Field Notes

PLACES · PEOPLE · TRAVEL · PHOTO ESSAYS

Notes from places visited, people encountered, journeys taken and moments worth remembering along the way.

Man with tree trunk at a tribal haat in Dumka, Jharkhand
Dumka, Jharkhand

Featured Reading

A black-and-white view of one of the Panch Ratha temples at Mamallapuram, photographed from a low angle beneath a dramatic, cloud-filled sky.

Stones & Stoned - Whiff of Ganja in Mahabalipuram

Anand Jha · 24 December 2002

Field Notes

A first-person Field Note from Mahabalipuram in the early 2000s, where a series of unusual encounters end up in a voyeuristic exploration of the town, its monuments and its bohemian undercurrents.

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Recent Writing

Boulder strewn view of Rajagiri hill fort from Krishnagiri hills

Sun Baked At Troy Of The East

Anand Jha · 2002

Field Notes

A journey to Gingee's extraordinary hill fort turns into a story of heat, exhaustion, unexpected kindness and the determination to climb on.

Deoghar Main Temple

Ravan’s Tragedy

Anand Jha · 2001

Field Notes

A journey through Deoghar during the month of Shravan, from the relentless multitude of pilgrims to the legend of Ravan and the quiet landscape of Harlajodi.

Smiling photo of Sadhu Gyananand on the banks of River Narmada in Madheshwar

My Name Is Gyananand

Anand Jha · 2000

Field Notes

A chance encounter with a sadhu on the banks of the Narmada becomes a conversation about renunciation, desire and the pull of the world.