These thick & heavy special wedding garlands are called Kalyana Malai ( कल्याण माला ) in Tamil and are made of mainly rose petals and chopped leaves. To keep them together in this conical shape and to prevent the petals from falling off, they are ‘wrapped’ in threads. You can watch this video how it is done.

After wrapping up with thread some decorative pieces are being inserted.
There are two such pieces of each garland. Mostly, only one piece

When we go out of our house even for a few hours, the most common thing that we need first, is water. I generally carry a bottle of water with me but it is not always possible. This is more true if we are out to a different place or country.
Nevertheless, albeit small, daily we end up spending a few bucks on mineral water alone.
Like any other country, in Malaysia one can get a variety of mineral water starting from RM 2.20 upwards (Malaysian mineral water bought in a food …

We visit places of worships, museums or historical monuments. We talk about the great architecture, memorable history and interesting lifestyles related to them. Mostly these stories are built around the affluent and powerful residents of the place.
How often do we talk about a common man or his living habits ? Or much obvious things ?
Almost never.
One such place is bathroom. One of the most neglected rooms in a common

बूझें तो जाने | हिंदी भाषी ज़रा नीचे पढ़ें |
Yes, it’s quiz time again.  See the picture below and tell me where can you see this kind of picture. I will write a detailed post on it while declaring the result.
Hint:- In ancient times, a sketch or a drawing of a naked woman on a wall was an indication of something. Is it Indian culture ? No.

Photograph copyright : Cuckoo
Note:- The comments are moderated and result will be declared after a week.
ज़रा यह पहेली बूझ कर बताइए तो जानें …

In Geneva, whether it is a park, swimming pool, or any other public place.. .. you can find many large sized chess boards painted on the ground and people engrossed in playing chess.
I have seen this in other countries as well but this is about Geneva.

I always wonder why can not we have such playful outlets in our country and more so what will happen if even we have some. How long we are going to enjoy them or maintain them. Your inputs ?
P.S.- I am traveling and away from …

This picture is for Peter and BTR. This was the frog shaped door knocker on the green main door we were talking about in my previous post.

The brass made knocker is quite old and signs of wear & tear are visible.

Don’t be surprised if I say Goa is essentially a village. Yes, the real Goa is very rural and untouched. And if you don’t have time to discover this, a visit to a Goa village, namely Ancestral Goa is perfect. One can catch a close glimpse of life in rural Goa and unwind.
To cater to tourists who show interest in the history, culture and life of rural Goa, ‘Ancestral Goa’ in Loutolim was started in 1995 from the dream of a Goan artist to carve a niche for itself on …