Indian Journeys
-
The Rainbow Experience in India
India, the spectacular subcontinent burrows the most magnificent regions within. We know India as a land of multiple cultures, huge population, spices, and so on but among all these things, our USP is the beautiful spread of colors through landscapes. Just like our popular spices, these colors are roaring, fine-drawn, loopy, mellifluous, toned down, etc. Are you aware of the most colorful places in India? Well, if not, we have created a refreshing list of destinations that are as bright and vivid as a RAINBOW. So pack your bag, grab a buddy, and just set out on a journey to experience something that’s going to leave you wanting way more…
You May Also Like
Arunachal Pradesh: A hidden trove of fascination in India
-
Is My Love Not Enough If I Do Not Fast for My Husband?
Says my Satyavan – “I will anyway live a 100 years just for you. For that, neither do you have to fast, nor do I.” And I fell in love yet again. Today, I am going to tread into an “unpopular opinion” territory. So, read with caution and without any judgement please. Recently, we just celebrated a festival, exclusively for married women – called Sabitri Brata in my home state and Vat Savitri at my in-laws. The essence is the same for both – it is based on the popular folklore of Savitri and Satyavan. Basically, the wife keeps a fast for the husband’s longer life on this day. Even…
-
Festivals – Are They More Important Than a Global Pandemic?
Life has been so different since the year 2020. And so are the extravagant festivals celebrated in India. Gone are the days when festivals in India meant a surreal experience with fanfare at a different level. I still vividly remember how the first blow to Indian festivities was when the larger-than-life Ganpati celebrations were banned in Maharashtra, followed by the ban on the most-awaited Durga Puja in West Bengal. The pandemic was clutching its grip and the only way to fight it was – SOCIAL DISTANCING. It was a great feeling to experience the country coming together as one and fighting this nasty virus. It almost felt like we have…
-
My Top 10 Must-Try Sweets in Odisha
Got a sweet tooth? Never forget to try the delicious sweets of Odisha, whenever you visit next. Sweets have always formed an integral part of Indian Cuisine. Considering the different states in India, you can vouch for a wide variety of sweets to satiate your sweet tooth. The cuisine of each state has its unique taste and flavour. Needless to mention, Indian sweets are almost always laden with clarified butter (ghee), sugar or milk solids which makes it difficult to consume a lot. But, it is definitely worth a try! Today, I bring before you a list of 10 must-try sweets, most popular in the eastern state of India –…
-
A Tribute To RATHA JATRA – The World Famous Chariot Festival at Puri, Odisha
Amidst the corona virus epidemic scare this year, Ratha Jatra was like never before! With very strict restrictions and a limited number of people, the authorities allowed the basic rituals to be commenced for Ratha Jatra in 2020. The priests were masked and public attendance was completely banned, followed by some sharp criticism for even allowing this in the first place. While we witnessed the empty streets of Puri on television while the chariots were being pulled, I thought of writing a tribute to this world-famous festival of Puri, Odisha. I did my bit of research and collated whatever little I know about Ratha Jatra so far. This blog…
-
RAJA PARBA – The Festival Of Odisha Celebrating Womanhood
Today, I will write about a very popular festival of Odisha – “Raja Parba”, which is going to start from this weekend. And I can’t help but hum this very popular folk-song from Odisha, commemorating RAJA PARBA, while I sit down to write. The first stanza goes something like this : ବନସ୍ତେ ଡାକିଲା ଗଜ ବରଷକେ ଥରେ ଆସିଛି ରଜ, ଆସିଛି ରଜ ଲୋ ଘେନି ନୂଆ ସଜବାଜ । Amidst the current pandemic crisis in the world, social distancing is the key. So, one of the many things that has been hit hard and taken a backseat is – the fanfare and celebrations of Indian festivals. So, I thought of writing about one of…
-
Learn to prioritise LIFE ~ A Personal Memoir from GOA
I could not have asked for a better sunset or better company, on this trip to Goa! Time froze right here. Undoubtedly, life has a zillion shades. Maybe, this is what is called ‘perfect’. As we grow older, it becomes more and more difficult to coordinate, find common timelines and plan a getaway with friends. But if you earnestly want to make plans work, they will work. Learn to PRIORITISE. No matter how reckless and spontaneous our 20-year old selfs were, the dynamics change at 30. We have more responsibilities, financial constraints and work load which definitely get tougher with time. So, impromptu getaways pave way for well-coordinated plans. Yes,…
-
Arunachal Pradesh: A hidden trove of fascination in India
Forget the sultry beaches of Goa, alluring hill stations of Manali and verdant greenery of Kerala. Just land in Arunachal Pradesh – the land of mountains, daunting passes, and soothing lakes. Arunachal Pradesh might not be a big name when it comes to top tourist places in India, but it certainly has something different to promise you a refreshing holiday. Today, let’s talk about the tourist places in Arunachal Pradesh. Tourist Places in Arunachal Pradesh Tawang Draped thoroughly with an irresistible lure, Arunachal Pradesh has many wonders to unveil and Tawang is one of them. Once you have reached Tawang, you’ll feel like you have landed in a Tibetan land.…
You May Also Like
The Rainbow Experience in India
-
Chadar Trek : A Complete Guide
If you have a basic idea about the Zanskar Chadar Trek in Ladakh, let us guarantee you this is something that will arm you with boasting rights forever. Transcending mountains, loaning bluffs to hinder the depressing ways, a sheet of snow serenely subduing a wild waterway underneath, and blood chilling temperature in the domain around –- the majority of this is all encompassed in one 75 km long trek. On the off chance that you figure no amount of experience can rethink your life, this trek will change the majority of that. Chadar Trek : The Inspiration Chadar means sheet – the thick sheet of ice that subjugates the ever-non…
You May Also Like
The Rainbow Experience in India
-
What I learnt about Time Management from Mumbai
Every time I visit Mumbai, this beautiful city of dreams teaches me a new lesson for life. Amidst the thrill of almost missing my flight (inspite of starting 3 hours prior to my boarding time) and then catching up, I caught up on my breath at the airport, while waiting for my boarding announcement. ‘Mumbai Special’ Time Management – This is what stayed with me this time, as I sat and reflected on the last 4 eventful days at Mumbai. Yes, I call it eventful because it had all the key elements – the Mumbai rains, jam-packed traffic, water-logging red alerts, hectic work schedules, early morning timelines, Marine Drive, ‘vada…
You May Also Like
The Rainbow Experience in India
-
TOP 10 PLACES TO VISIT IN GUJARAT
A comprehensive Travel Guide on Gujarat that speaks about Top 10 places to visit in Gujarat.
-
The grandeur of Chhath Puja at Dhanbad
Since the ‘Garib Rath’ direct route from Bhubaneswar to Dhanbad has been cancelled now (courtesy – the Jharia CoalField fires), we had to first take a train to Kolkata and then run for our lives to board another train to Dhanbad from a different railway platform. We were almost on the verge of missing this train due to overlapping timelines of our Indian railways. Perhaps, this thrill set the mood for my journey to Dhanbad – the Coal Capital of India! Travelling for the second-time after marriage to my husband’s city, was already giving me goosebumps. Once we reached the Dhanbad railway station, we decided to take an auto-rickshaw to…
-
Soul Cleansing at PONDICHERRY
“A Dream ~ There should be somewhere on earth, a place which no nation could claim as its own, where all human beings of goodwill who have a sincere aspiration, could live freely as citizens of the world and obey one single authority, that of the supreme truth; a place of peace, concord and harmony.” This perfectly summarises my experience called ‘Pondicherry’ in a nutshell. Fiddling with Google Maps on the location of Hotel South Avenue, I walked straight out of the Pondicherry railway station, amused at how it was showing a total transit time of just 1 minute to reach my destination hotel. And there it was – right…
-
Tryst with nature at HIMACHAL
Himachal Pradesh – Indeed a land of the Gods! The desire to catch a glimpse of live snowfall, first sparked my interest to travel to the mighty Himalayas, fighting all the odds of a chilly December winter. And with my first wedding anniversary round the corner, the deal was sealed! Having booked travel just to and from Delhi, we were headed on a trip of uncertainties marked with random travel and accommodation bookings only on the fly. Travelling in a Volvo bus from Delhi, we first halted at the Pahalwan dhaba in Haryana on the way to Manali. Yes, this food junction did not resemble even an inch of a typical dhaba! I…
You May Also Like
The Rainbow Experience in India
-
The quintessential cultural city – MYSURU
Mysore, officially renamed as Mysuru, is often described as the ‘Cultural Capital of the state of Karnataka’. Boarded on a special train from my hometown Cuttack to Mysuru, my first job took me to this enchanting city in South India. This train was specifically operating to cater to the increased public travel during the auspicious Durga Puja. I was accompanied by a group of friends, from the same college and we were all headed to attend a 6-month long training at Infosys Mysore DC. Our eyes were brimming with excitement, as we first stepped down at the Mysuru railway station. Probably, it was the excitement of a first job, mixed with the…
-
My favourite city of dreams – MUMBAI
Firstly, let me mention that there are millions out there, who still love to address this city as ‘Bombay’ (I’m definitely one of them!). But herein, just to be technically correct with the official city name, we’ll refer to it as Mumbai ~ Amchi Mumbai! Straight out of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport, my first encounter with the spirit of Mumbai was when I took a cab to the railway station. My cab driver was a lady, full of life and an equally competent Mumbai-style driver. The most amazing aspect was the way she interacted, with almost every passerby at every traffic junction. They knew each other and she was…
You May Also Like
What I learnt about Time Management from Mumbai
-
A fun-filled bachelorette at GOA
GOA – rightly called the “Holiday Capital” of India! A group of old friends from different parts of the country, a bachelorette party – dedicated to a very special friend, mellifluous music, the typical beach repertoire, bikes, extraordinary cuisine and a perfect end to the trip within the serene confines of the magnificent churches. This sums up my first experience called “Goa” in a nutshell. Travelling from Mumbai to Goa, we reached the Mudgaon station way past midnight, had piping hot tea to activate our drowsy cells and were all set to experience the extravaganza called “Goa”! Heading towards the Ancora Beach Resort (where we put up for a formality I would…
