Snippets

If discretion had a physical form, it would look something like the Hawa Mahal. Though one might expect such an elaborate structure—built in 1799 by Maharaja Sawai Pratap Singh—to host...

Millions of years ago, tectonic forces sculpted the Tinajani Basin in the Andes, laying the foundation for present-day Lake Titicaca. Nestled within the Andean Altiplano, the basin formed through processes...

A pattal is, in a way, a plate. Only not like the ones we are used to. It’s basically a leaf, or more accurately, a bunch of leaves carefully formed...

Lamayuru rises from Ladakh’s rugged terrain like a vision from another world, cliffs twisting into eroded formations defying symmetry and logic—some standing like ancient pillars, others breaking into jagged ridges—spilling...

The Indian Institute of Advanced Study-the name itself suggests a definite intellectual weight. And undoubtedly, serious scholarly work happens within its walls. But on any given day (except on gazetted...

You might take it for an ordinary clock, but the one at Christ Church, Kasauli, is the oldest turret clock in India still running on its original weight-and-gear assembly. That...

Hill temples, one notices, have an infallible instinct for settling in awe-inspiring locations, as if guided by some divine preference. Chanju Mata Temple, tucked away in the Churah Block of...

Framed by towering mountains and dense deodar forests, the Bijjat Maharaj Temple at Sarain in Chopal (approx. 110 kms from Shimla) draws attention with its distinctive design and architectural finesse....

At an impressive altitude of 3,810 meters, Mud village occupies a stunning position on the left bank of the Pin River, a tributary feeding into the larger Spiti River. This...

Gondhla castle in Lahaul is a classic example of a Himalayan fortress, built around 1700 by Raja Man Singh of Kullu. Typical of this type of fortress, it has limited...