A late evening flight from Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport was scheduled to take me to one of my top three dream destinations—Japan. I have read about the Land of the Rising Sun since childhood and obsessed about its art and food most of my adult life. Like all superstitious travellers, I warded off any…
About 110 kilometres away from the state capital, Patna, Bodhgaya is a popular pilgrimage destination for Buddhists. The first time I visited this dusty town in 2013, I didn’t know I would return thrice over and it was deepen my inclination for Buddhism manifold. As I concluded my fourth travel to Bodhgaya, I knew I…
After my session at a panel discussion last year, a number of women came up to me and asked what motivated me to travel by myself. I found myself giving various reasons why travelling solo works for me—it is liberating, I can wake up early, it helps me fish out personal stories of locals and…
On a winter evening in Kolkata, I set out to try the signature cocktails of The Fatty Bao, Olive group’s Asian dining. By the end of my meal, I found myself comfortably seated in a corner of its cosy decor, satiated by the comforting flavours of its food and drinks. Cocktail #1 Risky Whiskey Base:…
The grand grove of deodar in Jageshwar mirrored my idea of paradise. An undulating turn brought us to the Himalayan valley. Beside the concrete road, I heard a reticent stream trickle. And the ancient deodar trees rose stately from the earth to high skies. I stared at them from a half-opened passenger window of the…
A few months ago I revisited Bikaner with Narendra Bhawan. Not only did it reintroduced me to the city but also rewards that come along with immersive travel. A short but in-depth exploration through the city’s architecture and history was like a crash course on of the royal legacy of the state since its foundation….