Breath-taking.....

i know that I had already shared a few snaps of our day, houseboating... but these are a few more snaps, that i felt were really amazing ... please check them out and judge for yourselves...

In the first picture, the water is so tranquil, reflecting the houses and tress, but as we neared the end of our trip, the sky became overcast, the waters too became grey and the movement of the water was more hurried ....

Another houseboat trying to get anchored before the rain started....
We just made it into our car , when the first drops fell......it may have been a different story if we had reached back about 15 minutes later...

It was a new experience for all of us.....

Back again...

This is the inside view of our houseboat for the day

the trademark coconut palms.... lucky people in those homes who see this view every day

It has been a very eventful time for me, during my break from the blogging world...first, our move to a Dwarka, barely settled there, then a great week in my hometown in Kerala... it was good spending time with family, seeing my new nephew for the first time,celebrating Vishu with my folks,sister and brother-in-law, amazing food, and to top it all, a leisurely boat ride on the backwaters from Kumarakom...

I want to share a few snaps of the glorious view we enjoyed....

Surajkund Mela (fair)

This weekend we went to the annual Mela in Surajkund. We were supposed to go last year, but our plans had to be cancelled.. so this year we were quite determined to go.. It was a two hour drive from our home..

It was very sunny, so we came away fast.. there were a lot of nice things being sold. There were stalls from Egypt, Thailand, Thajikistan etc , but there were so many people surrounding those stalls, that we could not even get a peek in.. !!!

A lot of VIPs like Shahnaz Hussain had come, and there were an abundance of foreign nationals...The atmosphere was festive and colourful with lots of performances like puppet shows, folk dances etc.., and lots of yummy food from different states.......

Am sharing a few snaps here

Blue Pottery from jaipur

High wire act ..!!!
Puppet show - my daughter's favourite

Irresistible Pottery - works of art

Loved the colours

Missing Kerala

View from the bus ...notice the green either side of the road...on our way from Kochi to Kannur for my brother's wedding.

The view that my daughter and her cousin are seeing from the bus...


What we used to see every morning, just as we step out of our door...

It has not been a week yet and already I am missing home.. maybe it is because it will be one more day before my parents too leave for Doha or that I know my brother will be there another week, but it has been really a pain adjusting to the relentless heat and dryness here.. and it doesn't help any that my daughter is also missing everyone at home..

I miss all the greenary of Kerala...I just had some friends visiting us from Hyderabad, and they were astonished at how dry and dusty this part of the world looked as compared to what I am used to... and just for u, a few sights of Kerala, that I used to take for granted..

Jaipur - my last post!!

I wonder if all of my friends who visit my blog are fed up of my Jaipur posts by now!!! Anyway, this is going to be the last post of the series. In this, I present two more special palaces that are very unique in their own way...and we could only get the long view since it was closed to the public.

The Jal Mahal (Water palace) is located right in the middle of a very deep lake and the view is incredible. We are not allowed inside and this was the best view..but still, it is an impressive sight.
That building has been standing for more than 300 years, and used to be the summer palace of the Royal family. The pillars of the palace are built such that the water does not destroy the foundation.. in fact the water passes through the pillars. It serves to make the palace cooler and also protect it from immense water-pressure
build-up!!!

Also, just the balcony portion is visible. The living quarters are submerged and have the umpteen number of chambers needed for the large Royal family and their servants.. It is said that there are windows underneath so that there is no sense of being under-water..and all the chambers are still water-proof...Also, the rooms are well-ventilated from above!!!Imagine the talent of builders and artisans !!!

Above is the picture of Hawa Mahal. It means 'air palace. The large number of windows are where the ladies in the palaces sat while any royal procession or special events took place down in the streets. The windows are well-curtained so no one can see in, but all the ladies could have a good view of the streets without crowding together at one window.These windows do make the place very airy, and if you notice, the open windows show the open skies beyond, as though the front is just a cut-out, and there are no walls behind.. but you can also see a man sticking his head out from a lower window..How is that???

This palace is built on the main 'pink' streets . All the buildings are the same coral-pink colour of the palace ..that's why Jaipur is called the Pink city.. it was so crowded with vehicles and people, that it was difficult to get a decent shot. 

We had a great time, but I recommend that you avoid the peak seasons while visiting Jaipur...the rush is unbelievable...

So this is it..a summation of our three-day trip to Jaipur!!!

Jaipur - Bhavani temple

 This is yet another example of exquisite craftsmanship that is prevailant in Jaipur.  A temple of Goddess Bhavani along with a Sikh god, Shri Jhulelal. 

The temple itself is a very small building, with lawns on either sides of it and a very elaborate clock -tower on one side. 

Inside, there are many window, the main deities placed on a raised platform in the middle of the room. The back wall is a huge fresco of 'palazhi madhanam' or churning of the milk ocean, from Hindu mythology.

The surrounding walls have recesses with many deities. All these statues are made of marble, and each deity is made from a single piece!!! That includes the ornaments, the dresses , extra hands and the various weapons in these hands.. not even a small bit is joined extra...

And the best of these was the whole family of Lord Shiva, Paravthy, Subrahmania and Ganesha seated together. The whole set of four figures are carved on a single piece of marble... How is that ????????

There was a lot of sunlight streaming in, and the statues are behind glass. So the pictures are not very clear...but it was an amazing sight indeed...

Jaipur - Chowki dhani

This is an amazing world in the outskirts of Jaipur. Chowki Dhani literally means 'small village'. It is entertainment on a very earthy, simple level. A slightly more colourful version of simple village life that u get to see all at once place. 

The village comes alive at 6.00 pm. We went on the day of Christmas, so the entry fee was a bit higher than normal. It includes a very elaborate vegetarian lunch and guarantees a grand time...

Th queue was so long, we wondered if we would get inside in time to enjoy everything... they closed down at 11.pm....

But in no time at all, we were inside. there are amazingly decorated walls with lamps, look-out stations and very ornate doors...

Inside are buffet stations where you get piping hot food in unlimited quantities, and long rows of tables and chairs... after the food, we are free to roam about anywhere we desire ..

To begin with, there are camel rides, elephant rides, bullock cart rides, horse-drawn carriages ..etc..

Then there are giant wheels, swings and some other items that are seen at village fairs.. in the middle there is a platform, and if you climb it, it is easy to get vertigo and a superb view of the whole place.

There are a lot of huts, inside which are people who entertain in various ways.. like reading your palm, cooking special food, playing an instrument etc.. all throughout, there are also stalls where there are colourfully dresses dancers, jugglers, acrobats, magicians, singers, drummers,puppeteers...(my daughter had a great time watching the puppets).. 

People are taught the dance steps and encouraged to dance along for a very nominal fee. There is also a massage station where a tune is played and all the masseurs will massage their victi....er..customers in tandem... that looked a bit painful, but the people seemed to be enjoying it..

And of course, there were more snack n drink stalls as well as the unavoidable souvenir stands...

It was a feast for the senses wherever we turned...and we came back ..content....:)

Jaipur - Blue pottery

My first post on the first day of the New Year....

I thought that it should be about this superb work of art - blue pottery... It is a speciality of Jaipur. 

I was told that the origins of blue pottery could be traces to Persia and Turkey, but now it is considered a speciality of Jaipur, courtesy of it's ruler Sawai Ram Singh II, who sponsored some of the artisans of blue pottery about 150 years back!!!

And they and their descendants have been practising this beautiful work of art ever since....

I had been dying to see this work ever since I found about it during a browsing session... and while we were on a guided tour, I saw the emporium ... we went back there at the first opportunity ...

The display was breath-taking...Tiles, pots, vases, wall pegs, cups, saucers, plates, elephants, mirror frames, picture frames, bracelets, necklaces, key-chains.....so many beautiful things made with this brilliant craft....  I could have spent a few hours, weeks, months... just gazing at those displays... but I showed admirable restraint and just took some pictures..

I also bought a necklace made of some lovely blue-pottery beads...

As I was paying for my purchase, the man behind the counter, whom I later recognised (from the flyers)as the artist of  blue pottery, handed me a souvenir (a marble piece with a silver Ganesha on it and some beads ) and told me that he recognised an artist and this would help me achieve success... 

Needless to say, that made my day... and that one visit was the highlight of the trip for me... though the sightseeing was nothing less than spectacular...

Jaipur - Our onward journey

This was another successful trip in our books. We were actually planning the trip with some of our friends, but unfortunately, they couldn't make it. Jaipur is 250 kms from our place, and we had decided to make the journey by road, with my husband and our friend taking turns driving. 

We decided to go ahead since all arrangements were made. So we started off, and slowly, either side of the high-way had a lot of fields with yellow flowers... reminded us of some scenes in the hit hindi movie, Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. Later, we figured that the fields were filled with yellow mustard flowers, which were one of the main crops of Punjab and Rajasthan.

Even the road-side restaurants had well-tended lawns and play areas. So the journey was not as tedious as expected. 

Other than a small hitch with our accomodation, our whole trip was an unforgettable experience.

Watch this space for more on our trip.. some of the places we visited were so great that they each deserve a post...!!! 

A trip to Mussoorie

Am back after a trip from Mussoorie, a lovely hill-station. The views, both man-made, and what nature has endowed are so breath-taking, it is really difficult to get enough...

The nicest thing about the holiday was the slow pace..we explored each part of the tiny place by ourself... no guides, no organised trips..just the three of us, asking our way around, and making sure we did not tire ourselves.. the end-result, we enjoyed each moment and came back, a bit reluctant to leave, yet happy to be back...
Just that perfect break..
I will let the pictures speak for themselves ..

A visit to the Qutub Minar

It has been a very lazy ten days for me with regard to blogging... Not that I did not have anything to post, on the contrary, I had made and photographed a few dishes, but did not have the time to post them.

Since we went this weekend to visit th Qutub Minar, I thought the photographs of the trip would be of interest..a break from the usual recipes and craft...

Guess no explanations are necessary..

Loved the entrance archways and the brilliant masonary, though sadly there is not much of it left ...wonder what the original structure would have been like, when the ruins alone are so awe-inspiring and majestic....