Living under the Bilva Tree
Arrival at the Guesthouse It was 4:00 am in the morning and dark. The rickshaw driver took me down a small road. It was a new area I had not explored before. He called the guesthouse manager who suddenly appeared from nowhere it seemed. Being tired from an overnight bus ride I was about ready […]
First Home Visit
I got a bit lost. I had taken a walk and ended up who knows where. To my rescue who came walking there? It was the father of a family I had befriended. He always called me ‘Amma’ and told everyone about me having rented from his son, and who knows what else in his […]
Tamil Family Life
A few years ago I stayed five days with a family in the South and experienced first hand Tamil family life. It was a couple whose youngest son, a 20 year old student, still lived with them. In the morning the lady of the house was doing puja, deity worship with incense, light, food offering […]
Sleeper Bus Adventure
Have you ever been on an overnight bus ride on a single upper bunk in India? On my last trip from Bengaluru to Pondicherry I did not know better and got a single upper bunk. I thought it would certainly be great to get a bit of sleep. Actually it was a quite dangerous […]
The Nadi Reader
Most of us are curious about what the future holds. Rishis were holy sages who through their spiritual practices were graced with the power of foresight with which they were able to know the future. The rishis made predictions for people who would come forward in the future for a reading. They were all written […]
Culture of Tiruvannamalai
The town of Tiruvannamalai is a small town of about 150,000 residents primarily of the lower to middle income class. It has a culture from all religious backgrounds with the majority being Hindu, is conservative and honors the guest. Parts of daily life are religious celebrations at home, at small temples, and the big Shiva […]
First Impressions of South India
Arunachalam! As an American I get this curious question by Indians and sometimes also by other foreigners. ”What made you interested in India?” Well, once upon a time I came across a German Meridian Travel Magazine with a picture of the Kumbha Mela, a religious festival in North India, on the cover. There were naked […]
Let the Journey Begin
Why are people travelling from all over the world to spend some time visiting India or decide on living here? Though there are several reasons for it, it requires courage, a sense of adventure, and perhaps a bit of insanity. Let’s find out. • Many US-born second generation Indians explore their roots in their native […]