DocDivaTraveller: April 2017

When I was growing up, I was taught a very famous phrase. I guess we all were. 'Morning shows the day'. Since then I started applying it to my daily life. However it remained far from true. An overcast morning progressed to a crystal clear sky and a bright sunny morning turned into raining cats and dogs. When I started applying it to a broader perspective, it resonated neither. Like a bad Monday chugged to a fruitful week and vice versa. In all, I started ignoring it altogether.

This year of mine started with a road trip. February to be precise. It was exciting as it was the first in one and half years and partly because I love being on the road! Then there was a road trip with friends in March. I became positive with the phrase (after so many years) And now in the first week of April, I went on an impromptu road trip to the city of brass (Peetal Ki Nagari) Moradabad. The catch was to visit Garhmukteshwar on the way...a holy place for Hindus.

It was a worktrip for the husband and he was kind enough to let me join him. What excited me most was that it was really impromptu. I mean after waking uo at half past six in the morning, I decided to join him and start our trip at eight am! I quickly packed two set of outfits and make up (fashion blogger plannings), camera and laptop and wooh! We were on the road!

Moradabad is just 150 kms from Delhi but the traffic can take a toll on the travelling time. Finally we reached after a mixed (pleasant and unpleasant both) drive of three and a half hours. Some parts of our journey were filled with stuck traffic and honking vehicles while the pleasant parts: the beautiful countryside.

Every holy place or pilgrim site have a few things in common: a waterbody ( river or even a huge pond), arrays of small temples, a primary large temple, a clock tower and hundreds of tiny shops selling everything from holy articles to toys and clothes. The waterbody is there as we believe in 'holy dip' or 'Nahaan'. Garhmukteshwar is no exception.

I had been longing to visit this place since long but as its said that you can't visit a God's place unless he calls you...held true for me! We stopped on our way back to Delhi. The river Ganges (not at all in its mighty glory) crosses the NH 24. Its just a two minute walk from the main road. However the festive atmosphere is palpable right from the highway itself. Numerous tourist buses can be seen parked and hoards of pilgrims boarding and deboarding from those buses. Rows of tiny shops were all over the place.

At first, I felt that I have stepped into some miniature version of Haridwar or Allahabad Sangam. Bsasically all the pilgrimage sites are similar as I have said before. Haridwar is more beautiful (tucked in the Himalayas) and The Ganges in Allahabad is vast. Garhmukteshwar is on the rural side, the visitors are mostly from villages and smaller towns. This place has been mentioned in the Bhagwat Puran and Mahabharata. Earlier it was part of hastinapur, the capital of Pandavas. The name of the place is derived from Mukteshwar Mahadev temple. This place has also got eighty Sati pillars, which mark the Sati of Hindu widows.

Of course we did not have time to take a dip. I took pictures of the place. It felt so festive and touristy. It was very hot and sunny out there. When the weather is like this you need to wear something super comfortable like this Bewakoof casual dress. With fine quality cotton like this, it is bound to cool you.

Dress: Bewakoof.com
Leggings: Forever21
Sunnies: Ray Ban
Purse: Shoppers Stop
Lip color: MAC Relentlessly Red
Necklace: CN Direct.com

4/25/2017 3 comments

We Indians are very lucky that we have got very fertile, cultivable land all over. It is no secret that agriculture is our primary occupation. We grow almost every type of crop under the sun. With advancement in technology, our farming is no more dependent on rain and other factors. The end result? Whenever you step outside the city into suburbs, your eyes fall upon lush green fields everywhere.

This time of the year is harvest time for us. The primary Rabi crop is wheat; its sown in winters and harvested in spring, particularly at this time period. With the advent of spring the new year for different cultures also start. April 13, Baisakhi, marks the new year of Sikhs followed by new years of other cultures. Its Poila Baishakh in Bengal, Bihu in Assam, Vishu in Kerala and so on. Basically these all are harvest festivals where the people celebrate their harvests along with the arrival of New year.

North India (especially Punjab, haryana and UP) are the largest consumers of wheat as well as the largest producers. I was privileged enough to travel through the countryside during this time.

As I had mentioned about the green wheat fields earlier in my road trip; an exact month later these all turned golden and ripe enough to be harvested. At some fields the cutting process was on while the other fields were golden all around. It was a marvellous sight. I came out of the car to frolic in the golden fields. I danced around, clicked the farmers who were harvesting and also picked up a bunch of cut wheat for posing! A kind farmer offered me few wheat shoots to take back home. How sweet!

I have a history of coordinating my outfits with the surroundings. That is what nature calls camouflage! So I donned my yellow BEWAKOOF crop top for girls to match with the golden surroundings. The Garfield print on it reminds me of my happy childhood :)

Bewakoof.com has become one of my favourite places to shop cool outfits like joggers, Track Pants, Jeans for Men, Tank Tops for Men, Pyjama and XXXL T Shirts.

A very happy harvest season to all of you!

Crop Top: Bewakoof.com

Pants: Limeroad.com

Purse: Shoppers Stop

Sunnies: Ray Ban
Lips: MAC Relentlessly Red

4/24/2017 4 comments

Vernazza is the second village of Cinque Terre. After a two and half hour long hike from Monterosso, we sashayed down to Vernazza. I was almost dusk so we immediately made to the beach. It was far to be called an actual beach; and the waves were the wildest of our lives so far.

I could stare at the crashing waves forever. I mean there is such a vibrance about the sea that no mountain can challenge. Or is it just me who is too much fond of water? The beach had small rocks and it was indeed difficult to walk on them. Or maybe our legs were too sore from the hike and the previous days of walking in Rome and Amsterdam. Whatever it was, I knew our lower limbs had a tough time ahead as our trip was in the beginning phase.

We stayed at the 'beach' till it was almost dark. What I realised from our Italiano viaggio is that I can never get bored of the quaint alleys and doors. No matter how much I see, I feel the same rush of child like excitement. The alleys of Vernazza evoked the puerile excitement in me.

We admitted that we were famished. All the pizza and juice which we had in Monterosso had been burnt during our hike. We needed to fuel ourselves immediately.

Choosing a place to eat in Italy is tough. I mean all the restaurants and cafes are so beautifully decked. You simply cannot zero down. I wanted to have sea food by the sea side. After all its Cinque Terre: one of the best sea side towns to offer frutti di mare! (fruits of the sea)

I chose to dine in Taverna Del Capitano. I ordered gnocchi with shrimps and zucchini. Every meal in Italy had been special. But somehow this dish tops the list. I never knew zucchini can be this delicious. I never thought gnocchi could be this cheesy. And shrimps? Oh I already loved them. There was no feasible vegetarian option. So my partner nibbled the Italian bread only topped with olive oil, parmesan cheese and chilli flakes.

I was having the most sumptuous meal of my life when a thought struck us what about the last train to La Spezia? We called the waiter who had been serving us. With the little Italian I knew, I tried to ask what we wanted to know. He said 10 pm was the last time. We froze. It was half past nine and we were enjoying our meal. The station was around 15 minutes. Not to forget that vending tickets also took time.

Hubs asked me to finish my meal while he went to the station to buy tickets. But after ten minutes he emerged relaxed. He got the schedule (orario) from some one and it said that the Cinque Terre Express operated throughout the night. Only the gaps between two trains increased as the night progressed.

We had gelato on the way. One can never have enough gelato when in Italy. Finally we boarded the 11 30 train. When we landed in La Spezia, it felt that it was late evening. It was a Saturday and hoardes of people were coming back from different towns of Cinque Terre. It was party ambiance! All the scares of mugging went away. However as soon as we took left turn from the main road towards our apartment, everything felt silent and eerie. It was an upward climb and we walked as fast as our legs could take. Finally we reached the gate and we quickly bolted it after we got inside. A safe ending to a super adventurous day.

Dress: from Limeroad

Purse: from Dubai

Hat, accessories: Forever 21

Sunnies: Forever 21

4/18/2017 8 comments

4/17/2017 5 comments

We Indians are lucky in terms of attire. We have so many dresses to wear! Each region has a special garment and has a rich colour palette and a unique texture. Indian ethnic wear is loved all over the world and we are proud of it. We are particularly fond of the national garment saree which alone has innumerable varieties. Each saree is a piece of art in itself.

Saree is the most versatile and elegant garment.I consider my mom to be the ultimate 'Saree horse' (the analogue term for clothes horse if you know what I want to mean). Somehow even the simplest of drapes look absolutely stunning on her. She has an incredible collection of saress...from Mysore silks to Assam silks, Kanjeevaram to Baluchari, the list is endless. Not to mention she has a whopping number of Bengal Handloom (Taant) sarees. This collection has not been built in a day. Its over the years of travelling she has handpicked and enriched her saree wardrobe. I am definitely looking forward to inheriting her closet.

Although I love buying sarees for myself, I am unable to do that whole heartedly. Partly because I don't have much knowledge regarding authenticity. When something is famous, its counterfeits are bound to crop up. Sarees are not an exception. Handloom sarees are the fruits of hard work of the weavers. The right yarn along with the expertise of artisans get woven into beautiful sarees which have a good price tag. So when I am paying a hefty amount for something, I implore to get the authentic piece. Everyone does.

Secondly, its not possible for me to go to a distant corner of India (say Assam or Tamil Nadu) just to buy an original saree for myself when I am feeling like wearing it. In this digital era, who does actual shopping?

Here comes the solution to all my problems. Jharonka.com is an online shop for premium authentic handloom sarees. An initiative by Craftsvilla, this site is the answer to both of my cardinal problems.

Jharonka -Authentic Handlooms has an exhaustive collection of handloom sarees. From Kanjeevaram silks to Begampur cottons, from Bengal sarees to Assam silks, from Chanderi to Banarasi handlooms, to hundred types of silks ...their list of collection is endless. So you can shop any type of saree you want, from the comfort of your couch, just at the click of your mouse.

The best part about Jharonka is that you can be assured of excellence. They source directly from the artisans which means that there is no scope for slacking in grade. Also the products which they put up for sale undergo rigorous quality checks. The same goes for their partners too. Handloom sarees can be expensive. However on Jharonka, you would get the best price as there is no middleman.

My favourite type of saree has to be the Bengal handloom sarees. After all I am a Bengali! Actually I have seen soooo many of them being worn by my mom, my relatives and even neighbours, that they are a huge part of my life. The colours, designs and textures have enticed me since my childhood. Whether its hand woven or Jamdani, block printed or just plain cotton, each saree is a masterpiece. Bengal sarees are very versatile...you can wear them to work as well as party in them in the evening! The price range is also very wide to suit everyone.

My second favourite variety has to be pure silk sarees. Silk is classic and versatile. India is blessed to have so many type of silk fabrics: Banarasi silk, Mysore Silk, Murshidabad silk, Tussar silk...the list is endless. Silk can be easily worn to the office as well as to parties and even weddings! Banarasi sarees are known to be the perfect bridal trousseau. For my wedding, I donned a blood red Banarasi saree with heavy gold thread work. I have worn my mom's wedding saree (Banarasi) in many of my dance performances and I am nuts over that piece of fabric. Banarasi silks are timeless!

Jharonka.com is not just restricted to sarees but they also offer dupattas, stoles, home decor and home furnishings. In all, it is India not only under one roof but at one click of a mouse!

4/12/2017 14 comments

Today I try to discuss a much jinxed topic. It may be intriguing for some, it may be silly for others. Fear is very subjective while scary things can be right on your face!

While its legitimate to be scared of ghosts and the dark during the early years of life, its unnatural in adult life! However I know a plethora of adults who are scared of the dark/ghosts/both. My mom for instance is scared of thunder lightening! How silly is that?

I have almost never been scared of the supernatural as far as I can remember. I used to love watching extreme horror movies during my college years. However I have always found psycho thrillers to be scarier than horror ones. Movies like Final destination/ The Ring can never be real. However psycho thrillers like The Hills Have Eyes or Hostel can happen to anyone!

So here are the major things that make my heart skip a beat:

Criminals: I just cannot handle violence. I can't bear to see a road rage incident; leave merciless beating and stuff. Being a medico, I can handle blood only because of sickness, not violence. Similarly muggers, hooligans, murderers and of course rapists scare me to the last cell of my body. Whenever we roam around at night, especially abroad, these are the things that freeze me the most.

Poverty: The worst nightmare that I have is being robbed when abroad and unable to return to my country! Or being penniless on the streets. No matter how much you talk of digital money, cash is confidence, to me.

Natural Calamities: I am very attached to my family (everyone is). Also I feel no shame in admitting that I am materialistic. I mean I love decorating my home, buying clothes and jewelleries and living a maximalist life. I, in my scariest of dreams can never imagine getting all these damaged (relations and stuff). Living a high seismic zone has taught me to be alert always. But my home is like my baby and I love my belongings.

Last but not the least failure. I was dead scared of this during my academic years. I have a pretty flawless academic record...I have always topped my class throughout my life. I could never even bear the thought of standing second. However as I grew out of college, I learnt that academics is least important in the lesson of life. Over the past seven years I have faced so many failures that I am not scared of it anymore! I have overcome this fear of mine!

Coming to the outfit, this prettily printed skirt and top set is from Zaful.com. I love the material and the asymmetrical hem. Also the aztec prints in my favourite neon colours got me hooked to it in the first place. Zaful has easily become my favourite online shopping site and the reason is pretty simple. The designs are lovely and the pricing is even better! Even the shipping time is not that much considering that its sent from China itself. Also you get free shipping on orders over 30$.