Genesis - soumya.org

Dajipur Bison Sanctuary

Ushered in the year 2010 with a solo drive to Dajipur Bison Sanctuary, which is approximately 450 km from Mumbai. Nestled in the midst of pristine forests at the intersection of the Kolhapur and Sindhudurg districts, Dajipur is a 5 shop village where time stands still on the banks of the magnificient Radhanagari lake. Spent a couple of days driving, trekking and finally a safari deep into the heart of the jungle to see the turf where the Indian Bison (Gaur) thunders and leopards and tigers leave their footprints. Here is a closer look at the magical haven of nature that is Dajipur...

A Run On The Raan

A really really long drive from Mumbai took the family to Zainabad in the Little Rann of Kutch, where we spent a couple of nights at Camp Desert Coursers. With helpful hints from Dhanraj Malik (the son of the ex nawab of Zainabad), we took jeep safari's into the barren rann to spot the wild asses (khur's) in their environment, spent quality time with thousands of pelicans and flamingos, got to glimpse the elusive chinkara gazelle and visit the first salt pans of the season. The outstanding hospitality of the camp led to new friends and spirited conversations over the challenges of the region, helping us understand better the unique ecosystem that is the Little Rann Of Kutch...

The Dangs Of Gujarat

A 750 km overnight weekend trip in the Dang tribal belt of Gujarat, took me through the Vansda and Purna National forests, Gira waterfalls, an overnight campsite at Killad, before emerging the next day in Maharashtra through the backroads of Mahal and Ahwa. Here are some glimpses of the forests, trails, campfires, royal orchards and the friendly people of the Dangs...

36 Hours In Udaipur

Why meet your next door neighbors in the elevator, when you can drive over a 1000 miles round trip to hang out with them! A chance exchange of messages while on the road in the Rann of Kutch, led to an unplanned drive to the lake city of Udaipur. We spent the day of Diwali wandering the streets of the old city, watching bedecked Rajasthani ladies visiting the ancient Jagdish temple in the morning, touring the royal palace during the day, chartering a boat for a lake cruise in the evening and spent the rest of the night dodging firecrackers in the crowded lanes. Here are some memories of an amazing 36 hours in Udaipur...

Tripping Through Acid and Rock - Lonar Lake And Crater

Nestled in the middle of the world's largest hypervelocity crater of balastic rock, lies the mysterious lake of Lonar a place of myth, reality and nature. After a long drive from Mumbai to the middle of nowhere (150km from Aurangabad in Maharashtra's Buldana district, which in turn is 400km from Mumbai), we arrived at the MTDC hotel at a magical twilight hour to see a spectacular show of colors and light as the sun set over the horizon. The next morning saw us descend into the crater with our guide Anand Mishra, a young student contactable through the MTDC office, who also helps out visiting global scientists and scholars. We spent the morning enthralled by his deep knowledge and passion for Lonar as he combined history, nature and science to give us a fascinating tour of ancient temples, magnetically charged rocks, a highly acidic water body, bat colonies, migratory birds and surprisingly fertile farms (Plug: Anand Mishra can be contacted at + 91 9850499792 or anandguide1 at rediffmail.com). Time flew by and six hours later we emerged through green fields, shaded paths and rocky trails and stood once again on the crater rim and took a silent moment to look back upon Lonar lake and crater...

Misty Mountain Hop - Wildflowers Of Kaas

From late September to early October, the Kaas plateau nestled in the hills above Satara emerges in a new avatar as wildflowers start to color the hills and dales with a myriad hues of yellow, red, violet and white. In quest of this elusive sight, a high speed highway drive from Mumbai put us into Satara in about three hours from where a winding ghat road rose into the foggy mountains past green hills, circling birds and some  simian families trying to get a sun tan. As the  green turned to yellow and the brown turned to red  we spotted a dirt track snaking off to the  right...and entered a whole new world of lakes,  water lilies, chirping birds, tricky road bends, slippery boulders, ancient shrines and the occasional shepherd who guided us on our way. After two hours, finding the road ahead blocked by a landslide, we turned around and backtracked, slithering and sliding across rocks and red mud, finally rejoining the tar road after a few exciting moments. The road back to Mumbai was interspersed with a detour to see the Thoseghar waterfalls and views of Sajjangadh fort, after which we picked up the company of torrential rains in a crazy drive which would always remind us of the day we went to see the wildflowers of Kaas...

Mahabalipuram - History In Stone

The click clack sounds of artisans chipping away at blocks of stone drifed through the the bylanes of Mahabalipuram as we entered this sleepy town, home to the famous Shore Temple overlooking the Bay of Bengal. Our local guide Ashok, gave us the 'standard' tour starting with Krishna's butterball, a giant rock precariously balanced on a slope, proceeding to the exquisite bas relief of Arjuna's penance painstakingly carved out of a giant boulder, taking in the beauty of the Pancha Ratha (5 chariots) complex and ending at the marvel of architecture that is the Shore temple. The life exuding from each carving  stood as mute testimony to the skill of artisans and engineers from centuries ago (the temples date back to the 7th and 9th centuries) and the resilience of the kings and their people in overcoming multiple 'problems' to create such amazing works of art. (Note: In Ashok's vocabulary everything from a tsunami, to a marauding army, to corrupt politicians was a 'problem'). Tour over, we strolled into the backpacker part of town, making our way past half the town gawking at a film shoot, ladies hawking fresh fruit and flowers and ended up at a small 'French' cafe which even had chicken with red wine sauce! As we said goodbye and headed down the coastal highway to Pondicherry, the click clack sounds slowly faded to the background, a living testimony to how art and tradition are still passed on from generation to generation, in the world heritage site that is Mahabalipuram......

Branding Your Wedding

During a recent sojourn in the south of India we noticed an interesting trend where newly married/to be married couples were advertising themselves on billboards outside the marriage hall and sometimes on the main streets of smaller towns. Here is an example of this fine art from the streets of Pondicherry. Notice the strategically placed MBA and MBBS after the names. May heavens choicest blessings be showered on the newly married couple...

Dizzee World

Targeting those who cant make the trip to Mickey Mouse's hometown, this innovatively named theme park on the outskirts of chennai stands as a true testament to an entrepreneurs ingenuity...

Pondicherry - Enchanté

Hugging the south east coast of India, Pondicherry is an endearing and quirky little town which grows on you with each passing day. We spent three days bumping into french indophiles, indian francophiles, spiritual disciples and of course, 'regular' people like auto rickshaw drivers who spoke fluent french and the hotel boy waiting for his french passport because his grandfather was in the french army. Exploring the well laid out streets in the White Town and the by lanes of fishing villages in the Black Town, we found a spirit that was uniquely French but at the same time uniquely Indian living in perfect harmony at La Côte d'Azur de l'Est...

Checking Out Chennai

A wedding in the extended family meant squeezing out odd time slices in Chennai for extramarital activities, like early morning walks through historical churches and temples, tiffin's at iconic culinary institutions, a sundowner stroll on Marina beach with its monuments to iconic demi-gods and even a midnight photo expedition in the streets around Egmore. Each encounter revealed different facets of a historical city where the main streets are gaining glitzy malls and glossy buildings but a turn into a narrow side lane can reveal an unhurried way of life and traditions built up over time. Here are some photographic viewpoints gathered from the sessions of checking out Chennai...

Not Taj

If imitation is the best form of flattery, then the Biwi Ka Maqbara in Aurangabad is probably the best compliment to one of the greatest monuments of all time. Affectionately known as the 'Poor Man's Taj' the entrance fee is also cheaper...

The Motivator

In the land of a billion aspirations, motivation is never in short supply...

Independence - An Ancient Tradition

Against the backdrop of an exquisitely carved ancient temple, painstakingly chiseled from hard basalt and once buried under layers of earth to protect it from marauding invaders, a group of friends exult in the freedom of the 62nd year of India's independence...

The Independent

At a busy street corner, a mother and child earn a living from India's independence...