Of People and Places

Haan! Aa jaaa... "me-aoooo." In the early morning darkness, Jamnalal is at his best - purring in the most ingratiating way possible, startling me while I am working in the silent solitude of the office. This is Jamnalal Bajaj - he carries himself with all the portly assurance of a king, his throne being a chair with a cushion and of course, the many laps of willing subjects and admirers. He only deigns to honour some, mind you! He has stolen my chair many times and refused to budge, settling in for a long nap in a variety of poses that are most amusing to watch. He looks at me dolefully, like I'm an errant, and slightly stupid citizen refusing to give the rightful dues to the king. Jamnalal has a repertoire of purrs - one to ask for love, another- to ask for food, another - to ask to be let in, and another - to ask to be let out, and yet another one - reserved for kids and one more - for chumps like me who just don't get him. He has run all over my...

We reached Bhojtal a little after sunset. This couple boating on the lake caught my eye and I thought about distances - about how close we sit to the people we love.And how far we sit from the people we are indifferent to.  Our bodies betray what years of 'civilization' tries to hide. Culture can never really win against nature, can it?  In the tranquil darkness, their forms slowly melted together.

Kavvayi islands - Coconut island - watercolors & sea water :) If I close my eyes, I can smell the sea and see the clear line that separates the Arabian sea from the sky. My sister has skipped on ahead, rolling and tumbling and galloping in the sand with abandon. The local boys that came with us on the boat from the Payannur mainland eye us warily for a while. We three are the only women. I write about this place with hesitation. Because I know it will stop being the pristine spot that it is, the minute more people come to know of it. Because people just cannot refrain from throwing in a plastic bottle here, or a chips packet there - itching, itching to turn everything into their own dirty little dumping ground. So here's where you stop reading and stay home if you plan to litter, strew around beer bottles and act like a hooligan. And here's where you can read on, if you promise to respect the place and leave it untouched. The Kavvayyi backwaters make you un...

The quaint town of Galle is right at the southwest tip of Sri Lanka, overlooking the harbour. The fort at Galle was built by the Portugese and fortified by the Dutch. Galle's strategic location made it much coveted among colonizers and is one of the oldest seaports in the world. The Galle clock tower is something you can't miss. Built in memory of a doctor, it was a later addition inside the fort ramparts. It was fantastic to see the sea from inside the fort. Don't miss Galle - it is worth visiting. We didn't have enough time to explore, but I think it's a great place for backpackers . 

Plein Air He slowly packed up his brushes, misshapen paint tubes,rolled up his paintings,  slung his heavy bag on his shoulders and left. And as he walked, the landscape followed. It kept following him, unwilling to let him go, until all that was left of it..... was the painting.  This idea was sparked by a workshop of Prashant Miranda's that I attended ( at the Neev literature fest 2019) . It was interesting and I had a fantastic time looking at all his sketches, especially his travel sketchbooks.  His delightful travel illustrations really carry a sense of place and transport you.  I found it enchanting that he paints every watercolor from the water he finds in the place he visits - so it is like a piece of the landscape that has seeped into his sketchbook :)  This post is also dedicated to amazing artists whose plein air watercolors have inspired me - Bhargavkumar Kulkarni, Sadhu Aliyur, Kangkan Das, Milind Mulick, Prash...

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.