Ethereal Bali
Mid afternoon and the mountains disappear behind a curtain of fog. Though near the equator, the temperature drops; a chilling breeze gently stirs leaves. Twin pagodas appear to be floating,…
Morning Watch in Ancient Varanasi
Crows watch over the early morning rituals at Munshi Ghat on the banks of the River Ganges in the ancient city of Varanasi in northern India.
The Bauls of Bengal.
India never ceases to leave me in wonder. The diversity and devotion and spirituality. Take for example the Baul sect of ascetics that roam the Bengal area of Eastern India…
Impressions of India
It is impossible to not be in awe of what is India. She is at once chaotic, unruly, exaggerated and constantly in motion. The pace of life is frenetic and I believe all of India must be sleep deprived. It is impossible, at least for me, to fully understand, much less describe her. And that's the fascination.
Discovering the Escher-esque Chand Baori, Abhaneri , India
Oh my gosh, what a sight. Imagine an ancient Egyptian pyramid inverted and thoughtfully lodged into the ground. Chand Baori is over 100 feet deep and is lined with 3,500 symmetrical steps on three sides allowing access to water regardless of the level. The symmetrical, though dizzying, zig-zag pattern of the stone steps is reminiscent of an Escher drawing.
Postcard from Kottayam, India
We had an opportunity to visit the Thirunakkata Utsavam Festival and witness this passionate and lively celebration. Â Twenty two elephants paraded through the Thiirunakkara Mahadevar temple grounds unadorned. Then each…
Calcutta Rickshaw Wallah
One of Calcutta's ubiquitous rickshaw wallahs, or puller, rests for a few moments in the city's stifling heat while a devotee puts the finishing touches on his family's pandal, in…
Fresh Flowers for a Goddess
I believe that the civilization India has evolved is not to be beaten in the world. Nothing can equal the seeds sown by our ancestry. Rome went; Greece shared the…
Widow of Vrindavan
Loneliness and the feeling of being unwanted is the most terrible poverty. Â Mother Teresa According to Hindu tradition widows may not remarry. Instead they are to spend their remaining lives…
Holy Smoke
If a man wishes to rid himself of a feeling of unbearable oppression, he may have to take hashish. Fredrich Nietzsche The wandering Sadhus or Holy Men of India find a…