Baahubali – a rage or a craze!

Out of curiosity, I watched the movie, Baahubali, last weekend, as my husband commented that it was a rage!

And was amazed at the magnanimous visuals of this movie. No wonder, this movie has become a craze or rather a rage in India and around the world!

The main cast....

Onerous task!

Here are some interesting facts about Baahubali, which may convince you to watch this blockbuster movie:

1)     It is the most expensive film produced in the history of Indian cinema – Rs. 200 crore! Everything about this film is made on a grand scale…

2)     The film’s poster unveiled in Kochi, Kerala is the largest poster in the world and thus has created a Guinness world record!

3)     The film was released on July 10, 2015 and beating all records, the film made Rs.165 crores (US $ 26 million) within the first three days of release.

4)     In US, it collected a massive $1.3 million just on the first day!

5)     It is the highest earning Indian movie!

6)     The principal photography for this film began at Rock Gardens in Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh on July 6, 2013.

7)     The director of the movie, SS Rajamouli, shot the waterfall sequence (the most appealing scene) for the movie for 109 days.

8)     The trailer of this movie, released on June 1, 2015 received 1 crore views, on You Tube.

9)     The film's satellite television telecast rights have been sold for a reported Rs 25 crore, the highest for a Telugu film ever. 

10) Lahari, a Bengaluru based audio company have secured the audio rights (for the nine songs) of the film in Telugu and Tamil languages for Rs. 3 crore.  The highest amount paid ever for any Telugu or Tamil film!

Note: 1 crore = 157, 000 USD (approximate)

Amazing grandiose!

Reference: The Times of India, Wikipedia.

Pakoras - The Tasty Fritters!

Oh! Who can resist these? Definitely not me. I find it very hard to restrain myself from snacking on these crispy mouthwatering tidbits!

A variety of pakoras: Onion, cauliflower and capsicum.

Pakoras or pakodi's, as these are commonly referred to, are one of the famous street snacks of India. These finger foods are tasty and easy to make, which attributes to their popularity.Basically these are made with gram flour (chick pea flour), wherein a thick batter is made by mixing gramflour, water, salt and chilli powder. Sometimes, ajwain (carom seeds) is added to this batter, to ward off acidity.

Corn pakoras

Varied vegetables are dipped in this batter and deep fried in oil to make crispy pakoras. Some of the vegetables most commonly used to make these fritters are: Onion, cauliflower, capsicum, spinach and corn. Sometimes pieces of paneer (cottage cheese) are also used to make these crispy nibbles. Of these, onion pakoras are the most popular. I prefer the cauliflower version.

Paneer (cottage cheese) pakoras

Palak (spinach) pakodi's

It is interesting to know that in Japan, they have a similar dish with some variations called tempura.

Pakoras are indeed a perfect tea time snack, especially in the monsoon and winter season coupled with a cup of hot chai (tea)! Spicier the better!

The perfect snack!

More the merrier!

I was amused and happy to hear that there is a food joint called 'Pakodi Factory’ in Hyderabad, which serves a variety of pakoras. And plan to visit it some time soon….

Are you ready for these yummy snacks?

Note: This article was originally posted on my food blog: https://tangyreview.wordpress.com/

Organ Donation Day – August 13th, 2014

The Times of India in partnership with Kokilaben Dhirubai Ambani Hospital has taken the initiative to create awareness of organ donation and to get more people to register as donors.

Did you know? More than half a million Indians are estimated to be in dire need of an organ transplant – kidney, liver, heart, pancreas and so on….

The donation rate of the deceased is 26 per million population in the US, 35 in Spain and 36.5 in Croatia – the highest organ donation rate in the world.

Comparatively, the donation rate of the deceased is just 0.26 per million population in India. The lack of awareness is probably one of the biggest reasons for this low rate.

When you sign up for organ donation, you sign up for saving up to nine lives. That’s nothing short of a miracle ! And yet, we need more.

There are simply far too few organ donors in the country. We need more miracle workers like you! And you can help with that. 

Once you have registered yourself in the organ donor registry, please invite and encourage your friends, family members and colleagues to register as well. After all, lakhs of patients die every year for the want of organs. We need all the help we can get!

When you choose to give life after you have gone, you choose to live forever! If someone, were powerful enough to save lives, if someone did it all, knowing, fully well that they would get nothing in return, what would that make them ? GOD –LIKE.

Every Life Matters!

Join hands to give hope to thousands waiting for a fresh lease of live!

Source: The Times of India

World’s largest Hindu temple - Akshardham Mandir

Dedicated to Bhagwan Swaminarayan, a Jain deity, the magnificent Akshardham temple is located on the banks of River Yamuna. It is a part of the Bochasanwasi Shri Akshar Purushottam Swaminarayan Sanstha’s (BAPS) initiative to promote Indian art, culture and values.

The majestic entrance to the temple.

The beautiful temple is constructed entirely with pink marble, without any concrete or steel! It enshrines a huge eleven foot, gilded statue of Bhagwan Swaminarayan made with five different metals (Panchadhatu)

The temple and its surroundings are masterpieces of art! It reflects Indian spirituality and heritage. 

Don't miss the gardens!

Photography is not allowed inside the temple, so I could not capture the majestic temple in its grandeur. However, I have reproduced photos of the temple as printed in the temple brochure for your viewing.

Souvenir shop

An overview of the temple complex

 It hold the The Guiness World Record for being the World’s Largest Comprehensive Hindu Temple.

The temple has been described as follows in the Guinness World Records: 

·     The largest Hindu temple is the BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham with a total area of 8,021.43 m² (86, 342 ft²) built by BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha in New Delhi, India and inaugurated on 6 November 2005.
·         BAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New Delhi, India, is the world’s largest Hindu temple. It measures 356 ft long, 316 ft wide and 141 ft high. The grand, ancient-style temple built within 5 years by 11,000 artisans without structural steel was consecrated on 6 November 2005 by its creator His Holiness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, spiritual leader of BAPS. The temple showcases the essence of India’s ancient art, traditions and wisdom.

The perimeter...

Inside the complex

The fountain!

The cultural journey....

Beautiful artistic carvings along the walls

Unparalleled craftsmanship!

The illuminated temple

Inside the temple

The ornate gates!

Tips:

-          -The temple is closed on Mondays

-          -To witness the beautiful ride inside the temples complex which showcases India’s glorious heritage, reach early, as many a times, there are long queues for these rides.

-          -Plan to spend a full day at this magnificent temple.

-          -Snacks and refreshments are available with the temple complex.

-         - Travel light as mobile phones, cameras and refreshments are not allowed inside the temple and its surroundings. A cloak room is available to store electronic items.

-Nearest Metro station is Akshardham which is located at a walkable distance from the temple. There are rickshaws also, near the station, which are very convenient for those who do not prefer to walk.

For more information about this majestic temple, please visit its website: http://www.akshardham.com/

Hydropower Facts!

Did you know # 6

  - Norway was the first country in the world to develop hydroelectricity.

     -   One quarter of the world’s electricity is produced by hydel power. The leading producers of hydel power in the world are Paraguay, Norway, Brazil and China.

     -    Some important hydel power stations in India are Bhakra Nangal, Gandhi Sagar, Nagarjunasagar and Damodar valley projects.

by KyleKim.

Visa Wise !

Did you know #2?

I learnt today that Kenya and Jordan offer visa on arrival to Indians! Thanks to the reditt user, udit99, who created a simple website: Visamapper. It lets the viewers see on a color coded world map, which countries require visa to visit and which do not! Isnt that cool?

The color code is as follows: dark green indicates visa on arrival, maroon means visa required prior to arrival,  light green says visa is not required prior to arrival, white indicates online application required and red means visa restricted/forbidden.

For a quick check, visit the the site at: www.visamapper.com

'Certainly, travel is more than the seeing of sights; it is a change that goes on, deep and permanent, in the ideas of living.'
- Miriam Beard

Election Season 2014



The indelible ink marked on the index finger of each voter (here my husband and me) who has voted.

 The election fervor is in the air. The newspapers are filled with news about netas (political party leaders) and their varied stories….

Elections have started in some states in India. Today was the election day in Goa. All the polling arrangements have been very well done, ensuring that there is a nearest polling station in every ward (sub locality)

My husband I casted our votes and all this was hassle free – it just took us 10 minutes to complete the voting.

I read an interesting article in today’s, Times of India about poll symbols and would like to share an excerpt with all of you:

‘The EC (Election Commission) commissioned 87 free symbols by designers, whose only brief was to pick from everyday objects for easy recognition and recall….

The most common are the cot, the cup and saucer, the autorichshaw, coconut, candles and whistle’



Not easy to make a choice!

Pigeon fancying !

Did you know ?
Pigeon flying is an established tradition in Agra, some parts of Old Delhi and Lucknow, since many decades. Even today, four or five flocks of pigeons fly above Taj Ganj in Agra every evening around 4 pm.

Agra’s kabootarbaz or pigeon fancier’s just don’t race one or two pigeons but fly them in stocks, and control them with a code comprising of high pitched whistles and calls.

It’s time to head to Agra to witness this event…..

And I recently came to know that many people, not only in India but across the world - fancy pigeons!

An Ode to India !

Mark Twain, the famous American author aptly described India in his poem below:

“This is India!
The land of dreams and romance,
of fabulous wealth and fabulous poverty,
of splendor and rags,
of palaces and hovels,
of famine and pestilence,
of genii and giants and Aladdin lamps,
of tigers and elephants,
the cobra and the jungle,
the country of a hundred nations and a hundred tongues,
of a thousand religions and two million gods,
cradle of the human race,
birthplace of human speech,
mother of history,
grandmother of legend, great-grandmother of tradition,
whose yesterdays bear date with the mouldering antiquities of the rest of the nations
– the one sole country under the sun that is endowed with an imperishable interest for
alien persons,
for lettered and ignorant, wise and fool, rich and poor,
bond and free, the one land that all men desire to see,
and having seen once, by even a glimpse
would not give that glimpse for all the shows of all the rest of the globe combined.
Even now, after a lapse of a year, the delirium of those days in Bombay has not left me and I hope it never will.”
- Mark Twain

The tree of life !

In Sanskrit, the coconut tree is rightly described as the kalpa vriksha - "the tree which provides all the necessities of life"
It is supposed to be one of the five legendary Devavrikshas.

The coconut provides a nutritious source of food, juice, milk and is highly nutritious and rich in fiber, vitamins, and minerals.

It can be rightly called the ecofriendly crop – which permits coexistence of multi-species plants
In scientific terms, it is called Cocos nucifera. This nut was initially referred as ‘coco’, which means ‘monkey face’, by early Spanish explorers. And ‘nucifera means ‘nut bearing’

Coconut is grown in more than 86 countries worldwide. India is the third largest coconut producer in the world, with Indonesia and Philippines in the first and second spot. It has around 3000 years tradition of coconut cultivation.
Kerala is the largest coconut growing state in India.

The various products obtained from coconut are: Tender Coconut Water, Copra, Coconut Oil, Raw Kernel, Coconut Cake, Coconut Toddy, Coconut Shell based Products, Coconut Wood based Products, Coconut Leaves and Coir Pith.

The water of tender coconut, technically the liquid endosperm, is the most nutritious wholesome beverage that the nature has provided for the people of the tropics to fight the sultry heat. It has caloric value of 17.4 per 100gm.
The major chemical constituents of coconut water are sugars and minerals and minor ones are fat and nitrogenous substances.

The various medicinal properties of tender coconut water are:
1. Good for feeding infants suffering from intestinal disturbances.
2. Oral rehydration medium
3. Contains organic compounds possessing growth promoting properties
4. Keeps the body cool, application on the body prevents prickly heat and summer boils and subsides the rashes caused by small pox, chicken pox, measles, etc.
5. Kills intestinal worms
6. Presence of saline and albumen makes it a good drink in cholera cases
7. Checks urinary infections, Urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons in case of mineral poisoning.
8. Excellent tonic for the old and sick, cures malnourishment.
9. Diuretic, Effective in the treatment of kidney and urethral stones
10. Found as blood plasma substitute because it is sterile, does not produce heat, does not destroy red blood cells and is readily accepted by the body.
11. Aids the quick absorption of the drugs and makes their peak concentration in the blood easier by its electrolytic effect.
12. Urinary antiseptic and eliminates poisons in case of mineral poisoning.

Coconut oil too, makes a truly remarkable food and medicine. The benefits on this oil will be shared with you in my upcoming post.

"Coconut fruit is agreeable to heart", Gunapadom, a Kerala text.

Reference: http://coconutboard.nic.in/

Ganesh Chaturthi – a popular festival of India

The birthday of Lord Ganesha is celebrated as Ganesh Chaturthi, with lot of pomp and grandeur in the states of Maharashtra, Goa, Tamilnadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh and many other parts of India. In Maharashtra and Goa, the preparations for this festival begin months in advance. This year, it was celebrated on September 11, 2010.Lord Ganesha is the God of Wisdom and Prosperity and the Dispeller of all obstacles. He is also worshipped as a protector and, variously, as the god of wisdom, arts and sciences, literature, poetry, and agriculture.

Hindus believe that by offering prayers to Lord Vinayaka (one of the many names of the Lord) before any new beginning or venture, helps in the successful fruition of the task.

According to Hindu mythology, Sri Ganesha is the son of Shiva and Parvati, brother of Kartikeya (the General of the Gods) His carrier or vehicle (vahan) is the rat. The mouse is depicts our EGO. Sri Ganesha, using the mouse as a vehicle, exemplifies the need to control our ego. According to our Vedanta, one who has controlled ego enjoys the transcendental bliss of Ganesha-consciousness or God-consciousness.
According to one of the legends, Goddess Parvati created Ganesha out of the sandalwood dough that she had used for her bath and breathed life into him. She then let him guard her door and went to have bath. When Lord Shiva, her husband returned, the child, Lord Ganesha who had never seen him, stopped him which infuriated Lord Shiva and he severed the head of the child and entered his house. Upon learning that her son was dead, Goddess Parvati was distraught and asked Shiva to immediately revive her son. As a consequence Lord Shiva cut off the head of an elephant and fixed it on the body of Ganesha. Thus was Lord Ganesha born and created. He is also known the Ganaadhipati or the leader.

The four most important symbols carried by Ganesha are:
1) Pasa (lasso) - an instrument used to destroy desire or craving
2) Angusa (elephant hook) - represents control, or a means to steer one in the right direction
3) Tanta (broken tusk) - a divine weapon for destroying obstacles
4) Varamudra (attitude of blessing) - represents a wish for success

Shivaji Maharaja, the great Maratha ruler, started this festival, to promote culture and nationalism in the 17th century in India and was revived by Lokmanya Tilak (Indian freedom fighter) to spread the message of freedom struggle and to defy the British who had banned public assemblies in the last decade of the 19th century.
Besides the many households which bring in Ganesh statues and offer their prayers, many Ganesh statues are also installed on street corners in the cities and towns and villages in different parts of India. At the end of the festival, which may last from one and a half day to 5 days or 10 days or 21 days, these statues are carried on decorated floats to be immersed into the sea.
This Lord is even worshipped beyond India’s frontiers, in various countries in the following names:

• Mahabini in Borneo, • Totkar in Mongolia,
• Tchoprak in Tibet,
• Brahganesh in Cambodia,
• Kwanshidiyik in China,
• Vinayaksha in Japan.

He is also worshipped in countries like Nepal and Java.

Lord Ganesha continues to be India’s symbol of cultural ambassador to the various countries of world !

UNITY IN DIVERSITY !

28 States

1618 languages

7 Union Territories

6 religions

6 Ethnic groups

29 Major festivals

1 COUNTRY - INDIA

First Women Achievers of India since Independence

Arti Saha – First woman to swim across the English Channel

Aruna Asaf Ali – First woman Mayor of Delhi

Bachendri Pal – First woman to scale Mount Everest

Fatima Bi- Asia’s first recipient of the UNDP ‘Race against Poverty ‘ award

Hamoi Vyarawala – First woman press photographer (photojournalist)

Harshini Kanhekar – First fire woman

Indira Gandi – First woman Prime minister

Kalpana Chawla – First woman to land in space

Kanchan C. Bhattacharya – First woman Director General of Police

Kanchan Gaud – First woman taxi driver

Kiran Bedi – First IPS (Indian police force) officer

Leela Seth – First woman Chief Justice (High Court)

M.S.Subbalakshmi – First woman to perform at the United Nations

Maria Gorete – First woman railway engine driver

Menakshi – First woman driver of Delhi Metro

Padmavathi – First woman Air Marshal

Pratibha Patil - First woman President

Rajkumari Amrit Kaur – First woman Cabinet minister

Rita Faria – First woman to win “Miss World’ title

Sarojini Naidu - First woman Mayor of Utter Pradesh

Sucheta Kriplani – First woman Chief Minister

Sushmita Sen - First woman to win “Miss Universe’ title

Vijaylakshmi Pandit – First woman President of the United Nations General Assembly


Reference: Competition Success Review Year Book

UNESCO World Heritage sites of India

The UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) encourages countries to sign the World Heritage Convention and to ensure the protection of their natural and cultural heritage. This is indeed a great endeavour of this organisation to ensure that our legacy from the past is passed on to our future generations. It encourages international cooperation in the conservation of our world's cultural and natural heritage.

The UNESCO World Heritage sites of India are:

Cultural
1) Agra Fort
2) Ajanta Caves
3) Buddhist Monuments at Sanchi
4) Champaner-Pavagadh Archaeological Park
5) Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus (formerly Victoria Terminus)
6) Churches and Convents of Goa
7) Elephanta Caves
8) Ellora Caves
9) Fatehpur Sikri
10) Great Living Chola Temples
11) Group of Monuments at Hampi
12) Group of Monuments at Mahabalipuram
13) Group of Monuments at Pattadakal
14) Humayun's Tomb, Delhi
15) Khajuraho Group of Monuments
16) Mahabodhi Temple Complex at Bodh Gaya
17) Mountain Railways of India
18) Qutb Minar and its Monuments, Delhi
19) Red Fort Complex
20) Rock Shelters of Bhimbetka
21) Sun Temple, Konark
22) Taj Mahal

Natural
1) Kaziranga National Park
2) Keoladeo National Park
3) Manas Wildlife Sanctuary
4) Nanda Devi and Valley of Flowers National Parks
5) Sundarbans National Park
Of these, I have been to 6 sites and hope to visit all of these sites in my life time !

The Adventure continues -----------

WHERE STONES CAST A SPELL !

Belur is a quaint little hamlet located 38 kilometres from Hassan, 16 kilometres from Halebid and 222 kilometers from Bangalore, located on the banks of river Yagachi.

It was once the capital of the Hoysala empire, made unforgettable for its exquisite temples. The ancient city was also called Velapuri or Velur. It is also known as Dakshina Benaras.
From Bangalore we took the KSTDC one day tour to Halebid, Belur, and Sravanabelagola. As these places are difficult to reach by public transportation, this tour was a good way to see these remotely located marvels in one day, especially as we had very few days for holidaying !

It is here that the enchanting star – shaped Chennakeshava temple with hand lathe-turned filigreed pillars and sculptures, resides, in Belur ! One of the finest examples of Hoysala architecture, and it took 103 years to complete this temple !
It is the only Hoysala temple still in active worship. The Hoysalas used soft soapstone for their structures as they were found suitable for intricate carvings and was built in 1116 AD to celebrate King Visbhnuvardhana’s victory of Talakadu over the Cholas.

The winged figure of Garuda, Lord Vishnu’s carrier, stands at the entrance facing the temple.

The temple is built on a Jagati (platform), which provides the devotee the allowance to do a Pradakshina (circumambulation) around the temple, before entering it.

The main temple is surrounded by other small temples.
The façade of the temple is filled with intricate sculptures and friezes – with no portion left blank. Awe – inspiring in their intricate workmanship. There are beautiful carved elephants 644 in number each in a different pose. It is surmounted by simhalalatas or lion heads on horizontal friezes.

The pillars inside the hall are another attraction and the most popular one is the Narasimha pillar which at one time, is said could revolve on its ball bearings. There is a rich diversity about the styles of pillars here. While all the 48 pillars and the ceilings are well decorated, nothing surpasses the finish of the four central pillars and the ceiling they support. All of the four pillars in the main hall bear Madanikas * (Salabhanjika, Shilabalika – celestial damsels or Bracket figures) and there are 42 of them, 4 inside the hall and the rest outside, between the eaves on the outer walls of the hall.
These epitomize the ideal female form and are depicted in various forms, such as dancers, musicians and drummers etc.

Other important sculptures here are the Narasimha (half man and half lion form of Vishnu), Shiva –Gajasure (Lord Shiva slaying a demon in the form of an elephant), the winged Garuda, dancing Kali, the seated Ganesha, etc.

Equally impressive are the temples of Chennigaraya, Viranarayana, Sridevi and Bhoodevi, housed in the same complex.

One can only configure why such a long time was taken to complete this temple upon paying a visit to this awesome architectural marvel ! Whilst admiring this beautiful temple, I wished that time would freeze, but had to face reality and move on …….

Note: * The 48 different Madanikas will be described in detail my next blog.

Largest importer of gold !

India is the world's largest gold consumer with an annual demand of around 800 tons ! Gold prices have been surging, lately.
For quite some time gold has been stealing the headlines !

What makes this yellow metal so special and in demand ?

In many Asian countries, such as India, Thailand, and China, gold is important for religious ceremonies and social occasions, such as the Hindu marriages in India and the Chinese New Year. Gold is still regarded throughout much of the world as a store of financial value, particularly in many developing countries.
Gold jewelry is universally popular, loved for its lustrous yellow color and untarnishing character. The chemical symbol for gold is AU.

Here are some 10 quick facts about this precious metal:

1. Gold is primarily a monetary asset and partly a commodity.
2. Gold is the only metal that is impervious to rust. It has an excellent chemical stability with a high resistance to corrosion and oxidation.
3. Gold is one of the most recycled materials in the world.
4. Gold is so pliable that it can be made into sewing thread. An ounce of gold can be stretched over 50 miles.
5. The melting point of gold is 1064.43 centigrade.
6. Gold is chemically inert, which also explains why it does not cause skin irritation.
7. Due to its high electrical conductivity, gold is a vital component of many electrical devices, including computers. Most cell phones, computers, calculators, television, and other electronic items contain gold.
8. China is the world's largest gold producer followed by Australia, USA and South Africa (Year 2009)
9. Because it is non-toxic and biologically benign, gold is perfect for many medical applications.
10. The purity of gold is measured in carat weight. The term “carat” comes from “carob seed,” which was standard for weighing small quantities in the Middle East. Carats were the fruit of the leguminous carob tree, every single pod of which weighs 1/5 of a gram (200 mg) Carat weight can be 10, 12, 14, 18, 22, or The higher the number, the greater the purity.
And finally, it is believed that almost 80 % of the earth's gold is still buried underground !

So Goodluck in Goldmining !

Note: The gold price today is Rs.1836/gm.