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India Unfolds

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India is truly incredible, but you won't know that until you see it. Its length and breadth are sprinkled with unique and memorable destinations that are a joy for travellers. From famous must-sees to less - known gems, we take you on a tour, alphabetically. Agra  and the Taj Mahal The Taj Mahal is an utter cliché for India and is now a cheesy symbol of love. The plastic replicas and snow globes peddled in its vicinity are proof of that. Yet, when you set eyes upon it for the first time, it’s impossible not to exult. Possibly the world’s most famous mausoleum, it is an edifice of exquisite grace and perfection. Everyone knows it was built by Shah Jahan for his favourite wife, Mumtaz Mahal. But much about its construction is still wrapped in myth, making it all that more alluring. There’s more to Agra, seat of the Mughal empire, than the Taj. The impressive Agra Fort is a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There’s also Fatehpur Sikri and other ancient buildings, whispering s
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Clean Break

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There's magic in the night, a sweet smell in the air, the eyes rest on pleasant sights - this April, we take you to the cleanest destinations in the country. As they say, take nothing but photographs, leave nothing but footprints. Make it a clean break this summer. Leave smog-veiled cities and litter-strewn beaches behind and head for India’s cleanest, least polluted places. While you go trekking, traipse through museums or soak in local culture at these destinations, you’ll also marvel at how they manage to be the bright spots in Swachh Bharat. Mawlynnong When the words ‘cleanest village’ and ‘India’ are uttered together you cannot but think of Mawlynnong. This little village — population 500 — in the West Khasi Hills of Meghalaya earned the tag of ‘India’s Cleanest Village’ over a decade ago and still wears it proudly; its streets remain free of litter, its water sources pristine. Travellers go to Malynnong to see what appears to be a little miracle in a country st
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In the Buddha's Footsteps

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ODISHA MAY BE BETTER KNOWN FOR ITS PURl JAGANNATH TEMPLE. BUT THE OLD TOWNS OF THIS COASTAL STATE HOLD THE SECRETS TO A FLOURISHING BUDDHIST PAST Buddhism in Odisha is as old as the Buddha himself. Buddhist literature such as Mahavagga and Angutara Nikaya narrate that Tapassu and Bhallika, the first two disciples of the Buddha, were from Utkala or ancient Odisha. Later, in 261 BC, Emperor Ashoka fought his great war against the state of Kalinga (then Odisha, plus parts of Andhra Pradesh and Chattisgarh). The Kalinga War would prove to be a turning point in the life of Asoka and that of Buddhism. The carnage of the war famously prompted the Emperor to convert from Chandashoka (Ashoka the Cruel) to Dharmashoka (Ashoka the Righteous). It also transformed Buddhism from a local religion of the Tarai region into an international belief. In Odisha, Buddhism witnessed roaring prosperity under Ashoka and continued to receive patronage during the rule of the Bhauma Karas, as attested by a se
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