Healthy India, Happy India

"Every human being is the author of his own health or disease"

This quote by Buddha has never made more sense than the times we live in today. After all taking care of our body is the most essential thing for happiness. And why not ? Health is Wealth indeed ! All the trials and tribulations of our day-to-day existence and our endeavors to live a better life will have no meaning if the foundation i.e our body is not in a good shape. Our kids, the shining beacons of a happy tomorrow need to have a healthy environment, so that they can grow and sparkle with a flourish. Though the health awareness quotient is at an all time high, there is is still a lot to be desired for. Children of today are increasingly becoming prone to various illness and the reasons are not difficult to guess.

• Digging in to junk food and carbonated drinks
• less physical activity
• long hours before computer
• less hygiene standards
• No balanced diet

The above reasons + a host of environmental factors = stab on the kids immunity

So, What does it take to build a healthy and strong India ? Health and strength is possible only if there is a thick cloak of immunity.Immunity in essence is is protection from harmful germs and disease causing germs. Remember the A B C of your body

Always Be in Control

How do we make the kids be in control of their body ? It is not an impossible task altogether. It requires a devoted mindset to be healthy and stay healthy. It pays to remember that all talk of health is not the stylish fad of today but a life long investment that will only yield happy returns. Let me list a couple of must-do's to ensure a healthy and strong YOU

• Eat foods that boost your immune system - say yes to the reds, greens & the yellows . Say yes to the beets, strawberries,tomatoes and spinach. Include them more.

• Exercise those lazy muscles - Indulge in physical activity and as often as possible. It is a pity that many kids don't have the time to play or if they do have time, they would rather prefer to be neck deep in iPad/computer. But it is imperative to be active always. It boosts metabolism and boots out obesity.

• Reduce risk of infection by maintaining good hygiene . To make the environment and our surroundings  totally infection free is not possible but we can definitely take steps to reduce infection. Washing hands thoroughly before and after eating is a sure deterrent to all those disease causing germs. Besides disinfecting with antiseptic liquids is also a sure immunity booster.

• Sleep Well - Early to bed and early to rise makes a man healthy wealthy and wise. A well rested body means a fresh and energetic mind. 

• Stay Hydrated - Often, not drinking enough water is a window to impending disease entry. Access to clean potable water is essential and it can be ensured by drinking boiled or filtered water.

• Say NO to processed food and carbonated drinks - Piling on those crappy foods is not cool.   

• Laughter is indeed the best medicine - Boot out the stress and find reasons to be happy. Life is short and it does not pay to stock regrets and gloom. 

And one sure way of boosting immunity is Dabur Chyawanprash. It contains the natural ayurvedic ingredients and is a sure shot to shoo away virus, flu and other infections.

"It is far more important to know what person the disease has than what disease the person has" - HIPPOCRATES

One thing is to be remembered anything in excess is also bad. A friend of mine is a cleanliness freak. She carries more than one hand sanitizer in her packet and uses them at an alarming rate.I often chide her that it also means a weakened immune system. Being healthy and safe is important but it also means not to over do things. Ensuring a healthy and clean lifestyle goes a long way in building a strong India. A healthy body is a happy body.

This post goes to Indiblogger's An Immune India Contest in association with Dabur Chyawanprash

Must see India

If there is one place on the face of earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India!" 

~~~ Romaine Rolland

India, a country of monumental beauty and scenic treasure is a blend of incredible culture and traditions, nature and style. From historical buildings to stunning temple architecture, poetic hill stations and vibrant beaches to bustling cities and quaint countryside, India is a traveller's dream. It is no wonder that foreign tourists throng the length and breath of India with such fervor. Even domestic travelers can't get enough of our country's charm and verve. I am one of those passionate Indians who simply loves to pack my bag and explore the country's beauty.

Like most travelers, planning a travel occupies my mind and gives me a lot of headache. The moment you think of going out - a whole lot of questions bog us down - where to go, what to see where to stay, et al. Don't you agree? And if this is not properly planned then our travel arrangements would turn out to be half baked and a last minute patch up affair. 

How wonderful it would be if the planning could be effortlessly sorted out within 15 minutes and that too by the clicking of a button? That's where must see india comes.

This site is a personalized and customised holiday planning portal that makes planning for holidays a fun activity. There are many sites on the internet that will plan holidays for you but then why should you opt for must see india? Well, just hop on to their website and click the create your package tab, They promise to create a personalized holiday package in just 10 minutes.

Let me run down the tool for your convenience - here are some screen shots of the tool that would give you an idea about how it works. Once you type out the destination, give your start dates, number of nights and then click on the "Create your package tab" - it takes you to the following screen. {I clicked Goa for 3 nights}

The tool opens to the 5 tabs :-

• Accommodation
• Transportation
• Sightseeing
• Inclusions
• Itinerary

One lovely feature of the tool is that the total cost of the package you are planning gets featured on your screen's right. It goes up or down depending upon what you choose or don't.

Accommodation

• The tab opens to pictures of hotels with whom the portal has tie ups. For every hotel - the cost involved, distance from major locations in the city, pros, cons, facilities, Trip Advisor rating and some tips are given which is a major boon in shortlisting the hotel.

Transportation

• Transportation required from designated places through buses are given. Also is given the choice of pick up and drop. You can also select the car you want for sightseeing along with pick up/drop depending upon budget.

Sightseeing 

• You can add places for sightseeing depending on the time you have and the cost involved. Note that the charges on the right side of your screen fluctuates accordingly.

Inclusions

• Any additional supplement or activity required can be added to the package.

Itinerary

• The itinerary tab gives us the complete travel plan from start to finish. 

Now to the Yays and my final word :-

Yay to :-

• Customer Friendly Online Travel Agent
• Easy Navigation and no hassles with call centre executives or representatives
• Booking within 10 minutes
• Packages can be tailored to suit one's needs
• No pre-customised packages
• Wide Options vis-a-vis stay, food, transport and sight-seeing
• Tie-ups with top class vendors offering quality services
• Multiple destinations up to 10 cities can be planned at one go
• Credibility of hotels can be ascertained because of Trip Advisor rating integration

Final Word :-

"So far as I am able to judge, nothing has been left undone, either by man or nature, to make India the most extraordinary country that the sun visits on his rounds. Nothing seems to have been forgotten, nothing overlooked."

~~~ Mark Twain

Incredible India! Shining India! The portal has sure managed to make travelling easier and hope it grows from strength to strength. I would love to see more options with respect to holiday destinations and hotel tie-ups. I can't wait for the summer vacations and guess which online portal would help me travel unfazed :)

We the Parents

 Recently, my daughter left for a 3 day South Zone Chess Competition in Salem as a part of the team representing her school. It was for the first time my daughter was leaving me and was going to be on her own.While she was thrilled at the prospect of going to Salem, she had her reservations on going without us. She consented without much persuasion but I did have to bribe her with a few goodies (read Pizza treats, new dresses ET AL). I waved her off with the brightest of smiles and a resounding proclamation - "It does not matter whether you win or lose, but what truly matters is your spirited participation". The 3 days tumbled along quickly and while her team gave an above average performance, all was not well with my girls's individual outing. She fell to the players like the pins in bowling and came back home with a low morale and spirit. Along with her I got down and out too! While I was glad that she was safe, I was very miffed at her below average performance. Who was I kidding, all the talk of 'it doesn't matter' did not make sense as there was only rage and fury as to why she could not win a single round. Honestly speaking, I did get upset and had a small spat with her. Later, I consoled myself that she did give her best; but that was not enough. Her lack of continuous practice and my giving her lesser time vis-a-vis chess was also to be blamed. But the whole event got me thinking. On one hand I nailed the message loud and clear that winning & losing were all in the game and on the other hand my over expectation weighed down my girl's performance. Naturally a child would succumb under pressure. I was a hypocrite; but the lesson learnt is a very hard one to put into practice. Whoever said parenting was easy? Bringing up a child is a continuous process and I am no expert at that. But the trials and tribulations of every day parenting teaches a lot and I am a do I have a choice 'never-say-die' student. Bribe Master, Stern Disciplinarian, Bitter Pills, Suckers for a teeny weeny smile, all these and more adjectives are worn by us - the tribe of parents. It is a whole lot of learning and unlearning all the time. 

There is something about Gary,George & Matt

Season 5 of MasterChef Australia has premiered on Indian Television earlier this week and guess who's grinning ear to ear. You must all know that I am a HUGGGGGGGGGGGGGGEEEE fan of the series from Season 1 and have made sure to never miss an episode. What makes this season even more exciting is the BOYS VS GIRLS CHALLENGE - BATTLE OF THE SEXES. And it also has 2 contestants of Indian Origin - Yay! The show has managed to have my attention no matter what ! Once a friend asked me if I was not put off by the abnormal meat and ilk on the show. Yes, there is a whole lot of non vegetarian things doing the rounds and the sight of kidney, liver and brains in its various gory glory was initially disturbing.But the show is much more than that. It is fun ,cheerful and an instant mood booster. MasterChef Kitchen excites me like nothing else ! It looks ultra wow with its uber cool and chic look. Have you had a dhekko at the sleek gadgets, the jaw dropping props and the  state of the art technology in the kitchen ? If you are aware of it, then you will surely understand my excitement. Besides, their very own herb garden adds an elegant green touch to the kitchen. Yeah I could go on and on :)

So many culinary competition shows are on air and the hosts and/or the chefs try to bring about their own stamp of presence but none of the show seem to have registered its WOW factor as this one. Remember our very own MasterChef Season 1. A dud affair and very Bollywoodish ! Of course the following seasons have been better. In fact even its American counterpart with the inimitable Gordon Ramsay at its helm is mostly intimidating and just an OK affair. 

(Source:Google)

The show must easily be the most loved show on television and why not? Gary,George & Matt- the 3 musketeers of Masterchef Australia make the show the most popular and viewed. The trio are the heart and soul of the show. Their infectious smile and heart warming charm brighten the proceedings and makes the 9 to 10 slot something to look forward. They are so down-to earth despite their immense popularity and boy they are mighty talented to boot ! Have you seen how effortlessly they mingle with the participants ? Giving their right due and not being overtly critical or personal but still doling out quality opinion, they are exemplary. I also love their Master Class part. Told you, I am a huge fan ! 

Pssst - A spoilsport friend emailed me the name of this season's winner ! But that ain't gonna make me give the show a miss. Like I said there is something about Gary, George and Matt ! 

Brave

 I run in to rough weather every once in a while ; and every time my mood turns a darker shade of blue, I plunge in to my trusted feel happy list and emerge smiling.The list below guarantees a "happy,smiling me" always and defenitely more when I am down and out  ---

• Play with the kids 
• Pick up a good book
• Don the apron and bake
• Call up friends whom I have not spoken to in a while
• Get up and dance
• Grab the remote and do some mindless surfing
• Watch a movie -----

So, this morning I woke up feeling all good and happy but not for long ! The gloom eyed monster caught me unawares and I tumbled in to self-loathing and self pity. It was then I remembered putting a reminder for watching a movie called Brave. Armed with a huge bowl of puffed rice I settled to watching this animated fantasy flick. And boy am I glad that I watched the film.Totally loved it - Princess Merida thrilled me with her vivacity and verve. Her stormy relationship with her mother rings a bell and brought back many a nostalgic moments. The fiery carrot haired lass inspired me with her strong willed determination, sensitivity,dare-devil attitude among many other things. Did I also say that movie packs quite an interesting action packed drama.The movie has etched itself in to my heart with its maturity and depth besides the vibrant humour and many an aahhhh moments . The end result ~ I perked up visibly - Life is beautiful after all !

                                              (Source: Google.com)

The lines that has stayed with me after watching the movie

Our fate lives within us----- you only need to be brave enought to see it

The Song that is currently on a loop in my mind

I so love the quote by Bob Marley

One good thing about music, when it hits you, you feel no pain.

Music to me is immensely therapeutic and absolutely heals my heart and soul. Music knows no language. I have always taken refuge in good music and there are many songs that instantly put me in a happy, comfortable zone. Be it soft,melodious numbers or absolutely foot tapping rhythms, my love for music embraces all genres. Currently, the song that puts a spring in to my steps is ~~~

 Badtameez Dil  from Yeh Jawani Hai Diwani :-

I love dancing like there's no tomorrow and this peppy number rightly has my attention. The song is full of life and spunk ; it's groovy and alive. Besides, Ranbir's dishy looks don't hurt too :)

Sway & Groove ! Stay Happy !

If I won a Lakh Rupees ----

My Virtual Shopping List

had me grinning wickedly

for I happily imagined all those things

that could be bought in one lakh rupees

Books are my passion

And I would order all the titles 

Flipkart & ilk will do a merry dance 

Boy wouldn't that put the delivery folks in a trance?

Shoes, Handbags and dresses

and all such vanity stuff

would put a big dirty hole

to my lucky lottery dole.

Finally would head to the much talked about beauty corner

and get that refreshing body spa

and with both the mind and body tingling

I'd take care of the tummy rumbling.

A woman needs to be pampered

and nothing beats splurging on self

If the lottery win specifies self-centric shopping

my list would happily scream I, Me, Myself !

{Week 25's Prompt :Self-Centric Virtual Shopping List, If I won a Lakh Rupeees}

Scene outside the balcony window : Crow & Myna

The big balcony in my home has a large window that overlooks the backyard of a few neighboring houses ;  the coconut and neem trees in those backyards are home to a variety of birds and I constantly witness the cacophony of these winged friends going about their affairs with gay abandon. Yes, there are a lot of birds fights and then there are heart warming scenes of mama birds feeding their lil ones. Today, I also witnessed 2 birds {myna,crow} quenching their thirst from the sweltering heat. What was even more delightful to see was that both the birds actually waited a few seconds to see which one would go first to drink. Myna ( not in this picture) then  moved a little farther indicating that the crow could have the first go. I immediately snatched my camera to capture this amazing show of solidarity by these 2 birds---

The overflowing water tank was the perfect opportunity for the crow and myna to have a hearty swig of the elixir of life.

As the myna moved a little farther, the crow came forward and takes a long long drink -----

Just as the crow flew away, the myna which was patiently sitting came forward to quench its thirst

The myna drinking water to its heart content before flying away---

Amazing ain't it ? Be it give and take or respecting each other's space, we humans have a lot to learn from these birds ! 

Zip Zap Zoom

A month long blogging marathon,
Looked daunting and doubtful at the onset,
Today, the month comes to a roaring end,
And, boy am I glad, that I carried on without my spirits dampened.

As day and night would see,
All things, daily motions and even small talks resembling A to Z,
As zillion thoughts would swirl my mind,
All zesty and zany ideas sprouted and shined.

Hubby and kids saw me in a mad mad tizzy,
I huffed, puffed and trotted along in a possessed frenzy.
The good news is the consonants and vowels sailed past,
And I have braved the challenge at last.

The A2Z, FB page gave the challenge a thumping roar,
And under Corinne’s mighty leadership I did soar.
Made some good friends and came across a truck load of talent ,
Loved that all the participants despite their super busy schedule stood gallant.

I value the 30 days of introspection and perseverance,
Of appreciation and becoming enriched with zippy thoughts and perspectives.
And as the zenith is conquered,
I fall into a zen like state of inner peace and happiness.

Viva A2Z

Yay, Yipee - Conversations with Y(H)ubby

Me : Hey Hubby! Am yet to write something on Y; do you have anything in mind?

Hubby :  Oh! Is the challenge still on?

Me : Hello, we still have 2 more days to go. Y, Z are still waiting for their transient seconds of fame. Any thoughts??

Hubby : Yam, yolk, yogurt 

Me : Food? Nothing else?

Hubby : Yeah, these 25 odd days have hardly seen any kitchen activity don’t you think?

Me : Oooh, have we been starving, I don’t see my weighing scales giving me any happy buzz :P

Hubby : Nooo, because I have been donning the apron on many of those days when you were busy thinking about what to write!

Me : Aaah, OK, sshhhhh. Coming to the topic, I am planning to write about Yoga; my father ardently and religiously does it everyday!

Hubby : Have you ever done it? I have never once seen you stretching and shrinking :D

Me : Ha; how rude.

Hubby : Ok, why not talk about Yahoo or You Tube ? 

Me : Enough people would be writing about it and yours truly will not be part of the gang.

Hubby : Yeast woes ring a bell?

Me : I have written enough about it in my other blog ---- Wait, can I talk about the Yummy food I dish out?

Hubby : {poker faced} Was I in planet Mars or Jupiter when that happened this month?

Me : Grrrrr

Hubby : Yin and Yang; why not talk about it.

Me : Nah; no one would be remotely interested in the yawn fest that would ensue!

Hubby : Youth, Yesterday, Yellow

Me : Nothing sounds exciting!!!

Hubby: {exasperated} Lady, I yearn for some pressure free zone and time - how about writing about that ? Thank God English alphabets are only 26----

ME : Yeah; the only thing I agree with You today!

XL - L - M

XL - Every woman’s nightmare are these 2 syllables or for the matter of fact even a L or a M is enough to send many a female into a frenzied tizzy. As a food blogger few, some, many, love handles get attracted to me, like a bear to honey. And the figure, literally speaking, jumps from a M to L to XL if I am not careful. It varies depending upon my itch to try new recipes in my endeavor to tick down the self created culinary bucket list. How I envy those femme fatales on TV shows creating one master piece after another without breaking a, gram in weight, sorry sweat. Don’t they gorge on their creations mercilessly? Don't these people feel the urge to lick off the condensed milk dripping down the tin or nibble a handful of choco chips they swirl into the batter?  I guess they don’t; yours truly does all that and much more. More than 10% of the ingredients of a cake or for that matter of fact any dish I cook is tucked into without a woe. Frankly I don’t care. NO I do care; I care when the weighing scales refuse to recognize me and send back some alarming numbers. I care when my trusted old jeans refuses to budge anywhere above my calf muscles;  I care when a random stranger hints at whether I am sporting a happy bulge. While I am tempted to retort "I have a figure, round is a figure"; I simply mumble inanities and rush home :)

It’s then I wage a little war against the fancy pots, pans and the beckoning oven. These allures are kept at a safe distance and going raw/green becomes the new motto. Eating healthy kicks in and the home sees a Hitler rule where all things that spell sinful is ditched. This continues for a while till I see a couple of hot blog posts harping about the owner’s win over some culinary bombshell and then all hell breaks lose. It is hearth attack like no tomorrow.

Cooking fancy food = blissful/sinful indulgence = happy flaunting on blog = more such dishes = love handles. 

This continues till the weighing scales - old jeans - pregnant question sets in. It is a vicious cycle of sorts. And the figures happily dazzle me for a while with stunning M, an OK L to an alarming XL. 

OK, jokes apart, XL to L to M is easy – as long as you are not starving and leading a normal healthy lifestyle.

• Move your body – shake, dance and groove
• Eat smaller portions but more number of meals
• Feel an urge to snack? dig into an apple or a pear or a handful of nuts rather than reaching out for the biscuit packet or chips
• Drink loads of water – {I saw a T-shirt message the other day which is so true} - the more you drink, the more you shrink
• Ditch the elevators and use the stairs
• Fond of sugar? try using honey instead

It is OK to indulge in chocolates or pizza or a bigger dollop of butter every once in a while as long as you burn it and have a healthy lifestyle otherwise. While XL in figures may give you the jitters, we can all aspire to Living and Enjoying Life XL

Woman : Juggler Par Excellence

Have you seen a juggler?

Ooh yes, that, skill peddler !

Tossing, flipping, catching and holding,

The juggler does all the balancing.

Wanna catch the jugglers in motion?,

Look at the women, she must have surely consumed some magic potion.

She is a mover and shaker ,

For home, work, family and {many times blog} she does deftly maneuver.

She is a tight rope walker,

And sometimes does falter.

Now and then she feels that her life is in disarray,

Nevertheless she musters courage and manages not to stray.

What a woman does is mighty challenging,

It requires tonnes of hard work, patience and adjusting.

It is fine to juggle as much or as little as you can,

But be sure to listen to your heart’s game plan.

For what is true for Jane need not be right for Susan,

But whatever be the case she is truly a remarkable woman.

Veto Domestic Violence

Sometime back I had met an ex-maid of mine and was shocked to see her swollen and almost disfigured face. She had worked for me for a very brief period before quitting citing reasons of husband’s failing health. I remembered her cringing when she saw me and when I enquired about the bruises she brushed it off saying that she had fallen somewhere. Not to be undone, I persisted and finally she revealed the abusing habit of her hubby. She was quick to add that he only beat her when he was drunk. And he drank almost everyday------

Domestic Violence is something we see/hear about almost every day – in small doses or something really huge. Either way it leaves the women in question totally shattered. And it is never an isolated incident. The first time a man hits a woman and sees no retaliation, it sets of an avalanche of many similar incidents. The woman becomes his pet yo-yo of sorts which he can play around.

Domestic violence can take any form of abuse - physical, emotional, financial, sexual. And whatever be the form of abuse, the main purpose is to gain control over the victims. To prove his dominance over her; to set a reign of terror and subjugation. The amusing part is that it is not the illiterate women alone who go through this humiliation and/or aggression. Even well educated women for fear of toppling the apple cart or for fear of being shamed and shunned by the society refuse to stop the audacities happening to them.

Statistics say that 1 in every 4 women will be a victim of domestic violence in some form and on more than one occasion. There is no need to be in fear of the person we love; if there is, then it means that therein lies some form of abuse. There is domestic violence if the person

• is of very low self esteem
• spends more time in private rather that boldly/happily face the world
• is withdrawn
• has visible physical bruises
• is anxious and depressed

{Image Source : Google}

We all talk about domestic violence, so what concrete steps can be actually taken/done to put an end to this menace :-

• First and foremost, teach the children at home about gender equality. Both the boy and the girl need to be drilled in that there is no thing such as gender superiority and both the sexes are equally capable of achieving anything.
• Instill a sense of self appreciation among the children and especially the girls.
• Say NO the very first time the abuse happens and every time; refuse to be cowed down.
• Accept the grimness of the situation and seek help.
• Recognize the abuse the first time it happens and muster courage and support to deal with the same.
• Abuse in many cases are more psychological and emotional; though the physical pain may not be there, the mental stress will be the maximum. It is wrong too  - so get help
• Speak up – ask if the person is in trouble; do they need support and offer help.
• Move to a safer place if the abuse persists.
• Enlist the support of friends and family.

These are not only true for the ladies in the world but also true for all the gents, though in most cases involving the men folk it dosen't come out due to the fact that they are viewed as Macho.

For my part, I managed to convince the ex-maid after a lot of persuasion to report this and seek help to take a stand. To my delight there was a visible change when I next met her.

VETO DOMESTIC VIOLENCE

Unbridled Savagery, Upbeat Women

Unbridled savagery shook the country last week,
Unarmed innocence caught in fire,
Usurping body, mind and soul and not remotely alarmed,
Under despair and situation fraught.

Utter fury engulfs me,
Urging me to do something; anything,
Undo what happened; I can't,
Utopian Society I seek.

Uncanny abilities must surface,
Unleash, women must - their real power,
Upper hand we will have,
Unbeaten and upbeat we will remain.

Travel Trails - The Golden Temple (Namdroling Buddhist Monastery)

I love being bitten by the wander bug and as often as possible - For what is life without travel ? Enriching us of many experiences and also giving fresh insights and perspectives, travelling is a way of escaping the monotony and indulging in many magical happy moments.

{Source:Google Images}


And living to the hilt by this maxim, we set off to Mysore and Coorg (Karnataka,India) last week and got lost in nature's beauty. It is during our stay in Coorg that we came to know about a   Tibetan settlement and a wonderful monastery.The monastery is popularly called as NAMDROLING and is located in Bylakuppe, which is 14 kms from Kushal Nagar, Mysore District, Karnataka. Bylakuppe incidentally houses the second largest settlement  of Tibetans in India.In 1960 the Government of Mysore allotted about 3000+ acres of their lands to the Tibetan refugees seeking asylum in India and thus came in to existence Bylakuppe.

Also called as Little Tibet, the roads of Bylakuppe are dotted with Buddhist prayer flags on every building/house or wire or lamp post.

Buddhist teachings are upheld in this monastery as Namdroling is a thriving settlement to over 6000 + monks and lamas. The architecture is typical Tibetan and spells ORNATE all over..

The beautiful campus in which lies the spectacular temple is dotted with eye catching flora and a few guinea fowls around.

Established by HIS Holiness Pema Norbu Rimpoche and consecrated by His Holiness Dalai Lama, the Temple houses 3 large golden plated statues of Buddha Shakyamuni ,Buddha Padmasambhava, Buddha Amitayus of about 60 ft each.

The inside of the temple takes your breath away as it literally is like stepping in to another realm. 

Buddha's life history---

The walls are colorfully painted with beautiful frescoes of the god and goddess of Tibetan Mythology.

Next to the golden temple is a small temple of sorts were we saw many monks deep in prayer. Chanting and spinning their prayer wheels, the boom from the drums and the calls of their horns had us enthralled.

Besides the temple, the campus is also home to a retreat center and there are a few Tibetan shops housing a lot of souvenirs we can take back home. 

The monastery draws huge international and national visitors besides a large number of students seeking knowledge on Tibetan way of living. A must visit place if you are travelling to Mysore/Coorg

Sister Love

Bonded by birth,

Nurtured with love,

Together we travelled,

And many a treasured moment unraveled.

Partners in crime,

We have unabashedly enjoyed all the spare time,

My childhood would never have been the same,

Had you not been there my little dame!

As different as chalk and cheese,

We loved hard and fought harder,

 And then we made up,

As distance made the heart grow fonder.

Today we are miles apart,

and there are days when we barely talk,

But this is the best part,

That even in silence you are closest to my heart.

Seeing me rack my brains over this post, my daughter after hearing the theme drew something that best describes the post :)

Random Road Clicks

A picture is worth a 1000 words, so the saying goes ! Here are a few random clicks my camera captured on our recent trip to Mysore and Coorg. Each of the shot tells a story - of daily struggles, of sheer indiscipline or a busy day.

A busy day ahead for this watermelon seller !

Recovery after an accident  

Daily struggles and triumphs - Life

 Roads are mass urinals ! (Sigh)

People bustling about