Indian Christmas

In the small world I move around in, Hindus appear to have appropriated Christmas.

Saru Maru, Sanchi, Satdhara, and Stupas and Stupas

There’s the wind of the plains about the monuments, but the sun bears down hard on the place, and the few trees around don’t help so much the crowds of tourists and devotees. As regards the stupas, they aren’t designed to offer shade.

On Business in Paris During Midsummer

There was time to go about Paris, watch Parisians enjoy Midsummer's Day on June 21, and listen to music by buskers who'd taken every available public space.

Death by the Trunk of an Elephant

Such a death everybody had been anticipating — somebody would go like this, somebody other than them. Everybody was proved right, all but a 40-year-old, owner of the plantation next to ours on our east.

In Kolkata, Remembering Sister Alphonse’s History Class

Walking about Calcutta — Kolkata — I remembered Sister Alphonse’s history classes in school. I couldn’t help my mind doing its bit of wandering as well.

Tagore and Shantiniketan

At Shantiniketan, sunny winter had turned the soil dry, and there was dust in the air, and haze, and acres and acres of chiaroscuro carpeting.

A Short Stay at Pasumalai in Madurai

The animals, having always owned the hill, have their own scheme of entrances and exits. The back of the hill is wild and closed to man.

Rajesh Vaidya at the Brihadisvara Temple in Tanjore

The man tossed his head up and about a lot, sending his long hair flying, adding drama to mastery. The style was Carnatic, the sound of the veena as always was sweet.

The Chola Temple at Gangaikonda Cholapuram

The form of the Chola statue is lean, slender, its pose delicate, and the features of male and female are so sharp you can cut with them.

Havelock Island, Andaman Sea

"We've no tigers on these islands. No leopards. No cheetah. But we have 48 types of snakes, so please use this," they said.