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    Summer Holidays… An Indian Summer

    “The Indian Summer has its own rainbow in nature… the vermillion flower on the Gulmohar, the canary yellow blossom of the Laburnum, violet virulence on the Jacaranda and pristine white Jasmine emits an unbelievable sweetness under a starry night sky.” While most people across the world rue the Indian Summer as a hot and dry season, we embrace it! As we celebrated Holi last week, here in India, the colours of spring only remind us of the rich kaleidoscope (Click here to access our Travel Scope Kaleidoscope of Ideas) of things that once can do during the summer in India. We…

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    Of Films & Fairytales…Lenseye – A Cinematic Journey through India

    { “What do you do?” “I am a dream-catcher. I take your reality and weave you a fantasy.” }   This is a story that begins in the heart of Calcutta, just before the turn of the century. The moving image had come to town and a far-sighted Bengali gentleman named Hiralal Sen brought the stage to screen with his moving biopics. [Cut to Mumbai.] On the other side of the country, Mumbai’s Marathi speakers were a visionary and cultural bunch. The stage was set with a strong tradition of theater already in place. The Wrestlers (1899) by H. S.…

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    New Beginnings: A Journey to the Soul of the Subcontinent

    “Travel brings power and love back to your life” – Rumi While Western world civilizations from the Mayans to the Norse predict the end of the world in this century, our eastern roots urge us to look at every death as a rebirth, every misstep as a step in a new direction, every end as a new beginning. In a year where the world precariously draws on hope as it crawls out of the vortex of recession, perhaps the lesson should be not to grasp those things that are without, but those things that are within.  (Contact us today to learn…

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    New Beginnings: Soul Journeys in the Indian Subcontinent

    While Western world civilizations from the Mayans to the Norse predict the end of the world in this century, our eastern roots urge us to look at every death as a rebirth, every misstep as a step in a new direction, every end as a new beginning.  In a year where the world precariously draws on hope as it crawls out of the vortex of recession, perhaps the lesson should be not to grasp those things that are without, but those things that are within.     Pause – to imbibe the scent of the forest floor. [image: forest walks…

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    Strike A Chord: Lahi Lahi… Snippets from the Slow Road through the North East of India

      Let your life lightly dance on the edges of Time like dew on the tip of a leaf. – Rabindranath Tagore   The Girls from Guwhati… One of the first things I learnt from our hosts in Guwahati (the capital of Assam) was the words Lahi Lahi, which signifies a slow pace of life. Guwahati was our gateway to the North East of India and Papori, a native of Assam, and her sister became not only our hosts but baptized us in the ways of the North East. Papori’s sister fed us a sumptuous meal of local delicacies at…

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    Cities of the Future: Demystifying the Indian Urban Jungle

    “We gonna run run run To the cities of the future Take what we can and bring it back homeSo take me down to the cities of the future Everybody’s happy and I feel at home” – Lyrics: Cities of the Future – Infected Mushroom   One only has to touch down in India at any major gateway (and some not so major ones) to know that things have taken a step up since the last century. India’s new airports are no longer just functional points of entry where you can get your passport stamped – but at the same time…

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    When Two Souls Meet: Music from the Mountains of The Indian Subcontinent

    “Only when you drink from the river of silence, shall you indeed sing. And when you have reached the mountain-top, then you shall begin to climb. And when the earth shall claim your limbs, then shall you truly dance.” – Khalil Gibran Music Makes Us Smile! In the far reaches of Ladakh’s outdoors, one hears…the Indus and the Zanskar dribbling over pebbly riverbeds, the wind whisper and howl alternatively through the crevices in the Transhimalaya, and the bird song. Soft, incessant tweets that rent the air with symphonies so sweet, they move grown men to tears. But if you move…

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    Twists on the Traditional: Jodhpur – beyond the pale in the Blue City

    Jodhpur: Beyond the pale in the Blue City The whole experience was wonderful, stimulating and very exciting! Travel Scope did a great job in making all the arrangements and we would definitely recommend this trip to our friends! Nancy Schapiro and Gerald Portnoy There is a stark strength to Jodhpur. The city stands as the last frontier – coexisting with the sand-dunes of the Thar Desert. A walk through the marketplace, Jodhpur Perhaps it’s the muscle of Meherangarh Fort which towers protectively over the skyline. Or the sprawling handsomeness of Umaid Bhawan Palace, whose dome is a landmark for miles…

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    Yoga with Alka – Initiation and Interaction

    Initiation to yoga The word ‘Yoga’ is derived from ‘Yuj’ which simply means to unify or to join. Hence yoga is defined as ‘union’ i.e. union of the individual self with the cosmic self. In more comprehensive terms yoga denotes the techniques that lead to harmony between the inner self and its external environment, between thought and action, between the world and individual. For the diligent follower, Yoga offers simple tools that allows the seeker to attain and maintain a healthy body and when internalized also a healthy mind and a healthy attitude. Besides holistic health, yoga also facilitates the…

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    Moments of Epiphany: Bombay/Mumbai – The City of Dreams

    Moments of Epiphany: Bombay/ Mumbai – The City of Dreams Mumbai skyline Each destination was interesting and exciting – something new to experience! From outstanding services and attention to detail, our itinerary was perfect. The transfer services and airport representatives were greatly helpful, as were the calls from Praveen. Harsh took us to areas of Mumbai unseen by most. His knowledge and enthusiasm, his warmth are outstanding! We can’t wait to plan our next trip and are glad to be working with Travel Scope. Herbert and Ellen Mayer As a tribute to the recent award won by Travel Scope from…