Celebration Time
April 19, 2010
It is time for celebration. An Abyss Of Imagination, Creativity Unleashed will be celebrating 3 years in few days. It has been a cumbersome journey of stress and unlimited bouts of sheer ingenious work. Drilling out fresh ideas, pursuing dreams and putting readers first are only a miniscule portion of the factors to be kept in mind while writing an article.
We have covered over 500 posts to satiate the infinite urge of every reader. We have made put forth ideas, theories, remedies and provided guidance in almost all aspects of the human life.
We are grateful for the support that we have received from our audience with their positive and not so positive feedbacks. The positive ones have boosted our spirit while the less encouraging ones have made us aware that you cannot please everyone in this world.
The feedbacks from our readers have been tremendous and so we have decided to feature their contributions and submissions. We will be publishing incidents that have changed your life, inspirational tales, paranormal events and anything else that you feel will help others under new category – Readers Write
We will edit your submissions to check for spellings, grammatical errors and we will polish it up to match up to our creativity level. Your name will feature in the story of course, unless you chose to remain anonymous. There will be no word count restriction. Write to your heart’s content and we will publish it for free. Type in your story in the comments box at the end of this post and be sure to type in your correct email id otherwise how will we notify you.
So join in and celebrate our third anniversary with words that will inspire, encourage and uplift the minds and hearts of people. Well, that’s what we aim to do always.
©Nayna 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Baishaki And Shuvo Noboborsho 2010
April 7, 2010
With the advent of spring, comes the harvest season. The hardwork of the whole year and the wait through the tough times pays rich dividends now.
The month of Baisakah or Vaishak (April) in the Hindu calendar marks the beginning of the crop cycle. This is the time of rejoice and widely celebrated among numerious communities in India.
The first day of the month of Baisakah or Vaishaka is celebrated as Bengali New Year, popularly known as Poila Baisakah or Pohela Boishakh. The Sikh communities celebrate this event as well and call it Vaishakhi.
Families get together to celebrate the New Year with a lot of excitement. Everyone is dressed in their best with new clothes and accessories. The household entrance is decorated with “Alpona” which is similar to Rangoli but in the Bengali community, the designs are drawn with rice paste instead of dry coloured powder. These remain longer and do not get easily smudged unline Rangoli. Flower garlands are hung at the entrance of the house which creates a jovial mood for every visitor.
Bengalis are knows for their sweets and this is the best occasion to put this to the test. Unlimited varieties of sweets and savouries are made at home or purchased from leading sweets shops. Members of the family all come together to celebrate this day.
“Probhat Pheri” is a procession organized early in the morning to welcome the New Year. Most business establishments have Lord Ganesh and Goddess Laxmi Puja/ Pooja at their offices, so that they can start the first day of business with blessings.
The account books or “Halkhata” are marked with red vermilion with signs of Swastika to bring them good business for the whole year. People throng in large numbers to Kalighat to seek the blessings of Goddess Kali. (Read our previous post on Kalighat to understand the significance of the Divine Mother.)
Rabindranath Tagore’s songs and poems resonate through the streets of Kolkata. Cultural programmes are organized in every street corner to spread cheer. There are fairs organized to add to the extravaganza like Bangla Sangit Mela.
Poila Boishakh has a way of uniting all Bengali across the globe together. It makes us understand our roots although we maybe global citizens. The rich Bengali culture brims with knowledge, arts and music waiting to be experienced by one and all.
We wish our readers Shubho Noboborsho.
©Nayna 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.
Root Vegetable Wonders
April 1, 2010
Root vegetables are often ignored and not given its due importance. We concentrate a lot on our greens and proteins. No one actually goes to look for root vegetables when we head to the supermarket. I guess mainly because no celebrity diets or nutritionist has ever written a book on “How To Lose Weight With Roots” or “Look Youthful And Sexy with Roots Diet.” Maybe I should write one on this- something like Hoot For The Root. (Remember, this title is copyright protected so don’t you dare steal my idea.)
The advantage of eating root vegetable is that they are economical, versatile and is more filling that your average green salad without dressing. One tip to know how to buy root vegetable-always chose them when they are smaller in size and deep in color. The richer the color of root vegetables the more nutritious it is. All roots are excellent source of fiber and nutrients.
Here is a list of root vegetables that should be added in everyone’s diet irrespective of age and gender.
Beets: The lovely colored beet not only adds color to the food but is a mine of nutrients and iron. One half cup of beet contains only thirty-five calories. Beet can be incorporated in the diet in the form of mixed salad, a slice in a sandwich or can even be used in mixed vegetable soup.
Carrots: They are excellent for the eyes because of beta carotene. Its juice helps in weight loss and it is a great crunchy delight to overcome hunger pangs. Read our special article on Vegetable Juices.
Parsnips: They are closely associated with carrots. They are good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium. It can be enjoyed in mixed salads and soups.
Radishes: Radishes are a great source of vitamin C and phytochemicals. Read more growing organic vegetables.
Turnips: These are available in many varieties across continents. They make excellent soups and help in making good broths.
Rutabagas: They look similar to turnips and often referred to as yellow turnips. They are vitamin C enriched and delicious when cooked and seasoned properly.
Jicama: These taste excellent when added in the wok along with other vegetables and stir fried. They are sweet, crunchy and crisp so it’s a delight to the palate in a salad.
Colocasia: This is rich in iron and potassium. It should be eaten as much as possible because of its healing properties. They make great puree for stews and soups.
Tapioca or Cassava: This does have a little more calories but indulging in them gives us a good supply of vitamin C, calcium, iron, magnesium and potassium. They act as good thickening agents in soups and stews. They are easy to digest and filling.
Everything we eat should be ingested in moderation. Creating a balance of different food groups not only gives us variety in our diet but enhances our taste buds and provides us with the necessary nourishment. Naturally grown fruits and vegetables should be given priority over instant foods and frozen dinners.
©Nayna, 2007-2010. All Rights Reserved.
