May
23
Interview with His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa
Filed Under Social Issues, Travel | 2 Comments
It is not very often that one gets an opportunity to meet someone of the stature of His Holiness, the Twelfth Gyalwang Drukpa, head of the 800 year old Drukpa lineage. I did for an exclusive one-on-one chat on the eve of his pad yatra from Manali to Leh starting on May 23, 2009. Click here to know more about it.
The Drukpa Lineage follows the Mahayana Buddhist tradition in philosophy, i.e. the philosophy of “getting enlightened for the benefit of others” and the methods are based on the Tantrayana teachings passed down from the great Indian saint Naropa, who was born in 1016 in a West Bengal royal family. The Drukpa Lineage is one of the main Buddhist schools throughout the Himalayas including Bhutan, Tibet, China, Nepal and India, with four to five million students. The most revered monastery in Ladakh, the Hemis Monastery, comes under the Drukpa school. Click here to read more about the lineage.
Click here to read the interview on my travel blog, Kunzum.
May
19
No excuses for the Congress this time
Filed Under Politics | Leave a Comment
If the performance of the Congress (I) led UPA Government had been no more than average over the past five years, it had a bagful of excuses to blame it on. With not enough seats on its own, India’s Grand Old Party had to depend on other parties for support. The latter held decision making to ransom, no one more than the Communists or the Left parties.
Of course, things are very different this time around. The Congress has managed a majority (at least effectively) with friendlier allies. Its own clout has become stronger, having garnered over 200 seats in the 542 strong Lok Sabha on its own. It can very well do without the ‘blackmailers.’ Read more
May
19
LK Advani’s last supper
Filed Under Politics | 2 Comments
One wonders what a man like LK Advani is going through when having dinner the evening before what could be the most important day of his political career.
I was having coffee at Delhi’s Oberoi Hotel when Mr. Advani walked in with his family for dinner at around 11 pm. In less than 12 hours from then, the results to the country’s General Elections would have been out to determine who would form the next Government. For Mr. Advani, it was probably his last shot at achieving his ambitions of becoming Prime Minister. An unfavourable result could be a call for him to finally call it a day.
When he walked in, and even from his table, the way he was looking at our group seemed to convey he wanted to talk to us. Or maybe this is how publicly famous people tend to look at everyone. I would have loved to walk up to him and chat him up, but felt it inappropriate to disturb a family moment. But I could not help constantly looking towards him and wondering what was going on in his mind. Read more
Mar
20
Would you like to win a copy of Ajay Jain’s Peep Peep Don’t Sleep, a collection of funny road signs seen in India? All you have to do is send in a recommendation or a review for a book for BookWag.com, the book club. And if yours is selected as the best by BookWag’s editors, you win. And it will be sent autographed by the author.
What do you have to do?
* Read the guidelines by clicking on the Recommend a Book and Review a Book tabs on BookWag.com.
* Mail your piece to mail@bookwag.com.
* Deadline: March 31, 2009
* You may send in as many entries as you like.
* By sending in the entry, you also agree to BookWag posting it on the site and using it in any newsletters even if the entry is not a winner.
That’s it - nothing else. Look forward to your entries. Cheers…Team BookWag
Mar
20
The above is a clip from a feature on CNN IBN, a leading television news channel in India set up in partnership with CNN on March 2, 2009. Click here to read the text version of the story. Enjoy!!
Mar
19
Mr. Vijay Mallya, owner of Kingfisher Airlines, in the centre
I hate flying. I know I am a travel writer, but I have consciously chosen my car as the vehicle to take me around for the purpose. Flights and I don’t endorse each other’s company.
What I do endorse is, when flying is an absolute necessity, is one fly Indigo in India. It is a low cost airline, but it is always on time. At least that is my experience on both occasions when I flown Indigo. But all the three times I have flown the stylish Kingfisher has only got me a delayed flight. Read more
Feb
26
Prosecuting Bloggers: All about Citizen Media Power and Responsibility too
Filed Under Public Interest | 2 Comments
Bloggers seem to be easy picking for the powerful. In this case, it is Shiv Sena who has sued a blogger for ‘defaming’ the party - and the Supreme Court giving the political party a ‘fair’ chance to seek legal redressal. Click here to read a news story on this issue.
What is my view on the matter? Here goes: (You can also read a piece in CXO Today where I have been quoted)
Blogging is a form of media just like any other: newspapers, internet, radio and television. The laws and rules of conduct that apply to the latter should apply likewise to blogging.
We must appreciate that blogging gives the power and freedom to citizens to exercise their opinion, and it should not be curtailed in any form. However, what may be a matter of concern is the ability to beat down bloggers because they are individuals without any support system. Political parties, courts and other legal authorities may find it easy to intimidate them through force and the threat of legal action. As a society, we should not allow this to happen. Continue Reading
Feb
23
I went to the Reliance Communications store in Green Park in New Delhi to buy a datacard sometime back. It was a couple of days before I went on a long road trip, and I needed this card to stay connected when on the move. Here are my five reasons why I almost cried during the purchase process and later too: Click here to read a sob story
Feb
4
Go Book Clubbing with BookWag
Filed Under General | 2 Comments
If you love books, then BookWag is the place for you.
Very simply, it is a book club. Bringing together authors and readers together. Online as well as through face-to-face meets.
You are invited to join the same and have some fun. More information about the club is available here.
The site is at a very early stage of development and is still being populated with content and events. But don’t let that stop you from joining.
Jan
18
Peep Peep Don’t Sleep gets publicity in Hindustan Times, Outlook Traveller and more
Filed Under Travel | Leave a Comment
My latest book on funny road signs, Peep Peep Don’t Sleep, seems to have managed a fair amount of publicity for itself in leading media in the country since its launch two months back. Besides others, it got a real shot in the arm with a half page in the Hindustan Times and a full page in Outlook Traveller. To see all the coverage, click here. For easy access, I have also given a few key links here:
PRINT MEDIA
The Hindustan Times: The best publicity one could ask for: A half page piece in the Sunday edition of the most read newspaper in New Delhi, the capital of India. It does not get bigger than this in the country.
Outlook Traveller: The #1 travel magazine in India
DNA (Daily News and Analysis): A leading newspaper in Mumbai
Metro Now: A popular tabloid in New Delhi
Asian Age: A half page piece in another popular newspaper in India
Better Photography magazine
Indian Express: The newspaper is an institution in itself
ONLINE MEDIA
At Home, Writing Blog by Bhaswati Ghosh
Tshema Blog
