Travel - Comfortably Numb

Comfortably Numb

Sheila Kumar's Storehouse

Travel: The tigers of Tadoba

Tadoba`s family tigers Tiger-spotting is serious business at the Tadoba Andhari Tiger Reserve. On any given evening, as the visitor is about to dig into dinner after a long day of morning and evening safaris, eavesdropping becomes a fun sport. “Raka`s back,” announces one tiger-spotter, a satisfied smile hovering about his mouth. “He`s a…

Travel: Hoi An, land of the lanterns

It`s the lanterns that catch the eye first. Bamboo and silk structures swaying in the gentle breeze of the daytime, lit by lamps to cast a luminous glow in the balmy nights. Lanterns of lacquer red, royal purple, azure blue, fuchsia pink, molten gold…and pristine white. They hang all over the town of Hoi An…

Travel: Castlerigg Stone Circle in England`s Lake District

Circle of enigma The stone circle at Castlerigg in England`s Lake District is believed to be the earliest of its kind in all Europe. Last night, I dreamt I went to Castlerigg again. These, of course, are the wistful dreams engendered by the times we are living in, but Castlerigg is one place I really…

Travel: Ramalingeshwara temple complex in Avani

Legends of Avani The plan to reclaim life from the pandemic calls for taking road trips to places of interest not too far from the city I reside in, Bangalore, and the Avani temple complex, 30 kms ahead of Kolar town, fits the bill beautifully. Soaked in antiquity, as the guidebooks would say, the Ramalingeshwara…

Travel: SwaSwara 2.0 in Gokarna

The jewel in Gokarna`s crown SwaSwara in Gokarna, is a wonderful way to run away from the pandemic for a while. It`s been an open secret for ages now: SwaSwara, the CGHEarth property in Karnataka`s coastal town of Gokarna, is quite the gold standard for Ayurvedic resorts. Now, the wildly popular resort has revamped itself…

Travel: Bhoganandeeshwara Temple, Bangalore

A treasure trapped in time The entrance gate is old, time-worn and not the most impressive. You step in and green lawns bask lazily in the early morning sun. There are dogs playing about, a magnificent chameleon perched on a chariot wheel, and a couple of women sweeping the perimeter of the complex. The laburnum…

Travel: Palakkad`s agraharams

A Way of Life in Palakkad Huge banyan and peepal trees, rows of close-set, small, tiled houses, a pair of temples on either side of the village, women drawing kolams (rangolis) in front of their houses at dawn, the strains of nadaswaram music from the temples – these are sights and sounds particular to the agraharams of Palakkad, villages, which still…

Photo Feature: Picture Postcards

All photos by Sheila Kumar and subject to copyright. The Alexandra Book Café in Budapest is one of the most ornate coffee shops I`ve been to. All that Baroque gilded moldings, the glittering chandeliers, the striking…

Travel: Magical Mostar

This is beauty after strife. Mostar sparkles anew after the terrible years of the Bosnian War. You will find a reflective mood settling upon you at Mostar in Bosnia-Herzegovina. It is a lovely little town through which the River Nevretska flows swiftly, steadily, a deep teal-blue in colour. At the designated times, the melodious…

Travel: SwaSwara in Gokarna

Meanwhile at the SwaSwara Ayurvedic Resort in Gokarna…… This is Woman Central and I sense it the moment I arrive. The place has that vibe exclusive to spots where women congregate. A couple of women in white yoga gear are walking down a tree-laden path. There are women doing languid lengths in the…