Ganpati or Ganesh Chaturthi would have to be one of the biggest festivals in Mumbai. The festival is in honour of Lord Ganesha, who is the remover of obstacles. A Ganesh statue is traditionally installed in the home, or in
The Big Fat Indian Wedding : The Engagement
This is the third part of The Big Fat Wedding, you can find the rest here: Introduction Pre-Wedding Rituals Shaadi Time Bright and early on a Tuesday morning the Engagement ceremonies began. The timing of these are generally dictated by
Hidden Delights in Madhya Pradesh: Sanchi
Less than 50 kilometres from Bhopal is the small town of Sanchi, home to one of the best kept Buddhist temples in the world. Built in the 3rd century and lovingly restored in recent years, the stupa and its nearby
Happy Easter: The Dolorosa Walk in Jerusalem
It is Easter, usually a time when I am gorging myself with chocolates and hot cross buns, but here in India it is almost a non-event, except that banks are closed and my Hindu maid has decided to take the
Diwali in Mumbai
For my second Diwali in India, I thought I would be alone. My only family here in India lives in Gujarat, and my parents weren’t arriving until just after Diwali. As good luck would have it, I received an email
Trekking in the Sham Valley: Ladakh
I was only able to take a short trip to Ladakh, but I really wanted to fit in a trek of some description. Luckily I managed to find a 5 day trek that would let me explore some villages without
Pictorial Post: Ajanta and Ellora Caves
I first visited Aurangabad, a city about 400km east of Mumbai, several years ago when I worked for Foster’s Group, who owned a brewery there. As I was there for work I didn’t have enough time to visit the nearby
Following the Ramayana: Adam’s Bridge
Rameswaram is a town in the south east of Tamil Nadu with a spectacular temple and an important place in the ancient epic story the Ramayana. It is at the end of this island where it is written that a
The Temples of Tamil Nadu: Kanchipuram, Mahabalipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai, Rameswaram
Tamil Nadu is famous for its many temples and architecture. I was fortunate to see several of them in various towns, namely Mahabalipuram, Kanchipuram, Thanjavur, Madurai and Rameswaram. Whilst the architecture is similar, each temple had its own unique features.
Puri, Konark and 64 Yoginis
Puri is a small seaside town in Odisha that is a popular holiday retreat for local Indian tourists. A stroll along the beach on a Sunday afternoon had a great carnival feel lots of bathing in the sea (fully clothed