Kavita Kanan Chandra

Food
Sikkimese cuisine is a delectable melange of Nepali, Lepcha and Tibetian recipes
Updated on:
3 min read
As Indian travellers and townies discove r the mysteries of the Northeast which lies shrouded in the mists of cultural exotica, its cuisines have forayed into niche restaurant menus in many cities. Sikkimese food is the brave new fare, after the bamboo shoot, red pepper and pork-based dishes of Naga and Mizo gastronomy became familiar to urban diners.
Since Sikkim borders Nepal, with w...

Sculptures come alive here. The wooden fingers of the lady seem to move, a farmer with an abstract elongated face and body is cutting grass, and a Balinese man with wisps of hair folded under Balinese headdress ‘udeng’ and a frangipani flower tucked behind his ear stares at you. All these artworks are an eclectic mix of imagination, creativity and skills of the wood carvers of Bali.
The entire stretch of the five-km road cutting through the Mas village in Bali looks like a street museum of ha...

Updated on:
4 min read
Bali is known as ‘Pulau Seribu Pura’ or the island of a thousand temples. Large temple complexes with exquisite architecture, temples on top of mountains, in caves, near lakes, rock-hewn temples on coastlines and various smaller shrines in paddy fields and households dot the entire landscape. Balinese encompass the essence of Buddhism and Hinduism. Together with indigenous animist beliefs, there is also much to celebrate throughout the year.
Historically, much of the In...

Food
If you are one of those craving something spicy and hot in Gujarat when your palate does not approve of the sweetness in Gujarati thali, Kathiawari cuisine comes to the rescue.
Updated on:
3 min read
If you are one of those craving something spicy and hot in Gujarat when your palate does not approve of the sweetness in Gujarati thali, Kathiawari cuisine comes to the rescue. And no matter how good the Kathiawari thali is in any other town of Gujarat, you will get the most authentic when y...

Updated on:
3 min read
Though associated with Hinduism and thronged by devotees, Somnath and Dwarka could be equally engaging for anyone irrespective of faith. Its fascinating history, coastal location and magnificent architecture enthrall and enchant.
Standing tall by the shores of the Arabian sea in Kathiawar peninsula of Gujarat, the magnificent Somnath Temple appears imperturbable. The quietude of the place belies the turbulence witnessed through centuries of it being ravaged and razed by...

Travel
The ancient Gujarat town is a mosaic of religions and cultures which is evident in its historic architecture
Published on:
Driving through the old town of Junagadh towards an ancient Buddhist cave gives the impression that the faded façades of old houses and havelis on the way have trapped the place in a time warp. You cross numerous maqbaras, mosques and ornate buildings showing its rich historical past. ‘Junagadh’ literally meaning ‘old fort’ lives up to the antiquity of its name: th...

Negotiating the traffic in the busy lanes of old Porbandar is not easy. The car just misses the walls of old houses by a few centimetres as you reach Manek Chowk. A statue of Gandhiji in pristine white is placed bang in the centre of the crossroads—one of which leads to the ancient house where Gandhiji was born. Just beside it on the same premises is the ‘Kirti Mandir’, a memorial dedicated to the Mahatma.
Inside is a museum and library dedicated to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi and his wife Kas...

The cave-like entrance to the Johar Janjatiya Sangrahalaya (tribal museum) in Ranchi sets the tone of a journey into the lives of tribes of Chhota Nagpur plateau. Dotted with hills, valleys and forests, Jharkhand forms a large part of this plateau with 32 adivasi tribes. Primitive and marginalised through the ages, these indigenous inhabitants constitute over 26 per cent of Jharkhand’s population, and about 8.4 per cent of the tribal population of the country.
Though education has bettered th...

It was a moment to cherish as the Faculty of Fine Arts of Maharaja Sayajirao University (MSU) and the Rotary Club jointly organised an art exhibition, displaying masterpieces of its nine artists, bestowed with Padma awards.
Late K G Subramanyan and his art works
The aim of showcasing the works by late Narayan Shridhar Bendre, late Kalpathi Ganpathi Subramanyan, late Sankho Chaudhuri, late Bhupen Khakhar, late Ghulam Rasool Santosh, Gulam Mohammed Sheikh, Shanti Dave, Haku Shah and Kalal Laxma...

Updated on:
3 min read
The morning chill is refreshing and inviting as our car moves uphill from New Jalpaiguri towards Darjeeling in West Bengal. It starts to drizzle and the temperature dips. Reluctantly, the car windows are rolled up and we huddle in the warmth of a shawl. As the gentle raindrops kiss the leaves of pine, bamboo and the broad leaves of teak, the urge to sip the beveragethat is synonymous with Darjeeling increases.
Whether it is a tea bar at the mall road, cafes, tea gardens...

Travel
Bhutan’s capital till 1955, Punakha is the winter home of the country’s head of the monastic order.
Updated on:
2 min read
The first thing that struck me from the Khamsum Yulley Namgyal Chorten atop the hill was the enchanting view of the Punakha valley. Misty mountains, meandering rivers, terraced rice fields, elegant houses and sturdy farmers in the fields; all so characteristic of the ‘Thunder Dragon’ that is Bhutan. Punakha was the capital of Bhutan until 1955 before Thimphu. It is...

Travel
In the dusty bustling little market town of Nawalgarh, I am vowed by the vividly colourful frescoes casually popping up on the walls of havelis.
Updated on:
2 min read
In the dusty bustling little market town of Nawalgarh, I am vowed by the vividly colourful frescoes casually popping up on the walls of havelis. This is one among many towns and villages in the semi-arid northeastern part of Rajasthan, the Shekhawati region, and the open-art gallery of frescoes.
Named after Rajput chief ...

Bhavai and Garba are traditional folk dances from Gujarat.

The quaint village of Naggar, situated off the Kullu-Manali highway (NH 21) overlooking the tranquil Beas valley and the Dhauladhar mountains, is a place enamoured with an artist’s legacy. Blessed with the bounties of nature, it also hosts the strikingly beautiful Naggar Castle. Naggar is just the getaway one is looking to unwind in solitude after all the travelling through Kullu and Manali milling with tourists.
The camellia blooms in the gardens in spring. The white wooden cottage of the re...

Once patronised by British officials, European traders and wealthy landlords of Bihar in the 18th-19th centuries, these miniature paintings were a visual documentation of the day-to-day lives of the common people, much before the advent of photography.