Facts about our unique Prithvi (Earth) ....

Dear Readers

The world is a vast place to travel in a lifetime !Nevertheless, we can always read and gain insight about the wonders of this beautiful, wonderful and unique planet.
I would be sharing such queer and unique facts about India and other places around the world in my upcoming posts, soon !
Thus lookout for such snippets and information in my ‘Did you know (DYN)’ series.



We are what our thoughts have made us; so take care about what you think. Words are secondary. Thoughts live; they travel far.
Swami Vivekananda

Why is cooking spiritual?

With passing time, I have realized that in order to prepare a tasty meal or even a single dish, one needs to invest time and concentrate on the cooking process itself ! And unitask… slow down…


I salute to all the mothers and fathers (which may be rare….) who have dedicated their immense time in cooking, for years at a stretch….to ensure their kids and their loved ones, eat tasty and healthy food !


Traditional Andhra Pulihara (Lemon rice, also called Tamarind rice)

We all love to eat good tasty food, but it is’nt imperative that we all of us love to cook too. This is because each one of us is not aware of the joy of cooking.

Samosas (stuffed fried vegetable dumplings), a popular snack

In the words of Marguerite Theophil, cooking is an art and a practice. It is the time when we learn to slow down and pay attention, engage the senses and the body in a way that reminds us of the gifts of life and beauty all around us. While cooking we are so directly, immediately and blessedly in touch with God’s creation, generosity and blessings.
Pastor John O’Hara writes that cooking ....“teaches us to live in sync with the rhythms of the Creator”

Zen Buddhist teachers from ancient times teach that cooking like life, is about transformation.


To prepare the food is to prepare yourself. To refine the food is to refine your own practice.
-Zen Master Dogen

Save the Frog Campaign !

I came across a pamphlet distributed in Margao, Goa, last month in June (by when the rainy season had set in Goa, the peak season when frogs are most active), which read as follows: 

Dear Consumer

Do you know that Frogs in Goa are almost extinct ?

Frogs feed on mosquitoes responsible for malaria and other vector borne diseases ?

The indiscriminate killing of frogs for their meat is an ecological crime against the food chain and is the cause of the drastic decline of their population.

Catching, killing and eating of frogs is banned under the Wildlife(protection)Act 1972.

So be an environmentally conscious consumer and make a DIFFERENCE by saying NO to frog meat. 

Issued in public interest by:
GOACAN Post Box 187,
Margao  403601
goacan@gmail.com

Ritu – Seasons of the year

As per the Hindu calendar, there are six seasons (Ritu in Sankrit, Hindi, Telugu and many other Indian languages) in a year, which are categorized as below:

Thus, this is the Varsha Ritu (Rainy season) !




All that we are, is the result of what we have thought.


- Gautam Buddha

Jackfruit Village: Panruti

Panruti in Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu, India is the largest international jackfruit market.
From here, jack fruits are exported to many states in India as well as exported to many countries across the world.

The jackfruit

The inside part of the jackfruit

The sweet jackfruit carpels

Known as 'Chakka Gramam' (Jackfruit village), it has large jackfruit tree plantations covering a total area of 1,084 hectares.
They yield about 40 tonnes per hectare, earning a revenue of around 18 crore rupees a year for Panruthi farmers !

Panruthi jackfruits, available throughout the year have thick, long and extra sweet carpels. The big jackfruits weigh upto 70 kilograms !
The village also has the highest jackfruit consumption per annum in the country.

Jackfruit is used to make many edible products like papad, jelly, fruit bar etc.

Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts. This is the secret of success.       - Swami Sivananda