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Showing posts from December, 2023

Surat: Where Heritage Meets Spice - A Resident's Tale!

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Surat, in India's western state of Gujarat, is a place where you can see the mixture of culture and new ways. It also has lots of different people living side by side happily. I live in this city that keeps changing, and I want to show you the nice roads of Surat where history can still be heard. Every meal there is tasty fun Called the "Diamond City" and "Silk City" , Surat has a culture that combines history, business, and great food. As I walk through the busy streets, the sounds of the city's past from British times are strong in its buildings and stories. Surat, also called Suryapur in a friendly way is not just about city life. It's an actual story of Gujarati cultural changes over time.  What makes Surat unique is its many people, a mixed group made up of different races and backgrounds. They come from all kinds of religions too. The language they speak in Surat - Surti Gujarati - sounds like a tune that matches the many people who live there. ...

Fantasy Sports in India: The Rise and Impact

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Over the last few years, India's FS industry has blossomed. Today, with a market that has grown to over 340 billion rupees (INR) and further stimulated by strategic investments, the industry serves more than 12 million registered users. The fantasy sports have thus propelled Indian Sports into a positive development cycle, and besides giving rise to economic resources for the state, they are also contributing to sports commerce as well as helping build skills in fields such as AI/ML cloud or analytics.  The industry has also promoted sports other than cricket, producing jobs for tomorrow and investment in commercial activity related to the field of sport. Around two decades ago, in 2001 to be exact, ESPN Star Sports launched the ‘Super Selector Fantasy Game’, which gave birth to an exciting trend. It was also the action that first raised eyebrows among the Indian masses and marked the start of an ascendancy in India's fantasy market. The market has captured...

Ganga Aarti: Story of Flames on the Sacred Ghats

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In the enchanting heart of Varanasi lies Ganga Aarti which is located amidst tales spun by ancient legendary rivers, and presents a sight beyond time.  With its busy ghats and alleyways, Varanasi sounds a call to every soul with visions of the otherworldly.  But when the sun sinks below the western horizon, casting a golden hue over Ganges' waters, Dasaswamedh ghat comes to life.  It's a dance of devotion, an offering to the river goddess Ganga.  An energy flows through the labyrinthine streets and mingles with the exuberant life on the ghats. To the sounds of Bhajan music, a ceremony attended with determination and fervor is enacted in solemn reverence.  The ceremony, put on by pandits--Sanskrit scholars of the revered Brahmin caste--takes place in front of a wooden stage arranged facing the sacred Ganges. The community assembles--the citizens, pilgrims from distant lands, and the revered sadhus who for this function set aside their ascetical practices tempo...

Memories with Dal Baati Churma!

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The sweet scent of Dal Bati used to fill our house in the days of my childhood when my mom showed me how to cook with magic. Every bite was like a trip down flavor land, stuck in my taste memory forever. Being curious about this yummy licious delicacy of Rajasthani pleasure, I was able to find that my neighbor from the noisy world of Rajasthan. They also gave away the magic secret of making Dal Bati. My culinary journey commenced an aromatic escapade, intertwining multiple memories with this delicious dish from then on. I hadn’t known that the story began with little exchanges between us that I thought nothing of at the time. Now it was about the childhood that left indelible remnants in me with the smell and taste of Rajasthan. A gastronomic trip to the majestic Rajasthan is on today’s menu and we will uncover one of its famous delicacies which has never failed to appease people since time immemorial….the Dal Baati Churma.  It is like being in a warm Rajasthani kitchen while exp...