Idle Strolls

One of the most well known locations of New York City is Wall St. Everyday, crowds throng wall street, visiting its most famous spot - as everyone knows, the new york stock exchange. Just a few steps away, however, a site which holds much significance to american history hides in plain sight. I say 'hides', but it is just that people in their excitement over the NYSE mostly just tend to overlook this building and rush to the next tourist attraction on their list (which mostly tends to be the bull, a short walk away). I had done the same many times until i decided to stop and explore what was here. The history of Federal Hall Memorial in Wall St goes back to the 1700s, before the American Independence. It is interesting to note that the history of wall street itself goes back much further - in the early 1600s, before New York was New York, it was New Amsterdam, a Dutch settlement. And Wall Street is believed to be the site of an actual wall, serving as a boundary of the dutc...

The region comprising of the town of Karaikudi and a cluster of villages around it, in the Sivaganga district of tamilnadu, is known as Chettinad. It is called so because it is home to the community of people known as chettiars or nagarathars in tamil. There is so much that is unique about this region and this community, that one can write any lengths about them. indeed, everything that can be written probably has been written, from blog posts to doctoral dissertations to coffee table books - and yet, i'll dare to add a little of my own. The chettiars, or nagarathars, have traditionally been a community of money lenders and traders, though with the advent of modern times, like everyone else, they have spread out to various different fields. They are known for their business acumen and entrepreneurial spirit, as well as generous philanthropy. Chettinad is known for its craftsmanship, evidenced in everything from intricate woodwork, colourful tiles, bronze and brass utensil...