Daycation

February 24, 2020May 29, 2020

Absoulte Love

Ever since I came to Bengaluru ‘ Shawarma Roll’ is something that always tickles my tastebuds. It is the most delicious thin wrap brimmed with mayonnaise and fresh veggies. The lip- smacking grilled chicken makes it warm and even juicier.

Simply , a melt-in-mouth dish adorned with flavors that are layered in a playful way. Take your pick and spoil yourself! I would recommend you to try shawarma from Al Amanah café and restaurant as well as Just Swarmma shop, both a class apart. They have the best to offer you in Kammnahalli .

Al Amanah has a around hundred varieties of chicken shwarma rolls. It also has mouth-watering delights in the form of mutton shawarma. The mere selection of the roll will take a toll on you. You will be in a dizz. For the ones going for the first time , I would recommend to go with chicken crispy roll.

This is something my friend suggested me ,when I happened to visit this place. And till this date I don’t regret my choice of coming to this place. Its usually crowded but trust me the wait is worth!

On the other Just Shawarma has great combo packs for you. One can get crispy-crunchy French fries, pulpy grape juice and shawarma in just one -fifty bucks.

That is something I go for when I am done with my hostel food. And really wanna eat something that is yummy satiable food . That doesn’t burn a hole in my pocket. Whole wheat Shawarma is healthier option that you can wallow, without being perturbed about the calorie count.

Do give it a try! Let me know which place you choose and how was your experience.

January 12, 2020January 12, 2020

My First Blog Post

Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.

This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.

October 24, 2020

ARE YOU ALRIGHT ?

We often find it tempting to flee from our pressing problems by delving into a world of daydreams. Its important to acknowledge that mental health of individuals in these pandemic times has hit a rough patch. Everyone is kinda of figuring out a way to bring the missing pleasure back into their lives. While there exists a sense of uncertainty, anxiety and fear in the minds of people. Here I put down the little ways that can help you boost your mental health. And tide over the difficult times.

Indulge in creative comforts

Horne your creative abilities. Pick up on a new learning and new experiences. Painting, photography, writing, clay moulding, singing, reading, baking…. almost anything that pops in your mind. There is a whole list of activities, all you need is to narrow down on a few. And stive to master it! This will help to keep alive the vigour and enthusiasm to live life.

Write it down

A person is filled with thoughts. We just cannot stop thinking…why not putting theses thoughts altogether in a place. Journaling has manifold benefits. Its proven scientifically that it helps in managing stress and combating depression. Ayesha Fatima, a final year psychology student in Bengaluru opines that ‘Awareness is the key’. She says being aware of one’s emotions, behaviours and reactions will help them to systemically figure out what is affecting them negatively. Thus, it will help them to tackle mental health issues in a proper way. Get to know yourself better through journaling.

Take that walk down the road!

Did you know Jack Dorsey, CEO of Twitter goes by walk to work? Just twenty minutes of brisk walking can work wonders for your health. Ideally it is suggested that an individual should walk 10,000 steps daily. Walking helps to keep your stress at bay. It calms down your mind and brings in clarity of thoughts. Plus, it can also help you to burn some extra calories.

Engage in mental activities

Wanna refresh and reactivate your brain in a few minutes? Try solving puzzles, crosswords and tricky reasoning questions. It can help to kick start your brain. Making you feel refreshed and improving your memory retention capacity.

Sleep like a baby

Are you missing out on your sleep? Is your sleep cycle disturbed lately? Lack of sleep can adversely affect your psychological well being and working capacities. Maintain a good sleep hygiene. Give your brain the needed rest. Try seeking a balance in all the areas of your life.

Mind it

While having an in-person conversation or a virtual one, I am pretty sure once in life the person on other end might have asked you ‘Are you there?’ , ‘Are you listening to me?’. Agree or not we all have a low attention span. Many times, we find ourselves buried in thoughts unaware of what’s happening in and around us. Practising mindfulness is the fast track way of bringing your attention back to present. The ways you can achieve mindfulness is by focusing on your breathing… take deep breaths. Also, if possible, try putting that phone away for a few minutes. Practising mediation and yoga on daily basis can help you make tremendous progress on whatever tasks you undertake.

June 9, 2020June 9, 2020

Deccan ‘s Dwarf Taj Mahal

How many of us know there exists a mirror replica of the Taj Mahal? Infamously known as the ‘ poor man’s Taj Mahal’ or the Deccani Taj. The man who build it, was too head over heels in love with his beloved wife.

It’s a case of ‘like father, like son’. Bibi-Ka- Maqbara or the Queen ‘s tomb was built by Emperor Aurangzeb for his deceased wife Dilras Banu Begaum aka Rabia -ud-Durani. He was the son of the Great Mughal Ruler Shahjahan, who is lionized and feted for the making of mind blogging marvel ‘Taj Mahal’.

The striking similarity between the two is well evident…

Bibi -ka-Maqbara , Aurangabad , Maharashtra

Father -son duo architecture

‘Great minds , think alike’. And these guys proved it. Taj Mahal was a brain child of the architect Ustad Ahmad Lahouri. And his very own son Ata- Ullah was the chief architect of the edifice of ornamental art Bibi- Ka-Maqbara.

In loving memory of…

True lover’s knot, both these monumental structures were landscaped after the death of their lady love. It’s an open secret that Shahjahan adored Mumtaz more than any of his wives. Moreover, so was the case with Aurangzeb, their son. Dilras Banu Begum was his first and most wife. She was bestowed with the stature of the chief empress and thus ruled over the imperial harem.

The Rajasthani Connection

Unlike Taj, Bibi- Ka -Maqbara is not solely composed of marble and precious stone but of basalt trap and marble on the account of draining treasury. The three dome and few other parts of the mausoleum are built of marble brought from mines near Jaipur. Whereas in the instance Taj Mahal, marble was brought from Makrana in Nagaur district of Rajasthan.

torrents (small minarets) are compartively smaller in size the case of Taj Mahal when compared to Bibi- Ka-Maqbara, Agra , Uttar Pradesh

Mughal Architecture

Humayun’s tomb had set up a prime example of the glorious Mughal architecture and both Taj and Bibi-Ka-Maqbara, drew inspiration from it. Herewith, Indian subcontinent finally saw the genesis of the first garden tomb. Furthermore , the central big dome is feature that has been adopted in their respective architecture.

Taj mahal minarets are circular in form and Bibi- Ka- Maqbara are octangonal in shape

Char bagh and the water flowing areana and the big impressive dome are typical features of Mughal architecture

Breathe one’s last …. during childbirth

Mumtaz died while giving birth to her fourteenth child. In the same vein Dilras Banu Begam died after giving birth to her fifth son.

For many Bibi-Ka-Maqbara may be a poor imitation of breathtaking Taj. But its beyond that it has its own peculiar charm. A little-known treasure waiting for you to discover !

Aurangzeb has fought many conquests in Deccan. And he is the one who extended the Mughal frontiers in south. After a series of successful expeditions, he grew on to become the Viceroy of Deccan and later named his capital Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
History knows him as Zinda Fakir or pious man. Few even addressed him as a ‘religious fanatic’. A simple man who had abstained from living in the lap of luxury. The mausoleum is the largest structure commissioned by him .This talks volume about his fondness for his wife,
Notably, it stands tall as the only example of the Mughal architecture of its kind in deccan plateau. After Aurangzeb’s period the downfall of the eminent Mughal empire started.

Owning to lack of resources and failing economy of empire, a few constructions were made aftermath. But they did lacked the splendor of the early Mughal structures.

May 26, 2020May 29, 2020

Evening Hunger Pangs

The mere smell of the food is so enchanting that it evokes the sensation of hunger. Eventually, we succumb to the temptation, its hard to resist though. And, yes who cannot fall for ‘Tater-Tots’. So here is an interesting recipe that can you can try your hands on .This is my version of the ‘popular snack’.

Firstly , take a big bowl. Put in mashed potatoes, add nicely chopped onions ang green chilles.

Then, add on crumbled paneer and take two bread slices. Cut the sides neatly and dampen it with milk. Gently, press the slices between your palms to let go off the excess moisture.

Toss ginger-garlic paste along with mix herbs, chilli flakes.

Lastly, add a dash of pepper and salt combined with freshly shredded coriander leave.

Give it a mix for one final time and knead it into a dough. And take small portions and give the shape you want.

Apply some oil on your palms before shaping it.

After you are done with it, keep the potato torts in the refrigerator for around 15 – 20m minutes. This will ensure that your potato torts come out crispy- fried!

Meanwhile, you can use this time to prepare the batter for layers that we are gonna add to our fries.

Take another bowl. Break an egg, drizzle a bit of salt and pepper and whip it to a smooth consistency.

Next, you are g and dip it in the egg mixture you prepared. You gonna take a medium size bowl full of cornflakes (regular one) and churn it using a grinder. Until, you get a fine powdered texture. Keep it aside for a while.

Heat up some oil in thick bottomed utensil and put it on the medium flame. Wait till the oil turns pipping hot.

Now , take out those potato torts and dip it in the egg batter that you had prepared earlier.Furthermore give the tort a second coating by sprinkling and evenly cov erring it with the cornflakes mixture.

You have set it up all, just transfer the torts to the vessel. And fry until it turns golden brown.

Lastly, dab the excess oil by putting the frizzled tort on a tissue paper.

Hope you are eager to give it a try. Do share your experience with me! Enjoy sancking.

Ingredients

2 medium sized potatoes – boiled and peeled
1 chopped onion medium sized
2 green chillies thinly sliced
150g paneer
2 slices of bread
4 tbsp of milk
1 tsp of ginger- garlic paste
½ tsp mix herbs
½ tsp pepper powder
1 tbsp finely chopped coriander
1 beaten egg
1 medium cup cornflakes
Salt as per taste

May 22, 2020May 29, 2020

Quest for Happiness

A man visiting a distant city made no comment when his friends showed him one of the city’s most impressive building. Disappointed at his silence, one of the friends finally asked ‘Don’t you think its beautiful ? “No, not really”. He candidly responded ‘ I have been to Rome, you see’.

Just because he had seen the magnificent structures of Rome’s glorious past , the buildings that his friends showed him did not impress him much. It suffered tragically by comparison.

Many of us have the same attitude towards our life. Times, we tend not to embrace the little bundle of joy that falls our way. Instead, we contemplate upon how things could have been better. And here starts the process of reckoning about our unfulfilled hopes and aspirations , we enter a stage of self -examination. We often to too ask ourselves that why we could not reach to the pink of perfection and the loop goes on.

One of the most important life lessons that we should teach ourselves is to learn to laugh at oneself, at our failures, weaknesses and our very own circumstances. How many of us desire to be happy always and just want to grin and bear the ups and downs we go through.

A small change in our life can truly disperse our fears, anger and frustions. One of the greatest fear that grips us is the fear of failure. If we happen to succeed well and good. But if we fail, its difficult to take the brunt of humiliation and ridicule that comes after that. Life is all about an array of unique challenges but those are important for us to be relevant.

Shed your worries and laugh often! It has a power to set your soul free …don’t undermine that.

May 18, 2020May 29, 2020

CARVE YOUR OWN TEENY -WEENY GREEN SPOT

We all have that one cozy cushy corner at our place, where we love to spend most of our time. It may seem to us an ideal place to relax, to achieve a sense of serenity and tranquility. Owning to the vibe it emanates out.

Times, we may feel depressed by the frantic pace of our life and the mechanical routine we follow. At a point we all tend to look at the ways and means to unwind ourselves after a busy day.

So there exists a space where we can contemplate, introspect, make plans, search for meaning in lives and we tend to get lost in memories during this transit. Indeed , a time of self -indulgence.

Gardening is one such creative activity that can blow off some steam after being swamped with lot of work. This low intense workout has manifold health benefits, from calming your nerves down to giving you a good night sleep .

The greenery all around us has a soothing and positive effect on your mind. It elevates your mood, makes you even more productive and thus whips up your energy levels. ‘Peace of mind makes body healthy’, there lies a power in it to render you that.

It can be an itsy-bitsy corner where you feel most relaxing and can indulge in leisure activities, sunbathing, savoring tea or just breathing in fresh air. However the crux of the matter is one should sculpt their own special space where you can luxuriate in Me-time.

May 14, 2020May 29, 2020

THE WORLD STANDS STILL

Ever wondered that you will wake up to a morning where you will have no obligation to go to work . Where you don’t have to wake up to the tunes of ticking talking alarm and have the luxury to catch up on sleep.

And of those out there, who have always daydreamed of getting extra hours in their everyday life so as to accomplish the work undone.Lazybones who have time and again fantasized about being a homebody. Are all living the phantom of their minds.

But my ardent desire is that these days bring the best out of you. And you be able to come to grips with what’s happening inside your own self.

There is so much to do. ‘Variety being the spice of life’, its good to try everything and try being productive.

You can start by basic things as decluttering your room. While I was doing the same, I happened to come across my teddies and dollies. And the thought struck me why not to give my toys to some NGO or to the poor children on streets. Likewise, there are numerous things from books to sandals to clothes that we have stacked up and use no more. A bit effort on your part will help you to reach out to the ones who are in need. So, lets partake in ‘joy of sharing’.

Take a social media detox or limit your screen time. You can achieve this by charting out a to-do list. This can help you to be on track. If not, you can go with the ‘phone basket’ technique, which is trending nowadays. It simply means deciding a part of the day where all your family members can come off and put their phones in a basket. Hence you can take few moments and indulge in quality time with your family members.

Amidst the coronavirus pandemic, there many NGO’s and government healthcare officials who are making masks to cope up with the immense need at present. You can also lend your helping hand and create your own DIY mask at home and give it to ones who are in dire straits.

As it is said ‘Learning is rewarding’. You too can reap the benefits by picking up a skill, pursuing hobby, reading a book, teaching your younger siblings and expanding the horizons of your knowledge. Indulge in healthy diet and workout exercises at home.

Look after yourself. Treat yourself by cooking your favorite dishes, take an afternoon nap. Enjoy the sunrise/sunset while you savor the freshly brewed coffee.

Remember this time won’t come back to you. So, gird up your lions and follow your heart. Pull in the dynamism and spark back into your lives. Let the fun- filled spirit of yours emanate. Most importantly help your country by staying indoors and adhering to rules and regulations. Conquer your fears and inhibitions while the world paves the way to trounce coronavirus.

April 1, 2020May 29, 2020

Joys of Spring

As the spring creeps in and bids farewell to the long dark desolate winters,shunning the gloom and grim looming on.It instills a sense of liveliness and happiness.And helps us to gain an optimistic perseceptive about the life we are leading.

During these times , when you take a drive along the outlands, beautiful scenery out there will be a absloute feast for your eyes.Bright, blooming and blossoming flowers, sounds of birds chirping . The view of honey bee gathering nector and above all the great weather , will give you a spirit of vigour and vitality.

Spring is popularly known as the king of all seasons given to the pleasant weather conditions it brings forth along with good harvest.But the most prominent thing is that it is also a period of regenration,refreshment and reawakening.It kindles a spur of energy that encourages us to rethink about the ways we are living life.

Learning and growing is part and parcel of life. Likewise we should cherish the happy moments and take life lessons from the sour experiences.Its time to cheer up and embrace the wonderful opportunity for moving ahead.

Indeed it is a friendly reminder to us as humans to think about life altering decisions and finding new ways to bring back the spark of life.It inspires you take on creative impulses and manifest pure bliss.

Sitback,take a moment. Start reflecting on things that fuel in the passion to live life to the fullest.

March 6, 2020May 29, 2020

Get Doused in the colors of Holi

As spring creeps in, get ready to be drenched in colour and groove on the beats of thumping music. Holi brings in the promised of good harvest along with dash of colours and hint of water.

It’s a festival that has a vibe of vim and vigour and instils you with a sense of liveliness. Not many of us know that Holi is a two-day fiesta. On the auspicious eve of Holi people light huge bonfires,the ceremony is called Holika Dahan.

The next day, excitement reaches to its peak when the bright colours of gulal fill the air . Not to forget, pichkaris loaded with water and colour is the fun factor that’s exactly what brings the festival to throbbing life.

The festival is embraced in varied mannerisms and styles all through India. Talking about the feastival of colours, the best place to enjoy and make most of it in India are Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan and West Bengal.

Basanta Utsav is celebrated in Shanti Niketan, a small town in West Bengal and the birth place of a Nobel lautarite Rabindra Nath Tagore. Here the yellow hue is the centre of attention amongst all other colours. This is what gives it an unique touch.

Since childhood we had heard about the epic tales of Radha- Krishna, have you ever wondered where did Radha went to collect flowers?

Kusum Sarovar a 450 feet long 60 feet deep reservoir in Mathura. And is a believed to be a spot, from where Radha used to pluck flowers. The pond is bounded by blooming and blossoming flowers which enriches the beauty of the place. A temple is built along side the reservoir which attracts tourist from all across the world. Hence .it is a tourist hotspot. But the Holi celebration here is something one should keep their eyes on. Guess what this place is believed to host world’s largest Holi celebration.

Punjabis celebrate Hola Mohalla, an annual festival. Which is organized on the day following the festival of Holi. This is an occasion of merrymaking and is an absolute treat for its spectators.

The celebration is really grand. A fun and frolic event which involves bareback horse riding, standing erect on two speeding horses, Gatka (mock encounters) etc.

All those heroic scenes that you might have watched in movies, you’ll see… those very stunts being performed there.

None than less you can also be the part of music and poetry competition.

This festival breathes into us a new life, gives us a fresh perspective and is associated with joy and prosperity.

So, paint the colours of Holi on the canvas of your life.

February 29, 2020May 29, 2020

Travel Tales

As the week flew past in the frenetic pace of life. Surprisingly, this day the weekend happened to be a blustering day. It looked like it would rain but it didn’t fortunately!

And the thought of making most of my rest day struck me. As I undertook traveling through itty-bitty lanes. I happened to see this marvelous wonder, in a place that looks almost deserted. Located on the way to Ramurthy Nagar, the place is full of surprises. The white beauty radiates its charm and is set against the backdrop of stark black sky. Its enchanting beauty will leave you spellbound.

There are many unexplored or less travelled places that are a gem in itself. All we require is a bit of patience and eye to look for the details. A good traveller in my view is always keen on sporting offbeat places rather than going for the ones that are well known .

I would urge all my readers to have a yen for traveling. To go out and hunt for unconventional sites. It gives you a bout of happiness when you least expect ! . It liberates your energy and inspires your hopes. Times try taking a drive in an erractic course down the road. I would tag this place an out-and- out instagramable site. A spot you can definately look for your next post.