“Trees signify eternal hope”

The sun had not fully risen when we reached the chosen spot inside Lal Bagh. The Katte was set up in semi-darkness. With the sun came some walkers and regulars who have been hanging out at that spot for the last 10 to 15 years (they said). There was curiosity about the props in the

Healing through drawing trees

I have written in the past about how painting trees seemed to save my life when I was very ill. I often turn to that experience to affirm how powerful Nature’s influence is on the human psyche. This morning, I woke up with an ominous body ache. I fought myself to rise from bed and

Bhoomi Habba time of the year

It is that time of the year when we will read, hear and be invited to ponder a lot on the environment, climate change, eco-friendly choices and sustainable action. World Environment Day on June 5th is not the only day we need to think about these issues of urgent concern. We know that and yet,

My Tryst with a Tree of Life

Have you ever lost a very dear object and promised yourself you would never replace it? In a poem I wrote for a poetry blog, I tell the story of how I broke that promise when I lost my Tree of Life ring. Here’s the poem for you:My Tryst with a Tree of Life The

On being lost

“What if being lost is just a sign that you’ve finally stopped following someone else’s map or blueprint?” (Unknown source) …or what if you got lost because you followed someone’s map (most likely Google Maps)? “To get lost is to learn the way.” (African Proverb) …but what of when you are still lost? These and

It’s that time of the year…

…when trees stop me in my tracks. I’m usually rushing off to someplace, when I meet the fairy lights a Pongam tree wears. It is the most delicate, most transparent green – every leaf almost a tiny sheet of light against the blue sky. I stand and gawp. I take photos of the tree, as

“Trees have more life than humans”

When the sun reclaimed its place in the sky this morning, a group of curious children (aged 6 to 11) and adults from The Earth School, Bangalore, celebrated. Together – we played, ran, climbed trees and made up word chains describing the trees around us, in one of Bangalore’s precious lung spaces – Lal Bagh.

Some Banyan Trees have Stone Walls

Some banyan trees have stone walls. Like my Alma Mater who is entering her 75th year. From a single tree in the centre, many trees have grown, are still growing all around, while staying connected at the core. This is not just a description of the campus and how it has spread out around the

A Date with Dayara Bugyal

(Part 3 of a series on a trek to Dayara Bugyal) Why are we trekking? This was a question on many minds – it emerged, from conversations during the trek and after. Is this “mazaa” or “sazaa” (pleasure or punishment) was a question debated much one morning, towards the end of the trek. “What is

Signing up to meet the mountains…

(Part 2 of a series on a trek to Dayara Bugyal) What can one say of trekking in the Himalayas? Words cannot contain the experience. Pictures cannot depict all its colours. No song can hold all its music and silences. Yet, I tried to map various aspects of my trek to Dayara Bugyal, Uttarakhand, with