The Internet is undoubtedly the greatest communicative tool ever invented. It is of course, an extension of the human discovery of writing and then printing. It has, as evidenced by the omnipresence of Google, of Wikipedia, of Facebook and a hundred other ‘applications’, revolutionised communication globally. It has also given rise to the greatest outpouring of triviality and foolishness that the world has ever known. Small talk is not new. […]
For the residents of Chedian, a few thousand-year-old village of muddy by-lanes and old stone courtyard houses, she is just another form of Guanyin, the female Bodhisattva who is venerated in many parts of China. But the goddess that the residents of this village pray to every morning, as they light incense sticks and chant prayers, is quite unlike any deity one might find elsewhere in China. Sitting cross-legged, the […]
On a sultry summer’s day, we drove down to Vellore, to see the grand Hindu religious structure called the Sri Lakshmi Narayani Golden Temple.(Vellore is infamous for it’s summer temperatures, so tourists may be cautioned against travelling here in the months from late March to June). This temple draws hordes of tourists from all parts of the country. From the city of Bangalore, this is exactly 180 kms away, located […]
With each welcoming more than 50 million international visitors each year, France, the United States and China dominate the list of most popular countries for travellers. But are the Eiffel Tower, Statue of Liberty and Great Wall overshadowing other destinations that should be on travellers’ bucket lists?We turned to question-and-answer community Quora.com to find out, asking “Which country is the most underrated?” From a medieval African trading town to a Mediterranean […]
In what could be termed as the country’s first known case, a 23-year-old woman gave birth to a baby girl with a severe genetic disorder called Harlequin Ichthyosis which mainly affects the skin. Infants with this condition are born with very hard, thick skin covering most of their bodies and their internal organs visible. The baby weighing about 1.28kg was born in the wee hours at 12.45am on Saturday […]
One thing is sure: if ever your eyes need a balm, head to Kerala. That verdant, lush, watery southern-most state of India. My first experience of a trip to this wonderfully green and clean state is permanently etched in my mind. It was dusk, in the month of May. I found myself in a motorboat, going along pitch-dark backwaters of the dense coconut groves of Kerala. The powerful beam of […]
For those living in Mumbai and Pune this place qualifies as a weekend getaway. But for the rest of the country, it is an amazing place to check out. Not only because of its beauty but due to its historical importance in Maharashtra. We are talking about the Raigad Fort. A favourite among trekkers and heritage lovers alike, the Raigad Fort might soon get a place in the list of […]
Imagine living out your childhood fantasies of small, dear English cottages, a crackling fire-place to keep you warm in chilly nights, lush green lawns with summer blooms peeping out from the grass, lady-birds, butterflies, fresh mountain air,blue skies, and Pine Forests! What better way to refresh andrejuvenate the senses, than plan a quick getaway to the Hills in the summer months, and return with a complexion and buoyancy which is […]
They don’t call Steve Kaye the Sturgeon Hunter for nothing. The longtime fishing guide just reeled in a “river monster” sturgeon on B.C.’s Fraser River, in the biggest catch so far this year for the popular fishing destination. Based on its 54-inch circumference, it’s estimated the 11.2-foot long behemoth tips the scales at 750-pounds. “It was only when I landed it that I realized it was a true monster,” the […]
The Hussain Sagar lake of Hyderabad boasts of being home to one of the most brilliant yet modern architectural marvels in the world – a giant Buddha statue – which is now a busy tourist attraction. But the installation of the iconic structure proved to be a tough task. It was indeed a challenge for the engineers working on the project to succeed in their mission and it took […]
