I know, I am late by a couple of weeks, but the festive season in India is in full flow, which hardly leaves any time to breathe! It starts with the advent of Onam down south, followed by Varalakshmi Vratam, 10th Day of Onam, Raksha Bandhan, Narali Purnima, and eventually Gokulashtami. Onam is the harvest…
Category: Festivities
Happy Christmas to all, and to all a good night!
A Visit from St. Nicholas BY CLEMENT CLARKE MOORE ‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the houseNot a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;The children were nestled all snug in their beds;While visions of sugar-plums danced in…
Spark of Life
I love Diwali, which you know by now if you’ve stuck around here for a while. I love the festivities, the clay lamps, lights, and the delicacies of the season. I have never been a big fan of noisy crackers, and growing up rockets that exploded into a beautiful spectacle of light were beyond reason…
Let There Be Light
I love Diwali. Apart from the common traditions, I have my own ways and means to celebrate. I tend to buy a lot of locally made clay lamps, and I love experimenting with paints of different types. I love them bright and clean; glitter or shimmer is not my thing. This year, I picked small…
Celebrations of Life
Like I’ve mentioned many times before, India is incredibly festive as a country; we look for reasons to cook, dress up and celebrate with everyone around. Many of these recipes are an indication of the region you belong to and the season the celebration is in. Since I have lived in Bombay since I was…
Celebrating Life
Festivals in India is fun, festive and brimming with food. As you’d probably know, if you’ve been around a while, I get to celebrate 3-4 harvest festivals because of my lineage. I’m a Tamilian, who’s parents belong to either sides of the state’s border, and I was born and raised in Mumbai, which celebrates the…
Sukhkarta Dukhharta … Suravaravandana
Sukhkarta Dukhharta Varta VighnachNurvi Purvi Prema Kripa JayachiSarvangi Sundara Uti ShendurachiKanthi Jhalake Maala MuktaphalanchiJai Deva Jai Deva Jai MangalamurtiDarshanamatre Manakamana Purti Salutations the giver of joy, the remover of sorrow, and the one who eliminates hurdlesthe one who spreads love and grace everywherethe one with a beautiful body smeared with vermilionand the one who sports…
Mahalaksmi Ashtakam
Namasthesthu MahamayeSree Peede, Sura PoojitheSanka Chakra Gadha HastheMaha Lakshmi NamosthutheReverential Salutations to You, the Primordial Cause of Creation; Who Abides in Her Transcendental Abode and is Worshipped by the Suras,Who is adorned with a Conch, Discus and Mace in Her Hands; Reverential Salutations to You, O Devi Mahalakshmi. Namasthe GarudarudeKolasura BhayamkariSarva Papa Hare DeviMaha Lakshmi…
Turn Back Time
Today was a special day I didn’t really keep a tab on. My blog account turned 11 today! This account has been around only since 2011. You can find my poor, oft neglected first blog here. I love my virtual space: it shows me how much I have grown in thought and words. If I…
Vishukani
Vishu, and Tamil Puthandu are the start of the Solar calendar in the two states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. As my father is originally for the border of both states, we observe both festiviteis at our home. For Vishu, the celebration involves setting up a Vishukanni. In Malayalam, kani translates to “that which is…
Snapshots of my World 