Nomadic Tales

I don’t remember the exact day I fell in love with tea, but I do remember the moment I realized that tea was more than just a drink for me. It was a pause button. A comfort blanket. A travel companion. A reality check. And sometimes, even a compass. On most days, tea is just tea. But on some days, it's the kind when you’re standing on a railway platform with a bag heavier than your future and an itinerary that’s barely an idea, tea becomes your best friend. That one hot sip which tells you, “Yes, this trip is going to be mad and magical, just like you. So, on this International Tea Day, let me spill some tea (literally and metaphorically) from the corners I’ve walked through with nothing, but a backpack filled with stories.  So come, pour yourself a cup and sip along. Chapter 1: Dadar, Mumbai | Departure Doubts Dadar, Mumbai. That name alone feels like movement. Like something is always just about to happen. I was standing on the edge of what would be my first solo trip and Dadar S...

  Dear Traveller, Yes, you! The one reading this on your cracked phone screen while waiting for chai at some half forgotten railway platform. Or maybe you’re scrolling while slouched in an office chair, plotting your next escape between deadlines. Doesn’t matter. We know who you are. We’ve seen you. Dragging your dusty backpack over cobbled stones, chasing sunrises through Mughal arches, tiptoeing through echoing temples, falling in love with crumbling walls, and occasionally whining, “Yaar, sab kuch toh same lag raha hai.” Yes, we heard that. Loud and clear. And still, we welcome you. We always have. Today, on World Heritage Day, we yes, all of us heritage sites of India decided to write you, because you, dear traveller, have left your footprints (and sometimes plastic wrappers) across our courtyards, forts, caves, and temples. So, traveller... sit. Wherever you are. Let this be your break between two journeys. We have things to tell you. About us. About you. About what you miss...

You know how some trips just happen? Like, you’re there minding your own business, sipping chai at a roadside stall & suddenly, destiny drops a surprise plan into your lap. When you’re a traveler, there are moments when plans go completely off the script. Picture this! I'm in the quiet, temple filled lanes of Badami, savoring a cup of chai. The sun’s setting & there’s this calmness enveloping the entire place. Then, two fellow travelers sitting next to me start chatting about their recent trip to Pondicherry. Now, I've had Pondicherry on my mind for years, its French colonial influence, serene beaches & spiritual retreats but nothing prepared me for how spontaneous and unplanned this trip would be. In fact, it was almost like the universe decided I needed to see it & I was all in! It was suddenly calling out to me, like a distant relative I hadn’t met in years but now couldn't ignore. And that’s how Pondicherry found me! Pondicherry or Puducherry, is a coast...