Tag Archives: Pune

Ganesha – The God of Beginnings.

festival, General 5 Comments

In one of my previous posts, I had expressed negative views about festivals in India that festivals end up with bad news. This line didn’t go well with many people. I have many negative comments but thanks to wordpress, I have the authority to publish the comments which I want. So haters, you sit at home and enjoy this post.

Ganesh Chaturthi; hectic, vibrant and yet peaceful festival. Hectic because we have to do all the rituals, follow all the protocols to welcome Ganapati Bappa. Peaceful because, the moment Ganapati Bappa enters the house, you will automatically feel the positive vibes. The 10 days of Ganapati, not only bring peace but also bring all people together. As usual due to covid, this time too there will be restrictions. But I really miss this festival. Huge mandals, full on lights, staying awake the whole night with friends, playing some funny games so that we don’t get drowsy. We always come up with new slogans everytime, every year.

ek rupaiya ka chew gum, ganpati bappa singham..
garam Jalebi Fafda, Ganapati Bappa apda..
Kaha Chali Ho Goriya, Ganpati Bappa Moriya..
Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, Ganapati Bappa Superstar..
Videocon Samsung, Ganapati Bappa Handsome..
ek do teen chaar, Ganapati Cha Jai Jai kaar…

Whatever the occasion is, or going somewhere, or buying new things, “Ganapati Bappa Moriya” is a must. Feeling scared or feeling lonely, Ganapati Bappa is always there. That’s the vibe of our Ganapati Bappa. In my childhood days, I used to visit almost all the nearby mandals. Stand in queue or sometimes pay them to get direct entry. My favourite mandals is the one which had short stories in it. I still want to go, but this covid has given full stop to all these mandals. I really enjoyed not only the story but also the creativity, the designs and the decorations. Creating such mandals requires patience and intelligence. Really, hats off to them.

Lalbaughcha Raja, Year 2015

The festival has been publicly celebrated in Pune since the era of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. The Peshwa rulers  were devotees of Ganesh, and started a public Ganesh festival in their capital city of Pune. In every city, the view is different. How can one can’t pay tribute to Dagadusheth Halwai Ganapati in Pune and Lalbaugcha Raja in Mumbai. Making a plan to visit these two places is a must. That huge crowd going only in one direction, no coming back and then eating vada pavs and tea. Ha ha, we Mumbaikar never say no to vada pav. Always available 24×7 in Mumbai.


Ganapati Idol Made of many super heroes. Near NL College, Malad West, Year 2015

But when it’s time to say Goodbye, almost everyone’s eyes get moist. As if someone is going for ever and will never return back. Yes, I do cry when I see Visarjan (Immersion). For two reasons, first obviously, I don’t want this festival to end and secondly, the way we do visarjan, sometimes not saying bye in proper good rituals. Hence eco-friendly Ganapati idols are a must. But we still have to urge people to go for it. How did you forget that Goosebumps, while performing aarti, that bells gongs and tintinnabulation. Whenever I see any Ganapati Idols, I wonder how these Ganapatis are made? Awesome art work and creativity.


Ganapati Idol made up of polo (mouth freshener), Near NL college, Malad West, Year 2013

Well, how come no negative content this time? Well then here it goes. I really really really HATE the collection of songs played by DJs during Anant Chaturthi. Why you want to show “Sheela’s Jawani” (Sheela’s youthfullness) to Ganapati Bappa, before his immersion? and why you want him to tell that “Munni” is “Badnaam” (Munni is infamous for bad reasons) for him. Well, this time, I am 100% sure that  “Zalimaa” (Merciless) will definitely give “coca-cola” and will urge Ganapati Bappa to “bhuja” her “aag” (Merciless, please give me cocoa-cola and extinguish the fire within me). Seriously!! Ha Ha!!.. Do check out some more pics here. 

Ganapati Bappa Moriya!

dreamSkitchen – Where Spice Powder Meets Flavours.

General, Information, Knowledge 8 Comments

Spices and Spicy food, that’s the specialty of India. We Indians, if we go aboard, we miss our home town food very badly. Now even Tom Cruise can’t resist Chicken Tikka Masala. That’s the strength of Indian food. Spicy yet delectable. India has varieties of spices. People from abroad do come here to invest in spice plantations. Majorly, they invest in South India because all major spices and coffee are cultivated there. What if I tell you that you will get freshly Ground Masalas at your doorstep. Yes, You read it right. Superior spices travel all the way from Kerala, Andhra, Telengana, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu to Pune (Maharashtra) and then it is freshly ground as per your request and delivered at your doorstep.

If you are staying in Pune and belong to the Viman Nagar area, then you would have surely heard about dreamSkitchen. dreamSkitchen is a small venture, supervised by Swapna Manoharan. This is a place where you will get all types of Ground Masalas. Swapna, originated from Chennai and she is knowledgeable about spices. She is a great cook and hence she understands how Indian food should taste and hence she gives her best in ordering the premier spice not only from South India, but also from Sri Lanka. She commands the finest Cinnamon rolls, Black tea and Forest Honey from Sri Lanka. What are you waiting for? grab your mobile and start ordering from here.

You can even order on her WhatsApp number. But delivery is currently pan India. +91-9665003623. Follow her on Instagram as well.

In India, Honey came in the news for bad reasons. The Business of honey went down because the maximum branded company cheated the customer. But dreamSkitchen’s Honey is a big Hit. She has all certificate which proves that she has the best quality of honey. Not only that, she has a diverse range of honey. Right from Ginger Honey till Sidrberry Honey. Swapna has a proper explanation of each and every honey and its use. So you don’t have to worry about buying honey from her.

If you are a non veg lover, then you can go for Tandoori Chicken Masala, Grill Chicken Masala, Prawns Fry Masala, Mutton Curry Masala and more. You don’t need a silver fork to eat good food. People who love to eat are always the best people. So, dreamSkitchen is best for our cuisine. Do check the testimonials.

testimonials

Eat well.. Sleep well.. May god’s child don’t sleep hungry tonight.

The Incredible Independent India

General, Travel Blog 9 Comments

15 August, 1947, though I was not born in that year, I haven’t seen the victory of magnificent India. Yet I can feel happiness when I read it in history or on the internet. The actual feeling comes out when someone has witnessed those days.  and you actually feel that you too belong to those days. I still remember, when my uncle who belonged to those days, narrated his story, of how they used to play the dangerous hide-and-seek games with Britishers and how they actually celebrated the victory. After hearing his story, I went to my friends and narrated this story as if I was present in those days. 

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India Flag, Dukes Retreat Resort, Khandala

In these internet days, we all get information on Independence day and hence will not copy-paste those contents here. I want you all to visit India and also experience their culture. Here are some wonderful photos of magnificent India. Well, I haven’t seen all of India, But here are some of my collections. Let’s start with  the place I belong to.

Mumbai.
Mumbai has some pretty places like Sanjay Gandhi National Park where you can go for a morning walk. It has a mini train ride and boating too. So pack your bag, full of snacks and go for a picnic. Mumbai also has Marine Drive, Gateway Of India, Juhu beach. Infact Mumbai is a mini Goa. Beaches, parties and shopping.

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Worli Sea Face

Pune.
Pune has a lot of places to visit. Best season to visit is during the monsoon and winter season. Pune is Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s birthplace. And hence has many historic places to visit. Sinhagad Fort, Lohagad Fort, Shivneri Fort. Please visit these forts, not only for scenic beauty but also to acquire information on these legends. It is worth listening to.

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Sinhagad Fort

Panchgani, Mahabaleshwar:
Another hill station in Maharashtra, to visit during monsoon and winter. These places are adjacent to each other and have many scenic beauty points including Pratapgad Fort

Matheran:
Matheran is near Mumbai and Pune. This place is situated in forests and has a very beautiful scenery. You can either walk or take a horse ride. Vehicles are not allowed here.

Dapoli:
Maharashtra has this konkan region. And in this konkan region, there are many places like Dapoli, Ganapatipule, Diveagar, Harihareshwar, etc. Best to visit during monsoon season. And this place is again full of beaches and temples.

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Dapoli

Goa.
The only place in India where tourists want to relax. Goa has more beaches and parties. But Goa has various temples too. Visit South Goa now, If you are almost a regular visitor. And Don’t Forget The Incredible DudhSagar Waterfall.

Mahalakshmi Temple

Mahalaxmi Temple, Ponda

Leh Ladakh:
No words to express the beauty of this place. The extremely most beautiful place in the whole world. This place is so beautiful that adjacent countries want to capture this place. Though a risky place to visit because of political issues but Indian military and the local people help a lot to make this place a tourist attraction.

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Pangong Tso

Lachung, Gangtok, Sikkim, Darjeeling:
If you are visiting north-east India, Don’t forget to visit Lachung. It is the most mesmerizing place with Zero Point and Yumthang Valley. This place is listed in zero-plastic zone and high military zone. Do keep this place in your bucket list followed by other north east states like Gangtok, Sikkim, Darjeeling.

Zero Point, Lachung

Zero Point, Lachung

 

Mount Abu:
Situated in Rajasthan, Mount Abu is a hill station. Here the Brahma Kumaris Meditation Center is a must visit for relaxation.

Ooty, Kodaikanal:
The land of Flowers. Visit this tea plantation place during monsoon and winter. The place is full of tea plantations and pine tree forest and also very big open lawns. If you visit here, then make sure to take a toy train ride that takes you through the Nilgiri mountains.

Kerala:
Kerala is known as God’s own country. This place has many small hill stations like Munnar, Thekkady with their tea and spices plantation.

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Kerala, Kalathil lake Resort, Kumarakom. 

There are many, many many places in India. If I keep listing all, then the post will be too long. Please make a proper plan to visit India. Because there are many places in one state itself. They say that it will take you a lifetime to see each and every corner of India. Yet you will leave behind something. India is not only about historic places but also about spirituality. You will find inner peace when you visit places like Kedarnath, Rishikesh. Mine is yet to visit. 

Happy Independence day to all.. Jai Hind..  Bharat Mata Ki Jai… Vande Mataram