Australian Studies conference Ajmer Jan 06

Set off on a freezing, dark, pre-dawn Delhi morning to get the train to Ajmer; Australian poet Les Murray and his wife were heading there too in the same compartment. (Thanks to Australian High Commission Delhi for the arrangements.)
I had been to Ajmer in Sept 03 on the occasion of the publication of Neem Dreams. It was great to see (academic) Pradeep Trikha again, to stay at the magnificently located Circuit House again, to attend sessions at Dayanand College again, to see old friends and students and meet others … I gave a talk and a reading somewhere in here, and, as usual in India, enjoyed stimulating conversations and heavenly food. Also staying at Circuit House was brilliant speaker and scholar Professor Pushpesh Pant (JNU), a connoisseur of Indian cuisines as well as literature, whose beautiful book (with Huma Mohsin) “Food Path: Cuisine alng the Grand Trunk Road from Kabul to Kolkata” i bought in Delhi the following week …