the prettiest church in bandra


Just across the road from where I stay is a quaint, whitewashed 19th Century Protestant Church with red shutters, exquisite stained glass windows, and wooden rafters holding up the ceiling. Just across the road is a little bit of England.

The St Stephen’s Church of the Church of North India Diocese of Mumbai, was built in 1845 by wealthy English entrepreneurs who had made Bandra their home during the British Raj. In the mid-19th Century, Bandra was but a small village with Kolis and Kunbis. To cater to ‘the spiritual needs’ of the British Protestant Christians in the area, the British parishioners got together and pooled in a then magnificent sum of Rs. 8,000. This was, however, not enough. John Vaupel, a high court judge at that time, pitched in with the balance. Continue reading

empress sisi’s vienna – today

“I am a seagull, of no land,
I call no shore my home,
I am bound to no place,
I fly from wave to wave.”
~ Empress Elisabeth of Austria aka Sisi (1837-1898)

A fervent traveler, the Empress of Austria and Queen of Hungary, Sisi, born Elizabeth, the Duchess of Bavaria, was a beautiful, lonely, reclusive woman. An adamant non-conformist and free spirit, she married her cousin Franz Joseph I, Emperor of Austria (1848–1867) at 17, and spent the rest of her life refusing to carry out the traditional roles of empress, wife or mother expected of her. The death of her eldest child at two, and the suicide of Rudolf, her fourth child, pushed her deeper into her shell. She was assassinated by an Italian anarchist in 1898. Continue reading

art focus – rango ki rimzim – indian artist art center


Left: Naina Kanodia; Right: Prakash Waghmare. Both works untitled. Both stalwarts of India’s contemporary art scene

Reconnecting with art, albeit once a month, has become a much loved self-love ritual for me over the years. A ritual I have been fortunately able to carry through in my life in Mumbai. The contemporary art scene in India is pulsatingly alive, brimming with both stalwarts and newcomers alike. And never was it more obvious than during a recent afternoon spent at the Jehangir Art Gallery. Continue reading

global travel shot: the london tube

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On one mid-afternoon, when the crowds are a little lesser, I went off to explore the platforms and escalators of the London tube. I knew the CCTVs were recording my every move as I clicked away. Even security was keeping an eye. But they were really sweet about it. Guess my enthusiasm was contagious. 🙂 Continue reading