune Railway station. They must have been on their way to Pandharpur. I have seen devotees making their way to Pandharpur in hordes singing beautiful abhangs, taking their entire family with them. The Varkaris generally make this annual pilgrimage by foot.   Elders and little children walk too, and there is scarcely a break in the singing and music. There is something divine, whether you are a believer of god or not, in voices raised to a common tune, in exaltation of something outside the self. I would like to go with them once. In the month of Ashadh Ekadashi, trains in Maharashtra are filled with pilgrims on their way to Pandharpur. Maybe I will join them. Who knows, I may meet this old couple I saw at the Pune railway station.