Writing

Writing has been a steady companion for many years now. I write about exploring my own backyard as much as travelling to new places, finding freedom and (re)discovering the meaning of home. I write about mountains, forests, interesting conversations and long train journeys.  I am currently documenting my experiences exploring the UK and its countryside.

My work has been published in National Geographic Traveller India, Mint, Yahoo Travel, The Better India, and more. My book of free verse was published in 2009 by Writers Workshop India. This page has a mix of my published and personal writing.

Published in National Geographic Traveller India

Escaping into an Enid Blyton novel in the 170-year-old West Usk lighthouse, complete with Archie the friendly dog.

A visit to the impossibly beautiful village of Gundmi in South Karnataka, India, where large storks perch on coconut trees, cobras glide lazily on verandas and paddy fields stretch as far as the eye can see.

An illustrated account of a stunning hike from Walla Crag to Ashness Bridge, through sheep-studded fields in the gorgeous Lake District.

Published in The Better India

An emotional tribute to India, as the waves of homesickness washed over me just after I moved to the UK. 

Trekking 3500 steps through the rainforests of the Himalayas to the hand-built living root bridges that are grown by the Khasi people over the raging rivers below.

BBC's Planet Earth 2 affected me profoundly and made me ever so grateful for the place we call home. Image © BBC.

The biggest thrill comes from doing things you're too afraid to. Perhaps that's why I found myself dangling from a rope above a Himalayan valley...

Published in The Better India

The indigenous tribes of the Parambikulam forests in Kerala protect, worship and guard the forest they live in. I've visited the area twice, staying the first time in a treehouse and the second on the reservoir's island, surrounded by crocodiles, tigers, elephants and mighty creatures big and small. This article details the unique conservation model in PTR, where locals are encouraged to participate in conservation. 

Published in The Better India

An interview with the co-founder Dheeraj Singh (and other members) of the IRFCA, the Indian Railways Fan Club. The club discusses everything from engines and routes to what to eat at which station.

Published in The Better India

A meeting with Anita Reddy of Dwaraka, an initiative that empowers the traditional artisans of Kalamkari (hand-drawn patterns with natural dyes on cloth). 

Published in Yahoo Travel 

A 42-hour journey on the Trivandrum Rajdhani, with a spectacular experience of the Konkan Railway. Long tunnels, wide rivers, and a staggering 2,000 bridges! It was bliss. 

Published in The Better India

Mayi Gowda started selling second-hand books on the pavement to fund his graduation. Today, he runs Bangalore's best-loved bookstore. 

Published in The Better India

How the Maharaja of Benaras, India, built a well for the drought-stricken village of Stoke in Oxfordshire, England, in 1864. Published in The Better India.

Published in The Pollachi Papyrus 

Getting up close and personal with this gorgeous waterfall, accessible by a a 3 km trek with a forest guide through the Chinnar Wildlife Sanctuary.

Published in The Pollachi Papyrus

An account of my first (and fantastic) birding experience, which also involved looking for water birds through binoculars while perched on a bullock cart! Published in the Pollachi Papyrus.

Reminiscing about the most glorious childhood one could have had, thanks to my family, neighbourhood aunties, colony friends, 'dog and the bone' and everything simple and lovely about pre-Internet 80s and 90s India.

Published in The Better India

Taking some business tips from the autowalas, chaiwalas and the various people who operate the clockwork that manages India's chaos.

Published in Yahoo Travel 

A visit to the magnificent Athirapilly waterfalls in Kerala in the monsoons, with a stay at Sinna Dorai's bungalow in Valparai. Perhaps one of the most exhilarating trips I've ever made. 

Published in The Better India

Notes and observations from Indian train journeys -- a continuing love affair. From the Great Indian Staring Habit to "What is your native?", taking a train in India, if only for a few hours, provides stories that you'll remember for many years to come.

A visit to a friend's farmhouse in the tiny village of Manjapra, Kerala. Paddy grows in the backyard, happy chickens lay eggs, and the land is fertile, teeming with life.

Published in Yahoo Travel 

Oh, Western Ghats, you steal my heart! A visit to Chikmagalur, Karnataka's coffee HQ, encounters with fruit bats and a walk in Kudremukh. 

Published in Yahoo Travel 

A visit to the oldest town in the Nilgiris, the highlight of which was spotting elephants from the Kodanad estate. 

Published in Yahoo Travel 

Meghamalai is a little-known (at least, it was back then!) hilltop estate in between Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Owned by the Woodbriar Group, and home to large tea plantations, mountains and serene lakes. 

Published in Mint

Hyderabad's Chatta Bazaar is full of studios and shops of Arabic and Urdu calligraphy artists, who still create beautiful hand-written lettering for wedding invitations and envelopes. Ustad Nayeem Saberi demonstrates his special technique of calligraphy using wooden rulers dipped in ink. 

Published in Mint

Writing about the many faces of the Bayon temple, Cambodia, that I wished would just open up and speak to me.