lifestyle

Summer Relief

Pramila N. Phatarphekar

At 40º C if you can’t handle the heat, it’s time to get out of the plains. But where to? We squinted at the globe, stared at the map and called the experts to come up with a summer travel menu of places that’ll re-sap your spirits. Read on for where to smell the wildflowers, listen to the stomp of wildebeest and how to jump off an aircraft so you can hurtle earthwards at 200 kmph.

The Messi Fans of India

Akshay Sawai

One of the most exciting footballers in the world, Lionel Messi, is an improbable Indian sweetheart

A Cup of Civetised Coffee

Avantika Bhuyan

Coffee beans found in civet dung make the world’s most prized coffee. And now, it gets a ‘Made in India’ tag.

Bicycle Chief

Jake Bullough

Cycling 10 hours a day, travelling across 13 countries, from Ireland to India, he realised that everyday irritants like the traffic and the weather colonise too much of our time. Life, after all, comes with bumps and all, and we should enjoy the ride. Wobbly or not.

High on Chai?

Kabeer Sharma

Maybe it’s time to get back to ground reality. The kitsch fashion revolution has outlasted its energy and purpose.

Little Ones

Team Open

It is not just the Taj that is unique to India. Here are a few more that can be found—only in India.

The Car that Refuses to Go

Kabeer Sharma

From a symbol of sarkari authority to a kitschy curiosity, there is nothing quite like the good old Ambassador.

The Saga of Sher-e-Punjab

Jatin Gandhi

The saga of India’s favourite dhaba began with a small tea shop in Chandigarh owned by a refugee. Simmering with the earthen taste of authentic Punjabi food, the little tea shop served homesick bachelors lunch and memories of home.