Vinayaka Chavithi Celebrations - in Andhra style

Vinayaka Chavithi is a unique festival for Telugu people because of the way it is celebrated with family members. 

It is fun time especially for kids, decorating clay idol, Palavelli (Wooden frame to tie fruits), marking all notebooks with Om or Swastik symbol with watery vermilion paste, praying Lord Ganesha with different types of leaves (patri), helping mother in preparation of special dishes for the day - Vundrallu and talukalu.

 I have many wonderful memories associated with this festival from childhood. As children, we used to wait for this day for whole year.




Importance of festival:

Before I touch upon our way of celebrating this festival, let me tell you the importance of the festival in our lives.

 This festival is celebrated as the birth date of Lord Ganesha, Son of Lord Parameswara and Goddess Parvathi. Ganesha is also known as Vighnadhipathi, which means first God to be prayed before starting any work to avoid obstacles and bring success.




Story behind Puja:

The legend is that Moon God laughed at Vinayaka on his birthday watching him walking slowly because of over eating his favorite dish Vundrallu, which made Vinayaka's belly burst. 

Goddess Parvathi is upset with this and cursed that no one should see moon from now on, or else, they will face many obstacles/problems. 

When all other devatas requested her for a remedy, she changed curse saying that whoever watches moon on Vinayaka Chavithi without performing puja to Lord Ganesha and without wearing akshinthalu (rice with turmeric powder kept in puja), will face problems. 

So, it has become a custom in Telugu household to perform puja on that day morning to Lord Ganesha, by taking head bath, wearing new dresses, preparing and offering dishes which please Ganesha, listening to the above story and wearing those puja akshinthalu at the end.


Puja process:

We buy Ganesh idol made of clay, different types of fruits available and different types of leaves(patri) to perform puja. 

We prepare and offer Vundrallu/ Kudumulu, Chalividi, Vadapappu, Panakam and a sweet called 'Talukalu' prepared either with jaggery or sugar and milk. 

Each fruit bought for Puja will be cleaned, applied with vermilion paste and kumkuma and tied to Palavelli (a wooden frame), which is tied above the Ganesha idol. 

All fruits are tied symmetrically as shown in images. Some also buy and place an umbrella above clay idol. 

We usually write Om/ swastik symbol on academic note books of children with vermilion paste and kumkum and keep before God during puja. 

After performing puja, we listen to the story about Vinayaka's birth and wear akshinthalu at the end. We end the puja with harathi and distribute prasadam. 

Usually, we keep God decorated in the household and pray for at least 3 days and leave the puja remains along with idol in a lake, which is known as 'Nimajjanam'. 

A Few people perform puja at home daily for 7 or 9 days before immersing idol in the lake on 10th day. 

Because of performing puja and wearing akkshinthalu on head on that day, it is believed that no problem arises even by seeing moon by mistake.

 That's how we celebrate this festival by making every family member participate actively.


Let me know how you celebrate this festival :)


Until next time,

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Recommended books for beginner readers

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In this digital world, Book reading is becoming a rare quality.  Isn't it? Here are my top books for Beginner readers.

The world is moving fast. We prefer twitter, MMS, SMS to Facebook, letters, and emails. 

We always want quick updates. We don't have time to dig into details. 

Still, some people are interested in books, some listen to audiobooks, some watch movie adaptations, some read e-books, use kindles, everyone has some shortcuts.  Agree?

Many colleagues and friends who are still interested in reading books ask me to suggest some easy books for beginners to catch up and make it a habit. They all know there are many advantages of reading books like enhancing our memory, improving our concentration, increasing knowledge, and sometimes, it can be simply to escape to that fantasy land :)

Here is the list of books that I read so far and remembered to document. From this list and beyond, I would like to suggest a few quick, easy reads with quality stuff to any beginner who wants to start the habit of book reading. 

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1. Wise and Otherwise by Sudha Murthy - My review

A short story collection which is based on real-life experiences. Each short story is simple and easy going  which can be completed in an hour. Everyone will definitely love Sudha Murthy's writing style and also understand the moral values behind each story.

Buy the book here:

Amazon

2. Five point someone by Chetan Bhagat

Chetan Bhagat's books are simple to read and connect well to the mindset of the youth. This book already was very famous among students and became more popular due to movie adaptation '3 idiots'. Can't believe it's just Rs.52/- in Flipkart now. Anyways, you can complete this easy read very quick for sure :) I would also recommend you to read '2 States' from the same author if you liked this.

Buy the book here:

Amazon

3. Urban Shots Cross roads by multiple authors - My review

A fresh breeze of modern short stories from multiple authors. Since there are different stories about different sets of people, we can easily relate to many characters in our day to day lives. As it is basically a collection of short stories, few might be too good, some bad, and some ok types. Overall, it's a good time pass to read this book.

4. Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle - Collection of short stories - My review

My Favorite of all. My habit of book reading started with this and I love these short stories so much. This complete collection is my prized possession so far. 

As you might have guessed from the name of the detective, these are collections of detective stories. You won't be disappointed by the storyline as each one is thrilling. But, the language used in this book might seem too old and classic, you might need some time to love the writing style. 

A good choice for people who love detective stories with mystery and thrill. 

Purchase the Complete Collection here:

Amazon

5. Lucifer's Lungi by Nitin Sawant - My review

Might not be the best read, but easy-going thriller having humor as an integral part of the story. The first few pages might be boring, but you won't regret picking up this book to read as the remaining part compensates for the same. 

A short story which suits our modern thinking.

Buy the Book Here:

Amazon

So, all beginners... do let me know if you agree with my list.

Note: Books picked above are easy to read and might improve your interest in book reading, but this doesn't mean that they are the only best literary works that I read so far. 

Until next time,

Image courtesy: All pics from flipkart.com and goodreads.com

Ramayana - The Game of life : Rise of the Sun Prince - [Book Review]

Book details:
Title: Ramayana :The Game of life 
         Rise of the Sun Prince
Author: Shubha Vilas
Publishers: JAICO
Genre: Mythology
No. of pages: 252
Source: A free copy for review from blogadda.com

Expectation: 
I have been listening to Ramayana tales from childhood from my father and also watched them in television. Even though iam reading Ramayana again after so many years, i remember each and every small story of it. Those stories and  characters settled in my mind permanently. So, i was not sure initially if this book would interest me to complete till the end, as i hate reading known stories again and again. 

My expectation was to get a different perspective on the tale that i know from long. A different thought process which would help me to correlate with the current scenarios and problems of our country. Iam expecting to learn something new out of old story, which is not very preachy . So, let me tell you if this book really met my expectation :)

My take on story:
This is first part of the 6 book series of complete Ramayana and covers the story from the birth of Lord Rama to his marriage. Basically, story is taken from Valmiki Ramayana and Kamba Ramayana, though few tales are collected from other sources. It is good that author touches upon other characters in detail along with main characters. Actually, Author mentions that Viswamithra is the hero of this story as Balya kanda emphasizes mainly on how he transformed from a jealous king to Brahmarshi and other lessons he learnt in his journey. 

As a reader, we would surely love the extra information from footnotes, but at the end, we feel that there is too much information to comprehend from foot notes. I felt, few foot notes are unnecessary and very preachy. Liked these tidbits which are very less known facts from Ramayana :):

• Dasaratha had 353 wives!
• Dasaratha's wives bore the divine children Rama, Laxmana, Bharatha and Sathrughna for 12 months!
• Lord Rama's childhood is covered in Ramayana only in 10 verses!
• The famous Suprabhataham song 'Kaushalya Supraja Rama' that we use now for Lord Venkateswara is first sung my sage Vishwamithra to wake up Rama from sleep in the forest!
• When Lord Vishnu killed Khyati, wife of sage Bhrigu, Brighu maharshi cursed Vishnu to appear on Earth for 10 times, which are famously known as Dasavathara (10 incarnations)!

Also, liked these lines about special attributes a man should have to marry in Sita's opinion

"He must be valiant or have the ability to protect
He should be prudent and have the ability and wisdom to say the right things
He must have self control or the ability to resist temptation and control emotions"

And these lines about marriage

"Marriage works best with happy cooperation. Hearts are broken when couples compete. To avoid heart break, a couple must cooperate and complement each other."

So, overall, other than the story, we have lot of things to take away from this book. The Ramayana is not a book; it is a way of life. The next book in the series is 'Shattered Dreams'.

I would recommend this to:

• Children who want to read Ramayana for the first time
• Elders, who know Ramayana and want to read it to get another perspective and learn about other characters
• Any book reader who is interested in mythology and want to learn something new

My rating:
4/5
To get this book from flipkart for just Rs.159/- follow this link.

Until next time,

This review is a part of the biggest Book Review Program for Indian Bloggers. Participate now to get free books!

A butterfly in the garden #Flash Fiction

Linking this to the Fiction Challenge ‘From 15 to 50′ hosted here

pic courtesy: The moving Quill

Surprised to see a beautiful butterfly in my balcony

On a bright red flower resting in the shade,

When I went to touch the butterfly excited like a child,

I woke up by the sound of whistling pressure cooker in the kitchen. 

Alas! My day dream ended :(

Until next time,

#Flash #Fiction

Baby in the womb

Some say, 

it's like a fluttering butterfly, soft bubble bursting, gentle tap on tummy or strong kick

Some experience,

gentle movement, soft somersaults,  hiccups or mini aerobics

It is wonderful to have a life inside you, a cute innocent human being,

with little palms, tiny toes, which can listen, see and breathe.

I bow to the God for his magical creation and

I feel proud to be a woman to experience motherhood.

Until next time,

Image courtesy: Flickr creative common license images https://www.flickr.com/photos/28795465@N03/

Lucifer's Lungi by Nitin Sawant- [Book Review]

This copy of book is provided by Fablery publishers for review.

Book details:
Title: Lucifer's Lungi
Author: Nitin Sawant
Publisher: Fablery publications, Bangalore
Genre: Psychological thriller
No. of pages: 111

Synopsis: 
Protagonist is a manager/ supervisor in a software company in Madras bored with his work, tries to escape the monotony of his life by travelling to different places in Tamil Nadu. Without knowing the local language much, he adventures to travel to interior parts as well as famous places on his own. Story is about one such journey which shakes his ideology and makes him believe in the local legend of a village. 

Once, he travels to a completely unknown place just by choosing a passenger bus with unpronounceable destination name. It is a simple village with many temples and myths around it. He becomes host to chief priest's family of Palayar temple and makes friendship with Priest's son who knows English and a young lad of Tea shop. Story starts casually with his interest to visit all temples in the village without giving any attention to the stories behind them or mythological tales which conflict with his scientific mind. He is not an atheist, but believes that bad can happen only when we do something wrong and not because of anything else. There is no need to be afraid of anything. But, his new friend 'Sarvana' (Priest's son) has a complete different ideology on God and myths in the village. Sarvana believes in the legends of the village about Lord Palayar and Saitan 'Luganar' and tells him many instances of people disappearing from village leaving behind their Lungi who are attacked by 'Luganar'. Sarvana asks his tourist friend to perform puja to protect himself from Luganar's attack. Ofcourse, or hero rejects and wants to return to Madras on the same evening as he has to be in the office next day.

From here, the story takes a turn. Many things happen when the protagonist waits on the road alone to return to madras which make him believe all the legends told by Sarvana. All his beliefs and logical thinking wipe away from his mind by facing a horrific situation and at last he is saved somehow in a funny way. Thrilling story in the last few pages turns out to be a light humor at the end. 

What is good? 
Writing style is easy flowing and humorous to some extent. Overall plot of the story is good. It's good that story is short (only 111 pages). Starting might be boring, but it becomes page-turner in the middle and ends in a light note.

What is not good?
No specific negative thing to point out. Story becomes boring in the middle. Conversations between the protagonist and Sarvana are very lengthy. 

I would recommend this to: people who love a light read, thriller, short novel with humorous take

My rating : 4/5

Loved it completely without any doubt. Another positive is it's a fast read, i could complete in 2 hours :)

It's just Rs.120/- if you buy from flipkart.com. Here is the link.

Until next time,

This is not a paid review and it is my honest opinion.

Travel - Inspiration from Fragrance #InspireAFragrance

This post is written for contest #inspireAFragrance from Godrej and indiblogger.

Who doesn't love taking a break by going to a misty hill station? Iam thinking about what all the memories that we enjoy other than travel while visiting hill stations. This contest from Godrej made me think about fragrance. Of course, there are many memories attached to different smells that we experience during travel. Iam talking about good smells only here :p

Refreshing eucalyptus oil fragrance: I love the refreshing smell of Eucalyptus oil when i travel to hill stations or having a walk or trekking in forests. We all know, this oil has many medicinal benefits and one of them is to cure bronchitis and nasal congestion by breathing its vapor. It is also effective in reducing fever and treating fungal infections. But, i feel, just breathing it gives peace to the soul. Isn't it refreshing? 




Smell of mud in rain: Wow! i hope, many of you love this smell like me :) The smell from mud that comes just when it drizzles or just before it starts to rain is too good..

The smell of Flowers: Jasmine flowers are mostly wore by Asian women in hair. Their sweet smell spreads to hair and also cools the brain. Also, jasmine flowers are used in many perfumes and to prepare tea. Rose is the king of all flowers, what say? Their fragrance might be the reason why men choose it to propose their love :) Extensively used in spas also right? Usually, we will have flower shows or rose gardens in many hill stations like ooty, kodai and Shimla. Visit for sure next time..

There are many other smells that inspire me - mysore sandal agarbathi, sweet smell of hot chocolate, oils/ creams that they use in spa and massages etc.,

Thanks for Godrej for this cool contest #InspireAFragrance which made me re-live those memories with sweet fragrance :)

Until next time,

Image courtesy: From google images(labeled for commercial reuse).

Experience social banking - Kotak Jify

• A bank account with no minimum balance!
• Gain points whenever you like a post/ comment on Kotak Jifi facebook page, these points can be redeemed for online shopping !
• World's first socially powered bank account !

pic courtesy: https://www.facebook.com/KotakJifi

So, these are the things that excited me when i read about Kotak Jifi bank account. Does this excite you as well? 
Then, i would reveal you few more features of this Kotak Jifi to make banking easy and fun :) Here is their home page which has a video to explain all the features quick.

A brief :

Zero minimum balance: You can create a non-interest account with zero minimum balance without any problem of tracking monthly balances. If your balance is more than 25k, you can earn interest on spare cash by automatically creating a term deposit.

Social Banking: Track account details and transaction history, order a cheque simply from your mobile twitter account. Don't worry much about security, all details are saved in secured location and bank will send direct messages only.

Are you a Facebook fan? Earn points by liking or commenting on Kotak Jifi fb page or by referring a friend! These points are also transferable to your friends in need, and are redeemable for online shopping.. Isn't that cool?

Signup Benefits: You will receive platinum subscription free for one year, can earn reward points for every online transaction above Rs.500 and 250 transaction points for each successful referral. 
Platinum subscription will enable you to use 'Kotak Money Watch' app, which will allow you to track your expenses at ease. 

Last, but not the least. Own a platinum chip based debit card on creating a new account. 

Want to know more about Kotak Jifi? Here is the link to their Facebook page. Hope you like this new social banking experience #JifilsHere :)

Until next time,

This post is written for indiblogger contest from Kotak Jify.

Living life with Zest

Zest is living life witch excitement, anticipation and energy as per Wikipedia. What a positive word it is? Life becomes routine by eating food, going to office, working till night, eating and sleeping. Everyone needs something to relax, rejuvenate and hope for.  Many spend time on spa, shopping, adventure, travel, books, movies whereas, few just need to rest and spend time with close ones on weekends.

There is a cool contest by TATA motors to blog about 5 things/ people/ objects/ memories / situations that add zest to our lives.. Here goes my list of 5 :-)

Travel : First and foremost thing is travel. Exploring the nature, trekking, bird watching, enjoying waterfalls, misty mountains, rainy forests, going on nature treks, forming castles on beaches, playing hide and seek with water on beaches, watching early sunrises and sunsets.. there are many more experiences that travel gives you. Just a pollution free, pure nature heals everything and gives you a positive energy. Don't you think so?

Family time: We all work hard to earn money only for the benefit of our family, to make our family members happy, to make our lives more comfortable. So, spending time with them gives more energy than any other thing. A lovely outing with family, a candle light dinner, a small party/ get together with close ones, watching a comedy movie with family and friends having popcorn and cracking jokes, playing carroms, cooking and eating together.... there are many in the list :)

pic courtesy: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/452471093784879059/

Work: Don't misunderstand me! iam not talking about office work. Any work that interests you.. i love software testing, i enjoy my office work too.. this field is interesting, as you wont use bookish knowledge to find issues and you feel more than satisfied when you try new ways to find critical defects. I also love writing. It gives me energy. It makes my heart light penning down my thoughts. It is one creative way to vent out frustration :p I believe that an idle brain is devil's workshop. Yes, it will be difficult to work all times, but no work also makes me depressed. Our brain is designed to think and we cannot keep it idle for long time. What say?

https://www.flickr.com/photos/lorn/8296347092

Creative side of you! Check the creative side of you. Many people think, they don't know any art/ they cannot learn any/ they don't know what will make them happy. Music and Dance are best stress busters and give you instant energy. There is a proverb, Dance like no one is watching. Try it. Preparing crafts with something useless, cooking a tasty meal, trying out a new snack item, preparing greeting cards, writing poetry, listening to music, taking up a new hobby like stamp collection, reading comics, books.. what not.. Every individual is unique and each one may have some specific interest.

jscreationzs / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Aroma therapy/ Spa: Few people are very concerned on the perfumes they select. Ofcourse, there is a reason. Some specific scent  might give you peace or some specific smell may irritate you. I love spas not only because of massage, but also because of the smell of creams they use. Try lighting the room with only scented candles one day, of course we have to choose the aroma that we love. Aroma therapy or spa soothes our body and relaxes it. You will be surprised of the positive vibes it creates around you.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/naomi_king/

What are the situations/ objects/ things that make your life exciting? Please do share in comments. Would love to know :)

Until next time,

This post is a part of the #ZestUpYourLife activity in association with TATA Zest and BlogAdda.com
pic courtesy: All images except one (which is by mine) are under Flickr creative common license

Black is beautiful!

Many of us love black. 
Few people say, black makes anyone look more beautiful. 
Are you in that category?
A few also relate black with secret and mystery.  
Psychologists say, people who love black are introverts. 
Whatever explanation any one gives, this color is special for the most.
Even, i love black, but from childhood, we are suggested by elders not to buy a black dress on birthdays or festivals or any important occasions as they consider it as a bad omen. So, restricted my black favoritism only for things other than apparel till now.

Here is my wish list of black things for a contest from blogadda.com.

Black Wallet:
I own one, surely this looks cool. What do you say?
I like Calvin Clain and Hidesign wallets, they will have some interesting design to make them cool. Iam not used to change my wallet often, so will prefer something which is sustainable for long time even if it is expensive.

Black iphone:
Until recently when iphone 5C was announced, we used to have only black and white iphones. Mostly, people prefer black iphone for decent look. Do you like it?
















Black dress:
A curvy black dress for partyware.. wouldn't be nice for a special occasion? (If you are curvey enough though :p). I agree, it doesn't suit for many. How about an embellished black gown or a beautiful black maxi? Surely, increases our style quotient. Isn't it?


Black kajal to the eyes:
Won't it make our eyes look beautiful? I love the impact kajal and mascara gives to women's eyes. Kajal makes look eyes sharp and large. 


















Black shoes:
Last, but not the least. Black shoes which match most of the dresses and look special. I have simple black ballerina shoes for official ware. 

So, there goes my simple wishlist in black. 

Until next time,

Image courtesy:
Under creative common license Flickr photos:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/idhren/5584522755
https://www.flickr.com/photos/ivyfield/4736264846/in/photostream/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/rococo1727/6265902940
https://www.flickr.com/photos/pumpkincat210/3336793227
https://www.flickr.com/photos/14501039@N08/2104596624

This contest is a part of #WhatTheBlack activity at BlogAdda.com

Plan for a dream trip through skyscanner - Malaysia

As you all know, i love travelling to the core. Planning before travelling is very difficult task, that too if you are going for a trip with a toddler. Cheap and comfortable flight, hotel, local tour operator, selection of tourist places which are safe for kiddoo, getting to know about good food joints, which are healthy and not so expensive etc., there are many to the list.. It's kind of tedious task. 

What if there is someone who can help in planning? Atleast, help you to compare and book inexpensive flights and comfortable accommodation with no extra fees? That's when i found this site - skyscanner.com. As you know from my old post that i have already planned my dream trip to Malaysia here, this is the next step to make it realize!

Step 1:
Navigate to www.skyscanner.co.in. Search for the flights from India to Malaysia by selecting dates and airport.

Step 2:

Compare prices from different sites and choose.

Step 3:

Click on 'Hotels' tab, which will automatically show accommodation options with deals which suit our search criteria. Don't forget to check ratings before choosing one! There is a 'Map' option so that you can choose a hotel nearer to the maximum tourist places.

Step 4:

As you already have decided upon the places to visit(list of places in my wishlist), it's time to plan for a car hire. This will help you to compare car hire prices from different sites. Next tab 'Buses' will allow us to plan transport between different places in Malaysia.

Isn't it helpful? So, next time, be sure to remember this site while planning for an international trip :)

Until next time,

This post is a part of Skyscanner travel wizard activity at BlogAdda.com