It might be a misconception that Punjabis break into dance moves at the drop of a hat, but Malayalis certainly seem to have taken it upon themselves to burst crackers on every other occasion.So do not worry if while conversing with someone, you hear sounds akin to gunfire close by. It is just the holiday spirit of the neighbours, not an enemy attack!
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Hampi, where history sleeps
Remnants of an illustrious past. My sojourns in Hampi began on the early morning of the 4th of December. I took the liberty of sleeping in since the journey by bus the previous night had been tiring. By catching the 11.30 bus from Hospet to Hampi, I was inducted into the beautiful pathways that led to the ruins of the ancient Vijayanagara empire. I was awestruck to see a Banjara woman decked in silver jewellery and colourful garments(unfortunately, I was unable to take a good picture, but I have provided a similar image below - apart from that one image, all the others were photographed by myself). The difference can be spotted in the very streets. All the pretensions of city life are nowhere to be seen. One could say that Hampi is an ideal destination for history geeks, artists, and photographers. You could spend days and entire months here, sketching the innumerable relics or clicking rich frames on your camera. I am not well-informed regarding the history of the place or th...
Each stage in a man's life seems to be connected to a different mode of transport, atleast in the 21st century. A toddler cycles, then walks, but by the time he hits late teenage years, he insists on getting a motor vehicle. Once he or she has cinched their position in the career network, they cannot be travelling in anything short of a four-wheeler, and a swanky one at that. Reaching one's workplace becomes a strut and not a stroll. Hardly anyone remembers the good old days of walking for miles to reach one's destination. Modes of travel are no more about utility. They are status symbols by means of which we arrogantly combust our low-running fossil fuels.