Shaharnama

A move to City Beautiful’s clean, green and open environs literally provides a breather to a young couple from Patiala

A shift to Mumbai for a job brought loneliness in its wake. But a youngster soon matched its rhythm and city embraced him in return

A seven-year-old visitor to City Beautiful makes a promise to himself — to put down his roots in the city. Twenty-four years later, a family and a home here turn his fairy tale to reality

A melodious birdsong outside his window brings back memories of home for a new arrival to Hyderabad

A grown-up girl makes an emotional journey back to her childhood home after many years, where things have changed beyond memories, but the sight of a squirrel takes her back to those old times

In the 1970s, college brawls on the Mall Road and Ridge would often end in handshakes

An old resident of the City Beautiful recalls the 1960s Chandigarh when sector markets had open-air ‘shops’ under the canopies of trees

A native recalls family stories of his Nana’s ‘sweet’ responsibilities when City Beautiful was officially inaugurated

As dusk fell, the sun dipped behind the western horizon, painting the sky in amber hues. Cruising along the Sukhna Lake was mesmerising and I wanted to just freeze the moment — the water shimmered, and the world seemed to...

From a young age, I was fascinated by the designs and vibrant colours of ‘dhatu’, a colourful long scarf/shawl worn on head by elderly women in my native village of Nawar near Theog in Shimla district. I would dress up...

On visits to Pune and Ambala, a tourist finds it hard to get original and authentic local delicacies in a sea of imitators

A daughter finds strength in a jasmine bush planted by her father after he is no more. The plant not only provides solace to her, it also becomes a living bridge between generations

The trees of City Beautiful do not merely beautify its environs. An old timer shares stories about how they also nurture its inhabitants, enabling them to fulfil their aspirations

The hill town’s distinctive sloping roofs are not just an architectural style and necessity, they are an enduring symbol of the town's identity

A Punjabi woman wearing traditional Shakha Pola or conch bangles which Bengali married women wear turned into a mystery for locals during a metro ride in Kolkata

A woman learns lessons in resilience and love from mothers of autistic children at a special school in Hoshiarpur

An old-timer recalls a memorable journey to Kasauli to see snow first time with just Rs 10 in his pocket

A loved one's fatal accident in City Beautiful turned it into a place of sorrow for someone who wanted to call it home

An old timer advises today’s parents to serve values, lessons and stories, and not just meals

A first-generation denizen of Mohali rues the fact that its road network has not kept pace with the township’s exponential growth 

An Army kid remembers the natural beauty of hill state of Shillong despite staying there during years of unrest

Pads tied with shoelaces, tiffins packed with home-cooked food and no pocket money defined the journey of Bengaluru’s club cricketers’.  Yet every moment earned a place in memories

A ’90s kid recalls growing up in Chandigarh at the turn of millennium

For a Kolkata-born Punjabi, after moving to Hoshiarpur, a glimpse of Dhauladhar range from her terrace, is the realisation of a childhood dream

A poem about a spring in Achabal gardens, Anantnag, became a source of strength for a youngster during his school and college. Years later, his visit there is like a ‘pilgrimage