Gypsy at Large

Gujarat has been a home for me for the last four years. For a Delhi girl, used to carry a constant frown on her face as a time tested safety drill, Gujarat - Jamnagar - to be precise, came as a refreshing change with girls roaming around unhindered on the roads till late in the night, with no person trying to cat call them or trying to grope them was the much needed impetus for my traveling dreams. This state of Gujarat just celebrated it 50 years of foundation. On this occasion I tried to curate my own reasons to visit this state on the west coast of India. 1. Rann of Kutch - The white desert aka Rann of Kutch is a marvel of nature that is seen to be believed. A marshy stretch of white salt is shared between India and Pakistan. The unending white stretch till your eyes can see and the sun going down at the horizon is a sight to behold. Stay in Bhuj, Gandhidham or Dhordo in case you do not want to shell a bomb for the tents in Rann of Kutch during the Kutch Festival in winter...

“Both the communities (Hindu and Muslim) love Hindi serials and movies; but whenever something happens in India, reverberations are felt here in Bangladesh.” This simple statement coming from the priest of temple in Sylhet underlines the intertwined fate of the people of the two countries that were part of the same political entity once upon a time. It was this intrigue that lured me to travel to Bangladesh in this sweltering motherless heat. After fending off the questioning looks of friends and family members, as I applied for visa I was confronted with the familiar question – “Why Bangladesh?” I said, “Tourism.” The official looked unconvinced but I was not denied the visa. Apart from tourism was motivated me to go to Bangladesh that I wanted to visit a land which was within India not even a century ago. And since a visa to Pakistan will be hard come by, considering my family’s history deeply steeped in Indian defence forces, I zeroed in on Bangladesh. The circuit of Shil...