Oct
2
Oct
2
Sometimes a forward comes your way that you must share with others. This is one (portions in Hindi have been translated in brackets)
If Columbus had been married he might never have discovered America because of the following: You much continue reading, click here
Sep
24
Kunzum Gallery now has a bricks and mortar presence in Delhi’s fashion district of Hauz Khas Village.
The gallery is currently displaying a collection of Ajay Jain’s travel photographs from Ladakh, Rajasthan, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Prices start from a modest Rs. 750 and go up to Rs. 25,000 for select limited edition prints. If you are planning any festive gifting, or want to add something to your home or office, check out the gallery for many attractive options. You can even preview the collection here.
Address: T-49, GF, Hauz Khas Village, New Delhi 110 016, India
Timings: Monday - Saturday, 11:00 am - 6:00 pm
Call +91.99100 44476 / +91.9650 702 777 for further information, directions or to visit at hours other than mentioned above.
Sep
5
I am pleased to announce the launch of my new book, Postcards from Ladakh. A pictorial travelogue on Ladakh, it will be available in stores soon. Click here to know more about it including reading some sample chapters and getting ordering info.
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
