Sacred places, sacred traces

Moving places. Sacred ones, at that. The power of faith and reverence for place. These are frequently on display. If we look, we can see!

Geography is, ultimately, about places. Places themselves do not have “meaning”; we give them different meanings…

Motherland — a geopious notion

People are often willing to go so far as to die for “their” country, “their” land. The “land” and “country” they are willing to die for may be a piece of property, it may be a land for a culture to live in, it may be a “holy” place, and so on. The scale varies.

No more in “no-man’s” land

Recently, Indian Prime Minister Sri Narendra Modi went on an “historic” visit to our eastern neighbor: Bangla Desh. What made it so historic? Answer: the enormous impacts on the human geographies of the two countries.

Geometry and geography in Bangalore

Geometry, geography, and Karnātaka sangītam intersect with proper nouns. It may not be what you think. Or what you expect even.

At around 6 am, I was walking along Double (or KH) Road. A car pulled up beside me. In it were a couple; husband…

A young geographer speaks

Why is geography a rewarding discipline to study? A young geographer speaks.

Parents frequently ask me whether their child who is interested in geography and wants to study it, can get a “good” job. Young students often tell me that they are very interested…

The 3 “A”s

Now, acclimation (getting used to the climate of a place). Of course it is never just the physical climate alone, but a whole lot more. Do not forget this was 1982 and the only TV we got to watch in Bengaluru consisted of a few hazy blue-and-white images for a few hours a day. DoorDarshan. That’s it. So, any…

Geography Workshops at Chinmaya Vidyalaya, Kolar — report

When you gather 30 children from classes 7, 8, and 9, and provoke them to think and act, you will find that they are more than equal to the challenge.

Geography in action!

Two important geography snippets this week: forensic and biogeography. (a) Forensic geography: Ocean currents, winds, and waves in action — will these help grieving people from fifteen nations who lost their loved ones in mysterious tragedy? (b) Biogeography: Ants and their geographic…

‘Natural disaster?’ NO!

Ultimately, all matter is energy! You and I, the air we breathe, the water we imbibe, the land on which we live … everything.

Earth is a huge ball of energy. Over 4 billion years ago, as the various masses of matter began to cool and coalesce (“ko-a-LESS”, from…

“Leave the shower curtain *inside* the tub!”

New Year’s Eve, 1982. A 23-year old. Quite ignorant of the world except for what he had read in newspapers, comic books, and seen in movies. A Boeing-747 “Jumbo Jet.” A bath tub. A shower curtain. An international journey to a far-off country, an…