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ramadavaranasikatesar · 2 years ago

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Make your moments Even more Special with Ramada Wyndham Varanasi Katesar!

Varanasi, one of the holiest cities in all of India, offers so much to visitors of all ages. This is renowned for its historical art, architecture, and religious significance. Also known as Benares, Banaras, or Kashi, this city is a sacred place for Hindus, Buddhists, and Jains. It is situated on the banks of the Ganges and it is one of the most visited pilgrimages for Hindus, who come to bathe in the holy river. There are several temples and ghats in this city, and long lines of pilgrims come from all over the world to visit them.

Varanasi is surrounded by temples practically everywhere you look, but the Kashi Vishwanath Temple is the most popular and the oldest of the bunch. The temple is located inside Benaras Hindu University and is the biggest attraction in this region. This temple was commissioned by the Birla family, a highly successful group of entrepreneurs in India. Any festival is the ideal time to visit Varanasi. It would be beautiful to see the ghats illuminated by several earthen lanterns. If you love winters, then Varanasi is the best choice.

Varanasi is a place where you can unwind and relax from the hustle-bustle of the city. There are several sightseeing spots in this city, such as the innumerable Ghats, mesmerizing ashrams, ancient temples, and so on.

Apart from enjoying some of these major tourist attractions, you can also indulge in some mouth-watering delicacies in this city. Before talking about some of the best restaurants in Varanasi, let me talk about some of the famous street food in Varanasi. When it comes to street food, there is a huge variety available in this city. Places like Kashi Chaat Bhandar and Deena Chaat Bhandar make some amazing chaats. If you are craving some delectable kachori-sabzi, then you must visit Chachi Ki Kachori at least once.

Coming back to some of the best restaurants in Varanasi, Pizzeria Vaatika Cafe in Assi Ghat is one of the best rooftop restaurants in the city. It is renowned for its Italian and Continental cuisines. The apple pie along with ice cream and Pizza is a must try out here.

If you seeking the best restaurants in Varanasi, which serve authentic non-veg delicacies, then the Tandoor Villa is the perfect place for you. With a homely atmosphere, this restaurant is a must-visit with your family to indulge in some mouth-watering Tandoori chicken.

Hotel Kalika in Varanasi is also popular for its non-vegetarian delicacies. Since its opening in August 1984, the restaurant has been serving delicious seafood, chicken, and meat dishes that are inspired by family recipes.

Whatever may be the purpose of your traveling, be it a business trip, a vacation, or some sort of celebration, Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar Hotel has arrangements for everything. If you are planning your big-fat wedding and seeking one of the Best wedding halls in Varanasi for your Big day, nothing can be better than Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar.

It is one of the best luxury accommodations in Varanasi, offering you 5-star luxury services and amenities along with the beautiful and serene landscape of the surrounding area which will be your perfect wedding destination. Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar, popularly known for providing the Best wedding halls in Varanasi makes your wedding preparations hassle-free and the most memorable moment of your life. They provide you with the most luxurious and inspired decor with attentive services.

Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar makes sure to cater to all your requirements in the best possible way. From planning and designing everything to the final day of execution, the staff at Ramada takes care of everything. The hotel is located close to Varanasi Railway Station, and the Lal Bahadur International Airport, making it convenient and well-accessible for the guests.

You may find some other luxury accommodations in Varanasi, but then you have to miss out on the luxurious experience and the impeccable facilities that Ramada Varanasi Katesar has to offer. They not only provide you with spacious, serene, and beautiful rooms along with all the required modern amenities but also have multiple dining options. The hotel incorporates some of the best restaurants in Varanasi like the Arzoo and Masala Root, which are known for their Indian cuisine. You are also provided with the bar and lounge facility. The staffs out there are humble and they know exactly how to take care of their guests. Book one of the Best wedding halls in Varanasi, with Ramada by Wyndham Varanasi Katesar! It's worth your time and money.

#Best wedding halls in Varanasi #best restaurants in Varanasi

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lotusbistrolounge · 2 years ago

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What Variety of Veg. Dishes can you Explore at Lotus Bistro Lounge?

When you have been to Gujarat, there is one thing that you are never going to miss. Yes! You are right in guessing that veg is the most widely-eaten dish. With most of the people vegetarian here, you can find an extensive range of veg Fast Food in Nadiad. Not only fast food, but you can also find a comprehensive range of veg. restaurants and Multi Cuisine Food Restaurant Nadiad, Anand.

One popular saying says eating in Gujarat and dying at Varanasi are the holiest achievements. So, if you have been to Gujarat, there is no street or market where you cannot explore a veg restaurant for your Punjabi Fix Dish in Nadiad & Anand. One such restaurant that always stays in the buzz is Lotus Bistro Lounge. Eating here will offer you one of the most satisfying experiences. This guide will learn what variety of veg dishes you can explore at Lotus Bistro Lounge.

Farsan

Among all the dishes, one of the best veg cuisine you can find at Lotus Bistro Lounge is Farsan. This traditional dish includes Gujarati meals, including dal, shaak, and Kathol. You will get all the authentic flavours and aromas you should get from western India. All these tastes are again enhanced with pickles along with some buttermilk. It is a great cuisine to eat in Lotus Bistro Lounge.

Dabeli

This is another great cuisine, or you can say snack that you can try. It is famous for its spicy flavours with so much to offer you. Inside the pav, you can have the Mumbaiya Bada mashed and fried and pressed along with some peanuts and other stuff.

Misthaan

Misthaan is something that you can miss eating at Lotus Bistro Lounge. If you are a sweet lover, then this is a dish that will impress you. It is also counted as a dessert. It is also an integral part of every Gujarati meal.

Gujarati Thali

The Thali is an ultimate veg meal with a wide variety of veg cuisines. You can find fried snacks along with mixed vegetables and shaak. dahikadhi, kathol, chickpea, beans, and more to offer you. This veg meal will also make any Best Italian Dish in Nadiad Anand out of the competition.

Conclusion

Keeping it short, these are just to name a few. You can find an abundance of veg dishes at Lotus Bistro Lounge. If you have been to Nadiad, you should plan to dine at Lotus Bistro Lounge.

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taxiinvaranasi · 4 years ago

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Restaurants in varanasi

TOP 5 RESTAURANTS IN VARANASI

Canton royale restaurant

Brown bread café

Pizzeria vaatika café

Mangi ferra café

Moti mahal delux

CANTON ROYALE

This multi cuisine restaurant is built inside a 200 year old heritage building, hotel surya’s elegant main hotel has a large lawn where you can eat on warm evenings. This all serving restaurant is mostly known for its Mediterranean and Continental offerings. it’s one of the top choices in Varanasi Providing good value for money.

BROWN BREAD CAFE

Mostly known for its casual and hippy atmosphere this bakery provides international, Indian, café, Italian and European cuisine. Located near dashashwamedh ghat its also called the German bakery. It is well known for its mouthwatering breakfast selection of breads, rolls, pastries, vegan options, gluten free and vegetarian.

PIZZERIA VAATIKA CAFE

Located near assi ghat this cafe is the best rooftop restaurant in the city. The view of Ganga River under the tree shades of this cafe is truly an amazing experience. They offer a wide range of pizza as well as a good selection of indian dishes. The service here is quick and warm. If you visit this place then don't forget to try apple pie along with ice cream

MANGI FERRA CAFE

Another food place residing in the shelters of hotel surya is mangi ferra café. This place is mostly known for its calming and peaceful experience, if you want to take a break from the hecticness of your schedule and have a peaceful dine in then this is the place for you. The café is constructed under a tree which gives it an impressive look out and the serve a wide range of veg as well as non veg platters

MOTI MAHAL DELUX

Located on the third floor of ip mall sigra, this restaurant is widely known for its non veg platter. Best known for its service, this restaurant is a part of chain of restaurants in India moti mahal. The serene ambience and lip smacking food makes this place irresistible. This place is quite popular among locals as well as tourists

NOTE - For best car hire Varanasi and car rental in Varanasi visit Vinayak travels

#varanasi #restuarants #restaurants #carrental #carhire

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banarasipaan315 · 4 years ago

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Best Paan Franchise In India Low Investment Franchise Opportunities

Best Paan Franchise In India

Mast Banarasi Paan Café is one of the Best Paan Franchise In India and it is an great chain of Banarasi Paan Franchise and our Mast Banarasi Paan takes full care of your health and gives you tabacco free Banarasi Paan. mast banarasi Paan brought 80+ Flavour Paan. example :- Chocolate Paan, Fire Paan, Paan Ingredients, Flavour Paan, Paan Café, Karva Chauth Suhag Thali, Banarasi Paan, Paan In India

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Best Mast Banarasi Paan Franchise Benefits In India and company support

· Metrial

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· Product Training

· Interiors Designing

· Equipment

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· IT Support

· Operation Support

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Top 10 Best Low Investment Franchise Opportunities In India|High Margin Franchise Business

1. Mast Banarasi Paan

2. Sattu Sharbat

3. Handi Chai

4. Home Food

5. Family Chaat

6. Desi Chakhna

7. Healthy Dryfruits

8. Mithila Makhana

9. Foodie Here

10. Samosa Zone

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Floor Area: 100 – 1000 Sq.ft

Preferred Location: Malls and high street, local traffic

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Investment: Rs 1,00,000 to 10,00,000

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Floor Area: 100 – 200 Sq.ft

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Healthy Dry Fruits Retail chain of Franchise started its journey in 2019 with the opening of its first healthy dry fruits Franchise in india. Today Healthy Dry Fruits operates 150+ Dry Fruits Franchise and healthy Dry Fruits Smart stores and sells over 50 metric tonnes of Dry Fruits and over 25 metric tonnes of mithila makhana every day. synonymous with freshness & savings. With the three core promises of Fresh always, Healthy Dry Fruits is a one of the best Healthy Dry Fruits Franchise providers in india.

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Mast Banarasi Paan group of pvt ltd company is best Paan, Food, Dryfruits, Shake, Handi chai, Sattu Sharbat Franchise provider in india. and it is best services provides in 2017 to 2020. If you want to start your own Franchise business so pick up the call and call mast banarasi Paan group of pvt ltd.

Per Day Sale 15000

Days in a Month 30 Days

Total Sale

450000

Expenditure

Percentage

Total amount

Input Stock

180000

Salary (2 Staff)

35000

Rent

25000

Royalty

3000

Electricity

4000

Maintainance

3000

Miscelleneous

3000

Total

253000

Profit Per Month

197000

Profit Per Year

2364000

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Paan Shop Business Plan

Industry

Segment

Investment

Franchise Fee

Space

Expected No of Hours / month

Expansion Location/s

Food Franchise

Others

Rs. 1.5Lakhs - 5Lakhs

Rs. 50000 - 1Lakh

Less than 150

20 - 30hrs

Varanasi

Preferred Expansion Locations

Ghaziabad,

· Ideal Entrepreneur Profile

· What should be the Education level of an Entrepreneur? : No Qualification

· What should be the skill set of an Entrepreneur? :

· Should be a good listener

· Should be good at customer service

· What is that the business seek from an Entrepreneur? : No Ideal Franchisee Profile

· Previous Experience of Entrepreneur? :

· Owning a Business previously works best for you.

https://www.mastbanarasipaan.com

Call Us For FREE APPOINTMENT To Check Out Our mast banarasi paan Solutions !! Call Now 8826094095 or Email : [email protected]

Visit here for more details: https://www.mastbanarasipaan.com/

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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC96cZA8hf88dHLLEkdIOIlw

Linkdin : https://www.linkedin.com/company/mastbnarsipaan/

Pinterest : https://in.pinterest.com/mastbanarasipaan/

We serve our clients across all over india

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#Chocolate PaanFire PaanPaan IngredientsBest Banarasi PaanBest Paan FranchiseBest Paan Franchise In IndiaBest Paan ProviderBest Paan By Best

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twistednuns · 5 years ago

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August 2019

India // It’s incredibly hard to sum up my feelings about India and Nepal. It was a truly incredible trip. And so exhausting. It was enriching, interesting, hard, disgusting, educational, everything. This is not the place to talk about my experience at length so I’ll just write down some nice moments I collected along the way //

on the go // the huge corner toilet at MUC airport departures / Rischart coffee / the smell of the Emirates airline NOIR lotion they offer in their bathrooms / cherry-flavoured Skittles // Delhi // brightly painted buses and tuk-tuks / eating at AB veg restaurant in Hauz Khas, inredibly delicious and cheap / being lucky enough to choose the hostel in Hauz Khas village; meeting Dominique, Christie, Ayush, Samar and Julia / all those talks we had about linguistics, education systems, the future, politics, travelling, home, friends, experiences with magic mushrooms, Hannah Arendt, travelling (…); talking to Christy about her past, family, criminal record / Mosambi juice / Nici constantly flirting with me, trying to seduce me. She told me I’m posh, assertive, regal and I know myself very well. Making out with her was fun but honestly… not worth the drama. / Mosambi juice / a consultation with a renowned Ayurveda doctor - I loved talking to her even though she wasn’t able to tell me anything I hadn’t known already; sometimes it’s nice to get the confirmation that what you found out on your own is exactly the right thing / eating momos and Kathi rolls, the best Thalis / parties on the rooftop until the sunrise interrupted us; grilling whole fish, saying goodbye to Julia, singing along to Louise Attaque and Cher songs / riding rickshaws through Delhi; extra fun: squeezing 5 people in and listening to club music / the sheets smelling chalky with a hint of grape sugar / dancing at Raasta / petting cute street doggies / a cooking class with Mansi and her family in North Delhi - delicious food and really nice people, I fell in love with the mum / eating at Social (that building is just amazing) and strolling through the little alleys and stores at Hauz Khas village with Christie; she showed me the place where she got her linnen dresses and we talked to a jewellery store owner for quite a while / the spice market, climbing up a building and watching the men flying their kites, tasting some street food and spices, realiszing that there is a market street dedicated to a single group of things like the shoe market, the jewellery market etc. / the Brit Brats sharing their joints; tripping to Bayonne / the hidden merchant streets with colourful wall art around the entrances / PANEER (!) / stand-up comedy with a female comedian / elevator selfies / learning about the development of Indian scripts and letters/characters in Sanskrit in the National Museum; erotic sculptures, very detailed paintings depicting badass, tiger-hunting ladies / I saw a peacock. Cows, chipmunks, pigs, horses, monkeys, goats, guinea pigs, bunnies, cats and dogs, bats, herons, boars, caterpillars, centipedes, horses, donkeys (…) / finding the perfect triangular earrings with gemstones at the Dilli Haat market; getting some nice dresses, too / living on water and mango juice, feeling very light and clean, having an empty stomach all the time / Gandhi Smriti, retracing Mahatma’s last steps before his assassination / feeling human again after a few days in bed - I love the power of make-up, bananas, fresh clothes and those pink little Pepto-Bismol pills the Canadian lady gave me / Delhi central station; just WOW. It’s places like that which make you realise just how many people there are in India. //

Rishikesh // the man helping me with the bus to Rishikesh; the kindness of strangers / “I thank the Lord for the people I have found” (Elton John - Mona Lisas and Mad Hatters) / emotional bus rides: crying for no reason, letting go, for the first time in a very long time; emotional turmoil, softening up; leaving people and whole countries behind / seeing the huge Shiva ceremony at the Ganges from the bus / my yoga teacher training, getting to know the other students / learning about a magic trick against bad posture / instant karma / the view from the rooftop, watching the sunrise over the lower Himalaya mountains / the simple, vega, ayurvedic food they offered at the ashram / visiting the temples with the apprentice yogi and his scooter; walking up 13 stories in the blazing sun, receiving a blessing and some red string around my wrist; taking part in the Ganga ceremony at sunset / the Beatles Ashram; it’s just this amazing place with incredible street art, and those ruins, the meditation caves and eggs on the rooftop… climbing up there was one of my highlights in Rishikesh / close second: visiting a meditation cave at the Ganges, a bit further up in the mountains; a monk had spent 15 years in that cave practising meditation / all the beautiful shops around town focussing on yoga accessoires / putting my feet in the Ganges #blessed #moksha / learning about my aggression during silent yoga / all the animals around town: horses, donkeys, cows, monkeys and whatnot //

Varanasi // taking the night train for the first time; I shared my little compartment with a family and three little children but they were surprisingly dramafree and actually quite cute / a sunset boat trip on the Ganges, seeing the ghats, the ceremonies, the moon rise / the little alleys behind the ghats; the stores, the surprises / Marnikarnika Ghat was really impressive; it’s the cremation place and I saw dead bodies for the first time / accidentally discovering the Dirty Chai Cafe (chocolate peanut butter shakes and fresh, cold mint lemonade), finding a Kamala Das poetry book on the shelf / spending an afternoon with the German journalist (so weird how the atmosphere shifts when you’re accompanied by a man there; also our dynamic made me feel so glad to be travelling alone, to only be responsible for myself, to be independent); sharing a banana and water surrounded by goats in Hanuman Ghat; the view over the river from his room; him gently stroking my cheekbone / buying two saris in a little corner shop / my jewellery quest (unsuccessful) / eating fresh fruit salad after hardly eating solid food for days / checking out that little park on my last day, the air buzzing with dragonflies / watching the sunset from the hostel’s rooftop, filming a slow motion video / India brings out trauma and deep emotions; the people kept staring at me for whatever reason; I kept having disturbing dreams about my dead father and grandmother; and the mob-video Christy showed me didn’t help either (the whole village carried a man through the streets, eventually beating him up because he couldn’t pay off his debts) //

Nepal // the first view of Nepal from the bus windows - how much greener, how much emptier it is than India / meeting some nice people on the bus - an American, a Brit and two Frenchies; grabbing dinner in Kathmandu with the latter / watching the sunrise at the border between India and Nepal / sitting next to the mayor of small town council on the bus ride; communicating with hand and feet / the Kathmandu valley is such a gorgeous sight / I got lucky with my hostel; Yakety Yak was a really nice and quiet place to stay; they even had laundry service and a shelf with free books - I read two or three of them because I behaved like a good (home)sick German abroad: bed, Haribo, carbonated water, trashy literature / visiting Bhaktapur, a gorgeous small town in the Kathmandu valley / watching the latest Tarantino movie at the cinema; the tickets were incredibly cheap / walking up the hill to the temple and the monastery, enjoying the incredible view over the surrounding hills; meeting two ladies from Austria, they live close to my old university town; walking to the centre through back alleys, stopping at a rooftop cafe, ordering three drinks at once (liquid diet) / that one jewellery store near the Pokhara bus station - I found some gorgeous brass rings with precious stones for little money / the busy square, the markets / hanging out in the hammock in my hostel in Pokhara, overlooking the lake / watching the skydivers land / the ayurvedic cafe and the other place serving smoothie bowls by the lake - it’s such a fantastic moment when you finally feel hungry again and eat a little solid food after fasting/suffering for a few days / two incredibly weird guys from Latvia and Berlin who provided a nice, mellow ending for my shitty day and even made me survive the mosquito attacks / meeting my travel agent who actually took me out dancing and gave me a ride on his motorcycle to the bus stop; he even gave me some fruit for the ride / By the Way starting to play while waiting for Vietnamese food / hunting down a place that sells semi-precious stone columns in Kathmandu; negotiating with the old lady selling them; getting some brass souvenirs for my friends and family / the view from the airplane - seeing the Himalaya for the first time; I pity people who’ve stopped looking out of windows //

Coming home. I’ve NEVER felt happier entering my apartment after a trip. Being alone. Truly alone. Silence. Three rooms just for me. My bed. Having all my stuff back. Toiletries! Nice body lotion. My favourite perfume. Going to the supermarket. Unpacking all the jewellery, clothes and knick-knacks I bought. Taking care of my plants.

Making a huge batch of my favourite ratatouille / pasta sauce.

Visiting Manu in hospital. Cheering him up a little bit.

Finally receiving my black and white analogue photos. I loved the shot of Andre looking like he’s being kissed by a dementor. And Lexi looking dead cool at ADBK.

Pizza party at Grano with Lena. Eating sorbet out of a lemon.

Riding my bike through the forest on a sunny morning. Stopping to take pictures of the beautiful light, the yellow flowers. Spending too much money at the garden center. Driving home, IKEA bags full of plants.

Inventing my signature manicure: a little black dot just above the nailbed.

Having an evening beer outside at Sofa So Good with Andre.

Stumbling upon Konsti. The one who ghosted me years ago after a beautiful summer spent kissing in lakes because his therapist had told him so. Well, we talked for a few days, but guess what - he just ghosted me for a second time. Fool me one - shame on you. Fool me twice - shame on me.

#things i love #august #2019 #august 2019 #personal #present perfect #india #nepal

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tomandharriet · 6 years ago

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Rajasthan Royals

We actually came close to liking Delhi on our brief, unscheduled return here. Maybe it was the comfort of tracking the train which we originally booked, but couldn’t board, as it gradually became over 10 hours delayed, or perhaps Varanasi normalised it. But we encountered some nice people, found some great food and will most fondly remember it for being the place that we finished off our Christmas shopping and found a man who’s job it is to make beautifully crafted packages for shipment - his wrapping putting ours to shame!

After a quite enjoyable day in Delhi, we boarded our 3rd night train of the past 4 nights. Having spent most of our sleeper journeys in either or 2 or 3 AC (air conditioned carriages) we this time opted for Sleeper class, because it wasn’t too hot and we fancied a more authentic experience. This time, our train was running on time, ahead of time infact, as it raced through the countryside and then into the Rajasthan desert, which happens to get quite cold a night, during the Indian winter! The main problem with Sleeper class is the lack of windows, which made this one of the coldest nights sleep in our memory. Unprepared with our microfibre travellers lightweight sleeping bags, designed to keep you cool in warm climates and then covered again with our very English beach towels, we stood out like sore, very cold thumbs, compared to our other carriage companions who mostly turn up with bundles of bedding which we frequently saw for sale after that journey.

Arriving into Jodhpur with the sun rising over the newer parts of the city, illuminating the old town, it’s beautiful clock tower and the majestic Mehrangarh fort which towers over it, within a matter of minutes, we had fallen in love with Rajasthan. The air was clean and crisp, the weather was beautiful, with cloudless skies producing hot days and cold nights, the architecture was stunning, with quaint rooftop restaurants peppering the skyline. As we went on to learn about their rich history and discover some of the best foods we tried during our time in India, it would be hard not to love this place.

Jodhpur, known as the blue city for it’s colourful Indigo pained houses, is an old walled town with a growing city around it. We learnt a lot about it’s history on a brilliant morning walking tour which, along with a wealth of tips about the best food / chai / Indian sweet spots, taught us the many different reasons for the blue houses. Primarily seen as decoration, blue represents the colour of Shiva, one of the most popular Hindu gods. Hindu gods represent different personalities and it is down to individuals who they wish to follow. In Jodhpur we found images of Shiva on street side shrines, whereas in nearby Jaisalmer, it was his son (and Hinduism’s most popular God) Ganesha, who appeared on wall murals most frequently. The propensity of blue houses is seen as a wide support for Shiva which is passed down through generations. But there are more practical reasons which are also frequently cited. The colour serves as a natural coolant, a mozzie repellent and perhaps most importantly for some of the older houses made predominantly of clay, the copper and indigo mix used to paint the houses serves as a poison for termites, whose damage can be clearly seen on houses which either dont have the paint, or have used a cheaper strain without the high concentration of indigo.

Our hostel had a fantastic rooftop restaurant with views over the blue city. We could have spent all day just relaxing and drinking chai on the typically Indian sea of cushions and low level tables, but a Canadian who had just purchased his first flute decided to try and learn Frère Jacques, which sounded so bad even his girlfriend came up with an excuse to leave. Fortunately this forced us to head out to explore more of this great city. Built in 1459, the Mehrangarh fort is as imposing on the outside as it is homely and beautiful on the inside. In it’s near 600 year history, it’s walls have never been breached and with it’s hilltop position, outlooking cannons and intricate defence system, it’s easy to see why. In fact the story goes that the protection the fort has provided is thanks to a volunteer who sacrificed himself during the forts construction, by being buried alive within its walls.

Whilst we could’ve spent longer in Jodhpur, we had every reason to be excited for our next stop, Jaisalmer, where we had arranged a camel trek out into the Thar Desert, to spend a night under the stars. We arrived early on a slightly warmer night train, caught a little extra sleep and explored some of Jaisalmer, namely it’s famous Patwa Haveli ‘heritage homes’ - five elaborately decorated homes, built by a wealthy merchant for each of his sons. After purchasing some essential camel trekking attire from the local market, we took a jeep out into the desert where we met our camels, Mikey & Atchia for the first time. We realised pretty quickly that our group of 6 would really get along. A couple who lived in New Zealand but were originally from Dorset & India and another younger English couple, who had studied at Cambridge, meant we had plenty to talk about. We trekked towards the setting sun for nearly 2 hours, taking in the surroundings and began to get quite comfortable in our new role. However a persistent wild female camel nearly caused a mating crisis when it turned the heads of more than one of our groups young male camels, especially Captain, who was literally foaming at the mouth just behind me.

We arrived at our campsite, which consisted of a campfire, a small tent for our guides which Harriet almost mistakingly thought was the toilet, and some bamboo sheets protecting 3 bamboo beds from the wind. We ate and drank into the night as the guides performed local songs using pots and pans for drums and we blurted out something distinctly British in return. I’m sure Rod Stewart featured by the end. The cold of the night eventually set in, so after some incredible shooting stars, we headed to our primitive beds and caught some sleep. It wasn’t long before the heat of the sun was back on us and after a morning chai and spot of breakfast, we heading back to our collection point and said our fairwells to Atchia, Mikey and our lovely guides. It’s an experience we’ll never forget!

Food

After our marathon journey on Indian night trains and a diet for the last 48 hours of “chaaaaaaais” we arrived in beautiful Jodhpur bleary eyed and starving. Dumping our bags we immediate ventured out to the highly recommended omelette shop (yes, no frills, it says what it does on the tin). The restaurant was positioned on a street corner, which basically consisted of little stalls placed next to a man with his hob and wok. You wouldn’t think there would be much to say about an omelette but we are talking about an omelette from the “omelette shop”. Light and soft egg with fried onions, potatoes, tomatoes, spices with a creamy cheese dripping out of it placed in a thick, soft pita bread. Delightful.

Jodhpur was easily one of our favourite cities we visited in India and so much of that was down to the food. One of our highlights was the Gulab Jamun we tried on our fantastic walking tour of the blue city, during which we learnt that the sweet shops are commonly known for specialising in one particular sweet. In this case he took us to one that was all about the gulab jamon. Gulab Jamon is a milk solid based sweet (khoya) that is shaped into small balls, deep fried and then soaked in a syrup flavoured with cardamom and rose water. Imagine the lightest, sweetest, softest, juiciest little donut that kind of tastes like rice pudding with subtle hints of cardamom and rose. Well it’s better than that. We will definitely try (and fail) to make these at home.

The guide clearly thought our arteries needed a good thickening up as he led us to a shop that specialises in jalebi. A deep fried gram flour batter (in eye pleasing circular shapes) soaked in MORE syrup. A crunchy, sticky texture dripping in delicious syrup. For the sweet tooth lovers out there, you need to try this.

Another little delight we discovered in Jodhpur was mirchi bada. A popular snack in Rajasthan consisting of green peppers stuffed with a masala aloo filling deep fried in a chickpea batter. It can be served with a tangy tomato chutney (but we just had it plain).

We also had two incredible meals in Jodhpur at Jhankar Haveli restaurant - just in case you were worried we were about to go a whole post without a shout out to Joel and Alecia, here it is! Set in a gorgeous 460 year old building with so many of the original features restored throughout. One particular highlight was one of the Rajasthani curries we ordered, called veg angara. Made using so many fresh vegetables and packed full of flavour with a deliciously rich red gravy sauce. We especially loved the garnishing of cashew nuts. Such a wonderfully satisfying meal that we had to go back for a second night.

Travel Jukebox - ‘The Immaculate Collection’ by Madonna

Harriet’s Dad, Simon, wins the prize for most albums sent to us, with 4 eclectic albums, a playlist and 4 bonus tracks for good measure. We kicked off with his first album, ‘On How Life Is’ by Macy Gray when chilling on our Jodhpur hostel rooftop and enjoyed singing along to her big hits. ‘Leftfism’ by Leftfield took Tom back to his teenage years and their effortless blend of dub and dance music is a prime example of just how good 90’s music was. Stereo MCs provided some more prime throwback listening - who doesn’t love their biggest anthem, Connected. However, it was Madonna who, not for the first time, stole the show.

The Immaculate Collection is a compilation of all things 1980’s Madonna, which amasses to an incredible set of hits which define a decade. As we listened through, we realised just how heavily her music features films and TV series set in that time. We’re too young to be qualified to talk about what it was like in the 80s, but Madonna’s track record speaks for itself and the fact that almost all of the 17 tracks featured were so familiar to us, shows just how far reaching her music has been. The album also runs in chronological order, with a stark contrast between the innocence of early hits ‘Lucky Star’ and ‘Like A Virgin’ against the confident and experimental ‘Vogue’. Listening to the transition inbetween, all in one sitting is fantastic. Whilst near impossible to pick a favourite, there’s something about ‘Papa Don’t Preach’ ‘which makes it stand just ahead of the rest.

All in all Simon provided us with some great albums, whilst also putting together a soundtrack for his time with us in Vietnam. This was rewarded when his opening track ‘We Gotta Get Out Of This Place’ by The Animals was played at a sports bar which we made our local whilst in Phu Quoc.. but we’re jumping the gun, we haven’t even ‘Gotten Outta’ India yet!

TLDR; Forts and camels still reign supreme, as we live like Maharajahs in ‘The Royal State’ of India!

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frabexit-blog · 8 years ago

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Varasassy part un

After a super fancy and relaxing time in Abu Dhabi (thank you so much for having us Aunty Zany) we left to begin our travels in India. A 3 hour flight, 1 hour tuk tuk journey, a 7 hour wait in a bookie train station and an 18 hour train journey later WE ARRIVED in Varanasi. We made our way through the masses of people trying to drag us into rickshaws and tuk tuks and grabbed a taxi to take us through the mental roads to our hostel. Dropping us on the busiest main road we had ever seen, pointing us down a alley way, we followed his directions through some sketchy shanty town and landed at the cutest hostel you could imagine! Hostel LaVie was everything you could ask for in a hostel and more - except for the rock'ard mattress and the call to prayer at 5am every morning! After a quick shit, shave and shower we trotted off in search of some real Indian grub. We wandered along the ‘Ganga’ and stumbled upon a rooftop restaurant overlooking the river. Bex went for her staple veg biryani, and frank had her first thali experience! NOM NOM NOM!!

Along the Ganges there’s different Ghats which are like sets of steps leading from temples and funky old buildings. We went to the burning Ghat where the bodies get burnt when they die which was amazing, we saw a set of feet hanging out and the flesh burnt off it leaving just bone, it was pretty rank but cool to see. We thought it was going to be really holy and special but it was all a bit of a shambles, there were bods laying around and cows eating all the ceremonial flowers. THERE ARE COWS EVERYWHERE. EVERYWHERE.

After shit, shave, shower round 2, we headed out to see a ritual at Assi Ghat which they perform every night to give thanks to the river (for letting them clean their beards, clothes, gonads etc in it). This was really beautiful to see, there were 4 ‘Saddhu’ fellas performing the ritual with fire and flowers and things. A cheeky cow came from nowhere and started eating their holy flowers, cows here love a few Marigolds of an evening 😏 They gave us some petals and after the ritual we walked down to the river to throw them in to it, we both missed. But we did see an old Indian lady get stuck knee deep in the mud which was hilarious.

After this it was naturally time for us to eat again (that’s all we’ve done since we got here).

Day 2 began with a 6am sunrise boat tour up the river. What a wonderful way to start the day 💃🏼 we pulled in further up the river to taste Chai tea which received mixed reviews from Frabexit.

We had breakfast after with our new mate Jess from the hostel, and we all set off in search of the golden temple; Shri Kashi Vishwanath. We got totally lost down the backstreets of Varanasi, getting stared at like aliens and photographed like celebs. The temple was pretty cool, they were celebrating the beginning of Holi Festival so it was rammo. When we were leaving we got ushered into a small room, filled with Indians listening to gungadungadunga music and throwing pink paint at each other.. naturally we joined straight in and we had the best time dancing with the old Indian ladies and getting covered in colour! As per, we headed for a little more grub, all that dancing makes you hungry! Walking through the hectic backstreets of Varanasi in search of somewhere to eat, Franks got head butted by a cow and ended the search asap, resulting in yet another rooftop restaurant with some more delicious Indian food 😏

Day 3 was short and sweet as we were catching a train to Agra in the afternoon. A spot of market shopping in the backstreets, getting sucked into buying everything we liked as always! Two pairs of trousers, two skirts and a top later we headed back to the hostel (via a rooftop restaurant for more grub 😏)

NEXT STOP AGRA 💃🏼

#frabexit #gungadungadunga

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