Voluntourism in Himachal Pradesh, India

It was a hot summer morning when I mailed Ishita Khanna, the co-founder of Ecosphere, a social enterprise in Spiti, Himachal Pradesh. At that point, I was a desperate traveller at my workstation in Mumbai. After an exchange of 42 emails across months of planning, my first solo trip to Spiti was finalised. It was…

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Photo Story: Could Winter be the Most Beautiful Season?

Many versus in poetry and references in literature had led me to believe that winter is probably the most desolate and monochromatic season. Between Virginia Woolf’s ‘Melancholy were the sounds on a winter’s night’ and PB Shelley’s ‘If winter comes, can spring be far behind?’ I was convinced that winter was made of sorrow and…

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Photo Story: Mohan Shakti Heritage Park, Himachal Pradesh

As I departed for Chandigarh airport from Kandaghat, we stopped by Mohan Shakti Heritage Park. The park was about 20 kilometres away from Kandaghat which took us roughly an hour. The premises is spread over 40 acres and has a cafeteria and washrooms. The area is being developed with Ayurvedic centre currently. This space is essentially a…

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A Guide to Kandaghat, Himachal Pradesh

Kandaghat is a small highway town, about 30 kilometres ahead of Shimla when travelling from Delhi or Chandigarh. I had crossed it many times on my way and back from the capital of Himachal Pradesh. But not until I won the Dream Trails contest with Club Mahindra did I get a chance to explore and stay here….

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Climbing the Mountain Meadows

Last month, I spent a good couple of weeks in Himachal Pradesh. On one of the mornings, we hiked up to an ancient temple called Giri Ganga and stopped by the neighbouring meadows for lunch. I was with my homestay’s host and a couple of his friends. The four of lunch sat on the open…

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6 reasons why I travel

As the Monsoon clouds draw close, I find myself more and more retrospective. How did I reach here? When I look back even a year from now, I am surprised to find myself here. I have been travelling ever since I can remember. However, how many of us actually do what we love? And as…

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