The best way to start the day is with a mug of piping hot aromatic tea. Brew it, steep it – it does not really matter how you like it. There is nothing more rewarding than taking a refreshing sip and feeling it energize your body and mind! Did...
Mewar: the food and culture of central Rajasthan
Mewar - the name itself carries with it the sounds of royalty and centuries worth of cultural richness. Mewar (or Mewad) is the south-central part of the largest state of India, Rajasthan. Although not a single city or district, Mewar is the...
The door's adorned with mango leaves, doorstep with rangoli...
The main doorstep of the house is being adorned with fresh mango leaves. A garland of yellow and orange flowers are also being made for the doorway. Rangoli, or muggu as it is locally known is being drawn at the gate....
After sleeping (in nidra) for the four-month Chaturmas period, Lord Vishnu is said to awaken on probodhini (awakening) ekadasi, also known as the devutthani (Lord's awakening) ekadasi. This is an auspicious day, not only because the Lord is awakening from his slumber but also taking charge of his duties...
Johannesburg is the launching pad for many destinations within South Africa and the farthest place is less than a two-hour flight distance away. Historically Jo’burg, as people of the country call it fondly, is just about a century old, compared to Cape Town or Durban, but it attained importance...
The Hindu festival of Kal Bhairava Ashtami is being celebrated in many parts of India today. It falls on the ashtami tithi of Krishna paksha of the month of Kartik (as per the South Indian Amavasyant calendar) or Margshirsha (as per the North Indian Purnimant calendar). This year it...
I was fortunate enough to finish with my Vaishno Devi yatra just in time because immediately after the day I returned to Mumbai from Jammu, there was a lockdown imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus, which has wreaked havoc in many parts of the world already.
When I came...
Goa BECKONS many visitors for various reasons. For me, travelling around India has been a fascination for some years, with paying my respects at various pilgrim and holy temples being the main agenda on most of my trips. In the past six years, I have travelled widely in India...
Govardhana puja, also known as the annakoot puja, is celebrated in the month of Kartika (October – November) to commemorate the pastime of Lord Shri Krishna lifting the Govardhana parvat (hill) to provide shelter to and protect the residents of Braj (the area covering Mathura, Vrindavan, Gokul and Barsana) from...
As soon as the New Year dawns, the people of Tamil Nadu get ready for their annual celebration of Pongal – a great harvest festival, celebrated by one and all. Pongal is the first day of the month of Sankaranti, on the Makar Sankaranti day that falls on January...
The COVID crisis has played havoc in everyone's life. But with some signs of improvement and expectation of normalcy to resume in a few weeks or months, we suspect people would want to take a break and pamper themselves after the strict discipline of the lockdown period. We recommend...
Before there were plates, there were banana leaves. This uniquely Indian tradition of eating on a banana leaf goes back thousands of years, before we used plastic, steel, or indeed anything else to make plates. Easily disposable and environmentally friendly, many Indian communities continue to follow this tradition today,...
Christmas is a wonderful time in this part of the world. Everything turns into something magical - London transforms into a living testimony of this magic, with Christmas trees and decorations adorning many famous landmarks of the city. From Christmas shopping to Christmas markets, special goodies deck every nook and...
Most Hindu festivals celebrate the avatar of God as a saviour of mankind. It is either victory of good over evil or the birth of divinity in human form. Sri Krishna Jayanti is also known by other names like Krishna Janmashtami, Gokulashtami, Ashtami Rohini, and Krishnashtami. Krishna, the eighth...
