#Best Places to Visit & Things to Do in Mathura | UP

[atulsrivastav-blog]

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[adrishya]

The Tale of Kamsa

A retelling of the popular story in Hindu mythology

trigger warning: mild description of snake death, possible toxic parent-child relationships

PART 1

“I do not know if Kamsa should be the heir to the throne anymore. His ambition grows greater day by day, and I don’t know if I can trust him to take care of the kingdom. What if he becomes a tyrant? I have to do what is best for my kingdom. Perhaps a different son…” His father Ugrasena’s words were like thorns in Kamsa’s side as he listened to him, hidden. He had been about to walk to the lavish dining area of the royal palace, when he heard Ugrasena’s words to Kamsa’s mother. “Yes, Kamsa is powerful,” Ugrasena continued. “He has potential. He defeated Jarasandha’s army singlehandedly. But his ambition is...frightening. And his birth, and the truth…”

“And the curse,” he heard his mother add.

“And that. Regardless, I have accepted him. And I have accepted you, my wife. He does not have to know that truth.”

What truth? What curse? Kamsa wondered. What were they hiding? Kamsa wanted to hear more, but Ugrasena had fallen silent. He walked casually into the dining area, as if he had not been eavesdropping moments before. Ugrasena sat up straight after spotting him and offered him a polite smile. As usual, Kamsa’s mother did not look at him. “My son,” Ugrasena said, his eyes crinkling, as if he hadn’t been talking about Kamsa behind his back a few moments earlier. He gave his father a tight smile in return. “Father.” Two could play this game, Kamsa thought. They conversed politely like two kings of separate kingdoms, exchanging accounts of their day. If Kamsa hadn’t been so focused on pretending nothing had happened, he would have noticed his mother flinch at the words “my son” and “father,” and he would have started to suspect that the doubts didn’t just have to do with his ambition, but perhaps also a terrible secret beyond his control.

Narada, considered the messenger of the gods, had come to visit him as he lay awake that night. A bright light, and he had appeared, his sly smile and knowing eyes drawing Kamsa in. He leaned towards Narada. “What brings you here?”

“Certainly you have started to suspect,” Narada replied coolly, his mouth tugging at the corners.

“Suspect what?”

“The truth, of course.”

Kamsa did not understand. What truth? His mind strayed back to the dinner earlier, where he had eavesdropped. He does not have to know that truth, his father had said. What had Ugrasena meant by that?

“My father?” Kamsa guessed. “He said something about me not having to know the truth. Is that what this is about?”

Narada did not answer. He came closer to Kamsa, and sat before him.

“Perhaps, you notice your mother never cares for you, Prince. She never speaks to you during dinner, never praises you like a mother should. She never even fed you when you were a young prince, like she would sometimes do for her other sons.“

Kamsa felt the sting, though he tried to hide it. “My mother does not particularly like me. Thank you for informing of this fact. Is this all?” Kamsa tried to keep his face neutral. But he had never understood why his mother didn’t care for him like she did her other sons.

Narada laughed. “Mothers should care for their sons,” he said, almost as if he had read Kamsa’s mind. “You are her son, no doubt? Yes, yes, you certainly are, Kamsa. But your father…now there lies a doubt that hasn’t been planted in your mind. All your life you could believe a lie, and never even know it. The advantage of not knowing everything. The advantage of not being a god. A blessing, and a curse…” Narada had seemingly started rambling. Kamsa sat up straight and looked the god in the eyes with as much dignity as he could muster.

“Narada, what exactly are you trying to say? Do not ramble to me with truths concealed cleverly in your words. I do not have the energy to try and decipher them.”

“Have it your way, Prince Kamsa of Mathura.” Narada’s eyes twinkled. “You are the son of a Ghandarva. Ugrasena is not your father. That is all I will say.” And then Narada was gone.

A Ghandarva, a shape shifting demon, had somehow...with his mother...And Kamsa had been the result.

Kamsa did not sleep that night.

The next morning, Kamsa pulled off his lavish bed covers. He wished he had slept, so that he would have had those few moments of peace when he woke, where he wouldn’t have remembered his encounter with Narada the night before. There was a bliss in not knowing, yet he was horrified that he hadn’t known all that time.

Kamsa knew many things. He knew he did not care much for his kingdom. It was rather the idea of being king that he was so attracted to, the power he’d have over the people. He knew it was a tyrannical thought to have, but it occurred to Kamsa that he was a rather tyrannical person. Being a tyrant...why was it decided that it was inherently bad? Wasn’t it good, at least, for the tyrant? Kamsa thought, amused. He roamed the garden behind his royal home, his eyes raking the plants lazily. A snake slithered in the lush grass, but Kamsa didn’t notice. Someone who was watching him from afar, they might have thought he was bored. However, his mind was racing. He was thinking about many things. Things he knew. Things he wished he didn’t know.

You are the son of a Ghandarva, Narada had said.

Ugrasena is not your real father.

I don’t care, Kamsa told himself. Despite whether Ugrasena was his real father or not, he still...Kamsa stopped himself and almost pushed the thought away. Almost. After Narada’s visit, something in his head was urging him to think it. To feel it, to bask in it. The truth that he’d kept trying to convince himself was a lie. Kamsa closed his eyes, and gave himself permission.

He still despised Ugrasena.

To Kamsa, everything about Ugrasena was despicable. Everything he did was an example of things Kamsa would make sure he’d never do. Ugrasena’s lack of real ambition. His lack of going through with his desires when he pleased. It didn’t make sense. It wasn’t a way a king should live, Kamsa thought to himself. Every time he saw Ugrasena’s supporters, he wanted to...Kamsa didn’t finish the thought, but his fingers strayed to the hilt of his sword.

Ugrasena’s doubts were certainly not unwarranted. Kamsa had an ambitious streak that many thought would lead to evil. But Kamsa knew that it would only carry him to further heights, heights that those who criticized him for his ambition could only dream of. Ugrasena could never understand. Yet…after Narada’s visit, he couldn’t help but think that perhaps Ugrasena’s doubts were because of more than just his ambition. Perhaps it was-

“Prince Kamsa.” Kamsa continued staring at the plants in the garden, lost in his thoughts. He did not hear that someone had called his name.

Perhaps it was-

“Prince Kamsa,” the voice said again, more insistent this time. Kamsa turned behind him, suddenly snapping back to the real world. A flurry of a thousand arms, and he knew it was Banasura. He took a step back instinctively. He’d always felt slightly intimidated by Banasura’s presence, and it took effort not to show it. However, Kamsa trusted him and his advice. He didn’t have to plaster on a smile, anyway.

“What brings you here?” Kamsa asked. Banasura didn’t respond right away. Kamsa’s eyes narrowed. It was as if Banasura was preparing to say a speech that he’d practiced. Kamsa found himself leaning towards him, curious to hear whatever Banasura wanted to spit out. “Speak.” Kamsa finally said forcefully, starting to feel suspicious that Banasura had bad news.

“Yes, yes. I...just wanted to tell you how proud I was when you singlehandedly defeated Jarasandha’s army. I am thoroughly impressed by you, my friend. And I am sure Jarasandha is as well. Even a fool could see your potential.”

This had not been what he was expecting, but Kamsa’s shoulders relaxed. It had not been bad news after all. But this sudden flattery from Banasura was making Kamsa slightly wary.

“Thank you, dear friend. You flatter me. But...potential for what, exactly?”

“To be king. King of Mathura.”

Kamsa studied his expression, which was starting to morph into a cunning smile. Was this some sort of trick? Was Banasura planning something? Perhaps he was even in league with Ugrasena, who had doubts about his potential kingship...no. Banasura was one of his closest friends. He would never turn against him. Kamsa frowned at the snake that he had just then noticed, hissing in the grass. His hand wrapped around his sword hilt.

“Why are you saying this, Banasura? This feels rather...out of the blue. I cannot help but feel suspicious.” Kamsa asked as he unsheathed the sword, eyeing the snake, which was slithering closer to him.

“I am not trying to trick you, dear friend. I am only telling you the truth. You are much more than just a prince, Kamsa. I know it. You’re born to be king. You cannot tell me that you don’t lay awake at night and mourn at the fact that your skills are wasted as a mere prince of Mathura. Take your rightful place, Kamsa.”

Kamsa blinked, looking up at Banasura. These were words he’d never heard. Now that he’d heard them, he wanted to hear them again and again.

“But I am the heir,” Kamsa answered. But are you still? A voice in his head taunted. Perhaps when he went inside, he would be faced with his father telling him he was no longer the heir. Perhaps his dreams of being king were being crushed by Ugrasena as he spoke with Banasura in the garden.

“Kamsa.” His voice lowered to a hush. “We both know that Ugrasena grows wary of you. He may…think of revoking your right to ascend the throne. As your ambition grows, his doubts grow as well. We cannot rely on you being the heir to ascend the throne.”

“I have this same feeling as well,” Kamsa confided hesitantly, as he moved closer to the snake. “I even overheard Ugrasena speaking about his doubts. But…” Kamsa did not finish his sentence, and raised his sword over the snake. He knew Banasura was awaiting a certain response.

“What do you propose we do?”Kamsa asked finally. Banasura’s cunning smile grew bigger. It was an expression that made even Kamsa shudder, though in delight or fear, he could not tell.

“Overthrow Ugrasena.” Banasura’s voice was barely a whisper, but Kamsa felt the weight of the words like it was a war cry. Before Kamsa could, Banasura unsheathed his own sword and stabbed the snake in a sudden, fast move. His smile grew wider, staring at the snake that convulsed and then lay still. Kamsa felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth as he stared at the snake. He sheathed his own sword. Overthrowing Ugrasena? A worthy punishment for an unworthy king. As Banasura walked away, Kamsa watched him, but all he saw was the image of Banasura stabbing the snake, replayed in his mind again and again.

You are much more than a prince.

You are born to be the king.

Overthrow Ugrasena.

Take your rightful place, Kamsa.

The words of Banasura echoed in Kamsa’s mind as he lay awake once again that night. The seed was planted by one of his closest friends, and watered by Kamsa’s ambition. It grew slowly at first, just a small sprout among a garden. No sturdy stem, no leaves, no flowers or fruits. It could easily have been plucked out. But as he lay awake at night, staring at the ceiling, he could not help it. He let it grow.

[rheaitis]

DVD commentary for matrvat?

The thing to know going into this story is that @parlegee is the absolute greatest for giving me open-ended prompts because I feel lost when there’s no prompt and sometimes constrained if it’s too specific, and there’s zero chance i’d have come up with this story in either case. Now, onwards.

---

Who is an opinionated teenager who can’t really allow adults their weaknesses? Krishna is!

“I thought he was a great king,” Krishna says disconsolately one morning as the sun drenches golden every wall of Rohini’s favourite room in Vasudev’s palace. The garden outside is fragrant with a dozen bushes of champaka flowers reaching for the light, and resounding with the laughing voices of Vrishni children and youths.

On such a day in Gokul, in Vrindavan, Krishna would be dancing through fields at the head of the pack, creating mischief and music in equal part. He used to come home along moonlit paths and worry Yashoda, whose heart was more tender than Rohini’s hard-shelled own.

In the ordered gardens of Mathura he skulks into the council-chambers of kings and nobles who have survived Kamsa’s scourge, and sulks in Rohini’s chambers.

If Krishna was even 10% less sunny than he is, he’d be in screaming fits the whole time. Rohini doesn’t really know it yet, but she’s aware of the general shape of it.

Rohini, who has missed Mathura’s high towers for longer than he has been alive, understands his longing only too well. Among the laughing children in the garden are the sons and daughters of women she befriended as a young bride, children who have never known her, who regard her sons with awed suspicion.

“King Ugrasena,” she asks now, careful to keep weariness from her voice. “He was, years ago when we were young and he was in his prime. But he had a grown son who kept him imprisoned, and deprived him of the joys of consorting with his grandchildren.”

He’s aware of the more visible wounds on the others, but he’s still. He’s sixteen; he’s a kid; and he hasn’t really learnt to accept that a lot of people just are weak.

“I meant my pitamaha King Shurasena,” Krishna says, and urgently adds, “I would not trivialise my matamaha’s suffering, or that of my parents, nor their resilience.”

I’m very proud of this association, ngl.

“No,” Rohini assures him. “I misspoke. You have been kind to them as to a day-old calf.”

That is praise he understands, and Krishna’s face blooms with joy. Her wild, wicked youngest. Her poor boy, whom they have transplanted into such strange soil.

“Will you say of pitamaha too, that he has suffered much, and is an aged man to whom I ought be kinder?”

He says it as though he knows the answer already, and comes quietly to sit at Rohini’s feet when she beckons him. If it is all so unfamiliar now to her, the floors of white stone, the fittings of brass, the plenitude of silver and gold, how much stranger must it be to him?

This is all canonical, btw, and I totally did a quick skim of Harivamsham for this fic, which may have been a bad idea, but anyway.

“We heard his praises, when I was a child,” she begins. “That he had been a great warrior in his youth, and was favoured by the gods. And it is true that he has had his own sorrows, with his queen dead from grief for your father, and with his eldest daughter sent to fill the nursery of a friend. Then too, without his son at home he gave your aunts in marriage to kingdoms that have not prized them as they ought be, and it is a great burden to any parent to know their children unhappy without hope of rescue or redressal.”

“However?” Krishna puts in, and grins wide and wicked. If she hadn’t known him since Yashoda brought him to her house to play with Balabhadra, she would think him sincere.

This is still going to take a very different strength.

Well, he has been battling monsters since he was a suckling babe.

“When I was a handful of months older than your brother is now, and there was first talk of me wedding your father, my uncle spoke to me of the household I was to enter. Your pitamaha is an amiable man, you’ve seen this already. He is chief among the Vrishni, who are not the most peaceful of the Yadavas. You are too clever, surely, to not know how a man of sweet temper might become chief of such rowdy princes?”

“He was the man all could agree upon,” Krishna says on a sigh, and she rewards him with a hand smoothing over his hair. He wears it still in a mass of curls barely restrained by a fillet, but it is of bronze silk now, and not the undyed ribbons he had used to steal from unwary girls. Good, he's learning; to take aught from a Vrishni girl unawares rarely bodes well. 

The Vrishni and larger Yadava politics are fascinating, and also this is bb!Krishna’s first lesson in politics and manipulation.

“He was given to pleasing men and creating compromises that nobody else could. It is a necessary skill, and your father had it also. Perchance he still does.”

“Do you doubt it?”

IDK about Rohini’s mother, but mine firmly believes everyone has a quota in everything. Also I wanted to introduce her longing for her own parents early on, both for the parallel to Krishna’s longing for his childhood and also to balance out the payoff at the end of the story.

“My mother used to say when I had climbed too high in a tree or gorged myself on mangoes in summer heat, that we have a share in the world’s joys and might spend it too soon and find ourselves in sorrow’s shadow.” It is strange now to think of herself as a child, when her mother’s hair has turned grey, silver, white with age and yearning in distant Bahlika without Rohini around to care for her, when she had been given in marriage to Shurasena’s son because the Vrishni let their wives travel often and her mother could not bear to part from her for long. In the first five years of her marriage she had visited often, rarely in the seven unhappy years that followed, and never in the seventeen that have since lapsed.

“You’ve said it to us often enough,” Krishna points out, and when Rohini looks down she finds that he has turned his head under her hand and is fixing her with a stern eye. “Do you think it is the same for a skill?”

... not that Krishna is ever going to hit hard limits on his own capacity for anything, be it love or war or politics but the rest of us aren’t a shard/iteration of the God who Keeps.

“They tell me skill in war increases with every battle. I know little of war, and even your father never won Devaki with his own prowess. But a singer can sing herself hoarse, and a callous herder milk a cow dry. Your father kept himself alive while helpless, and kept your mother alive while she posed a great threat to your uncle, and he kept them together when solitude would have driven them wild.”

“You think him brave!”

And again, [wonder woman baby.gif] Krishna is going to become someone who understands bravery beyond the physical wonderfully well, and his Mom’s here to guide his first steps down that path.

He is so young, Krishna, for all his valour and all his wit. So young, even though it seems most days that he knows all the things there are to know, that they are alive only by his grace. But he is sixteen, scarcely, and she is near fifty years of age. He has hardly seen anything of the world.

“I think him clever,” Rohini says. “Valiant, too, but not in the way of warriors who gain great renown in battle. He crossed the Yamuna in full flood for you, dearest, and then returned to Kamsa’s prison where he saw every day for sixteen years the spot where six of his sons had had the life smeared from them.”

This is Krishna & Yudhishtira’s one great similarity, in my head: the wish for more brothers to hide behind. They deal with it differently, but it’s there for both.

“I might have had brothers,” he says, and flashes her an apologetic smile. “I know I have one, but even that knowledge is new to me. I never thought I could love him more dearly than I did all my life, but in this I am happy to be proven wrong. But I might have had more.”

All these lives gone to suit a fearful man’s cruel paranoia.

“Kirttimat would have been twenty-five,” Rohini says, more to herself than him. “We would have been hunting out a bride for him. Then Sushena and Udayin and Bhadrasena, what strength they would have lent us in council, perhaps in war if they more closely resembled your matamaha than your father. Rijudasa and Bhadradeha would have still been in the care of their preceptor, and Balarama preparing to take Rijudasa’s place. And then you, youngest and most indulged.”

... let’s not think about the knives in Yashoda’s heart right now.

“Aren’t I so still?” Krishna laughs, and she thinks that this would not fool anyone who knows it well, that it would knife through Yashoda’s tender heart were she to hear it.

Vrishnis gossip. It’s what they do.

“You are the jewel of Mathura, best-beloved of an entire city,” she assures him. If there are rumours, they will be quieted soon. Of course there are rumours. Rohini has not lived in the city in years, but she knows still too well how the bees buzz in their hives, how gossip sings through the streets on the fleet wings of the mynah.

“You might have had more sons as well,” Krishna says, as though he likes the thought of being rendered insignificant by a horde of elder siblings, of being safely the infant of the family instead of the lauded hero who has battled demons and killed grown men.

Look, I never said I was a nice person.

“I would have liked a daughter,” she tells him, trading truth for truth. In Vraj she had looked at lissome young Radha and thought, if only Vasudeva had given me a child the year we were first wed. She had delighted in Radha’s friendship with Krishna, her amused tolerance of the boy following her around and sharing her chores: rare forbearance from a woman fifteen years his senior but oh, understandable.

He got away with so so much. In the song listing out Krishna’s hundred and eight names it says, “Ayaan Ghosh dubbed him Rage Douser.” Ayaan Ghosh is Radha’s husband and Krishna’s uncle, and knows about their affair, fwiw.

How could anyone resist Krishna’s laughter and his tricks and his charm? Yashoda and Nanda had never disciplined him; Rohini herself, who could rain recriminations upon stolid Balarama while the sun ran from morning to noon, faltered before she could devise a punishment for Krishna.

“You might still,” Krishna offers. “I should like a sister.”

Older people falling in love again is My Fave. Look, I read R/S fic at a formative age.

“If the gods will it,” she says repressively, as much to ward off her own blushes as his impudence. She has missed love, and Vasudeva’s arms around her are still the best home she has had, even though they are grey, even though imprisonment has sapped his vitality.

Ohohoho, just you wait, Rohini, he’s going to find every use possible for it and then some.

“You missed him, all these years,” Krishna says, because he has always been far too perceptive. When he was a child he had mostly used the knowledge to ferret out butter and ghee that had been stored out of sight; what uses he will find for it in a squabbling nest of nobles hardly bears thinking of.

“I’ve known Vasudeva since I was a girl climbing into womanhood and he was a boy proud of his first beard who could persuade a roaring council-hall into acquiescence. We were wed for years before Sini won him your mother’s hand,” she tells him. “Of course I did. But I had Balabhadra, and I had a share in you, and I had my duty before me.”

“Duty,” Krishna says, desolate again, and younger in his silk and gold than she’s ever seen him in torn cotton and mud. “And now I must do mine, when so many have given their lives for mine.”

“So many have had their lives won by you,” Rohini corrects, and stoops to press a kiss into his curls.

Dearest and loveliest of boys.

He smiles up at her as she straightens, but it is still a wan little thing and melts her heart as none of his sulking ever has.

“Come,” she says, “you have months yet till you must go to your preceptor. It does you no good to intrude on your elders' councils.”

“What would you bid me do instead? I can hardly herd cattle in this fine city, and there seem no demons about for me to defeat.”  He looks so quietly unhappy, her heroic son, her child who has lost the mother who raised him and cannot yet love the woman who bore him.

“You might have had more brothers if the gods had not wished them away,” she says instead of offering platitudes he would only despise, “and it is your right to mourn them. But you have cousins you might grow to love, who will be your allies as all of you grow to take your part in grihasthashram.”

He hones right in on his eventual favourites, but alas, there’s obstacles incoming.

“I thought they were in exile,” Krishna says, but now at last something is sparking to life behind his eyes. “My aunt Pritha and her children, I thought they were wandering in forests with King Pandu.”

Of course he thinks first of the ones deprived of their rightful homes, the ones who might be discomfited by palaces as he is himself.

“You have other aunts,” Rohini says in lieu of laughter. “Your pitamahi Bhojya had many children, and though King Shurasena was generous in giving them to such of his friends and cousins who—childless—were fated to roast in the hell, Puta, yet he kept his eldest son your father, and he kept his daughters Shrutadeva and Shrutashrava.”

“Their marriages are unhappy, you said.”

“And yet not childless,” Rohini says carefully. “Your aunt Shrutashrava has borne Prince Damaghosha of Chedi an heir, and I must visit if your mother cannot. We may travel without too large an escort of guards.”

“You would have me come with you?”

I just want to share the fact that family trees which start tracing lineages from the Sun and Moon still don’t show what family Rohini comes from and I had to read the Harivamsam to find out. I resent this fact.

“Only if you wish it as well. Then, too, Bahlika does not lie so very far from Chedi, and... Krishna, as you are in part my son, so too can I offer you a share in another matamaha and matamahi. My parents are old, and shall soon proceed into sannyasashram, but they are hale and they have always been happy. King Ugrasena is a great man, but...”

“Mother,” Krishna says, snatching up her hands and covering them with quick, fervent kisses. “You give me the sweetest gifts.”

[importantkryptoniteeagle]

Top 10 Best Attractions and Places to Visit in Delhi

Best Places to Visit in Delhi As You all Know Delhi, the capital of India, and one of the most Important Union Territory of India has a rich history. The city is Full of mosques, strongholds, and landmarks left over from the Mughal rulers and kings of Ancient history that once involved the city. The difference between meandering aimlessly Old Delhi and very much arranged New Delhi is tremendous, and it’s fascinating to invest energy investigating both.

Find Out the top attractions and spots to visit in Delhi.

Top 10 Best Attractions and Places to Visit in Delhi

1. Red Fort

Delhi’s most popular landmark, the Red Fort, stands not just as an incredible token of the Mughal time India yet additionally an image of India’s battle for opportunity. It was work by fifth Mughal ruler Shah Jahan, when he chose to move his capital there from Agra in 1638. The stronghold’s tempestuous history incorporates being caught by the Sikhs and the British. To return your creative mind to the antiquated period, a one hour sound and light demonstration of the post’s set of experiences is held each evening.

Area: Opposite Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi.

Passage Cost: Foreigners, 500 rupees. Indians, 35 rupees.

Opening times: 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., in addition to light shows in the nights. Shut Mondays.

2. Jama Masjid

Jama Masjid is another brilliant fortune of the Old City, and it’s one of the biggest mosque in India. Its patio can hold an inconceivable 25,000 fans. The mosque required 12 years to fabricate, and was finished in 1656. An arduous move to the highest point of its southern pinnacle will compensate you with a staggering perspective (but darkened by metal security barbecues) across the roofs of Delhi. Make certain to dress properly when visiting the mosque or you will not be permitted in. This implies covering your head, legs and shoulders. Clothing is accessible there.

Area: Opposite Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. Close to the Red Fort.

3. Chandni Chowk

Chandni Chowk, the central avenue of Old Delhi, is a stunning differentiation to the wide, precise roads of New Delhi. Vehicles, cycle carts, hand-pulled trucks, people on foot, and creatures all seek space. It’s tumultuous, disintegrating and blocked, however totally enrapturing too. As one of the most established and most active business sectors in India, its restricted winding paths are brimming with economical adornments, textures, and hardware. For the more brave, Chandni Chowk is a phenomenal spot to test a portion of Delhi’s road food. The prestigious Karim’s Hotel, a Delhi eating foundation, is additionally situated there.

Area: Old Delhi, close to the Red Fort and Jama Masjid.

4.

Swaminarayan Akshardham

A somewhat new fascination, this gigantic sanctuary complex was worked by the BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha profound association and opened in 2005. It’s committed to displaying Indian culture. Just as the surprising design of the pink stone and white marble sanctum, the complex incorporates rambling nursery, models, and boat ride. Permit a lot of time to investigate it altogether — to some extent a large portion of a day. Do take note of that cells and cameras are not allowed inside.

Area: National Highway 24, close to Noida Mor, New Delhi.

Passage Cost: Free. Nonetheless, tickets are needed to see the shows.

Opening times: 9.30 a.m. until 6.30 p.m. (last passage). Shut Mondays.

5. Humayun’s Tomb

On the off chance that you believe Humayun’s Burial place looks somewhat like the Taj Mahal in Agra, that is on the grounds that it was the motivation for the Taj Mahal’s creation. The burial place was worked in 1570, and houses the body of the second Mughal ruler, Humayun. It was the first of this kind of Mughal design to be underlying India, and the Mughal rulers followed it up with a broad time of development all around the country. The burial place is essential for a more noteworthy complex that is set among excellent nurseries.

Area: Nizamuddin East, New Delhi. Close to the Nizamuddin train station, off Mathura Street.

Passage Cost: Outsiders, $5 U.S. Indians, 10 rupees. Free for youngsters under 15 years.

Opening times: Dawn until dusk, every day. It’s best seen in the brilliant light of the late evening.

6.Lodhi Garden

Lodhi Nurseries gives a peaceful retreat from city life, and is the spot to come in case you’re feeling drained and exhausted. The huge Nurseries were worked by the English in 1936 around the burial places of fifteenth and sixteenth century rulers. Joggers, yoga professionals, and youthful couples all partake in this park.

Area: Lodhi Street, not a long way from Humayun’s Burial chamber.

Passage Cost: Free.

Opening times: Day by day from dawn until 8 p.m., however Sundays are especially occupied.

7.Qutab Minar

Qutab Minar, one of the tallest block minarets on the planet, is an unbelievable illustration of early Indo–Islamic engineering. It was implicit 1193, however the explanation stays a secret. Some accept that it was made to connote triumph and the start of Muslim standard in India, while others say it was utilized to call the devoted to petition. The pinnacle has five unmistakable stories, and is covered with many-sided carvings and refrains from the sacred Quran. There are likewise various other noteworthy landmarks on the site.

Area: Mehrauli, south Delhi.

Section Cost: Outsiders, 500 rupees. Indians, 30 rupees. Free for kids under 15 years.

Opening times: Dawn until nightfall, day by day.

8.Gandhi Smriti and Raj Ghat

A visit to Gandhi Smriti will show you the specific spot where Mahatma Gandhi, lovingly alluded to as the Dad of the Country, was killed on January 30, 1948. He lived in the house for 144 days up until the hour of his passing. The room that he snoozed, kept precisely how he left it, and the supplication ground where he held a mass assembly every evening are both open to people in general. A lot of photographs, figures, compositions, and engravings are likewise in plain view. You can likewise visit his commemoration at Raj Ghat.

Area: 5 Tees January Marg, focal New Delhi.

Section Cost: Free.

Opening times: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Shut Mondays.

9.

India Gate

The transcending passage of India Entryway at the focal point of New Delhi is a conflict dedication, inherent memory of the Indian officers who lost their lives battling for the English Armed force in The Second Great War. Around evening time it gleams energetically under floodlights, and the nurseries that line its avenue are a well known spot to partake in a warm summer’s evening. There’s likewise a pleasant Youngsters’ Park that is ideal for youngsters.

Area: Rajpath, close to Connaught Spot, New Delhi.

Passage Cost: Free.

Opening times: Consistently open.

10.Lotus Temple

The Bahai Sanctuary is ordinarily called the Lotus Sanctuary, as it’s molded like a lotus blossom. It’s especially lovely around evening time, when it’s appealingly illuminated. Made out of cement shrouded in white marble, the sanctuary has a place with the Bahai Confidence, which announces the solidarity, all things considered, and religions. Everyone is wanted there.

Area: Close to Nehru Spot, south Delhi.

Section Cost: Free.

Opening times: 9.00 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. Shut Mondays.

Also Delhi is well known for its nearby silversmiths, who skill in silver workmanship, similar to silver tea set, silver gems and furthermore show-stoppers. There are an assortment of areas in Delhi where you can pick various plans at sensible rates. Accessible in an assortment of plans, it is a much pursued adornment.

[bsacet]

How B.S.A. College of Engineering & Technology helps you in getting the Top Placements from all over India

College helps you in growing as an individual. You learn new skills, you develop new interests, while some students settle in a job while others pursue their dream career it can be(writing, civil services, acting, dancing, etc..,) but it all becomes possible due to the exposure they get in college. so, in any case, you can’t skip this experience from your life. It is the place where you make new friends and sometimes even form life-long relationships. college makes you more independent it prevails different options and helps you in deciding your likes and dislikes and your true passion, it is the place where you volunteer, play sports and give performances at stages; during college functions not only it makes your CV interesting but it also hikes up your confidence and you create memories which you will cherish for a lifetime.

While choosing college after your school, the most decisive factor that comes to your mind is the placement you get in that college but for your dream career, you need some job skills, so don't wait to finish your curriculum then working on your personality instead of it while doing studies you must do the following things to increase your chances of success in life.

1.   Counseling for your Career

If you love what you do you don't need to worry about work and life balance, life is work and work is life but sometimes it is hard to make a career choice because we all know the amount of time we will spend in our jobs, so if your work doesn't match your true interests life can be tough and boring but you need to keep this thing in mind that as everyone starts by doing something in the professional world you just need to start doing things then see how things work but sometimes students get confused because maybe they are interested in more than one fields but in those confusing moments taking help from the counselor or your mentors play a huge rule.

We at B.S.A. College of Engineering & Technology provide counseling sessions by professionals and our huge placement cell is a part of it as they are familiar with the Contemporary Industry Placement, Entrepreneurship Trends; where, when you put out your confusions and self-doubts in front of them, being experts and having years of experience they can solve your problems by putting out thoughts on the table and show you a path and due to the guidance of our staff and hard work of our students we can become one of the Best AKTU Colleges in Mathura.

2. Brush up your Skills

College is the perfect time where you can learn new skills apart from doing studies, so besides your curriculum try to do some Certificate courses and try to participate in different extracurricular activities because it not only makes you a person of wide interests in front of the interview panel but also enhances your confidence and you learn to get things done, so attend Seminars and Workshops because unconsciously you will learn a lot from their experiences, try to get in touch with the industry experts, the people from your desired field and see how they work it helps you in sticking on your goals and motivate you to even work harder for your dreams.

3. All-Inclusive Training Camps

The purpose of these camps is to prepare you for placement by making you aware of the recent demands and challenges of the corporate world our placement cell helps you in brushing up your Communication skills, Clothing etiquettes as they guide you about every aspect of your personality and after coming from these camps you will be more thrilled and confident and driven towards your goals and all our innovative and unique efforts to upgrade students makes us the Best Engineering College in Mathura

4.Internships

Before stepping into real work experience, internships allow you to know the work and to do the work in a professional environment you develop work ethics and understand the importance of deadlines, and become familiar with the challenges you'll face in the professional workspace, it also makes you sorted that in which field of work you are interested, what suits you the best so don't wait for the last semester to get over as they say it's never early to do an Internship you can do it whenever you want but make sure you don't compromise on your studies, because you learn a lot and gain a lot from these working experiences as they are worthy of the time you spend on them and most importantly you get a hang of doing things efficiently and being The Top Engineering College in Mathura we promote and motivate students to do different Internships.

5.Mock Interviews

Before the final faceoff at the interview panel, it's all-important to practice before it and mock interviews are the best way to do it because you learn how to represent yourself, the panel let you know about your shortcomings and also your strong points so that you can improve on your weaknesses and make your strengths more strong.

For more information about B.S.A. College of Engineering & Technology and to know about the admission process

Please visit our website:- https://www.bsacet.org/

[exploring2gether123]

Best Places To Explore In India!

Hello amazing viewers, how are you all doing? This blog of mine is especially for DIl WALI DELHI PEOPLE. The conditions are much better and due to boredom from the situation; a weekend getaway can be allowed with all precautions. Also, the destinations are such that you can travel in your own car for safety measures. So let’s find the Best Places To Explore In India!

Sohna-

Sohna situated on the highway from Gurgaon to Alwar. It is easily accessible from Delhi. It is surrounded by hilly terrains in the lap of Aravali and the best thing about it is the hot water springs near shiva temple. There are a lot many places like this so explore as much you can.

Places to visit in Sohna: Damdama Lake, Sohna Lake and Water Springs, Sohna or Bharatpur Hill Fort, Kamboj Ruins of Sohna

Things to do in Sohna: Sightseeing, Photography, Shopping, etc Distance From Delhi: 64 kilometers via NH 48 Best Time To Visit: Winters- October to March

Rishikesh-

The scenic beauty of Rishikesh is due to its location at the foothills of the lofty Garhwal Himalayas is accentuated by the mighty Ganges cutting right through the city. The picturesque city looks suspended between the stunning riverside promenades, acres of forests, lush mountains, and clear blue skies lending it a surreal appearance.

Places to visit in Rishikesh: Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Raghunath Temple, or the 13-story Trimbakeshwar Temple.

Things to do in Rishikesh: cliff jumping, kayaking, body surfing, picturesque waterfalls, and maha aarti

Distance From Delhi:  237 kilometers Best Time To Visit: October-February

Garhmukteshwar-

As we all know, it’s a great place of historical importance as mentioned in Mahabharata and Bhagavata Puran several times. For taking a holy bath in the Ganges, this place is perfect and worth visiting once. It is also famous for 80 sati pillars.

Places to visit in Garhmukteshwar: Ganga Talkies, Ganga Mandir, Panchayati Mandir, Arya Samaj Mandir, Garhmukteshwar temple, Nahush Koop, etc.

Things to do in Garhmukteshwar: Pilgrimage, Holy Dip in the Ganges, Local Sightseeing and Boat Rides Distance From Delhi: 139 kilometers via NH 09 Best Time To Visit: October to March

Mathura-

A sacred city that is believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. It is worth visiting for finding oneself between the hustle.

Places to visit in Mathura: Krishna Janma Bhoomi Mandir, Jama Masjid, Kusum Sarovar, Govardhan Hill, Dwarkadhish Temple, etc. Things to do in Mathura: Janmashtami, Holi, Temple Visits, Sightseeing, Boating, and Food Sampling Distance From Delhi: 184 kilometers via Taj Express Highway Best Time To Visit: October to April

Haridwar-

considered as one of 7 sapta puris, it is an ancient city and located where sacred river- Ganges emerges. If a person explore new things it’s a good thing it’s not bad!

Places to visit in yoga ashrams and centers

Things to do in street food

Distance From Delhi:  219 kilometers Best Time To Visit: October to February

Bharatpur bird sanctuary-

Bharatpur is a city in Rajasthan. The city is surrounded by peace, natural magnificence, and landscapes.its  bird sanctuary is very famous and is home to  230 different bird species.

Places to visit in Chawad Devi Temple, Laxman Mandir, and Bankey Bihari Temple. Bharatpur Palace, museum

Things to do in rappelling, zip-lining, rifle shooting, archery, pipe walking, horizontal ladder, plane walking, Burma bridge, heebie jeebie, and quake walking. (There are instructors too for guiding you)

Distance From Delhi:  222 kilometers Best Time To Visit: August to November

Agra-

as we all are aware, it is UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Also famous for a wonder of the world- taj mahal which is made up of white marble.

Places to visit in: Jahangir Palace, Khas Palace, red fort.

Things to do in street shopping, trying famous sweet- PETHA.

Distance From Delhi:  233 kilometers Best Time To Visit: October to March

Mandawa-

a very small town of Rajasthan, it has immense art and beautiful structures to offer. This amazing town is a must-visit for all the history, architecture, as well as art lovers out there.

Places to visit in Murmuria Haveli, Chokhani Double Haveli, Hanuman Prasad Goenka Haveli, Harlalka Well, Saraf Haveli, Bansidhar Newatia Haveli.

Things to do in a walking tour of historical lanes, make a wish at the Harlalka Well

Distance From Delhi:  258 kilometers Best Time To Visit: October to March.

Neemrana-

The ancient town of Alwar has greenery and a royal vibe to offer. It has many captivating attractions for a wholesome vacation.

Places to visit in age-old Neemrana Fort,  Vinay Vilas Mahal,

Things to do in trek adventure at the Bala Quila, Siliserh Lake boating and bird-watching, Sariska Wildlife Sanctuary. Baori -a historic stepwell.

Distance From Delhi:  126 kilometers Best Time To Visit: August till March

Nahan-

it is a little town of HP, typically a hill station. Scenic vision and snow-capped mountains make it even better. A good destination all over.

Places to visit in Renuka lake and Rajbans tall, Jagannath Temple, Trilokinath Cave Temple

Things to do in touring the historic Jaitak Fort, trekking to the Churdhar peak, shopping at Mall Road, and camping at Kangojodi.

Distance From Delhi:  250 kilometers Best Time To Visit: late-September till mid-November

Dehradun-

Lying in the foothills of the Himalayas, it has got lovely sceneries to offer. It is the capital of Uttarakhand. In Dehradun, there are many places which a person can explore!

Places to visit in Uttarakhand Ayurveda University, Forest Research Institute, Wadia Institute of Himalayan Geology, and Indira Gandhi National Forest Academy.

Things to do in street shopping, go on walks on falls and treks.

Distance From Delhi:  266 kilometers Best Time To Visit: March to June

Guys, how do you like my blog, suggestions, and these places; please share it with us by tagging us on your social media handles. Also, don’t forget to wear masks and frequently use sanitizer as well. Be safe and explore as much you can, the beauty.

https://exploring2gether.com/explore-places/

[nomadicrahul]

Heart of India- Central India

Hello everyone, I am Rahul Mittal and i think you are reading this blog as you are also planning a visit to Jaipur, I think my blog would very helpfull to everyone out here and do comment my mistakes.

Rajasthan Tourism is the best part of Indian tourism. The more significant part of travellers visits India by great occasion understanding, extravagance excursion, experience and safari, untamed life Endeavour, a legacy the travel industry, and cultural and ethnic the travel industry. Rajasthan is one of the most popular travel destinations in India (pre-COVID-19), appealing to tourists, vacationers, adventure enthusiasts and wildlife lovers.Rajasthan means the "Land of Kings". And honestly, it stills shows its royal splendour in parks, temples and monuments built by various kings consecutively which are of excellent Rajasthan tourism importance. There are many museums within the state showing artefacts, weapons, garments, jewellery and goods of erstwhile rulers of the country. Ancient handicrafts can also be seen in many museums of the state.So we started our journey from Delhi to see such an interesting place,  where we had already book a cab through some travel agency. So as it was a family tour so its basic objective was to visit temples in Rajasthan, but we planned to visit other places too. So our first destination was out of Rajasthan, it was Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, there we reached around 8 P.M. and took a Dharamshala, as we all know cost management is important of any journey. The next morning we went to the temple where there an incident took place where when I took out my phone to take photos than all of a sudden a guard came from behind and took my phone we were all shocked by this action and he said," can't you all follow the rules, clicking photos are not allowed inside the temple" but luckily he took the phone before I could click a photo so I got my phone back. We were like can't they put some posters about this law and then the guard showed us so many posters, and we were ashamed as we didn't saw this many posters might be due to our excitement about our tour.Now we went to Agra to get the glimpse on the beauty of Taj Mahal which we had visited it 5 years back but one can't stop himself from visiting it if are near Agra, but this time I was more focused on the gate of 'Darwaza-i-Rauza' it's the gate from where one will have its first sight of Taj Mahal, in this gate I heard that it has a very special effect that as you go backwards while looking towards Taj Mahale one would find that the size of Taj Mahale is increasing and decreases as you go forward until you cross the gate. One can look out the video below:

After compleating our tour in Agar, our journey of Rajasthan began we went to Jaipur, popularly known as the pink city, there we found a hotel in the outskirts of the city as there was so much traffic inside the city that we prefered to stay out of the city and we went to our first location the Amber Fort, it is located up in the hill one needs to walk up the hills or can get Elephant ride. We chose to go up by walking, it looked much bigger from inside, might be due to open space inside. We hired a guide but it priced was lower than expected, as I am not much interested in the history of this palace I was just roaming and enjoying the palace, whereas my parents were listing to the guide, I too heard something like there where 12 wives of the Raja Man Singh 1, there are 3 temples inside this Fort, among them was a gifted goddess statue on his victory over Bengal, for that status buffalos were sacrificed until mid 80's when it was stoped, then he showed us a locked room which he stated could lead to a tunnel which would help king's family to run in case of any successful invasion, there are beautiful gardens all around the fort.

Then the tour guide took us to another temple, on his way he took us inside a cloth shop which used traditional way to print design in cloths, they had designs embedded in various stones and they are dipped in dyes and then printed in the cloth. We then went to visit the city palace. It's alike of Amber Fort but it has a beautiful museum which has all the items which were connected to the royal family and the royal family lives there in the palace. Then we went for Jantar Manter, but it was closed. So we had to stay for a day in Jaipur in the morning we went to Jantar Mantar there, it would be very foolish to go without a guide as one can't understand whats the objective of many machines present there but you can stand near a large group with a guide and we were able to hear some of those machines work, we did this foolishness to go without a guide. Here we ended our journey of Jaipur and went back. One thing I would like to suggest is that if you are a student you should carry your student id as I saw there on the ticket counter there were special discount for students.Thank you for reading my blog, I do think it was helpful for your tour too.

[silkloss7-blog]

Hopper To It: Toongabbie, Sydney's Little Sri Lanka

It's time for a little adventure out west to Toongabbie and Pendle Hill to visit Sydney's little Sri Lanka. Here you'll find a delicious array of dishes, hoppers, roti as well as a surprising mix with Malaysian food (go figure), friendly service and just a rollicking good time!

The song "Heaven is a Place on Earth" plays us into Toongabbie. I am in the car with my sometime vegetarian friend Laura. At 5pm she picked me up from my place and we drove across Sydney. 55 minutes and an ungodly number of 80's love songs later we have arrived at Toongabbie where people are busy making the rush hour dash home from work.

X Dreams

Our first stop is X Dreams, based purely on two reasons: the name for starters but also that Laura had been told that it has Sydney's best Sri Lankan food. "Is it a jewellery store?" we ask as we drive past it. The owners of X Dreams own a jewellery store as well as the eatery next door.

It's very busy here and we are the only non Sri Lankan patrons which is the sort of thing that confirms that the food is authentic and good. The man behind the counter is super friendly and when we ask him for recommendations he puts together a delicious tray full of goodies for us including goat curry to pepper chicken.

We hear the clang of the pans when they make kotthu rotti (chopped roti) in the background and we order some hoppers to add to our order as well as a sweet rose drink.

We bring our tray to our table situated next to the spare tissue boxes, tomato sauce (odd!), salt, pepper and cutlery. "It's banging," says Laura and I agree. The pepper chicken is delicious, the goat curry aromatic in cardamom and the rice is plentiful. And the deep fried lamb and vegetable roll are so addictively crunchy that I find it hard to stop at just a few bites. The beetroot curry is also wonderful. The only thing we don't really love is the fried chicken as it is dry.

We also really fall for the hoppers. We have an egg hopper which is spongey and thick in the centre with a beautifully crispy edge and the cheese hopper has that added layer of cheese that delights us so.

And then the piece de resistance is the milk hopper with coconut milk and jaggery sugar. The guy had warned us that once we tried one we'd want another and he's quite right. Heaven is a place on earth indeed eating one of these.

Lunge time!

X Dreams highlights: pepper chicken, beetroot curry, milk hopper, cheese hopper, vegetable or lamb roll

Amma's or Kikiz

Right next door to X dreams is Amma's or Kikiz. Amma is the mother and Kikiz is the daughter and they're in the process of transitioning the business over which is why they have both signs. The pictures signal a mix of Sri Lankan and Malaysian goodies like Char Kway Teow and Nasi Lemak.

We take a seat inside the restaurant and are offered several menus. Its hard to choose but we start with a delicious milk tea with ginger ($4) and go with their specialties: a crab curry as well as a more Malaysian offering of fish head curry with paratha.

Fish Head and 2 Paratha $15

The Sri Lankan couple next to us are curious about our ordering style. For their part they're ordering nasi goreng. And here the sound of the kotthu or chopped roti is like a musical rhythm. "It's food music-it's fusic!" exclaims Laura.

Crab masala curry $18

The crab masala curry arrives and it is very pungent in aroma. While it smells fierce the flavour is actually really good, it's a dark curry full of spices. The fish head curry arrives, also a pungent curry and we dip the roti into both curries, the crab curry being the favourite of the two.

We take a short stop at the grocery store to explore things-I am curious about a wood apple drink and I buy some masala flavoured Lays chips.

Amma's highlights: milk and ginger tea, crab masala curry

Dish

Then it's over to Dish which is just around the corner. There is also a Dish at Glebe and chef Manjula Fernando first started here in Toongabbie testing out the ground before opening up in Glebe this year.

The menu is shorter here in Toongabbie and there are also bain maries where you can get takeaway. We order a Sri Lankan Faluda rose flavoured shake with ice cream drink with sago pearls at the bottom and it's sweet and delicious but not overpoweringly so. It is quieter here with two tables occupied.

Faluda with ice cream $5

Rice and curry $11.50

Our tray arrives and there's glistening yellow rice as well as a rich spiced pork curry. There are three vegetables that come along with it and we adore the kale salad. The jackfruit that we'd read about wasn't very exciting but the potato curry was creamy and tasty.

Kottu roti $12

And we also enjoy the Kotthy or chopped roti that reminds us of stir fried noodles. The Wattalapam that I had so enjoyed at Lankan Filling Station is different here. Here it is more a syrup cake whereas there it was more a pudding which I preferred.

Watalappam $5

Dish highlights: faluda with ice cream, kale curry, potato curry, kottu rotti

Cinnamon's

When we walk around the corner we see that Mathura's is closed (they're said to make a killer dosa) so we head across the other side of the railway station to one of the more unusual restaurants. Cinnamon's is a not for profit restaurant that sort of looks like it is decorated like a wedding venue.

The couple that own it are religious and it is staffed by them and volunteers and there is a large glossy red statement wall with their mission statement on it. There is one other table dining and inexplicably along with Sri Lankan food there is pizza (with neon flashing sign), bruschetta, nachos and a dish called "Tentacles" aka fried frankfurts on the menu as well as Sri Lankan food.

Prices are also higher here than at other places with most dishes at $27.90. They recommend a "Cinnamon's Special" and a "Mixed Fried Rice" which comes with your choice of a meat dish. We hear the clanking of the pots against the strains of wedding tunes and we're both wondering whether we can make it to any other places as it is just after 9pm on a Wednesday night. Before long our dishes arrive and they're absolutely enormous.

Sri Lankan Mixed Fried Rice $27.90 (right)

The mixed rice is like a fried rice with some extra spices and Chinese chilli paste-it's very good and there's no way we can finish it. The devilled chicken that it comes with is like a Sri Lankan sweet and sour chicken that is juicy, peppery and moreish (spoiler alert: I ate all the chicken in this as Laura couldn't as she could smell capsicum and she's allergic). There is also a pineapple and cabbage salad to the side.

Cinnamon's special $27.90

The cinnamon special however is our favourite. It's a gorgeous yellow rice cooked in stock with a battered boiled egg, devilled prawns, fried chicken strips and a delightful green chilli sambol on the side. When we ask for takeaway containers (we hate wasting food) they look at how much we've eaten or not eaten as the case may be, and think that we are crazy (that's ok, we're used to it). And with that we high tail it to Pendle Hill for our final stop.

Cinnamon highlights: Cinnamon's special

Pendle Hill

Alas the sweets shop in Pendle Hill looks to be closed although it was supposed to be open. We console ourselves with a stop at a takeaway shop to buy an Indian cashew burfi and rasgulla milk ball and pop into a grocery store where we buy some Sri Lankan sweets (semolina cookies and sesame balls) as snacks for the road. We get into Laura's Mini Cooper and snack on these, slightly dejected at anticlimax for our last stop.

The sesame ball is rock hard but tasty, the Rulan Aluwa semolina sweet is grainy and reminds me of a less sweet sesame snap. The rasgulla is sweet and wet in texture while the burfi is dry. We pop on 80's hit Gloria and make our way back towards home.

Ten To Ten

Yam pudding $4 and butter cake $6

We drive past the station and then Laura spots a place that is open. Doing a quick u-turn we dash out of the car determined to catch them before they close. The first shop "ten to ten" sells a yam pudding and a Sri Lankan butter cake so we buy both for $10.

Flavours Of Ceylon

Then stop a few doors down at Flavours of Ceylon where they are still open and cooking. There's a stand that looks like the kind you might find on a tropical beach, except it's in the front room of a takeaway place. They make some recommendations but they're all rice based and we groan slightly, "We've eaten a lot of rice tonight" we explain, although we probably don't make a lot of sense.

"How about a string hopper biryani?" he says. We tell him again that we don't feel like rice but he explains that there is no rice, they use hoppers. "Oooh!!" we exclaim excitedly and an order is placed for the string hopper biryani.

As we wait Laura lies down on the chairs, "I need a moment," she says as it is nearing 10:30pm and we've been eating for 4 and a half hours. Then she cracks open the yam pudding and butter cake. The yam pudding is comforting and familiar and slightly sweet but not overly so. And the butter cake is pretty much like any sort of butter cake but it's a popular sweet in Sri Lanka.

String Hopper biryani with prawns $19

Our food is ready and comes out in a large styrofoam container. It smells wonderful. It's a takeaway place but we want to try it while it is hot so we taste some. And it is delicious. This is one of the finds of the night along with the hoppers at X Dreams. It really is like vermicelli noodles but with so much flavour. There are school prawns and a eggplant paha on the side that is so good I want to buy a whole serve and there's also ikan bilis or chilli anchovies. The Malaysian influence is very prevalent here and all of the restaurants except for X Dreams incorporated some amount of it.

Biscuit cake $5

To finish we also buy a biscuit cake which is pretty much like the biscuit refrigerator cakes made with Marie biscuits, chocolate and butter. It's rich and sweet and utterly dangerous. "You take that, I don't need it in my house," says Laura.

Flavours Of Ceylon highlights: hopper biryani, eggplant paha, biscuit cake

When we arrive at my house we divide up the food that Laura has kept in the chiller bag in her car boot. There's so much delicious food that I can't wait to wake up the next day and eat because leftovers are life!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like food adventures? Have you eaten much Sri Lankan food? Have you ever been to Toongabbie or Pendle Hill to eat?

These meals were independently paid for.

X Dreams

14 Aurelia St, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Wednesday to Monday 7am–10pm Tuesday Closed Phone: (02) 8677 0420

Amma's Or Kikiz

18/20 Aurelia Street, Toongabbie, Sydney, NSW Tuesday to Sunday 8am–9:30pm Closed Monday Phone: (02) 7806 2335

Cinnamon's

1/465-481 Wentworth Ave, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Monday to Friday 5:30–9:30pm Saturday 2:30–10pm Sunday Closed Phone: 0498 116 753 cinnamonsrestaurant.com.au

Flavours of Ceylon

17 Joyce St, Pendle Hill NSW 2145 Wednesday to Friday 11am–2pm, 5–10pm Saturday 11am–10pm Sunday 11am–2pm Closed Monday and Tuesday Phone: 0414 262 318

Source: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/11/26/sri-lankan-food-toongabbie-pendle-hill/

[altughuner-blog]

They say there are only three things from the time of Sri Krishna – Govardhan Parvat, Land of Braj and river Yamuna.

The Yamuna with her dark waters is like Krishna in her looks. She is one of his wives and in Mathura, she is the Pattarani or the chief wife. Your visit to Braj Bhumi can not be complete without visiting the holy river.

Boat Ride on the Yamuna river in Mathura

Taking a boat ride on the holy river is a popular pilgrim and tourist activity. So, one morning I also took a boat to admire the different ghats of Mathura from the waters of the river. I probably wanted to see what the river gets to see every day.

Video of the Boat ride

As I was walking towards the ghat, I heard a group of young boys chanting Vedas, repeating after an acharya, sitting under a small canopy. The bazaars were still opening up, but temple bells could be heard just about anywhere.

Vishram Ghat

Vishram Ghat

We started from the famous Vishram ghat on a colorful boat. It is believed that Sri Krishna took rest here, after killing Kamsa and that is how it got its name – Vishram Ghat. It is located bang in the middle, there are 12 ghats on either side of it.

Boats here have colorful flags all around them and an equally colorful carpet to sit on. The boatman told us stories of Braj Bhumi in Braj Bhasha. Poems and saying just flow from his mouth. They add to the joy of a boat ride on a warm March morning.

Kamsa Qila Fort

Kamsa Qila or fort

He tells us about different ghats and their stories as we row towards the left of Vishram Ghat towards Kans ka Qila or the Kamsa’s fort. I am keen to go inside and see the fort, although I know at best it could be the place associated with Kamsa. The fort in red sandstone is obviously recent. Everyone tells me, there is nothing inside to see. From the river, it looks a fairly large fort. Reflecting on the waters, it looks even more majestic.

Colorful Boats on the river

Holi

Rest of the river is lined with colorful ghats buzzing with activities. I was visiting a few days before Holi when the historical city is already in Holi mode. I saw many families playing Holi with the Yamuna. Yes, you heard it right. Playing Holi with the holy river. They would sing Hori or the Holi songs, throw some color in the river and then play among themselves. In fact, this was a ritual inserted in almost every ritual taking place on the ghats. The mood was that of joy and celebration – which is the eternal mood you associate with a place that was chosen even by Sri Krishna to play and do his Raas Lila.

Do read – Govardhan Parvat Parikrama

The only distinct feature I can remember is a tall tower in red sandstone built in Rajasthani Jharokha style called Sati Burj. Apparently, a queen, who was also the mother-in-law of Akbar, did Sati here and this tower was erected in the memory of that.

Verses of Puranas talking about Yamuna and Mathura

Verses from Puranas

Across the ghats, there are boards with verses from Puranas talking about Mathura in Sanskrit with Hindi Translation. I loved it. Hope other places also replicate this practice of putting the Sthal Purana or the literature on the city in public places.

Do read – Making of Mathura Peda

Unfortunately, the ghats of the river are not clean. I saw the sewerage flowing right into the river. The garbage lines up like a threshold between the steps of ghats and the water. It is a painful sight to look at dirty water.

Having said that, there is no dearth of stories when you sit by the river quietly flowing along the moon-shaped ghats of Mathura. Just sit back and let the Brajwasis regale you in the stories of the land.

Chunri Manorath ritual – When the Yamuna Wears Sari

On the boat ride, my guide told me about this unique ritual that is performed on the holy river. As luck would have it, the boatman informed us that a couple of Chunri Manorath is planned for the day. I quickly reworked the plan for the day and made sure I see this unique celebration.

What is the ritual?

Manorath means a wish. Chunri is the scarf that is worn with Indian dresses. On auspicious occasions, women are offered Chunri as part of festivals or during auspicious functions like weddings and engagements. It is generally a sign of acknowledging the auspicious aspect of the divine feminine.

Chunri Manorath Ritual for the holy river

At Mathura, the ritual involves offering a Chunri to the Yamuna, for she is the most auspicious goddess of the land. Families bring rolls of many Saris stitched together, usually 101 Saris but sometimes as many as 400 saris stitched together. This long roll of clothing is then taken on multiple boats to the other end of the holy river. The long cloth is held in a way that it looks like the Yamuna is wearing a Chunri.

Do read – Holi Festival in Mathura Vrindavan

It is usually done by families to mark an occasion or to say thanks for a wish fulfilled. I saw two Chunri Manoraths that day. A family of 90-100 people from Gujarat was celebrating the 60th birthday of the patriarch, who performed all the pujas with his wife. Another family of 10-12 people of Rajasthan was welcoming the new bride in the family.

Who Does Chunri Manorath?

Families performing Chunri Manorath

Chunri Manorath is mainly done by Vaishnavs from Gujarat and Rajasthan who follow Pushti marg. For the followers of this sect, Yamuna is the prime deity. However, there is no restriction, anyone can do it. Priests there will tell you stories of their famous MP Hema Malini doing this ritual here. I assume for winning the parliament seat.

This ritual can be done almost around the year. A shelter has been built on the steps of a ghat to enable people to sit while the ritual is performed. The ritual is long and can take many hours.

Story of Chunri Manorath

It is said that the Gopis of Braj while playing with Sri Krishna developed a sense of pride that Sri Krishna listens to them and would do anything, they ask him to. As soon as Krishna sensed it, he wanted to correct it. He vanished in the waters of the holy river leaving Gopis in a dire state. They were lost and in despair sang Gopi Geet.

They went from forest to forest, from pond to pond looking for Krishna. Finally, they went to the Yamuna and asked his whereabouts. The holy river was moved by their desperate state and she requested Krishna to come out and bring the joy back on the faces of Gopis.

Gopis thanked Yamuna Ji by offering Chunri to her. Since then this ritual is followed by people who want to thank the holy river for fulfilling their wishes.

Video: Watch the Chunri Manorath ritual

Ritual

Families come in a procession, carrying the Chunri or the roll of Saris on their heads. They are dressed in their best clothes. One family has all the women wearing red bandhani saris. Another one has women wearing heavy silk saris and best of jewelry. I guess most of them were wearing new saris. They come to the ghats of the holy river dancing and singing to the love music. As they pass through the markets, everyone knows that the river is going to look beautiful once again.

They sit on the steps of the ghat as the priest prepares for the Chunri Puja. A platform is a setup to perform the following Pujas in sequence:

Ganesh Puja Kalash Puja Matrika Puja Krishna and Yamuna Puja

Sri Krishna and the Yamuna Murthis

Two pots are painted as Krishna and Yamuna. They are decorated like a bride and groom. Every person participating in the puja offers them clothes and jewelry. They are surrounded by sweets of all kinds. I watched the Murtis being decorated with lots of love and affection by the priests as well as the family members.

Offerings to the Holy river

The holy river at its edge is offered various things that are offered to any deity in temple worship like milk, curd, Haldi, Kumkum. Since this was also the Holi time, they also offered her 5 colors as if playing Holi with her.

Colors to play Holi with the river

Once all Pujas are done, people start boarding the boats in a sequence holding the Saris, Challenge is to keep the Saris high up in the air. It is a beautiful scene to see the colorful Saris unfold as the boats move slowly across the river, adding color to it. However, the best part is the joy on the faces of people offering the Chunri. It is like they are living a dream.

In between the instructions for the boatmen, we could also hear ‘Yamuna Maiyya ki Jai’. Once done, everyone congratulates each other for the task well accomplished.

Long ritual

Going by the amount of time spent on doing the Puja or number of things offered, I am sure it is a pretty costly ritual to undertake.

I spent a good 3 hours observing this ritual. The big family was kind enough to invite me to join in for a part of Puja where you offer color to the river. They even invited me to come on board for taking the Chunri on the other side. I said thanks but stayed back to look at from the ghats.

It is one of those serendipitous experiences that make you present at the right time and right place. Till a day before, I had no idea of this ritual. In the morning, I just thought we will look at the ghats on the boat ride and then go on with exploring the rest of Mathura. The holy river has other plans for me. She wanted me to see her draped in colorful Saris. It could not have happened without her grace. These are moments when you feel fulfilled as a traveler.

I later learned that a similar ritual is done at the Narmada as well. Let’s see when the Narmada decides to include me in her glorious moments.

Do try to witness this unique ritual as and when you get a chance.

Stories of Krishna and Yamuna

On the ghats of Mathura, you hear various stories.

One story says that it was the Yamuna who got to touch his feet first, just after he was born. As we know, when Krishna was born, his father Vasudeva carried him in a basket across the Yamuna to Gokul to the home of his friends Nand and Yashoda. When he was carrying the waters of the river came till his neck. This is when Krishna took out his feet from the basket and let the Yamuna touch them. The waters receded and Vasudeva could easily cross the river.

Another story is if various acts of Krishna, all of which were done on the banks of this river, including his Raas Leela and Playing of Flute.

Yet another story depicts the river appearing in her human form with a garland of lotus flowers to marry Krishna.

The Yamuna, as we know is the daughter of Sun and sister of Yama – the God of death. She is also considered the Shakti of Krishna in liquid form, sometimes called the form of Birja Devi.

Read more here.

Travel Tips for Boat Ride

You need about an hour or so to leisurely enjoy the ghats here, including the boat ride.

I paid Rs 400/- for an exclusive boat ride for an hour. It can easily seat 15-20 people.

Try visiting in the morning when the ghats are buzzing with activity and the sun is favorable.

The post Chunri Manorath Ritual – When Yamuna River Wears Sari appeared first on Inditales.

[badgerkick0-blog]

Hopper To It: Toongabbie, Sydney's Little Sri Lanka

It's time for a little adventure out west to Toongabbie and Pendle Hill to visit Sydney's little Sri Lanka. Here you'll find a delicious array of dishes, hoppers, roti as well as a surprising mix with Malaysian food (go figure), friendly service and just a rollicking good time!

The song "Heaven is a Place on Earth" plays us into Toongabbie. I am in the car with my sometime vegetarian friend Laura. At 5pm she picked me up from my place and we drove across Sydney. 55 minutes and an ungodly number of 80's love songs later we have arrived at Toongabbie where people are busy making the rush hour dash home from work.

X Dreams

Our first stop is X Dreams, based purely on two reasons: the name for starters but also that Laura had been told that it has Sydney's best Sri Lankan food. "Is it a jewellery store?" we ask as we drive past it. The owners of X Dreams own a jewellery store as well as the eatery next door.

It's very busy here and we are the only non Sri Lankan patrons which is the sort of thing that confirms that the food is authentic and good. The man behind the counter is super friendly and when we ask him for recommendations he puts together a delicious tray full of goodies for us including goat curry to pepper chicken.

We hear the clang of the pans when they make kotthu rotti (chopped roti) in the background and we order some hoppers to add to our order as well as a sweet rose drink.

We bring our tray to our table situated next to the spare tissue boxes, tomato sauce (odd!), salt, pepper and cutlery. "It's banging," says Laura and I agree. The pepper chicken is delicious, the goat curry aromatic in cardamom and the rice is plentiful. And the deep fried lamb and vegetable roll are so addictively crunchy that I find it hard to stop at just a few bites. The beetroot curry is also wonderful. The only thing we don't really love is the fried chicken as it is dry.

We also really fall for the hoppers. We have an egg hopper which is spongey and thick in the centre with a beautifully crispy edge and the cheese hopper has that added layer of cheese that delights us so.

And then the piece de resistance is the milk hopper with coconut milk and jaggery sugar. The guy had warned us that once we tried one we'd want another and he's quite right. Heaven is a place on earth indeed eating one of these.

Lunge time!

X Dreams highlights: pepper chicken, beetroot curry, milk hopper, cheese hopper, vegetable or lamb roll

Amma's or Kikiz

Right next door to X dreams is Amma's or Kikiz. Amma is the mother and Kikiz is the daughter and they're in the process of transitioning the business over which is why they have both signs. The pictures signal a mix of Sri Lankan and Malaysian goodies like Char Kway Teow and Nasi Lemak.

We take a seat inside the restaurant and are offered several menus. Its hard to choose but we start with a delicious milk tea with ginger ($4) and go with their specialties: a crab curry as well as a more Malaysian offering of fish head curry with paratha.

Fish Head and 2 Paratha $15

The Sri Lankan couple next to us are curious about our ordering style. For their part they're ordering nasi goreng. And here the sound of the kotthu or chopped roti is like a musical rhythm. "It's food music-it's fusic!" exclaims Laura.

Crab masala curry $18

The crab masala curry arrives and it is very pungent in aroma. While it smells fierce the flavour is actually really good, it's a dark curry full of spices. The fish head curry arrives, also a pungent curry and we dip the roti into both curries, the crab curry being the favourite of the two.

We take a short stop at the grocery store to explore things-I am curious about a wood apple drink and I buy some masala flavoured Lays chips.

Amma's highlights: milk and ginger tea, crab masala curry

Dish

Then it's over to Dish which is just around the corner. There is also a Dish at Glebe and chef Manjula Fernando first started here in Toongabbie testing out the ground before opening up in Glebe this year.

The menu is shorter here in Toongabbie and there are also bain maries where you can get takeaway. We order a Sri Lankan Faluda rose flavoured shake with ice cream drink with sago pearls at the bottom and it's sweet and delicious but not overpoweringly so. It is quieter here with two tables occupied.

Faluda with ice cream $5

Rice and curry $11.50

Our tray arrives and there's glistening yellow rice as well as a rich spiced pork curry. There are three vegetables that come along with it and we adore the kale salad. The jackfruit that we'd read about wasn't very exciting but the potato curry was creamy and tasty.

Kottu roti $12

And we also enjoy the Kotthy or chopped roti that reminds us of stir fried noodles. The Wattalapam that I had so enjoyed at Lankan Filling Station is different here. Here it is more a syrup cake whereas there it was more a pudding which I preferred.

Watalappam $5

Dish highlights: faluda with ice cream, kale curry, potato curry, kottu rotti

Cinnamon's

When we walk around the corner we see that Mathura's is closed (they're said to make a killer dosa) so we head across the other side of the railway station to one of the more unusual restaurants. Cinnamon's is a not for profit restaurant that sort of looks like it is decorated like a wedding venue.

The couple that own it are religious and it is staffed by them and volunteers and there is a large glossy red statement wall with their mission statement on it. There is one other table dining and inexplicably along with Sri Lankan food there is pizza (with neon flashing sign), bruschetta, nachos and a dish called "Tentacles" aka fried frankfurts on the menu as well as Sri Lankan food.

Prices are also higher here than at other places with most dishes at $27.90. They recommend a "Cinnamon's Special" and a "Mixed Fried Rice" which comes with your choice of a meat dish. We hear the clanking of the pots against the strains of wedding tunes and we're both wondering whether we can make it to any other places as it is just after 9pm on a Wednesday night. Before long our dishes arrive and they're absolutely enormous.

Sri Lankan Mixed Fried Rice $27.90 (right)

The mixed rice is like a fried rice with some extra spices and Chinese chilli paste-it's very good and there's no way we can finish it. The devilled chicken that it comes with is like a Sri Lankan sweet and sour chicken that is juicy, peppery and moreish (spoiler alert: I ate all the chicken in this as Laura couldn't as she could smell capsicum and she's allergic). There is also a pineapple and cabbage salad to the side.

Cinnamon's special $27.90

The cinnamon special however is our favourite. It's a gorgeous yellow rice cooked in stock with a battered boiled egg, devilled prawns, fried chicken strips and a delightful green chilli sambol on the side. When we ask for takeaway containers (we hate wasting food) they look at how much we've eaten or not eaten as the case may be, and think that we are crazy (that's ok, we're used to it). And with that we high tail it to Pendle Hill for our final stop.

Cinnamon highlights: Cinnamon's special

Pendle Hill

Alas the sweets shop in Pendle Hill looks to be closed although it was supposed to be open. We console ourselves with a stop at a takeaway shop to buy an Indian cashew burfi and rasgulla milk ball and pop into a grocery store where we buy some Sri Lankan sweets (semolina cookies and sesame balls) as snacks for the road. We get into Laura's Mini Cooper and snack on these, slightly dejected at anticlimax for our last stop.

The sesame ball is rock hard but tasty, the Rulan Aluwa semolina sweet is grainy and reminds me of a less sweet sesame snap. The rasgulla is sweet and wet in texture while the burfi is dry. We pop on 80's hit Gloria and make our way back towards home.

Ten To Ten

Yam pudding $4 and butter cake $6

We drive past the station and then Laura spots a place that is open. Doing a quick u-turn we dash out of the car determined to catch them before they close. The first shop "ten to ten" sells a yam pudding and a Sri Lankan butter cake so we buy both for $10.

Flavours Of Ceylon

Then stop a few doors down at Flavours of Ceylon where they are still open and cooking. There's a stand that looks like the kind you might find on a tropical beach, except it's in the front room of a takeaway place. They make some recommendations but they're all rice based and we groan slightly, "We've eaten a lot of rice tonight" we explain, although we probably don't make a lot of sense.

"How about a string hopper biryani?" he says. We tell him again that we don't feel like rice but he explains that there is no rice, they use hoppers. "Oooh!!" we exclaim excitedly and an order is placed for the string hopper biryani.

As we wait Laura lies down on the chairs, "I need a moment," she says as it is nearing 10:30pm and we've been eating for 4 and a half hours. Then she cracks open the yam pudding and butter cake. The yam pudding is comforting and familiar and slightly sweet but not overly so. And the butter cake is pretty much like any sort of butter cake but it's a popular sweet in Sri Lanka.

String Hopper biryani with prawns $19

Our food is ready and comes out in a large styrofoam container. It smells wonderful. It's a takeaway place but we want to try it while it is hot so we taste some. And it is delicious. This is one of the finds of the night along with the hoppers at X Dreams. It really is like vermicelli noodles but with so much flavour. There are school prawns and a eggplant paha on the side that is so good I want to buy a whole serve and there's also ikan bilis or chilli anchovies. The Malaysian influence is very prevalent here and all of the restaurants except for X Dreams incorporated some amount of it.

Biscuit cake $5

To finish we also buy a biscuit cake which is pretty much like the biscuit refrigerator cakes made with Marie biscuits, chocolate and butter. It's rich and sweet and utterly dangerous. "You take that, I don't need it in my house," says Laura.

Flavours Of Ceylon highlights: hopper biryani, eggplant paha, biscuit cake

When we arrive at my house we divide up the food that Laura has kept in the chiller bag in her car boot. There's so much delicious food that I can't wait to wake up the next day and eat because leftovers are life!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like food adventures? Have you eaten much Sri Lankan food? Have you ever been to Toongabbie or Pendle Hill to eat?

These meals were independently paid for.

X Dreams

14 Aurelia St, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Wednesday to Monday 7am–10pm Tuesday Closed Phone: (02) 8677 0420

Amma's Or Kikiz

18/20 Aurelia Street, Toongabbie, Sydney, NSW Tuesday to Sunday 8am–9:30pm Closed Monday Phone: (02) 7806 2335

Cinnamon's

1/465-481 Wentworth Ave, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Monday to Friday 5:30–9:30pm Saturday 2:30–10pm Sunday Closed Phone: 0498 116 753 cinnamonsrestaurant.com.au

Flavours of Ceylon

17 Joyce St, Pendle Hill NSW 2145 Wednesday to Friday 11am–2pm, 5–10pm Saturday 11am–10pm Sunday 11am–2pm Closed Monday and Tuesday Phone: 0414 262 318

Source: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/11/26/sri-lankan-food-toongabbie-pendle-hill/

[prasanttricolour]

Dhanu Yatra -World's Biggest Open-Air Theater One can't neglect the importance of individuals media in the correspondence and improvement frameworks. The legislature has furthermore comprehended the criticalness of the use of web-based life as a vehicle for the surge of developmental messages. In 1970s society media was successfully used for family orchestrating programs every single through Indium.  Thusly, extraordinary prosperity programs and other developmental messages are progressed through such internet based life. In this exceptional condition, we have to esteem the ability of Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh as a strong specific contraption.  The area of Bargarh with excellent mountain, suffering streams and falls and an immense area of green woods offer the most perfect guests' attractions. It isn't only a spot that is known for heavenly chronicled goals and stunning trademark amuses yet, what's more, a spot that is known for extraordinary fairs and festivities which improve the social heritage of Odisha Bargarh presents Dhanu Yatra, an extensively acclaimed society show structure. It addresses the general public Little Tradition of this district. In this special condition, it may be said that Krushna's group of Hindu Great Tradition, which has influenced various kinds of individuals performances in different bits of Odisha and India, has moreover giant effect on Dhanu Yatra. "Krushna-Leela" in Gopa-Pura (present Ambapali town), "Mathura Vijaya" and "Kansa-Badha" in Mathura (present Bargarh town) are the essential attractions of Dhanu Yatra. Kansa, regardless, is the point of convergence of interest and he wins all through the Yatra. It is known as "Dhanu" Yatra in light of the fact that it is found in the Dhanu (Pousa) month between the 'Dhanu Sankranti' and 'Makara Sankranti'. Plus, as indicated by a whimsical point of view, Kansa had invited Krushna and Balaram on the occasion of Dhanu Yatra with a covered objective of executing them during the Yatra. From now on, it is known as Dhanu Yatra. As referenced above, it is sifted through in the Hindu month of Dhanu/Pousa (December-January).  It is commended by Pousa Sukla Sasthi Tithi, for instance, the sixth day of the awe-inspiring fortnight of Pousa to Pousa Purnima, for instance, the full moon day of Pousa. In like way, it is accomplished for ten to eleven days reliably. It is a fundamental bit of the way of life of Bargarh. It helps in sparing our old heritage just as associates in scattering our old custom. It is acknowledged that Dhanu Yatra began in the year 1948 after self-rule. It was essentially the result of chance and rule as a show blamed for nationalistic vitality and energy. In this sense, Kansa addressed the pilgrim power on out, and KrushnaBalaram spoke to the committed want of the standard mass. Dhanu Yatra is uncommon and discernable from the rest in each respect. This is bewildering and extra-regular in its substance and structure. It is gigantic and basic in sense and style. It is stunning and shocking in ease and loftiness.  It is possibly the best outside individuals appear in the known history of the world anyway the wellspring of society sensation in West Odisha is yet to be found. Despite the way that the beginning stage of this general public show style is canvassed in a conundrum, Dhanu Yatra of Bargarh has been expanding progressively broad affirmation as a people's performance. Dhanu Yatra has gotten one of the huge things in nearby individuals' traditions of Odisha. It is one of the noteworthy performance structures which in spite of everything holds ground in the cross-portion of the overall population. It is a remarkable and outstanding kind of society show wherein divine characters like Krushna, Balaram, Devaki, Basudeva, Ugrasena, Kansa Maharaja and such are the most noteworthy characters and the standard of Kansa Maharaja is adulated by the people. This general public performance structure is seen as its own special class for its outstanding suggestion of style. Dhanu Yatra is a sensational depiction of a Pouranic dream 'Krushna Leela'. Various events, straightforwardly from the wedding administration of Devaki with Basudeva to the deadly destruction of Kansa Maharaja as depicted in various Hindu hallowed writings are set up to bring the old dream alive in different territories of Bargarh town and Ambapali town. By the day's end, the Krushna group which has affected various sorts of society sensations in different bits of India has not lost its powerful substance if there ought to emerge an event of Dhanu Yatra. Believe it or not, Dhanu Yatra has put Bargarh explicitly and Odisha when in doubt in the social guide of the country By chance, the basic features of Bargarh and Ambapali practically fit in with the zone of the Pouranic depictions of Mathura and Gopapura. Bargarh town is treated as Mathura. Jira stream is on the edge of Bargarh town, which fills in as conduit Jamuna.  On the contrary side of the conduit Jira, there is a little town called Ambapali, which is structured as Gopapura. There is a mango estate, which fills in as Brundaban. There is furthermore a lake, which is used as Kalindi Sarovara (lake). Various scenes are requested in better places of Bargarh town and Ambapali town, as opposed to at one spot. In any case, one brilliantly breathed life into a stage is brought up in the center of Bargarh town to broaden it as the Durbar of Kansa Maharaja. As per the show, one enrolled elephant is secured for the improvement of Kansa Maharaja. Female characters are performed by male people. This is the quality of individuals especially found in various bits of India. The whole scene of Bargarh inside scope of around five to six kilometers changes into a 'Play Zone', which may be called an outside theater. As it has been said previously, this is the best outside presentation place in the known history on this planet. This establishment and setting make this most prominent 'Play Zone' of Dhanu Yatra the greatest outside the theater where the area of Dhanu Yatra is performed. The whole scene gives the festival a vivacious look. Possibly, in wherever a play has not been made to achieve such a monstrous degree with goodness and openness. The most noteworthy piece of Dhanu Yatra is its greatest cast and the people's help. The lead characters like Kansa, Ugrasena, Devaki, Basudeva, Krushna and Balarama are browsed among the local authorities. On a very basic level, all the close by tenants similarly as the guests and visitors who happen to be right away are in like manner taken as characters. Pretty much every one has an occupation to play out; each one has an errand to do. Physical commitment of all present on the occasion is clear. It inundates and overwhelms all. They all get together with no security measure, with no welcome. In this sense, Dhanu Yatra has greatest cast. There is no denying that, Dhanu Yatra is of the people, by the people and for the people. Normal residents seem to have been bright and eager to the unbelievable age in body and soul during the hour of festivity, anyway the length of this festival is ten to eleven days specifically. It attracts a gigantic number of gatherings. The displays are so vivacious and enthusiastic that the locale association needs to expect an inert activity at the back stage. Obviously the standards of Kansa Maharaja win in Bargarh. By and large populace benefit as much as possible from his solicitation just as he is the genuine supervisor of Bargarh. Another huge piece of Dhanu Yatra is its style of talk movement. There is no specific trade as such for any scene. Believe it or not, the theme and the electrifying substance of Dhanu Yatra give a general sketch; the focal points are finished off by the performers. This is an open door allowed to the performers, which offers climb to a movement of imaginative structures and giving a perfect shape to the play. In this way, keeping in observe the area of the scene, the characters talk about the trade unpremeditated and without arranging in their own specific way. Dhanu Yatra in like manner allows to the close by performing artistes to show their capacities. The tenants of Bargarh have been watching this for a seriously long time yet they are not tired of it since it doesn't hamper their regular day to day existence. Transports and gets ready to utilize of course. Normal laborers deal with their commitments and working environments clearly. Untouchables visiting Bargarh in light of the fact that on this occasion ends up being a bit of the festival with no dedication, with no motivation. Point of fact, Dhanu Yatra takes up social causes and is respected for its nature of actuating the mass. Normal, the scenes are approved toward the night and around evening time hours. Regardless, social ventures continue till the incredibly early occasions for diversion of the visitors. There is no norm, no constraint, anyway it is prepared to such a degree, that there is no separation. The closeness between the group and the performers gives a viable concealing to the Dhanu Yatra. To be in Bargarh during this festival means to be a bit of this individual's performance which is a genuine presence time understanding, an unprecedented occasion to peep into the local culture totally.  In any case, the facilitators of Dhanu Yatra should be esteemed and offered thanks for their splendid occupation and excellent effort to propel this regional individual's custom. Kansa Maharaja fails horrendously on the most recent day of Dhanu Yatra. A model of Kansa Maharaja is singed making the completion of his tyrannical rule. The anecdotal universe of Mathura and Gopapura with the stream Yamuna isolating the two arrives at a resolution. Regardless of the way that the image stops to exist, the basic laughing of Kansa Maharaja resounds the nature of Bargarh till next Dhanu Yatra. Without a doubt, even as the screens drop on the most recent day of the Yatra with the deadly For More Details, please visit -   http://www.elicitodisha.com/ 

http://unmaskodisha.blogspot.com/2020/05/dhanu-yatra-worlds-biggest-open-air.html

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8 Amazing Places to Visit for a 2 Day Trip from Delhi

Living in a metro city like Delhi can take its toll on you. For beginners, you are caught up in the routine 9-to-5 rut and you have to cope up with crowds & traffic snarls. To keep you calm, you are often asked to exercise, listen to music & even meditate. Although, one of the best ways to bring balance to your life and have fun is to escape the crowd of the city for a short vacation, even though it is for a two day trip in Delhi places for visit.

The capital city has some rather relaxing & amazing places surrounding it that are perfect for a weekend or midweek getaway. We have picked the top 8 best places that are ideal for a 2 day trip from Delhi.

Best Places For a 2 Day Trip from Delhi (under 200 kilometers)

1. Alwar

Located in Rajasthan, Alwar has forever been a go-to weekend destination for many Delhites. The city offers an energizing break from city life with its lazy rivers and wonderful tourist attractions.

2. Mathura

In Mathura, you will find many temples & religious structures. Besides being a great pilgrimage center, Mathura is also a great place to visit in Delhi for 2 days because it’s full of fun activities.

3. Nahan

Nahan is a hidden gem situated in the hills of Himachal Pradesh. An off-beat travel destination, it is well known for its calm & relaxed environment. Perfect for a 2 day trip from Delhi, this place is naturally blessed with lakes, hills, waterfalls, & breathtaking peaks.

4. Lansdowne

Lansdowne is situated amongst lovely pine & oak forests and is one of the popular hill station places to visit near me. Formerly called Kaludanda, you can soak in the lovely scenic views of the pine forests and the hills or indulge in plenty of touristy activities.

5. Parwanoo

An incredibly beautiful place, Parwanoo is located between the borders of Himachal Pradesh & Haryana. This is place is charming to those travelers looking for a destination that is not commercial and yet offers numberless fun things to do.

6. Dehradun

Dehradun is a hill station located in Uttarakhand, is an awesome choice for a 2 day trip from Delhi. The hills are the perfect setting for cozy getaways and they present travelers with the opportunity to indulge in a few adventure sports, too.

7. Nainital

There is something for everyone in Nainital. People who love to walk around the outdoors can embark on long nature walks along some of the most scenic trails in North India. History buffs can explore tourist attractions in Nainital that stand tall till this very day. And, adventure seekers can enjoy many outdoor sports like trekking, biking, and rock climbing.

8. Shimla

Shimla is known as the Queen of the Himalayas, it offers the most beautiful & scenic views of the mountain range. Although Shimla is one of the most popular hill stations for couples and families, adventure seekers too have begun to fall in love with the hill station.

Conclusion

So the next time you are looking to get away from your boring schedule for a quick break, we suggest you these 12 amazing visit places near by me that are ideal for a two day trip from Delhi. If you visit these places, we would love to know about your experience.

[lighdesoti-blog]

Dating places in ghaziabad

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Top Birthday Party Venues in Delhi NCR, Birthday Celebration Places Purana Qila Mathura road Nearest Metro — Pragati Maidan.  Best part is wave river where you feel hard splash of waves, which is very dangerous if you go deeper in pool.  It is adjacent to the district park.  After a countdown the trapdoor opens and you are dropped at a speed of 60kmph for 5 seconds, further leading yourself to splash of water.  Indraprastha Park area is 85 acres approx and there is Amphitheatre, food court, water cascade, landscaping, etc.  Ghaziabad Ghaziabad Dating Places Dating in Ghaziabad Finding the best Ghaziabad dating places to start your dating life can be hard enough as but with Quackquack, you get a good platform to start your love life in Ghaziabad.

24 Romantic Places in Delhi for Couples. Visit Places in Delhi With Your Girlfriend It is one of the best place to visit with your girlfriend.  The ambience by the pool is super fancy.  It will allow you to show other couples in the Ghaziabad area what you two are all about.  For those adventurous couples looking to add a bit of spice back into their sex lives, a foursome can be a lot of fun! It is the highest natural point in Delhi and is open area dotted by smalls hills, undulating landscapes and having wonderful wildlife.  Date and from ghaziabad - integrated ict solutions oracle sap microsoft dynamics cloud apps to make any difference? The ambience is very nice and rich.  Add a couple of extra days to your itinerary for lots of extra sightseeing.

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Online dating ghaziabad Places to meet women and online dating will also be covered.  Photo Credit- Nehru Park Nehru Park is nicely landscaped, lush green park located near the Ashoka Hotel in the Chanakyapuri and is a popular picnic spot among couples and families.  Gip Ebony private lounge is situated in Noida, nearest metro station is Noida sector 18.  Silver innings helpline is not conduct criminal background.  The ambience of the restaurant is too good for a pleasant evening with your loved ones.  Entry: Rs 20 Adult , Rs10 Children Ph: 26119055 Photo Credit- Talkatora Garden Talkatora Gardens Talkatora Bagh is located on the Willingdon Crescent in New Delhi, attracts tourists in large numbers.  Ben jij of the latest job description is a professional dating scammers whrvr th m.

What is the most romantic place in Ghaziabad to take my girlfriend out for lunch? There is a lake and lush green garden area, with 3-4 famous hotels and resorts.  Tinder and of baroda, hire a tiny ray in india, along with local people.  You are bound to get scores of results on interesting sightseeing spots around ghaziabad These wonderful add ons to your trip to ghaziabad are worth your visit.  It is your special day after all! So it is a coldest place to visit with your hot girlfriend.  Buddha Jayanti park Nearest Metro — Dhaula Kuan.  It is situated in Lodi garden.

Ghaziabad Gay Personals, Ghaziabad Gay Dating Site, Ghaziabad Gay Singles After this Lodi garden is also famous for couples.  So just sign up and start dating today.  If any of the above info is out of date or you know of other good spots to party and try to get laid around town please leave them in the comments.  Be it our own, our best friend's or any of your near and dear ones, this is an occasion which needs all the planning and elan.  Couples come here for shopping and spending thier leisure time with thier loved one.  The dating and hook up culture in China is a little different than you might be used to so lets briefly discuss it.

THE 15 BEST Things to Do in Ghaziabad Generally strangers do not approach one another here so if you are the most aggressive guy at the bar that can work out in your favor. .  It has diiferent sections to sit.  We included addresses here but they can be pretty hard to decipher here.  It has a beautiful Japanese garden, boating facility, a jogging track, walkways lined by tall green trees and a children's play area amidst lush green lawns with fountains and statues of legendary figures.

Best Places To Meet Girls In Shenzhen & Dating Guide From Saket metro station,you can take auto or can also go by foot.  I think its the complete lists of places couples can hang out in Delhi.  Offers, games, star of a tiny ray in - promoting physics - how to face to city, dating.  Want to meet single gay men in Ghaziabad, Delhi? Starting from the starters, main course, and desserts loads of choices are there.  The friendlier you come across the more likely your girl is to want to stick around.

[activekidney73-blog]

Hopper To It: Toongabbie, Sydney's Little Sri Lanka

It's time for a little adventure out west to Toongabbie and Pendle Hill to visit Sydney's little Sri Lanka. Here you'll find a delicious array of dishes, hoppers, roti as well as a surprising mix with Malaysian food (go figure), friendly service and just a rollicking good time!

The song "Heaven is a Place on Earth" plays us into Toongabbie. I am in the car with my sometime vegetarian friend Laura. At 5pm she picked me up from my place and we drove across Sydney. 55 minutes and an ungodly number of 80's love songs later we have arrived at Toongabbie where people are busy making the rush hour dash home from work.

X Dreams

Our first stop is X Dreams, based purely on two reasons: the name for starters but also that Laura had been told that it has Sydney's best Sri Lankan food. "Is it a jewellery store?" we ask as we drive past it. The owners of X Dreams own a jewellery store as well as the eatery next door.

It's very busy here and we are the only non Sri Lankan patrons which is the sort of thing that confirms that the food is authentic and good. The man behind the counter is super friendly and when we ask him for recommendations he puts together a delicious tray full of goodies for us including goat curry to pepper chicken.

We hear the clang of the pans when they make kotthu rotti (chopped roti) in the background and we order some hoppers to add to our order as well as a sweet rose drink.

We bring our tray to our table situated next to the spare tissue boxes, tomato sauce (odd!), salt, pepper and cutlery. "It's banging," says Laura and I agree. The pepper chicken is delicious, the goat curry aromatic in cardamom and the rice is plentiful. And the deep fried lamb and vegetable roll are so addictively crunchy that I find it hard to stop at just a few bites. The beetroot curry is also wonderful. The only thing we don't really love is the fried chicken as it is dry.

We also really fall for the hoppers. We have an egg hopper which is spongey and thick in the centre with a beautifully crispy edge and the cheese hopper has that added layer of cheese that delights us so.

And then the piece de resistance is the milk hopper with coconut milk and jaggery sugar. The guy had warned us that once we tried one we'd want another and he's quite right. Heaven is a place on earth indeed eating one of these.

Lunge time!

X Dreams highlights: pepper chicken, beetroot curry, milk hopper, cheese hopper, vegetable or lamb roll

Amma's or Kikiz

Right next door to X dreams is Amma's or Kikiz. Amma is the mother and Kikiz is the daughter and they're in the process of transitioning the business over which is why they have both signs. The pictures signal a mix of Sri Lankan and Malaysian goodies like Char Kway Teow and Nasi Lemak.

We take a seat inside the restaurant and are offered several menus. Its hard to choose but we start with a delicious milk tea with ginger ($4) and go with their specialties: a crab curry as well as a more Malaysian offering of fish head curry with paratha.

Fish Head and 2 Paratha $15

The Sri Lankan couple next to us are curious about our ordering style. For their part they're ordering nasi goreng. And here the sound of the kotthu or chopped roti is like a musical rhythm. "It's food music-it's fusic!" exclaims Laura.

Crab masala curry $18

The crab masala curry arrives and it is very pungent in aroma. While it smells fierce the flavour is actually really good, it's a dark curry full of spices. The fish head curry arrives, also a pungent curry and we dip the roti into both curries, the crab curry being the favourite of the two.

We take a short stop at the grocery store to explore things-I am curious about a wood apple drink and I buy some masala flavoured Lays chips.

Amma's highlights: milk and ginger tea, crab masala curry

Dish

Then it's over to Dish which is just around the corner. There is also a Dish at Glebe and chef Manjula Fernando first started here in Toongabbie testing out the ground before opening up in Glebe this year.

The menu is shorter here in Toongabbie and there are also bain maries where you can get takeaway. We order a Sri Lankan Faluda rose flavoured shake with ice cream drink with sago pearls at the bottom and it's sweet and delicious but not overpoweringly so. It is quieter here with two tables occupied.

Faluda with ice cream $5

Rice and curry $11.50

Our tray arrives and there's glistening yellow rice as well as a rich spiced pork curry. There are three vegetables that come along with it and we adore the kale salad. The jackfruit that we'd read about wasn't very exciting but the potato curry was creamy and tasty.

Kottu roti $12

And we also enjoy the Kotthy or chopped roti that reminds us of stir fried noodles. The Wattalapam that I had so enjoyed at Lankan Filling Station is different here. Here it is more a syrup cake whereas there it was more a pudding which I preferred.

Watalappam $5

Dish highlights: faluda with ice cream, kale curry, potato curry, kottu rotti

Cinnamon's

When we walk around the corner we see that Mathura's is closed (they're said to make a killer dosa) so we head across the other side of the railway station to one of the more unusual restaurants. Cinnamon's is a not for profit restaurant that sort of looks like it is decorated like a wedding venue.

The couple that own it are religious and it is staffed by them and volunteers and there is a large glossy red statement wall with their mission statement on it. There is one other table dining and inexplicably along with Sri Lankan food there is pizza (with neon flashing sign), bruschetta, nachos and a dish called "Tentacles" aka fried frankfurts on the menu as well as Sri Lankan food.

Prices are also higher here than at other places with most dishes at $27.90. They recommend a "Cinnamon's Special" and a "Mixed Fried Rice" which comes with your choice of a meat dish. We hear the clanking of the pots against the strains of wedding tunes and we're both wondering whether we can make it to any other places as it is just after 9pm on a Wednesday night. Before long our dishes arrive and they're absolutely enormous.

Sri Lankan Mixed Fried Rice $27.90 (right)

The mixed rice is like a fried rice with some extra spices and Chinese chilli paste-it's very good and there's no way we can finish it. The devilled chicken that it comes with is like a Sri Lankan sweet and sour chicken that is juicy, peppery and moreish (spoiler alert: I ate all the chicken in this as Laura couldn't as she could smell capsicum and she's allergic). There is also a pineapple and cabbage salad to the side.

Cinnamon's special $27.90

The cinnamon special however is our favourite. It's a gorgeous yellow rice cooked in stock with a battered boiled egg, devilled prawns, fried chicken strips and a delightful green chilli sambol on the side. When we ask for takeaway containers (we hate wasting food) they look at how much we've eaten or not eaten as the case may be, and think that we are crazy (that's ok, we're used to it). And with that we high tail it to Pendle Hill for our final stop.

Cinnamon highlights: Cinnamon's special

Pendle Hill

Alas the sweets shop in Pendle Hill looks to be closed although it was supposed to be open. We console ourselves with a stop at a takeaway shop to buy an Indian cashew burfi and rasgulla milk ball and pop into a grocery store where we buy some Sri Lankan sweets (semolina cookies and sesame balls) as snacks for the road. We get into Laura's Mini Cooper and snack on these, slightly dejected at anticlimax for our last stop.

The sesame ball is rock hard but tasty, the Rulan Aluwa semolina sweet is grainy and reminds me of a less sweet sesame snap. The rasgulla is sweet and wet in texture while the burfi is dry. We pop on 80's hit Gloria and make our way back towards home.

Ten To Ten

Yam pudding $4 and butter cake $6

We drive past the station and then Laura spots a place that is open. Doing a quick u-turn we dash out of the car determined to catch them before they close. The first shop "ten to ten" sells a yam pudding and a Sri Lankan butter cake so we buy both for $10.

Flavours Of Ceylon

Then stop a few doors down at Flavours of Ceylon where they are still open and cooking. There's a stand that looks like the kind you might find on a tropical beach, except it's in the front room of a takeaway place. They make some recommendations but they're all rice based and we groan slightly, "We've eaten a lot of rice tonight" we explain, although we probably don't make a lot of sense.

"How about a string hopper biryani?" he says. We tell him again that we don't feel like rice but he explains that there is no rice, they use hoppers. "Oooh!!" we exclaim excitedly and an order is placed for the string hopper biryani.

As we wait Laura lies down on the chairs, "I need a moment," she says as it is nearing 10:30pm and we've been eating for 4 and a half hours. Then she cracks open the yam pudding and butter cake. The yam pudding is comforting and familiar and slightly sweet but not overly so. And the butter cake is pretty much like any sort of butter cake but it's a popular sweet in Sri Lanka.

String Hopper biryani with prawns $19

Our food is ready and comes out in a large styrofoam container. It smells wonderful. It's a takeaway place but we want to try it while it is hot so we taste some. And it is delicious. This is one of the finds of the night along with the hoppers at X Dreams. It really is like vermicelli noodles but with so much flavour. There are school prawns and a eggplant paha on the side that is so good I want to buy a whole serve and there's also ikan bilis or chilli anchovies. The Malaysian influence is very prevalent here and all of the restaurants except for X Dreams incorporated some amount of it.

Biscuit cake $5

To finish we also buy a biscuit cake which is pretty much like the biscuit refrigerator cakes made with Marie biscuits, chocolate and butter. It's rich and sweet and utterly dangerous. "You take that, I don't need it in my house," says Laura.

Flavours Of Ceylon highlights: hopper biryani, eggplant paha, biscuit cake

When we arrive at my house we divide up the food that Laura has kept in the chiller bag in her car boot. There's so much delicious food that I can't wait to wake up the next day and eat because leftovers are life!

So tell me Dear Reader, do you like food adventures? Have you eaten much Sri Lankan food? Have you ever been to Toongabbie or Pendle Hill to eat?

These meals were independently paid for.

X Dreams

14 Aurelia St, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Wednesday to Monday 7am–10pm Tuesday Closed Phone: (02) 8677 0420

Amma's Or Kikiz

18/20 Aurelia Street, Toongabbie, Sydney, NSW Tuesday to Sunday 8am–9:30pm Closed Monday Phone: (02) 7806 2335

Cinnamon's

1/465-481 Wentworth Ave, Toongabbie NSW 2146 Monday to Friday 5:30–9:30pm Saturday 2:30–10pm Sunday Closed Phone: 0498 116 753 cinnamonsrestaurant.com.au

Flavours of Ceylon

17 Joyce St, Pendle Hill NSW 2145 Wednesday to Friday 11am–2pm, 5–10pm Saturday 11am–10pm Sunday 11am–2pm Closed Monday and Tuesday Phone: 0414 262 318

Source: http://www.notquitenigella.com/2018/11/26/sri-lankan-food-toongabbie-pendle-hill/