Pushkar Pens

  “ ….Your mission, should you choose to accept it,….. ”, It never fails to bring smiles on our faces in the theatre knowing very well that a scintillating cinematic experience is about to unfold.   What I love the most about the Mission Impossible series , is that we have grown together. This franchise, and me, my generation that is.   It started right when we were getting out of our teens. The   boyish charm and charisma of Top Gun’s Pete Maverick (1985), with his leather jacket and aviator Ray Bans, had not yet faded when the first movie of the franchise Mission: Impossible was released in 1996. Since then, the franchise and Ethan Hunt have always stayed true to the times, always thinking one step ahead, and evolving with the times. Each one is a thrilling masterpiece setting new standards. In these 28 years, we have grown older, and he has gone that much younger. Oops !!   It all started with a young, charming and no-nonsense Ethan dangling pa...

Belur – Halebeedu - Belavadi : The Eternal Romance of Stone Architecture   The Hoysala Architecture Duri ng my previous travels to various places in Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Kerala in last two years, I have revelled in the marvels created by the great dynasties of Cholas, Pandyas, Cheras, Pallavas, Vijayanagara and Travancore Empires. As my present posting tenure in Bengaluru approaches its last few days, there was an important missing link which would have kept it all incomplete, if not explored. ... And that was, taking a peep into the architecture of Hoysala Empire.... And the more I researched about Hoysalas, Belur and Halebeedu, the more I realised that an unparalleled grandeur was awaiting.   The date was 14 July 2023. Incidentally,  when I got a chance to plan a trip to Belur and Halebeedu and have a peep into our history, it was a day made famous by a leap into our future by ISRO scientists.   In a momentous day for India's space sector on 14 July...