Whiling away in Wayanad

More of style, more of flamboyance, a district that stands out to portray the real beauty of Nature is Wayanad. Once I stepped inside Wayanad, it seemed very difficult for me to breeze away from there, because everything around me were lushly green. I bet Wayanad will never fag you out and you would enjoy each and every inch of it as I did.

First and foremost, the climate of Wayanad is welcoming, next comes the luxurious treat to the eyes. I enjoyed to the fullest in Pookodelake. It’s not only a visual treat but also a place to have fun, we went boating, ate the delicious fish curry and shopped till our pockets pulled.

Next to the Pakshipathalam, I went trekking along with the clan, it was a complete joy. The KuruvaDweep delta, Soochipara, Kanthapara and Meenmutty waterfalls showed their outpouring landscapes, which I’ve witnessed somewhere in the art work of some artist, but seeing them in real gave the purpose to my existence. The city of magical fascination was found surrounded by so many temples, mosques and churches. Thirunelli Temple the Kasi of the south, and Karat Siva Temple pleased me terribly.

Pallikunnu Church was another age old Pilgrim centre which gave me essence of True Peace and Joy. I’ve always had the passion for paintings and carvings, the Edakkal Caves with its amazing art work felt like a million bucks to me. The breathtaking SulthanBathery Fort was flawless.

It is worth your salt to take a tour to wayanad. Even though I left the place, the echoes of the nourishing green pastures and wonderful lakes remain in me. If you are suffering from no end in sight, pack your bags to Wayanad. You will be filled with lots of energy to go a long way towards life.

Marwar Festival

Marwar Festival is that one festival celebrated in order to pay homage to the heroes, Maand the name in itself brings the joy of Folk songs and dances by the native artistes of Rajasthan.

Jodhpur is the centre of celebrations. Singers sing about the valiant and able heroes who lived once to prove their courage and lion-heartedness  just for the people.

Umaid Bhawan Palace, Mandore and Mehrangarh forts which stand as the symbol of power and supremacy are the important locales for the celebrations.

Folk dances include Pot dance, and various other forms which are more entertaining and inspirational.  Horse riding and Polo are the other major attractions. The performances mainly focalize on the passionate lives of the Rajasthani Rulers and other Mahabharata stories like Sathyavan Savitri and many others.

The Marwar Festival originally called “The Maand Festival” evokes the spirit of dauntlessness among the today’s generation and helps them learn values from the featured performances.

Lakshmi Pooja - An Auspicious Day

An auspicious festival welcoming the Goddess of Wealth to our Homes is Lakshmi Pooja.

Almost all the festivals that we celebrate in India, portray our gratitude to the Gods and Goddesses, who has showered blessings upon us in various forms. One of the most vital aspects of life is wealth, Nobody among us will deny this fact.

I am no exception, I prepare myself to clean the house and I get fully involved to welcome the Goddess of Wealth by keeping my tidings spotlessly clean.

On the Amavasya Night, we as a family surrender ourselves at discretion to Lakshmi, chant hymns awaiting her presence. Its such an amazing sight to see the houses lit with the lamps of light on this day.

Let me bring to light in short on the steps to be followed during the pooja.

1. * Spread a brand new cloth on a high platform,
2. * Keep a golden or silver Kalash on the grains in the middle of the cloth. It is to be filled with water, betel nut, rice grains, a coin and a flower,
3. * Decorate the kalash with mango leaves or five kinds of leaves,
4. * Place a dish on the Kalash  filled with rice grains,
5. * Place the idol of Laxmi over the rice grains of Lotus drawn with haldi,
6. * On the right, Keep the idol of Ganesha. Begin the puja after placing the things related to business and education.  Light the lamp and offer haldi, kumkum and water. Summon to the Goddess to arrive and bless,
7. * Recite the mantras whole heartedly. Imagine Lakshmi being showered with gold coins with elephants by her sides, call her by name, Offer the flowers to her,
8. * Now bathe the idol of Laxmi with water and Panchamrit by placing it on a plate. The water usually contains Gold ornaments or pearls. Wipe it and place it back on the Kalash. Sprinle Panchamrit on Laxmi with a flower now and then.

Follow these simple steps to be filled with prosperity and wealth in Life. Invoke HER presence and enjoy a bright and wealthy Future.

Fun in the Pearl City - Hyderabad

I would like to snap my fingers on my visit to one of the richest princely city in India, Hyderabad. Hyderabad is in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. I was all eyes to see how the city looked. So much of bustling energy floating around me the Hyderabadi’s made me feel one among them. Pieces of art & architecture all around me; I am falling out of words to express the euphoria. 

The tourist spots in Hyderabad took away my breath with its amazing architecture. The Chowmahalla palace, Charminar, & Golconda were some among the notable witnesses of Art.

To all intents and purposes, the capital city Hyderabad is an established and an esteemed place which serves well with lots of bazaars, libraries & sporting institutions. My first day in Hyderabad took me to the Ramoji Film City. The long and short of this studio is that, most of the South Indian & Bollywood movies I’ve seen & not seen have got the sets from this world’s largest film studio. With all the fun in Ramoji, We headed to HITEX, & certain other theaters like Ravindra Bharathi & Lalithakala. To my fortune the Hyderabadi’s were performing a musical concert in ShilpakalaVedika auditorium. The magic of Marfa Music they played was every inch enjoyable. It flowed like river and filled the hearts with joy. Unlike the noons evenings were cooler; with the perfect Night lights the city looked filmy.

Enriched with bags & bags of energy I was in the middle of the orchard of opportunity, and I couldn’t wait for the fruit to drop. For Hyderabad had so many historical sites filled with art & architecture, Charminar with its four towers, Mecca masjid, Falaknuma Palace, Salar Jung Museum & the Nizam’s Museum took me to the top of the world.

Hyderabad seemed an obvious city of Art. Paintings found here educated me with a lot of new things from History. The blend of colors used in the paintings, no doubt gladdened me, Gold and White was a beautiful sight of Golconda style paintings. Hyderabadi styles of paintings were a mélange of Deccani, Vijayanagara as well as Mughal. Bidriware & Kalamkari craft designs from the City of Pearls were a delightful sight for they were all handmade. The Hyderabadi’s are tremendously talented. They were not just art, but fine art, the sharp minds of Potential people. 

I always enjoy a particular thing everywhere I go. Guess what? Food! Yes, Hyderabadi food is delicious. The famous Hyderabadi biriyani & Hyderabadi Haleem tasted wonderful in the native. The taste of the biriyani stayed in my tastebud the whole day. Believe me, there is magic in the Hyderabadi Cuisine, Flavors of Arab, Turkey, France & Iran brought the real joy of eating. Among the famous South Indian, Italian, Chinese, Continental & Mexican, I enjoyed Hyderabadi Biriyani the most. It was yummy.   

I realized that this city of Andhra Pradesh gave hope to so many youngsters; the city is all about Mind & Matter, with so many IT hubs & Life Science Research centers. I also got an opportunity to stay in one of the wonderful homestays, where my stay was made comfortable and cost-effective.

Along with all the fun, I had learnt a lot of new things from the Historical Places & from the Hyderabadi’s. The Telugu speaking people were so friendly and amiable. Finally cutting to the chase, Hyderabad is one such place worth its weight in Gold. Take the goods the Gods provided, and visit the place. I am sure you would enjoy this small world of fun & Education. 

Darjeeling Memories

A visit to Darjeeling during summer filled my life with cherishable picturesque memories. The Himalayan city is a renowned tourist spot for People throughout the world, surrounded by high peaks & Snowy Mountains lays the most beautiful city in the Indian state of West Bengal - The Darjeeling. 

A Tidal wave of happiness rushed through my veins and Breezy cold air started to rub my face as I stood to watch one of the world’s highest peak Kanchenjunga, I was like a ship struck in the fog and all I could do was to just blow my horn. The view of the mountain range from the Himalayan city is that one thing, I could never forget in my life. The added beauty of the place where the sight of the tea slopes and the smell of the tea leaves; I completely lost myself when I stood to see the clear sky which showed me the most promising view of Mount Everest. Believe me, I wanted to stay there forever, because Darjeeling seemed a different world to me - a dream world. Truth be told The whole world looked beautiful from Darjeeling. 

The hilly region of Darjeeling takes its place on the Jalapar range; this puts me in mind that the range looked Y-shaped. My spirits went high when I saw how the range looked. Standing on the observatory hill it was a real pleasure to see the mountain range which stretched out its two arms towards the north.

Fully refreshed with the beauty around me my heart felt so light like a feather. I finished my first day in Darjeeling with loads of dreams for the next day.

 A sip of the world famous hot black tea early in the morning gave me a great start to my fresh new day. We headed to the Lloyd’s Botanical Garden to see the rare species of flora. Himalayan plants also were adorable. Nestled within the evergreen forests of oak Sal & alpine, Darjeeling enjoys the temperate climate. The Padmaja Naidu Himalayan Zoological Park preserved a wide variety of rare species of Himalayan plants which amazed me with a lifetime impression. 

A ray of sunshine hit me at the sight of the wildlife of Darjeeling. Red pandas, I was all at sea for I didn't know whether the pandas were painted red or naturally red. Jaldapara wildlife sanctuary showed hog deers, rhinos, elephants, leopards and many more.

To mention about the foodstuff here, Tibetan Momo, It tastes like more; steamed meat served with clear soup & achar is Momo. Above all I loved the tea of Darjeeling. 

Altogether I was over the moon in Darjeeling.

 It not only serves as the best tourist destination but also a centre of Administration. The People of Darjeeling and the crowdy school children in their uniforms looked as pure as the driven snow.

Reaching Darjeeling is no big deal bus services & train takes you here safely. To head for the hills, it is advisable not to visit the place during the monsoons. If you are, then you are skating on thin ice. Darjeeling experiences heavy & concentrated precipitations, which leads to the loss of lives & properties. It is safe to book your vacation to Darjeeling during summer.

I returned from Darjeeling with heart full of memories. Even though I wanted to stay there forever, I had to get my facts right and so I got ready to face the rigors of my routine. Though the aspect changed the essence of the enticing cold breeze still remains within me forever.