Book Review: My Himachal My Journey
It is a book* by Dr. Srikant Baldi, a 1985 batch IAS officer who distills decades of public service into a warm, reflective narrative…
People of Pangi
People are open-minded and friendly, known for offering comforting assistance. ‘Joy and reverence’ is their traditional way of life. To maintain freshness, despite difficult…
Hubble-Bubble – Hookah
My hookah is a magnificent work of craftsmanship. Cornered gracefully in my cottage, it looks peevishly at me, as if it could be rewarmed…
Why Stone Why Not Concrete?
Shattered chunks of fallen concrete, near my residence on the Forest Hill Road, Shimla, made me look into the bits of ‘ifs and buts’….
Clouds Topple Hills
It is a powerful natural phenomenon and an overwhelming force. Orographic lift puts clouds in a dominant position, and clouds move over hills with…
Jumbling Buildings On Hills
Unfortunate building collapses have been frightening. Himalayan towns are giving themselves up to their weights. Besides natural subsidence, soil and rock may detach from…
Foodies Paradise: A Glutton’s Delight
Brinjal slices sprinkled with ‘ajwain’ and ‘besan ki sabzi’ arouse my taste buds; it gives me joy. I have emotional ties to food, linked…
Dogs Kick Back The Territory
‘Hurrrr….’ ‘Hat hoo….’; they command their flocks in a brew of Gojri, Urdu, Hindi, Kashmiri, and Dogri. The tone and tenor are vital; hand…
Goats Grow Beards
They are light sleepers and sleep in short naps. It is a joy watching them huddled together for warmth and security. I like baby…
Chander Guddu’s- I Adore
In my younger days, ‘romance and love’ was confusion. Taunts and dialogues often made the chat between us two. The Ghazal I wrote in…