facebook
CRAFT YOUR JOURNEY
Benaras and I_3cover
NARRATIVES

Benaras, and I 

North India

Benaras and I_2

Like a predator and her prey.
Lurks, prowls and
a weary stillness.

Like lovers in a courtship game.
The hidden, revealed and
everything in between.

Masters in the art of waiting-dance

In what seemed like an eternity,
measured in each passing boat,
we stood exposed between
eyeblinks.

Tease, taunt or trap
one shall never know

Exhausted, and out of time,
I stared at the city

A city that has surrounded itself
by a fortress of stories, legends
and myths that have sedimented
over a thousand years

A city that has shrouded itself
in a cloak of gods, traditions
and ceremonies performed by
a million worshipping mortals

in defeat, humbled.

The city bid a forlorn goodbye
from behind its veils,
magnanimous in its vanquishment

Much like in Kamban’s Ramayana,
where Rama utters to an unarmed Ravana,
with a humiliating benevolence
that follows victory,

Leave          and return
to fight on the morrow

Under a pale golden sky,
the river watched in silence.

In its muddled reflections, lay Benaras

Explore More

An encounter with a driver in Udaipur
The Guardian of Keys

The first encounter with the driver may be intimidating. When I get off the plane, come out of the airport, at first...

Narrative North India
Lemon Rice Recipe, Kerala
The Healing Chef

We have just come back from our Ayurvedic cure in Kerala and feel completed rested, restored and rejuvenated...

Narrative South India
A Wondrous Moonland
A Wondrous Moonland

A journey that takes one through the surreal mountainscapes and the unique lifestyles of the Ladakh region...

Bespoke Journey North India
In the Land of Palaces and Kings
In the Land of Palaces and Kings

This journey explores the rich Rajput and Mughal heritage exemplified by the resplendent architecture of North India...

Bespoke Journey North India
Samode Haveli
Samode Haveli

A cherished royal treasure in the walled old city of Jaipur, Samode Haveli is a traditional Indian mansion...

Hotel Guide North India
Ritual in Rameshwar
The thirsty soul

This time I came to India with the desire to experience a dip in the holy water. I did not know what to expect...

Narrative South India