The ancient temple of Shri Cheluvanarayana Swamy is situated in Melukote, Mandya District, Pandavpura Taluk. The presiding deity of the temple on the foothills is Lord Vishnu known as Thirunarayana or … [Read More...]

Happy Gowri and Ganesha Festival 2026
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...]

Mariapura Lake
Another weekend and another birding trip and off we drove to Mariapura lake. A beautiful serene lake where the wind blows, birds chirp, plants whisper, and fishes swim. This lake has a calming effect … [Read More...]

Kodi Beach
Kodi Beach is a pristine beach and a very long one starting somewhere near Hangaluru to Kodi Bengre Beach. The Bengre Beach is an Estuary where River Suvarna meets the Arabian sea. Kodi in … [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...]

Sattu Ki Paratha
Stuffed Indian bread prepared using roasted chik pea (channa) flour. This type of bread is very popular in Bihar. Time Required: 30 Minutes Ingredients: 2 Cups Sattu Ki Atta / Roasted Chik … [Read More...]
Vegetarian Recipes

Jalebi – Jilebi Recipe
Jalebi is a sweet dish, which looks like a maze is prepared using flour, deep fried and dipped in sugar syrup. It is also known as Zulbia, Jilapi, Mushabak, and Zalabia. Time Required: 30 … [Read More...]

Schezwan Cucumber Salad
Innumerable dishes can be churned out if you have Schezwan sauce. Schezwan Cucumber Salad is one of them. Cuisine: Chinese Time required: 5 Minutes Ingredients: 1 tbsp Schezwan Sauce or … [Read More...]

Watermelon Soup
Time Required: 20 Minutes + Chilling Time Serves: 2 Ingredients: 4 Cups Watermelon, deseeded and cubed Juice and rind of 1 Orange ½ Cup Yoghurt/Hung Curds A pinch of Nutmeg Powder ½ tsp … [Read More...]

Sabbakki Payasa – Sabudana Kheer – Sago Pearls Pudding
Sabbakki Payasa is a pudding prepared using Sago pearls. The Sago pearls become transparent when cooked and appear like bubbles in Milk, which children love to play with in the plate. Time … [Read More...]

Avarekayi Tovve – Lilva Beans Dal Recipe – Dal Recipe – Thovve Recipe – Surti Papdi Dal Recipe
A mild curry prepared using Karnataka winter flat beans also known as Lilva Beans! Cuisine: Karnataka Time Required: 30 Minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 Cups Avarekayi 1tbsp fresh … [Read More...]

Hayagreeva – Split Bengal Gram Pudding – Split Black Chickpea Pudding – Maddi Recipe
Hayagreeva is a sweet dish rich in proteins prepared using Bengal Gram, Jaggery and Dry fruits. This dish is prepared in Madhwa / community households and Rayara Matha during festivals. … [Read More...]

Pal Puri – Deep Fried Bread with sweetened milk
"Pal" means Milk and "Puri" is crisp deep fried Indian Bread. This dish is a combination of crispy puris with sweetened condensed milk. Time Required: 30 Minutes Ingredients: For the … [Read More...]

Kadalebele Payasa Recipe – Chana Dal Payasa Recipe – Kadalai Paruppu Payasam – Senaga Pappu Payasam
Payasa is a type of South Indian pudding prepared using split Bengal Gram / Chik Pea. Kadalebele Payasa is a favourite among Kannadigas during festivals. Wish you all a very happy Gowri and … [Read More...]
Travel

Maharaja’s Sanskrit College, Mysore
The Maharaja’s Sanskrit school was started by then Maharaja of Mysuru, H.H.Krishnaraja Wodeyar III in 1868. The Maharaja was an expert in Kannada and Sanskrit languages. He was scholar and a writer … [Read More...]

Kaup Beach
Our unplanned visit to Kaup Beach pronounced as Kapu was a pleasant surprise. The character of the Kaup beach is enhanced by the striking black and white light house built on a sprawling rock on the … [Read More...]

Payana Vintage and Classic Car Museum Mysuru
Another addition to the heritage city Mysuru is a wonderful huge Vintage and Classic Car Museum known as Payana located on the outskirts of the city. You can call it an automobile museum … [Read More...]

Vani Vilas Water Works, Mysore
100 years ago history was made when Mysore city got drinking water from the Cauvery River flowing 12 Kms away from the city. To manage the drinking water, two pumping stations were set, one at … [Read More...]

Ramdevra, Rajasthan
While driving to Jaisalmer, our driver Navalji asked us whether we would like to visit Ramdevra temple. We immediately agreed thinking it would be yet another ancient temple dedicated to Rama Devaru / … [Read More...]

Pykara Lake
River Pykara originates from Mukurthi peak, which has many Toda settlements. This river is the largest and it is revered by the Toda tribes. The river tumbles down the hills and creates two … [Read More...]

Gadisar Lake
A lake in the middle of the desert is a surprise to the visitors and the presence of an exquisitely carved sandstone balcony in the lake adds to the mystical charm. Gadisar Lake is a man-made lake … [Read More...]
Festivals

Manmatha or Kama – the god of love
Another interesting statue in Nanjanagudu is that of Manmatha or Kama - the god of love (Kama Samhara (killing) Murthy (idol)). During Holi festival, effigy of Manmatha or Kama is burnt, which is … [Read More...]

Aarathi Song – Lakshmi Arathi Song – Goddess Lakshmi Pooja Song
This is a song written by my mom and we sing this song alternatively with other songs on Friday evening while we perform aarathi to goddess Lakshmi. It can be sung to any tune that you are … [Read More...]

Ritu – Indian Seasons – Rithu
Ritu means "season" in ancient Indian calendars used in India, Bangladesh, Nepal and Sri Lanka. There are six ritus or seasons. The word is derived from the Vedic Sanskrit word Ṛtú. Every season, … [Read More...]

Visarjana Manthra
The following manthra is chanted while performing the visarjana / send off to god. In Kannada Script: ವಿಸರ್ಜನಾ ಕ್ರಮ ಯಜ್ಞೇನ ಯಗ್ನಮಯಜಂತ ದೇವಾಃ | ತಾನಿ ಧರ್ಮಾಣಿ ಪ್ರಥಮಾನ್ಯಾಸನ್ || ತೇಹ ನಾಕಂ … [Read More...]

Pattada Gombe Alankara
Pattada Gombe in Kannada means, the royal dolls and Alankara means decoration. Many households have a custom of arranging dolls during Dasara festival in Mysore and distribute sweet and savories to … [Read More...]

Bhagvad Gita Aarathi Song – Bhagvad Gita Jayanthi – Bhagvad Gita Birthday
Bhagvad Gita Aarathi Song is a prayer that is sung after reading the Srimad Bhagvad Gita book. Known as Gita Arati, the verses are found at the end of the 18th chapter of the Bhagvad Gita … [Read More...]

Galipata Habba – Indian Kite Festival – Festival of Kites
Gone are the days when we used to see people flying colorful and different shape Galipata/Kites. The Kite wars and making our own customized Kites was great fun. To balance the kite a long … [Read More...]
