The most awaited festival of the year is today! and it is definitely a double dhamaka as both Swarna Gowri Vratha and Ganesh Chathurthi are celebrated on the same day. The flower decorations, … [Read More...]

Festival dates in Bhadrapada month – September and October 2026
Festival dates in Bhadrapada month – September and October2026 are as follows: Bhādrapad (August – September) Ganesh Chaturthi - 14 September 2026 Ganesha aarathi song Why Ganesha … [Read More...]

Festival dates in Shravana month – August and September 2026
Festival dates in Shravana month – August and September 2026 are as follows: Shrāvana (August - September) - From 13 August to 11 September (2026) Shravana Shanivara - 15 August, 22 … [Read More...]

Gowri Aarathi Song
ಗೌರಿ ಆರತಿ ಹಾಡು ಮಂಗಳ ಜಯ ಗಿರಿಜಾತೆ ಮಾತೆ ।।ಪ|| ಪರಮಾಯುಧ ಕರ ದುರುಳ ಸುರಾರೆ । ಪರಮ ತೇಜ ಮೃಗರಾಜ ವಿಹಾರೆ ।।೧।। ರತ್ನ ಮುಕುಟ ಮಣಿ ಹಾರ ಕುಂಡಲ ಶೋಭೆ | ರವಿಕೋಟಿ ತೇಜ ವಿರಾಜ ಮುಖಿಯೇ ।।೨।। ಜಗದಾಧಾರೆ ಜಗದಾದಿ … [Read More...]

21 Pushpa Pooja to Lord Ganesha
21 types of Patra (leaves), 21 types of Pushpa (flowers), and 21 Kadabu or Modaka (sweets) are offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesha Chathurthi and Sankashta Chaturthi. There are 21 mantra chanted … [Read More...]

21 Patra Pooja to Lord Ganesha
21 types of Patra (leaves), 21 types of Pushpa (flowers), and 21 Kadabu or Modaka (sweets) are offered to Lord Ganesha during Ganesha Chathurthi and Sankashta Chaturthi. Just before the festivities … [Read More...]

Habbada Thindi and Panaka – Festival Snacks and Juice Recipes
Food and festival go hand in hand in India. Special dishes are prepared on festivals and during vratha (observance). Habbada Adige / festival food is prepared on all festivals. But … [Read More...]

Ganesha Aarathi Song
This is a aarathi song dedicated to Lord Ganesha. Kannada Script: ಮಂಗಳ ಗಣರಾಯ ಜಯ ಜಯ ಮಂಗಳ ಗಣರಾಯ ಜಯ ಜಯ ಚಂದದ ಆರತಿ ತಂದು ಬೆಳಗುವೆ ಸುಂದರ ನಿನ್ನಯ ಚರಣ ಕಮಲಕೆ ವಂದಿಸಿ ಬೇಡುವೆ ಸಿಂದೂರ ವದನ ಬಂದು ಕರುಣಿಸೋ … [Read More...]

Gowri Aarathi Song
Gowri is the consort of Lord Shiva and during Ganesha-Gowri Festival, songs are sung in glory of her during Arathi. Lyrics in Kannada: ಗೌರಿ ಆರತಿ ಹಾಡು ಜಯ ಮಂಗಳವೆನ್ನಿರೆ ಗೌರಿಗೆ| ಜಯ ಭವ ಹರ … [Read More...]

Ganesh Chathurthi – Ganesha Festival
I have extremely fond memories of Ganesha-Gowri festival. It was one of the grand festivals of the year for the family and for Mysore city itself. Our road would be decorated with serial lights, as … [Read More...]

Swarna Gowri Vratha – Gowri Habba – Gowri Festival
Swarna Gowri Vratha/Pooja is celebrated by girls and women in Karnataka and Andhara Pradesh. Goddess Gowri is the mother of Lord Ganesha. This festival falls in the hindu month of Bhadrapada, August - … [Read More...]
Vegetarian Recipes

Fried Wonton Straws
This sweet and crunchy snack is very easy to make and tastes great to munch as a snack or to be served as dessert. Cuisine: Chinese Time Required: 10 Minutes Ingredients: 4 – 5 … [Read More...]

Ranjaka
Chutney prepared using fresh Red Chilies. Ranjaka can be stored for more than a year. Time Required: 15 Minutes Ingredients: 40 Fresh Red Chilies 2 tsp Fried and Powdered Methi … [Read More...]

Jackfruit Seeds Vada – Jackfruit Seeds Fritters – Halasina Beejada Vade
After the Jackfruit season, if you have collected the seeds, you can make this crispy and tasty vadas / fritters for a rainy evening with hot filter coffee. Ingredients: 1 Cup Jackfruit seeds, … [Read More...]

Pepper, Tomato, Corn Relish
Pepper, Tomato, Corn Relish is an accompaniment, which can be served with Crackers, Bread, Indian Bread, or eaten just like that! Time required: 15 Minutes Ingredients: 5 Tomatoes 1 … [Read More...]

Menthedittu – Menthkoot – Aromatic lentil powder
Menthedittu is a flavored powder prepared using a mixture of roasted lentils. A spoon of this powder is mixed with hot rice and ghee and eaten as a starter and the aroma and taste is mouthwatering. … [Read More...]

Hurali Palya – Horse Gram Side Dish
Hurali palya is a delicious and nutritious sprouted Horse gram side dish. Cuisine: South Karnataka Time Required: 20 Minutes + Soaking time Ingredients: 250gms Horse Gram 1 Onion, … [Read More...]

Whole Gooseberry Jam
Bottles of whole Gooseberry jam would be lined up in kitchen shelf to last for a year and we would be given one Gooseberry daily in a cup along with some sugar syrup like a Jamoon. This jam used to … [Read More...]

Hunase Chigali
I have fond memories of spending my summer holidays with my cousins in my maternal grandfather’s house. That was the time when we played, ate, sang, and roamed around to our heart’s content. What a … [Read More...]
Travel

Avalanche Lake Ooty – Avalanchi Lake
Avalanche Lake, also known as Avalanchi lake is situated in South India’s Nilgiris district of Tamil Nadu. In the early 1800s there was a huge landslide due to heavy rainfall that occurred in this … [Read More...]

Brahma Chaitanya Maharaj’s Paduka Mandir, Kurtkoti
A new temple is being built by Dr.N.R.Patil, who is my mother’s cousin in Kurtakoti dedicated to Brahma Chaitanya Maharaj’s Paduka. History about the Paduka: Shri Brahma Cahitanya Maharaj … [Read More...]

Kshanambika Temple, Srirangapattana
Kshanambika temple though less popular than Nimishamba temple in Srirangapattana is no less powerful than Nimishamba. Kshanambika means the goddess who grants the wishes in a Kshana / Second whereas … [Read More...]

Chandramouleshwara Temple
Like a beautiful Lotus blooming in muddy waters is another forgotten beautiful and ancient temple nestled among a thickly populated area with narrow roads in Hubli. The 900 year old … [Read More...]

Maharana Pratap Singh Memorial – Udaipur
The Maharana Pratap singh memorial is located on top of Moti Magri / Pearl Hill in Udaipur, Rajasthan. This memorial was set up by Maharana Bhagwat Singh Mewar who took the help of a public … [Read More...]

Kodanad View Point, Kotagiri
When in Kotagiri it is a must to the Kodanadu View Point. It is a place that one can spend hours looking at the rolling hills and valleys. Kodanadu View Point is 20 km drive from Kotagiri … [Read More...]

Cellular Jail in Port Blair
You can visualize men in white with cap renting the air in the corridors of the Cellular Jail in Port Blair, Andaman and Nicobar Islands with the slogan Vande Mataram! Bharath Matha ki Jai! The … [Read More...]
Festivals

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...]

Mysore Dasara – Mysuru Dasara Celebrations – Mysuru Dussehra – Mysuru Navratri
Mysore looks its best during the 10-day Dasara celebration where all the major roads in the city, heritage buildings, palaces, historical monuments, ancient temples and shops are … [Read More...]

Kadalekayi Parishe – Festival of Groundnuts – Groundnuts Fair in Bengaluru – Peanuts Festival
Festival of Groundnuts known as Kadalekayi Parishe is held in Bangalore every year on the last Monday of the Hindu month Karthika, November – December in Gregorian calendar. For the festival … [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...]

ಸರಸ್ವತಿ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ – Saraswathi Prarthana
Today is Vasantha Panchami festival celebrated grandly by people of West Bengal. Here is a prarthana/prayer on goddess of education Saraswathi, which was written by my grandfather, M.M.Patil, … [Read More...]

Habbada Adige – Festival Food Recipes
Festivals are time for a variety of food to be cooked and relished by one and all at home. The Habbada Adige (festive food) is prepared without Onion and Garlic. In Karnataka, the following dishes are … [Read More...]

Mangala Gowri Vratha
Mangala Gowri Vratha / religious observance is mentioned in the Bhavishyoththara Purana / Hindu religious texts and is performed by newly married girls for the first five years of their married … [Read More...]
