Just another Travel Diary...

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Like most people out there, I too nurture a dream to travel around the world. Well, it hasn’t to be in 80 days. J I want to go street shopping in China and South Korea (buying beautiful charms, trinkets, dream catchers, etc.); view cherry blossoms in Japan; click a selfie with Moais in Easter Islands; visit Buddhist monasteries outside India; ride in a gondola in Venice and every roller coaster in the world; admire the Hagia Sophia in Turkey and churches in Vatican; tour entire Europe and marvel in its beauty, history, culture, and antiquity.



Yes, Zindegi Na Milegi Dobara, and Yeh Jawani Hei Diwani have enraptured my imagination. They have me yearning to know and understand every culture, custom and tradition first hand. But the starting point of this wish was quite early. It started with ‘ SOTC-Musafir Hoon Yaaron’ series on Indian television with Deepti Bhatnakar. Be it Indian places of worship like the ‘Char dham yatra’, places of vacation like the hill stations and beaches, or an exotic foreign destination; like every Indian I too wished to join her in the journey. Then there was The Voyage channel, to add fuel to it.



I haven’t travelled much, but travelling in India itself is a liberating and learning experience. Our country- the country of diverse faiths, ethnicity, and millions of gods, is like a story teller. Everywhere you visit, you’ll find a story, a tale, a folklore, a legend, a myth, a saying, and a new way of life. India’s history is vast and an eventful one, which we take pride in. The monuments made by various prospering dynasties in yesteryears, with their architectural and sculptural brilliance, are worth adoring. And India is home to one of the New Wonders of the world- The Taj Mahal- the emblem of love.

So let’s get travelling. Let’s get wandering in our own magic ‘Kaleens’ and teleporting devices. Every nook and corner is waiting for us…. J

I am taking part in The Write Tribe Festival of Words, 8th to 14th December, 2013.



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Queeristan by Parmesh Sahani

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  Queeristan (Amazon Link) Thanks to Audible Free Trial I listened to this amazing non-fiction on LGBTQ inclusion in Indian workplaces. Author Parmesh Sahani identifies as gay Indian, working closely with Godrej higher management and employees for years to create an inclusive workplace, both legally and in spirit. This book is a result of those years of experience, research, collaboration with individuals from difference spectrum of the society and organizations who has successfully transitioned into a queer friendly one.   Indian history is inclusive. From the Khajuraho temple architectures, to Konark to the Rig Veda, there is existing proofs even 2000 years ago of Indian inclusiveness of queer. It’s the draconian British law that criminalised it, which was scraped in 2009, came into effect once again following a sad judgement in 2013 and eventually was scraped off for good in 2018. I am in awe of the lawyers who fought this legal battle- colleagues and partners – Arundhati Katju
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