Brahma Jinalaya is a Jain Basadi / temple built in the 11th century by Attimabbe mother of Ahniga Masavadi the ruler of Lakkundi. Queen Attimabbe was generous and a benefactor of Kannada … [Read More...]
Kashivishwanatha Temple, Lakkundi
Kashivishwanatha / Lord Shiva Temple is the most flamboyant of all the temples in Lakkundi with intricate designs carved on the shikara / towers and the doorways. Kashivishwanatha … [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...]
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...]
Flowering Tobacco
I was surprised that there is a flowering version of Tobacco. Tobacco is largely grown in K.R.Nagar area. During my birding trip, I have come across large acres of land growing Tobacco and … [Read More...]
Quinoa Buddha Bowl
Quinoa Buddha Bowl is a bowl teeming with fibre and protein. Various tastes and textures form this bowl to satiate the soul. Ingredients: 1 Cup Cooked Quinoa with Salt 1 Cup Purple … [Read More...]
India loves to pose – 58
India loves to pose series contains random pictures of people in different moods and gears captured during a moment in their story. I believe that behind every face lies a story. Young India is … [Read More...]
Patchwork frame making – Snow White and Seven Dwarfs
When kids during summer holidays we used to be engaged making a lot of arts and crafts. There was not continuous TV nor mobile phones. Here is one art work that I made using material … [Read More...]
April 2026 Hints
Clean window tracks by pressing paper towels into the groove and pour half a cup of water and slide the window. Remove the paper towel. Your tracks will be clean. To make a paper towel … [Read More...]
Watermelon Sparkler
Fruit juice with soda adds the right spirit to the mood. Here is a simple cool watermelon sparkler recipe to keep you cool and your spirits high! Ingredients: Watermelon juice with or without … [Read More...]
Festival dates in Chaitra month – March and April 2026
Festival dates in Chaitra month – March and April 2026 are as follows: Chaitra (March - April) Ugadi/Gudi Padwa - Sri Parabhava Nama Samvatsaram - 19 March 2026 Gangaur - 4 March … [Read More...]
Kotagiri
Kotagiri is small hill town situated in Nilgiris biosphere at an elevation of 1793 meters above sea level. The famous Longwood Shola forests are part of this biosphere. Kotagiri is one of the … [Read More...]
Ooty
Whether you call this place Ooty, Ootacamund, Udhagai or Udaghamandalam the title best suited for this place is “Queen of hill stations”, which is the capital of Nilgiris district. Picture1 - … [Read More...]
Vegetarian Recipes
Ragi Halwa
Ragi Halwa is a pudding prepared using Finger Millet. Cuisine: Karnataka Time Required: 40 minutes Ingredients: 1 Cup Ragi / Finger Millet / Nachni 1 Cup Sugar ½ tsp Elaichi / … [Read More...]
Coconut Carrot Burfi – Coconut Carrot Barfi Recipe – Gajar Nariayal Burfi Recipe
Coconut Carrot Burfi is a twist to the traditional Coconut Burfi known as Khobbari Mithai in Kannada. Carrots are added to this dense sweet and cut into squares. Vitamin A rich sweet! Time … [Read More...]
Padavalakayi Beejada Raitha – Snake Gourd Seeds in Yoghurt
Padavalakayi Beejada Raitha is a yoghur based dish, prepared using snake gourd seeds. Long, long ago my grandmother's elder sister used to prepare this very often. My mother passed on this … [Read More...]
Tomato Ketchup
Tomato ketchup is loved by one and all as a favorite accompaniment to a variety of dishes. Though ketchup is widely available in stores and preparing it is a tad tedious, I have prepared to … [Read More...]
Masala Vada – Channa Dal Vada – Dal Vada – Paruppu Vadai
Masala Vada are fritters prepared using lentils, chilies and onions. The aroma that arises while preparing this increases your hunger pans. I love to prepare this on a rainy cold evening … [Read More...]
Apple-Cinnamon Wontons
Baked packets filled with Cinnamon flavored Apple. Time Required: 30 minutes Ingredients: 1 cup chopped Apple 1tbsp Brown Sugar 1ts Lemon Juice ½ tsp Cinnamon powder 2 tbsp Sugar … [Read More...]
Bharwa Mirchi – Chilies stuffed with spiced Potatoes – Stuffed Chilies Recipe
Bharwa Mirchi is a dish where Chilies are stuffed with Potato mixture and shallow fried. Cuisine: North India Time Required: 30 Minutes Ingredients: 6 Big non-spicy Chilies 2 Potatoes, … [Read More...]
Carrot-Cucumber Clear Vegetable Soup
Time Required: 15 Minutes Ingredients: 1 Carrot cut into roundels 1 Cucumber cut into roundels 5-6 Spring Onion Bulbs 2tbsp Spring Onion Scallions, Chopped 2” Ginger, Chopped 2 Green … [Read More...]
Travel
Birla Mandir, New Delhi
One of the major tourist attractions in New Delhi, Birla Mandir also known as Laxmi Narayan Temple is located in the west of Connaught place. This beautiful temple was built in the Nagara style … [Read More...]
Kunti Betta
Kunti Betta / hill was the destination for a cycling and rock climbing expedition during my college days. With non gear cycles like BSA-SLR, Hero, Nataraj etc., loads of determination, and … [Read More...]
Wenlock Downs, Ooty
Wenlock Downs is popularly known as 9th and 6th mile as they are situated exactly at the 9th and 6th mile from Ooty. Innumerable movies have been shot here with the hero and the leading lady singing … [Read More...]
Madumalai
Picture1 - Madumalai Forest Madumalai means “first hills” and it is the one of the most beautiful wildlife sanctuary and it is also a tiger reserve established in 1940. The park is spared over 321 … [Read More...]
Coonoor
Coonoor is situated at the head of the Hulikal ravine at 6,235 feet above sea level in Ooty district. Surrounded by tea plantations, grasslands, pine forests, shola, green meadows, tree factories, … [Read More...]
Rashtrapathi Bhavan – New Delhi
One of the most majestic residences of India is the Rashtrapathi Bhavan, New Delhi. It is the residence of India’s honorable President. Rashtrapathi Bhavan took 17 years to build and was inaugurated … [Read More...]
Hubli
Hubli is my birth place and it was initially known as Hubballi meaning flowering creeper in Kannada. This is one of the major cities of Karnataka. The twin cities of Hubli and Dharwad are the second … [Read More...]
Festivals
Ananthanagantu Rangoli
This Rangoli / pattern is drawn on Ananthapadmanabha Vratha / festival of Vishnu. First draw 15 X 15 dots and join as shown below: The Ananthanagantu rangoli can be filled with colors too. … [Read More...]
Mahalakshmi Ashtakam – Lakshmi Sthotra – Prayer to Goddess Lakshmi
Wish you all a very happy Dasara. Today is the first day of Dasara known as Padya. The nine days during this festival is dedicated to the shakthi devathes (divine power). Here is a prayer to goddess … [Read More...]
Sri Gurubhajane Purnadarathi -Sri Sridhara Swamiji
This bhajan is sung during the Aarathi in Sridhara Ashrama. Sri Sridhara Swamiji is considered the avatar of Dattatreya. His samadhi and ashram is located in Varadahalli, Sagar taluk. There are many … [Read More...]
Happy Vijayadashami 2024
Why in North India, Ravana is burnt on Vijayadashami day? This is done to symbolize Lord Rama killing the 10 headed demon Ravana. Good over evil! What does the 10 heads of Ravana stand … [Read More...]
Mannethithina Amavasya
Manneththina Amavasya, “mannu” means mud; “yeththu” in Kannada means bullocks and “Amavasya” means no moon day. This festival is celebrated in North Karnataka, and bullocks made of mud are worshiped … [Read More...]
Prayer to Parvathi
This prayer was chanted by Chandrahasa to goddess Parvathi/Chamundi/Amba/Gowri. Extracted from the Gemini bharatha. ಚಂದ್ರಹಾಸನ ಪ್ರಾರ್ಥನೆ - ಜೈಮಿನಿ ಭಾರತ ತಾಯೆ ಪಾರ್ವತಿ ಪರಮ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣಿ … [Read More...]
Celebration of Hindu New Year in different regions of India
New Year is celebrated all over India in different ways and is also called by different names. Some states follow the solar calendar and some follow the lunar calendar. In Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh … [Read More...]
