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Benares - the city of light -Part 1  In this city you stumble upon ancient structures crumbling but designed with intricate and ornate architecture inside the impossibly narrow alleyways. It is a city caught up in a Time warp.  It is here that the modern and the ancient co-exist peacefully without any contradiction.    The intricately carved wooden door and the ornate architecture would lead to one to believe this must be the entrance to a harlem of a rich Maharaja's palace. But only until you see the backdrop. Note the  scooter parked along the doorway in this picture shot from a different angle. This is the entrance of a household that would open into a courtyard with two or three storeuyed houses built haphazardly oover each other to accomodate many generations. The inhabitants would mostly be brothers of cousins  one generation removed. These are the entrance doors to the 'Havelis' in the ancient city of Benares. Situated among n...

A to Z  challenge 2016 - Reflections I had thought through my topic somewhere in July of 2015. I did have a few features already written that I have recycled for this year's A to Z challenge.  In November 2015 I started giving it some serious thought and planned my travels to meet and feature some amazing people.     I am so thankful to all my resourceful friends and acquaintances for having connected me through to the people featured for this A to Z challenge. Mahesh for his hospitality and resourcefulness who navigated me through the  world of Toddy Tapper, the Temple musicians, Remachechi  - the coir rope maker, Saju and his houseboat chef  - Bharat Das, and  many more interesting personalities that I have not had yet featured.  Mahesh and his family have been such wonderful hosts who pampered me to the hilt.     They pampered me with lots and lots of home cooked kerala delicacie...