Amongst the many temple destinations in India, Sabarimala in the state of Kerala is a sure sight for all the pilgrims. As the most sought after pilgrim destination, the Sabarimala temple is situated in the Western Ghat mountain ranges of the district of Pathanamthitta in the state of Kerala. This is the largest pilgrimage that is held annually in the world and has around 45 to 50 million devotees coming here each year. It is believed that this is the place where the Hindu God Ayappan performed meditation after he killed Mahishi the demons. The temple that is found in Sabarimala is the Ayappa temple and this is located here amidst the hills that are found here. There are eighteen of them. Located on a hilltop at a height of around 468 m, this has dense forests and mountains. Sabarimala is a land of temples and forest land. So the area is surrounded by temples like Kalaketi, Nilackal, Karimala and many other important temples. In fact Sabarimala has some of the remains of temples of the past here. These are found in the hills that are found in this temple region.

All Hindus normally undertake the pilgrimage to Sabarimala and it is mainly a pilgrimage observed by the men. Women who are in the ages of 10 and 50 are not permitted here in the temple. The story goes that Ayappa prohibited the entry of women in this age group. Ayappa is a celibate and so the temple does not permit women to worship here. It is open during the days from November 15 to December 26. January 14 is called the Makaravillakku and this is also celebrated as Makara Sankranti across the Indian subcontinent. April 14 is Vishu or the Malayalam New Year. The temple is open during Vishu and also the first six days of the Malayalam month.

All devotees coming to Sabarimala take a vratham or fast which is observed for around 41 days before the pilgrimage. This normally starts with wearing a garland that is made of tulsi or the holy Rudraksha. They refrain from tobacco, non vegetarian food and also alcohol during this time. The Sabarimala visit is said to make the Shani planet better for the lifespan.

There is a forest path that is traversed through to complete the journey to this temple. This is normally taken from Erumely and this was the path that was taken by Lord Ayappa himself. The path starts from Erumely to the River Aludha and then passes the Aludha Mountain and then crosses the karivalam thodu. Then the Karimala is crossed and then the river Pamba. The path is filled with forests that dominate the region and they are around 9 kilometres up a steep hill and the devotees have a lot of religious fervour and devotion when they come here. The temple land is a lovely destination and a totally memorable experience for all.

As the devotees climb the eighteen steps to the temple they go in a religious frenzy. The eighteen steps are the mainstay of the temple and then the sight of the flagstaff here in the middle of the temple courtyard is a great landmark.

The Prasad at the temple is the Aravana kheer and the appam. This is prepared by mixing ghee, sugar and rice. The rice is given from the Chettikulangara Devi temple. This is the second largest temple in the Travancore Devaswom board.

Harivarasanam is a hymn that is changed before the temple closes every night. This is sung at the Sabarimala as a lullaby for the Lord at night and is called the Urakkapattu. It was Sri Kambangudi Kulathur Srinivasa Iyer who composed this famous Ayappa hymn.

The Sabarimala temple is one of the most popular pilgrim destinations in the state of Kerala in India and Lord Ayappa is surely a favourite of many Indians.

Thais living here are very proud of this region of Chiang Mai and the region is filled with the ultimate travel delights. Chiang Mai is the keystone of any Thailand tour and provides the most ecstatic and memorable travel experiences. This was the first state in the South Eastern Asian state to make the great transition from the Mon domination and cultures of Khmer to the new Thai era.

Situated around 700 km to the northwest of Bangkok the region of Chiang Mai has a lot of temples and has as many temples as there are in Bangkok. This is what makes the entire city centre very amazing. Thais have a lot of respect for the walled city and the strange ambience here is what makes the travels here very enterprising. Chiang Mai is a greatly dynamic city filled with the best sights to experience and has a rich tradition and history of the past which makes the tours to this part of the world very exciting. Today Chiang Mai is a very developed region and provides the greatest tour ecstasies.

With the rich culture and the beautiful handicrafts to exhibit the simple pleasures of shopping here lend a lot of excitement in the tour experiences here. The city is slowly growing up to the demands of the customers and tourists and gives the best tour delights. This city is changing its identity and with the cultural activities and the temple pleasures here, Chiang Mai is surely an interesting place to visit.

Visit the Chiang Mai Zoo which is a home to many hundreds of birds and animas. There is an aquatic park here which provides the greatest pleasures of avifauna attractions. This has in fact the largest South East Asian aviary. There is a popular picnic and camping ground facility which is open to all tourists providing great entertainment value.

Chiangmai has more than 12 waterfalls and is around 750 metres above the sea level. These beautiful cascades with their lovely tiers of racing water come as a total delight to the tourists here. With the water hitting the rocks below there is a grand sight of the water splitting into many colours and gives the best pleasures of the green vegetation around. Come here just to enjoy the loveliest natural sights and the most fascinating visual delights.

There are pools at the base of the waterfalls which provide facilities for swimming and make the trip here very memorable. AS the tourists bask in the pleasures of the watery paradise, it is really a great feeling to be in this part of the world and experience the best of travel delights.

The waterfalls are all reached easily by boat and these ensure that the public are transported easily.

Chiangmai has many festivals which keep the fun enthusiasts satiated with a lot of memories. There are many events held here and the celebrations like the “Loy Krathong” the “Songkran” are all festivals that surely deserve a mention here in this land of heavenly pleasures.

As the handmade floats are decorated with flowers and then let out into the water it is indeed a pleasurable sight to experience the best of travel sights.

While in Asia, Thailand is certainly a greatly fascinating land with the best delights and most mesmerizing travel pleasures.

Every guestroom of the Aashiya Haveli is unique. There will be something to surprise you in each of these rooms. Moreover, the set up and the décor of the rooms are modified every year; the entire process involved a lot of hard work; fresh colors are added thoughtfully for making these rooms appear more inviting. Items like beddings, towels, colorful pillows, curtains and glass chandeliers are chosen carefully for every guestroom of Aashiya Haveli.

The stay at this hotel is more like staying in a luxurious home. The rooms do not have television sets and telephones; the management has decided to exclude these modern day amenities from the rooms for ensuring that the serenity and tranquility of the rooms are not destroyed. People coming here will surely start loving the place and would wish to stay here for the rest of their lives.

If you want to enjoy the picturesque view of Lake Pichhola, spend some time at the roof top of Aashiya Haveli; the hotel’s rooftop is adorned by comfortable furniture. This part of Aashiya Haveli is also ideal for having private conversations, reading, meditating and relaxing. If you are looking to arrange a get-together, the courtyard of the hotel is the place to be. You can enjoy drinking and spend time going through current newspapers and wide range of magazines when at the hotel’s courtyard.

If you are looking for ultimate luxury during your Lucknow travel, there are a few better places to stay in than Hotel Gemini Continental. Each of the services offered at this hotel boast of the contemporary elegance in an amalgamation with traditional hospitality, for which India, especially Lucknow is famous. The hotel will also be the foremost choice of any business person; this is because the corporate attributes of the hotel.

Hotel Gemini Continental houses two types of guestrooms, the Superior Rooms and the Luxury Rooms. Let us first get acquainted with the facilities offered during the stay at the Superior Rooms of the hotel. Each of these rooms is equipped with facilities that one can need for staying connected with the outer world. As soon as you remove the curtain of the large windows of these rooms, you will get to see the magnificent view of the expansive city of Lucknow. The amenities present in the Superior Rooms include: Hair Dryer, Satellite TV, Mini Bar, Wardrobe, in-room dining family.

The Luxury Rooms are located facing the Laxman Park and the Historical Monument. Another specialty of these rooms is the wooden floor. It is advisable that people visiting the city for business purposes should hire these rooms. The extra amenities you can expect during the stay in Luxury Rooms of Gemini Continental are: Tea/Coffee Maker, DVD Player, Cotton Slippers, Bathrobe, Fruit Basket and Mineral Water and a Digital Safe.

Each carving of this temple complex is consisted of more than 1 level. The gateway of the Kailasanatha is a two-storied structure; it has significant resemblance with gopuram i.e. the South Indian version of gateways, mostly used in temples. As you cross the gateway, you will reach the Kailasanatha’s U-shaped courtyard.  On the edges of the courtyard there are columned galleries, which are three-storied structures.

Like majority of the traditional temples dedicated to Lord Shiva, the Kailasanatha also has 3 primary segments. The first segment has the idol of Shiva’s sacred bull, Nandi. Then comes the central temple, locally referred to as the Nandi Mandap; here, you will come across the Shiva Lingam. Nandi Mandap is a structure built on 16 columns and has a height of 29.3 meters. The next segment is the Shiva Temple, situated just behind the Nandi Mandap. The Nandi Mandap is connected to the Shiva Temple by a rock bridge. The Shiva Temple is a lofty pyramidal structure having distinct similarities with the Dravidian temple of South India. The shrine is designed excellently and comprises of outer and inner rooms, windows, pillars, gathering halls and a huge Lingam, worshiped as Lord Shiva.

The Jigme Dorji National Park is the state’s second biggest National Park. Jigme Dorji National Park was inaugurated in the year 1974 and covers a total area of 4316sq km. The area of this park encompasses a big share of Bhutan’s Gasa District; the other areas of Bhutan occupied by some parts of this National Park are the Punakha District, Paro District and Thimphu District. This means the National Park spans over Bhutan’s 3 major climate zones; the altitude of the National Park varies from 1400 meters to 7000 meters at different regions. There are also residential areas located within the Jigme Dorji National Park. The population of the park is around 6,500 and there are over 1000 households residing here. The professions of these people include occupations like animal husbandry and subsistence agriculture.

Jigme Dorji National Park is home to more than 37 mammal species, most of which are known to us. Several species housed by this National park are vulnerable, threatened or endangered species; some examples of such species include names like: snow leopard, bharal, Bengal tiger, black beer, clouded leopard, dhole, red panda and many more. The other interesting species present in this Bhutanese National Park are: marmot, goral, pika, sambar, serow and Indian leopard. Besides all these, there are also over 300 bird species flying around the Jigme Dorji National Park. The Jigme Dorji National Park also plays the role of nursery for a wide variety of plant species.

Lahore is also home to several art galleries. Most of these art galleries house artifacts belonging to Mughal period. However, you will also get to see contemporary artworks in some galleries of Lahore. The most well known art galleries of the city are: Ejaz galleriesm, Alhamra, Royaat Gallery, Croweaters Gallery etc.

The culture of Lahore and the people based in the city are also extremely famed. The city witnesses celebration of several festivals throughout the year. These festivals represent heritage and tradition of Lahore. The most famous festivals of the city are: Shabe-Barat, Bassant, Jashane-Larkhana, Jashane-Shikarpur and Eid-ul-Fitar. Social ceremonies and marriages are also significant parts of Lahore’s culture.  Every social ceremony including marriages involves lot of rituals and several days of celebration.

Now let us come to the entertainment options available in the city of Lahore. The entertainment options offered by this city are a lot different from all other cities of Pakistan. The city play host to musical shows and dance performances regularly. The nightlife of this city is also quite vibrant, a feature that makes Lahore one of the most preferred Asian tourist destinations among visitors from the Western Hemisphere. Lahore houses several bars and pubs, which are scattered in different corners of the city.

Sky Park, Singapore is designated as the world’s highest and biggest floating park. It beats even the Eifel Tower quite comfortably as far as the height is concerned. The Sky Park or the Sands Skypark is basically a terrace of an area of 1 hectare constructed on the top of the Marina Bay Sands. This floating terrace connects the 3 towers of Marina Bay Sands, the integrated resort of Marina Bay, Singapore. The resort was opened officially on the 23rd of June, 2010. The 2nd day of the 2 day inauguration celebration saw opening of the Sky Park. More than 2,000 visitors from around the world witnessed the celebration.

So what does the Sky Park has in offer for the visitors? The list is quite big. The most alluring possession of this skyscraping terrace is the most elevated and longest swimming pool having a vanishing edge of 146 meters; the swimming pool is perched above ground by 191 meters. The pool is constructed using stainless steel weighing 422,000 lb and possesses the ability of holding 376,500 gallons of water.

If you are foodie, you will love to know that the Sky Park also hosts a rooftop restaurant serving lip smacking international cuisines. The nightclub located on the Sky Park is managed by some of the most well known DJs of Singapore. The makers of this sky terrace have also made sure that people enjoying their leisure here stays in a pollution free environment. The garden of the Sky Park has hundred of plants and trees, some of which are of rare species. Other than all these there’s an observatory open for the public. You can enjoy 360-degree view of Singapore skyline from this observatory.

This new addition to the treasure of Singapore will surely attract more international tourists to the country every year.

With a country as diverse as India and with cultures ranging from Kashmiri, to Bengali, Gujarati to Tamilian, the tradition and the food patterns also vary though with a common strand of bonding – the feeling of being Indian. India – the land of unity in diversity has its own unique way of bringing forth the idea of cooking. If it is Avial, in Kerala, it is Undhyo in Gujarat, if it is Shukto in Bengal; it is kootu in Tamil Nadu. The concept is the same, the making different. Similarly if it is kheer in North India, it is Payasam in South India and payas in the eastern part of India. Nowhere in the world would we find a culture as diverse yet so unified as in India.

Come let us explore the unity in diversity of Indian cuisine.

Kheer, Payasam and Payas

Kheer: This is a delicacy made out of rice and milk and sugar. The dish made in North India has more of rice and lesser milk thus reducing the consistency. It is called Payasam in South India and Payas in the Eastern Part of India.

Take a litre of milk and let it boil over. Add one cup of rice and boil this rice in the milk till soft. Add 2 cups sugar and let the mixture boil till it is reduced to half. The white milk takes a cream color and this is when it is known that the kheer is done. Put some dry fruits on top and your kheer or payasam or payas is ready.

Kheer is also made with semolina and sago.

Avial et al

Avial is a mixture of vegetables cooked in a special way. Cut the vegetables lengthwise. The vegetables used for Avial are drumstick, red pumpkin, white gourd, snake gourd, yam and raw banana. Boil these vegetables with salt and turmeric powder. Add a mixture of half a coconut paste, two teaspoons of curd and top it with a dash of coconut oil. Tasty Avial is ready.

The same is called as Undhyo in Gujarat with a difference. Cut yam, potatoes, sweet potato, colocasia, brinjal, flat gourd into big pieces. Stuff them with a filling which has fenugreek leaves, coriander, coconut, cumin powder, chilli powder salt and turmeric and place them over oil in a pan. Add a cup of water and let it steam cook till done. Top it with coriander and your undhyo is ready.

Thus it is seen that Indian cuisine involves minimal effort and maximum taste. Non vegetarian dishes are also prepared with the nutrients value in mind and care is taken that the food is not made very oily or spicy.

Cuisine Mix

Of late Indian cuisine is going globally popular by mixing two cuisines together. For example the popular Indian dosa is being mixed with the Chinese cuisine and the chopsuey of Chinese and the dosa of India is mixed to make a Chopsuey Dosa. Similarly there are Mexican dosas, Indian pastas and Italian burgers. In this manner the cuisine of the world is getting merged and we are all progressing towards global unity.

Bread, Burger, Pav

The burger in the West is popular as the Vada Pav in Maharashtra. The burger has a filling of vegetables in the centre with salad and bread as the main holder of the food. The Vada Pav in Maharashtra has a potato cutlet as the filling in the centre and has a dash of sauce and is had with a loaf of bread as the holder. The Dabeli in Gujarat is a filling of potato and peanut in the middle with a loaf of bread to hold it. Concept is the same, the making is different and so is the taste. But the main pattern is the same. This is the specialty of cuisine and Indian cuisine definitely tops the list of healthy and nutritious food.

Pasta or Upma

We have the Italian pasta with pasta shells to be boiled and dipped in a tomato puree based sauce. We have the Indian Seviya Upma which is similarly prepared with a mixture of onion and tomato fried and the semolina added with water and the whole thing is boiled. Pasta is more spicy and has a tangy tomato base. Seviya Upma is dry but the concept is the same.

There is the raita in Northern India. It is made with yoghurt as the base and some salad added to it. It could be cucumber, carrot, or tomatoes. The pachadi in Tamil Nadu has the same ingredients only a dash of coconut is added as coconuts are in plenty here. The same is made in Maharashtra and called the koshimbir and they just variety it with a dash of green chilies cut and added to it.

The concept is the same, the dishes named differently.

The list is endless and the dishes are never-ending. The combination of cuisines and the merging of cultures is what makes international food and local food so enjoyable. If wishes were horses we could have had a platform and showcased the entire list of delicacies and yet the world would come to an end, but not the platform.

This is what food is all about. It lies on us, to make best use of it and learn to understand the theory and logic behind good food and good eating.

My say:

Come, eat fall in love with cuisine of all kinds

With the ocean waters and the sea salt gurgling into the land of Kerala, the paddy fields seem to dance in joy at seeing the region glow in its own beauty and charm. As is the beauty so is the cuisine here. The cuisine here is related to the geographical, historical and cultural attributes of this beautiful land in India in the continent of Asia – Kerala.

Kerala Cuisine and History

Kerala has been a region that has been frequented by ocean sailors from far off countries like Rome, Greece and many countries in the Arab region. Thus the cuisine here is a mixture of all traditions and cultures. Kerala is a land of coconuts, so it is natural that all food in Kerala is predominantly coconut based. Grated coconut, coconut milk, ground coconut, cut coconut, coconut in all forms the main flavoring ingredient in Kerala cuisine. Besides this, Kerala is an agricultural land with paddy fields growing all over the place. Thus rice is the staple food here and there is the main starch plant tapioca which is very common amongst the locals. Spices like cardamom, cloves, ginger, and cinnamon are used commonly as they are very commonly found here and have been a part of the trade activities with other countries.

Variety in Kerala Cuisine

One specialty of Kerala cuisine is that it does not limit itself to limited vegetables. Bitter gourd, colocasia, yam, ash gourd are vegetables unheard of in other parts of India, but in Kerala are very common ingredients of a full course meal. In North Malabar they make pathiri which is a pancake made of rice. Biryani forms a major menu item in many Kerala households and it is believed that this has taken birth due to its connecting with the Arab lands. Trade with America started the process of potatoes, tomatoes, chili peppers being added in the cuisine. Besides Kerala was earlier a part of the State of Tamil Nadu so the influence of Tamilian cuisine is but natural. So one finds sambar, rasam, idli , dosa in the Kerala Menu too.

The predominant base for Kerala cuisine is lime and tamarind. Besides this dishes made out of tamarind, chilli and ginger called the pulinji and the coconut added mango pulp dish with the curd base called the pulissery is very typically a Kerala dish. When it is mango time, pulissery is very commonly found in every Kerala household.

Breakfast with Kerala

Keralites believe in eating a good breakfast, a sumptuous lunch and a delicious dinner. You go to any Kerala household on a Sunday morning and you are sure to find them munching into Puttu and Kadala. Puttu is a dish  made out of coconut gratings and rice powder. The mixture is put in a special holder and the resultant dish is cylindrical in shape and is steamed later. Kadala is a mixture of spices and black beans with a dash of gravy. Pal appam is another Kerala delicacy where the rice is ground and made into pancakes after fermenting it with toddy. Normally it is consumed by the Christians with a curry made out of mutton or chicken.

Lunch at Kerala

For lunch the Keralites are bound to have Choru or rice, along with sambar and a curry dashed with coconut. Keralites are also famous for having rice porridge called Kanji. This is made out of the red rice that is parboiled and is very nutritious and healthy. Tapioca curry or Cuppa as it is called is also a favorite of the Keralites.

Tapioca baked is also a popular and delicious dish in Kerala. Upperi is taken with this. An upperi is any vegetable that is sautéed and is served normally with rasam, rice and chips. Buttermilk or moru is the cherry on the pie for a good Kerala lunch. Keralites strangely enough use coconut oil for cooking.

Popular Kerala delicacies

Typical Kerala delicacies include sambar, thoran, avail, Kaalan etc. All these dishes are made with curd as the base in some and with coconut milk as the base in others. Stew is another dish popular amongst the non vegetarians. It is usually made out of lamb, fish, beef or chicken. Some people make it with potatoes too. Nadan Kozhi curry or chicken curry is a hot favorite as also the famous meen curry meaning fish curry.

Kerala also has the North Indian influence by way of having rotis in the menu. Roti or paratha is called porotta in Kerala. A typical Kerala lunch is normally served in a banana leaf. Called a Sadhya it starts with payasam or sweet rice boiled in milk to be served in the bottom right corner. Then it is followed with pachadi which is a mixture of raw salad in curd on the top right hand corner. This is then followed with vegetable dishes made out of beans, cabbage, potatoes, gourd, bottle gourd, etc. There would at least be five dishes. And then of course the avial which is the queen of all dishes. This then is followed by the banana chips being served on the left hand corner along with sarakarata upperi which is sweetened banana chips dipped in jiggery. Then the pickles followed by pulinji and the dal vada, and small appams. Then parupu or boiled lentils is served followed by rice, ghee , sambar and rasam. The lunch is topped with curd rice and then buttermilk. It is a rule that the sweet dish is served only after rice with sambar and rice with rasam is had.

There is more to Kerala dishes and Kerala cuisine . The list is endless but the fact remains that there is no food that could as delicious and as tasty. It surely is a major hit in the Asian Cuisine.

My say :

Eat on, dream on, and Come to relish God’s own land – Kerala.