Dairy Story, India Edition

A dairy in India, covered as a feature story in the New York Times?  This catches our attention because our conservation initiative, Amboli Reserve (more about this 2,000 acre project soon), is in the same state and likely within driving distance for our guests to visit:

…On a 26-acre farm a couple hours’ drive inland from Mumbai, hundreds of black-and-white Holstein-Friesian cows laze around, dining on seasonal greens and listening to a custom playlist of rap, pop, classical and even devotional music. They are treated to a routine medical checkup before heading to a ‘rotary milking parlor,’ where their udders are gently squeezed, until the cows step away, at will… Continue reading

Pahalgam – Kashmir

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Pahalgam is a famous Indian tourist destination situated at the state of Kashmir. The Lidder River runs through a beautiful, undulating meadow called Baisaram surrounded by thickly wooded pine forest. Continue reading

Flavours Of India – Poori

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Poori is a deep fried flat bread made of wheat flour. A dough is prepared  by mixing fine maida flour with water and a spoonful of ghee, which is then divided into small balls. These balls are flattened using a rolling  pin and individually deep fried in cooking oil. Continue reading

Ekambareswar Temple – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Located in Kanchipuram in the state of Tamil Nadu, Ekambareswar Temple is one of  the famous Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. This vast temple, covering an area over 40 acres, is one of the most ancient in India having been in existence since at least 600AD.

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Tibetan Golden Temple – Karnataka

Photo credits : Jithin Vijay

Photo credits: Jithin Vijay

The Tibetan Golden Temple is situated in Kushalnagar Mysore, in the state of Karnataka. It is the second largest Tibetan settlement outside of Tibet and China. The Golden Temple is the main attraction in Kushalnagar; its walls are adorned with colourful paintings depicting gods and demons from Buddhist mythology. Continue reading

Kodai Lake – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Kodaikanal is the one of Tamil Nadu’s famous hill stations. With an altitude of about 2200 meters above sea level and coversing an area of 2150 sq km, it is the most popular tourist destination in South India due to it’s lush, green surroundings and beautiful lake with boating and angling facilities. Continue reading

Kamakshi Amman Temple – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Kamakshi Amman Temple is the one of the three important temples to the Goddess Parvathi (Lord Shiva’s wife) in India. The temple complex covers an area of four acres, and is constructed in the Pallava style. Continue reading

Auto Rickshaw

Photo credits : Harish

Photo credits: Harish

Auto rickshaws are common all over India and provide cheap and efficient transportation. Also known as three wheeler vehicles, ricks and tuk-tuks, they are a convenient mode of transport for very short distance travel. It is economically viable and a means of livelihood for thousands of people all over Kerala. Continue reading

Varadharaja Perumal Temple – Tamil Nadu

Photo credits : Renuka Menon

Photo credits: Renuka Menon

Varadharaja Perumal temple is situated in Kanchipuram, Tamil Nadu. This temple was originally built by the Cholas, one of India’s great dynasties, in 1053. The main deity of the temple is Lord Vishnu. One of the most famous architectural pieces in the temple is the huge stone chain sculpted from a single stone. Continue reading

Discovering Frogs In South India

One of the 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs discovered by a team headed by University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju in the jungle mountains of southern India Photograph: Satyabhama Das Biju/AP

One of the 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs discovered by a team headed by University of Delhi professor Sathyabhama Das Biju in the jungle mountains of southern India Photograph: Satyabhama Das Biju/AP

Thanks to the Guardian for their coverage of environmental news stories, and considering the role frogs play as an indicator of ecosystem well-being, this counts as a big one:

Scientists have discovered 14 new species of so-called dancing frogs in the jungle mountains of southern India. Indian biologists say they found the tiny acrobatic amphibians, which earned their name with the unusual kicks they use to attract mates, declining dramatically in number during the 12 years in which they chronicled the species through morphological descriptions and molecular DNA markers. They breed after the yearly monsoon in fast-rushing streams, but their habitat appears to be becoming increasingly dry. Continue reading

Velankanni Basilica – Tamil Nadu

Photo credit : Shymon

Photo credit: Shymon

The Velankanni Basilica is a Roman Catholic house of worship in the Nagapattanan district of Tamil Nadu, on the Bay Of Bengal. It is one of the famous pilgrim centers in South India. The Basilica commemorates Mother Mary, who is said to have appeared as a vision to people in the area. The building is also known as Our Lady of Good Health.

Jack Fruit, Again

Jackfruits grow on the branches and trunks of tall trees. You don't wait to harvest until they drop of their own accord — by that time, they'd be overripe. iStockphoto

Jackfruits grow on the branches and trunks of tall trees. You don’t wait to harvest until they drop of their own accord — by that time, they’d be overripe. iStockphoto

We recently started noticing interest in our hometown fruit, and here is some more courtesy of the Salt program on National Public Radio (USA):

It’s not every fruit that gets its own international symposium.

Then again, the jackfruit is not your typical fruit. It’s got a distinctive, musky smell, and a flavor that some describe as like Juicy Fruit gum.

It is the largest tree fruit in the world, capable of reaching 100 pounds. And it grows on the branches — and the trunks — of trees that can reach 30, 40, 50 feet. (Trunk-growing is a good thing because it reduces the odds of a jackfruit bopping you on the head.) Continue reading

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens – Bangalore, Karnataka

Photo Credits : Dileep Kumar

Photo Credits: Dileep Kumar

Lalbagh Botanical Gardens is situated in the heart of Bangalore, the capital city of Karnataka State. Hyder Ali, the sultan of the Kingdom of Mysore commissioned the gardens 1760, but his famous son, Tipu Sulthan, saw to its completion, importing rare and exotic trees and plants from places as far flung as Afghanistan and France. Continue reading

Sakleshapur – Karnataka

Photo credits :Dileep Kumar

Photo credits: Dileep Kumar

Sakleshapur is a hill station town in the Hassan district of Karnataka state nestled 3600 feet above sea level in the foot hills of Western Ghats. The area is known for its tall mountains, vast tracts of greenary enveloped in mist, endless expanses of coffee estates and picturesque sheep and cattle enjoying the grass in the warm sunlight. Continue reading

Elephant Pageantry – Gajamela

Photo credits : Ramesh Kidangoor

Photo credits: Ramesh Kidangoor

A Gajamela is a procession of caparisoned elephants–a feast for the eyes of Indian elephant lovers. In Kerala this means a spectacular show of the beautifully adorned creatures. They are so well-loved that the Gajamelas have became the most popular and most eye-catching events of Kerala. The elephant Pambadi Rajan won the 2014 elephant awards (Ittithanam Gajarajapattam)Pambadi Rajan is the one of the tallest elephant in Kerala.

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If You Happen To Be In New York City

Screen Shot 2014-04-26 at 9.36.32 AMClick the image at left to learn more about two performances which, if you happen to be in New York City or close by this weekend, you might enjoy if you are a danceophile, Indophile, or both. Thanks to New York University for hosting a sample of our home country culture:

Following unforgettable performances by Shantala Shivalingappa and Rama Vaidyanathan in 2011, and Nrityagram Surupa Sen & Bijayini Satpathy in 2013, Dancing the Gods weekend festival highlighting classical Indian dance returns in 2014 with more striking artists.

“…both briskly exciting and exacting, [Dandekar’s turns are] a wonder…” THE NEW YORK TIMES

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Taste Of Xandari At 51

10155003_752610181446587_5118148078119598173_nRecently we passed a quarter million views on this site. We have no clue whether that is wow-alot or woeful-low; what metrics indicate how well we address the interests of both contributors and readers other than by comparing the performance of individual posts versus other posts? Carbon Emissions Series: Vacationers’ Diets, approaching 10,000 views and our most popular post, tells us alot about what our readers care about.

In short, they seem to love reading about good food that is also good for the environment and is healthy. This tells us why readers have also responded well to our posts about Xandari. To get a sense of the love, you can read a bit; to feel it, there is no choice. You must visit the resort. In case that is not in the cards in the near future, how about a taste?

Screen Shot 2014-04-23 at 4.07.00 PMIn Kerala, visit the Mattanchery neighborhood of Fort Cochin and stop in at 51 to sample one of the best-loved salads at Xandari. Since both Kerala and Costa Rica are situated within the tenth parallel north, chefs in both locations have many of the same farm-fresh ingredients to work with.

Humayun’s Tomb – Delhi

Photo credit : P Salim

Photo credit: P Salim

Humayun’s Tomb was built over a 7 year period starting in 1565 AD by Haji Begum, the widow of Humayun, the 2nd Mugal Emperor. Located in the Indian state of Delhi, the Tomb was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1993 and was beautifully restored by Aga Kahn Trust for Culture in collaboration with the Archeological Survey of India. Continue reading

Halebidu – Hassan, Karnataka

Photo credits : Dileep Kumar

Photo credits: Dileep Kumar

Located in the Hassan district of Karnataka, Halebidu (which literally means “old city”) is an important Hoysala architectural site being proposed for UNESCO World Heritage status. Once the capital of the Hoysala Empire, the Halebidu temples are excellent examples of South Indian architecture. Continue reading

Aguada Fort – Sinquerim Beach, Goa

Photo credits : Dileep

Photo credits: Dileep

Named for the Portuguese word meaning “watering place”, Aguada Fort is one of the largest and best preserved forts in the state of Goa. Portuguese rulers built the fort between 1609 and 1612 for providing a fresh water supply to their passing ships. Continue reading