To stop dosa/idli batter from over flowing during fermentation, keep a tumbler upside down in the vessel and then pour the batter over it to ferment. While microwaving leftover idli and rice kept … [Read More...]
Flower Arrangement – Blue Drift
Flower arrangement styles like So-getsu school use drifwood in their arrangements. Driftwood refers to branches of trees, which breaks off and fall into the water. These pieces drift along the … [Read More...]
Happy Onam 2026
Wish you all a very happy Onam! It is time for Onam Sadya and Pookalam across Kerala and rest of the country and world where people from Kerala reside. … [Read More...]
Onam Sadya – Plantain leaf Onam Thali – Onasadya
Onam is celebrated for 10 days. During these days women wear Mudum Neriyathum/Mundu and make designs on the floor using flowers known as Pookalam. Around the Pookalam women perform … [Read More...]
Labneh Dip Recipe
Labneh is prepared from hung curds/yogurt. This recipe is from the Middle East. The thick hung curds is whisked with herbs, cucumber, zatar, olive oil, and chili flakes. You can also add Olives, … [Read More...]
Festival dates in Shravana month – August and September 2026
Festival dates in Shravana month – August and September 2026 are as follows: Shrāvana (August - September) - From 13 August to 11 September (2026) Shravana Shanivara - 15 August, 22 … [Read More...]
August 2026 Hints
Add baking soda while washing fruits and vegetable, this will remove any type of contamination. Add sparkling water to Pani puri dough. The Puris will turn out crisp. Add oil while boiling … [Read More...]
Malnad Style Beetroot Kayi Chutney
I tasted this Beetroot chutney at Sridhara Paduka Mandira in Bengaluru. The saying that god prasada is divine and satisfying is so true. The humble lunch comprising to Rice huli, saru, and … [Read More...]
Pookalam Art – Flower Carpet Making – Flower Rangoli
Pookalam (Flower Rangoli / Pattern), the art of designing floral carpets on the day of Onam festival in Kerala welcome their beloved king Mahabali. Pookalam Art can be made on … [Read More...]
Pookalam
Flower arrangement of Indian origin is Pookalam. “Poo” means flower and “kalam” design in Malayalam. The flowers are laid out in beautiful patterns on the floor. Traditionally laying out Pookalam is a … [Read More...]
Onam
Onam is celebrated in Kerala with a lot of enthusiasm. It is their biggest harvest festival and it falls in the Malayali (Malayalam is the language spoken in Kerala and hence the people of Kerala are … [Read More...]
Melukote Srivaishnava Piligrimage Center
Melukote is a famous piligrimage center situated in Mandya district, Karnataka. This place is also known as Thirunarayanapuram, Yadavagiri or Yadugiri nestled in the Cauvery river valley. From Mysore … [Read More...]
Wood Arrangement
"Wood Arrangements" include arrangements with driftwood or even roots and stumps of trees. Coffee roots are very popular in wood arrangements. The roots and the wood when combined with bright flowers … [Read More...]
Vegetarian Recipes
Badam Ladoo – Almond Laddoo Recipe – Laddoo Recipe
Badam Ladoo is a sweet dish prepared using Almonds. A very easy to make recipe, which is a boon during hectic festival days. Time Required: 20 Minutes Ingredients: 1 Cup … [Read More...]
Aam Ka Panna – Raw Mango Drink Recipe
Aam Ka Panna is a very good thirst quencher prepared using Raw Mangoes. Cuisine: North India Time Required: 20 Minutes + Chilling time Ingredients: 1 Big Raw Mango ¼ tsp Kala … [Read More...]
Alu Capsicum Masala – Aloo Capsicum Masala Recipe – Potato Capsicum Masala Recipe
Potatoes and Capsicum tossed with tomatoes and spices. Time Required: 25 Minutes Serves: 4 Ingredients: 2 Cups Potatoes chopped thin and long 1 Cup Capsicum chopped thin and long 1 Big … [Read More...]
Chori Aloo Subzi – Cowpeas Beans and Potato Side Dish Recipe – Potato Recipe
Chori Aloo Subzi is a side dish prepared using Yard Long Beans and Potatoes. Mildly spiced, this gravy side dish is a very good accompaniment with Indian Bread. Cowpeas Beans is also known as … [Read More...]
Pineapple Jam
This is a perfect way to preserve Pineapple with its natural aroma and taste intact. I like to retain the original color and aroma of Pineapple and hence have neither added food color nor … [Read More...]
Banana Flower Chutney
Banana flower chutney is made often in South and coastal Karnataka. It is served along with plain rice and ghee. Cuisine: Karnataka Time required: 15 Minutes Preparation time: 30 … [Read More...]
Steamed Chilies Chutney
A chutney prepared using steamed Chilies..this Chutney is popular in Coorg District. Time Required: 15 Minutes Ingredients: 8 - 10 Green Chilies 10 - 12 Garlic Pods 1tsp Jeera/Cumin … [Read More...]
Lachha Salad – Sliced Onion Salad – Sliced Vegetable Salad
Lachha Salad is a salad prepared using thinly sliced vegetables. It is usually prepared with only Onions, but I have used other vegetables like Cabbage and Capsicum. This salad is usually … [Read More...]
Travel
Kishkinda Moolika Bonsai Garden Mysore
You will be delighted to find a bonsai garden of international standard in the city of palaces: Mysore. Kishkinda Moolika Bonsai garden is in Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Ashrama and houses many … [Read More...]
Coorg
South Indian heroine Suhasini wearing coorgi style saree and crooning the song “Madikeri sepoyi…” (Madikeri soldier) on mist covered hills of Madikeri / Coorg in the Kannada movie Muththina Hara is … [Read More...]
Birding in the vicinity of Valley School
Valley school is situated 20 Kms on Kanakpura road. The road leading to the Valley school and the surrounding area is a forest offering a place to seek the much needed solace from the maddening … [Read More...]
Shravanabelagola
The first time I visited Shravanabelagola was in 1982 on a school trip. It was Mahamasthakabhishekha time and we climbed up the rickety scaffolding up to the head of the monolithic statue of Bahubali … [Read More...]
Manikyadhara Falls
Manikyadhara falls also known as Nellikayi Theertha is situated 1 km from Baba Budan Giri Dattatreya Peetha, Chikkamagalur, Karnataka. The water that falls down is in the form of droplets and they … [Read More...]
Nrupatunga Betta
Nrupatunga Betta is a picnic spot in Hubli. Locals and visitors spend quality time with their family and friends. You can drive up the hill and park your vehicles at a distance of 1 Km from the … [Read More...]
Daria Daulat Bagh
Daria Daulat is the summer palace of Tipu Sultan, situated in Srirangapattana, 15 Kms from Mysore. The Indo-Sarcenic style palace was built by Tipu Sultan in 1784. The two storeyed palace is … [Read More...]
Festivals
Festival dates in Phalgun month – February and March 2026
Festival dates in Phalgun month – February and March 2026 Phālgun (February – March) Sri Raghavendra Swami Jayanthi – 24 February 2026 Holi – 2 to 4 March 2026 … [Read More...]
Dasara Gombe – Doll arrangement – Golu – 2025
Dasara is celebrated in different ways in various regions of our country. The celebration is of goddess Durga and her various avatars. Each day the goddess is decorated in a different way … [Read More...]
Navaratri Golu – Dolls Arrangement during Dasara
This is in continuation of the post “Traditional Dolls Arrangement”. The custom of arranging dolls during Navaratri / Dasara is also followed in Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Andhra Pradesh. In these states … [Read More...]
Sri Raghavendra Swamy Aradhane
Picture1 - Sri Raghavendra Swamy Pujyaya Raghavendraya | Satyadharma Ratayacha | Bhajatam Kalpavrikshaya | Namathaam Kamadhenave || O divine Sri Raghavendra Swamy I salute you - the one who … [Read More...]
Mysore Dasara – Mysuru Dasara Celebrations – Mysuru Dussehra – Mysuru Navratri
Mysore looks its best during the 10-day Dasara celebration where all the major roads in the city, heritage buildings, palaces, historical monuments, ancient temples and shops are … [Read More...]
Bhagvad Gita Jayanti – Bhagvad Gita Birthday – Srimad Bhagvad Gita Jayanti
During Corona time, my quest to listen and understand the Srimad Bhagvad Gita started. My mother patiently read the Bhagvad Gita shlokas and explained each of them in Kannada. I was in awe … [Read More...]
Swathi Nakshatra Saraswathi Pooja 2024
As children, we would feel very important on the day of Saraswathi Pooja during Dasara. On this day, our books would be stacked in front of Goddess Saraswathi Photograph and we would all worship … [Read More...]
