Pushkar February 27-28th 2014 “....concentrate on the syllable om, and feel the force that it embrace(s)......feel the energy from the trinity that flow(s) through to fill all of (you)......see the universe being created in a single exhalation of the Brahma's breath. ….. understand the delicacy with which Vishnu balance(s) everything between creation and death. The physical (will) subside as Vishnu's cycle (comes) to and end. The lasting resonance of the syllable (will) sound inside (you) as Shiva's sphere (begins) to ascend.” The Death of Vishnu – Manil Suri Maha Shivratri is the 'Great Night of Shiva', a Hindu festival celebrated every year during the black moon (usually February) in reverence of Lord Shiva. The festival marks the convergence of Shiva and Shakti (shakti means creative beauty power and intelligence and is the... read more

January 18th2014 “Somewhere deep inside, something's got a hold on you And it's pushing me aside, see it stretch on forever” Better be home soon – Crowded House When thinking about unexplored (by me) Gujarat over many years, I always imagined visiting famous Jain temples, not the least one place I had heard about from travelers involving climbing many steps. Palitana was that place and so as we approached I was full of expectation. The omens were good – straight into town we hit a lassi stall (the daily lassi has become a bit of a habit in Gujarat). Then the fruit walla next to it tells us about where to find a hotel. We go there. But...... it is still being built! Something wrong with the local intelligence here. After several rides up and down ... read more

January 7th2014 “We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl year after year Running over the same old ground, and what have we found The same old fears.......” Pink Floyd, Wish You Were Here Somnath is the site of one of the 12 very special JyotirLinga (Shiva) temples spread across India (and one in Kathmandu, Nepal). It is therefore a huge yatra (pilgrimage) site for Hindus. Somnath means “The Protector of the moon god” and the temple is known as “the Shrine Eternal”. It was destroyed about 10 times by mainly Muslim regimes only to rise again and again. The latest reincarnation began in 1947. While the date of the original temple is unsure, it was destroyed and rebuilt in the 7th Century. It is on the Arabian Sea coastline of Gujarat and boasts ... read more

December 29th 2013 “It's coming around again, Its slowly creeping in The time at its command Soon enough it comes, And settles in its place Its shadow on my face, Puts pressure in my day” Powderfinger Riding into the Great Rann (Desert) of Katchchh (Kutch) and its White Desert, I have a sense of reaching an end..... of place and time. Something about deserts. This place is a seasonal salt marsh in the Thar Desert (Kutch District of Gujarat and Sindh Province of Pakistan). Covering 7,500 squ kms it is the largest salt desert on Earth. Approaching the Pakistani border, we are stopped at a check-post and politely told politely that we cannot go closer. We stop and chat with the two soldiers and one takes David's bike for a little test ride down the road ... read more

Dec 26 2013 “I've got nothing on my mind, nothing to remember Nothing to forget and I've got nothing to regret” Crossroads, Don Maclean After using 'Christmas in Mt Abu' as an excuse (did we really need an excuse?) to do the magnificent ride chasing each other up and down the winding and excellent road to this otherwise over-cooked resort town, we rode on to Patan en route to Kachchh. Meant to be just a stopover, there are a few unexpected (I love the unexpected) surprises in store. First we stop by a beautiful Jain temple. Gujarat has many and seems to be the main place for Jainism - a religious offshoot from Hinduism with some similarities to Bhuddism but much older. It teaches a path of non-violence towards all living beings and emphasizes spiritual independence ... read more