Stonecharioteer

A delectable Coorg chicken curry served with Nool Parotta.

Celebrating 5 years with my beloved cat Vibhishana

Highlights and thoughts from King Leopold's ghost

A thoughtful exploration of the Mahabharata as both epic literature and commentary on nation-building in ancient India

The fourth book in the Wheel of Time series brings major character developments and world-building as the protagonists face new challenges

A test post to verify private post functionality - excluded from listings but accessible via direct URL

A letter to Akira Toriyama, the creator of Dragon Ball and Dr.

A deeply personal journey of overcoming submechanophobia, childhood trauma, and learning to swim at age 35.

A deeply personal journey of overcoming submechanophobia and childhood trauma to learn swimming at age 35.

My progress learning to swim, overcoming submechanophobia and building endurance

I'm not on social media anymore

Reflecting on a year of recovery from workaholism and hearing loss, finding gratitude, and planning a return to building projects and writing fiction.

One year anniversary of losing my hearing - reflecting on adaptation, family understanding, sleep challenges, accessibility, and moving forward with single-sided deafness.

Part 2 of my hearing loss journey - learning to adapt to single-sided deafness, getting hearing aids, and finding ways to move forward with one working ear.

A heartfelt poem about adopting an elephant named Puttu and making him part of the family - exploring themes of love, care, and the bonds between humans and animals.

The beginning of my journey with sudden sensorineural hearing loss - losing my left ear and learning to navigate a world with one functioning ear.

A long-form letter to Bibek Debroy reflecting on reading his Valmiki Ramayana translation by the Tungabhadra river in May 2018.

A heartfelt letter to Bibek Debroy thanking him for his masterful translation of the Mahabharata - reflecting on my 20-day reading journey by the Tungabhadra at Hampi.

Final day of the Mahabharata reading journey at Hampi - reflecting on overcoming fear, finding courage like Arjuna before the Bhagavad Gita, and the completion of a transformative 20-day reading pilgrimage.

Day 19 of reading the Mahabharata - the end approaches.

Day 18 of reading the Mahabharata - nearing the culmination of the epic reading journey, reflecting on the profound lessons learned.

Day 17 of reading the Mahabharata - meditating on loss in empty temples, reading of Duryodhana's final battle with Bhima, Ashwatthama's vengeance, and Gandhari's curse.

Day 16 of reading the Mahabharata - approaching the final phase of the epic reading journey at Hampi.

Day 15 of reading the Mahabharata - continuing the epic journey through its profound teachings at the sacred site of Hampi.

Day 14 of reading the Mahabharata - reflecting on the tragic tales of Bhishma and Abhimanyu, questioning the choices that led to their fates and the cruel nature of duty and honor.

Day 13 of reading the Mahabharata - continuing the reading journey at Hampi, immersed in the epic's profound narratives.

Day 12 of reading the Mahabharata - continuing the reading journey at Hampi, delving deeper into the epic's teachings and stories.

Day 11 of reading the Mahabharata - lamenting Duryodhana's choices, questioning why he refused peace offers from Yudhishthira, Krishna, and even Bhima.

Day 10 of reading the Mahabharata - reading slowly on Matanga Hill where the sage cursed Vali, reflecting on Dhritarashtra's desire to avoid war and the famous saying about the epic's universality.

Day 9 of reading the Mahabharata - interactions with locals and tour guides, reflecting on Hampi's destruction and drawing parallels to Dhritarashtra's blindness to war's cost.

Day 8 of reading the Mahabharata - reading Markandeya's Ramayana in Hampi, Yudhishtira's answers to the Yaksha, Savitri's story, and Arjuna's battle in disguise.

Day 7 of reading the Mahabharata - encounter with a British traveler, reading under trees near Anjanadri Parvatha about Bhima meeting Hanuman and Arjuna's return with divine weapons.

Day 6 of reading the Mahabharata - wondering if Krishnadevaraya walked these paths, reading of Damayanti's lament, Bhima's scolding of Yudhishtira, and Arjuna's battle with Shiva.

Day 5 of reading the Mahabharata - reflecting on dharma versus organized religion, reading of the Pandavas' exile and their plans for revenge, the scope and expanse of this epic.

Day 4 of reading the Mahabharata - reflecting on dharma and adharma, questioning how the heroes knew right from wrong, reading of the dice game and Arjuna's exile in a ruined temple.

Day 3 of reading the Mahabharata - the land belongs to the monkeys, wind howls like Vayu watching as I read of Bhima's battles, Panchali's wedding, and the burning of Khandiva forest.

Day 2 of reading the Mahabharata at Hampi - experiencing the stories of Shakuntala and Dushyantha, Yayati and his sons, while a flute plays in the distance.

Starting my journey reading the Mahabharata by Bibek Debroy at Hampi, by the Tungabhadra river - encountering a stranger and sharing stories of this historic place.