Just About Everything

Our Ancentral house in Nazirpur, Malda This was one nostalgic trip for me. Most of our summer vacations, when we were at school, were spent in our ancestral home in a village by the name of Nazirpur in Malda,West Bengal.It used to be great fun! Meeting up cousins, chatting whole night long, getting spoilt by my grandmother, long walks to the mango orchards...Malda is best known for its mangoes, during summers, I remember surviving mostly on mangoes  (did not want to dilute that pleasure with any other substitute!) I have not been to the village in ages. After my grandmother passed away, there was no one to visit, and slowly our visits stopped. My father who feels the vacuum the most, visits now and then. But he is now getting on in years and can't make these trips that often. The house is no longer lived in and it now stands desolate, badly in need of repairs, and in need of love and care. (it is easily over hundred years!) We took an overnight train...

Male tiger at Kanha National Park, India My sister, Soma, recently went for a trip to Kanha National Park and Pench in Madhyapradesh. And guess what...she sighted not one ...not two ...not even three...but seven tigers! She is so lucky, she sighted tigers in both the national parks she visited, Kanha and Pench. At Kancha National park, the chances of sighting a tiger is very high. Though in her case she spotted the maximum number of tigers in Pench! Soma tells me that she had given up any hopes of sighting a tiger, when all of a sudden, during one of her last safari trips (fifth safari), she sighted a male tiger in Kanha for over fifteen minutes! Kanha National Park is located in Madhya Pradesh. The nearest airport is at Jabalpur (175 km). Soma and her group flew to Nagpur from Kolkata, and then hired a transport to take her to Kancha. Kanha has a rich habitat of many otehr animals like the Sloth bear, leopard, striped hyena, spotted dear, wild boar, jungle cat, jackal and a va...

Last Dance - Sharon Stone (image from imdb.com) Some time back I saw the film "Last Dance" starring Sharon Stone. It is certainly not a happy film. But the relationship between Sharon Stone and her Lawyer is beautiful and it touches you. Sharon stone is in jail for a double murder she committed when she was in her teens. Her lawyer, Rob Morrow, tries to to help her since he finds out that she is not the same person who had committed the crime as a teenager, she had certainly eveolved into a better person, and deserved a second chance. Sharon Stone's acting is top notch, her friendship with Rob Morrow blossoms into a beautiful relationship. Sharon Stone takes up sketching while in jail. Inspite of trying his best, he is not able to stop the inevitable from happening. The very last scene shows Rob Morrow visiting the Taj Mahal. Among many of her sketches, there was a sketch of the Taj Mahal . Visiting the Taj Mahal,  perhaps eased his pain a bit since ...

The Taj Mahal, India There is really no introduction required for one of the most beautiful man made creations in the world. But here goes - The Taj Mahal was built by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan in the memory of his wife Mumtaz Mahal. The construction of Taj Mehal began in 1632, one year after Mumtaz Mahal's death.The mausoleum was completed in 1648. The beautiful monument was designed by Ustad Ahmad Lahauri. The Taj Mahal is located in Agra in the state of Uttar Pradesh (UP) Inida. The best time to visit Taj Mahal is during winters. Summers are too hot and because it is always crowded, it certainly helps if the weather is conducive. You wouldn't want to miss any part of this beautiful monument.It is indeed worth spending hours and hours at The Taj Mahal. I believe The Taj Mahal looks absolutely out of the world on a full moon night. If possible, book yourself for a visit to The Taj Mahal on a full moon night. This is one beautiful monument and the experience is unforgettable! I...

Fatehpur Sikri entrance Our next stop was Fatehpur Sikri (the city of victory). Fatehpur Sikri is one of the world heritage sites. It is around 39 kms from Agra. Yet another marvel of Mughal Architechture, it was constructed by Akbar in the beginning of 1570 in honour of the great renouned Sufi Saint Shaikh Salim Chisti. The buildings at Fatehpur Sikri reflect both Islamic and Hindu elements. When Saint Salim Chisti died, he was buried in the sikri. The tomb now stands in the middle of the courtyard of the Jama Mosque in the Fatehpur Sikri complex. The extensive jaali work on the exterior and interior is beautiful. This world heritage site is a must visit. Make sure you have at least 3-4 hours, if not more, to see the entire complex. You can hire a car for this trip but for the last lap of your journey, you may have to take a local auto. Check out Wikipedia for more on this beautiful heritage site. Courtyard in the Sikri Complex Tomb of Shaikh Salim Chishti

Last year when we did Rathambore, Tonk and Amritsar, we managed to find time for a short trip to see Akbar's tomb in Sikandra, The Taj Mahal, and Fatehpur Sikri. Sikandra falls enroute to Taj Mahal. we stopped over at Sikandra where lies the Tomb of Akbar the Great . I was awe struck at how beautiful it is. It was built in 1605-1613. Akbar started building it. He selected the site for his Tomb. After his death the structure was completed by his son Jahangir. Located in Sikandra in Uttar Pradesh, this monument is a must see. If you are going to see the Taj Mahal, Sikandra will fall on your way.Keep an hour or two to see this amazing architechtural marvel.This beautiful structure has intricate work on the walls and ceilings. The caligraphy over the entrance to the true tomb of Akbar is absolutely amazing. Intricate work on the walls of the Monument. View of inside the tomb. Caligraphy over the entrance to the true tomb of Akbar

Mangalajodi is not one of the most visited places in Orissa. In fact not many people know about it! It really is a small village situated along the banks of Chilka lake. It is a paradise for bird lovers. If yo u enjoy being close to nature, this is a nice getaway. We went to Mangalajodi for a weekend trip from Kolkata. Sharing some pictures from that trip. These are random pictures of migratory birds in Mangalajodi, Orissa, India. Migratory Birds Mangalajodi Mangalajodi Orissa Sunset at Mangalajodi The above picture is quite unusual, A crow trying to feast on a snake!