Of People and Places

Tomb of Iltutmish, Qutub complex On a cold morning, wearing three layers of clothes I set out to the Qutub Minar by walk.  I was delighted that my friend's house was within walking distance. In the crisp morning, it was pleasant to be moving around in the sunshine. But the occasional gusts of wind can really get you! I walked past Indian guides speaking to tourists in fluent Korean, Mandarin and Spanish. Wearing masks and impeccably dressed, the tourists stood about with garlands of marigold and a spot of sindoor, given ceremoniously by the tour guide in that 'oh so Indian' way. And then it began. The onslaught of children as they filed in, in unruly queues, jumping, pushing, shoving, being shoved by their teachers and yelling at the top of their voices. School bus after school bus disgorged their young, eager passengers and wary school teachers. They gawked at the foreign tourists, cast shy glances at girls, ignored the Qutub Minar and proceeded to the innu...

A lone boatman glides on his cool blue boat on the Madu River, Sri Lanka It had rained heavily in the morning so everything looked clean and fresh as we set out on the Madu river safari at  around 4 PM. The same river that was agitated by the relentless raindrops now sat serene and comfortable, waking up from an afternoon siesta. The Madu river or Maduganga is a lovely green. I rank it second in beauty ( first is Kali river in Dandeli .)   The river is surrounded by mangroves . A makeshift shack that sells tourists some snacks and fruits is balanced precariously on stilts in the middle of the water. A little girl waves at us from inside. On a fallen tree, we spot a monitor lizard, basking in the sun.

Bylakuppe Diary - Part 1                                                               A face wreathed in smiles In the auto from Kushalnagar to Camp 4 in Arlikumari, there are elderly Tibetan women,with colorful banded aprons, clutching beads, walking briskly, ignoring the tourists and their noise. One of the rosy-cheeked ladies catches me looking at her and gives me a sweet smile.

In Gokarna, many women from the Halakki Vokkaliga tribe are seen selling flowers near the temple. Gaunt, tanned and barefoot, they are distinct because of their clothes, style of draping and the beads they wear around their neck. This 'gowdathi' was selling some lotus flowers and looked bright and pretty among a crowd of French tourists backpacking across Karnataka. I see a lot of old women...where are the youngsters of this tribe? Gokarna is a curious mix of a temple town and a hippie haven. It's a beautiful place. Don't miss it if you travel to Karnataka.  

A little illustration inspired by the bus ride from Kathgodam to Nainital. I saw lovely mountain streams, valleys of giant trees and felt immensely at peace with myself. I was travelling solo, surrounded by a large family from Delhi. The children were ill-mannered and noisy.The man next to me was apologetic. "I usually come with my bike gang - we all ride royal enfield bikes." He said ruefully, as if regretting his boisterous family and longing for the quiet companionship of his fellow bikers on the sun kissed roads. And again, on the shared tempo rides from Nainital to Bhimtal and Naukuchiyatal - these pines greeted me,  over spectacular views of the mountains,  while we turned the hairpin bends at breakneck speed! I wondered what it would be like to just go, descend into the valley and bask in the sun as the clear mountain stream rushed past me without a care in the world. Wishful thinking! So, I turned to art.And decided that it makes for a perfect illustrati...

Last weekend in Mysore, my sister ( a die-hard thatte idli fan) went around the streets asking for thatte idli. One of the guys,regretfully gesturing with his hands said - "we only have the regular small idlis madam!" Sadly, we had to come back to Bangalore with our wish unfulfilled. Our Thatte idli fanaticism has always been met with raised eyebrows, rolled eyes and bored looks that seem to be saying " Oh these tatte idli crazies are here again! Why can't they just eat regular idlis and be done with it." Two places we have loved eating Tatte idli at  - A cart that is seen in the mornings near M.N Krishna Rao park, Basavangudi Pavithra idli hotel , Kyathsandra, Tumkur. Which is your favourite joint? 

We saw this beautiful couple in Kandy. The Sinhalese Buddhist wedding attire is very eye-catching and glamorous. The bride looks like the legendary heroines we hear of in the Ramayana and the Mahabharata ( Not sure if my illustration does justice, so do check out pictures online) - sparkling away in her wedding finery. The dress is similar to the Indian saree, called Osaria/ Kandyan Saree, but it has a neriya - a short piece of cloth that wraps around the midriff and unlike the Indian saree, the midriff is only partially covered.  I really love the jewelry worn on the hair - it makes them look royal and dignified. And the groom's attire is unlike anything I've ever seen before. The jacket is beautifully embroidered. If anyone can tell me more about how these traditional garments evolved and their history, I'd be happy to hear from you :) Do comment!