What to say about India? I don’t care who the person is, once you visit India you will never be the same. On so many levels it will confound, inspire, amaze, frustrate, humble and give to you.

I first went in 2003 (Jan-May) to study with my guru Sri Trichy Sankaran. Honestly there are no words to express the impact he has had and continues to have on me. Same can be said for India itself. I was lucky enough to return in 2005/06 (Dec-May) for more studies and in 2008 (Dec-April) I was fortunate enough to stay with him in his residence. Living with him, the learning was constant and not just about music. Have been back numerous since over the years (2010-2011, 2014-2015, 2016-2017, 2018-2019). Hope to get back soon. 
Many great friends I have made there and I have been lucky enough to visit different towns and temples of the South, the Andaman Islands far off the Eastern shore, the very bottom at Kanyakumari, the Western Malabar coast, the Himalayan vistas as seen from Sikkim in the far north. So may experiences and revelations. Please take the time read about them and you will see what I am talking about.

​Or just enjoy the pictures!

Greetings From The Land Where The Zero Was Born (January 10, 2003)
Beggars and Beaches, A Cow Is My Teacher (January 19, 2003)
Locked Out (January 31, 2003)
Life Since The Rooftop (February 19, 2003)
A Blackbelt Masseuse, Ventriloquist And A Swamy (March 9, 2003)
God At The Beach (March 30, 2003)
Oceans Of Love (April 23, 2003)
Words Don't Work (May 7, 2003)
Happy New Year (January 19, 2006)
Backwaters, Beaches, Hills and Heat (February 5, 2006)
Zen And The Art Of Motorscooter Madness (February 22, 2006)
Dolphins Dancing, Remple Of The Sun and Of Course...Music Divine (February 27, 2006)
Africans And Aliens In India (March 31, 2006)
Alive And Very Well In India (April 11, 2008)
5000 Musicians And A Circus (February 10, 2011)

Back to Travels

One of the few pictures I have from my first visit to India. Here I am with guru Sri Trichy Sankaran and his wife Lalitha at Chaumundi Hills. Mysore, 2003

Me being blessed by an elephant (for a few rupees) outside of Brihadeeswarar temple. Taken when my beard was its longest after 5 years of growth and no trimming. I shaved it shortly after this pic. Thanjavur, 2003

This intersection is one of the busiest in Chennai. This cow decided to stop on this little manhole, irrespective of the dozens of cars, autorickshaws and two-wheelers that are waiting at the stop lights (not in picture). Chennai, 2003

Kids… the same everywhere. They love to get crazy for a picture. Chennai, 2008

One of the views from the train while traveling in Tamil Nadu. A blessed land with much fertility.. And some nice hills. Maybe near Vellore, 2006

A planted forest near the coast in Orissa. These trees were put there to help prevent erosion. As such, their order makes for some nice perspectives. Orissa, 2006

Another picture from the train. Tamil Nadu, 2006

Sunset as seen from the train. Tamil Nadu, 2006

Hanging gumat, which are the traditional drums used by Konkani people of Goa and Karnataka. A clay body and a lizard skin membrane. Very interesting. Outside Mangalore, 2006

Kathakali dancers in effect. This was an amazing experience. I traveled with my guru to this little town as he had a concert. After his concert, an all-night performance of this style of dance was enacted. It is a type of dance drama which originated in the state of Kerala and is intense on many fronts. The music, make-up, costumes, acting, endurance. A normal performance goes from late evening until morning. The stories are usually adaptations of the Indian classics Mahabharata and Ramayana. Near Chertala, 2006

Taken at the peak of the procession of Kapaleeswar at his temple in Mylapore during the annual festival. I would frequent this area often and one night was lucky enough be there at the right time. An enormous din of several different groups of musicians, thousands of people, incense everywhere, torches. It was sight to behold. And when the deity finally emerged everyone murmured prayers. This was taken just before that moment. Chennai, 2006

A kolam and a grand one at that. These geometric designs are still made by many women every morning in front of the entrance to the home. Many different reasons ranging from exercise, blessing the home, feeding insects, sending signals to wandering ascetics that they may be welcome. There are hundreds of designs. This one was made as part of a kolam-making contest. Chennai, 2006

The great temple car of Kapaleeswar. During the festival, the deity is taken for a ride in this vehicle which is many metres high. It is pulled along by throngs of men using one very thick rope. Thousands of people line the streets. It is hot and sweaty. People throw buckets of water on the crowds from rooftops. A little chaotic….kind of like India at times. Fun. Chennai, 2006

Another Kathakali dancer. Cochin, 2006

A lone flower taken from a slow moving boat in the backwaters in Kerala. Near Cochin, 2006

Taken from a hidden spot in the hill station of Kodaikanal. Usually full of littering and noisy tourists of the Indian sort, Kodaikanal is still quite nice. And a great retreat from the 40+ temps of India in May. Had to go off the beaten track and through the bushes to find this place. The hills seemed to go on for days. They make good chocolate there as well Kodaikanal, 2006

This is a sweaty me posing with one S. Rajam….a painter, musician and educator of high repute. He is the elder brother of veena (stringed lute) virtuoso S. Balachander and is the maternal uncle to my good friend V.S. Ravi (who I stayed with on my first visit). I have become friends with this family and would visit Rajam every few weeks to discuss music and other matters. He has developed a unique watercolour painting style and his works are sought after in India and abroad. He has also has rich lineage of music in his family and was taught by the legends of yesteryear. A living link to the “Golden Age” of Karnatak music. He is in his mid-80’s now and still quick minded and actively painting. Chennai, 2006

The ever present and slow moving cow of India. They really do have free reign to go where they please. Lake Chilika, 2006

One small corner of the Sun Temple in Orissa. Konark, 2006

One of the wheels of the large chariot at the Sun Temple in Orissa. Konark, 2006

My guru Sri Trichy Sankaran , his lovely wife Smt. Lalitha Sankaran and me….at their feet. I am forever humbled and grateful to him. Chennai, 2008

An old and weathered carving in the side of the shore temple in Mahabalipuram, just outside of Chennai. Mahabalipuram, 2008

Neeraja Srinivasan, an acquaintance of mine and a fantastic Bharatanatyam dancer/teacher. Bharatanatyam is the classical form of dance that is most popular in Tamil Nadu. At one time relegated to temples only, in the beginning of the 20th century it had a revitalization and is now taught and performed all over the world. An amazing confluence of music and movement. I don’t think she is pointing at me. Chennai, 2008

The puja (worship) room of the house of the late S. Balachander….veena maestro. Note his collection of veenas on the sides. Chennai, 2008

A close-up of a tuning peg made of ivory from a veena belonging to the late S. Balachander, one of the most influential veena artists to have ever lived. I used to practice with his grandson (who also plays veena) in the family worship room where all of Balachander’s veenas are still kept. One day I took some pics of these magnificent instruments. Chennai, 2008

One of about a dozen 4’x8’ painting s that cover the ceiling of family of S. Balachander’s house. Painted by S. Rajam, the series depicts the evolution of humanity. Chennai, 2008

A snapshot of the throngs of people that can amass for festivals in India. These people are preceding the temple chariot of Kapaleeswar in Mylapore. Taken from a hotel balcony. Chennai, 2008

worshiper of Murugan (one of the sons of Siva and Parvati), a favorite deity of the Tamil people of Tamil Nadu. Neil Island (Andaman Islands), 2008

A small boat loading up with goods in preparation for a trip to another island. Anything goes….fruits, vegetables, motorcycles. Neil Island (Andaman Islands), 2008

A mosque in Port Blair, capital city of the Andaman/Nicobar Island state. Port Blair (Andaman Islands), 2008

Momos… steamed dumplings filled with veggies and served with some hot pepper sauce. A staple in Sikkim. Super cheap and super tasty. On the road to Pelling, 2008

Prayer flags (and Tibetan Buddhism) are ubiquitous in Sikkim. In this town, located in the hills, almost every house and building had this type of vertical flag which have different prayers inscribed upon them. The wind blows over them and carries the prayers around the surrounding land and its inhabitants. Pelling, 2008

A shot of a winding path that leads to the Sangacholing gompa (monastery) in Sikkim. Pelling, 2008

Wow….no picture will ever convey this sight. Mt. Kanchenjunga (“The Five Treasures Snow) is the 3rd highest mountain in the world and is easily seen from several places in Sikkim. This was taken from the balcony of the hotel I stayed at and would greet me in the morning. Pelling, 2008

Prayer flags at Lake Khecheopalri, a sacred site for Buddhists in Sikkim. The whole lake is surrounded by thousands of prayer flags that devotees leave here. From above, the lake takes the shape of a footprint and is said to be that of Goddess Tara (mother of the Buddha). Khecheopalri, 2008

Sunrise taken from the guesthouse I stayed at in Khecheopalri. The morning I was leaving. Khecheopalri, 2008

Two of the nicest people I have ever met. Pema (on the left) had a bum leg, but would literally race up the mountain paths, carrying bags of cement, food, whatever….he put me to shame. Sonam (on the left) is perhaps the most sincere and honest person I have ever met. For the few days that I was there, Sonam and Pema would guide me around the hills and in the evening would prepare a feast fit for kings. Khecheopalri, 2008

Rice noodles drying like clothes. Kalimpong, 2008

A ceremonial drum at the Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang gompa. Kalimpong, 2008

The topmost part of stupas at the Zong Dog Palri Fo-Brang gompa. Kalimpong, 2008

A close up of the gopuram of the Kapaleeswar temple in Mylapore, Chennai. Gopurams are a feature of almost every South Indian temple in Tamil Nadu and are known for elaborate sculptures which depict various stories and events. This is a small detail of a much larger structure. Chennai, 2008

The full gopuram of Kapaleeswar temple. Chennai, 2008

Some folk performers and musicians. In this pic you see the awesome tavil and nagaswaram (3rd and 4th from left respectively). The man on the left is pulling this colorful ribbon from his mouth and the lady is collecting it. He must have been doing it for a good 3 minutes or so. If you think about that, it is quite a lot of ribbon to be holding in your stomach or mouth. The thing on his head (kavadi) is being balanced and earlier he was spinning it around in a fury. Chennai, 2006

Now becoming a thing of the past. Chennai is known as billboard city because hundreds of these huge adverts litter the streets, advertising everything from movies (in this case superstar Vijay’s newest film) to jewelry to luggage to clothes. A ban has now been put on these types of billboards and you can see the sky and trees again. Chennai, 2006

Taken from a restaurant next to Kapaleeswar temple on Sivaratri, one of the most important dates in the Hindu calendar for followers of Siva. On this day/night, thousands of people will flock to Siva temples all over India and stay the night, make prayers, listen to discourses, hear music, sing bhajans, eat some food. You can see many smaller gopurams dotting the circumference of the temple itself. Chennai, 2008

The Matrimandir. Each of those plates is made of gold (or plated in gold anyway). This mysterious temple was the vision of “The Mother”, partner of Sri Aurobindo, a famous and revered Indian philosopher who formed the Aurobindo ashram. This item, the Matrimandir was the idea of The Mother as was Auroville, a large experimental town sprawling over many acres and active in promoting sustainable ways of living and spiritual pursuits….open to all of mankind. Has some pros and cons. I have never been inside but friends have been…said it was powerful but strange. Pondicherry, 2008

Detail of some prayer flags. Pelling, 2008

Prayer wheels at Pemayangtse Monastery, one of the oldest in Sikkim. Spinning of these wheels (which have prayers engraved upon them) has the same effect as praying. Near Pelling, 2008

Small boy carrying some firewood in a traditional style of basket. Near Pelling, 2008

Little monks at Pemayangtse gompa. Near Pelling, 2008

A parade of chenda players at a pooram festival in Kottarakara, Kerala. This was my first pooram festival and was intense. Dozens of musicians playing extremely long rhythmic cycles. 20 or so elephants ornately dressed. Fireworks. Frenzy. I have written about it at length in one of my India stories…check it out. Kottarakara, 2003

My good friend V.S. Ravi (RIP), whom I lived with on my first visit to India. A born Hindu who converted to Christianity and has a broad outlook on the world. Spiritual and humanitarian man with a great sense of humor and a great voice as well. He would serenade me with light classical songs and film songs every day. Nephew of famous vocalist/painter S. Rajam and veena virtuoso S. Balachander. Good cook as too! I miss him. Chennai, 2006

A vibrant pic of a growing pineapple, nothing like what we see in North America. This was taken at a plantation which grew turmeric, cashews, pineapples, ginger, black pepper and other commonly used Indian spices/crops. Outside Panaji, Goa, 2008

A dry goods merchant selling everything from toothpaste to chili peppers...lots of chili pepppers. Panaji, Goa, 2006

he process of applying the make-up for a Kathakali dancer/performer. We watched the whole process which took just over an hour. The white fans are actually pieces of paper and are applied with a glue of rice paste. Most of the colours are made from certain minerals which when ground with oil, became paint!! Cochin, Kerala, 2006

A little piece of paradise in the middle of the ocean. If you are looking for pristine and quiet beaches look no further than this place. Free snorkeling off the beach as well!! Neil Island, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, March 2008

Olive Ridley turtle...dead. This was the inspiration for my tune "Olive Ridley's Lament". On a beach in Orissa there were dozens and dozens of visible dead turtles, not to mention the ones we could not see in the water and further along the miles of beach. They get caught in fishing nets or eat plastic that is floating in the sea and die. Their numbers are further decreasing from habitat loss and breeding disruption. There is some sort of marking on its back which is supposed to be a numbering system of some sort. Orissa, 2006

A bright picture of two Konkani Kudubi dancers. They dance, sing and play a drum known as gumat (seen here). The head rdess is made of flowers, lots of flowers. Outside Mangalore, Karnataka, 2006

No idea what this tablet says but the colours sure are striking. It was sitting on a ledge outside a monastery in Sikkim. Pelling, Sikkim, 2008

A small Ganesh figure to protect our movements and remove obstacles (plus a baby Krishna sticker for good measure). Most vehicles in India have some representation of one deity or another inside (and/or outside). This car belonged to the hired driver of my guru who carried us to one of his concerts. Chennai, Tamil Nadu, 2008

A nice coconut grove on the coast of the Andaman Islands. South of Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, 2006

View of Arunchala from the Marudam Farm School lands where my friend Arun lives. Thiruvannamalai, 2011

Arun's house, constructed out of all natural materials. Despite the heat, it was well conditioned due to the design and materials. Thiruvannamalai, 2011

View of the 5000 musicians concert that I attended with my guru Trichy Sankaran. Was quite an event! Chennai, 2011

Classic South Indian “meals”/thali. For the low price of 30 rupees (less than a dollar) you get this veritable feast of vegetarian goodness. And rice….lots of rice. Chennai, 2011

View from the train. Though I love the trains, one thing they leave behind is a trail of rubbish and filth. Somewhere in South India, 2011

A carved mandala in a stone pillar in the Rock Fort of Trichy. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

Some ancient Tamil inscriptions at the Rock Fort Temple Complex. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

View of a small temple from the top of the Rock Fort. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

View from the top of the Rock Fort of the Kauveri River and Srirangam with the gopuram towering above all. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

Love the contrast of this coconut grove in the middle of the city. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

Some deems used at the top of the Rock Fort Temple. Tiruchirappalli, 2011

Mumbai sunrise. The smog is oddly beautiful. Mumbai, 2011

Detail of one of the gates of the Gateway to India. Mumbai, 2011

Some kathakali in action. This is from one of the tourist performances that happen in Fort Kochi, but still convey some the power of this art. Kochi, 2011

The tea plantations of Munnar basically take pictures themselves. Its hard not to get a good shot in these hills! Munnar, 2011

This picture always makes me think of the elephant posing. Something about the way they rest their feet. Of course, the huge anklet adds to this. Pondicherry, 2011

Here is the same elephant (Lakshmi). There is always a sadness around seeing these elephants, even thought they are considered auspicious. There are always tales of them being maltreated by their "mahout" ("trainer"). Pondicherry, 2011

Words can't do justice to what theyyam is. The costumes alone are worth the experience, let alone the music, dance and overall vibe. Near Kannur, 2012

This captures the vibe a little during theyyam rituals. Near Kannur, 2012

Incarnation of Bhagavathi (Mother Goddess). Near Kannur, 2012

Bhagavathi in action. Near Kannur, 2012

Western side of Neil Island. Andaman Islands, 2015

One of main roads of Neil Island. if y9ou want to relax and slow down, this is the place to do it. Neil Island, Andamans, 2015

Mandala painted ont eh floor of the inner court of the Kapaleeswarar temple. Mylapore, Chennai, 2015

One of the many carvings of the Elephanta Caves (near Mumbai) Elephanta, 2015

Detail of some coconut leaves. Murud-Janjira, 2016

Sunset. Murud-Janjira, 2016

The workshop/"factory" of Dr. Varadarangan, an engineer/Carnatic vocalist who has dedicated his time, efforts and money into creating the SRI mridangam, completely synthetic and sounding pretty amazing. He also quite singing because he couldn't; reconcile that the mridangam that accompanies him used animal skin (he is a vegan). So instead of quitting, he made it his mission to create a "vegan" alternative and succeeded. Bengaluru, 2019

Found this little deepam on he banks of famed Kaveri River, which winds through Karnataka dn Tamil Nadu and has been the literal lifeblood of the civilizations there for thousands of years. Srirangapatnam (near Mysore), 2018

Driving from Mysore to Bengaluru we saw numerous folks engaged with these structures. Upon inquiry we were told that they were making silk. They feed silk worms on a special type of leaf (see next pic) and when the worms are fat enough, they lay them out in this structure, within which the create a cocoon....which is made of silk. Ramanagara, 2019

Silkworms munching on their favourite food. Ramanagara, 2019

The massive Nandi at the Siva temple at Chaumundi Hills (Mysore). I first visited here with my guru and his wife in 2003. At that time the Nandi was black. Now it has been cleaned 9I guess?). Still majestic. Chaumundi Hills (Mysore), 2018

Back To Travels