Seeking blessings

In most of the Indian houses, it is considered auspicious to seek the blessings of God before we begin any new work or a journey. Since I will be leaving for a 5-day long holiday to the heart of India - Madhya Pradesh, I thought it was apt to post the photograph of this small temple I had spotted in the lanes of East Delhi.

Hoping that your week will be filled with joy, wonder and adventure... I seek your best wishes and blessings to ensure my trip to Khajuraho and Panna Tiger Reserve is refreshing and full of anecdotes. :-)

Stop Asking Me To Smile

Never before anyone asking me to smile irritated me this much! A weighing machine at Sarvana Bhavan, a restaurant that serves delicious South Indian food, was asking people to smile. A very rude demand coming from a weighing scale I think. :-)

State Emporiums

This is the lane of state emporiums. These are government owned shops which have been established to promote the crafts and textiles of each state of India. It is one of my favourite places to take guests, who come from outside of India. Shopping here is bliss as you can buy souvenirs from the whole of India in a matter of couple of hours.

Chaat Street

Among other things, Delhi is famous for its street food. Lot of fried stuff of different shapes, a generous helping of boiled potatoes, sauces and chutneys of different kinds, curd and some dark dingy space are the ingredients for fun evenings. I have taken a series of photos as I went nearer my target -- a plate of Papdi Chaat. :-)

View of the dark street with the colourful umbrellas the only indication of good food!

As I went nearer, the aroma and the good food had me salivating.

After waiting for about 10 minutes for my turn, the shopkeeper gave me what I wanted to make my life meaningful... hehehe...


A plate of yummy Papdi Chaat.

Promise to treat you to a plate of Papdi Chaat next time we meet on the streets of Delhi! :-)

Venkatesh, Nalli Saree Shop

This is Venkatesh, who assisted a friend and me on our recent saree shopping spree at Nalli. He was very business-like to begin with, showing little interest in what I had to say. Once I clicked his photo and asked him his name, he was very sweet to us and helped us pick a beautiful saree. One of my most favourite teachers, Sabiha Farhat, had taught me, almost unknowingly, that a smile and a few kind words are all it takes to make someone feel important.