Vibha Ravi

Belur, a temple town in Karnataka state of India, has a proud legacy of ornately carved temples built by rulers of the Hoysala Dynasty. Among these, arguably the most famous one is the Chennakesava Temple, a temple that is not just…

At Veera Narayana Temple in Belavadi, Karnataka, you could seek blessings from protector of devotees, Lord Narasimha, take selfies among beautifully carved pillars in the hall or chat to a priest whose family has been looking after the temple for…

Serengeti in Tanzania We headed out mid-morning and drove towards the Serengeti. Serengit means the ‘Endless Plains’ in the local language and why Serengeti is called so becomes obvious when you encounter 14,763 sq kms of endless, seamless grasslands. Nesting…

‘Hawa’ literally means air. Inspired by numerous windows letting in air into the building, this famous red and pink sandstone structure in Jaipur, Rajasthan was named Hawa Mahal or ‘Palace of the breeze’. It was, in fact, meant for the…

‘Fresco’ – I was introduced to this word when I came across Michelangelo’s ‘The Creation of Adam’ in some magazine. It means a painting done on wet or fresh plaster. If you haven’t seen a fresco yet, head over to…

  In August 2010, I embarked on my first journey to East Africa with my husband Prasad and daughter Aariya. Having been to South Africa only a year ago, this was my second visit to the continent. I had read…

I’m just back from a trip to Rajasthan. This one was specifically planned to see the painted havelis of the Shekhawati region. While I will be sharing stories from this once prosperous region of Rajasthan, here is a quirky wall…

Many people who wish to travel abroad are unsure of documents they need or processes to follow for travel to a foreign country. This might seem strange at a time when more and more tourists are seen at iconic landmarks…