2025 is coming to an end, and taking with it some gorgeous memories. However, the beauty of the human psyche is such that memories can never be bypassed and can be brought back with a quick summons.
It is also time for the annual list of places, books and songs that have moved me over the last 12 months. Without any particular order, here they are:
PLACES:
- Madras, India – The city where the British Empire took root is one of my favourites. The history and culture of this city, and its denizens – not to mention perhaps the best vegetarian food in the country – make me doff my hat every time. Merely having a conversation with a Madrasi enriches one’s soul with knowledge.
- Kanchipuram, India – The intricate work of Angkor Wat in Cambodia borrow heavily from the temples of Kanchipuram, which was the capital of the Pallavas from the 4th to 8th centuries AD. It is not possible not to admire the brilliance of the men who produced works of such brilliance before the industrial age.
- Bombay, India – India’s financial capital is close to my heart largely because of its colonial past, and how well-structured the island of Colaba is. The fighting spirit, never-say-die attitude and street-smart nature with which Bombay’s denizens thrive, despite their numerous difficulties, is what I look up to and get inspired by.
- Hue, Vietnam – The history, heritage and culture of this city, combined with the turmoil I was going through in my personal life, moved me to tears while rowing on the Perfume River one lovely evening in February. Hue is also the culinary capital of Vietnam.
- Siem Reap, Cambodia – It is impossible to narrate the enormity or the detail that Angkor Wat has to one who has not seen it. The intricate artwork makes one burst into raptures. The similarities to Pallava-era temples of the Coromandel are clear, more so since Angkor Wat was built in the 12th century, soon after the Pallavas were vanquished by the Cholas.
BOOKS:
- Journeys by AK Ramanujan
- The Sympathiser by Viet Thanh Nguyen
- A Heart Full of Headstones by Ian Rankin
- The Quiet American by Graham Greene
- River of Time by Jon Swain
SONGS:
Heavy
- Acid by Fossils (Two)
- Ghreena by Fossils (Six)
- Walk with Me in Hell by Lamb of God (Sacrament)
- Angel of Death by Slayer (Reign in Blood)
- Hail to the King by Avenged Sevenfold (Hail to the King)
- Welcome to the Jungle by Guns N’Roses (Appetite for Destruction)
- The Loneliness of the Long-Distance Runner by Iron Maiden (Somewhere in Time)
Light
- Husn by Anuv Jain (Single)
- Always Hate Me by James Blunt (Moon Landing)
- Farzi Kirdaar by Raman Negi (Chaltay Purzay)
- Saaye by The Yellow Diary (In Case We Forget)
- Tompkins Square Park by Mumford and Sons (Wilder Mind)
MOVIES:
- Ijazat (1987) by Gulzar
- Nishant (1975) by Shyam Benegal
- Bazaar (1982) by Sagar Sirhadi
- Inglourious Basterds (2009) by Quentin Tarantino
- Kahaani (2012) by Sujoy Ghosh.
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Soliloquy 
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