Samudra Manthan, Thailand
October 7, 2008
The new international airport Suvarn Bhoomi in Thailand captivates every traveler. Samudra Manthan or the churning of the great ocean has been displayed here. This legend has been depicted from the Hindu scriptures of Devi Bhagwad and Vishnu Purana.
Even though Hinduism doesn’t play a pivotal role in the lifestyles of the people in Thailand, Cambodia, Indonesia and Malaysia but they have taken this effort to pay respects to their forefathers who were originally Hindus. The grandeur in its display leaves every mortal spellbound.
India with its vast cultural heritage has influenced people worldwide. But its own people haven’t yet taken an effort to showcase their legacy so exquisitely. The Iron Age or Kaliyuga has really worked its way on their minds. Depictions like Suvarn Bhoomi does make one stop, think and pay a silent homage to the great Hindu culture.
Take a look at the extended version of this spectacular image of the arena in our post Suvarn Bhoomi. I am sure you will be speechless.
Read our post on Neelkanth Mahadev Temple, Rishikesh to get an in-depth understanding of the significance of Samudra Manthan.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Indian Street Food
September 15, 2008
Hot dogs carts, Taco and Burrito stalls line the corners of American streets. Stir fried noodles, Momos and rolls add brightness to the Asian roads. Indian street food cannot be categorized so easily because of its endless varieties.
Every state of India has its own variation of street food. If I start listing all of them, then it will certainly become an encyclopedia of chaat. So I will highlight the most common and famous street foods of India.
Bhel Puri- This is a combination of rice puffs, sev (these are thin fine crunchy fried tiny noodle. Well noodle is not the right word but it looks like a packet of raw noodles when stamped on) boiled sliced potatoes, coriander and a variety of chutneys. It is sweet, sour and spicy.
Sev Puri- This is similar to Bhel puri but doesn’t have the rice puffs. It has papdi which are hard, crunchy, disc-shaped chips. This is too made with variety of chutneys, raw onions, lime juice and coriander. Sometimes raw mangoes are also added depending on the season.
Dahi Puri- This is prepared similar to sev puri but here the specialty is the addition of chilled, sweetened yogurt.
Dahi Bhalla or Dahi Wada- Dahi denotes yogurt. Bhalla or wada is made of lentils that is deep fried and then soaked in water. This soft ball is next coated and dipped in chilled, sweetened yogurt and served with chutneys both sweet and spicy. This image is of Dahi Bhalla ready to be served.
Dahi Papdi- This is similar to sev puri but the puris are crushed and yogurt is added with the variety of spicy chutneys.
Dahi Kachori- This is a chaat made with yogurt. The kachori is a spicy, crisp savory which is filled with delicious spices which adds a unique taste to the whole dish.
Pani Puri- Puris here are small, crispy balls which are poked in the centre, filled with boiled lentils and then dipped in sweet chutney, spicy chutney and then dipped in tamarind water mixed with powdered spices like rock salt, dry ginger etc. This spicy, chilled water is stored in an earthen vessel. The vendor serves it to you in a small dish. You stand next to the vendor as he individually prepares each puri and adds it in your plate. The fun part of eating this is that you eat this puri with the water contained in it. One can gobble down twenty of these without even counting them.
Samosa- This is triangular shaped savory filled inside with potatoes or sometimes with peanuts and a whole lot of spices. This is too served with sweet and hot chutney.
Samosa Chaat – This is a combination of spices, chutneys, sev and samosa. Sometimes even yogurt is added to this to make this more mouth-watering.
Cholay Samosa- This is another variety of chaat. Here is samosa floats in spicy cholay which a curried chick peas.
Wada Pav- This is a delicacy as well as a common man’s food in the state of Maharashtra. It is basically a bread and potato sandwich. This is an Indian version of the burger but definitely a lot spicier. Boiled, mashed potatoes are made into patties, coated and mixed with green chilies, ginger, garlic and a tempering of mustard seeds and turmeric. These balls are then dipped in an herb-seasoned batter made with gram flour, then it is deep fried. The finished vada is then wrapped in bread and served with mint, coriander or coconut chutney, red chili powder or green chilies (sometimes fried and salted).
Pav Bhaji- Pav denotes a certain type of fluffy bread and bhaji is vegetable. This bhaji is a mashed preparation with its base made of tomatoes. A variety of boiled vegetables are added to this base with onions, garlic, ginger and dry powdered spices. Dollops of butter is added and constantly mashed. This is cooked on a large Tava or hot plate. It is served with raw onions, lemon slices and mixed pickle.
Ragda Patties- Ragda is white peas. This is boiled and tempered with spices. Patties made of potatoes are prepared separately and added to this. Tamarind pulp chutney, sweet date chutney, green chilly chutney and finely chopped onions and coriander leaves are added with a dash of lemon juice.
Aloo Tikki Chaat- This is very popular chaat as well. Boiled potatoes are mixed with bread and deep fried. To this spicy, sweet and sour chutneys are added. Then sprinkled with onions, coriander and sev.
These are the basic street food or chaat commonly found in most Indian cities. So give it a try, experience a new sense of sensory gratification, exuberance to the taste buds and share your experiences with us.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
Is Taj Mahal A Tomb Or Hindu Temple? Controversies And Unanswered Questions
August 8, 2008
Millions of Indians voted to include Taj Mahal as one of the Seven Wonders of the World. They rejoiced in ecstasy when their wish was fulfilled. But did all of them know the secrets behind locked doors? Few were aware of it; some read about it while other slaved for years to prove their point.
“Taj Mahal was originally a Hindu temple.”
This truth when it became headline news across all television channels on 24th July 2008, many Indians woke up and were forced to pay attention.
Shri P.N. Oak has presented his own conclusions in his books, most notably Taj Mahal-The True Story (ISBN: 0-9611614-4-2) where he has provided an overview of his research and lists his 109 proofs of how the Taj Mahal was a pre-existing Hindu temple palace, not built by Shah Jahan but originally at least 500 years earlier in 1155 AD by Raja Paramardi Dev as a Vedic temple. His proofs are an eye-opener because he has really not left a brick unturned and explained in simple yet concrete proofs of his findings.
Besides P.N Oak, P. S. Bhat and A. L. Athavale have also thoroughly researched on the Taj Mahal controversy in “The Question Of Taj Mahal” (Itihas Patrika, vol 5, pp. 98-111, 1985). They all have provided detailed photographs to prove every statement. Links to their articles and detailed photographs have been compiled by Stephen Knapp on his website. Click here
Some questions still remain unanswered:
1) If these researchers and scholars have put forth their discoveries, then how come no one has come forward and proved them wrong? It only confirms that they did find the truth.
2) If this is the truth, then why are the experts not allowed to unseal the locked doors and find the real story?
3) History has shown that Kings have conquered territories and riches have been plundered from treasuries of kingdoms and temples. So if such was the case, then why not accept that and move on to see what else can be unearthed from the hidden past?
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If the readers can answer some of these questions or add some more light to this, it would help everyone to search for this silent truth. After all whether it is called Taj Mahal or Tejo Mahalaya, it is still a part of our national treasure and a distinguishing symbol of India.
©Nayna, 2007-2008. All Rights Reserved.
