Finding My Way Home
Discover India|November 2018

Growing up makes you forget—and then with time, you remember, the beauty and pain of the rain. Take a journey to the eastern town of Darjeeling with a local as she too rediscovers.

- Stuti Agarwal
Finding My Way Home
As a school kid growing up in Darjeeling, the monsoon was never a welcome time. It wasn’t about the landslides that devastated nooks of the town, life in the hills always went on undisturbed, it was about having to walk to school and arriving soaking wet.

Cars were a luxury in Darjeeling, and while many schools have buses, ours didn’t. Of course, here I’m missing the tiny detail that we lived very close to the school—one small hill down to be precise—and we had no choice but to walk.

As mothers often do, the Darjeeling ones have found a way for kids to have a dry day—bundled up in ankle-length raincoats with their special bag pockets and large umbrellas. Rain boots were seldom an option given that carrying them around the whole day seemed tedious, so the alternative was chappals. An extra bag with plastics to wrap everything that was wet, and towels to dry our feet before slipping into dry socks and shoes was a laborious addition.

Every day, for at least five months or so, the ‘wet bag’ was carried painstakingly to school. Let me not bother you with what happened when we had to step out into the market. And so, when I finally did go out to study, I knew that the one thing I wouldn’t miss was the rains in my hometown. I stand corrected today.

I’ve been away for the last eight years and made it a point to avoid the rains, until this year, when all I wanted to do was sit on my writing desk, undisturbed, and finish writing my book. I went back home, the rain pouring down on my suitcase as I dragged it downhill, complaining about the bad paths; but as soon as I sat down to write, the rain drumming outside my window, I smiled, and I knew something had changed, I felt like stepping out.

この蚘事は Discover India の November 2018 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

この蚘事は Discover India の November 2018 版に掲茉されおいたす。

7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トラむアルを開始しお、䜕千もの厳遞されたプレミアム ストヌリヌ、9,000 以䞊の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしおください。

DISCOVER INDIAのその他の蚘事すべお衚瀺
New Gear For New Travels
Discover India

New Gear For New Travels

Here’s our selection of some nifty new gear that’s certain to add extra oomph to your next vacation.

time-read
9 分  |
November - December 2021
10 Hidden Gems Of India
Discover India

10 Hidden Gems Of India

The last two years have prepared us to expect the unexpected, so why not explore the unexplored in 2022? India boasts some of the most culturally abundant and visually spectacular places in the world. Pick one or more of these 10 indian destinations to travel to and discover new lands in the coming year.

time-read
8 分  |
November - December 2021
When Travel Heals
Discover India

When Travel Heals

Going for a holiday just after you have lost your mother to COVID-19 may not be the most popular idea, but it was the only way for a grieving family to escape the agony with which they were living. And so, they headed to the Chettinad region of Tamil Nadu in search of peace and recuperation.

time-read
5 分  |
November - December 2021
BOOKS FOR THE BACKPACK
Discover India

BOOKS FOR THE BACKPACK

Journey across India through these books that shed light on the intriguing history and vibrant culture of the country.

time-read
2 分  |
November - December 2021
Masks of Glory
Discover India

Masks of Glory

Charida is not the most popular tourist spot in West Bengal. But its obscurity is one of the reasons we choose to discover the undiscovered ‘mask village’ of India.

time-read
4 分  |
November - December 2021
Palace of Grandeur
Discover India

Palace of Grandeur

The Grand Mercure Bengaluru at Gopalan Mall offers a slice of Karnataka’s rich architectural and culinary history and culture. We check-in at the palatial property for a plush staycation.

time-read
4 分  |
November - December 2021
The Road to My Roots
Discover India

The Road to My Roots

A family finds harmony and plenty of nostalgia in the hilly forests of Ramgarh, Uttarakhand and the Kumaon Himalayas.

time-read
6 分  |
November - December 2021
GARDEN of FABLES
Discover India

GARDEN of FABLES

On the fringes of Darjeeling, Kurseong is home to India’s most expensive tea, the world’s first tea factory, and a mystical natural phenomenon.

time-read
5 分  |
November - December 2021
MORE than just FOOD
Discover India

MORE than just FOOD

Kochi’s boutique cafés go beyond the traditional meal to o er artisanal experiences that reflect the port city’s varied expressions. From artist residencies to couverture masterclasses and upmarket design stores, there’s much to explore and savour.

time-read
5 分  |
November - December 2021
Magical Moments
Discover India

Magical Moments

Travel blogger and dancer, Nina Okhotina, is also the founder of the clothing brand, The Dress Stories. Her fl owy, one-tone dresses add a touch of magic to her Instagram pictures from her Indian trips. The Russia-born social-media star reminisces about her time in India and the people that made it special.

time-read
3 分  |
November - December 2021