The concept of centrepieces never really struck me till I stayed at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai last September. They do centrepieces like no other, from the rose petals that line your room floor leading up to one focal point, to the bright flowers & opulent decor at the lobbies and common areas…
Category: India
Slow bloomers: Neelakurinji
“It’s all dried up,” the ranger at the Eravikulum National park replied to my question in broken Malayalam when I asked him where I could find the Neelakurinji which blooms once every 12-years. Our guide who had been to the park with his guests earlier in May 2019 claimed the blooms were still visible, so…
Cherai Beach: After the Rain
If I could bottle my favourite scent I’d call it ‘After Rain’. It will capture the fresh scent of wet grass, vegetation, palm frond, fresh earth and the subtle scent of tropical flowers. The scent of nature scrubbed clean, and the fresh cool air especially after a heavy downpour. The shots below were taken on…
Street of Lights
One of my favourite photos – oil lamps illuminating this unnamed lane in Cherlai Bazar in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. The Hindu residents in homes along this lane had lit the lamps on the eve of the Festival of Lights last October to celebrate and signify the victory of light over darkness. #Daily Prompt #Day…
Heritage Trail: Jew Town
Jew town in the old quarter of Fort Kochi in Kerala was built by the Jewish community who moved to Fort Kochi in the 14th century. In it are an array of old buildings including a synagogue that at one time served the community of traders who operated from the area.
A Bet With My Belly
Ignoring all caution on eating at roadside stalls and shady joints in India, we decided to be adventurous and stop at a Toddy Shop on the way to the Athirappilly Waterfalls in Thrissur, Kerala. The risk of developing a tummy upset was high, and that wouldn’t go well in a place where toilet facilities might…
‘Baahubali’ Falls
The Athirappilly or ‘Baahubali’ waterfalls as it is popularly known, after a scene for that film was shot at the site. Seen here in its full glory thanks to heavy rains in the area late October. It is quite a walk to the foot of the falls – about 400m through the forest along a…
Happy Deepavali!
I’d like to wish all my Hindu friends and readers a joyous celebration during this Festival of Lights. This beautiful scene was captured along an unnamed lane in Cherlai Bazar in Fort Kochi, Kerala, India. The glow of oil lamps along the lane as kids played with sparklers and fireworks outside their homes was just…
Sunset Ceremony: India
On a trip along the backwaters in Kerala in June, we spent the night on a houseboat docked next a village along the waterway near the Punamada Kayal lake. It was just before dusk and all the homes in the village were lighting oil lamps in the from of their homes as they recited prayers….
Reflection: Mumbai
Reflection with a view overlooking the Colaba Reef from the Souk Restaurant Taj Mahal Tower Hotel, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India.
Step Back in Time: Mumbai
Mumbai is a rapidly developing, densely populated financial centre along the west coast of India. Home to Bollywood, scenes of this city have been beamed to us via televisions in our living rooms more often than we can remember. If not for the traffic chaos and incessant honking, a walk down the streets of Colaba…
Floral Finery @ The Taj
The attention to detail at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai, Maharashtra, India is astounding. The bright flowers that greet you at every lobby, reading corner and table tops were a testament to this. In addition floral floor decorations in our room lent a lingering fresh smell of jasmine and roses which lulled is…
Maria Dass the World 