5 Best street foods of Jaipur to relish each time you pay a visit!

Having born and raised in Jaipur, I can talk day and night about its food, culture, royalty and just abut everything. Jaipur is a home of foodies be it street food, cafes, restaurants or fine dining. Each having its own uniqueness. Today, I'll share my favorite places where you can relish some mouth watering street food.

1) Pandit Pao Bhaji:
Located just outside Birla Temple, you will have a tough time identifying the asli (original) Pandit Pao Bhaji ka thela. Each one having the same name. You will surely love this street food for sure!

2) Lassiwala:
As soon as you enter M.I Road, you will find this precious gem. There are various duplicates at the same place. The shop with the maximum crowd is the real one! As old as 1944, this place is also a perfect breakfast place for localities throughout the year.

3) Rawat Kachori:
 Located just opposite Polovictory Cinema, Station Road, Sindhi Camp, this place is heaven for Pyaaz ki Kachori (Onion Kachori) and Mawa kachori and other fresh sweeet dishes. Breakfast here is a must.

4) Gopalji Golgappe:
Gopalji is near Ahimsa circle-Outside, the same building as Mamu's Infusion. Its a small and clean kiosk. This one is loved by the old timers and is very popular. Also known as Gopalji from Ramniwas Bagh behind Kiran Cafe. They also have a all sorts of Chaat counter.

5) Indian Ice Cream Faluda:
Head to Link Road, next to Saraogi Mansion in Jaipur, you will find this very very old little shop called Indian Ice Cream Faluda, you will definitely  not regret having this sweet delicacy. Faluda Ice Cream is my all time favorite.

Rangeelo Rajasthan - Best 3 tourist attractions

Rajasthan is the land of imperial living, opulent cultural heritage, commendable hospitality, picturesque sand dunes, and delectable recipes. It’s popular worldwide for its vivid tourist attractions and cultural sites.The state is studded with a variety of eye-catching tourist spots, which include majestic forts and palaces,highly-revered temples, national parks and wildlife sanctuaries, mountain ranges, just to name a few.

Be it the tranquility of the Thar Desert, or magnificent lakes of Udaipur, or invincible forts of Jaipur, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur, everything about Rajasthan is incredible. It won't be an exaggeration to say that your trip to India would be incomplete if you do not visit Rajasthan. Lets take you through some of the must-visit places of this remarkable north-western state of India.

Jaipur

Popularly named as the Pink City of India, Jaipur has a host of scenic buildings and cultural spots to dish out to you. Among all its forts and castles, Amber Fort is arguably the grandest of all. Its rugged forbidding exterior belies an inner paradise where a beautiful fusion of Mughal and Hindu styles finds its ultimate refinement. Other attractions of Jaipur include the princely Hawa Mahal, Jantar Mantar, the City Palace, and the list goes on and on.Shopping in Jaipur attracts a lot of foreign tourists. It is famous for its silver jewellery, blue pottery, Sanganeri prints among others.

Udaipur

Udaipur is popularly known as the City of Lakes. The jewel in the crown of this City of Lakes is its majestic City Palace. Built in glittering granite and marble it majestically towers high on the Pichola Lake. Another notable tourist spot in Udaipur is Fatehsagar Lake. This artificial lake was built in 1678 by Maharana Jai Singh. After heavy rains destroyed it the reconstruction took place under the guidance of Maharana Fateh Singh. Udaipur is also for its luxury hotels, scenic views. The famous Jag Mandir is quite a popular destination for weddings.

Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary

Nestled in the district of Sawai Madhopur, Ranthambore Wildlife Sanctuary is famous for tigers. Perhaps, this is one of those few places across the globe where you can see the big cats playing in the wild. This is one of the finest tiger reserves in the country Park’s abandoned fortress, lakes and above all it’s `friendly’ tigers have made it one of the most filmed wildlife reserves in the world.

Rajasthan is unarguably the vacationer's paradise.The best time to visit Rajasthan is September to March. 

Intesting facts about Holi of Mathura-Vrindavan

Holi is a festival that brings with itself a new hope, a new beginning and with it, everyone promises to be better than before.  

Mathura and Vrindavan are the epicentre of Holi festival in Northern India and specially Uttar Pradesh. The Banke Bihari temple at Vrindavan, a day before Holi celebrates the festival with flowers. This day is named as Phoolon Wali Holi. It is a short affair for just 15-20 minutes. So if you want to capture the moment, be ready with your camera at right angles. 

This is not the only attraction; Widow’s Holi at Vrindavan is gaining popularity and is played few days before the festival. It is worth a watch to see the widows enjoy at their best.
Mathura, on the other hand, also holds an important place. The Holi procession from Vishram Ghat to Holi Gate is a must watch. 

Vehicles decorated with flowers and kissed with colours make the procession worth watching. Similarly, at Dauji Maharaja Temple, people celebrate Holi in the form of Huranga- which means aggressive Holi.
 
Interestingly, the aggression is shown by women on men. If you want to capture this moment make sure women do not catch you and get stripped!!

Must visit South India Temples - an enchanting experience for lifetime!

Owing to the spellbinding natural beauty and picturesque architectural and cultural marvels, the peninsular region of South India has been grabbing eyeballs of tourists since ages. Bordered by seas and ocean by three sides, South India is home to some of the most scenic beaches in the world. Aroma of spices and coffee plantation, exhilarating wildlife sanctuaries, pristine backwater beauty, are unarguably the hallmarks of the majestic South Indian peninsular region. But, above them all, the entities that distinguishes the region from the rest of the world are its splendid temples and sumptuous cultural sites. For those who have religious bend of mind, or eagerness to explore traditional Indian architectural styles and culture, temple tour to South India has lot to present to them.

While the hallowed land is filled with plethora of temples and shrines, there are some that should be enlisted in your itineraries to South India. These must-visit temples include:

• Shore Temple in Mahabalipuram: Overlooking the Bay of Bengal, Shore Temple has been the prime attraction for tourists on South India temple tour. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites, it’s a structural splendour built way back in 8th century. The temple includes an assortment of three shrines, two dedicated to Lord Shiva and one to Lord Vishnu.

• The Five Rathas in Mahabalipuram: The Five Rathas is actually a collection of five monolithic temples, each built in a distinct style. It’s also knows as Panch Pandavas Rathas - and four out of the five temples are supposed to have been carved out of the same rock.

• Meenakshi Temple in Madurai: Erected almost around 2000 years ago, Meenakshi Temple epitomizes the Dravidian architecture and art. The temple is dedicated to Lord Shiva, who is known as Sundareswara or Beautiful Lord here, and to her consort, Parvathy, also known as Meenakshi. It contains as many as 14 wonderful Gopurams, or towers, including two Gopurams for the main deities. 

• Kapleshwar Temple in Chennai: Dedicated to Lord Shiva, Kapleshwar Temple stands among the masterpieces of Dravidian architectural style. It also houses sixty three Saivite saint idols impeccably carved in Bronze. Constructed way back in the 8th century, it attracts thousands of pilgrimages and sannadhis every year. 

• Sri Parthsarthy Temple in Chennai: Located at Triplicane, Chennai, Sri Parthsarthy Temple is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. In fact, it is one among the 108 divyadesams, or holy abodes of Lord Vishnu. Built by the Pallavan king Narasimhvarman I in the 8th century, the temple houses idols of four of Lord Vishnu’s ten avatars.

• Brihadeeshwar Temple: Situated at Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu, Brihadeeshwar temple is the world’s first complete granite temple. Listed in the UNESCO’s World Heritage Sites as a part of “Great Living Chola Temples”, it exemplifies the great heights achieved by Cholas in architectural skills and capabilities. It stands as the one of the India’s most-prized historical site.

Kaziranga National Park

Wildlife tours to India has a special benchmark for Kaziranga National Park as it is the only national park reserve in India where the Rhinoceros can be seen in its natural habitat for Rhinos. One Horned Rhinos Internationally known as Great Indian One Horned Rhinoceros is heavily built beast of mammoth proportions, next to the Indian Elephant. It is the largest of the three Asian rhinos. 

Kaziranga national park has the suitable climate for Rhinoceros to habitat. Kaziranga National Park is situated in Assam - Assam is the gateway to north-east India, dominated by rivers like Brahamputra and Barak. A large part of Assam is situated in the narrow valley that these rivers have created over the period of time. There are other sanctuaries and national Parks also around such as Manas National Park, GaramPani Wildlife Sanctuary and Pani Dihing Bird Sanctuary. 

You can also vist many temples here during your tour likr Kamakhya temple further to this Shilong - Shillong or Scotland of the East is one of the most romantic cities in the northeast. And when you visit it, you'll just about know why. A relatively unexplored land, splendid visions of rows of pine trees, lush hills and quaint cottages greet you, all reminiscent of the British era gone by. The city derives its name from the 'Leishyllong', the super God who resides on the Shillong peak, as if protecting the city also worth to visit.

Untouched beauty of India - Sikkim..

Small but beautiful. Spread below the Mount Khanchendzonga (8534 mts), the third highest mountain in the world, and revered by the Sikkimese as their protective deity. With lofty mountains dominating the skyline, this is an exotic place with varieties of rhododendrons and sparkling orchids. Hilltop monasteries add to the tranquil atmosphere in the rugged terrains.

Gangtok, the capital city, is the seat of governance and the primary hub of commercial activity. Situated a short distance from it is the ancient Rumtek Monastery. The town is a convenient base for trips to the ethereal environs of the mystical Tsomgo Lake and Nathu La.

Some of the oldest monasteries in Sikkim are located in its south district, which is the starting point for treks to Maenam and Tendong Hill. This is mountain biking country and a heaven for naturalists! Sikkim has myriad tourist attractions to visit and explore and you are sure to have an unforgettable experience in this scenic state better known as a trekker’s paradise. 

Gujarat - The Land of the Legends!

Gujarat, is the birthplace of many Freedom fighters like the legendary Mahatma Gandhi, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and many others who fought the freedom struggle, infusing the qualities of tolerance, brotherhood, non-violence and patriotism into Indians.

The cultural mix enhanced with over 4500 years of history has endowed Gujarat with some of the greatest historical and archaeological monuments. While Lothal offers an unparalleled insight into the Harappan civilization, Ahmedabad has specimens of Indo-Sarcenic architecture, Palitana has a profusion of temples in the Jain style, Junagadh displays Buddhist caves and Rajput architecture appears all over different parts of Gujarat. A major Tourist destination of immense potential, it’s historical monuments represent the great religions of Asia – Hindu, Buddhism, Jain, Islam, Parsi and Sikh.

Because of such diversity, Gujarat is the much watch place in the world. The Great living Legend Mr. Amitabh Bachhan's statement is perfect about Gujarat - kuch din to gujaro gujarat me, yahan ki mittai me mithas hai..

The social life of Gujarat comprises various languages, customs, festivals, celebrations, costumes, food habits and dwellings of people living in different regions of Gujarat. The cultural edifice has been built in Gujarat due to its geographical, social, religious and occupational diversity. The humble natured, persevering and hard working Guajarati’s residing in its cities, towns and villages have expanded their economy and business ventures not only in Gujarat but all over India and the rest of the world. 

Ensembles, lifestyles and ways of living vary all over Gujarat. The fairs and festivals are full of enthusiasm, entertainment and spirituality. Gujarat is known world over for its Navratri celebration which sees people immersed in the spirit of dance for nine nights. The dance forms depend on the unique styles that have emerged in different cities. people have adopted this traditional dance and its varied forms by the name of ‘Garba’ and ‘Raas’.

Language is the very heart of our soul. Although the principal language of Gujarat is ‘Gujarati’ and other languages spoken are Hindi and English, Gujarat encompasses many languages and dialects throughout to its many regions, castes and traditions. People of North Gujarat speak ‘northern Gujarati’, Central Gujarat speaks ‘Charotari’, Saurashtra speaks ‘Kathiawadi’ , South Gujarat speaks ‘Surti’ and Kutchh speaks ‘Kutchi.’