Being together

This post is for https://housing.com/ #together

It was Esha's birthday. Like each year, I dialed her mobile number to wish her on her birthday. Irrespective of the fact that we could rarely meet after our tenure in the same job and being room mates, we remained good friends. Post two years of quitting job, she got married. I was still working in Delhi, trying to make something out of my career. We were physically apart but kept in touch throughout. We made sure to call each other at least on our birthday, if not at regular intervals.  It was 11:00 am and I thought to call her as I was not loaded by work that day.

I expected to hear a bubbly chirpy voice at the other end. The time that I spent with her brought a smile on my face. As the call got through, her number was not reachable. I was disappointed, wondering why she had switched her phone off. Leaving a message on social account was not an option, as she was not active on social media, and had discontinued her profile of late. After trying her number thrice,  I called on her hometown's land line.

"Hello?" the bubbly voice received the call.

“Happy birthday moti!” I wished her in excitement.

“Thanks SD! How did you know I am in Chandigarh?” (She often abbreviated by name to SD)

“Idiot! Your mobile is not reachable. I thought of calling your parents to give me alternate number of yours if any. 

Why is your phone off?” I scolded her with a concern in my voice.

“No, its not off rey! I have discontinued my Delhi number” she replied with a hint of melancholy in her voice.

“Why the hell? So who will update your number to me? What’s wrong?” I asked.

“Things are not quite well at my end. I am going through a rough patch in my life sweety. Will tell you later.”

I had no idea what had happened, but I was concerned and worried for her. Why did she discontinue her Delhi number, why was she in Chandigarh, was there a problem in her marriage…thoughts wrung my head as I tossed on my bed that night. I felt guilty of not being to talk to my best friend for a long time. Amid my own struggle and work life balance, I had almost forgotten Esha. Post my broken love relationship, I was never myself. That night I kept thinking how life had made a joke of me. More I thought about my past relationship, more I felt hurt. Tears rolled down my cheeks as I felt that void within me again.

The next day at work, I was informed about an official visit to Chandigarh to one of our clients. I felt happy and was eager to visit Esha during that visit.

I bought a box of chocolates for her and headed for her house on Saturday afternoon. As I pressed the door bell, she opened it for me. We hugged each other. She rushed to the kitchen and returned with two glasses of watermelon smoothie and home-made cookies. I was touched. She had not forgotten my favorites. After a brief chit chat about job and family, I asked her about her marriage.

She smiled. “I knew this would come. Well SD, I have filed a divorce from my husband. The case is still pending.”

I ran a blank at her in shock. She was married one and a half years ago. What could have possibly gone wrong!

“This alliance was brought by one of our relatives who had woven lies to us. My family fell for it. I trusted my parents and got married, hoping for a good life ahead. But all that shines is not gold. The good looking guy had an extra marital affair. Plus, he had lied to us about his education, job & salary. Financial condition deteriorated. When I offered to help by working, his family refused. Big ego you see. They can die hungry, but will not allow the bahu to work. Things went terribly wrong when he started to return home drunk and physically tormented me. I kept mum and tried my best to save the marriage. When my parents came to know about it, they brought me back. They keep feeling guilty of not doing a background check that brought my life to a standstill.”

Esha’s words pierced into my heart. I was disturbed and angry at the same time. How dare could a man hit his wife? Why did he marry if he was into another relationship? My eyes welled up. It should have been my turn to hug her. But she came to me instead, and hugged me.

“Why are you crying silly? I am fine. See, I am out of a bad marriage. I was wrong when I stayed quiet. It’s worse to accept wrong more than doing it. Now I am free from his clutches. I will start working very soon,” she said with hopes in her eyes.

That moment I compared myself with Esha. She had braved the odds with maturity and is so much calm. I felt like a fool who was crying over a broken relationship of six months! I learnt a big lesson from Esha that day. 

Optimism is what I was missing in my life. How well did Esha put her broken pieces of life together deserved an applause. My meeting with her that day filled me with hopes, optimism and courage to move on. Her story helped me get over my broken relationship and I was my normal self. She gave me the strength and motivation to go on with optimism and look up.

(Image in the post is my copyright, clicked my me via Samsung mobile)

Look up

While toying with the idea of relocating to the U.S for a job, Anirudh was not only worried, but reluctant too. His new employer had hired him at higher salary and promised better perks, but the job required him to move out of Kolkata. Leaving his home town, parents, friends and his lifetime’s memories for a new place, made him jittery. To search for a new house or to stay in guest house, to cook on his own or hire a cook, to stay alone or with room partners, to adapt to a new lifestyle, totally different culture, to manage  everything alone; these thoughts bothered him as he spent sleepless nights before accepting the new job offer.

Yes he had reasons to worry but his career was also at stake. As his elder sister I could gauge how his mind wavered between his job and family. To leave ailing parents behind for a new job was indeed difficult. I was married and had relocated to Delhi. I visited Kolkata for few days and I could sense the uneasiness on Anirudh’s face, no matter he tried to conceal this thoughts with his cheerful smile. I counselled him to accept the job opportunity. He was reluctant and did not seem convinced. Two days later, he came to me with an envelope in his hand. He seemed to be relaxed. “Ki holo?” (What happened), I asked him.

“I rejected the job offer” he said with a smile.

“Why? This was a great chance you always dreamt of! Are you crazy?” I exclaimed.

“I won’t leave my parents for a job. It’s just a job. I told that to my employer and they agreed. I can stay here in Kolkata and work for as on off-site employee. See, I rejected them, but they accommodated my needs. Didi, I knew my priorities and I was positive that my employer would agree to my terms and conditions. Why should I leave my home. I get my energy and happiness when I see my parents.”

I was stunned by his reply. What great optimism was my brother full of! I felt proud of him.

Years later, I was back to Kolkata in city hospital to attend to my father after he met with a stroke. I sobbed as Ani hugged me in the hospital during dad’s heart surgery. The doctors had reported 70% arteries blockage. In the critical situation when Mom and I were a nervous wreck, we could regain our strength and hopes with Ani standing by our side, silent but steady.

Our cousins were there in the hospital to support us. To cheer up everybody, Ani cracked jokes.

“How could you be not serious in this difficult time?” one of our elder cousins snapped at him. He was our uncle’s eldest son who was very close to our dad.

“Crying or worrying will not cure him anyway dada” Ani said calmly keeping his hand on his shoulder, transferring all his positive energy into the grim environment.

“Dad will be fine. Don’t worry. He will be healthy and hearty. Heart surgeries look complicated but trust me they are very common for doctors. Have a cup of tea”, and he extended his arm with cup of tea to calm us. The surgery was successful and dad recovered gradually. I am often amazed by the optimism that he carries and never feels low. What motivates him, even he does not know. All I know is that he is different and a very positive person who lights up everybody’s life with this cheerfulness and people look upto him for his optimism.

This post is part of  https://housing.com/lookup in association with indiblogger

The world remade

I write, I build emotions, I express, I catch eyes of the readers, I create content to attract the world to the brand that I work with; to hook them, enlighten them, confuse them, give them ‘gyaan’ and ultimately sell the products in our brand portfolio. They call me copywriter, I call it “copy creator”. I create, other than the brand, for my own self at times. I create stories and the characters. I believe in fiction and I live the dream of being the creator through the characters that I create in my stories.

Often I wonder how would be like to create or let’s say rebuild a new world in my way! Don’t we all remember, how we played “Raja Raani” or “Chor Police” in our childhood?

As we grow up, we fight odds every day. We crib, we cry, we fight, we feel hurt & cheated when things don’t happen in our way. We really want our railway ministers, or finance ministers to make a budget that suits the largest population; the middle class. I really don’t wish to remake the world by holding a powerful post, else who would do my job then?

I want a new world which has a fresh and good mindset. Let’s create a world where education is not confused with literacy, because even the so-called educated lot today kill girl child and demand dowry during marriage. The degree holders from good universities are found involved in molestation & rape. Decorated officers and corporate employees hire little children for household work. What’s a world with such educated people? The world that I would rebuild will not have people with a mindset that think of female feticide, dowry, rape, eve teasing, molestation or child labor. I would rebuild a world free of crime against women & children.

Degrees and certificates don’t make you “educated”. No school or book teaches you to be a violent and open fire. My new world would be sans violence and terrorism, because people would be literate. The world would be rebuilt with educated minds and literate people who could not go to the extremes of picking up ammunition when brain washed. Dictators and terrorists like Hitler, Saddam Hussein, Kasab, Muammar Al-Gaddafi, Joseph Stalin, Robert Mugabe would not be born as bad people. Undoing the harm they inflicted would be impossible, but I would build them as people who could prove to be blessing for the mankind. Let their creative thinking bring joys and innovative modernization for the new world to be a better place. They had great ideas to rule and kill people. In the new world they would have great ideas to develop and utilize people for an amazing world. It’s then when everyone would say "Here's The World, Remade!"

Yes, we don’t live in a perfect world. So we try to live within the framework of society. My new world may not be perfect too. So it will have laws that would deal with serious issues strictly. Since humans are divided by religion & caste, it results in inter-religion clashes. My new world WILL NOT have inter-religion rattling. This take care of so called honor killing. I would sit back on my seat and be relieved of any inter-caste/inter religion disputes.

I may have to deal with global warming and climatic changes as the human race progresses. However I would leave that to the mankind to tackle. My new world be free of terror, crime and cultural gaps. My new world will have ‘educated’ humans who think positively, creatively, ahead of time and progress together without pulling down others.

Making a world like this is next to impossible, but we still can try to use our minds diligently, isn’t it? Why can’t we have and implement strict laws for menacing crimes like rape, child trafficking, child labor, dowry death? That’s because of the limitations of the mankind by law. My world would not be limited to such margins. How I wish the fiction was a reality.

I am participating in the #TheWorldRemade activity at BlogAdda in association with India Today #Conclave15

Jodhpur Palate

Jodhpur, the second largest city located in central Rajasthan has loads of historical stories in its façade. Founded by Rao Jodha in 1459, the city boasts of rich Rajasthani culture and grandeur, much evident from the monuments and savory food.  Rajasthanis are known for their affection of sweets, which we enjoyed on our trip to Jodhpur.

Right in the center of the city is clock tower. In the same vicinity is Sardaar Market that houses several eateries, always bustling with people. Not only tourists, even the locals relish sweets in the eating joints. One such eating joint is Janta Sweet Home on the main road of Sardaar Market, which offers a variety of snacks and sweets. Spacious, well maintained and neat, Janta Sweet Home is run by a courteous family who receive the customers with smile.

Makhaniya Lassi@Mishri Lal

Makhaniya Lassi@Janta Sweets

Jodhpur is well known for Makhaaniya Lassi. Sweet curd is topped with malaai and a dollop of home-made cream (butter), and that’s where it gets the name from. Heavy and creamy (plus the extra sweet), a single glass can make you feel really full and drowsy.

Maawa kachori

The most outstanding sweet dish which we discovered was Mawa Kachori. Ya agreed, it is high on calories and too sweet, yet we could not resist and gave in to our temptation. The filling of the kachori is with mawa and dry fruits with a tinge of spices. The kachori is soaked in chaashni and served hot on the plate.  With every bite you take, you feel the spices burst on your taste buds. That’s the uniqueness of Jodhpuri dish. However, beware of the calorie intake as this is high on sweet and is deep fried of-course.

The only disappointment is lack of seating arrangement in Janta sweet home. So, you can manage to stay awake as you slurp on the heavy snacks.

Another speciality food in Jodhpuri cuisine is pyaz kachori, which is available almost everywhere. They serve pyaaz kachori with aloo subzi. Reminded me of Uttar Pradesh, where kachori is served in breakfast as well as snacks. (I have experienced the kachori ritual in Mathura, Lucknow & Agra)

Take a turn at the end of the road, and spot a small eating joint named “Mishri Lal & Sons” which serves you excellent makhaniya lassi, dosa, kachori and tea. We had a meal!

Warm milk preparation

Kesar Doodh Jalebi

Doodh Jalebi adds on to the list of the sweets that we savored in Jodhpur. Jalebi is dipped in a bowl full of warm milk with a tinge of kesar. The milk is warmed in a large iron vessel swarmed with dry fruits, kesar and malai. The guy with a huge sweet shop on the clock tower road near our hotel was a hotspot for doodh-jalebi during evening. One can have it as dessert post dinner or treat it as dinner itself. The wholesome dish fills you to your core. Who said Rajasthanis have sweet tooth? They have sweet jaws!

                                   

Towards the road leading to the clock tower is a tea shop named Bombay Tea Stall. Ah! The thought of Mumbai's "Cutting Chai" came gushing to me. A thin tall glass full of tea just made my day, while my husband stared at me enjoying my tea (He is not a tea person). Beware of the tea loaded with sweet and milk
.

As we entered the market next to Clock Tower, we were taken aback by the sight of sweet shops and namkeen stalls. The place bustled with shoppers, rickshaw pullers, horse carts, cloth merchants..the place bustled with an enthusiasm, and positive spirit of Jodhpur..it bustled with life.

Our 3 days of stay in Jodhpur was a joyful one where two food lovers had their plate full.

"Twisted" tale of bread

Bread Poha

What happens when you are left with boring pieces of bread at home without much options besides butter, jam or omlette? You either end up forcing yourself to sandwich them or throw them after they turn stale. I chose to give the bread pieces a nice twist and turn them into an interesting poha. This is bread poha. No, I hold no patent of invention. This dish has existed for years! I am sharing a quick, light and healthy breakfast fix with you all.

Things needed- Heavy bottomed pan, cooking oil, Bread pieces (any type), tomatoes, onions, mustard seeds, curry leaves, salt.

Cooking method-

1. Cut the bread pieces into cubes. Slice onions and tomatoes. Keep these aside.

2.Heat oil in pan. Add mustard seeds. Optionally you can add peanuts or raw chana daal in oil and fry them till they brown. (I skipped peanuts, as they are not too healthy). Add curry leaves and dried red chilly, once mustard seeds start crackling.

3. Add onions to the pan.Keep stirring till onions turn light brown. Add the diced tomatoes.

When the tomato dices turn pulpy and start to dehydrate, add bread cubes in the pan. Add salt to taste.

4. Stir the content in the pan and add a little water. Garnish with coriander leaves. Serve hot.

I used brown bread for this dish. You can use multigrain bread as well. Any kind of cooking oil can be used, be it ghee or refined oil. I used mustard oil.

This healthy, lip smacking dish barely takes 10 minutes. This preparation is low on cholesterol and has the necessary spices required by body for daily metabolism.

Caution- Do not over cook the dish and do not add too much oil.

Stay healthy, stay blessed

Paper Boat ~ For Tea Lovers

While shopping for groceries in super markets, you see the attractive colorful packs of carbonated drinks or fruit juices and get into a dilemma of whether or not to buy. Thanks to your calorie intake and unhealthy lifestyle. Trust me, to control and restrict your calorie intake is not only difficult, but at times next to impossible. The cliche "I will work out tomorrow" urges you to load your shopping trolley with colorful packs of drinks. So how does a person cut down on this unhealthy intake? Paper Boat comes to your rescue. Especially for the tea lovers, who cannot say no to tea and slurp on the sugary liquid.

Paper Boat gives a refreshing twist to the old concept of tea in India with the rejuvenating flavors of ice tea! Take a look at the little tagged notes which say it all

Paper Coaster

Having tried the aam panna drink from this brand, my expectations were high from the ice tea packs as well. The expectations were met! Lemon and ginger tea and tusli flavours come our as the most rejuvenating ice tea flavors. For tea lovers this is a blessing, as you do not often get flavored ice tea! The most common ones we have heard is lemon ice tea, right? Lemon & ginger ice tea gives a little spicy taste due to the blend of ginger. Tusli ice tea is the better of the two with a healthy and cool brew of tulsi or basil. The best part is low sugar content, which means low calories and low fat! Refrigerate the tetra packs and have a cool refreshing drink quenching your craving for low-sugar yet energizing drink.

The attractive use-and-throw packaging is very pleasant to look at and user friendly. Tightly sealed cap and plastic doypack promises zero spillage and tear. Each pack is priced at INR 30 which I think is slightly higher. I guess INR 25 would have been a fair deal for these. The tagline on the packs says drinks and memories. How can the brand create memories? Well, the cute packaging with the water bubbles and paperboat as the name as well as a doodle, just gets the nostalgia out! A product of Hector Beverages, clever marketing of Paperboat is grabbing eyeballs.

Being a health conscious person, I am glad to have found a drink that suits my needs and taste. I would rate it 3.5 on a scale of 5.

Watch the paperboat youtube video here. Nostalgia will leave you in tears.

Dabur immunity

We work hard and earn for our family. Our children complete the family and we live for  them. They bring us joy and we draw inspiration from them. They are our emotional anchors and we go to any extent for our kids. With hectic lifestyle topped with a lot of stress, we are barely left with time for ourselves. In a jiffy, we tend to overlook the needs of our kids too (Not intentionally though). I remember how my mother used to get worried over the smallest incident of coughing or sneezing. She continues to do so even today when I am grown up and stay all by myself in a different city. Childhood was a phase when mothers take the pain of nursing us, even if that meant to be awake whole night. Staying away from family keeps me away from that luxury, or lets say mother's love.

Our lifestyle has made us weak, precisely hollow from within that fails to fights diseases. "Who has the time to buy and eat aamla mom?" I often question her, post her lectures over the phone. That's when my mother suggests me to have Dabur chyawanprash, to build immunity. And yes, she is right. Unless I am a millionaire who can spend on hospital bills and medicines, I can afford to fall sick. Because I am a girl next door with simple lifestyle, who works for a living and has dreams in eyes, I cannot afford to fall sick. I'd rather build immunity thrice and adopt preventive methods instead of curative ones.

I think of the same when I would enter motherhood, I would need to be strong enough to bring up my child. How am I supposed to do it without looking after my own self? As it is popularly said, that a person may not be able to look after others if he/she is not able to look after his/her own self, I make conscious efforts to stay healthy. Besides exercising, yoga and healthy eating, I do take chyawanprash every day, to fight diseases and those scary hospital bills too!

Durba playing Tennis @6

2 months old Durba

My mother used to thrust a spoon of chyawanprash into my mouth, when I was a kid. I miss that act. I miss that caring touch and closeness of hers when I lick off the chyawanprash off the spoon. Dabur being one of the oldest brand that I have seen since my younger days, it feels like a family brand now. My best friend' lil daughter is growing up and as I see her turning into a smart sharp girl, I also get worried for her health. Her mother was on bed rest post delivery. Dabur chyawanprash struck my mind in the first go. Her daughter Durba is an active child, indulged into lot of activities. Touch wood, her immunity is strong. It still feels she was born yesterday. She calls me "Bua" and pulls me to watch her play tennis.

As I pledge to have a healthy living, and promise my unborn child a healthy future, I remain loyal to Dabur Chyawanprash which is a store house of amazing benefits that none or few have. A blend of 40 natural ingredients and Ayurvedic herbs is the need of today! The magnificent brew contains Ashwagandha which has anti-stress, anti oxidant and immunomodulatory properties, Satavari that helps to promotes general health, improves memory & eyes, Bala, the strength promoter,Vidarikand, the rejuvenator and Guduchi with antioxidant, immunomodulatory and rejuvenating properties.

Yeah I know the names are heavy, but little do people know that modern science is merging with Ayurveda for better medicines and cure. Ayurveda science is time tested and age old method of healing naturally, minus any side effects. I made sure that my baby sister consumes chyawanprash without fail daily and today I proudly say that her immunity is strong enough. A daily dose of chyawanprash and works out has shaped her into an adorable and strong girl. Look at her picture on left. That's my girl :-) Looks like I am playing mother to so many kids around.

The powerhouse Dabur Chyawanprash is recommended not only for kids but for all age groups, because we all need the power to fight diseases, don't we?

Look for more Dabur wonders at https://www.liveveda.com/daburchyawanprash/

This was my runner's up blog post for Dabur 

Words..

Words o words, that can calm us wen we pray,
that can turn sour and also slay....

Words o words. you hurt & don't let me sleep,
why did u pierce into my heart so deep?

Words o words, you untamed shameless things,
I'd fly far away from you if I had wings...

Words o cruel words, its better when not spoken,
and save fragile hearts from being broken.

The blue umbrella

Enter and exit

                               Clicked at the tunnel leading to Chamera Dam, Dalhousie, Himachal Pradesh.

The hatti lunch

Weekends should be fun and vibrant that leave you with good memories and rejuvenated. Eating out is an activity that brings a smile to many faces. However choose right and eat right. Hogging can be risky and land you in bad state of health, needless to mention gastric problems, food poisoning, stomach infection and so on. Okay, I don't intend to scare you. This post is about a famous eating joint in Old Delhi.

Popular for well prepared royal cuisines, Old Delhi holds a record of many titles, unmatched and unbeatable till date. Be it the oldest shop in India since British rule, the most visited place, busiest market or yummiest food. Kaake di Hatti, an eating joint of Chandni Chowk in Old Delhi holds the record of being more than 60 years old shop which serves the most authentic North Indian food. As they say, curiosity kills the cat, I got killed too and ventured out on one weekend to grab a bite at the Kaake Di Hatti.

Located in the interiors of Chandni Chowk, this shop is indeed old and almost easily missed. The restaurant serves pure vegetarian North Indian food, with a huge variety in breads (roti/naan). The first floor is air conditioned with basic seating arrangements of tables and stools. DO NOT expect a neat, calm or hygienic ambiance, though the food is neat and served on clean plates/utensils. The first thing one might notice are the dark decaying walls which they have tried hard to maintain. The newly fitted AC in the walls come as a big relief. The waiters are courteous and services are quick. With the limited walking spaces in the narrow floor area restricts your movements. Yet, all you would care about is the yummy food, which is worth the pains you take to reach here.

Aloo pyaaz naan

Daal makhni

 Another thing that immediately gets your attention is a newspaper clipping framed on the wall which

challenges you to eat a naan (bread) all by yourself. I thought it was a publicity stunt. However my

inhibitions proved to be wrong when I ordered one naan stuffed with potato and onion. One buttered naan has four big pieces which is a full course meal for two! The daal makhni was fairly good and malaai kofta was out of the world! Obviously I failed the naan challenge. Pickle and chutney are complimentary. The menu has a wide variety of naan, vegetable curries, dry vegetable mixes, raita and lassi. Against all expectations, in the menu you

Malaai Kofta

would find half plate vegetables too, which is a rare practice in many restaurants.

Try the food once and you'd love it forever. It is a must visit place in Old Delhi. You would never  forget the pocket friendly delicious meal, which would barely cost Rs 200-300 for 2 people. Post lunch I had rabri faluda from Gianis (which is the original shop) next to Kake di hatti, and it was beyond words. I had never tasted such amazing rabri faluda ever in my life. 70 rupees a glass is worth!!

Morning hues

                        The morning sky in McLeodganj- A view from our hotel balcony 

The taste of Gujarat

My search for authentic food continued and landed me to Gujarat Bhawan restaurant which is in the official resident complex of Gujarat commissioner. I savour Gujarati cuisine for the tinge of sweetness and less of spices. I loved the food here. Unlike Andhra Bhawan, this is comparatively a small restaurant with limited seating capacity. The ambiance is neat and quiet.  Located at 11 Kautilya Marg, Chanakyapuri, the pure vegetarian restaurant serves unlimited food worth 90 rupees on weekdays and 120 rupees on weekends.

TASTE ALERT- If you love spicy food, this place is not for you.

The superb thaali in Gujarat Bhawan

Gujarat Bhawan Restaurant's timings are 12 noon to 2 pm for lunch. The food is not authentic Gujarati but its the preparation which is different. Be it the daal makhni or choley, which are not typical Gujju dishes, they still have an aroma and taste of Gujarati food. The menu on weekdays consists dhokla, salad, papad as starters, along with one dry vegetable, yellow daal (which is sweet), 2 curry preparations, tawa roti and steamed rice accompanied with chhaach. Weekend menu is the same with additional items like paalak pakora, poori, dessert and paan.

I loved the thaali because of its simplicity and sweet tinge. Excess of spices in any cuisine not only spoils the taste but attacks your digestion too! I stay away from too spicy or chilly food. Choley served here has been the best that I have ever tasted at any restaurant. The neat and clean place with great food keeps seeing me come back each week :-) (I have been here several times now)

An ice cream lover can also buy ice creams from the Amul counter. Packed khakhra, thepla and Gujarati namkeens are also available for sale over the counter.

Ambience- 5 on 5

Food- 5 on 5

Overall quality- 4.5 on 5

Recommended for all age groups, this place is MUST VISIT for all.

Jaigarh Jaivana

There is something about Jaipur that keeps attracting me towards itself. The fact that I have visited the Pink City several times does not deter me to make frequent trips whenever I get the opportunity. The palaces, forts, the artillery on display, the art &craft and the enormous expanse of the majestic buildings dawdle to my sanities. Oh, maybe I have a royal connection from the past!

While Jaipur has a deep rooted Rajput history, the city also boasts of structures inspired by Mughal & European architecture. Nahargarh Fort is a fine example of the same. The kings in that era also built monuments and forts to combat enemy attacks. The fort of Jaigarh hence comes into picture which is a major tourist attraction till date.

Jaivana- World's largest canon on wheels

Canon's view from side

Why The Magnetism- The most extraordinary thing in the fort is “Jaivana” which is the world’s largest canon on wheels. The canon was fired only once in its lifetime. The canon has a 20 feet long barrel weighing 50 tons with a diameter of 11 inches. It has a range of 22 miles and about 100kg gun powder was used for a single fire. As per the popular belief, the single round that was fired formed a deep fissure that became a lake. The destructive and unusually large weapon kept the enemies away from the fort. The majestic canon stands tall in a protected area in the fort open for public display.

The History- The founder Maharaja Sawai Jai Singh II cast the canon in 1720 at Jaigarh. The huge barrel was constructed to discourage enemies and ofcourse display the power of the reigning leader. The work to place the barrel on the carriage was later done during the reign of Maharja Ram Singh II who also got the covered area prepared to keep the canon safe. The Jaigarh fort was constructed to keep a watch and protect the Amber Fort. Also, the fort was a center of artillery production for the Rajputs because of presence of iron ore in abundance. Apart from the giant Jaivana, many other canons were manufactured during that era.

Jaigarh ovverlooking Amber Fort

Other small canons in backyard

Location- Jaigarh Fort is located on the outskirts about 10 km from the city. The fort overlooks the Amer Fort from 400 m above the former and offers a beautiful sight of the Aravali Hills.

How to get there- Private vehicles or commercial taxis/autos are allowed to ply on those roads. Take a left on the road marked “Jaigarh Road” and drive uphill till you reach a diversion. The road straight leads to Nahargarh Fort and the other turn is the way towards Jaigarh Fort. 

View of Amer fort from Jaigarh

What to see in Jaigarh Fort- Apart from the Jaivana, you can visit the large vicinity of the fort spread over 3km length north south and width of 1 km. The sturdy walls are made of red sandstones. The fort houses many other small canons, a tall watch tower, courtyards, a large storage tank, ancient temples that symbolized strength and protection from evil and garden areas. You can get a nice view of Jal Mahal and the entire Jaipur from Jaigarh fort which makes it an exceptional platform for photography.

Watch Tower

Did you know? During the tenure of Prime Minister Smt Indira Gandhi, a search was conducted by the income Tax authorities for a hidden treasure supposedly inside the large underground water tanks. The three water tanks under the central courtyard got its water supply from a canal on the west side of the fort. One tank water was used by prisoners for bathing, the 2^nd tank to store gold and jewellery and the 3^rd tank was empty. The 3 months search proved to be futile with no treasure excavated from the site.

Caution-

•  Do NOT litter. One it’s a disrespect if you do, two it’s a responsibility not to, three it attracts wild animals around. No silly, not tigers, but monkeys and colobinae (languor).

• Do NOT feed languor/monkeys. They can attack humans, snatch your items and make it a horrifying experience for all.

• Hire a taxi or auto which would wait for you at parking. You would not find any commercial vehicle to hire while returning. Fix the deal in advance hence. No buses ply on that route. Always hire a vehicle for Jaigarh and Nahargarh together as a clubbed package.

• Try NOT to alight your vehicle on the way from or to the fort for two reasons. The narrow roads get jam packed. You do not want to get stuck in traffic, do you? So don't create traffic. Secondly, because its risky. The risk of getting hit by an over speeding vehicle, monkey menace or other wild animals. I encountered a huge monitor lizard on the way back from the fort..The big reptile was beautiful but scary!

The historic fort is majestic and holds an important place. It’s a must visit in Jaipur to make you feel the magnificence and the royal aura of the Rajput era.

Baba Silver Coated Elaichi- Review

Baba Silver Coated Elaichi

Baba Elaichi, one of the oldest brands in mouth freshner industry, has pioneered the concept of “freshness”. It has brought a revolution in the industry with innovative products, and Baba Silver Coated Elaichi is one of them.

The round shaped red colored box was sent to me to experience the product and review it. The little elaichi seeds dipped in silver have a strong distant aroma. The moment I opened the little box, the air bloomed with lovely aroma which attracted few colleagues of mine from quite a distance. The greedy lot came to me sniffing the air and asked “Who’s got elaichi?” (Yes you are greedy and I am not sorry to call you so).

I shared the little cardamom seeds with few colleagues. “How is it?” was my question, to all those who tasted it. “Nice and refreshing” was the common feedback from all, and I totally agree!

The silver coating makes the product look premier and also imparts sweetness. Once the sweet dissolves in mouth, the elaichi grains do the rest of the magic. The tiny seeds are mixed with saffron that tend to give you a royal feeling. (After all saffron is an expensive ingredient). Saffron holds a very important place in the Indian spices market for mouth freshening, besides cardamom. Together they are used in oral heath to cure ulcers and infections of mouth & throat! I give an extra point to this non toxic product with a medicinal value.

The aroma is wonderful and it rejuvenates your breath, especially after meals. Now I don’t have to look around for chewing gum or mints. Popping in few elaichi seeds refreshes your mouth instantly. Unlike chewing gums which have to be fished out of wrappers or supari from small packets, Baba Elaichi is packaged in a box. No wrappers/packets messing around! Once you finish the product, you can use the box to refill it or store something else. (Okay, this is my idea to keep the environment clean. Lesser plastic/wrappers, cleaner is environment)

And love birds don’t have to worry about bad breath anymore. The flavor lingers in mouth for quite some time. Baba Elaichi makes them kiss ready ;-)

The packaging is unique, almost weightless and compact. You can easily carry it in your hand bag daily. (I have hidden it in my office drawer though) The red box has an advanced “click-clack” technology wherein you push the lid from top to open the box, and press the sides to close it. The air tight box keeps the elaichi seeds fresh. The number of times I open it, fresh aroma greets my senses.

The only turn off for me was to close the lid. One has to make several efforts to push the sides of the lids in order to close it.

Due to its distinctive blend, taste, and the power to exhilarate your senses, it is making waves in the market. I found my perfect mouth freshener in form of Baba Elaichi. Kudos!

Look and feel- 4/5

Pacakage use-3/5

Taste- 5/5

A repeat use? Definitely yes!

Freedom at its best

Celebrating freedom everyday!

Moment captured in Amber Fort, Jaipur