Lonely Planet India
Supported the Lonely Planet, UK team to re-assess and pen the ‘Srinagar and surrounding areas’ section, after the areas were inundated in the floods of 2014. The sections are part of the Lonely Planet India book for 2015-16. #1 best-selling guide to India * Lonely Planet India is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on […]
Spiritual Trips
Uttar Pradesh offers unrivalled opportunities for the spiritual travellers with more then a handful of destinations focussed around strong divine ties. Be it the Buddha circuit from Sarnath in the east to Kushinagar and Shrawasti bordering Nepal or the Sangam of the rivers Yamuna, Ganga and the mythical Saraswati at Allahabad, the state caters to […]
Agra & Braj
The irony of the two distinct Hindu and Muslim vibes of the Braj and Agra circuit of Uttar Pradesh are unavoidable as you hop between monuments and temples. Even though the two regions are segregated by thousands of years, the undertone is inimitable. However, this observation is only limited to the general ambience of the […]
Food Guide
Good food is close to divinity. In Varanasi and places around, you are closer to heaven, not only because of the spiritual legacy of the region, but the mouth-watering local food. Like the region itself, the food here is a fusion of generous flavours, unabashedly rich creamy dishes and characterized by a myriad regional variations. […]
Filmi Escapes
Major Bollywood filmmakers have gravitated towards Uttar Pradesh for more than five decades, drawing from its history, culture and atmospheric locales to create celluloid history. Fortunately for the traveller, many of these destinations that have been immortalised on film are within easy reach, offering plenty in the way of sightseeing, eating and shopping too. Octopussy […]
Bundelkhand Circuit
A fusion of inimitable architecture, stories of dynastic struggles and roaming the stark arid topography, which has witnessed the valour of some of the most eminent freedom fighters of India, will leave you in thrall at Bundelkhand. Bundelkhand lies wedged between the Indo-Gangetic Plain to the north and the low Vindhya Mountain range to the […]
Nature Trips Chhattisgarh
Nature Trips Chhattisgarh: The endless green of the paddy fields, the shimmer of sinuous rivers clinging to silted banks, cool shaded stretches of verdant forests and the torrent of water gushing down cliffs, breaking the gentle drift of rivers, is designed to mesmerize the traveller in Chhattisgarh. As far as nature is concerned, from Barnawapara […]
Temple Trips South India
Temple Trips South India: One of the most exciting books to research, the temples in Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh threw up the most intriguing legends and fascinating rituals. It was well worth my time to meander through snaking long queues to get a peek into the many sanctums. Armed with very little spiritual inclination […]
Pocket Bastar
Pocket Bastar: One of the most untreaded states of India, it was a delight to author the Bastar book for Lonely Planet. The region offers a riveting melange of dense forests, tribal culture and history. Even though the region is now fragmented by district boundaries of Kanker, Narayanpur, Kondagaon, Dantewada, Jagdalpur, Sukma and Bijapur, together […]
Best Escapes Hills
Best Escapes Hills, Lonely Planet: It was exciting to ditch the towering and well known Himalayas and contribute to this guidebook from the point of view of the Southern Western Ghats.
Best Escapes North India
Best Escapes North India: For this edition of the lonely Planet Guidebook, I was thrilled to contribute a chapter on my favourite city in the world- Varanasi. Visit one of the oldest living city of the world for its mythological lineage, delicious street food, traditional music, hand-woven silk saris and a strong spiritual connect. One of […]
Beach Escapes
Beach Escapes: India’s coastline covers more than 7500 kms. I was fortunate to travel along Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh and contribute to the some of the beach escapes to the Lonely Planet Guidebook by the same name. Escape to a beach if you like the sun and sea breeze, fresh seafood, and your […]