Posts written by kunthra

Eastern Indian Treats

Posted by kunthra No Comments
Aug 27 2011

There are so many tasty treats that originate from eastern India. Ras Malai is one of those desserts that are popular in eastern India. Ras Malai is a dessert that contains cheese balls soaked in a sugary milk based soup. The cheese used is called paneer and the liquid in which it is soaked is made of a milky substance that is flavored with cardamom.

Malapua is also another eastern Indian dessert that has flour, water, sugar, shredded coconut or bananas mixed in a batter that is then fried. After they are fried they are dipped in a sugary syrup. Malapua kind of look like mini pancakes, but depending on the recipe they can look different from each other because there are lots of different ways to make Malapua. For example, some people add yogurt to the batter.

Sandesh is similar to ras malai, but instead of being soaked in a milky liquid, it is a dry version of ras malai. The ingredients in Sandesh include milk, paneer, sugar, water, green cardamom seeds and thinly sliced pistachios. If you can’t find paneer in your local grocery store, you can substitute paneer with some cottage cheese.

Mihidana is a besan based treat. Besan is a type of gram flour, and along with some sugar and ghee it is used to make Mihidana. Basically Mihidana is made from besan dough that have been made into rolled balls and fried until they turn yellow. Then the balls are dipped in sugar syrup and garnished with nuts or raisins.

Indian Amusement Parks

Posted by kunthra No Comments
Aug 18 2011

One of the happiest and family friendliest places to visit is the amusement parks that can be found all over India. If I had to choose, I’d say that the Appu Ghar is probably one of the more busier amusement parks in India. The Appu Ghar is located in New Delhi. The Appu Ghar is even open in the winter where people can go sledding, skiing, ice boating, ice fishing, ice-skating, or just plain play in the snow.

Another popular amusement park is Essel World. Essel World is an amusement park located in Mumbai. There is a children’s carousel, bull riding for children, elephant safari, rock climbing and so many other rides and activities. The slogan for this amusement park is ‘It’s Your World’ and the 34 major rides really turn this slogan into a reality. If you go at special times during the year, like New Years, you’ll also see a spectacular fireworks display and even a small parade.

Dash N Splash is an amusement park that specializes in water rides. The Dash N Splash is in Chennai, in the state of Tamil Nadu. The motto of Dash N Splash is ‘Refresh Yourself’, which is fully possible with the shade of the coconut trees, the water slides, the spiral water slides, and the water slide drop and many other rides. This amusement park has rides for both children and adults, so the whole family can go!

Nicco Park is an amusement park in Kolkata. Nico Park is popular for its wooden roller coaster, saucer cup rides, toy train rides, cable car, cave ride and water chute. In the future, as more people with disposable income increases, there will be more sophisticated rides and more amusement parks. India is a fun place to stay and enjoy yourself, you just need to know where to go!

Indian Gardens

Posted by kunthra 1 Comment
Aug 16 2011

If you’re a garden enthusiast, you’ll love some of the Mughal Gardens in India. The Pinjore Gardens is an example of a garden built in the Mughal style of gardening. The Pinjore Gardens are located in Pinjore, which is a city in the state of Haryana. The irony to these Gardens is that the Emperor for whom the Pinjore Gardens were built, was not able to enjoy the gardens because there was a goiter epidemic in Pinjore. He soon had to move and the Pinjore Gardens were abandoned soon after.

The Nishat Gardens is a rectangular shaped garden located near Dal Lake in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmire. The word ‘Nishat’ means ‘pleasure’ so the Gardens were meant to be a garden of pleasure. Nishat Gardens has twelve terraces that represent the twelve signs of the zodiac. The terraces of the Nishat Garden are watered by a central canal that serves as an irrigation system to bring water to the Garden.

The Ram Gardens has the reputation of being the oldest surviving Mughal Garden in India. The Ram Gardens had water propelled to several terraces. The cascading water and water fountains served to cool the visitors to the Ram Gardens in the hot summer sun. Hence the word ‘Ram’ means ‘rest’, which means that the Ram Gardens were meant to be a garden of rest and relaxation. The famous Empress Nur Jahan is responsible for the design of the Ram Gardens. I’d say she did a pretty good job!

The Shalimar Gardens was given by Emperor Jahangir to his wife Nur Jahan. The word ‘Shalimar’ means ‘Hall of Love’ and was dedicated to the Emperor’s true love, Nur Jahan. The Shalimar Gardens was the summer residence of Emperor Jahangir and his wife. In the years after Emperor Jahangir, it continued to be a favorite retreat area for later Emperors and their families. The Shalimar Gardens are known for the Chinar trees that line the area. In the fall, when the leaves change color, they bring color to the Garden.

Tombs in India

Posted by kunthra No Comments
Aug 14 2011

Some of the most beautiful monuments in India are the tombs of former rulers and wealthy men. You can read a previous post about it here: http://www.transparent.com/hindi/famous-mausoleums-of-india/. In order to create a lasting legacy of their existence on earth, some of these men built grand tombs to remind the world of their accomplishments.

In addition to the tombs mentioned in the link, there are additional tombs that are perhaps less famous, but definitely not inferior than the ones mentioned in the link. The Tomb of Adham Khan is one such example and is located in New Delhi. Adham Khan was a general who killed one of Akbar’s Prime Minister. In anger, Akbar threw him off of Fort Agra and Adham Khan died. You can still visit some of the passageways of the Tomb, but they were built like a maze and visitors can get lost quite easily.

The Tomb of Safdarjung is located in New Delhi. Safdarjung was a Prime Minister of the Mughal Emperor Muhammad Shah. Safdarjung was an exceptional Prime Minister and the Tomb is no less exceptional because it is a garden tomb with water canals that lead to the Tomb. In addition there is an elaborately decorated gateway with towers and a central dome. It’s too bad that the building is a tomb, because it’s exquisite enough to be luxury hotel or a residential palace.

The Tomb of Itmadud Daula is located in the city of Agra. The Tomb of Itmadud Daula is sometimes called the ‘Baby Taj’. That’s because the Tomb of Itmadud Daula was the predecessor of the Taj Mahal. I guess you can say that the builders of the Taj Mahal were partially inspired by the Tomb of Itmadud Daula. The earlier phase of the Tomb of Itmadud Daula is partially covered in red sandstone and the later phase is partially inlaid with marble.

The Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti was the tomb of a saint by the name of Salim Chishti. Akbar the Great commissioned this Tomb out of respect for this Salim Chishti. The Tomb of Sheikh Salim Chishti is upheld as the finest example of Mughal architecture. The main reason why is because the entrance of the tomb is made with white marble with intricately designed windows of arabesque patterns and a semi circular dome.

Indian Science and Tech Parks

Posted by kunthra 2 Comments
Aug 12 2011

India has the best tech and science parks you’ll ever see in your lifetime. One of the oldest science and tech park is the software park in Chennai called Olympia Tech Park. Chennai is famous for having the best tech and science parks, and the Olympia Tech Park is one of them. The most famous area in Olympia Tech Park is the Inner Ring Road. The Inner Ring Road contains a mass transit area that allows various modes of transportation.

Another famous tech and science park is TIDEL Park in Chennai. It’s one of the largest science and industrial parks in India. The TIDEL Park boasts many of the top software, telecommunications, computer, electronic data and financial systems data companies in the area. TIDEL Park also has its own power supply, which allows it to be well connected through satellite and other communication modes.

Technopark is not located in Chennai, but it has the reputation of being one of the earlier IT parks in India. Technopark is located in Kerala and hosts many software, electronic connectivity, and IT institutions and campuses for education. Other buildings include a Technopark mall, gym, guesthouse and restaurant. Some of the buildings were named after Indian rivers, so even if Technopark is global in nature, there is still that native Indian touch to the area.

HITEC City is a science and technology park in Hyderabad. It is a global IT hub with ties to Silicon Valley. You can find all segments of the IT industry in HITEC City. Companies like Dell, Microsoft, GE and others have links to HITEC City. Each year more and more companies are vying to set their business ventures in HITEC City. It’s parks like this that shows how India is making its mark on the world and will continue to do so in the future!

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