Year: 2009

It doesn’t matter how poor this country is and how so many struggle. Beauty is all over and life is precious. So the flower markets abound, not only as a way of making ends meet but also for providing the offerings to loved ones and to the deities. They provide the beautiful garlands and the…

Having been here for several months now, I can confidently say that there are some startling similarities between Indians and Greeks/Cypriots. We both love our families above all else. We want all our children to be lawyers, doctors or engineers. Going to the right schools and universities is all important. Marrying into the right family…

These are two poems which came with the school newsletter and for me they capture, in part, some of those special moments that happen almost daily here when you know what you have just seen, heard, or smelt is just so different and remarkable yet hard to put into words or contain in a picture.…

The month of October in India is full of festivals and celebrations.This one which is being celebrated on the 7th of October really took my fancy.It is called Karva Chauth and it is when married women, young and old, fast to ensure the long life of their husbands! Yes I know a novel concept for…

I don’t really know why I found this site so impressive but it is hugely so-Perhaps it was the size of the rocks, perhaps it was the sheer enormity of time; from the time these rock drawings were made to when they were discovered in 1957. Perhaps it was the way they had been sculpted…

One of the bathing pools At a stunning view point One of the flowers in Golf View Yes, it took a while to get there with the combine harvesters all out on a field day or should I say road day but we reached this hilltop resort found by Captain James Forsyth and his Bengali…

How can I put it – there must be something more behind an invasion of combine harvesters but regrettably I did not discover what it was. On the road to a lovely hill resort called Pachmarhi in Madya Pradesh the road was completely taken over with these enormous bright green, orange and red combine harvesters.…

We took the opportunity of being in this state to explore further than the capital and it was a wonderful experience. We visited three places of note: Sanchi Sitting on a hill –top the great Stupa is one of the earliest religious structures in India and a World Heritage site. The stupa is surrounded by…

The Darul Uloom Tajul Masajid Mosque The dancing circles A beaming C A fine four legged friend Bhel Puri delicious

The lake and the jet d’eau in the distance C lighting the flame to the Durga Say the word Bhopal and one thing comes to mind.The disaster of the Union Carbide factory in December of 1984 where due to an explosion of toxic chemicals thousands of people lost their lives. So when C offered to…