You do no need a bunch of flowers to create a flower arrangement. A single flower can be a garden as well as a good flower arrangement. Ikebana rules can be sometimes applied to freestyle … [Read More...]
June 2026 Hints
Make a organic insecticide by adding onions and garlic to a jar of water, let it stand for a week, and spray plants with it. Used tea bags sprinkled on rose plants will make them blossom faster … [Read More...]
Nambhi Narayana Temple, Thodanur
The Nambhi Narayana/Lakshmi Narayana temple is the largest and the oldest temple in Thodanur. This was originally a Jain basathi/temple. Hoysala king Bittidevaraya, who was a Jain was influenced … [Read More...]
Akeel Dip Recipe
Yes, like you I was intrigued hearing the name of this dip. Akeel Dip is from Yemen and is similar to Indian Raitha with its own unique twist. This dip can be served with any of the crisp starters or … [Read More...]
Song on Lord Panduranga
This song is in praise of Lord Panduranga of Pandharpur. Panduranga appeared in Pandharpur to bless his devotee, Pundalik, who was busy serving his parents when the Lord arrived, … [Read More...]
Flower Arrangement – Windy
The wind blown arrangement is the nearest you can get to nature. This arrangement is one of my favorite. This arrangement gives an illusion of a tree laden with flowers blown to a side by … [Read More...]
Dinner with Pumpkin – Roti platter with Pumpkin
Light dinner keeps you agile the next day. Early dinner the better. Though this is easy said than done! Pumpkin is a powerhouse of fibre and when teamed with Roti is a perfect way to … [Read More...]
Black-eyed Susan Vine
The attractive flowers of Black-Eyed Susan Vine are like a pop-up in any garden. The profuse flowers are attractive and add the much needed colour among the other trees and plants. The … [Read More...]
Needle Rock View Point, Gudalur, Ooty
Needle Rock View Point is known as Soochi Malai. Soochi in Tamil means needle and Malai means hills. The name needle is derived from the rock that narrows to a sharp needle tip. As you wind up … [Read More...]
Boondi Burani Raitha Recipe – Boondi Raitha Recipe
Raitha is a dish prepared using Yoghurt in India. This is served as an accompaniment with Indian Bread and Pulav or Biryani (Spicy flavorful rice). During summer this is a prepared dish in most of … [Read More...]
May 2026 Hints
To preserve your expensive shoes, slide each separately into zip bags and hot blow over them to get a perfect shoe cover. To unclog shower pores, place a paper towel over the shower head, pour … [Read More...]
Festival dates in Vaisakh month – April and May 2026
Festival dates in Chaitra month – March and April 2026 Vaishākh (April – May) Akshaya Tritiya – 19 April 2026 Basava Jayanthi– 20 April 2026 Ramanujacharya … [Read More...]
Vegetarian Recipes
Eggless Walnut Brownie
Brownies are the fastest to get over when served warm with Vanilla Ice cream. Type: Tea Cakes Makes: 250 gms Time Required: 1 Hour Ingredients: 60 gms Dark chocolate 40 gms / ¼ Cup … [Read More...]
Moong Laddoo Recipe – Hesaru hittina unde Recipe
Happy Ugadi to everyone. Let this New Year bring you happiness and prosperity. Here is a simple sweet dish, which has elements of goodness in it for this festive … [Read More...]
Green Chickpea Salad
Green Chickpea are usually available in South India during December and January. The pods have to be removed from the plant. Shell the pods to get green tender chickpea. Time … [Read More...]
Hagalkayi Palya – Sweet and Sour Bitter Gourd
Hagalkayi Palya is a side dish prepared using Bitter Gourd. It is a dry side dish and goes will when served with Indian Bread or Rice and Saaru. Time Required: 30 Minutes Serves: … [Read More...]
Steamed Nendrabale
Nendrabale is a type of Plantain widely grown in Kerala, South India. The ripe fruit is steamed and served during breakfast or can be eaten as a dessert after lunch or dinner. Time … [Read More...]
Vendekayi Mor Thalippu – Okra simmered in yogurt and spices
Vendekayi in Tamil means Lady;s Finger/Okra, Mor means yoghurt and Thalippu means seasoning. So it is basically Okra simmered in yoghurt and a sesoning added to it in the end. Cuisine: Tamil … [Read More...]
Ker Sangri – Dried Beans Side Dish – Rajastani Kandi Subzi Recipe
This is one of the most authentic dishes of Rajasthan. I made a point to taste this dish when in Rajasthan. I also bought the dried Ker and Sangri and prepared this dish at home. The Ker is a wild … [Read More...]
Peach Salsa recipe – Peach Salad recipe
Peach season is round the corner and an evening spent with the spicy Peach salsa and chips will surely be unforgettable. Ingredients: 4 Peaches, peeled and chopped 1 Onion, chopped 1 … [Read More...]
Travel
Kalpetta
We chose to stay at Kalpetta as all the interesting places are around Kalpetta. We were also tempted to stay in far flung places like Rain Country resorts, but the fact that the drive to and from the … [Read More...]
Sirimane Waterfalls
When we planned to visit Sringeri again, I was determined to visit Sirimane waterfalls, which is around 20 Kms from Sringeri. So, even before we entered Sringeri we drove to the waterfalls and the … [Read More...]
BR Hills – Biligiri Rangana Betta – Biligiri Ranga Hill Range
"Biligiri Rangaiah, Neene Helaiah Sri Ranganayakiya Chandulli Chaluvaiah…" The above is a popular song of the 70's from the Kannada movie Sharapanjara, which was sung by P.Susheela and … [Read More...]
St. Lawrence Church
Churches built by the Portuguese dot the Goan landscape and St. Lawrence Church is one of them. Located on a hill and built in Portuguese style of architecture, this white church was built in 1565 for … [Read More...]
Kudremukh
I have a hazy memory of me standing at one of the view points in Chikkamagalur holding my sister’s hand and the elders identifying a faraway hill as Kudremukh from the shape of the hill. When … [Read More...]
Hadinaru Kere
One early morning we decided to drive to Hadinaru village to visit the Hadinaru Kere (lake) as we had heard that a large number of bar headed geese had ascended on the lake all the way from … [Read More...]
Birds of Markonahalli Dam
Marconahalli Dam is built across Shimsha River by Sir M Visweswraiah and Ganesh Iyer in 1938-40 incurring a cost of 29 Lakhs. It is a picturesque place with abundant flora and birds. We spotted … [Read More...]
Festivals
Bheemana Amavasya – Gandana Pooje – Gandana Habba
This festival is also known as Jyothirbheemeshwara Vrata and Pathi Sanjeevini Vratha and it is mentioned in Skaanda Purana (Skanda Purana, one of the major eighteen Puranas, a Hindu religious text, is … [Read More...]
Mangala Drowya and Pooje Samaanu
Mangala Drowya and Pooje Samaanu means sacred items used on auspicious occasions like marriage rituals, upanayana (sacred thread ceremony), shrimantha (arathi to pregnant women), namakarna (naming … [Read More...]
Makara Sankranti
Sankranthi is a harvest festival and “Sankranthi” means movement. It is a celebration of the sun entering from the zodiac sign Dhanur/Sagittarius into Makara/Capricorn. So this Makara Sankranti … [Read More...]
Paryaya of Sri Krishna Matha (Krishna Temple) of Udupi
Paryaya is a ritualistic system by which the pontiffs of the eight muttts of Udupi, by turn, take up the responsibility of worshipping the deity at the Sri Krishna temple. The ceremony of the handing … [Read More...]
Chaitra Navratri
Chaitra Navratri also known as Varshik Navratri is a festival observed for nine days in the Hindu month of Chaitra (March-April in Gregorian Calendar). The festival starts on the first day of Chaitra … [Read More...]
Adi Shankaracharya Jayanthi
Guru Brahma, Guru Vishnu, Guru Deva Maheshwara Guru Sakshath Parambrahma, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha|| Adi Shankaracharya the founder of the Advaita philosophy begins his Gurustotram or … [Read More...]
Ananthapadmanabha Swamy Vratha
"Kaayena Vaachaa Manasendriyairvaa Buddhyaatmanaa Vaa Prakriteh Svabhaavaatah Karomi Yadhyadh Sakalam Parasmai Naaraayanaayeti Samarpayaami" The meaning of the above shloka is: "I offer … [Read More...]
