A Hindu Temple in Atlanta: Shri Swaminarayan Mandir

A Hindu temple in Lilburn?  We’d never heard of one until this weekend, but sure enough, the Shri Swaminarayan Mandir is right there on Rockbridge Road at Lawrenceville Highway in Lilburn, open since 2007.  A mandir is a Hindu place of worship, which also serves as a center for community social, educational, cultural and religious activities. […]

Weekly Photo Challenge: Illumination

Illumination has many interpretations, from the simple brightening with light, to a deeper spiritual or intellectual enlightenment.  In India, both of these concepts seemed to constantly be at play.  Major temples and structures glow in the night, an ever-present reminder of their importance. Colorful, twinkly lights adorn restaurants and shops, inviting people to enter.  There […]

Varanasi: Living on the Edge…of the Ganga

Varanasi Laundry

Travel engages all five senses, sometimes six, and we experience destinations through all of them. Sight is obvious, but hear a certain drumbeat, and it reminds me of sitting around a campfire in Botswana. Smelling coconut and papaya always brings me back to a Caribbean beach. When I feel sweat running out of every pore, […]