Author. Junglee. Traveller. Sleepless dreamer.
Let there be light: This Diwali, let’s embrace the unfiltered glow of community and connection Light has no religion. It simply shines wherever it’s given a little oil and a little heart This Diwali, when we clean our homes and decorate our thresholds, let’s proudly reclaim the messiness of our mingled past, the imperfect but... Continue Reading →
The Indian Express: City and I: Why didn’t you teach me about that world, Udaipur? How could I possibly explain that Udaipur taught me to soar, catching the updrafts from the Aravallis? That my family didn’t choose to go to Pakistan, even if they risked losing everything Udaipur has been my Shakespearean stage of life’s... Continue Reading →
Between ‘pawtriots’ and protesters, finding middle ground in India’s dog war From urban colonies to forest edges, India’s canine crisis is no longer about animals alone — it’s about us. What does a solution look like? Definitely not Facebook fights in all-caps, but a reasonable, empathetic and evidence-based approach We are a planet divided. Not... Continue Reading →
The Indian Express: The Philosophy of Wet Feet In Dandeli, Karnataka, if you are all for lying on your back and letting the current decide your itinerary, river Kali will surround you with her song Written by Arefa TehsinJune 7, 2025 The Kali river that connects Karnataka and Goa (Credit: Adityavikram More) We may think... Continue Reading →
Two policemen, and what their actions say about a bruised Insaniyat in India India is losing its Insaniyat. But it can be found again -- not in mandirs, mosques or manifestos, but in how we treat a tree, an animal or a person who can do nothing for us AREFA TEHSIN Apr 20, 2025 13:26... Continue Reading →
Opinion by Arefa Tehsin When a bird falls on Ram Setu For centuries, Mannar has been a lifeline for migratory birds. A mega wind-energy project is threatening to alter its landscape and ecosystem permanently. Ram Setu, the ancient archipelago connecting India and Sri Lanka (Photo credits: earth.esa.int/captured by Landsat 5 in 2018) AREFA TEHSIN New DelhiJan... Continue Reading →
An elephantine day at Yala National Park Travelling through Sri Lanka’s second-largest national park, which has been the cornerstone of the island nation’s wildlife Written by Arefa Tehsin Play Time by Adityavikram More The sky yawns, and the sun rises from a recurring dream. Yala doesn’t have to wake up. It never sleeps. The calls of langurs,... Continue Reading →
Monday, Apr 29, 2024 JOURNALISM OF COURAGE When villagers kill a leopard: The need for co-existence Practical and easy measures can be taken by the forest authorities to ease this conflict Written by Raza H Tehsin, Arefa TehsinApril 24, 2024 13:48 IST There is much to learn from a leopard. To tread silently and merge... Continue Reading →
​ A brush with beauty and mortality in Bhutan, the Land of the Thunder Dragon With its druk, dzong and datshi, holidays in the landlocked Himalayan country offer a glimpse of forever Written by Arefa Tehsin | Updated: July 24, 2022 6:30:29 am A Walk in the Clouds: Tiger's Nest Monastery (Credit: Adityavikram More) Peace is... Continue Reading →
Postcard-perfect: A heady hybrid of a European town in a tropical place. (Photo by: Adityavikram More) The quaint charms of Sri Lanka’s Galle Fort A stellar example of a fort city made by Europeans in South and Southeast Asia, Galle Fort is a Unesco World Heritage site. Written by Arefa Tehsin | New Delhi... Continue Reading →
Arefa Tehsin 