You can Leave Cricket but cricket will not leave you

"India is a Cricket crazy  Nation" I have heard these words and read them 100 times but did not understand the mean until today when India beat Pakistan in the world cup semifinals. Its 2.00 a.m in the morning. I would never do this crazy thing of sitting and blogging at this hour. The reason I am doing this means ,I am an Indian and I have gone crazy. I had earlier tweeted that while the whole nation would be indoors glued to the television sets I would like to go out and explore how a quite Delhi would look like. I had given up the quarterfinal game against Australia an headed for the wonderful discourse of Swami Parthsarathy. That victory in quarterfinal did not stir up the emotions of the nation as against the game against Pakistan. While most of the offices closed for the afternoon to allow its employees to catch up with the game, I decided to be at work as normal. One solace was that the live streaming of the game on internet would make to stay updated. After what happened today I got a new Philosophy " You can leave cricket but cricket will not leave you" . The theory of Karma is again at play here. As I reach office I get called by my boss to come over to my head office to sort of some urgent work. Here I am regretting that well my dreams of watching the game on internet is all thrashed and as day proceeds I am confined to my boss chamber with more and more work. Finally the time arrives. Boss gets busy and I am left alone in her office with a TV for all my self. I am wondering at my luck to watch India play live on the TV which is much better than that on the internet. India finishes its innings. The Nation is disappointed. Its not a great total on board. Defending it would be a challenge. I leave the office and accept an invitation from a friend to join him for the dinner at his home. As the Pakistani side gets to slide the excitement is in the air. I leave my friends place for home. but Cricket does not leave me. The driver of the bus I board had the commentary loud in the bus. I sense India is closer to an historic win. I disembark from the bus and again cricket is following me. I pulled to a near by cell phone shop where the game is live on TV and a large number of locals have gathered around and cheering. I join this group and see them all erupt once the victory is achieved. As the game comes to an end the deserted streets are once again busy and people are out to take the victory lap. Cricket is following me again. I meet up with the inmates of Venkat club house -Neel & paul .We rent a cab and head out to India gate. It looks that all roads are leading to India gate. I have no adjectives when it come to describe the scene there. Thousands has poured in there in cars and bikes waving the tri colour with victory cry. Men, women, boys ,girls are all there dancing to the tunes of bollywood music blasting out from car speakers. Its at most bedlam . This moment can only be experienced not explained. I have never seen the city coming out and celebrating this way. It was like my being in Rome in 2001 when the team ROMA won the Italian league. I wonder a victory over Sri Lanka in final would not stir this kind of spontaneous celebrations. For all of present there ,It was like India winning the Finals.

The SMS started pouring and this is when I realized how stupid our mobile operators are. They did not not anticipate India's victory and so did not implement their " Looting Tariff" for sms that they normally do for the big holidays. So here is cricket, the greatest religion in India which is a great leveler.

I started the day with no intention to watch the game but then ended up getting immersed and so " I can leave cricket but cricket will not leave me. Jai Ho

Eating Gujarati In Delhi

My friend Mariellen Ward  informed me how India was  left out when the  listing of top destinations for food was  drawn up by popular travel publication  and the outrage it received from the readers. Well the publication will have its way .

I am likely to end up being called biased when I say "I  feel so fortunate  to be  living India" which according to me has unlimited options when its comes to eating. My words are not to be taken as propaganda . India truly is a "gastronomy delight"  and my friend  who is more right than "Paul Rockower" the young Jewographer and Public Diplomacy guru who believes in India  in "Gastro diplomacy" strengths.

Let me now come to this story of my craving for Gujarati Food in Delhi. Since I turned vegetarian six years ago I have been regularly asked this question " Is it not hard  staying veg" . Well my only reply has been being vegetarian is  bliss and the variety of options that Indian cuisine further enhances this "Bliss".

Gujarati food has always captured my imagination. My earliest introduction to this food was the lovely rajdhani restaurant in Baba karak singh road in New Delhi. This is without researching I invited by friend Mariellen who is visiting  Delhi to Join for lunch. When I arrive at the place I see this place closed and with no clue to look for another place close by I end up eating again at the legendary "Saravana Bhavan " restaurant in C.P . Mariellen says' Check out every place in Delhi before you go there, Delhi is fast Changing" How true. As  I tend to return home  disappointed at not eating my Gujarati meal I get this call from my friend Manish to join him in his office . Manish is now into big time into Pilgrimage travel and the greatest pilgrimage season of "Chardam yatra"  will start  6 April 2011.

As I enter Manish's office I see there a Catering Unit from Gujarat discussing the menu options for the Gujarati pilgrims  taking the Chardham. To my surprise of surprises I am offered to join in for dinner at a hotel where this catering team will roll out an elaborate Gujarati menu for us to test and taste. This is what I call a "Mouth Watering Offer"  . Its dinner time and I have the delicious "Kichidi with Gujarati kadi , Kaju karela , Bhindi , Kaman Dokla , Aaam Ras and soft rotis come up to my plate. Its was a real treat. This meal today inspires me to pack my bags and head to Gujarat to try more options. ( Mr. Amitabh Bachan are you hearing this. After you its the food of Gujarat that is inspiring people to go there.)

As I head back home after this great dinner I end up thinking how I was disappointed in the afternoon in missing my Gujarati lunch and here I am going back content after this big Gujarati Dinner. I call this work of "Karma"

New Dimension to Adventure Tourism in Kashmir

It was a great sight for the people of Behrampora, Dhobiwan, Kunzer of Kashmir Valley to see a beautiful object flying above their villages in early hours of the day. They could make out three persons standing in a basket hanging from a huge balloon and waving to all the crowds who tried to follow them many of then up to 3 to 4 Kms through the fields. Some were excited to see this type of adventure activity first time in their life . It was a Hot Air Balloon run by Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering (IIS&M), Ministry of Tourism, Government of India, Gulmarg first time in the Valley after a long spell  .   The balloon took off from a barren patch near Behrampora village and flew 12 Kms. towards Kunzer, Dhobiwan and Budgam. It was a trial flight by Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering (IIS&M)  who have just finished 5 snow skiing courses at Gulmarg.   Indian Institute of Skiing & Mountaineering (IIS&M) is planning multifaceted adventure activities through out the year which will include water skiing and para sailing in  Dal Lake, White Water Rafting & Paragliding in Sonamarg, Mountaineering & Trekking in other parts of the valley. Hot Air Ballooning by IISM has put new lease of life to the tourism in Kashmir.

 The flight also aimed to remove fear from the minds of tourists who hesitate to visit Kashmir. Such activities if under taken in an earnest way can transform the fortunes of the people of valley by making it better than all the destinations of Europe . The Balloon is now doing trial flights at Gulmarg and Srinagar. IIS&M plans to continue with these aero adventure activities to make Kashmir as an exciting adventure tourist destination of the world. More info at www.iismgulamrg.com

Experience New Festivals in India

It has always been a challenge to those marketing destinations to pick up new ideas that will immediately sell and excite the travellers to pick up their bags and decide to move . The destinations have tried everything to get the market attention . India is never short of travel ideas when it comes to telling people the true story . Many of you are now familiar with the phrase " Incredible India" and as one of our advertisement copy say " 365 days 1365 Festivals" its is this festivals that offer a great opportunity to experience the destination. One such festival is the " Pongala Ritual" at the famous Attukal Bhagavathi Temple in Tirvandrum the capital of " Gods own country - Kerala

It was a news to me when I was told this is the world's biggest devotional congregation of women. This year it was estimated that over 2.5 million women participated in this festival taking over miles of street space at Trivandrum, Kerala.

It was a wonderful sight to see women drawn across all sections of society take part in the ceremony sitting on roads around the temple to cook the rice & jaggery with coconut called " Pongala" and offer to the Godess Bagavathi to seek her blessings.
The ritual normally begins in the morning when the e temple's priest lights the hearth in the temple kitchen with the flame taken from the sanctum of the temple. The devotees follow this immediately and light their respective hearth.The ritual concludes in the afternoon with the priests sprinkling the 'pongala' with holy water.

Next time you plan a visit to India check out there must be one such unique festival in the vicinity of the place you are visiting. Its time to move away from the traditional guided trips and experience something more authentic. This is the time for reality travel.

Holy Haridwar

Living in Delhi is a great boon when it come to options available for weekend getaways.The opportunities are immense and with a love for Travel I have chose the path of travel to get away from the weekend monotony and get rid of the stress. Travel any time is the best bet to fight stress. Uttarkand some how has caught my imagination and when some asks me to list my favorite destinations in India I end up listing all the 90 percent of my favorite destinations that are in Uttarakand. Haridwar is one such town. the Holy Haridwar as I wish to call it. The Magic of Hardiwar is to to experienced and cannot be explained. I have now been there several times just to be at the ghats of Ganges and experience the power of faith. Every visit to haridwar has been a different experience. The best part of the experience is to have a dip in the ganges in the evening and sit at the ghats waiting for the evening Aarti( Prayers). During certain important bathing dates there is sea of Humanity waiting to immerse itself in this experience. The sounds of bells, the setting Sun and Aarti song for the Mother Ganges makes one connect with the eternal and feel inner peace. There are all kinds of people one encouters here and just watching the people go about their prayers in itself is an experience. Haridwar will see the Kumbh Mela in 2010 and Since time immemorial the Kumbh Mela has been a center of hindu faith. This evnts is (particularly the maha Kumbh) is said to attract the largest congretion of humans any where in the world. The kumbh mela attracts the participants from all the walks of life across the globe.
Come be a pat of this wonderful experience called "Holy Haridwar"

Kerala: The Cradle of Christianity in South Asia

A documentary film "Kerala: The Cradle of Christianity in South Asia"(30 minutes)was screened on 2 Aug at the Kerala house in Delhi. This film depicting the rich and colorful texture of the Indian version of the Middle Eastern (Chaldean and Antiochene), Roman, and Anglican traditions of Christianity in Kerala against backdrop of one of the most attractive tourist regions in the world. The film highlights a relatively less known aspect of the cultural complexity of the region, provides yet another reason for calling Kerala as "God's own country", and makes India more intimate. Verily, a visual and aural treat. Script: Dr. Joseph Palackal, Direction: Jain Joseph FIIT. Joseph Palackal, a St. Thomas Christian from Kerala, is an Indic musicologist, singer, and composer. He earned degrees in Hindustani classical vocal music, psychology, and Christian theology in India and a doctorate in Ethnomusicology from the Graduate Center of the City University of New York. His scholarly interests are in the area of music and religion in South Asia. He has contributed articles to several international publications, including The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, and the Garland Encyclopedia of World Music. He is principal vocalist for over thirty releases in five languages. He made his debut in New York in the off-Broadway show Nunsense, and has lectured at the Julliard School and Columbia University. He is also the founder president of the Christian Musicological Society of India. Currently, he is completing his book on the Syriac chant traditions in South India. Address: 57-15 61st Street Maspeth, NY 11378 Telephone: 718-416-0773 Email:
jpalackal@verizon.net Web site: www.thecmsindia.org

Love for Kite Flying

The Sky line of Delhi on 15 August each year takes festive look with the millions of kites dotting the horizon . The young , old, men ,women all join this fun and cheer each other .This day is also a big holiday in the country being its independence day. Kite flying is just not limited to India alone. In my travels to some of the distant lands I have found keen interest among the people in this fascinating sport . The Kites in China were distinct and so were the ones in Trinidad, Argentina, Chile and of course in the U.S.

This sport some how to me is very engaging and provides a sense of fulfillment. I was initiated into kite flying as a kid by my elder siblings and it was such a magical feeling preparing for the big day when the citizens of Chennai would all climb up to to their roof tops on the festive occasion of Deepawali ( Festival of Lights) to engage in this fascinating event. The art of preparing the " Manja" ( String specially treated to have a cutting edge) was something memorable. Each house hold had its won secret formula and would not reveal it . Now this art of treating the string at home is locally is dying and people tend to buy the strings from the market readymade. In India too kite flying is legendary . Most part of the country takes up this sport on the eve of "Makar sankranthi " ( 14 Jan). The Kite Festival of Ahmedabad in Gujarat is now a major event in the festival calendar of the tourism Department of state which attracts enthusiasts from world over. I have not really done any major research to look into the history of Kite flying on where and when this all originated. may be some one reading this piece may like to highlight .
What is fascinating that this sport has survived the time and continues to fascinate all. I have seen that there are several local sports that are gradually dying in India. The children in most urban households i India are so engaged with the PSP's , "game boys" , Computer games that its is hard to see them take on outdoor sports. Well that’s a larger subject that needs to be debated.
Coming back to Kite flying , my sincere wish is that this sport continue to be alive for ages to come and keep all those flying them feel good.