By the window sill

The Temple of Divine Caesar immortalized the greatest ruler of the largest empire in history, by inscribing his words ‘Veni, Vidi, Vici’ on the altar erected where his body was cremated. After he came, he saw and he conquered Imperial Rome, he made another conquest. A conquest as significant then, as it is now. From January, through July and every fourth February of our present times, an ancient verdict keeps our busy lives on a track that remains consistent - all eventualities calculated and... Sign in to see full entry.

The heavens reached out to us the other night. Jupiter and Venus shone bright-eyed side by side and the moon, in resplendent splendour, smiled joyously upon us. While a dear friend (among a host of others, I now gather) was fortunate to witness this celestial merriment, I, courtesy cloudy intent, had to make do with a journalist’s report in the next day’s newspaper. The picture alongside, of the unmistakable smiley against the dark sky, was breathtaking. Galactic businesses aside, many believe... Sign in to see full entry.

Turn left off Wimbledon Broadway and take the 4 th right into Effra Road. Tucked away at # 124, the temple priests piously go about their daily rituals - intermittent jingles of the holy bell soundless, outside double-glazed parameters. For the uninitiated, a Hindu temple in the middle of this quintessentially English town, is the ultimate paradox. To those home away from home, it is a charming microcosm of a vast envelope that is the Indian subcontinent. A cozy bubble that will not burst. I... Sign in to see full entry.

Why, at 8:45 am, is an attractive, young girl in ill-fitting mens’ trousers, short, braided hair and a purposeful smile, strutting bare-footed by the central reserve on the high-speed airport road, chatting up rather eager truck-drivers? Hmmm… quite. So why did I not stop watching this gaucherie? Because Britney Spears slithering ‘Toxic’ out of the radio could not have added more spice to this highway drama unfolding before me. There were 112 more seconds on the traffic lights countdown. There... Sign in to see full entry.

In the last few months that we’ve been in Bangalore, it would have been my third or fourth solo drive (brave? yes) in the city’s rather exuberant traffic. This time, however, I had with me a wholly participating witness to this Bangalore Bombaat ness (Colloquial Kannada: Bombaat - super), as I have come to lovingly call my experiences here. Scene I: A major traffic junction on an arterial road leading to the airport. I was among the first line of vehicles. Having just caught up with a friend who... Sign in to see full entry.

Coorg was out. There was simply no time. Mysore was too far. Everything else was sold out. My son had already spent an entire week of Dussehra holidays sitting quiet and being exceptionally good. There was one more week to think about and nowhere to go. Raves followed rants and everyone who was willing to listen got an earful of of our bleak situation, courtesy an unforseen, unrelenting and grossly unwelcome commitment. It really got ugly when I lost availability of the last vacant accommodation... Sign in to see full entry.

My eyes are closed. I am aware only of a cold autumnal breeze caressing my face. I take a long whiff of the crisp air and open my eyes, rejuvenated. In front of me, far away, I see a curtain of fog slowly revealing in its translucency, the unmistakable outlines of a fortress. As if hypnotised, the cloud of mist sways to the light filtering in from the street lamps in the distance. The moonlight waltzes in, making the ramparts of the fort suddenly shine out in splendour. It is mesmerising, this... Sign in to see full entry.

The stole clung to me in a frantic embrace as the howling wind soared phoenix-like, as if to obscure me from a vision that unfolded numerously in an age of ravenous cats and human game. The rising heat, the damp of perspiration, the raucous jeering of a throng of fifty thousand mounting rapidly to a crescendo … and a gasp! A deadening quiet… The air hangs thick with anticipation. Every muscle tense, all eyes are on a distant figure, far, far below. Nothing moves except the wind, wailing its... Sign in to see full entry.

Why pull a page out of history when you can step right into the book? And in a repository of such eminence, every one of my steps bore the entire awe and reverence of my being. The art connoisseur’s fantasy, the historian’s paradise, the devotee’s sanctorum and the cynic’s crucible, this sovereign city-state, seat to the catholic authority - the Holy See - contains itself within two square miles of the city of Rome. Like a jewel, Vatican City stands tucked within its impenetrable walls, in the... Sign in to see full entry.