Feb 202016
 
desi goes for  Varanasi Sunrise Boat Ride

  Varanasi Sunrise Boat Ride While most of us are busy debating traveler vs. tourist, I am caught in a dilemma of checking the night life or the early morning activities of a city irrespective of being a tourist or traveler. Taking the debate further focused there are people who click sunsets and then there are people who click sunrises. It is an altogether different thing that you cannot tell the difference between the two if you look at the picture. Unless you know the city very well and are aware of its monuments and where the sun sets. [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 252013
 
Family Fun in Coracle or Round Boats of Nagarjuna Sagar

A Joy Ride in a Coracle  in Nagarjuna Sagar Coracles ( singular- Coracle) or the round boats have been around for millenniums, Julius Caesar found the English using them during his invasion.  And while the indigenous shipbuilding industry in India was slowly decimated by the British, ( probably as an act of revenge to supply ships to American Navy for the British American war in 1812.  A little-known fact: American national anthem was written on a ship made by the Wadia Family of India) still the art of making Coracles survived. Although one wonders what happened to shipbuilding in India when just [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 162013
 
Boat to Nagarjunakonda Island  Museum in Nagarjuna Sagar

 Taking A Boat  to Nagarjunakonda Island Museum in Nagarjuna Sagar   Boats have a special significance in Indian mythology, my earliest memory of a boat is watching Ramleela (Ramayana played as a stage play,  with a boatman taking Lord Ram across the river. For some reason, boats were not available to launch an attack on Lanka, so the Vanar Sena ( army of apes)  had to build a bridge over the sea. Or may be just may be Lord Ram did not want to take chances with all those Vanars on the boat. Please read my account of taking [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]