Pushkar Pens

I never get tired of exploring what India has to offer in terms of history, culture and heritage. And there is nothing better than travelling places to soak ourselves in this mystique called India. Finally, this week, I was able to tick Hampi out of my travel bucket.  It has been there on my mind right from the time I got posted to Bengaluru in July 2020. Obviously CoViD related travel restrictions took out a better part of the first year of posting. Since then, however, I have been trying to make amends for the lost time and do my best to explore the Southern India in the best way possible..... partly to satiate my own latent desires, and partly for the children who must grow up knowing our Incredible India; and what better way to do that, than to travel and explore. Hampi was always right up there in the list of travel priorities.  But probably the " Call from Kishkindha " never came in the right earnest....  till this week, that is... The work commitments take their ow...

T HE CRY FROM THE HILLS   Our hills are in the news. And for all the wrong  reasons... Or should I say, for all the right reasons...  Had they been in the news when it mattered ,  and had the news troubled the ears of our policy  makers, we would have avoided this  cry from the hills.  Temporary relocation of affected population is  not a big deal by Disaster Management authorities,  whenever there are forewarnings of any impending  natural fury like cyclones in coastal areas. Local  residents know that and they are ready for that. But what we are seeing in Joshimath in the name of planned relocation is nothing but murder of  our local culture, history, family values and heritage. Every family being relocated away from their  houses in Joshimath will be given a relief of  Rs 1.5 Lakh each.  Seriously ?? So, is Rs 1.5 Lakhs the figure planned for each  family by our a dvisors to the government and  our p...