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Tassa Drum Let's take a trip, to a land far away in the east where mysticism, hues, romance, aromas and paradoxes run on steroids India, the mere mention of this land transcends one's mind, body and soul into mythical spheres. In the Caribbean, India and Indian-ness are an integral part of the region's social and cultural fabric, hints of which are potent and fragrant as the spices of the land are perhaps not visible on the surface but deeply embedded in the way of life. Turning the clocks back to a sunny afternoon of May 10, 1845 S.S. Blundell Hunter anchored in Old Harbour Bay aboard were 200 men, 28 women and 33 children making journey from India it is recorded that first Indian to set foot on Jamaican soil was a man named Parmeshwar (meaning Supreme Being or God). These were the first Indian immigrants to Jamaica. The Indian presence in Jamaica would grow with recruitment for another 70 years, as some 36,400 immigrants made the four-month long journey ...

The main temple building of Zuigan-ji Matsushima, Japan: There is something about Zuigan-ji temple that touches the soul. Serenity permeates in the temple compound - the cedar-tree-lined dirt path, rows of caves carved on the rocky cliff with some moss-covered memorials for the departed souls - cool October breeze and blooming hydrangeas - bliss. One of the holiest and revered sites in Japan, Zuigan-ji, a Zen Buddhist temple that opened its doors to the world in 828 AD, attracts visitors from across the world. Zuigan-ji is Matsushima town's hub of activities - visitors, believers, some in awe, others in peace, yet others putting their best pose forward to take selfies - this pious spot sees them all. Statues and caves which are memorials to the departed souls line the path at Zuigan-ji Located at Matsushima-kaigan, a sea-face town that is revered as one of the scenic spots in Japan, Zuigan-ji was made the site for burial by the ruling Date (pronounced Dah tay) fam...

The windows and the balconies at The Dadhikar Fort, are a mix of the Indian and mughal architecture History, it is said, lies buried in the annals of time, faded in the yellowing pages of books and oft forgotten; if one were to chart the history of The Dadhikar Fort, it has risen from the ashes - figuratively and literally. In a country which is home to 1.2 billion people, finding serenity is the most luxurious and rare commodity, and this fort, situated 125 km west of India's capital, New Delhi, in the princely state of Rajasthan, is a voyage in a time machine. Leaving behind the swanky glass buildings, the zip-zap zooming, stalled traffic, blaring horns, and the sea of humanity. The first things that strike you are the laid back pace of life, the greenery, and the dirt track that is shared with herds of buffaloes, cows grazing in the fields, schoolchildren waving gleefully at the lone car passing by - bliss to the nth degree. Somewhere, a peacock is ready to spread its...

Begum X and Delhi Sultanate go strictly vinyl It was an evening when alleys of one of the historic neighbourhoods of New Delhi came alive to the beats of music - Champa Gali, on April 2, and emitted more than the aroma of coffee, as the heady mix of dub plates and sound system took the brew and the atmosphere into a another level. Wait! Is this India's capital we are talking about, dub plates did we say? Yes, you heard that right, the evolution of Tin Pan Alley is beating with new sounds of music, as Bass Foundation Roots (BFR), unveiled their sound system, painted bright red, to the world. The crowd swayed, the beats resonated, and the venue, name of which means Plumeria Alley (Plumeria is a flower found in tropical and sub-tropical regions, and is fragrant in the night). The fragrance of this night was strictly vinyl. The sounds of this party resonated in the narrow bylanes as music pumped from the red sound system making its debut. For Taru Dalmia and Samara Chopra,...