• Places

    Colours of Faith

    Trimbakeshwar is perhaps no different from any other pilgrim centre in India. Considered very sacred, it is one among the Jyotirlingas and also the origin of the sacred Godavari river. Trimbakeshwar is about 35 kms from Nashik city, on the Nashik – Jawahar road. A few shots from Trimbakeshwar

  • Places

    Farm Stay. Really?

    “20 acres of farm land… garden flowers, coffee plants, black pepper plants, ayurvedic medicinal plants… ” Enough to generate a great deal of expectations. But it seems we are getting it wrong every time with farm stays. Initially it was at Dandeli, where it was a farm house devoid of any farms. And now at Nashik. Typical agri-tourism initiatives are where farmers with significant land holdings and agriculture often extend a room or two in their house for tourists for a home-stay experience. That was our expectation. What we got was a 20-acre farm, with rooms, play areas, dining area,…

  • Uncategorized

    Making History

    Next time when you turn your lens to that early morning golden rays of the sun or the mist drop at the tip of the leaf or the mystical eyes of the kid staring at you through the window, remember that you might be in the throes of making history. Yes. Making History. Make History Foundation (technically De Metri Foundation), a non-profit initiative along with Lee launched a Photography contest last year in Europe. After some stunning photographs which found its way to Lee’s fashion book and storefronts across Europe, it is now in India. The contest is now in…

  • Nature's Wonders - Places

    Old Fears Die Hard

    The surprise element in the three-day Ratnagiri mountaineering camp organised by Nature Knights was the ‘Snake familiarisation’ session by the Ratnadurg Mountaineers. For some of us, it was a pleasant surprise while for others it was perhaps a dreadful one. A bagful of snakes. All captured/rescued from the human habitat around Ratnagiri town, and ready to be let out to the forests. The session was to make us, the city folks, understand and appreciate the ‘other’ friends around us. There were a few varieties of them. Some of us touched them, felt them, and almost all of us allowed the…

  • Places

    “No Punjabi Dishes Please …”

    If you happen to be in Ratnagiri and looking for good eating joints, here are some really compelling options. If you are a vegetarian, try Hotel Mithila. Excellent is perhaps an understatement. What we did was a breakfast and what we tried of course were the basic south Indian fare – idli, masala dosa, upma, vada, and sheera. Yet, it was simply awesome. Incidentally, some of their family members run an Indian hotel somewhere in the US, which is supposedly very popular. For the non-vegetarians, try Hotel Amantran. It was a dinner affair for us here. True Konkan fare. Fish/seafood…