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

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
“One Photo, One Photo!”
“One Photo, One Photo!”

I arrived in Bhenswara in the late afternoon, when the light softens and people leave the torpor of their inner courtyards to fill up the streets...

Narrative North India
Aromas that the Ships brought
Aromas that the Ships brought

This journey trails the coastlines of the Arabian Sea, to discover the rich flavours and fragrances that have arrived and thrived here...

Bespoke Journey West India
Of Domes and Arches
Of Domes and Arches

A journey that traces the unique elements of Indo-Islamic architecture across Delhi, Agra and Rajasthan...

Bespoke Journey North India
Brijrama Palace
Brijrama Palace

The erstwhile royal palace in the holiest city of Varanasi, the Brijrama is an unlikely blend of luxury...

Hotel Guide North India
Peace of Mind
Peace of Mind

I seek out the Kalari Kovilakom, a palace in which the austerity of an ashram is transformed into the comfortable...

Narrative Kerala