Ah, the colorful pandals, the piercing beat of drums, the mesmerizing aroma of incense, and the alluring glow of Goddess Durga under the vivid lights. Yes, my dear friends, I’m talking about Durga Puja, the most vibrant and reverberating Indian festival that brings along a wave of strong nostalgia, reminiscent of past adventures and experiences. […]
Grand Parenting
GB’s Blog No 14 Couple of days ago, I was taught a lesson. Having been brought up in a world where routines, schedules, and orderliness ranks very high in the order of proper behaviour I was trying through a learning activity to instill such values in my three year old grandson. I was stumped when […]
My 73rd Birthday
GB’s Blog No 13 Do you remember your birthday? I do, but not individually, yearly. When I was in primary and lower middle school, I used to look forward to my birthday; the annual family gathering when I knew I would be gifted philately, that year’s music recording (on 78 rpm vinyl discs), followed by […]
The Zen factor of our model of wilderness homestay.
GB’s Blog No 12 All these years, after observing eco tourism sites including homestays, I had come to believe that its success boiled down to something very mundane and impersonal – conventional marketing and advertising, proficient staffing and a lean management structure that would generate a well balanced account book with regular profits. How wrong […]
Homage to the Green World
GB’ Blog 11 Svanir is our “Sacred grove”. I believe in my heart of hearts that many benign spirits of the plant kingdom live here. Since we have always sided with the trees over bricks – often to the chagrin of civil engineers and contractors, the benign spirits will caution us of danger as well […]
What’s in a name?
GB’s Blog No 15 I could never fathom why naming the guest rooms of our homestay had to be shelved for so long. After my initial attempt to arrive at a consensus I, like a typical bureaucrat, postponed the decision. Yet, I am convinced that every family abode needs a name, an identity. Whenever I […]
We are Open
GB’s Blog 10 After a…. l o n n n g … gap The Covid pandemic has caused widespread loss to lives, livelihoods and the mental well being of most people. The travel and hospitality sector has been battered. We at Svanir suffered immensely – health, finance and business wise. We wondered just how long […]
A Whole New World
GB’s BLOG 8. WORLD RE- BOOT DAY IDEA On this day, exactly a month ago, I had suggested this idea in GB’s Blog 5 and sent a link to this over email to many friends and some institutions who/ that, I thought, may perhaps carry the idea forward. WordPress statistics show that on this and […]
Prisoner’s of Schedule
GB’S BLOG 7. We do not realize that our life has actually become a timetable of do’s and don’ts. Starting from our toddling days when we have to take our food, sleep and play according to a set pattern, down our teenage school life, through our adult work life and finally in our old age, […]
World Re-boot Day?
GB’s BLOG 6 WORLD RE-BOOT DAY 25th March – FOR ONE MONTH “There’s a kind of rush, all over the world today, All over the world you can hear the sound of nature in love…. ….so listen very carefully, get closer and you will see what I mean, It isn’t a dream…” (My apologies to […]