When you have made soft fluffy homemade Ladi-pav, it’s compulsory to make vada pav or pav bhaji!
So here is authentic Mumbai special Vada pav recipe by my cousin Jitesh Jain.
Time
Preparation time – 30min
Cooking time – 30
Ingredients
This measurement will give you around 8-9 medium size vada.
1/2 kg Potato
3-4 Green chilli (grind instead of paste)
1-2 pcs Whole garlic (peeled & Grind instead of paste)
8-10 Curry leaves
Turmeric powder, salt as per taste, coriander powder(1/4tsp), black mustard seeds, coriander Leaves
1/2 tsp Udad dal
Besan (Gram Flour) 300gms
Water for making paste
Oil for frying
Procedure
Boil potato and mash it with hands (shouldn’t be completely mash) keep it aside and let it cool
Grind green chilli and garlic together don’t make paste it should be coarsely
Take frying pan and keep on medium flame, put 2 tbsp oil to fry the ingredients
Put mustard seeds, fry it till it turns splutter, put curry leaves and fry for 3-5 seconds. Put chilli and garlic and fry for 10-15 seconds
Put coriander powder, turmeric powder and salt fry for 5-10 seconds and then turn off the gas.
Remove the pan from gas. Now mix the masala with mashed potatoes. Taste a little to confirm the spice and salt
Then mix chopped coriander leaves.and keep it aside
Besan Paste-take a bowl, pour besan into it and add water and salt to it to make a paste as given in video
Now apply some oil in your palm (by applying oil Masala will not stick into your hands) to make patty as shown in image below
Keep Frying Pan on gas and light the gas on high flame. Pour sufficient oil to fry the Vada
After a few minutes pour 1-2 drops of besan to ensure that oil is sufficiently hot to fry the vada. Now take patty and apply the paste and drop into the frying pan
Use frying spoon once the vada comes on top of the pan, turn it so that both sides can fry properly once the vada’s colour turns golden brown
Remove from the pan. Follow the same with all the patties
Enjoy hot and Yummy Homemade Vada pav. Do share your feedback and pictures when make it by adding hastag #forbabynmommy.
After all the thrill to catch the train experiencing Paris evening traffic and finally finding that it is cancelled, we reached Florence. Do ready my previous blog about the journey here.
View from train
This blog is about a day in Florence, don’t be shocked I know its way… way… to less and a day in Vatican which is a country.
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After reaching the Florence station which is called as
‘Firenze Santa Maria Novella’ we tried to figure out how to reach our guest
house ‘Affittacamere
Benedetta’. It was Just 1 Km walking and 10 min via Tram,
there is stop just outside the main station and the stop to get down is next
one named ‘Porta Al Prato’ and from there it is around 300 mts.
We got little confused due to Google Maps directions and took us some time and few calls to reach there but we finally managed to reach.
It’s a small guest house which I think has around 4 rooms and our room was the last one and was quite specious or say huge as per normal room standards we have seen in India. It has all the basic facilities and as the owner did not provide any b/f he has arranged some ready to eat stuff which was complimentary ? and such a nice gesture.
Even though room was big but there was only one source of natural light and that was also covered with heavy grill and room was very dimly lit. Over all only drawback in this room was the bathroom and light, light I have already mentioned and bathroom was way too small. Just to compare we use to have bigger bathroom in our flat in Mumbai.
As we travelled for more than 10 hrs. (Bus + Train), so we decided to take some rest and then go out to explore. As this place is in the city so it is near to all the tourist places and market. He suggested one place to eat and that was good and not too costly was not a tourist trap.
Our luck was not that great as first we missed to book the ticket for the Dome which is top of Cathedral of Santa Maria Del Fiore. It has specific timing and slots as it’s a small space on the top and as per the pics the view is Amazing. Other thing that happened that day was rain.
As soon as we reach the main area of the Cathedral it started raining and we didn’t have any umbrella or rain coat, so after taking shelter in front of some shop for some time we finally return to our guest house and it continued to rain for rest of the day.
So, in all we stayed in our room and didn’t see much in Florence ☹ but what ever we saw was beautiful and we need to go again to explore more.
Next morning, we had a train to catch to reach Rome. Rome was 2-day trip and my brother in law and his family also joined us there. This was the first time we had planned something together and it was fun with all the kids.
They were supposed to come by evening, and we reached in the morning. Here we have booked an Airbnb. It was a 1 BHK flat with 2 beds, sofa, kitchen with utensils a washing machine etc. It was a good place with few drawbacks. This place was little far from the center, but tram/bus station was near by.
After taking the keys of the flat and fresh up we stepped
out to go to Vatican via Bus. In Paris and here as well there is one good thing
about the bus is there is space to park your stroller.
It was amazing seeing live what we have seen only in TV. Once again, we missed the opportunity to book the fast access tickets and on the spot were way to high to visit the museum and basilica ☹. For Basilica there was a huge line to enter and with my little one it was quite difficult to stand in one place for that long.
So, guys do book your tickets early and be there on time as everything work as per slots.
There were so many people that I was afraid to handle her alone otherwise we could have thought of standing one by one. So finally, we just clicked pics from outside and had some snacks at one of the local stalls then went back as my brother in law was about to reach the flat and we only had 1 key.
Rest of the day we spent with family chitchatting and relaxing as we were meeting after a long time.
Stay tuned for last 3 days of our trip, in which we covered Rome, Venice & Amsterdam.
I am taking my blog to the next level with Blogchatter’s #MyFriendAlexa. You can read my other articles for this #MyFriendAlexa campaign here #forbabynmommyblogs.
From a long time I was planning to replace all my non-stick cookware and aluminum cookware with good quality steel pots and pans. As we all know healthy eating is important and so is healthy cooking. Most of the non-stick pans are coated with polytetrafluoroethylene, also known as Teflon. With the use of any metal spoon and over a time period this layer flake off and at times if you cook in that it mix with your food too.
With regular use the non stick pans loose it’s non stickiness, plus there are a lot of rumors out there that Teflon might be toxic and that these pans may not be safe to use.
Then the question that came to my mind was how to choose the best steel cookware from the available options. Some are really costly and some cheaper.
So while I was searching and reading more about it, I sum up with few points for u guys.
Heat Conductivity Materials
This is a really important point to consider as you want a good quality cookware. You need to check the base elements of your pan like only steel can’t conduct heat well so the base of the pan are made to copper or aluminum or both with steel on the top. Copper helps in better temperature control and aluminum helps in retaining the heat for a long time. So you can choose as per your requirement.
Nickel ratio – there will be some numbers on cookware when you see the description like 18/0 , 18/10 18/8. It represents the ratio or nickel and chromium in the pan. Nickel content give your pan great shine and durability so it’s always better to choose high nickel ratio. Like here 18 is chromium and 0,10,8 is nickel.
Handles and Lid-
Choosing the cookware with good quality handles and lid is equally important. Handles should be sturdy and should not get heated up fast. The lid should be proper with good covering and holding handles, as we need to open lid many times during cooking.
Pan weight
Pan weight is also to be considered as too heavy base pans are not easy to hold and move. And when you are cooking it becomes more heavier, so choose wisely.
Heavy are good though but usually not used in houseold cooking, they are more of a large scale cooking or for more professional cooks.
Pan size
Selecting the cookware size is also important and will affect the price too. You can select as per your family size and quantity that you normally cook. I always prefer small to medium as at times you need to cook for some guests too, so small pans are not useful at that time and you can’t buy a big one together.
Prevailing offers
It’s always better to buy your costly cookware when some offers are running. Like you can buy in festival sale or you can buy them in sets of pots and pans. Buying solo is not a good idea as there might be no good discount on solo cookware. Well there is always some offer running on sets.
Budget
Now here comes the most important one to consider before buying. Check your budget and requirement and then plan accordingly, you can get a medium range good brand cookware. Buying local is not a good idea as it comes with risk either it will work well or not.
I hope these points would be really helpful for selecting the best steel cookware for you. Will be sharing my review for the steel cookware I bought after my search.
Stay tuned for next blog, coming soon.
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I started giving ragi porridge to my daughter after she started solids, she really liked her ragi porridge. Things to make sure before starting ragi porridge when you are making it at home is ragi should be properly sprouted and you can keep changing the consistency of porridge as per age.
Homemade ragi flour is best for babies.
Ragi powder is really good for babies and is full of nutritional benefits. It is rich in iron and calcium and one of the richest source of protein. It helps in weight gaining for babies and easy digestion. Ragi is quite fulfilling meal for a baby.
So how to prepare sprouted ragi flour at home?
Ingredients
Ragi/ Finger Millet (1 kg or as you require), if you have Organic one then it’s even better.
Process
Take ragi in a big bowl and pour sufficient amount of water to wash it properly.
Strain the water to remove impurities that comes up.
Repeat the process 3 to 4 times until you get clear water .(remember this step is really important as ragi comes with a lot of impurities)
Now add some more clear water and soak it for 6 to 7 hours or overnight.
Sprouting ragi- Now strain the water and keep Ragi in a Muslin cloth or steel bowl with little opening to allow air flow.
You have to keep it overnight for Proper sprouting.
I use to keep in bowl and keep turning upside down after a few hours to avoid smell.
Now you can check your ragi would be fully sprouted.
Ragi
Impurities floats up
After 3_4 Wash
Strian and soak again
Soaked ragi ready for sprouting
Sprouted ragi
Making ragi flour
Now you have to keep sprouted ragi in sunlight for 2-3 days to dry it out. This is to prevent it from spoiling due to any kind of moisture
Then dry roast the sunlight dried ragi on slow flame in a pan, this will dry it out even more and make it crispy and easy to grind
Cool it and grind into fine flour
Ragi flour
Your ragi flour is ready and now you can use it in any form like make porridge, or mix it with wheat flour and chapati or cookies. Do try and share with hashtags #forbabnmommyblogs
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How to manage money when you have a new member in family
Welcome new member of family
As you become parents and start a new life with your little one, you start learning many things.
One of it is money management as little bundle of joy comes with a lot of expenses. Starting from their daily needs to new wardrobe and all the needed items for taking care of the little one plus mother’s health.
It all starts the day you get pregnant from doctors visit and daily appointments to your delivery with a little one in your hand and beyond. You need to plan a lot to take care of not spending too much on extra expenses.
Let’s talk about how we can take care of not spending too much.
Choosing the right doctor and hospital
As new parents you try to search for the best doctor and facility for your pregnancy. Most of the high end hospitals comes with high packages, so you need to search and talk to your relatives and friends for suggestions. And choose the best doctor with good experience and needed facilities for delivery. Just make sure the hospital is clean and tidy with all needed facilities for your and your baby.
Choosing a right Health Insurance
As you know now a days medical cost is getting costlier every year. So one should decide early about there mediclame i.e. health insurance which covers maternity expense. Usually one would not get maternity benefit immediately after taking the policy as there is waiting period of 2 to 4 years depending on the provider.
This will save you a fortune on your delivery bill.
Vaccination
Doctor would recommend you take all vaccination for your baby. You can choose the required one only. Also they might suggest to take pain less one which cost higher, but their is not much difference with normal one. Your kid will cry for some time and then will forget about it and will be normal. Just try not to touch that place for a day or so.
Also if you are not going abroad then you can double check the brand and price as this also tends to increase the vaccination cost.
Cloth diapers
Switch to cloth diapers is the best way to save money and environment. You can buy diapers in lot or when they are at a discount. It would last long for three years and can be reused or sold again after your baby is diaper free. One diper can fit different size, so as your baby grows you don’t need to buy a new one, just adjust the same and you are good to go.
New baby clothes
My princess
We often do this mistake of buying a full wardrobe for your newborn in excitement. But the fact is most of the time we kept them covered in a blanket or rompers. And all the relatives and friends gift clothes too. So buying few sets and getting some preloved from cousins is also good. As the preloved clothes are best for newborn as the fabric is really soft with regular use. This way you can save a lot.
New baby shoes.
Now this one is really important, we can skip buying shoes for new baby until they are able to walk or stand on their own. Most of the time babies are wearing rompers so they don’t require shoes. When they learn to stand then only you would need proper shoes as before that most of the time they are in your lap, bedding or stroller.
Baby gear
Hi
Being a new parent we tend to buy many things like rocker, walker, stroller and most of the time it’s used rarely so think twice about what you really need for the baby. If you are living in a place where you can rarely use strollers, baby carrier is a better option and you can always check some pre-loved options as these items are not used at times and people give it in lesser price as pre-loved.
Initially we have also used a pre loved stroller to make sure she sits in it and get use to it. Then only we bought a new one and that too which can be used for longer period.
Pre-loved options
This is one really easy way to cut of your high expenses. Most of the baby items are rarely used and parents give you in less price. So when your are planning to buy costly items for baby, don’t forget to check pre-loved groups for better deals.
These Small small saving can helps you save a lot and keep your budget stable.
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This blog is about our journey when we left Bangalore and shifted to Mumbai…. again ?
We had given lot of thought for choosing the best way to travel with our little one, considering the cost and time. After considering all the options like transporting the car through packers and then coming via flight or train or bus, I had good experience via bus from Bangalore to Mumbai, I have jotted it do read it here.
We finalized traveling around 1000 Km via road. This was due to 2 main reason first being safety of our vehicle as we have heard few bad instances with car transporting through packers. Second I love driving and finally cost as there was not much overall difference in transporting it or driving it.
Route – it’s a straight road means NH 48 via Tumkur – Hubli – Belgaum – Kolhapur – Satara – Pune and then Mumbai.
After doing a lot of research, going through lot of travel logs of different people (on TeamBHP) we came to know that it is good to leave Bangalore as early as possible so that we can get ahead of all the heavy traffic and cover more distance. So, we decided to leave around 5 AM or before that.
As we are traveling with kid and we has never driven this long in a single day, so we decided to make it a break journey. We finalized Belgaum for our stay as we got a 5* property at a very good price and Belgaum is mid-way for this journey.
Our first stop was Shree Ratnam at Nelamangala at around 7 AM. It was around 1 hr 30 min drive from Bangalore, here had our b/f and it was cheap and good. Washrooms were also clean. Then we continued with our journey. We didn’t take many stops as our thought was to reach the hotel as early as possible and then rest as we didn’t have good sleep the night before due to packing.
The cult
In total we stopped 3 time till we reach Belgaum, our second stop was at some CCD and then finally we stopped for Lunch before Belgaum. For lunch we stopped at this place named Hotel The Cult
After traveling for around 500 Km and eating at all those different places we reached our hotel UK 27 The Fern. It’s a 5-star property and the check in was easy and completed timely. The room was quite big with all the facilities. We didn’t try the food here instead went to a place nearby, but yes, they have 2 restaurants right next to reception area which is quite big and nice.
The place we went was walking distance from the hotel named Wild Sugar. It’s a nice small shop with sitting inside and outside, the only drawback of outside sitting is people smoking there. The food was quite good, and we really liked the food, we had Veg pasta, tandoori momos(veg), and there most famous dish i.e. paneer stuffed kulcha.
After having a good night sleep and freshen up we started
our rest of the journey towards Mumbai – City of Dreams ?.
We started at around 6.30 AM again we want to beat all the bus and truck
traffic on the highway.
This time we stopped just once for b/f at Hotel Amar and then directly in Pune at cousin house. We reached Pune at around lunch time i.e. 12.30 to 1 PM. Our initial thought was to directly go to Mumbai but then we thought to stop at there place and enjoy some time with them, also her daughter is of same age as of our daughter, so they enjoy playing with each other.
Overall it was a nice pleasant and memorable journey, one
could complete it in a single day also in around 14-16hrs but if you have time
then it’s always better to take rest.
Roads throughout the journey was amazing, just few diversions as they are creating some bridge’s/flyovers to bypass the diversion/traffic of small towns on the highway.
Mumbai Pune Highway
One main thing to tell about the rout is that – as you get such a nice highway to be prepared to pay heavy toll charges. In all there were 16 toll booths on this route, and we paid a total of Rs 1,185 as toll, this includes the Mumbai – Pune express way toll as well.
It took around one and half tank of fuel to reach Mumbai, ours is a diesel car so it was little cheap and good on mileage. Total fuel cost was around Rs 4,000.
Total cost of trip – Hotel – 3662 Fuel – 4000 Toll tax – 1185 Food – 1550, Total would be around Rs 10,500 with some misc. amount.
But yes, we had freedom to stop anywhere, take pics, enjoy the natural scenery on the way ? We really enjoyed this road trip.
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MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future Fortunate enough to attend the event organised by one of the leader in chip manufacturing – MediaTek. After attending this event I came to know we have so many chips in our home and in daily use appliances like in TV, microwave, fridge, smart light etc. MediaTek’s … Continue reading “MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future”
MediaTek Technology Diaries – Technology Now & Future
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Fortunate enough to attend the event organised by one of the leader in chip manufacturing – MediaTek.
After attending this event I came to know we have so many chips in our home and in daily use appliances like in TV, microwave, fridge, smart light etc.
MediaTek’s Technology Diaries Series leads discussions on Cutting-Edge Technologies Impacting our Everyday Lives.
Many of you might be familiar with MediaTek, they are Taiwanese Semiconductor company who manufacture chips for many devices. Devices like smartphone, tablets, navigation systems, multimedia products etc.
This was 3rd chapter of Technology Diaries series by MediaTek, through which they want to make technology clearer & easier to understand for general public. Also to understand how technology shapes our daily life and the role and importance it has.
Wall of Fame
Third chapter in the series was led by popular radio host RJ Sriram Sullia of Fever 104 FM, along with Anku Jain, Managing Director, MediaTek India and Anuj Sidharth, Sr. Manager, Marketing and Communications, MediaTek India and Rajiv Makhni technology journalist, managing editor at NDTV and host of a show Tech Makhni on Radio Mirchi.
At present AI is one of the most heard word on TV, Social media etc. Artificial Intelligence is a program that learns and become more smart as time passes.
AI detects the user behaviour or say how one uses a particular thing and suggests applications, top news headlines, products you ‘ll be interested in buying when you open those web pages or websites/apps.
AI is quite useful in daily life like some of the music apps will creates or suggest you a playlist as per your previous song selections. Amazon will show you products as per your browsing history.
Now a days we have apps that will learn the pattern from your shopping history and will created a shopping list accordingly.
One of the most heard place about AI now a days is mobile phone and photography. New mobiles are equipped with AI scene recognition that will change the setting and will give you near to perfect click.
It also keeps learning and add new things to it self to provide more user friendly experience. For example AI enabled phone now comes with Face Id or say face unlock. Over a period as you use face unlock system learns more about your face pattern and make it more accurate.
MediaTek has its own contribution in AI with NeuroPilot. This provides MediaTek’s products with high performance and power efficient for AI features and applications.
They have there state of the AI enabled processors which are used in different devices from smartphone, smart home to wearable and connected cars.
Self Driving Cars
Most of us have heard or read about this and how its a game changer. First thing that comes to our mind after hearing self driving car is Tesla.
Experiment on self driving cars goes way back to 1920’s, yes you read it right this was the period when it started.
There are 2 things in it i.e. self driving but there is a driver behind the wheel and driver less.
Driver less is still in development and many experiments are conducted by BMW, Mercedes, Volkswagen and other major auto manufacturer.
For making all this a success major credit goes to the evolution in technology. How a small chip can process so many things in fraction of second and respond as per the situation.
MediaTek is one of the company that provide solutions for such technology. Like there NB – IoT i.e Narrow Band Internet of Thing and through turnkey hardware and software solutions.
IoT i.e Internet of Things is a network of smart devices, vehicles, smart home basically for all the appliances which contain electronic, software and connectivity which enables them to share data and information.
MediaTek NB-IoT platform enables NB-IoT devices to be installed in locations that cannot be served by competing IoT connectivity standards, powering device installations in remote or difficult to access locations.
Autus, MediaTek’s suite of automotive and automated driving solutions, uses AI, mmWave, machine learning and advanced visual processing solutions and technologies to deliver the latest in navigation and infotainment innovation.
Wearable/Fitness tracker
In today’s world everyone is busy in there life which ultimately affect our health.
To help us in this sector now we have fitness trackers and wearable devices. These devices are equipped with a chip that is able to process the body moment and provide us the result about our health like heart rate, sleep pattern etc.
These Smart Wearable also learn over the time and provide suggestions like time to do some activity if it found you ideal for a given period of time.
Smart devices
There are many smart devices that we use daily and most important is our mobile.
MediaTek Helio P70 is the latest addition to the Helio series of powerful and power-efficient chips for the mid-market segment.
Nowadays chips are getting more powerful and power efficient and same goes with P70. It has capabilities of AI, smart photo album, Face ID and most important depth of field for that Portrait effect for all the selfie lovers.
Other smart devices that many of us uses are tablets, smart television, smart home security and media devices that can turn any television which has HDMI connector to a smart TV like Amazon Fire TV or Google Chrome Cast.
Amazon Eco Dot
MediaTek powers an array of Amazon consumer products, including the Amazon Fire TV, Fire HD 8 and Fire HD 10 tablets. These are the latest in a series of Amazon devices powered by MediaTek that offer consumers rich multimedia experiences with minimal power consumption.
Sometime back I have seen a video where a Guy received his package even though there was no one at home.
When the delivery guy ring his bell on his smart home security which was connected to his smartphone. He communicated with the delivery guy through his smart home security and asked him to put the package in his parked Tesla beside the main gate.
He even open and closed the boot of his Tesla sitting remotely and could see the delivery guy keeping the package in it.
Few more benefits of technology is Alexa and Google. With the help of smart devices like Amazon Echo and Google home mini now kids can solve there queries with so much ease.
They just have to say Hey Google or Alexa Which is the tallest statue in the world and they will know the answer – Statue of Unity which is 182 meters tall located in Indian state Gujarat.
One even control other smart devices of there home with these devices.
Technology has its drawbacks as well.
All your personal information can be hacked and made public, it’s not that easy but we have instances which proves it can be done.
Applications can track all your activities like what all you visit online etc.
Applications can track your location where have you been.
All the data is shared with other companies and they make money on it.
What you type that can also be tracked and stored.
I feel people are more connected but online through apps and not personally.
One of the major drawback of technology is with our kids. Now a days kids are so use to smartphone and tablets that they are not interested in other physical activities.
Now kids are only interested in playing online games and watching videos.
No matter how safe the self driving or driver less car can be accidents do happen with those cars and we can’t rely 100% on technology.
Really I have learned so much about the chips used and current and future technology trends through this event and help me clear many doubts about technology.
With RJ Sriram Sullia and Anku Jain Managing director Media Tek
Gandikota is a hidden gem, also known as Grand Canyon of India. Gandikota is a small village on the banks of river Pennar in Andhra Pradesh. Planned 1N/2D road trip from Bangalore to Gandikota and Belum caves. Gandikota is around 292 Km and it’s NH 44 i.e. highway to Hyderabad. The roads are awesome, it’s … Continue reading “Gandikota and Belum Caves”
Gandikota is a hidden gem, also known as Grand Canyon of India. Gandikota is a small village on the banks of river Pennar in Andhra Pradesh.
Planned 1N/2D road trip from Bangalore to Gandikota and Belum caves. Gandikota is around 292 Km and it’s NH 44 i.e. highway to Hyderabad.
The roads are awesome, it’s a 4-lane highway and state highway after Kodur with quite less traffic.
There are toll on this road. The state highway is also in good condition with occasional bad patches.
Some ware on State Highway
If you love to drive fast, then you will fall in love with this highway (please don’t drive fast you will save few minutes but will be risking your and others life’s).
Beautiful view on NH 44
We started around 6.00 AM from our place, it took 1 hour to cross the airport toll from out place. There are good options for B/F few kilometers after the toll. We stopped at Indian Paratha Company.
Indian Paratha Company
Heard a lot about Indian Paratha Company from friends and were thinking to visit this place from long. Finally, we got a chance and made our first stop here.
Outside sitting @ Indian Paratha Company
It’s quite good option to have heavy B/F with large glass of tea. They have 2 sitting options few tables inside and then outside. It’s quite nice to sit outside in the morning as there is less traffic, less noise and pollution.
Yummy parathas @ Indian Paratha Company
Taste was good, they serve parathas with achar, curd & chutney. As it was early morning time, we had ginger tea which they served in a big glass. Tea was priced heavily around Rs 60, but taste was good. Toilets are not that clean and small toilets.
After having heavy B/F we stopped one more time as washroom break then directly to the hotel in Gandikota. We reached around 1 PM and after checking in directly came for lunch.
Beautiful way to Gandikota
There is only one place to stay in Gandikota and that is Haritha Hotel which is run by APTDC i.e. Andhra Pradesh Tourism. There are limited rooms available here and can only be booked through APTDC website.
Do carry print out of booking confirmation.
View of rooms @ Haritha Gandikota
Rooms are air conditioned and cost very nominal i.e. Rs 1500/night on weekdays and Rs 2000/night on weekend. Nothing is included in the price but the food here is quite cheap.
Mommy baby posing on stairs to terrace
There is no other restaurant near by as this is located right next to Gandikota Fort, which is far from nearby towns.
One of the speciality of this hotel is you can drive your car right up to your room and park it there itself.
German beauty soaked in over night rain
Nearest towns are namely Tadipatri, Gooty and Guntakal. The road after the highway to the hotel is single lane road but in good shape. You might be able to see Tatireddy Narasimha Reddy Dam at a distance and Pennar river on the right.
View of Pennar river
It’s a decent property with big room and small washroom. Room was nice decently cleaned and doesn’t smell foul. They do have TV and set top box. There is option to stay in tents, as this is a government property, they have lots of open space.
For full review of this property please check my TripAdvisor.
Food was OK here, mostly they have limited options. Taste was OK, and price was low we paid around Rs 770 for 4 meals and evening snack for 2 persons.
Somewhere on the way to Gandikota
Best thing about this hotel is the view and is located right next to fort. They do have some outdoor activities at additional cost like kayaking which is organized by some other organization. For it you have to track down to Penna river which takes around 40 min.
Road to Haritha & Gandikota Fort
After lunch, went to relax for some time. After freshen up head out to visit the main attraction – Grand Canyon of India. It is called Grand Canyon because a spectacular gorge formed by river Pennar which goes through the Erramala hills.
Mesmerising view of gorge
You can take you car inside the fort and park it near the Mosque. From there walk/climb/jump/balance to reach the point where you will be mesmerized by the beauty of the gorge and river Pennar.
Way to the gorge inside Gandikota fort
As it’s full of rocks so please do wear comfortable shoes and relaxed bottom wear.
Mosque inside fort, this is the place where we park the cars/2 wheeler
Erramala hill and Pennar river
Sunrise/Sunset view must be amazing here. We couldn’t witness the sunset as it was all cloudy that evening and we had rains in the night.
Granary behind the Mosque
After enjoying the evening at the gorge came back had some snacks with a cup of tea and then went to room to relax.
Beautiful landscape view from the top of temple wall
There is one positive point about this place is there is no or very limited cellular n/w, so you can totally enjoy the time with friends and family.
Relaxing and enjoying the view
But has one drawback Google map won’t work so download the map of this region in advance.
Mommy and baby soaking the natural beauty
After dinner we slept early, had a good night sleep and then woke up early. Went to the terrace of our room (one unique thing about this place is each room has its own terrace). The morning view was simply amazing. Click some pics and then went down to get ready to leave.
Morning view from room terrace
After B/F we checked out and head to Belum caves, it’s around 61 KM 1.30-hour drive. It’s a state highway and nice road with traffic as you have to cross towns.
Gandikota to Belum
There is ample parking space and the entry ticket costs Rs 50 -60 for Adult and Rs 30 for child.
Belum Caves Entrance
The caves are largest caves in India. We visited after the rainy season and major part of the caves was closed as it was filled with water and mud.
Area to descend to main cave
There are lights and large fans installed to keep pumping fresh air so that one won’t feel suffocated. If full cave is operational then it is advisable to take a guide.
Inside Belum Caves
Belum caves are natural caves formed by underground water. The entrance looks like we are going in a pit and only after entering that pit you will be amazed to see the hug and amazing caves.
Marks left by water
View of one of the pits from the inside
It will be humid and hot inside the caves; cloth selection should be accordingly. Walking path inside the cave is nicely laid so you can take stroller, but it will be bumpy. Our daughter was small, so we carried her in her carrier.
Mommy busy exploring the cave while baby is relaxing in her carrier
We spent around 1 hour in the caves and came back, if it was fully open then one can spend around 2-3 hours exploring the caves.
Coming back to Bangalore from Belum it was different route –
From Rapthdu you will merge on NH 44 till Bangalore. Kilometer wise it is few KM more around 10-15 KM. One can plan a trip the other way as well i.e.
Bangalore – Belum – Gandikota – Bangalore
On our way back, we took lunch at NH 7 Refuel which will come after Indian Paratha Company. You must take ‘U’ turn which is little ahead but not too far.
NH 7 Refuel
Food was Ok here it was based on Punjabi theme so major food item was non-veg and we are pure veg. so after digging in the menu we finally settled for Makki ki roti sarso ka sag and chole bhature.
Makki roti sarso ka saag
Makki ki roti and sag was good but they didn’t serve any gud (jaggery). Chole bhature taste wise were nice but bhatura was too oily. Service was kind of slow and less staff.
It is a huge place with 2 sitting option out of which one is inside in the main hall and other is upstairs in open with a view of highway and landscape.
Sitting space
Over all it was amazing experience exploring the huge natural caves for the first time and the view of Gandikota and Panna river.
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Note - All the pictures are from our trip taken by us.
Coorg is also known as Scotland of India due to its vast natural beauty, hills and cold climate. Coorg was on our travel list from long time the time, the time when we came to know about Orange County Coorg, I remember it was in 2013. After we move to Bangalore it was our top … Continue reading “Coorg – Scotland Of India”
Coorg is also known as Scotland of India due to its vast natural beauty, hills and cold climate.
Coorg was on our travel list from long time the time, the time when we came to know about Orange County Coorg, I remember it was in 2013.
After we move to Bangalore it was our top most priority to visit Coorg but again delayed as I was pregnant ?. So, after delivery and baby is big enough to travel long distances & buying our first car it was time to visit Coorg.
Done some research online, trying to find some nice home stays and luckily, we found one in our budget on MMT(MakeMyTrip). It was Silver Brooks Estate; this home stay is run by a couple Revathi & Yogesh. Yogesh was in hospitality business for long, so these guys knows what all things are required and how to manage and maintain a property effectively.
Route we took was – via Mysore highway till a round about from where we need to take exit on KSR Road then Belagola – Yelwala – Mallinathpura – Hunsur – then on Mysure – Medikeri Road till Kushalnagar. Continue on same road via Suntikoppa – Kedakal – Boikeri.
It was around 250 Km from our home and took us 5.30 – 6 hours with 2 stops. Our first stop was at Kamat Lokaruchi – Ramanagara, it’s around 50-55 Km 1 hour drive, nice clean toilets and very good food.
Kamat Lokaruchi
Food, first time saw idly made inside leaf
Parking is on the road side. Second stop was Café County which is around 125 km from Kamat Lokaruchi and 70-75 Km from out stay. It’s café cum restaurant here you have snacks coffee or full lunch/dinner as per the time.
Service and cleanliness is not good, less staff and until you call them they won’t bother to come to your table, so better find some other place if you want a second stop.
We had one of the cakes with coffee (don’t remember the name) but it was delicious. Small but clean toilets 2 type of sitting options i.e. inside and outside.Other than these 2 stops we stopped at 2 attractions before Coorg.
Namdroling Monastery:
Namdroling Monastery is center of Tibetan Buddhism, it’s very calm and peace full place. There is a parking facility outside the monastery behind the shopping complex. Entry is free, there is large beautiful Buddha temple in the center of the complex. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens.
Main temple top
Inside the temple
2. Nisargadhama:
Nisargadhama is an island formed by river Kaveri. This place is situated near Kushalnagar. There is ticket to enter the island, you have to cross an hanging bridge built over Kaveri.
Kaveri and view of old bridge from new one
Sitting place inside bamboo forest
The island has lots of bamboo trees and some activities like zip line, place to sit, small tree house kind of. The place is not maintained very well. There is boating facility as well but when we went the current in Kaveri was strong due to which boating was suspended for some time.
Art on wood log
There are lots of shops here, all kind of shops like Gov. Silk shop, food shops, toys etc. The main entrance is little hard to find as it’s a small way b/w the shops which leads to the place to buy ticket.
After all the stops and soaking all the natural beauty on the way we reach out home stay Silver Brooks. Believe me it was amazing, exactly what was shown in the pics and the hospitality was just great. Revathi guided us very well and was available all the time for help.
Porch
The house is created from scratch inside their estate, look and feel was of old housed. Revathi informed us that they have used reused the old materials like the pillars, doors, swing, chairs. Means they bought the things from some old home and restored it to give more traditional and old age feeling.
Room
This home stay has 5 rooms I think 2 in the main building 1 on the right side which has its own private entrance and site out area, room is also little big and 2 at the start near the parking which are smaller than the other 3.
Bonfire area and main building
Cost of room includes B/F and dinner which is home made by 2 talented cooks. Food was delicious, it was a buffet with authentic flavors. There is an open kitchen which means guests have access and can cook their food or snack.
Dinning area with small library
It’s kids friendly place even for infants, the cooks cooked special food for our daughter, the staff is very friendly and help full.
For more detailed review please check my TripAdvisor.
Enjoying on swing
We stayed for 2N/3D and felt that we could have stayed one more day. Most of the time we have spent in home stay relaxing, interacting with other guests. But we also went for some sightseeing to the places like Abbey falls, Raja’s seat & Madikeri Fort.
On the way to some place
Abbey Falls:
Is around 14 km from the home stay and you have to pass the Madikeri city, but don’t worry there is not much of traffic like what we have in Bangalore ?. Route is beautiful as it’s a ghat/mountain road 2 lane.
Abbey Falls
There is a parking little ahead of the main entrance to the falls. There is toilet facility as well in the parking area. To reach to the main falls you have to decent some steps and slope.
Way to area close to falls
The area in front of falls is quite small and in tourist season when the falls are at there peak it will be difficult to find a spot to click some good pics. Spent less time there as it was over crowded, took few pics and came back.
One main issue there is due to some stupid people which park their cars on the road side which leads to traffic jam, so be prepare for that.
Madikeri Fort:
It is around 8 Km from home stay and it is near to Raja’s seat. So, you can cover both the place in one go. You can either park your car in the parking area in front of Raja’s seat or inside fort and walk to one of the places. Distance b/w these places is around 1 Km.
Way to fort
Fort is old and now kind of Gov. office, there is one small museum inside the fort on the right side just after entering the fort. One can stroll on the fort walls, but there is nothing much to do here.
Inside Fort near Museum
This place lacks proper sign boar, or any kind of guide like some printed material or some guided tour. Due to these reasons it’s very less time consuming.
Raja’s Seat:
Is a kind of valley view point or sunset point.
Fun time at Raja’s Seat
Garden in Raja’s Seat
Kings of Kodagu use to sit here to relax and watch the mesmerizing sunset with beautiful valley view that’s why it is called as Raja’s seat. It has beautiful garden at the start with fountains. Safety measures are good with railing on stairs and on the edges.
Valley view from Raja’s Seat
There is bon fire facility available in the home stay but went there in after rainy season, but it still rained so couldn’t do it.
To shop from Coorg is special Coorg wine, which comes in different flavors like ginger, chilly, mixed fruit, dates and many more, price range from Rs 500-1000 also spices. There is one government shop on the road which leads to Raja’s seat.
On the way back to Bangalore
We really enjoyed our stay in Silver Brooks and Coorg tourist spots and the long drive from Bangalore.
Visit Month – August
Note - All pics are from our trip and clicked by us.
Reading books is the best habit for all kids from any age. It’s an activity that gives you immense pleasure with great knowledge, if you have read a book you can remember it for life as it stays in your memory. Reading not only gives you knowledge, but it has many benefits attached to it. … Continue reading “Neev Literature Festival”
Reading books is the best habit for all kids from any age. It’s an activity that gives you immense pleasure with great knowledge, if you have read a book you can remember it for life as it stays in your memory.
Reading not only gives you knowledge, but it has many benefits attached to it. Nowadays technology has a really bad effect and now book reading is replaced by phones and tabs.
I would like to share some benefits of reading books and how Neev Literature Festival is celebrating the love of reading and introducing it to children.
Children enjoying book reading at Neev literature Festival
Benefits of reading
Gives you knowledge
The most important benefit of reading is it gives you knowledge, the more you read different books of different subjects, the more you gain knowledge of the particular subject with all details.
Improves memory.
Improves memory, when you read a book it stays in your memory and you can recall all the pictures and incidents of the story.
Exercise for brain-
It’s an exercise for your brain and hence it keeps you brain healthy and active.
Stress Booster-
Is a mental stress booster, it helps in releasing stress, you can read your favorite books when you are stressed and it helps you relax.
Improves Vocabulary-
Helps in improving vocabulary, the more you read you come to know new words and phrases.
Improves Writing Skills-
Itimproves writing skills, when you read different books from different authors you are learning new ways of writing. It helps you write in a better way.
Helps in Sharing-
Reading helps in sharing your thoughts. When you read more you can explain more and in a better way, what you feel about any particular subject.
Better Sleep-
It’s a nice sleep activity, it helps you sleep better.
Cost Effective-
Low cost and easy to carry, books are not so costly and easy to carry with you. You don’t need active internet connection or costly devices for reading books.
The most important benefit is reading has a lot morebenefits, from gaining knowledge to health.
I am glad to attend this Literature Festival organized by Neev Academy. Would like to share more about the event with you all, so that you can pin it for next year and make sure to attend this Festival.
Neev Academy Bangalore
Finally when I entered the campus, it was such a delightful experience and most noteworthy is to see the enthusiasm of all the kids attending the fest. The campus was full of colours and books, with the beautiful art exhibition.
Beautiful Art exhibition at Neev Literature Festival
The most interesting of all activities, that I enjoyed with my daughter was Book talk – reading session by Paro Anand. She was the keynote speaker at the Fest, her fearless and honest writings are inspired by her close association with kids and adults. Her stories have empowering effects on kids.
Book Reading by Mrs Paro Anand.
Her unique way of storytelling with songs and actions was making it a fun-filled learning. All the kids and parents enjoyed the reading and interactive session.
Book Reading by Shabnam Minwalla
Another interesting book reading session by Shabnam Minwalla reminded me the days of my childhood, when our Mom and Granny read us stories and we all sit around her hours lost in them.
Conversation between Children, Authors and adults .
This year they launched “Neev Children Book Awards” at Neev Literature Festival to recognize the outstanding writing in children’s literature. A wonderful series of conversation between children, authors and adults. The goal behind it was to recognize great children’s literature of all ages, growing readers for life and making reading part of every home.
These awards aim to promote and encourage high quality children’s literature from all over India.
The awards have three categories,
Picture book.
Young reader’s book.
Young adults book.
Awards nomination were open to all children’s titles, published in India or written by authors of Indian origin.
Big library at Neev Literature Festival
Beside that we had a chance to visit the big library from Neev Academy for all kids and parents. Where they can choose and read the books of their choice and interest.
Children and parents selecting books from library.
Neev literature Festival happens every year, if you have missed this year don’t forget to mark your dates for next year and celebrate your love for reading with them.
