Tag Archives: South India

India –here I come!

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Apologies for the unusual blog silence. My Emirates flight (380 of course!) to Delhi, India leaves in a few hours’ time. Been busy packing and taking care of things that require attention during the month of April when I am not in Paris.traveling to India

I will spend the first week with my parents pretty much along that same route that I have recently been writing about in my blog (Delhi, Agra, Rajasthan). It is a new travel concept to me (to take my parents to such an exotic destination) and I am even contemplating on adding a new tag word “traveling with parents”. Do you think it would be interesting?

My husbands joins us exactly one week from now and all of us will spend few days together probably at the Neemrana hotel I also already wrote about. After my parents leave, my husband and I hit the road from Delhi toward Varanasi. From Varanasi we will fly to the South India for the rest of the time I think. Free birds go where the wind takes them!

PS Unfortunately I did not have time to finish my India series that I have been writing about (missing posts are about Jodhpur, Pushkar and Udaipur), but I promise to complete the series in May. Meanwhile, I hope you will enjoy this new India trip with me!

 

Holy cow!

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Some of you have asked me to post more photos of India and I will be doing so: slowly but surely. I have thousands of photos and even if I think many of them are great shots, I admit it is difficult to post without writing a story to go with. So much has happened in India and there is no single photo that does not bring back memories of wonderful people, delicious food and amazing sites. In fact, how could I publish just one photo?holy cow of Madurai

PS The story of this cow: it lives in Madurai, Tamil Nadu, and I found it outside the main temple. It was being fed by locals and seemed to like modeling for tourists like me. What a charming cow with beautiful eyes… worth posting the photo of it, right?

 

India: Top 10 places to visit

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This is not your usual guide to India, which directs you to Taj Mahal, the Golden Triangle and Goa. I am not saying these places are not worth visiting -they are- but my goal is to show the richness of India by introducing diversified, less obvious places to visit. Namaste! Taj Mahal

My Top Ten of India (in alphabetical order):

1. Badami (Karnataka). Why? The capital of the Chalukya Kings during the 6th-7th centuries. Stunning cave temples dedicated to Hinduism and Jainism. Badami is also a small, pleasant and rather green town.

2. Chettinad (Tamil Nadu). Why? Chettinad is a region and its capital is Karaikudi. It is the home to Nagarathars, people renowned for their financial and banking skills, who migrated to South and Southeast Asia in the 19th and 20th century. With the money they made abroad, many splendid mansions were built in Chettinad, making the region an architectural pearl. Moreover, Chettinad is famous for its distinctive, delicious cuisine.Chettinad

3. Ellora (Maharashtra). Why? A group of rock-cut temples devoted to Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism. A UNESCO World Heritage site. The most famous temple Kailasanatha, built in the 8th century, was carved from one rock, hence a true architectural masterpiece.

4. Hampi (Karnataka). Why? Another UNESCO World Heritage Site. The capital of the Vijayanagara empire in the 14th-17th century. Impressive Hindu temples scattered around a huge terrain. Do not miss the Elephant stables!

5. Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh). Why? A crazy, noisy and polluted city. Closest I have been to Pakistan (what I imagine Pakistan to be like). At the same time, Hyderabad is amazing and fascinating!! The world’s Biryani capital. Excellent Biryanis.Hyderabad

6. Kannur (Kerala). Why? Not many people have heard of Kannur, but if you want to see the famous Theyyam performance-ritual, this is the town where you will be based. Theyyam is more than 2000 years old and a definite must see. (Note: I had hard time choosing between Kochi and Kannur, but chose Kannur because Theyyams are less known than Kochi)

7. Mamallapuram (Tamil Nadu). Why? Built in the 7th century by a Pallava King, Mamallapuram is an other fantastic UNESCO World Heritage site. Elements of Dravidianism, Buddhism and Hinduism. Stunning monolithic rock carvings and sculpted reliefs. For elephant lovers. Mamallapuram

8. Shekhawati (Rajasthan). Why? Located on an old trade route, Shekhawati region is another architectural pearl, full of spectacular merchants’ and industrialists’ houses. These houses are real storyboards and their frescoes tell a story of the late 19th century industrialization. Read more: Shekhawati: the Haveli Hub

9. Tirupati (Andhra Pradesh). Why? Tirupati is your base for visiting the Shri Venkateshvara Temple located in the Tirumala Hills. One of the most important Hindu pilgrimage site in India. In the league of Vatican and Mecca in the global context. Talking about the power of religion.

Udaipur10. Udaipur (Rajasthan). Why? The Venice of the East. Probably the most romantic city of India. Sleep in an old palace and you will see why.

What is your favorite place in India and for what reason? And if you haven’t yet been to India, then what would be your top three places to go to?

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India: where to start

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I have spent nearly three months in India, during three different trips, and I still haven’t written much about it. Why? Because India is overwhelming.

It has an extraordinary density of historical and religious sites. Its food varies enormously from one home to another. People look different. Languages change from one state to another and even inside. Hundreds of different gods are worshiped. There is an abundance of colors one has never seen before. How could I ever write anything coherent and compact about India? It is a challenge, but I am going to try.holy cows in PushkarI am aware that I have a few posts that I have promised to write (Italy, Southeast Asia etc.), but I am also making a promise to start writing about India. Maybe once a week.  Sounds like a reasonable promise?

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My love affair with Saravanaa Bhavan

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Since our trip to Tamil Nadu we have been regulars at Saravanaa Bhavan, which is a South Indian restaurant. It started in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, and has gained a lot of success all over the world in recent years. You can find Saravanaa Bhavan in Dubai, New York, etc.

Everything at Saravanaa Bhavana is vegetarian so don’t expect the usual palak paneer, cheese nan and butter chicken. If you have never been to South India, you will probably find dishes that taste like nothing else you have ever eaten before. And this is what I love about Saravanaa Bhavan: the taste is sublime, sophisticated and curious!!!!!! And good for your health.

Last night we had our usual: South Indian meal (thali), onion rava masala dosa and business meal. This is a bit too much for two, but since we love all of these three dishes, we can never decide!

South Indian meal looks like this:South Indian mealand consists of: chappathi with side dish, rice, sambar, rasam, special kuzhambu, vegetable curries, raitha, curd, appalam, pickle and something sweet. What is nice about this thali is that you can order more of any side dish and rice for free.

Onion rava masala dosa looks like:onion rava masala dosaand it is a crispy wheat and rice flour crepe stuffed with mildly-spiced mashed potatoes and onions.

Business meal looks like this: Business mealand it includes sambar rice, curd rice, special rice of the day, poriyal, appalam, pickle and something sweet.

I feel eternal love toward all of these dishes and cannot have enough them!

PS Saravanaa Bhavan increased their prices this summer, but it is still very affordable. South Indian meal costs 13€, business meal 10€ and a dosa 7€50. Our only disappointment is that they don’t serve Indian wine any more –only Bordeaux. As we told the waiter yesterday, Grover is an excellent Indian red wine!

Saravanaa Bhavan:

170, Rue Du Faubourg Saint Denis,
75010, Paris.
Tel : 01 40 05 01 01

http://www.saravanabhavan.com/

The Ganesh Festival in Paris

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The area around La Chapelle metro, bordering the 10th and the 18th arrondissements, is a home to Paris’s Little India. Many of the restaurant and shop owners are technically Sri Lankan tamils, but if you miss South India in general (food, spices, smells, colors, etc.), this area will cure homesickness until your next trip. Little India of ParisLast Sunday the feeling of South India/Sri Lanka intensified, as the neighborhood hosted the annual Hindu festival: the Ganesh Festival. It was our second time participating in the procession and even though we felt that the festival was maybe a little bit less spectacular this year, it still made our day. Ganesh festival Paris The temple’s website has excellent information about the Ganesh festival, available here: http://www.templeganesh.fr/fetegan.htm.

This year, the website mentioned that religious ceremonies begin at the temple at 9am. Around 11am the parade leaves the temple and circles around until 15h, before returning to the temple.Ganesh festival Paris We arrived in the neighborhood around 14h and still managed to get a good glimpse of the festival. Upon arrival at the temple, we asked the policemen where the parade is, and followed their directions.Ganesh festival in ParisIn the beginning part of the parade there was a van carrying a small Ganesh statue, followed by a much bigger Ganesh. Then came the flowers, colorful dresses, fires, dancers and players. Ganesh festival Paris If you print the itinerary in advance from the temple’s website, you can easily locate the parade and just stay fifteen minutes if you like.Ganesh festival ParisThis festival will definitely introduce you to a very different Paris, while providing you with fantastic photo-shooting opportunities. I love the Ganesh festival and will return next year for sure.

PS In addition to printing out the map, do not forget three things:

1) Do your lentils and spices groceries at one of the multiple shops near La Chapelle metro station.

2) Visit the temple (http://www.templeganesh.fr/). Remove your shoes before entering and visit the temple clockwise.

3) Eat DELICIOUS South Indian thali at Saravanaa Bhavan (My love affair with Saravanaa Bhavan)

Namaste!

Back to Asia

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Bombay

This photo has a special meaning to me as I took it almost exactly one year and one month ago. We had just finished our third trip to India: a one-month-long tour in the South-East of India. The big, round and reddish Indian sun had woken us up and was looking at us above the Bay of Bombay (I always use the old name Bombay instead of Mumbai). It was very sad. Most people are always excited to return home after extensive traveling but I could have continued exploring India. Many people think it is very chaotic over there but I see the calm in people. This photo was taken a few minutes into the take-off from Chatrapati Shivaji Airport.

I am returning to Asia on Friday. Well, technically we leave Paris on Friday night and arrive in Kuala Lumpur on Saturday night –just in time for the Chinese New Year celebrations! After two nights in Kuala Lumpur we will go to Cambodia and Laos. We may and will try to add some beach time in Thailand in the end, but let’s see. Very few reservations are made: we are free birds. I will try to update the blog whenever I can, but if I disappear, you know it is because of a weak connection or simply that I am too busy tasting all those exotic dishes or that I got lost in the temples of Angkor. A bientôt!

Highlighs of Paris weekend

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Highlighs of Paris weekend

It was Jour de Fête, or should I rather say Week-end de Fête?

On Saturday we had a Berlin-based friend over for an apéritif. From our apartment we continued to a very Parisian bistro called Chez Janou in the 3rd arrondissement (http://chezjanou.com/). I know this bistro gets mixed reviews, the quality of food is not always consistent and the waiters can be a bit brusque, but we keep going there (and taking foreign friends there) for the following reasons:

1. It has that vieux Paris atmosphere and you would not be surprised if Édith Piaf sat next to you. Almost like in Woody Allen’s Midnight in Paris!

2. Food is Mediterranean flavored and really, what can I say: tomato chèvre starter immediately brought sun shine to our evening, the duck tasted like any duck that has had a happy life, my husband’s entrecôte was very tender and the mousse au chocolat the table next to us ordered was HUGE!

3. Their kitchen is open until midnight (unlike most French kitchen that close around ten in the evening), so keep this in mind the next time you are in Paris and wonder where to dine…

On Sunday evening we were invited to a collection preview of a Paris-based Finnish designer, Petteri Hemmilä. The collection was displayed in a beautiful, edgy atelier of a Corsican-born artist, and while the Eiffel Tower was blinking, we sipped wine and learned about Petteri’s new adventures. As he merits a separate post on his work, I will be doing it very soon.

As we left the atelier, got out to the snow and rented the Autolib, we suddenly felt like visiting the South India again and started driving toward the Gare du Nord. The weekend ended with a South Indian thali and an onion rava masala dosa. Saravana Bhavan (http://www.saravanabhavan.com/) is an international chain that started in Chennai, Tamil Nadu, in 1981, and since then they have expanded to Muscat, Dubai, Ontario, New York and many other cities around the world. In Paris they opened in 2010 and since our first trip to the South India (December 2011-January 2012) we have been regular, very happy customers!

Voila. A new week has started and at least one party is scheduled. Paris is a city of surprises and every day often becomes Jour de Fête, so stay tuned!