#India

Durga Puja – Rio Carnival of the East

Events & Experiences

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

“She can move darkness” 

Most important part of the year for a Bengali has arrived. Oh great Mother, we welcome you on this earth whole heartedly. May your arrival destroy all the negativity around us. 

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

For me, the feeling of Durga Puja is incomparable to any other time of the year. It’s a 10 day long celebration filled with delicious food, new clothes (hello, new saris!), aartis and pujas, and being surrounded by your family and friends. Can’t wait to immerse myself into the Godly embrace 🙏🏻 (Excitement creeping in ❤️😁)

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

📸 – Shekhar Jajodia

Let’s proceed with the assumption that you know what Durga Puja is about. For those who have no clue, it’s the worship of the Hindu Goddess Durga and her children, whose idols are hosted in the makeshift Pandals for around five days. Let’s proceed..

Article Courtesy: Timesofindia Indiatimes Blogs

It won’t be entirely an exaggeration to say that Bengalis world over spend a significant amount of their time planning and deciding what to do during the Durga Pujas. Most of them wear multiple sets of clothes – mind you, there’s a morning outfit and an evening outfit, plus emergency backup outfits. And of course, there are important decisions to make – like what to eat on which day. From the warm khichudi, papad bhaja as bhog in pandals to the street stalls set up to serve delectable dishes like egg rolls, kobiraji and mughlai parota, you are game to feast on anything and everything.

So prior to the pujas, the air is absolutely thick with a feeling one gets just before the starting, the unravelling of something extremely huge — the feeling you get just before reaching the peak of a much awaited climax.

You will get to see sweaty Bongs, who under the twelve o’clock sun, sits in an auto patiently stuck in a huge traffic jam in the heart of a buzz-filled street, clutching onto innumerable bulging shopping bags of different shapes and sizes. This is called Puja shopping.

It is a reverberating rhythm which amplifies and resounds in the sounds of the dhak. It’s a feeling. You can not only hear it, but feel it — you get goose bumps when the dhakis first begin to play their beat. The city reverberates with the echo of conch shells, which is no less than a divine feeling.

Durga Puja is actually, the celebration of ‘life’ and the joy of ‘living’ more than anything else. Durga Puja becomes an expression of the city itself. It is almost that the city bursts into laughter during these few days.

Durga Puja 2017, Bahrain

Source: Instagram

Source: Instagram

Source: Instagram

Source: Instagram

Source: Instagram

I look forward to celebrating Durga Puja with you.

Till then, in the words of my great grandmother, Dugga Dugga.

Holi in Bahrain – Dipped in hues of Love and Color

Events & Experiences, Lifestyle, Travel and Food

Nobody apprehends the importance of celebrating festivals than the Indians settled abroad away from their country and cultural roots. I had it marked on my calendar since the beginning of February.

Celebrating Holi, (the Hindu festival of mischief, love, affection, and color) was on my list of goals for the blog alongside shifting apartment and raising a 14-month-old. We got to welcome spring (and diversity) with warm-loving arms, during this Holi in Bahrain on March 2nd 2018.

A day full of fun for all, was organised extremely well at Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort. Wolfpackeventsbh, IGMH – Indian Gulf Media House, KTK Events, Desi Nights Bahrain and Bollywood Glitz have done an excellent job of organising a wonderful, successful event this season. The vibrant lineup included live dhols to rain dance, best of mind-boggling DJs from all genres, 6 hours of non-stop music, unlimited organic colours, kids play area, live food counter,  and more. Food Attractions included: Indian BBQ, Pani Poori, Shawarma, Momos, Chaat, Cupcakes & many more.

A big crowd of citizens and residents of the Kingdom came together to celebrate one of India’s iconic festivals. Everyone seemed to love the spirit of fun and enjoyment and dived into the barrel of colors to play Holi.

Guests were given organic colored powder to toss around the beach to celebrate the season in style with food, cocktails and beats at this party.

PHOTO GALLERY –

Thank you so much for having us Novotel Bahrain Al Dana Resort, Wolfpackeventsbh, IGMH – Indian Gulf Media House, KTK Events, Desi Nights Bahrain, Bollywood Glitz and for letting us be a part of this celebration of Love. Congratulations, can’t wait to see what next year brings.

🙂

 

 

Mohey by Manyavar – A Trend in Tradition

Jewelry, Lifestyle

Here you go! Mohey by Manyavar launches this magnificent new wedding collection. With the wedding season already begun, many stores that sell ethnic wear are seeing a lot of visitors.

This week I visited Mohey in Guwahati to check out their latest wedding collection. With the finest Lehengas, Gowns, Sarees and Suits – holding true to the core values of Manyavar (its parent brand), Mohey offers a lovely and affordable range of Indian ethnic wear and is one of the most popular among all Women’s ethnic wear brands, popular for their wedding and festive wear. And with each passing year their creations and style has become more refined.

Here are a few photographs of what went down at the blog shoot:

Hands down to my current favorite Indian ethnic wear brand that not only gives an amazing quality of clothing but even has a vibrant touch to each outfit.

Whether you are skinny or you are pear type, these Kurtis are sure to enhance your figure.

Few of my favourite accessories. Chandbali to Jhumar Earrings – Loved the shape and royalty – couldn’t help but pick a pair

The accessory range includes beautiful handcrafted jewelled Potli bags and Clutches

Whether we talk about their fabric or cuts they have something unique to offer you

In today’s global world where we are quite influenced by western traditions and dresses, we have that silent love for our Indian ethnic wear

With the wonderful Pradeep Gupta, Manyavar and Mohey NE. Incredibly thankful to the entire team for making my shopping experience so memorable

Make sure you check out the Manyavar and Mohey Ganeshguri store in Guwahati and experience it yourself with your friends and family this wedding season. Also make sure to visit the official website HERE.

Holiday Inn Express – On A Short Layover

Hotel, Travel and Food

This month, I had the opportunity to stay at the Holiday Inn Express New Delhi International Airport T3, for a quick layover before my next flight. This was my first stay at an airport hotel as I was traveling with my adorable (I know all babies are adorable but mine really is! #ProudMommy) 9 month old baby girl but without my husband, so leaving the airport to check into a hotel was a ‘travel don’t’ for me, especially since I had to catch another flight the next day.Conveniently located inside the New Delhi Terminal 3, the hotel is just a short walk to the departure gates for boarding.

This Holiday Inn Express was recommended, and it did not disappoint. By making our reservation in advance, check-in was a breeze, and we were in our room in no time. The room was clean and bright, even though I did have to take away a star for the room size. After having a cot included in our room there was hardly any room left in the room. The night and morning shift duty manager, Akshat and Abhishek, respectively, were very accommodating. Their service exceeded my expectations as I only booked this hotel for convenience. The hotel boasts of modern design and comfortable facilities. I enjoyed complimentary breakfast and free Wi-Fi.

The breakfast also had typical buffet type food and was well presented with fresh fruit, juices, cereals, pastries and baked goods. One can not only enjoy breakfast or dinner with a view of runway but also at the the comfort of their room.

 

I definitely would stay here again the next time I am in Delhi for a pre-flight freshen up or a short stopover.

Hotel Facilities:

  • Free Express Start Breakfast
  • Free Wifi
  • Aqua Pods
  • 24-hour fitness center
  • Therapeutic Treatments Spa
  • On-site restaurant
  • Total Number of Rooms: 93

Terms and conditions to access the airport hotel:

Guest must have a departure flight from Terminal-3 only. Please note that as the hotel is located within the airport terminal building, only a maximum of one night stay is permitted due to government regulations. Once the guest checks-in to the hotel, they are not allowed to leave the hotel premises. Passengers Arriving on an IntL flight and further taking an intL flight can access the international wing. Passengers arriving from an international flight and taking an onward domestic flight or by road in Delhi and taking an International flight can check into the domestic wing.

More Details:

Direction: Level 5, Terminal 3, Indira Gandhi International Airport, New Delhi 110037, India

Price: Starts at 8,330.00 INR

Check In: 2:00 PM

Check Out: 12:00 PM

Check-in Age: 18

Tel: 91 11 45252000/18001033066

email: reservation@hiexdelhiairport.com

Facebook: Holiday Inn Express 

Instagram: @holidayinnexpress

Twitter: Holiday Inn Express

Photo Gallery:

The Best Recipe From Mom

Travel and Food

Made my first ”khichdi” while away from home. On the auspicious occasion of “Ganesh Chaturthi” each family has their own traditional and favorite dish that they prepare. Mine is a moong dal khichdi recipe – rice and green gram lentils cooked to porridge consistency.

Call it Khichdi/Kicdi/Hotchpotch, this is one of the grandma-mother-inspired dishes for me. This is a dish we grew up eating during the Indian festivals and hence holds a lot of sentimental value. Khichdi an Indian dish consisting chiefly of rice and split pulses. Rissoto is very much similar to khichdi the only difference is, Rissoto is from Italy. It is a dish from the South Asia made from rice and lentils (dal). Khichdi was the inspiration for the Anglo-Indian dish kedgeree, and is also commonly considered to be the inspiration for the popular Egyptian dish, kushari.

Place of origin‎: ‎Indian Subcontinent

Main ingredients‎: ‎Rice‎, ‎lentils‎, ‎spices (Bengali mixed spices also called Panch phoron, bay leaf, grated ginger, dry red chilli, turmeric powder, salt to taste) and clarified butter (ghee).

Gibson Through The Lens

Events & Experiences, Hotel, Travel and Food

Gibson Through the Lens kicked off at Tease & Oval Lounge, Vivanta by Taj –  Gurgaon; admission is free and open to all between 12pm-12am. Gibson Through The Lens has already exhibited to high acclaim in London, Berlin, Shanghai, Tokyo, Sydney and Los Angeles.

The exhibition debuted in India at Wink, Vivanta by Taj – President, Mumbai before moving onto 4 more Vivanta cities – Hyderabad, Chennai, Bangalore and Gurgaon.

The world-class photographic exhibition comprised of 60 vintage and rare photographs of the World’s Greatest Guitarists. It was an highly acclaimed and historic, musical photo exhibition and it displayed rare visuals of the world’s most iconic artists enjoying private moments with their Gibson guitars, be it backstage, on the tour bus, at home or live on stage. The exhibition showcased the works of thirty of the world’s most respected rock photographers including Baron Wolman, Neal Preston, Mick Rock, Bob Guerin, Ross.

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For further details, visit www.gibsonthroughthelens.com

Thanks y’all for dropping by my blog. Any and all feedback on it is welcome. Until my next post take care everyone and come back to blog.

XOXO

~Sanchali

Light and DĂŠcor

DĂŠcor

Dress up any corner in your home with these subtle elegance display of t-light or sphere candle holders. These simple accessories can really defines and add to the styling of a space within your home.

Code No. SANDW1 Rs. 3,150

 

The Yellow Door Buddha Lamp Golden

Rs. 3,150

 

 

 

 

 

 

SANDW2

Code No. SANDW2 Rs. 3,999

 

Jalicut Brown Candle Holder

Rs. 3,999

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW3 Rs. 1,664

 

Glass T-Light Lamps Set of Three Pieces

Rs. 1,664

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SANDW4

Code No. SANDW4 Rs. 1,499

 

Grill Wall Art

Rs.1,499

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW5 Rs. 1,199

 

Beautiful Lotus Platter

Rs. 1,199

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW6 Rs. 2,449

 

Angel Wings Candle Holder

Rs. 2,449

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW7 Rs. 1,899

 

3 Monks Candle Holder

Rs. 1,899

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW8 Rs. 1,799

 

Beautiful Five Arms Candle Holder

Rs. 1,799

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW9 Rs. 1,495

 

Froggy Tea Light Holder

Rs. 1,495

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Code No. SANDW10 Rs. 990

 

Bird Cage Candle Holder Pink

Rs. 990

Prolong The Life

Artist

Friends, this post is about sharing my experience as an Art Collector and how to preserve these fine artworks to make them long-lasting and durable. The Paintings you see here are by Dhananjay Mukherjee, a contemporary artist from India. He participated in more than 110 Group shows and 24 solo shows in India & Abroad. His paintings are basically a judicious mix of the abstract and realistic forms. His thoughts stem from unique imagination, which combines the real natural world with the artistic & creative world.

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Krishna @ 16, Acrylic on Canvas, Size 24 x 24, Price on Request

As mentioned earlier, I am going to share a few maintenance tips which will help you keep your artwork alive for a longer period of time. Owning an expensive painting for your home or office is a matter of pride. But to make this long-lasting and durable art a part of the family for generations it needs proper care and handling. And preserving an artwork is not at all a difficult task provided you follow all the guidelines.

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Buddha_4, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 12″ X 15″, Price on request

Art always represents something unique and beautiful deserving of special care. Artworks may be masterpieces or done by upcoming artists, the support used may be paper, canvas or cloth, whatever the medium involved all artworks need to be cared for in a special manner. Paintings require and demand care if one wants them to keep giving the viewing pleasure for many years to come.

Like the setting for a diamond, the frame around a work of art is the finishing touch, the element that completes and elevates a painting, presenting it to the viewer in its best possible light. Framing, however, is an art in and of itself, and just as a good frame choice can greatly enhance the appearance of a work, a poor frame choice can drastically diminish a work.

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Santhal Lovers, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 34″ X 32″, Price on request

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Shiva3_1, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 12″ X 15″, Price on request

Key Facts to preserve artworks:

-Avoid direct light, frame artworks using a UV-coated or no-reflecting glass.
-Do not place paintings near a heat source or air-conditioning vent.
-Mitigate the effects of pollution by framing all works using acid free mounts and boards.
-Never spray insecticides near or on stored artworks.
-Regularly inspect and clean stored artworks.
-Place paintings flat in a crate while storing.
-Never spray cleaning agents directly on a painting or frame.
-Remove mold using a soft brush and low suction vacuum cleaner.
-Be very careful while moving artworks.

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The Tree Of Life, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 22″ X 30″, Price on request

Potential threats to artworks:

-Light: When placing lights make sure that it does not reflect on the artwork, this is the ideal distance to be maintained. Also avoid direct sunlight by not placing the works opposite windows which not only could fade the paint but also discolor the paper.
-Humidity: It is always best to avoid hanging framed pictures in humid conditions. Fluctuations and extremes in temperature and humidity levels can have a detrimental effect upon the preservation of archival materials.
-Pests: Regular inspections of stored collections provide the cheapest and safest method of safeguarding against infestation. Screening on windows and doors will aid in keeping out larger pests. In addition, fresh flowers and plants should be inspected before being placed in the vicinity of your artworks.
-Mold: Areas of high humidity and damp are highly susceptible to damage by mold growth. Any appearance of mold must be immediately removed; the best way is to use a soft brush and low suction vacuum cleaner.

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Mayavi 20, Acrylic On Canvas, Size: 16″ X 16″, Price on request

 

This post is dedicated to Art lovers and upcoming artists. Please send me a mail at email2sanchali@gmail.com along with a link to your blog/website/online portfolio if you wish to put up few more key facts to preserve artworks. Any feedback, critiques or comments are welcome. You can purchase our paintings by simply popping me a PM or leaving your comments below. Until my next post take care everyone.

XOXO

~Sanchali

Lord Buddha and the Lotus Flower

Artist
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Code No. SAN007 { Rs. 17000 }

I spent the last couple of days on a couple of paintings that had a deadline date, good art and artists can take their own sweet time, that’s kind of part of the deal. But we sold three of our paintings last month ( yah! ). We have some exciting exhibitions lined up for the next couple of months (with more to follow). Looking forward to these exhibitions and some greatest works of art.

For the moment, sharing one of my most loved paintings from my hand-picked collection!! … Lord Buddha and the Lotus Flower symbolizing wisdom, compassion, divinity purity and contemplation for spiritual lovers.  They’re the perfect way to add some spirituality to your everyday decor!

I have to admit, this painting looks great. You can purchase our paintings by simply popping me a PM or leaving your comments below.

XOXO

~Sanchali