The World is my Playground

Do YOU know... 66% travellers can become Social Media Inflencers!! You live only once, then why not try this aspect of discovering the world just with our own company. Another experience when you soak in completely where you are, be it nature or a historical place. This is a process, when you start feeling part of that BEING, part of the existence, there and then. That’s how you absorb and sink in coherence with the energies around!! The process is natural and quite addictive. Earlier this month in Ahmedabad, a Solo traveller meet was organised, that too women; all age groups and all backgrounds sharing their experiences with a bunch of women who too wish to opt for this mode but hesitant cause of some fears attached with women going out alone. Six females, ranging from the twenties to forty plus years shared their experiences as to where all have they been, their stories and challenges associated with a woman travelling alone. Ritu Kulveen: a Blogger and influencer

Ahmedabad, 16th December 2018: Food has been known not only to impart nutrition, but also develops our mind, body and certain spiritual qualities. The essence of food which has been traditionally developed over years is somewhere getting lost between fad diets, western influence, new age ingredients, cafe culture etc. Indian tradition and culture has developed over food. Food is one ingredient which is also present in religion, ayurveda, medicine, and social connect too... Food is part of our entire eco-system, it is nature, hence we connect with it the most. Sattvik is one such initiative to create awareness about the lost traditional cooking methods, regional and seasonal food. Apart from this Sattvik brought in by Srishti Innovations is also a platform where home- makers, villagers and commercial outlets showcase their food-related products, services and serve delicacies too. Sattvik 2018 will be held at AES grounds, Bodakdev from 22 nd December 2018 to 25 th Decemb

Ahmedabad, 28th November 2018: Cake mixing ceremony, two months prior to Christmas the raisins, nuts and fruits are soaked in juices, honey and spices. This marks the beginning of the festive season full of fun and frolic...  Being a region of diversity, we as Indians get to witness this part of cultural aspect too. In Ahmedabad, apart from Santa being spotted at various hubs in the city, now since past few years Cake Mixing too has become a ritual. Many hotels follow the traditional method of soaking nuts and juices to prepare the authentic plum cake, where they call upon their guests and the ritual is a proper celebration. This season I have witnessed Cake Mixing ceremony at three places;  Lemon Tree Premier, Hyatt Regency and Fortune Landmark by ITC... all at various intervals! Traditionally the dry fruits are soaked in caramel fluid and orange juice two months prior (wine or rum are omitted as Gujarat is a dry state), and when the batter is made, another set of soaked dry f

Over demanding and price conscious market is known to be the land for test drives for many brands. If you can survive and grow in Gujarat, you can do that anywhere.. that’s the chain reaction. On the other hand Gujarat is not only a dry state but the foodie population here is quite demanding in terms of vegetarian kitchens and Jain* version of food (no onion no garlic). Wood Fire Pizza at Mondo Kitchen Predicting market dynamics in Gujarat is equally difficult, some work with the same formula, some don’t. Pizza hut, an international chain was urged to launch their first vegetarian outlet in Ahmedabad in 1999; whereas Dominos landed as their regular offering brand with non- vegetarian options. Past five years, Ahmedabad is witnessing more number of non-vegetarian outlets, pouring in at an alarming speed with a loyal league of customers. Almost all of which are doing well!! Parallel to this lot of pizza outlets have opened; local and Global chains both as ownership and franc

Trends changing and so are our eating patterns.. grabbing a bite or a wholesome shakemeal is the NEW!! Moving on ahead from just ice cream shakes to healthy versions clubbed with fruits, dry fruits or muesli to make it more of tummy filler is the new version. We have moved even a step ahead from mocktails and freak shakes. Hence, if you are calorie conscious and still wanna freak out.. these Shakespeares are there, to load your mouth with notes and tales...  Our city Ahmedabad, the ice-cream capital is now witnessing the upcoming outlets of “only shakes” . Though having dairy content in it, most of  these shakes aren’t made of ice-creams. This is what the emerging chains claim, as ice-creams aren’t in the list of those who are diet conscious, which creates a niche for this league. One such is The Shake Maker where I tried Fruit Mania with nuts at 1 pm in the afternoon, which was my lunch, and till 5pm didn't feel the need of having anything else. It's LOADED w

Traveling is one of the best teachers, your essence or real self is the nature, as we all are created out of it - the five essential elements!! Double Decker Living Root Bridges Every place has a different story to tell, self-reliance, essential elements, livelihood and sustainability. Nature holds the treasure, and we all have been using it time immemorial…not only for our survival but monetary well being as well…(till IT industry took over our real nature connect). Khasi Hills, on one extreme end of Indian subcontinent is home to living nature and the roots.. as too much of ‘ development’ has not touched this extreme end of the country;  Cherapunji, the wettest place in Meghalaya, India. The tableland or plateau and high amounts of rainfall are a great amalgamation for waterfalls, which are spread across this region. The tourists can spot strips of gushing waters from the cliffs, splashing out rainbows. The contouring terrain gives a surface to various other form

Tribes, heritage, cottage industry, nature, science, ecological awareness, technology, mines, weaving industry  and the tale goes on... If the current civilization needs to take some learnings, especially India.. Meghlaya is the place to visit.  Remotely located but has bundles of wisdom embedded in each zone. To get glimpses of the entire place in a nutshell, Don Bosco Museum in Shillong is a place to visit. Seven halls on seven floors winding up in a concentric ring take back you to an era giving an overview of entire North Eastern India. Meghalaya is one of the cleanest states in India and it had been inhabited majorly by Gori and Khasi tribes, after whom the hill ranges too have been named. Cleanliness to an extent, there is no open defecation and you will not find any mound of trash on your way. The tribes have contributed a lot to the socio-cultural and economic growth.   Agriculture and Fishing are the primary sources of income and food.  Their tools and th

Day in and day out we are reading about pollution, global warming, chemical processing and revival of heritage. Volunteer Groups, NGOs, stringent Government policies have already realized the damage that has been done by the new age human civilization. The efforts at individual and group levels in getting back and being rooted are some baby steps being taken in the huge Urban clutter, where "Retail therapy" is the buzz word.  This so termed "Therapy" is just a stop gap solution, temporary and hollow, promoting "use and throw" concept amidst the new generation...but still empty and hollow, leading no where!! Some good hearts amidst the herd have rolled up their sleeves and taken conscious charge to not allow chemicals get into their food stream.  Sunday, 23rd September, in the Capital city, where 'vertical growth" spending on weekends in the malls, showing off brands and price tags is the culture which has seeped in.

The Iconic landmark on the map of any tourist or celebrity visiting Ahmedabad is Vishalla. One place which has been deep-rooted yet standing firm on the ground since 1978. Rustic, soothing, natural and humane are the core essential aspects of the age-old restaurant in town. Vishalla is not only known for its authentic food which comprises of over forty items which are first served to the deity in the temple after an ‘ aarti’ ; a daily ritual, and if you happen to reach there at 7pm then you can be a part of this truly divine experience. The food, therefore, is addressed more as ‘ prasadam’ . Moreover, the ingredients used are pure and natural with no entry of any artificial color in your platter. The authentic Gujarati food is served over disposable dry leaf plates or ‘pattal’. Wall of Fame The village-like rustic environment gets dramatic in the evening when the lanterns light up the mud houses and dining tops created with uneven logs of wood; retaining its natural shap