Self Drive Holidays in India

The concept of self-drive holidays in India is still very new. Renting a car mostly means paying for an entire package: Car + Driver + Driver’s food and stay + tips. Irrespective of the fact… Continue reading →

Paragliding in Kamshet

Can’t keep my mind from the circling skies Tongue-tied and twisted just an earth-bound misfit, I… The Pink Floyd song played in my head all through the weekend. It was about half past… Continue reading →

Kids of Kamshet

Located at about 110 km from Bombay and just a little ahead of the popular hill station Lonavala, lies Kamshet – a quaint little village outlined by the Sahayadri Range. The mountains offer… Continue reading →

A Long Weekend in Bombay

Life in Bombay is so fast paced that we hardly get a chance to stop and enjoy the moment. Most of us are busy with work and commute. Whatever little time we get we… Continue reading →

Time Travel

The best way to travel back in time is to step in to any of the Irani cafes in the city. Many have written about their old world charm, the no-frills ambiance, the authenticity and… Continue reading →

Dadar Parsi Colony – A Photo Essay

My first encounter with Dadar was back in 2004 when I used to travel from Churchgate to Dadar during the evening rush hour. Most of my journey would go in planning my exit strategy from… Continue reading →

So Batty

‘You can call us Batty.’ ‘So which one of you is actually Batty?’ ‘Batty means crazy. By now we both have become Batty.’ **** Seen in Dadar Parsi Colony, Bombay.      

Five Off Beat Places to Eat at in Bombay

‘Beautiful things don’t ask for attention’.  This quote from ‘The Secret Life of Walter Mitty’ is an apt description of some unassuming restaurants in Mumbai. Snuck in quiet corners of the city, these… Continue reading →

The Meals I Miss

My first meal outside India, was Tom Yum Soup in Pattaya. Spicy, tangy and watery, I wasn’t sure if it was very savoury. I didn’t realize it back then, but that taste of… Continue reading →

Bikes and Boats Along the Konkan Coast

I am a fan of luxury and comfort and bikes don’t offer much of either. So when I started my bike trip from Bombay to Harihareshwar, I thought I will come back and… Continue reading →

Making The Most of Kala Ghoda Arts Fest’14

It’s Kala Ghoda time of the year and I think it’s a good idea to share some simple tips and suggestions to help the first time visitors here. Kala Ghoda Arts Festival (KGAF) is a… Continue reading →

The Garage

I love the sight of vintage cars. As I was walking down a quiet lane in the neighbourhood, I saw this car parked outside a garage. I was admiring it when suddenly two… Continue reading →

Dog King

‘The Dog King of Matunga.’ (And because walking on the streets is too mainstream.) Seen in Bombay. *** Picture contributed by Arun Kumar Mohan. *** Feel free to stalk! Follow Suitcase of Stories… Continue reading →

Sunday

Hope you have a good lazy Sunday. Seen in Crawford Market, Mumbai. Pic contributed by Renu Singh. Check out more of her pictures on Flickr. *** You can also follow Suitcase of Stories… Continue reading →

Bollywood Art Project

“I was really sad when I heard about the demise of Rajesh Khanna last year. And so I decided to pay a tribute to my favourite Bollywood hero.” With that Ranjit Dahiya went… Continue reading →

Disco

I am a Disco dancer. (Please don’t ask me to explain that video. This was Bollywood in the 80s. :D)  Seen backstage at an event in Mumbai.

Prince Charles ki 2 day itinerary

Prince Charles and his wife Camilla are visiting Bombay over the weekend. They have a packed itinerary of course – dinner with diplomats, business big-wigs, Bollywood stars, NGO events and the likes… you know..… Continue reading →

Brighter

Like I mentioned in my previous post, we are celebrating Diwali in India this Sunday. The time of the year when we light diyas (earthen lamps) outside our home, hang pretty lamps and also pray… Continue reading →

Diwali Lights

We are putting up lights. It’s Diwali this Sunday. Seen in Dadar, Mumbai. ———- P.S – Will be sharing some more street pics later in the evening,  

Batman Cookies

I first read about Batman Cookies in a local newspaper. A girl who chooses to remain anonymous, bakes them at her own will and in quantities she deems fit. She then sends them… Continue reading →

Time Flies

And before you know it, you will be sitting on the bench. Do you ever wonder what it must be like to be old? I do. It scares me. Seen in Kharghar, Mumbai.

My Bad

Bandra is a suburb in Mumbai. It has the highest density of pubs and restaurants in the city. Yet, if you try and explore this part of the town and venture away from… Continue reading →

Modak

The man sitting there is the driver of the black Mercedes. He was waiting for his boss who had gone inside the shop to buy modaks*. The banner on top of the shop… Continue reading →

Teacher’s Day

To celebrate Teacher’s Day, I visited a school yesterday through the NGO Akanksha. Akanksha works towards providing free education to under-privileged kids. I saw these two sitting outside a class, talking softly while… Continue reading →

Chocolate

  We work in the same office. Yesterday I saw the girl on right gift a chocolate to the one in blue. They both hugged. I asked them what was the occasion. “We… Continue reading →