Holi

What’s not to like about Holi? It is a festival of love. It celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring. Good triumphs over evil. It is the time to rekindle old friendships. It starts in the evening with a bonfire and the following day, people spray each other with coloured powder and…

Chhatarpur Temple Complex

Almost at the southern end of the Yellow Line on the Delhi Metro at Chhatarpur, there is a temple with a gigantic monkey god statue. I had to visit. Hanuman is one of my favourite gods. There are half a dozen different temples on the estate, covering 60 acres. Each temple has a different style.…

Thursday Doors in Shahjahanabad

Here are two doors from the back alleys of the walled city of Old Delhi, formerly called Shahjahanabad. The first is wood, clad with metal. There is a political poster on it, with an image of Lord Krishna as a child, stealing butter. The second door is so dilapidated that there is hardly any wood adhering…

Bharat Parv Entertainment

Indians love having their photograph taken next to their gods. Actors apply makeup and costume to become Krishna, Hanuman or Rama. Unfortunately, they charge foreigners exorbitant amounts of money for photographs, so I have just snapped a few candid pictures. Wrestling is a traditional sport in India. A female wrestler won a silver medal at…

Happy Janmashtami

Today is the birthday of the Hindu deity Krishna. Every year, it falls on the eighth day of the “dark fortnight” in Shravaana. He is often depicted as a blue-skinned young man playing a flute, standing on one leg (just like Ian Anderson of Jethro Tull), with a group of adoring milkmaids nearby. The celebrations…

National Museum of Swaziland

The cultural heart of Swaziland is at Lobamba. This is where 10,000 virgins dance for the King at the Reed Ceremony in August. The National Stadium is there, across the road from the Houses of Parliament and the National Records Office. It is possible to visit Parliament when it is in session, but you must…