Category Archives: India

Kashmir. That fabled landscape of snow-capped mountains and lush valleys – once a princely state under the British Raj – has long been on my wish list. Today, portions of the overall region are administered by China, India, and Pakistan, with the actual boundaries frequently in dispute. This often renders the area unsafe for tourists. […]

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India is home to a number of classical dance and drama forms: usually enacting stories from Hindu mythology, and each conforming to an ancient Sanskrit treatise on the performing arts. Each has its own distinctive regional roots. In Kerala, Kathakali takes its place as a nationally recognised art form, known for its elaborate makeup, stylised […]

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I loved the unique charm of Fort Kochi (Cochin). Kochi, the financial and commercial capital of Kerala, is a major port city on the Malabar Coast, home to shipping, industry, and the only international marina in India. Called the Queen of the Arabian Sea, with its commanding location on the southwest coast of the Indian […]

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The first day I was on Dal Lake – the centrepiece of Srinagar in the North Indian territory of Jammu and Kashmir (J&K), I felt like I was in a dream – or a Monet painting (see: Floating in a Dream). The air is hot and thick. The stillness is punctuated by the plunk of boat oars in the water, […]

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It was like a dream – indeed, a dream come true! Kashmir had been on my ‘list’ since long before my first-ever trip to India, but opportunities had never quite lined up for me. The beauty of the landscape is legendary. The land itself – the valley running between the Great Himalayas and the Pir […]

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