Indian Journeys Muddling Around at the Sira Fort This huge fort — its ramparts still standing — was built in the time of the Vijayanagara empire, passing down to a succession of other dynasties: the Bijapur sultans, the Mughals, Haidar Ali and Tipu Sultan, the Marathas, and, finally, the Raj.
Indian Journeys A Short Trip to Auroville, and the Aurobindo Ashram A weighty hush kept everybody in silence. My wife pinched my arm to show me things.
Musing The Writing Craft, the Formidable Iain Sinclair, Allen, Sedaris A creation that none but the creator may comprehend has been performed only once ever, by the Creator of creators, and who may dare to rise to His bar?
Indian Journeys The Hasanamba Temple in Hassan A stricken Kafur rushed to the poojaris of the devis but they couldn't help him, the affront to the devis being so terrible. But Hasanamba, who is goddess to all men and forgives every penitent, appeared to Kafur in a dream and suggested he build a temple to her as penitence.
Travel A Weekend In Old San Juan An acceptance by each of their lot, and an easy adjustment to life, all go to make Puerto Ricans, some surveys say, among happiest people on the planet.
Travel John Lennon: Lennon Peace Monument Unveiled in Liverpool Cynthia (Lennon) asked everyone to seek the kind of peace Lennon enjoyed, which was to have a good time. "Go and have a good time," she said.
Travel Diaries: Tokyo and Kyoto The maikos posed on Ninenzaka's cobblestones: young, gracious, smiling without showing teeth, more cute than sexy, attractive to all ages and to both sexes.
Travel Wandering About in Sultanahmet, Istanbul His cry rode a long time on each breath and dipped and rose and turned and twisted in the sweet manner of an endless Hindusthani strain and my mind came to a halt and listened, rapt.
Travel Mauritius : About Honouring Past Heroes At the National Museum in Mahebourg, there is a celebration of another type of hero in Mauritian history—the corsair. And Surcouf was the king of Corsairs.
Travel Tuol Sleng, Duch, and Hell on Earth Duch ran the prison, oversaw the torture, and, soon as he had a "confession," certified the dispatch of his prisoners to the "killing fields" out of town.
Travel At a Pond in the Cardamom Mountains, Cambodia The sight holds a long time, it is wondrous, but I want to see fish, so I intensify my gaze: they come out like ghosts …
Indian Journeys Feeling Good and Bad at the Melukote Temple This temple is a place of pilgrimage on account of the saint Ramanujacharya, who lived in Melukote during the rule of Vishnuvardhana, nine hundred years ago. More recently, the Wodeyars have poured generosity upon it.
Indian Journeys Return to the Now Drowned Magge Church This visit, I went there on a theppa (coracle). Reaching the church, only the top of which is exposed, I sat on a dry part on the Southern wall, feeling tiny, my body and mind lost in the immensity of water.
Travel A Lite History of Singapore She wanted lions, and the realtors said: "Lions also can see, la." Utama rejoiced, settled down with Siti on the island, and gave Temasek a new name.
Travel Even in Modern Singapore Everybody who passed stared at it: young and old, Singaporeans and Japanese and Westerners, women and men. Many took pictures, some took lots of pictures.
Travel Nassim Road, Singapore Nassim is the name of a Jewish family that once owned a lodge there that they sold, and several of their family migrated to Israel.
Travel Singapore, Arrival Taking in the moment, I sensed another, presently inaudible rumble: cars revving up; buses starting at their terminals; the MRT starting up — at various points across this small island, all to converge here, on Orchard Road.
Travel Muay Thai — a Sport for Kids? Two kids fought the first match. Their eyes were locked hard on to each other, intense, brutal even. I wondered if it was right to be watching this at all.
Musing MM Is Right "Let's call the whole thing off," the great old man said, going all the way to the brink. "We'll lose talent, and then we'll lose some 210 billion dollars of yearly business."
Travel Thai Writing: Sightseeing The farang lurks in every tale, tales of family, of parent and child, of people in a complex society, and of how the farang impinges on Thai life.
Travel The Grand Palace, Bangkok King Rama V went and fell in love with Victorian Europe, came back and built a Windsor-like palace in his capital city.
Travel Arriving In Amsterdam With My Son The whole world appeared to have arrived at Schipol, and the lines were long at immigration. George Bush was going to be visiting the following day, Sunday.
