Rakhee Ghelani

Tag: Environment

  • Is it too late to save Majuli Island?

    Is it too late to save Majuli Island?

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    Majuli Island, in the remote North East Indian state of Assam, is the largest river island in the world. It is rapidly being lost to the savage effects of climate change. Surrounded by the mighty Brahmaputra River, scientists predict that Majuli Island will be entirely reclaimed by the river within 20 years, and along with…

  • Meghalaya: Root bridges and climacophobia

    Meghalaya: Root bridges and climacophobia

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    Meghalaya is a wonder. In the western corner of North East India it’s rolling hills are silent, a welcome contrast to the busy dustbowl that is Guwahati (in Assam) where most visitors begin their journey. Even the small town of Shillong has lost the romantic aura of a hillside town, now packed with merchants who…

  • Exploring Bhubaneswar : Khandagiri & Udayagiri

    Exploring Bhubaneswar : Khandagiri & Udayagiri

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    I’ve been spending some time in Bhubaneshwar lately, and while I’ve been here before, the extra time has allowed me to explore the city in more depth. This week I visited the famed Jain cave temples of Khandagiri and Udayagiri. While these sites are beautiful , what really stood out for me was the appalling…

  • Nagaland: Sign of the Times

    Nagaland: Sign of the Times

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    One of the things I found pleasantly surprising about Nagaland was the openness in which they seemed to at least acknowledge social issues. In a country where a lot of things are left unsaid, the public signs found all over Nagaland addressed some hard hitting topics head on. By far, my favorite sign was this…

  • Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai: The Lalbagh Walk

    Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai: The Lalbagh Walk

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    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 neighbourhood in many cases, and people worship it for 10 days. The statue is…

  • Slum Tourism: Dharavi

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    Slum tourism drums up all sorts of bad connotations. For this reason I avoided doing the tour of Dharavi, the biggest slum in Mumbai for a long time. Finally, after a little convincing by a friend I decided to see it for myself. I now think everyone, Mumbaikars born and bred and tourists alike should…

  • The Difference Between Sri Lanka and India

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    It had been 18 months since I had been outside of India.  That’s a long time, and to be honest I didn’t think going to Sri Lanka was really going to be a big change from what had become normality to me, after all at some points there is only 30 kilomtres separating Tamil Nadu…

  • Beauty, Nature and Solitude – Chilika Lake

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    I chose to travel down the East coast of India, on my way to Chennai, to experience the road less traveled.  Odisha is certainly a place I loved, but I discovered quite quickly that the less worn path also comes with its challenges, especially for someone with limited linguistic skills.  Whilst my rudimentary Hindi was…

  • The Differences Between North and South India

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    I have only been in South India for a couple of weeks, but I immediately felt that there was a huge cultural shift between North and South. It’s not just the food and climate though that makes South India like a different country to me, it is the people and the environment. I appreciate I…

  • Is #Shimla leading the way for #India?

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    Today I arrived in Shimla. Shimla is in Himachal Pradesh.  It is an old British hill station, and is now a bustling town. I didn’t quite know what to expect when I landed here.  I was hoping for hills, greenery and a cooler temperature.  I definitely got all of those.  What I hadn’t expected was…