tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57229717974373172422024-02-25T02:16:03.496+05:30Whazzup Gujarat!!!Moved to Ahmedabad in 2012 - this will be my diary / travelogue for GujaratKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-32004078196096299782015-01-14T19:42:00.002+05:302015-01-14T19:42:53.996+05:30Steer clear of traffic woes - in AhmedabadThis article "<a href="http://indiatoday.intoday.in/story/steer-clear-of-traffic-woes/1/407698.html">Steer clear of traffic woes</a>" appeared in India Today last month and makes for an interesting read.<br />
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Traffic situation in Ahmedabad and roads in Gujarat are much better than we have experienced in the rest of the country. (We have driven across all the States of India, except Arunachal)<br />
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However, as mentioned in the article there are still a lot of points for improvement.<br />
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Gujarat is one of the few States where pop-up religious structures are dealt with swiftly.<br />
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There are however 2 main problems that this article does not touch upon. <br />
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3 years back, squatting was not very visible within the city limits. But with massive pipe laying and road reconstruction works, migrant labour has no other option. And they continue to stay put, even after the construction in question is long completed. <br />
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I have seen shanties mowed down (which has its own ethical issues) and by nightfall, they are up and running again. If you hadn't seen the destruction, the previous day, you would have never known that it had hapenned at all<br />
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The second problem is related to the street vendors. The government allocates open space for all the sabji thelas (laaris) to sell their fruits/ veggies which has space for parking and other considerations.<br />
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But there is a large percentage of Amdavadis, who do not want to get out of their car or get their ass off their 2 wheeler to buy fruits and veggies. They want drive-in type facilities and this leads to the vendors coming back onto already narrow streets, that get further blocked, by vehicles stopping to pick up groceries. Most evident around the Vastrapur area, esp the market opp the Swaminarayan Mandir.<br />
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Any Thoughts? Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-9192994086059948552014-11-19T05:26:00.000+05:302014-11-19T05:26:49.804+05:30Champaner & The Glory that Surrounds ItFrom : <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=8&edcode=1310005&eddate=2014-11-16">The DNA</a><br />
16 November 2014<br />
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<b>EAT AND DRIVE :- History, Spirituality, Royalty, Natural Beauty & a Unique Craft @ Champaner, Pavgadh, Jambughoda & Sankheda</b><br />
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<i><b>The Foodie & The Fotographer – Kim & Brajesh go Road Tripping through Gujarat.</b></i><br />
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A Month Ago, (<a href="http://karishmapais.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-foodie-fotographer-catch-up-with.html">DNA, 16 Oct 14</a>) we explored Patan, a recently declared UNESCO World Heritage Site, but Champaner was given the same honour more than 10 years ago in 2004, as the only complete and unchanged Islamic pre-Mughal city.<br />
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In 1484, Sultan Mahmud Begarah took possession of the Pavgadh Hill fort and renamed it Muhammadabad. Champaner was constructed as the Capital City of Gujarat by the 16th Century. <br />
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Today the town sees hordes of visitors, but 99.9% of them head only to<b> Pavgadh Hill</b> to the temple of <b>Kalika Mata</b> – belived to be a Shaktipeeth because Sati’s toe is supposed to have fallen here. Unusually, there is a shrine built over the temple dedicated to Muslim Saint <b>Sadanshah</b>, who supposedly pacified Mahakali, who in a fit of rage had set out to destroy the world.<br />
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It is possible to take your vehicle half way up the hill to the parking area, which has a basic Government rest house with very nice staff, who have snacks and tea on offer (if they are open) and usable washrooms. The view from their basic outdoor dining is gorgeous and with a steaming cup of tea and piping hot pakodas, you can forget the world and the crowds outside.<br />
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Many pilgrims climb the Pavgadh hill in pilgrimage (4-5 hours round trip), but for those less physically inclined, there is a mono-cable ropeway that can carry 1200 people per hour. However, this ropeway only operates in certain seasons and is often closed for repairs and maintenance, so be prepared for that eventuality.<br />
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The <b>Champaner Heritage Site</b> encompasses this temple, the living town of Champaner and the Heritage Buildings spread all over the area, many of which still lie unexcavated. You can see some of these monuments as you drive up the hill. If something looks interesting, park your vehicle (at a proper space that doesn’t obstruct other traffic) and get out for a walk. Walking around these monuments is the only way to truly appreciate their size and intricate work.<br />
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The <a href="http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_whs_champaner_monuments.asp">ASI Website</a> lists over 35 monuments that have been studied, but not all of them are easily accessible. Our car often had its capabilities tested to the maximum on some of the side roads and we still couldn’t find some of the monuments on the list. We treated the whole exercise as a treasure hunt and had loads of fun.<br />
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The main series of monuments is located directly opposite the path that leads up to Pavgadh Hill. The Jami Masjid here is accepted to be the model for later mosque architecture in India. Some of these Historic sites, now house Government offices. If you ask nicely, they will let you take a walk around their premises.<br />
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Champaner is 154 km away from Ahmedabad and takes around 2.5 hours to drive, bypassing Baroda, via Halol. However, you can also spend Friday night in Baroda and then it is less than an hours drive (58 km) to Champaner. You can choose to return to Ahmedabad via Baroda (stopping here for lunch), We however prefer the more scenic route via Jambughoda (25 km) & Sankheda (40km). Then another 167 km to Ahmedabad, for a round trip of around 400 km.<br />
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The <a href="http://www.jambughoda.com/"><b>Nature Lovers Retreat</b></a> is a Heritage Property of the Jamughoda Royal family, that has guesthouse style rooms and serves brilliant food. Call at least 24 hours ahead to book for lunch. You may not see any Wildlife, but the Greenery is a soothing balm to the soul. Next time we may try the recently opened <a href="http://champanerheritageresort.com/"><b>Champaner Heritage Resort</b></a> or the <a href="http://www.mountheritageresort.com/"><b>Mount Heritage Resort</b></a>. If you want to explore further, head to the <b>Jhund Hanuman temple</b> in the sanctuary, with its 18foot high murti, believed to date to the Mahabharata era or the Government Guest House which has great views of the reservoirs.<br />
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Then take a quick drive to <b>Sankheda </b>and watch the carpenters known as <i>kharadis </i>create the unique lacquered woodwork furniture of this region. It’s a 400+ year old craft, practiced by 100+ families. Pick up a sofa set or a photo frame and know that you have bought something that isn’t manufactured anywhere else in the world. <br />
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After such a series of varied experiences and sights, head back to Ahmedabad content in all that you have achieved for the day.<br />
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<b>Entry</b><br />
Champaner Heritage Site – the main mosque – 5 Rs – same ticket can be used for entry to the other monuments too.<br />
Ropeway - 75 Rs<br />
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Read the Entire Article on the <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=56711&boxid=73459&ed_date=2014-11-16&ed_code=1310005&ed_page=8">DNA Website</a><br />
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<a href="https://twitter.com/karishmapais">@KarishmaPais</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Brajesh_Bajpai">@Brajesh_Bajpai</a>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-14538950844041125042014-11-02T04:07:00.000+05:302014-11-02T04:07:43.652+05:30Shock & Awe at JunagadhFrom : <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=7&edcode=1310005&eddate=2014-11-02">The DNA</a><br />
2 Nov 2014<br />
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<h2>
EAT AND DRIVE :- Shock & Awe in Junagadh</h2>
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<i><b>The Foodie & The Fotographer – Kim & Brajesh go Road Tripping through Gujarat.</b></i><br />
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Junagadh is often overlooked by most travelers to Gir or Somnath as a tiny town that you pass along the way. However, it is the most undiscovered and untapped gem of Gujarat for us. We have never found tourists (local or foreign) here, except for the pilgrims visiting Mt Girnar, inspite of the town housing multiple sites of interest from Buddhist and Mughal time periods too. <br />
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The journey to Junagadh from Ahmedabad, via Rajkot is around 317 km and takes roughly 5 hours, unless you decided to break at <b>Rajkot </b>/ <b>Khamabaliya </b>or take a detour into <b>Gondal</b>. <br />
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Junagadh means “Old Fort” and this little town has been ruled in turn by the Mauryas, Maitrakas, Solankis, Chudasamas & Mughals – each of whom have left behind a bit of their history, architecture and aesthetics.<br />
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For a regular tourist, the main place of interest is the <b>Uparkot Fort</b> which was virtually inaccessible when it was built. Today, you can drive your car right into the fort and actually drive around it. The entry is on the narrow side, but an SUV can get in easily, as long as you come to an understanding with any driver approaching from the opposite direction.<br />
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Inside the Fort, the largest spot of interest is the 15th C. <b>Jama Masjid</b> which is itself built like a fort. Its covered courtyard is a unique feature in Indian mosque architecture. Be adventurous and climb up to the higher floor on the rickety stairs. The views are most definitely worth it and you can take multitudes of profile photos (which is what most of the visiting kids end up doing)<br />
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The oldest part of the fort is its <b>Buddhist caves</b> that are 2 – 3 stories underground carved out of monolithic rocks. You may feel that there is hardly anything to see and everything is faded, but remember that these caves are almost 2000 years old and use your imagination to visualise what it would look like in its heyday filled with Buddhist monks.<br />
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Hire a guide if you would like to hear the mournful story of <b>Adi Kadi</b> – the sisters who were sacrificed, so the stepwells would fill with water. Or have your picture taken astride a stuffed tiger with a BB gun in hand to resemble a shikari of yore, or scramble down the <b>Navghan Kuvo</b> which provided the fort with water in case of long sieges.<br />
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There is a snack shop opposite the Adi Kadi Vav, who sells packaged namkeen and cold drinks and you will often find street vendors selling seasonal fruits and cholafali or singdana. You may also find a lady selling local herbs and spices, be wary of what you buy, we found that the aroma of everything vanished even before we returned to Ahmedabad.<br />
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Just walk around this whole place and take it all in and enjoy the beauty of the fort and its magnificent backdrop.<br />
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Come back towards town and head to the pinnacle of Islamic Architecture in the State – the <b>Mahabat Maqbara</b>, with its external spiral staircase encircled minarets - from the Babi period, but built with a mix of European (Gothic columns, French windows), Hindu and Moorish influences. Climb up one of those staircases for some brilliant views and pictures of the Mahabat Maqbara and the neighbouring <b>Bahauddin Maqbara</b> which is also extremely picturesque.<br />
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Stop for lunch at <b>Petals in Lotus Hotel</b> for a pretty decent Indian meal with usable bathrooms. It’s also a good option for an overnight stay with comfortable rooms. <br />
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After lunch head towards <b>Mt Girnar/Neminath</b> which is home to Jain & Hindu temples, Buddhist Cave shrines and even a Dargah of a Saint. The <b>Amba Mata Temple</b> is sacred to newlyweds, <b>Guru Dattatreya Temple</b> is built on the spot where he performed severe penance to Lord Shiva for 24 years and <b>Kalka’s peak</b> dedicated to Kali Ma and the resort of Aghoris are the most famous. The annual <i><b>Girnar / Lili Parikrama </b></i> is a festival spanning 7 days and involves walking 36 kms and climbing 4000 steps upto Girnar Taleti and most pilgrims do this over 3 days. <br />
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If this is not your cup of tea, just drive up to the furthest point and stop to visit one of the few surviving <b>Ashokan Rock Edicts</b> from 3rd BC along the way.<br />
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If you spend more time in the city, the other spots of interest are the <b>Sakkarbaug Zoo</b> – which has an excellent conservation program with Asiatic Lions, <b>Narsinh Mehtha no Choro</b>, <b>Bhavnath Mahadev Temple</b>, <b>Willingdon Dam</b>, <b>Datar Hill</b> or the <b>Darbar Hall Museum</b>.<br />
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If you want to extend your trip to Junagadh, you can head off on a spiritual quest for God at Somnath / Dwarka or find God in nature at the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary.<br />
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@KarishmaPais<br />
@Brajesh_Bajpai<br />
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<b>Uperkot Fort</b><br />
Entry – 4 wheeler with passengers – 40Rs.<br />
Entry – 2 wheeler – 5 Rs<br />
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<b>Most sites are open from 9 – 6 and entry fee if any, is 5Rs per person.</b><br />
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Read the entire article on the <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=56067&boxid=69077&ed_date=2014-11-02&ed_code=1310005&ed_page=7">DNA Website</a>.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-8002549646370369082014-10-24T12:23:00.000+05:302014-10-28T02:25:19.667+05:30Day Trip to Modhera & PatanIn : <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=8&edcode=1310005&eddate=2014-10-24">The DNA</a><br />
On : 24 October 2014<br />
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<h2>
<b><span style="font-weight: normal;">EAT AND DRIVE :- Catch up with the Sun & the Queen.</span></b></h2>
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<b>Kim & Brajesh go Road Tripping through Gujarat.</b><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/karishmapais">@KarishmaPais</a><br />
<a href="https://twitter.com/Brajesh_Bajpai">@Brajesh_Bajpai</a><br />
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Rani ki Vav at Patan was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site just 4 months ago, so it is not yet inundated with tourists. Grab the opportunity to head to this magnificently worked ancient stepwell and see for yourself, why this 11<sup>th</sup> Century monument is worthy of this honour. On the way, stop at another Solanki monument of the same era at Modhera and breathe in the beauty at one of the 3 main Sun Temples surviving in India today.<br />
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This can easily be covered in a day trip. Start early from Ahmedabad to avoid the morning rush. Modhera is a 100km away via Kalol and takes about 1.5 hours to drive. <br />
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If it’s too early to prepare breakfast at home, you can always stop at <b>Janpath Hotel</b> near Mehsana, which opens as early as 6:30 am and serves great poha and lassi. Gota, samosa and bread pakoda are also on offer for those who like a crispy start to the day. If you arrive a little later in the morning , they will even offer you fresh dosas and parathas. Almost opposite, is a new <b>McDonalds</b> Drive-In (only), which works well if you want a fast food fix or are a little more conscious about overall cleanliness.<br />
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Drive on to the Modhera Sun Temple, where there is more than adequate parking. I have never seen the GTDC cafeteria – “Toran” – at this location open in the 15+ visits we have made, so do carry food with you, if you plan to picnic on the lovely sprawling green lawns at this site. There is a shop near the ticket window, that sells namkeen, cold drinks and water. <br />
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The museum at Modhera has been recently opened to the public. While it may seem like there is no point in spending time on broken sculptures, when a large temple complex awaits exploration, there is something to be said about browsing individual sculptures slowly. I find that I pay more attention to detail this way, but tend to gloss over intricacies when presented with a larger structure.<br />
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The Sun temple is broadly divided into the <i>Surya Kund</i> – Sacred Tank – surrounded by 108 mini shrines, mostly dedicated to Lord Shiva. <i>Sabha Mandap</i> – Assembly Hall – This is beautifully worked and since it is a semi open structure, here is where you can best admire the carvings of episodes from the Hindu epics. The <i>Garb Gruh</i> – sanctum sanctorum was designed in a way that the first rays of the sun on 21<sup>st</sup> March, would fall on the idol of Suryadev in here. There is no longer an idol in this temple, or any idol of Suryadev. But there is a small functional temple to Shivji alongside the main temple and there are plenty of depictions of Suryadev on the interior and exterior of the main temple.<br />
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Drive on for another 45 minutes (36km) on SH 7 to arrive at the Rani ki Vav in Patan. Before stopping here, head a little further on the same road to the <b>Sahastralinga Talav</b>, to get an idea of what it must have been like during the process of excavation. <br />
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Then return on the same road to the Rani Ki Vav (supposedly built on the banks of the River Saraswati) which to us, is the pinnacle of Solanki architecture in Gujarat. Stepwells in Gujarat were not just constructed for the practical purpose of water, but most of them were also used as a social gathering place and hence great attention was paid, to make it a beautiful space. The Rani Ki Vav is the pinnacle in the design & aesthetics of subterranean architecture. It is awe inspiring, right from the time that you begin your descent into the 7 levels. The walls are covered with over 500 main sculptures and 1000 minor ones from mythology and religion. The most prominent are the dashavatar and the image of Vishnu reclining on the Sheshnag, resting in infinity between the ages.<br />
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There is rumoured to be a tunnel at the base of this stepwell which extends 30kms into Siddhpur, to be used by the Royal Family for escape, in case of emergency. <br />
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At the end of this visit, you can relax and spend time in <b>Patan City</b>, exploring its multiple Jain Temples or admiring the Patola weavers exquisite skill. You can head towards the picturesque town of <b>Siddhpur</b> and stop at <b>Bindu Sarovar</b> – the only place in India for matru shraddh. Or you can head back to Ahmedabad via Unjha and Mehsana, stopping for a lovely South Indian lunch or dosas at <b>Sankalp</b>. <br />
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If you are not yet ready to call it a day, then you can visit <b>Thol Bird Sanctuary</b> en route and time it in a way to be there around sunset to witness the amazing cacophony of 1000’s of birds coming to roost around the lake.<br />
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There is so much natural beauty, history and architecture to be discovered around Gujarat, that it is never a question of “<i>what is there to do this weekend?</i>”, it is more about “<i>how much can I see and do this weekend?</i>”<br />
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<b>Modhera Sun Temple</b><br />
Entry 5 Rs<br />
Parking 20 Rs<br />
Usable Washrooms behind the museum<br />
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<b>Rani Ki Vav</b><br />
Entry 5 Rs<br />
Still Camera 100 Rs<br />
Booklet 30 Rs<br />
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<b>Sahstralinga Talav & Bindu Sarovar</b><br />
Entry – Free<br />
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<b>Thol Lake</b><br />
Car with passengers – 200 Rs<br />
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<b>Websites:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.ranikivav.org/">http://www.ranikivav.org</a><br />
<a href="http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922">http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/922</a><br />
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Read This Article in Detail on the <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=55767&boxid=68685&ed_date=2014-10-24&ed_code=1310005&ed_page=8">DNA Website</a>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-72418512170150729252014-10-14T19:56:00.000+05:302014-10-14T19:56:52.519+05:30Weekend Trip to DiuFrom : <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=6&edcode=1310005&eddate=2014-10-12">DNA</a><br />
12 October 2014<br />
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The Foodie & The Fotographer – Kim & Brajesh explore Gujarat through their road trips<br />
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Let’s face it : Living in a Dry State like we do, the minute you say that you want to drive to <a href="http://diutourism.co.in/">Diu</a>, most minds jump to the most obvious. But there is so much more to see and do in Diu, including just enjoying the sun and sand on one of its many beautiful beaches, bordered with Hoka Palms that were originally imported from Mozambique.<br />
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The drive to Diu from Ahmedabad is approximately 350km and takes around 6 hours. You can go via Dhanduka on SH 236 or via Bhavnagar.<br />
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We prefer the Bhavnagar route, because it also gives us the option to break journey at the beautiful <b><a href="http://nilambagpalace.com/">Nilambagh Palace Hotel</a></b> for lunch. Whether you eat in the formal dining room with its humongous Burma Teak table and Czechoslovakian chandeliers or at the serene Garden Restaurant, you will always remember this place. They serve Indian, Chinese and Continental cusine, but we heavily recommend their Indian food, especially the local style chicken curry and tandoori chicken with rotis.<br />
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If you are heading straight to Diu for lunch, our first recommendation is <b>O’Coqueiro</b>. (No relation to the infamous restaurant in Goa with the same name) It’s a simple space, with food cooked in the house behind and while service is sometimes slow, it is worth the wait. Try their Penne Calamari, Bavette con Gamberi, Caldo de Camarao or the Fish in Tomato Curry. They also have quite a range of vegetarian dishes that are good, but the seafood is outstanding - absolutely fresh and tasty.<br />
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After lunch, pay a quick visit to the <b>St Thomas Church</b> next door, which is now the Diu museum. It’s a 10-20 minute stop, but has some good antique statues and wooden carvings. Try the <b>Sao Tome Retiro</b> upstairs, for budget accommodation and great BBQ parties (for residents only)<br />
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Once it’s slightly cooler, head to the <b>Diu Fort</b> to work off some of those calories from lunch. Built by the Portuguese in the 1530’s, it is worth climbing its ramparts for the magnificent sea views and a glimpse of the Island Fort - <b>Panikota Forte do Mar</b>.<br />
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For dinner, head to<b> Cat’s Eye View</b> at <a href="http://www.resorthoka.com/"><b>The Resort Hoka / Hoka Island Villa</b></a>. It’s a lovely chilled out Garden venue which also serves brilliant seafood – Indian and Continental. If you are not in the mood for a heavy dinner, choose from a wide range of snacks to go with your drinks – batter fried prawns or fried brinjals there’s something on offer for everyone and their breakfasts are great too. The rooms here are quite quirky, but comfortable.<br />
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<b>Heranca Goesa</b> is a great option for breakfast after a swim / dip at one of Diu’s many <b>beaches </b>– Nagoa, Jalandhar, Chakratirth or Ghoghla. <a href="http://whazzupgujarat.blogspot.in/2014/10/gangeshwar-mahadev-temple-diu.html"><b>Gangeshwar Mahadev</b></a> is a Holy spot with 5 Shivlingas supposedly constructed by the Pandavas to worship Lord Shiva before eating. During high tide, the Shivlingas are constantly washed by the sea spray. <b>St Paul’s Church</b> is a functional Church that holds services on Sunday, but can be visited almost anytime.<br />
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If you want to do something more adventurous, head to the <b>Naida Caves</b>, that are extremely picturesque (they are the backdrop to Rani Mukherjee’s opening dance sequence in Aiyya) and great fun to scramble around. If you want to do some serious caving, carry a flashlight and always go with a companion.<br />
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Honour our brave sailors who died defending our country at the <b>INS Khukhri Memorial</b>. This is also a perfect spot for a sunset viewing.<br />
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If you are not particular about staying on Diu itself, the <a href="http://www.magicodomar.com/"><b>Hotel Magico Do Mar</b></a> is an interesting option just before the bridge that crosses over into the island. The cottages are very cosy and they have a private beach too.<br />
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Entry to all places of interest on Diu (except the <b>Shell Museum</b>) are free. Timings vary, but are generally sunrise to sunset. The Fort has a functional prison, so the timings here are a bit stricter.<br />
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<u><b>5 Accessories to carry on driving trips</b></u><br />
• Sunglasses & Caps for all<br />
• Sufficient supply of water<br />
• Camera - not the phone variety<br />
• Music <br />
• Phone<br />
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Read the Entire Article on the <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/story.aspx?id=55254&boxid=72499&ed_date=2014-10-12&ed_code=1310005&ed_page=6">DNA Website</a>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-28193107408116569502014-10-09T10:50:00.000+05:302014-10-14T19:32:11.042+05:30Gangeshwar Mahadev Temple, Diu<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Gangeshwar Mahadev is a Holy spot with 5 Shivlingas supposedly constructed by the Pandavas who stopped at this spot, so that they could worship Lord Shiva before eating. The different sizes of the Shivlingas are attributed to the fact that each of the Pandavas constructed one that resembled his own physical stature. During high tide, the Shivlingas are constantly washed by the sea spray.<br />
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Its a pretty peaceful spot and a great place for contemplation, if you can manage to avoid the hordes of religious and other tourists.<br />
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You have to walk down a bit of a cliff face, but its very safe, unless the water from the sea spray turns the stone floor slippery. There is no option for wheelchairs or strollers here.<br />
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Entry : FreeKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-29242231417075693002014-10-09T04:43:00.000+05:302014-10-14T19:56:52.515+05:30Velavadar : The Black Buck Lodge & Velavadar Blackbuck National Park<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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One of the easiest drives for good wildlife sighting in Gujarat is to the Velavadar Black Buck National Park. Velavadar, is about 140km away from Ahmedabad and a leisurely drive, takes around 2.5 hours with random stops for photography or food.<br />
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You also have the option to visit Lothal and the Uthelia Palace en route, for a peek into some history, if you so choose.<br />
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The drive is very comfortable, roads are good and the only thing that you need to watch out for is - the actual turn off from the Highway towards Lothal / Velavadar that isn’t very clearly marked.<br />
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The Velavadar Blackbuck National Park is open from sunrise to sunset (except during the monsoons) If you want to make just a <b>Day Trip</b>, depart from Ahmedabad about 5:30-6:00am, reach the park, go in for a drive. Have lunch at the Black Buck Lodge, relax there until the sun loses a bit of its fieriness, go on another drive around the Park and then head back to Ahmedabad.<br />
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The only reason I suggest a day trip option is because : <a href="http://theblackbucklodge.com/">The Black Buck Lodge</a> has just 14 independent cottages and is constantly at high demand. However, to truly enjoy the beauty of this place and relax, it is advisable to spend at least one night at the resort.<br />
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The 35sq km Velavadar Blackbuck National Park park has grasslands, shrub
lands, saline plains and mud flats, which support a variety of grass,
95 species of flowering plants, 14 species of mammals (blackbuck,
nilgai, Indian Grey Wolf, Striped Hyena, Indian Fox, Golden Jackal,
Jungle Cat and smaller ones like hare, gerbil, field mice, mongoose and
hedgehog), over 140 species of birds and many reptiles. The Alang and
Paravalia Rivers, three artificial ponds, two check dams and nearby
coastal marshes provide an ideal habitat for aquatic flora and fauna.
From a conservation viewpoint, a unique feature of the park is that it
is the only tropical grassland in India to be given the status of a
national park. This used to be the private grasslands of the Maharaja of
Bhavnagar before it was converted into a National Park.<br />
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<a href="http://500px.com/SunilKini">Serious Birders</a> head here for rare sightings of the Lesser Florican, endangered vultures, Demoiselle cranes and a variety of Raptors. The park also hosts the world’s largest harrier roost.<br />
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We visited during the monsoons when the main park is closed (mid-June to mid-Oct), but we saw lots of black buck and birds and even a jungle cat on a general drive around the outside of the national park. It is a single lane road and the road behind the Velavadar village has massive craters, so you need a vehicle with higher clearance (like one you could use inside the Park) to make this drive.<br />
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As long as you don't have any noisy families visiting at the same time as you, this is the most peaceful resort that you can visit in the State. The cottages are spaced out more like an African (think Kenya / South Africa / Tanzania Safari Resorts) Resort than a Kutchi / Gujarati one. It spreads across acres and acres, with no boundary wall in sight, just rolling swathes of green and blue. The chirping of birds is brilliant background music to this visual relaxation.<br />
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They have a fantastic in house library (small, but with plenty of books on wildlife and lots of different magazines if you prefer) at the reception and the sit out here overlooks a beautiful lake, that makes it the perfect spot to cosy up with a book or just sit and contemplate the glorious silence. (that is until a noisy family comes along loudly debating on whether to make their accompanying maids carry their own food or let them eat at the restaurant or some other such BP inducing topics)<br />
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The rooms at <a href="http://theblackbucklodge.com/">The Black Buck Lodge</a> are beautiful, wide open and spacious. Each cottage has a little open shower area behind the bathroom that is walled, but open to the sky, we had a tree in our open shower area, that often had birds in it. <br />
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The bathtub / shower area inside the bathroom is brilliant. I hate
having a shower inside the bathtub, because the tubs are normally curved
and small and you keep struggling for balance, but at this resort, they
are large and spacious, so it was perfect. (unless you have someone in
your group that has a problem climbing up a high stair.)<br />
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There are beautiful sit outs all over the resort (including outside the cottage) that are perfect for settling in with a good book. The planters chairs are also ideal for taking a post lunch siesta (weather permitting)<br />
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I loved their themed accessories - the cutlery, the bed sheets, the lamps etc. Everything has been very tastefully put together without going over the top. We loved everything about this resort except for a couple of other guests who were obnoxious without even realising it (one maid inside the 20 seater dining room insisted that her 5 year old charge sing ring-a ring-a roses 45 times in a row and he proceeded to do so at the top of his little high pitched voice, a grandfather sat on a seat a foot away from the lake, plopped his just-learnt-to-crawl grandson on the ground and we were subjected to half an hour of "no's" at various volumes and pitches - <a href="http://www.imdb.com/character/ch0361372/?ref_=tt_cl_t4">Vin Diesel</a> could have learned from this grandpa)<br />
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This is however my favourite resort in Gujarat and I hope we get a chance to go back and visit inside the park.<br />
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You have to take the all inclusive plan as there is no other place nearby to visit for lunch or dinner, unless you plan to visit Bhavnagar for the day. But the food at every buffet was very good (you just have to adjust salt and chillies to your taste - they are served on the side). The non-veg is excellent and quality is high. Since they cater to just the small number of in-house guests (and the occasional lunch crowd), food sometimes gets cold (if you go late etc) but the service is very helpful.<br />
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The buffet includes salads, a fairly large vegetarian spread, a non veg dish (chicken / mutton) and a dessert. We had some awesome mutton kurma, mutton Rogan Josh, kofta curries and guab jamuns. Definitely don't miss the amazing pista colored gur which is made in the village nearby. It’s worth waiting to arrive here for your meal.<br />
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However, if you feel peckish along the way, the most popular stop is the recently opened <b>Gallops</b> that serves better than average highway food (for Gujarat), although most of the options are deep fried. The complex has a restaurant upstairs, an eatery downstairs, a couple of outlets outside selling chikkis, paan, channachor and frenchfries. CCD and Havmor are due to open shortly. <br />
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The Gallops kitchen isn't very clean or inspiring, so we much prefer driving a little further to Pipali and eating at <b>Darshan Hotel</b> which serves the most awesome dhal we have ever eaten on Gujarat's Highway's. Just order that with some hot rotlas and whatever veg side dish that the servers recommend and you and just trust them blindly, you can’t go wrong.<br />
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Whether you head here just for a day’s outing or for a long weekend, enjoy the park responsibly, do not harm or frighten the wildlife, avoid loud obnoxious behaviour and respect Mother Nature.<br />
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<i><b>Disclaimer </b>: every story/rant mentioned here is completely true</i>.<br />
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<b>5 Point checklist before a long drive.</b><br />
1. Fuel (The obvious full tank)<br />
2. Air in tyres (including stepney)<br />
3. Tool Box & Jack (you never know)<br />
4. Papers - RC, PUC, Insurance, Licence (right side of the law)<br />
5. Map Route - Paper or Virtual (while getting lost has its own charm)<br />
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<br />
A shorter version of this trip appeared in <a href="http://epaper.dnaindia.com/epapermain.aspx?pgNo=2&edcode=1310009&eddate=2014-10-05">The DNA</a> on 5 October 2014<br />
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You can read the shortened version <a href="http://karishmapais.blogspot.com/2014/10/the-foodie-fotographer-take-leisurely.html">here</a>.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-58037181063021337252014-07-22T16:01:00.000+05:302014-07-22T16:01:17.922+05:30Photo Feature : Ramadan in Ahmedabad's Old CityI've been doing a series of Photo Essays on Ramadan in Ahmedabad's Old City which include Bhadra, Lal Darwaja and Bhatiyar Gali areas on my <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.in/">Restaurant Review Blog</a>. <br />
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If you like the sampler above, do take a look at the other posts which have many more pictures.<br />
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Part 1 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old.html">Laari's</a><br />
Part 2 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old_6.html">Bara Handi</a><br />
Part 3 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old_8.html">Hotel Chetna</a><br />
Part 4 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old_9.html">Khaja</a><br />
Part 5 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old_10.html">The Food</a><br />
Part 6 : <a href="http://kimeatsnblogs.blogspot.com/2014/07/photo-feature-ramadan-in-ahmedabads-old_22.html">Faces Behind the Food</a><br />
Part 7 : Just a Little MoreKimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-49564115949176176252014-06-05T01:37:00.000+05:302014-06-05T01:42:30.014+05:30Courtyard by Marriott, Ahmedabad <a href="http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/amdcy-courtyard-ahmedabad/?pid=corptbta&scid=b661a3c4-9c47-48c8-9e13-75b66089dd79">Courtyard by Marriott</a>, <br />
Ramdevnagar Crossroads, <br />
Near S.G. Highway, <br />
Ahmedabad 380015<br />
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Courtyard by Marriott in Ahmedabad is in the centre of the newer business location of Ahmedabad- Satellite.<br />
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When we first moved to Ahmedabad, this was where we stayed and we were very happy with our stay here. Comfortable beds, lovely staff.<br />
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The breakfast buffet at Momo cafe is huge and includes chaat and ice cream too. There is a smaller buffet that is set up upstairs in the business center, for people who are in town on work and in a hurry.<br />
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The Java+ Coffee shop has a lot of buzz around it right now, but honestly the food isn't worth it.<br />
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The lunch and dinner buffets at Momo Cafe are average, the food ordered a la carte is much better.<br />
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Shakahari - their vegetarian restaurant is excellent. <br />
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We have a lot of official functions here in their banquet rooms and they have always given us good service and good food.<br />
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You have to pay for wifi in the rooms. <br />
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Their in-house spa is run by O2. I haven't used it so I don't know how good or bad it is.<br />
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<b>Rating : 4 / 5</b><br />
<br />
<br />
Value : 4 / 5<br />
Location : 5 / 5<br />
Sleep Quality : 4 / 5<br />
Rooms : 4 / 5<br />
Cleanliness : 4 / 5<br />
Service : 4 / 5Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-69987280616251853732014-05-01T15:10:00.000+05:302014-06-05T03:12:21.971+05:30The Gateway Hotel, Athwa Lines, Surat The Gateway Hotel <br />
Ambika Niketan<br />
Athwa Lines <br />
Dumas Road<br />
Surat <br />
<br />
The Taj at Surat is a lovely hotel. Service and staff were extremely helpful, polite, attentive and co-operative.<br />
<br />
When I requested a 4 am wake up call for my inlaws who had to catch the morning train to Bombay (we were driving back to Ahmedabad), they offered complimentary bed tea for them and told us that they could pack them a breakfast box that they could eat on the train. They volunteered this information themselves and had the tea and breakfast ready on time. Double Thumbsup for this attention to detail and prompt service.<br />
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We ate dinner at Flow and I think their Indian food (served as part of the buffet) was phenomenal. The buffet had a much better spread than most 5 stars in Ahmedabad. The Chicken curry and Goan fish curry were stand outs and the dessert selection was amazing.<br />
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The breakfast was not as great a spread though it was still quite subbstantial. <br />
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<b>Room Tip:</b> Try and get a river facing view, its beautifully calming <br />
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<b>Rating : 4 / 5</b><br />
<br />
Value : 4 / 5<br />
Location : 4 / 5<br />
Sleep Quality : 4 / 5<br />
Rooms : 4 / 5<br />
Cleanliness : 4 / 5<br />
Service : 5 / 5Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-57554678526750746062014-04-11T20:48:00.000+05:302014-04-11T20:48:00.617+05:30BMW Tour Experience 2014 in Ahmedabad #BMWEXPERIENCEBMW has started its Tour Experience for 2014. This year they are visiting Ahmedabad, Jaipur, Chandigarh, Delhi, Pune, Mumbai, Chennai, Kochi, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Lucknow and Kolkatta. Ahmedabad was the second city on this tour after Jaipur and I was lucky enough to get a taste of this experience on Day 1.<br />
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They are in town over this weekend, so BMW aficionados and prospective buyers can get not just a look but also a feel of driving their luxury sedans and SAV's (yes, SAV's, BMW calls them Sports Activity Vehicles not SUV's - Sports Utility Vehicles) across difficult terrain.<br />
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The venue for this Tour Experience is the AES ground near Doordarshan Tower in Bodakdev. A specially designed test circuit has been set up for the sedans - the <b>BMW Dynamic Drive</b> - and one for the SAV's - the <b>BMW xDrive Experience</b>. For the SAV circuit, some special equipment - BMW X Ramps, articulation humps, steep hill and incline - has been brought in to demonstrate the unique features of their vehicles as seen in the video below.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/07e3jpz3FmQ" width="640"></iframe><br />
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The sedan circuit must have had a lot of help beforehand, given that the circus just vacated this ground a couple of months ago, but the team did create dips and highs to resemble off road driving. They even got a water tanker to create a marshy/boggy stretch, but given that Ahmedabad's afternoon temperatures are close to 43C, it barely dampened the ground.<br />
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After checking requisite paperwork and licences, people were chosen who would get a chance to test drive these sedans and SAV's on these circuits. Each one got 2 practice runs to get used to the car and winding circuit and then a final run where they were timed. Well, you can imagine the adrenaline rush it gave most of the men/boys assembled there. For me, I was perfectly comfortable being belted up in the back seat. (I would have preferred to ride shotgun, but those seats were taken)<br />
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Although, most of the people who test drove the cars when I was there, were most probably driving a BMW for the first time, the cars seemed to respond well to their touch, even when they took wild turns at high speeds.<br />
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The highlight of the evening for me, was definitely sitting in the sedan driven by ex Race Driver Mr Wong who went through a series of maneuvers and concluded with a couple of 360degree turns, which were thrilling to watch and even more thrilling to experience. Obviously the degree of control he had over the car, was way higher than anyone else on that field.<br />
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BMW has brought their complete range of sedans and SAV's from the 1, 3, 5 and 7 series and the X Range to town and this event is the ideal location to get a feel of all their features and test how they perform in exacting conditions, by experiencing braking, slalom, corner braking and fast lap experience. The BMW xDrive all-wheel drive system is an intelligent all-wheel drive system that monitors the driving situation constantly and distributes drive power smoothly between the axles where it is needed the most.<br />
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Mr Philipp Von Sahr, President BMW Group India says "<i>With this unique initiative, we wish to take a step closer to our customers and bring as many customers to the BMW fold and make them experience BMW and sheer driving pleasure</i>"<br />
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Well, the team most definitely nailed this directive. For those interested in the technical details, a team of product experts is also accompanying this Tour and are happy to answer queries and concerns if any.<br />
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In Ahmedabad, Parsoli Motors is the official Sales Outlet for BMW.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-76049627039956296162014-03-01T09:03:00.000+05:302014-04-11T19:39:07.805+05:30Sita's Daughters at Natarani on the Occassion of Women's DayWhen I was in college, I had the good fortune of watching a Bharatnatyam performance by Mrinalini Sarabhai and I was entranced.<br />
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Inspite of living in Ahmedabad for almost 2 years and visiting Natarani frequently for events, I had never actually been to a performance by Mallika Sarabhai as we never seemed to be in town when the really interesting events took place.<br />
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Given that we were in town yesterday, and the performance in honour of Womens day was Mallika Sarabhai's extremely renowned play "Sita's Daughters", I knew we just HAD to attend.<br />
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The script is wonderful. It covers 9 stories featuring women across the ages and the <i>navarasas </i>(9 rasas) of human emotion that are captured in Indian Classical Dance as outlined in the Natyashastra.<br />
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The performance was brilliant. Minimalistic props, a music troupe dressed in black, but on stage blending into the background and providing the perfect accompaniment, some dance, some drama, some comedy and audience interaction. This play has been performed over 600 times in Hindi, English and Gujarati, across the globe for various audiences. And while the core script remains the same, the details and references to current news (regarding oppressed women) has been constantly updated across the decades.<br />
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Sita's Daughters is not just about women who have been oppressed, its about oppressed women standing up for themselves and that is what makes them Sita's daughters in this script co-authored by Mallika Sarabhai and John Martin<br />
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This is a play, I would definitely recommend watching, if you get the opportunity.<br />
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As an aside, the noise from the new road constructed behind the Natarani Amphitheatre did not disturb us too much yesterday, but the noise levels have definitely increased.<br />
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The play was put up as part of a 3 day cultural program promoting awareness on Womens' Issues for Womens Day, so it started out with a panel discussion by some of the other performers and artistes of this event.<br />
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<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-34824673282126952372014-02-09T08:45:00.000+05:302014-02-12T05:46:25.604+05:30Ruhaniyat - Annual All India Sufi and Mystic Music Festival in Ahmedabad - February 8, 2014For the second year in a row, Ahmedabad was one of the venues for the Annual All India Sufi and Mystic Music Festival - <a href="http://ruhaniyat.com/">Ruhaniyat</a> conducted by the Banyan Tree (although this is its 13th edition)<br />
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Held at the Vastrapur Amphitheatre (near Vastrapur Lake), the acts that came to Ahmedabad were:<br />
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<b>Mahesharam & Group</b> from Rajasthan who sang the bhajans of Meera dedicated to Lord Krishna<br />
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<b>Mystic Pathways</b> : an Indo Bulgarian production featuring <b>Vaya Group </b>from Bulgaria that sang acapella and the <b>Kalbeliya women</b> of Rajasthan. Their jugalbandi of two completely different styles was a pleasure to listen to.<br />
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There were <b>Tannoura Dervish Dancers</b> from Egypt, but the star of the evening for us was the Sufi Qawwali <b>Nizami Brothers</b> from Delhi who being the last performers, went on until 10:30 at night. But were completely worth ignoring the freezing temperatures of the cold evening for.<br />
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I first heard them in January 2010 at Hazrat Nizamuddin Auliya in Delhi, on the occasion of Basant Panchami and they sang some of the Basant Panchami special songs again which brought back such wonderful memories.<br />
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We really look forward to witnessing more such performances in Ahmedabad in the future too.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-52552593311384788502014-01-07T03:11:00.001+05:302014-01-07T03:11:12.320+05:30Gujarati Literature Festival - January 3 - 5, 2014This weekend, saw Ahmedabad host the first ever <a href="http://www.gujaratilitfest.com/">Gujarati Literature Festival</a> at the <a href="http://www.kanoriacentreforarts.org/">Kanoria Centre for Arts</a>, and it was such a roaring success that I hope the organisers make this an annual affair.<br />
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We are regulars at the <a href="http://jaipurliteraturefestival.org/">Jaipur Literature Festival</a>. This year, will be our 5th pilgrimage to Literature. However, we (my husband and I) have so far been content to be just attendees at the JLF, soaking in the experience, and drinking in the words of authors new and well loved.<br />
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Shyam, Samkit, Jumana, Leena, Nimitt and Tanvi took their love for books and literature one step further, they combined it with their love for all things Gujarat. Instead of just lamenting about the decline of Gujarati as a language, they conceptualised and conducted the first <a href="http://www.gujaratilitfest.com/">Gujarati Literature Festival </a><br />
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Their enthusiasm was contagious and convinced even me (who understands just a smattering of Gujarati) to attend.<br />
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Inspired by JLF, entry was free for all, there were 3 simultaneous sessions through the day, performances in the evenings, a couple of book stalls, some food stalls, stalwarts of Gujarati literature, controversial authors and a writing competition for kids. On the side, the <a href="http://www.kanoriacentreforarts.org/index.php/the-gallery">Kanoria Art Gallery</a> also <a href="https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.475049812607272.1073741875.299991103446478&type=1">hosted an exhibition of Art Works</a> inspired by Gujarati Authors and Literature.<br />
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Here are some glimpses from the 3 day festival.<br />
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<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: red; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif";">From Left -</span></b> <i>Ms Minaxiben Patel , Mayor , Ahmedabad City, Mr Saurabhbhai Patel - Minister for Energy and Petroleum , Gujarat State & Brajesh Bajpai - COO Vodafone Gujarat at the inauguration of Vodafone Gujarati Literature Festival held at Kanoria Art Center, Ahmedabad on 3rd January 2014 morning. </i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVkclNkQz4W2C2aNnfINvsx7o9GblYj829KPfx2radiB6PKaQobItDQRHL1Un5k96gl-STBjDu_ylVHJN5glr_bPPpyweJlDgSWQGhksIhFySAfWLyGStpikU1XsJQB51U6e_QDaPBHWv/s1600/GLF1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpVkclNkQz4W2C2aNnfINvsx7o9GblYj829KPfx2radiB6PKaQobItDQRHL1Un5k96gl-STBjDu_ylVHJN5glr_bPPpyweJlDgSWQGhksIhFySAfWLyGStpikU1XsJQB51U6e_QDaPBHWv/s1600/GLF1.jpg" height="240" width="640" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKtkPGTrurkxRERpMAkxZpHlzV8IC6n8bB9RtmbVrFYJs1voNrYMkssKNfBItb_m5iXrbcCXaujeMBAFlQa-b2g3DAzttSIiqguJazS8W2ZAj0zwff0EAC2RaMfMgP41DH6I6M8EUZKLM/s1600/GLF+04+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfKtkPGTrurkxRERpMAkxZpHlzV8IC6n8bB9RtmbVrFYJs1voNrYMkssKNfBItb_m5iXrbcCXaujeMBAFlQa-b2g3DAzttSIiqguJazS8W2ZAj0zwff0EAC2RaMfMgP41DH6I6M8EUZKLM/s1600/GLF+04+Edited.jpg" height="317" width="400" /></a></div><i>Court Martial of <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Kaajalozavaidya">Kaajal Oza Vaidya</a></i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefBI_Km3YdlqWmnGhRK87a_YN6u399OnV_IxdP4Bitya2XK-duD7n0PoO03VSB5C4Wkeyvk8EZ80nUm33U8PzYr-fCn8zdle5t-SmYh4pXY3zexIeQb9A0XosELQIP8_oAz_guJAOBIwy/s1600/GLF+06+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhefBI_Km3YdlqWmnGhRK87a_YN6u399OnV_IxdP4Bitya2XK-duD7n0PoO03VSB5C4Wkeyvk8EZ80nUm33U8PzYr-fCn8zdle5t-SmYh4pXY3zexIeQb9A0XosELQIP8_oAz_guJAOBIwy/s1600/GLF+06+Edited.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/arvind.vegda">Arvind Vegda</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ld.vadhiya">LD Vadhiya</a> performance on 4th January</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy95va6OmH5eA79PeLAtvPLT92PO2aCA-gswh5NOadqFNizMYPvNfT4ALnZAkgsxOpFBWyEVn3DnE_Or5Y7j_Z-VOR6sY_6QW0ZSgD0Kj_OIq9P3cGVqqmOASJwnkRLVlPdTIo2Auz8gj3/s1600/GLF+07+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiy95va6OmH5eA79PeLAtvPLT92PO2aCA-gswh5NOadqFNizMYPvNfT4ALnZAkgsxOpFBWyEVn3DnE_Or5Y7j_Z-VOR6sY_6QW0ZSgD0Kj_OIq9P3cGVqqmOASJwnkRLVlPdTIo2Auz8gj3/s1600/GLF+07+Edited.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><i><a href="https://www.facebook.com/ashok.ahir.777">Ashok Ahir</a> performance on 4th January</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-zLdqeLk6NNDd5ev4SCWnPBA2ZXzJnqk8E9X31Ih4g-E9KlGmNAnbFCAzXNv96QqQurqSKvuPTtj8Z7yDSy7-t1vcOOWImWDqcml31h_eJ-hFzG7HmVMAkYV0phyphenhyphenzdS6xFS8Y5Uf52LM/s1600/GLF+08+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-zLdqeLk6NNDd5ev4SCWnPBA2ZXzJnqk8E9X31Ih4g-E9KlGmNAnbFCAzXNv96QqQurqSKvuPTtj8Z7yDSy7-t1vcOOWImWDqcml31h_eJ-hFzG7HmVMAkYV0phyphenhyphenzdS6xFS8Y5Uf52LM/s1600/GLF+08+Edited.jpg" height="320" width="277" /></a></div><i>Bollywood and Gujarati - Anand Gandhi in conversation with Nisang Desai</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWddfa1kXezFGHTgOZIvTif65sxQnrnw3wJAqbTBeDxidopxDRtN52XnZxXnO3J8ee5wyd6Q546T2DerX0-V0MQokM2-RUitUwpQHZf7J0cBTTokZRQqyJCQfLYrR4-gokxId-vd5J_Q-d/s1600/GLF+11+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWddfa1kXezFGHTgOZIvTif65sxQnrnw3wJAqbTBeDxidopxDRtN52XnZxXnO3J8ee5wyd6Q546T2DerX0-V0MQokM2-RUitUwpQHZf7J0cBTTokZRQqyJCQfLYrR4-gokxId-vd5J_Q-d/s1600/GLF+11+Edited.jpg" height="314" width="320" /></a></div><i>Krishan kare toh Leela, Hum kare toh Character Dealer - Shrungar Sahitya - Manvinder Singh Gohil and Vijay Pandya</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxZWUZJ6mZLUlFvhFejQ_RTRYXA7XikaE7vTZkMh0Vn2qRRwedNygKrkEdjJS6psHtkD8fkKkcbuklSq6Kjsz5QNeTG6LwIGrSjJ9o2EMPh5E9Tgc9Z9PWoPdPCNDruXeEdx84FwrEabs/s1600/GLF+13+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMxZWUZJ6mZLUlFvhFejQ_RTRYXA7XikaE7vTZkMh0Vn2qRRwedNygKrkEdjJS6psHtkD8fkKkcbuklSq6Kjsz5QNeTG6LwIGrSjJ9o2EMPh5E9Tgc9Z9PWoPdPCNDruXeEdx84FwrEabs/s1600/GLF+13+Edited.jpg" height="300" width="400" /></a></div><i>A Play Reading about lions in Gir</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCMTVRV0ob186OA5N-F1b4GnPkcgOZOlOoZj87Wyy9_5NMvmH1Gbc6jnvd6q6AkKxOz-JxgG_j-vzISy5itomON4tjhCL1WXTb7FQXML62qBMv6fZaiJfZvIfOvehuhgw0bC-p5b5D3HC/s1600/GLF+14+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgCMTVRV0ob186OA5N-F1b4GnPkcgOZOlOoZj87Wyy9_5NMvmH1Gbc6jnvd6q6AkKxOz-JxgG_j-vzISy5itomON4tjhCL1WXTb7FQXML62qBMv6fZaiJfZvIfOvehuhgw0bC-p5b5D3HC/s1600/GLF+14+Edited.jpg" height="400" width="395" /></a></div><i>Cricket Culture in Gujarat with Ayaz Memon</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMo_igy9sUo9ngYyRGXli2m13gtRyWcixf_lmEhxc-F0PRDz9Y6TmGHltgrL2l9aYJF74KKrKDMWCHcpttKO7z6cikY1_rXO3RC6T5dRaCDilIbYTf2ngmFEvzF-d1glzN12Y_X62KJKrI/s1600/GLF+21+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMo_igy9sUo9ngYyRGXli2m13gtRyWcixf_lmEhxc-F0PRDz9Y6TmGHltgrL2l9aYJF74KKrKDMWCHcpttKO7z6cikY1_rXO3RC6T5dRaCDilIbYTf2ngmFEvzF-d1glzN12Y_X62KJKrI/s1600/GLF+21+Edited.jpg" height="400" width="300" /></a></div><i>Vodafone - New Voice in Writing - Winner</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAXBc10fJHnZ2xGPRnVNLBbhuZ52GF13OAFRI1jKfP4VQLDb6rQZ9ZVLRkjeG1F-2njxfcODFlFvgNDVDtYtlOuIMttPFgkRNYuJK3sIkuxsLvpwwcKsPSieDSBBjmGjgXbmt3xMO2z2p/s1600/GLF+20+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnAXBc10fJHnZ2xGPRnVNLBbhuZ52GF13OAFRI1jKfP4VQLDb6rQZ9ZVLRkjeG1F-2njxfcODFlFvgNDVDtYtlOuIMttPFgkRNYuJK3sIkuxsLvpwwcKsPSieDSBBjmGjgXbmt3xMO2z2p/s1600/GLF+20+Edited.jpg" height="322" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i>The people behind the event.</i><br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26qsNpC4ChqmyfObkUm4VvqpMDo1autRHInKu-4uC6NBVFdxtps2G7voxQ4In_fsxbQSjeRwbXPCuA-FtAE0rFD0d2z-U5Axnaer_ugQ_snAKJ_mylyBmlyWVL9PM6NaHlhyJYHw0LIhs/s1600/GLF+18+Edited.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg26qsNpC4ChqmyfObkUm4VvqpMDo1autRHInKu-4uC6NBVFdxtps2G7voxQ4In_fsxbQSjeRwbXPCuA-FtAE0rFD0d2z-U5Axnaer_ugQ_snAKJ_mylyBmlyWVL9PM6NaHlhyJYHw0LIhs/s1600/GLF+18+Edited.jpg" height="400" width="243" /></a></div><i>Closing Remarks by <a href="http://brajeshbajpai.blogspot.com/">Brajesh Bajpai</a></i><br />
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-35427426175889269042013-08-11T04:19:00.000+05:302014-06-05T04:20:18.865+05:30Darbargadh Palace - Morbi<a href="http://darbargadh-palace.neemranahotels.com/">Darbargadh Palace </a><br />
Near Machhu river and Jhulta Pul (hanging bridge), <br />
Morbi 363641,<br />
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We had a lovely trip to Morbi this weekend. We had the whole resort to ourselves, and it was an amazing experience.<br />
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I know some people have complained about the dust and cleanlines, but given that we went here during the monsoons, everything was washed clean.<br />
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Some visitors, have complained about general cleanliness and maintenance. But you have to remember that this is a 100+ year old palace. There will be construction issues. To see how much they have actually improved the rooms. Walk up to the 2nd floor and peep into some of the rooms that are still to be renovated and you will realise how far this property has come.<br />
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The service was excellent and I have hardly seen a cleaner kitchen.<br />
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The only recommendation I have for this place is to have brighter lights in the rooms (or at least one bright light per room) the yellow light is very atmospheric, but given that there is not much else to do in Morbi, I would visit the Darbargadh palace to relax and read or write or do other creative stuff and I would love to have brighter light for it.<br />
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The food is absolutely excellent and we had the most amazing shahi tukda, laal maas, pepper chicken, soups etc etc. The range of food is so large, that it was too much for us, so after the first meal, we insisted that they reduce the number of items served to us, because it was so difficult to manage portion control with such great food. <br />
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<b>Room Tip :</b> “There is no lift, so if you don't want to climb, opt for the Vijayba Mahal on the ground floor or maximum first floor, rather than Mayurdhwaj Mahal on the second floor.” <br />
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<b>Rating : 4 / 5</b><br />
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Value : 4 / 5<br />
Location : 4 / 5<br />
Sleep Quality : 5 / 5<br />
Rooms : 5 / 5<br />
Cleanliness : 3 / 5<br />
Service : 5 / 5Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-73790006095911936082013-08-03T00:34:00.000+05:302013-08-03T00:34:50.274+05:30United States of AhmedabadVery interesting documentary style video on youtube about the attitude of Gujaratis/Ahmdavadis regarding USA - living there, working there, studying there, their food habits etc<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/u0H4Bm--D0M" width="640"></iframe>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-63336233361757817892013-07-02T10:46:00.000+05:302013-07-02T10:46:00.096+05:30EME Dakshinamurthi Mandir / Temple - Baroda<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlGuTvcitzRU0JKz4gRn7-reXKVC5Nwf0TiX5-F_EkFm4lV6gE1hbcn9skKb28DPOHf5rG1efoTZBv6pmidz5gna6g4ycIT3NJ4_ViRivSRX3M_OWamUAG0Ga10xhv-Z-DiJppLKueHFN/s640/EME+Temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQlGuTvcitzRU0JKz4gRn7-reXKVC5Nwf0TiX5-F_EkFm4lV6gE1hbcn9skKb28DPOHf5rG1efoTZBv6pmidz5gna6g4ycIT3NJ4_ViRivSRX3M_OWamUAG0Ga10xhv-Z-DiJppLKueHFN/s400/EME+Temple.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The EME Temple / Dakshinamurthy Temple, was built by the Electrical and Mechanical Engineering (EME) Corps of the Indian Army in the 1960's.<br />
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The entire temple is built out of aluminum waste and features modern geodesic architecture. The main deity in this temple is Dakshinamurthy - Shiva as supreme teacher. It is run by the Indian Army Authorities, and incorporates holy symbols of all the main religions of India since the army do not have separate places of worship for different faiths. <br />
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The 4 Semi -Elliptical Entrances of the temple are reminiscent of Jain Temples.<br />
The Dome comes from Islamic Architecture.<br />
The Tower is modelled on the Bell towers of Christian churches.<br />
The Golden Taper above the dome represents Buddhism.<br />
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The Kalash on top of the tower symbolizes Hinduism. <br />
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The main deity in this temple is Dakshinamurthy - Shiva as supreme teacher. The idol faces the South and is believed to impart his teachings to the world, facing that direction. Shiva is seen in human form with his foot pressing down on a demon which symbolises the distractions that keep a student from focussing and concentrating on his studies or work. <br />
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There are a few smaller shrines around the main temple dedicated to Ganesh, Radha Krishna, Ram Sita Laxman Hanuman and Sai Baba. There is also a cave modeled on the Amarnath Gufa which has a shivling made of ice.<br />
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There is a banyan grove of 5 trees called Panchavati. The trees have grown in such a manner, that it is difficult to say where one ends and the other begins.<br />
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The garden around the temple is green and has 106 statues ranging from the 6th to the 16th century. My favourite was the beautifully carved statue of Suryadev in all his glory on his chariot drawn by multiple horses.<br />
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There is a beautiful statue of Buddha at the other end of the garden. And if you cross the road after the Buddha, you will arrive at the simple Gurudwara.<br />
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<b>For Visitors:</b><br />
The EME Temple is open from 6:30am-8:30pm to outsiders.<br />
You need to carry an identity document of some kind and register with the army authority at the gate before going in.<br />
You need to take off your shoes when walking around the garden too, so be aware.<br />
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<b>Note : Photography is prohibited in this Army Area, the pictured above is sourced via google/Flickr </b>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-16512979238626736602013-06-30T17:04:00.000+05:302013-07-02T17:06:12.324+05:30Pure Drinks - Real Fruit Sorbets<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgakRq9Uvz6psIsOmKXeE8toHBJZmarm5mI2XDi05weeG0m5KjjsWnOXiZIiQtJtB6R5gkeCKQ46NA6CywLwwy0GkqblwW5Kb8-N3ziI1MOSGFf6tLDcu4oj-MvFhCJEANqVjvx4VOKRP/s441/Pure+Drinks+002+whazzupgujarat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="303" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglgakRq9Uvz6psIsOmKXeE8toHBJZmarm5mI2XDi05weeG0m5KjjsWnOXiZIiQtJtB6R5gkeCKQ46NA6CywLwwy0GkqblwW5Kb8-N3ziI1MOSGFf6tLDcu4oj-MvFhCJEANqVjvx4VOKRP/s400/Pure+Drinks+002+whazzupgujarat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
I met the husband-wife couple behind <a href="http://puredrinks.co.in/">Pure Drinks</a> at their stall at a recent exhibition at Rajpath Club.<br />
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They sell frozen blended fresh fruits. While they have labelled their products as sorbets, they can be used to make fresh fruit juice, fruit sodas or milkshake or even as toppings for ice-creams. The sorbets are 100% pure and natural with no added flavours.<br />
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They can't be used in tarts because once they melt, the consistency is completely liquid.<br />
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Most of their products have added sugar, but they also have some sugarless options. They also promised me that if I order in advance, they can make me sorbets in whichever flavour they offer without any added sugar.<br />
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They offer over 50+ varieties depending on the season. The Sorbets are sold in 1/2kg and 1 kg bottles. Fast selling variants like Faalsa are sold in 5kg bottles too. They don't just offer simple flavours, but also a gamut of combinations like Kiwi Pina (Kiwi + Pineapple), Kiwi Heart (Kiwi + Apple), Herbal amla, Muskiwi (Musk melon + kiwi) among others.<br />
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The product is frozen and they say that as long as you keep it frozen, it can last for a year. When you want to use, just take it out of the freezer, scoop as much as required and return the jar to the freezer.<br />
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They can be contacted at<br />
<a href="http://puredrinks.co.in/">Pure Drinks</a><br />
B 1004 Prernasikhar Apartment<br />
B/s Bodakdev Fire Station<br />
Judges Bungalow Road<br />
Vastrapur<br />
Ahmedabad<br />
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Phone: 079 2685 7082, 97129 78724<br />
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Email : enquiry@puredrinks.co.in and puredrinks@rediffmail.com<br />
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Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-89852663451521984052013-06-26T18:06:00.000+05:302013-06-26T18:10:19.948+05:30Flying in India with PetsI've seen the question asked on multiple forums online and instead of repeating myself every time, I decided to put down our experiences with flying with our cat, here in one place, so its easy to find for anyone looking for this information.<br />
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We fly our pet when we relocate and that happens almost every year or so. I would not recommend flying pets just for a holiday, because the stress that the pre to post flight procedures forces on them isn't worth it. Once you read the rest of my post, you will realise why I say that it is a stressful process for you and your pet. Its not as simple as packing your pet in a suitcase and heading out to catch a flight.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkPaKuWIpte9LR7gcOjGBCLHAoc1Q_3f_nRi75ZpPR2G165Cc5DYTpX1lBF9VCeWelY-JMFrMdTybCOA9kL58i88goi9JJwKvzZk9upX7A6HQ03sb9gKmw-X0vnCE4lVspxX30rmWdg58/s1600/b11.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBkPaKuWIpte9LR7gcOjGBCLHAoc1Q_3f_nRi75ZpPR2G165Cc5DYTpX1lBF9VCeWelY-JMFrMdTybCOA9kL58i88goi9JJwKvzZk9upX7A6HQ03sb9gKmw-X0vnCE4lVspxX30rmWdg58/s400/b11.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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In India : We've flown our cat in 2011 by <a href="http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/ProductAndServices/TravellingWithAnimals.aspx">Jet Airways</a> from <a href="http://whazzupdelhi.blogspot.com/">Delhi</a> to <a href="http://whazzupnortheast.blogspot.com/">Guwahati</a> and by <a href="http://www.spicejet.com/carriageofliveanimals.aspx">Spice Jet</a> in 2012 from <a href="http://whazzupnortheast.blogspot.com/">Guwahati</a> to <a href="http://whazzupgujarat.blogspot.com/">Ahmedabad</a> via Kolkatta. (they are the only 2 domestic airlines in India that have facility for carrying pets, and that too on not all their aircraft)<br />
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Basically, you need to inform the airlines at least a week in advance that you plan to travel with a pet and check that there is space and capability to carry the pet on that particular flight (they aren't allowed to carry more than 2 pets at a time).<br />
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You may be busy with packing up your house, but this is more important to close, you do not want any last minute surprises. Certain breeds of dogs and cats aren't accepted for flight travel. Mostly snub nosed pets - because they have higher difficulty breathing in extreme conditions.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJz0xNa7XXSFGndAbfCc-WrOrskRgIzubLlTtXDHdb1ZAt6w_GqTwjMJ6B5FCsxqhs-Ejz99WRikdIHSbzu-ay22YHRrUY8VGH_oN5RoCqYcEr1EN3pwIlouR5xEfMgHOIJ0I2-7tvvSJ/s1600/b7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQJz0xNa7XXSFGndAbfCc-WrOrskRgIzubLlTtXDHdb1ZAt6w_GqTwjMJ6B5FCsxqhs-Ejz99WRikdIHSbzu-ay22YHRrUY8VGH_oN5RoCqYcEr1EN3pwIlouR5xEfMgHOIJ0I2-7tvvSJ/s400/b7.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
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You need to have the carrier yourself, which fits IATA norms (tall enough for your pet to stand in and turn around, an absorbent mat and safety features) <br />
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(I heavily recommend reading : <a href="http://www.dkc.ae/what-we-do/global-relocations-travel-boxes.php">Dubai Kennels & Cattery article on travel boxes</a>)<br />
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I also recommend getting your pet used to the box at least a week before traveling, so they aren't freaked out on the day of travel. Let them sleep in the box (leaving it open), feed them a couple of treats when they are in there, so the thought of the box/carrier doesn't add additional stress on them.<br />
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Feed your pet and water him/her at least 2 hours before leaving home, so the food digests and lowers the chance of them throwing up during turbulence or due to fright at the strangeness of the experience.<br />
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You need to check in at least 3 hours before your flight (to give yourself and the airlines enough time to complete their checks and requirements) with an up-to-date vaccination certificate and a letter from the vet (less than a week old) that the pet is fit to fly. Always carry at least 2-3 copies of these documents and keep the originals with you, it saves stress and last minute running around for copies.<br />
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Also its easier if 2 humans accompany the pet, so the running around (if any) within the airport is easily managed. One stays in one location talking in a low murmur and keeping the pet calm and the other rushes around the airport meeting the right people and finishing the formalities.<br />
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At the airport, they might need you to take your pet out of the carrier, so that they can screen your carrier. They weigh the cat + carrier and charge a flat excess baggage rate per kilo for transportation (experience on these 2 trips, someone mentioned that Jet airways is now charging a flat fee of 5000/-Rs)<br />
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I didn't have to take her out at either Cairo or Dubai airports, but in Cairo we had to go 5 hours before to the cargo village to check her in. Procedures differ. Try and find out as much in advance as you can. even if it means driving to the airport a week in advance, to talk to someone who handles pet freight with your carrier.<br />
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In Delhi, Jet has a scanner that scans larger luggage, away from the normal screening, so its less crowded, but yeah it is scary for a cat to be taken out in a strange location and I normally add a few more long tattoos to my already scarred back. At the airport, I'm the one who holds her, because hubby just isn't confident that he can hold on to her once her self defense mechanisms start kicking in. The airlines in India don't understand that cats unlike dogs don't do well in open spaces.<br />
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In Egypt, I have heard of so many cases of cats running out of their carriers when someone opened them "by mistake" or the carrier broke due to bad handling. Obviously most aren't found again, so yes I'm paranoid. I prefer to exhibit fullblown OCD when traveling with our cat. This is the one occasion when I don't care what people think of me and just do what I think I need to do, to make sure that she travels safely<br />
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Once all the checking is done, I attach 2 -3 baggage ties to each other and reseal her carrier by looping it through the grills in front of the carrier and the side - this is an additional lock because of a fear in my mind, that seeing a cage that can be opened easily, someone along the way, might want to open the cage to take a closer look at her and our cat is very fast at slipping out and running away especially with someone who isn't used to her lightning reflexes and self defense mechanisms.<br />
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Even if we come across as paranoid, irritating or OCD, I always double and triple check at every stage that she has been loaded (I ask the air hostesses, I ask them to reconfirm with the pilot, I reconfirm that the airconditioning has been turned on in that pet hold etc) until we reach our destination. I talk to the guy with the walkie talkie outside the aircraft when we come out, the guy at the baggage carousel etc, until our cat is brought back to us and back in our hands.<br />
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Being a cat, I talk to her and calm her down, but I resist strongly the instinct to open her carrier or even give her water until we have finally arrived to our new house and I've double checked that all windows and doors are tightly shut. No matter how pitifully she mews.<br />
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I always carry her foodbowls and a familiar toy, that I give her as soon as we reach home, so she realises that this is her new home.<br />
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On our longer journeys (Cairo-Dubai 2009 + Dubai-Delhi 2010 both by Emirates) I put a used banyan/undershirt of my husbands on top of her mat, so she could get his smell during the trip and that gave her extra comfort during this new scary experience.<br />
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Also, in all my research and chats with other pet owners, vets and pet care centers - the consensus is that you should not sedate your pet if he/she is traveling as luggage/cargo. Your pet needs to be awake and alert, so they can maintain their balance and not get hurt if there is turbulence. Also there is higher risk of them choking on their vomit if they are sedated. So while your pet may be subjected to discomfort by not being sedated, it is safer for them in the long run.<br />
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However if your pet is traveling in the cabin with you (allowed in US & Europe, it the pets soft carrier can fit under the seat), it makes definite sense to sedate them, so they don't meow or bark their heads off in flight and hassle every other passenger on the flight.<br />
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Hope this information helps prepare you for flying with your pet.<br />
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The only other advice I would give : is try and keep yourself calm, because our pets pick up on our stress levels very easily and just us being stressed can stress them out too. <br />
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For more details on each airlines policies, click on the following links for:<br />
<a href="http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/ProductAndServices/TravellingWithAnimals.aspx">Jet Airways</a><br />
<a href="http://www.spicejet.com/carriageofliveanimals.aspx">Spice Jet</a> Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-79681939224019214592013-06-05T00:42:00.000+05:302014-06-05T01:29:05.292+05:30Jambughoda Palace - A Home For Nature Lovers<a href="http://www.jambughoda.com/">Jambughoda Palace </a>- A Home For Nature Lovers<br />
District Panchmahal, <br />
Jambughoda 389390, <br />
India <br />
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We spent the night here on our way back from Champaner towards Ahmedabad via Sankheda, thinking it would be a lovely place to rest in the midst of wildlife, greenery and a Royal setting to boot.<br />
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While this is the location of the Palace of the local king, the rooms available for rent are in what used to be a guest house. Rooms are extremely basic, with decent airconditioning. Cleanliness leaves a lot to be desired (I understand leaves and dust in a nature setting, I don't accept, weeks worth of peeled off paint on the floor)<br />
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Also, if you can't sleep in a room with creepie crawlies - spiders, lizards, etc etc, then this is definitely not the place for you.<br />
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The food here is excellent. Personally, I'd just stop here for a meal, rather than staying over and drive to Baroda or Ahmedabad for the night.<br />
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<b>Rating : 3 / 5</b><br />
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Value : 4 / 5<br />
Location : 3 / 5<br />
Sleep Quality : 3 / 5<br />
Rooms : 2 / 5<br />
Cleanliness : 2 / 5<br />
Service : 3 / 5<br />
<br />Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-66921222430093342212013-05-31T02:58:00.003+05:302013-05-31T02:58:42.510+05:30Video of the Ravivari Bazaar / Sunday MarketThis is a lovely video shot by Yash Pandya and Rachit Patel of the Market that happens every Sunday under Ellis Bridge. The video captures and encapsulates a day at this market.<br />
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Its a short 4.11minute video and definitely worth a watch.<br />
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<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151708039622474&set=vb.673317473&type=2&theater">https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151708039622474&set=vb.673317473&type=2&theater</a>Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-84160044873458603982012-11-25T12:13:00.000+05:302012-11-26T01:45:07.055+05:30MICA (Sankalp) presents Sakharam BinderFor a change, we heard about a theatre performance before it actually happenned, so we headed off to Natarani for Vijay Tendulkar's "Sakharam Binder" as performed by <a href="http://sankalp-mica.net/">Sankalp</a> - the Theatre group of MICA.<br />
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Vijay Tendulkar wrote this Marathi play in post colonial India and while it was first performed in 1972, it was also banned in India in 1974 as it was considered too violent and too vulgar.<br />
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Sakharam considers himself an enlightened man who rescues women abandoned by their husbands. He believes that by telling them how things stand, he is being fair with them, and he says that they can leave whenever they wish to. But he actually uses them as free domestic help and sex slaves and the women have noone else to turn to. He gives them a roof over their head, 2 saris to start with and one more each year, food to eat and beatings when they don't fall in line.<br />
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The first act is practically a monologue by Sakharam as it depicts the relationship between Sakharam and Laxmi his 7th "bird" (<i>panchi</i>). Laxmi is a God fearing woman who has been thrown out by her husband for failing to conceive, and she is terrified of Sakharam and his beatings. So she finally leaves him to go live with her nephew at the end of the act.<br />
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In the second act, Sakharam brings home Champa, a woman who has left her "<i>fauji</i>" husband as he drinks too much and has lost his job. Champa initially seems like a much tougher woman, but eventually the viewer sees that she too has her own insecurities and ends up in a similar position as Laxmi before her. She drinks herself into numbness when forced to have sex with Sakharam.<br />
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In the third act, Laxmi comes back, as her nephew has thrown her out too and this act explores the relationship dynamics between all 3 of them with Champa's husband reappearing on the scene and Champa having an affair with Sakharam's friend Dawood.<br />
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Today's play was directed by Kshitij Rajoria & Surbhi Tiwari. Starring Dennis Daniel as Skharam Binder, Sanchita Dasgupta as Laxmi, Vijayalaxmi Shinde as Champa, Shitiz Dogra as Dawood and Shrey Chakavorty as Champa's husband.<br />
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The play was performed reasonably well for a college group, but they just couldn't portray the sexual angle very clearly. In fact it wasn't even clear if Sakharam was having a sexual relationship with Laxmi or not until part 3 when she explicitly mentions it.<br />
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Other than this performances were above average, but we have watched Sakharam Binder being performed at Prithvi a couple of years ago and it was hard for us not to compare the 2 and hence this obviously came across as a much weaker performance in comparison. Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5722971797437317242.post-15282655445251051682012-11-06T12:47:00.000+05:302012-11-26T02:13:43.086+05:30Inua Ellams - The 14th TaleInua Ellams is a word and graphic artist based in London. He was born in Nigeria in 1984 and moved to London as a teenager. <br />
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The 14th Tale is his condensed autobiography of sorts. He merges poetry and theatre to tell the tale of growing up in Nigeria, London and then Dublin.<br />
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Inua was awarded a Fringe First Award at Edinburgh Festival for The 14th Tale.<br />
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The play is a 55 minute monologue where Innua tells us tales of the mischief maker that he was, while growing up in 3 very different cities. While the stories are funny on the surface, there is a poignancy to the tales that he tells.<br />
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The narrative has a poetic rhythm to it. But since its a series of episodes that he narrates, it doesn't flow like a story but feels more like a chat with a friend over a cup of coffee. <br />
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The only props used were a simple cloth backdrop, a folding chair and a torch. So its relatively easy for him to travel and stage this performance in various cities. The British Council sponsored his performances in Gujarat and the play is supposed to move to Surat from Ahmedabad.Kimhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14687803417221589161noreply@blogger.com0