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Category: Travel & Places

  • Jain Heritage Walk On World Heritage Day

    Jain Heritage Walk On World Heritage Day

    On Ahmedabad’s 597th Birthday, I had undertaken the Ahmedabad Heritage Walk. It was a great experience. Since then, I got the opportunity to revisit the same walk multiple times with friends and guests. Heritage Walks are a great way to know the city and experience the treasure of our culture. It is a great connector between past and present. Now there is Gandhi Walk, Kids Heritage Walk and Art & Craft Walk as well.

    On The World Heritage Day on April 18, 2014, I participated in the Jain Heritage Walk Organized by ‘The Times Of India’. The concept of TOI Heritage Walks is to merge music with the walk.

    The warm-up for the walk was the beautiful classical music by Genius Sitarist Manju Mehta. She gave a great spiritual and uplifting experience in the early morning at Diwanji-Ni-Haveli in Sankhdi Sheri at Manek Chowk.

    After that great start, it was time for Jain Heritage Gaurav Yatra of the Walled City. The walk covered 33 temples made in marble and wood loaded with jaw-dropping carvings and yet retaining simplicity, the core value of the Jain way of life. The walk traversed through Ashtapad temple in Doshiwada ni pol, Ajithnath temple in Choumukhi ni pol, temples in Vaghan ni pol and the underground temple of Sambhavnath in Zaverivad.

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    Related Links:
    Ahmedabad Heritage WAlk
    Ahmedabad Heritage Walk Photos – 2008

  • The New Gateway Of India

    The Mumbai’s T2 Terminal Will Soon Open For General Public. It Is One Of The Most Beautifully Designed Airports.

    The Airport Is Inspired By India’s Warmness And Open Heart And Diverse Art. Western Airports Are Cold And Steel And Glass – But This Airport Is Different.

    The Best Example Of Differential Thinking Is The 3Km Art Wall With More Than 7000 Pieces Of Art ! It Is One The Biggest Art Museum In India – But You Will Need A Boarding Pass !

    The Jai He Is Another Innovation. The Airport Is Inspired By Dancing Peacock – Peacock Is India’s National Bird !

    I Admire The Management And Project Execution Skills Displayed On The Project. The Entire Airport Came Up With Minimal Disruption To The City. Most People Never Saw The Airport Being Built. The Most Common Question Is That How Did They Do It? We Never Knew Such An Important Airport Was Being Built Without Disturbing Anyone?

    The Stories Of Negotation And Cajoling With Different Stake-Holders Is Worth Of A Business Case Study !

    The City Of Dreams Deserves Such A Wonderful Airport ! It Is Indeed The New Gateway Of India !

    See It !

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  • Saptak 2014 – Time To Enjoy The Best Of Indian Classical Music

    Saptak 2014 – Time To Enjoy The Best Of Indian Classical Music

    Saptak Annual Music Festival Is Back !

    Time To Enjoy The Best Of Indian Classical Music ! More Than 50 Sessions of Soul-Touching Bliss ! Theme Of Saptak 2014 Is Sankrant !

    This Year, The Saptak Annual Music Festival 2014 Will Be Held In Two Parts
    Part-1: 01-1-2014 To 13-1-2014
    Part-2: 27-1-2014 To 28-1-2014

    The List Of Artists For 2014 Include:

    Smt. Manju Mehta – Sitar
    Pts. Rajan Sajan Mishra – Vocal
    Pt. Krishna Mohan Bhatt – Sitar
    Pt. Hariprasad Chaurasia – Flute
    Pt. Birju Maharaj – Kathak
    Smt. Shubha Mudgal – Vocal
    Shri Rahul Sharma – Santoor
    Pt. Shivkumar Sharma – Santoor
    Shri Zakir Hussain – Tabla
    Pt. Jasraj – Vocal
    Pt. Vishwa Mohan Bhatt – Mohan Veena
    Pt. Umakant Gundecha – Dhrupad
    Pt. Ramakant Gundecha – Dhrupad
    Anoushka Shankar – Sitar

    Event Venue:
    Amrut Mody School of Management, Opp. I.I.M.A., Ahmedabad.

    Full Calendar
    Saptak Annual Music Festival

    Get Ready For The Wonderful Music In Cold January Evening With Hot Milk And Banarasi Paan ! This Is Bliss Not To Miss !

  • Sufiaana Magic @ Sarkhej Roza

    Sufiaana Magic @ Sarkhej Roza

    Ahmedabad is celebrating the Heritage Week. A number of celebratory events took place and one of the most interesting was Sufi Festival @ Sarkhej Roza. Organized by Craft Of Art, this was an very engaging and memorable event.

    Sufi Music has become very popular in recent times. The packed audience at Sarkhej Roza was a testimony to this popularity. People braved the cold winds and the distance to enjoy the divine music. It is an encouraging sign for sure ! Creme le da creme of Ahmedabad brushed soldiers with true blue fans of music.

    The beautiful venue provided the perfect backdrop for the Sufi Festival. Sarkhej Roza was all lit up and looked like a bride ! Sarkhej Roza is one of the most elegant and unique architectural marvel of Ahmedabad. It is an wonderful example of early Islamic architectural culture of the region with influence sof Persian, Hindu and Jain features to form a unique style.

    The evening was hosted by popular Film and TV Actor Anup Soni. He quoted Shaayris and Quotes liberally. His definition of Sufi was one where the aritst, audience and Almighty all become One. Sufi is celebrating ‘Andar Ki Kaynaat’ and killing ‘Bahar Ki Buraai’. Sufi is celebration of unity with Almighty and pain of departing with Almighty.

    The evening started with renditions from Anwar Khan Manganiyar from Jaisalmer, Rajasthan. His amazing performance left us spell-bound. It was followed by Bickram Ghosh’s fusion on tabla. The highlight of the evening was of Warsi Brothers’ Sufiana renditions. ‘Allah Hoon Allah Hoon’, “Deewani”, etc moved the crowds.

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    Audience wanted the show to go on. Because of time restrictions, all performances has to be curtailed. Each ARtist should be given atleast an hour and prime performances need even more – Something that regularly happens at Saptak.

    The Sufi music and Sarkhej Roza Backdrop are indeed a magical fusion. Waiting for the next edition !

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  • Travel Habits Infographic

    Google Insights on Travel Habits

  • London Restaurants – June 2013

    London Restaurants – June 2013

    London has become a second home to me. London is a global city like New York, Tokya and my very own Bombay !

    London is a global melting pot of cultures. No other place has such an eclectic mix of people, culture, language, cuisine, art, businesses, brands and tolerance.

    June 2013 has been a great month for me and my London June Trip continued to prove that. InfoStretch’s London office went operational. InfoStretch also won the award for the Best Company at GESIA Awards – a feat that was yammered by our CEO while sipping coffee at Thames !

    London was packed in June due to summer, Champions Trophy, Wimbledon, music festivals and other events. The good thing was that the weather was excellent and we enjoyed it. The trip was very hectic but we stole time to explore London between a few meetings and one late evening. Food took us to new places as well. The new places that I discovered during this trip were:

    1. Kokeb – Kokeb is an Ethiopian restaurant in the Holloway Area on the Roman Way. This was my first Ethiopian food experience and I enjoyed it. Much of it was like the Indian food. The bread was similar to Dosa. Our hostess was smart, witty and very warm person with an excellent service attitude. The place was fully crowded on a weekday at 7:30 pm.

    2. Benito’s Hat – A good place to try Mexican food. We were craving for Mexican food and the Burritas at Benito’s were a great find. The extra spicy sauce was indeed too hot – my mistake to ignore the warnings from the boss of the joint !

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    3. Wagamama – A great option for Asian Food. The place was right next to my hotel and very convenient as well.

    4. GNH Bar – An island of peace in middle of madness ! The perfect place for meetings and some hot chocolate / coffee at King’s Cross station. I loved it.

    During meetings and dinner, I continued to entertain my traditional favorites – Masala Zone, Saraswati Bhavan, Pret A Manger, EAT etc. And yes, I had the street side ice-creams and Strawberries !

  • Ahmedabad Book Fair Experience

    I have stopped visiting book fairs including the legendary Strand Book Sale. Because I have run out space in house (credit card takes care of running out of money !) I am an impulsive buyer when it comes to books. I am always ready with rationale for books : Books are the best investments – true friends – windows to culture!

    I made an exception to the rule by visiting Ahmedabad Book Fair. I had heard lot of positive reviews about the book fair. And I think the exhibition was worth the hype. It was a really well organized book fair with more than 300 book stalls. There was an exhibition of books converted to movies. I was very impressed by the eBook section of the fair – it was a nice and informative initiative. There were lectures and workshops. Also there was the mandatory food court for the foodie Amdavadis ! GujaratiLexicon Team conducted a workshop on Gujarati Internet World, Gujarati Typing and GujaratiLexicon.

    The Book Fair had special treat for Gujarati Book Lovers. The best collections were on sale. All religions and trusts were well-represented through their book stalls. Amish Tripathi, Chetan Bhagat ruled the show as usual in popular section. Children books, self-help books, cooking recipe books and religious books dominated the show.

    I was very pleased to see thousands of people visiting the book fair. It was a heartening sight to see kids in very big numbers. The love of books is second to none.

  • Lucky Restaurant : Chai Maska Bun With The Dead !

    Lucky Restaurant : Chai Maska Bun With The Dead !

    Do You Feel Uncomfortable In The Company Of The Dead? What About Eating Tea And Pineapple Jam Bun In Their Company?

    Welcome To The Most Interesting And An Unusual Restaurant – The New Lucky Restaurant In Ahmedabad. The Place Is Famous For The Tombs In The Restaurant. People Drink The Famous Tea And Maska Bun In The Company Of The Departed Sufi Poets And Saints Of The Mughal Era.

    I Accidentally Visited This Place. Year Was 2003. I Was Early For A Morning Meeting And I Decided To Have Tea. I Went Inside The Restaurant And Ordered The Tea. As I Was Reading My Newspaper, I Noticed A Tomb Besides Me. I Was Surprised. Then I Saw More Of Those Tombs. As I Started Chatting With The Restaurant People, I Learnt The History Of The Place. Since Then, It Is A Must Visit Place In Ahmedabad Itinerary For My Guests And Friends!

    Lucky Started As A Small Street Side Tea Stall Under A Tree Near The Sidi Sayyed Mosque. The Business Grew And It Got Converted Into A Larger Restaurant – With Benches & Tables Around Twenty Tombs. The Tree Still Exists Inside The Restaurant.

    One Unknown Fact Is That This Restaurant Has An Original M F Hussain Painting, Gifted By None Other Than The Most Celebrated Painter – Who Was A Lucky Restaurant Fan !

    The New Lucky Restaurant Was Featured As One Of The Top Ten Odd Eateries By Time Magazine.

  • Experience Snow In Ahmedabad !

    The Climate Is Going Crazy These Days ! Ahmedabad Has Experienced Extreme Cold, Rains And Hot Weather In Last Few Days – Like All In One Smartphones ! We Decided To Add Snow To The Above List – Hence We Visited Wonderland Snow Park Near Sarkhej Crossroads.

    The Maniar Wonderland Has An Artificial Snow Park – An Escape From Heat Of Ahmedabad. The Experience Was Good – Not Extraordinary. It Was A Good Fun For Children – A Difference Outing From Normal Sundays. Play In Ice, Make Ice Balls And Enjoy The Slides. The Snow Park Was Well-Designed But Undermined By Lack Of Crowds And Hence Maintenance. It Could Have Been Better.

    The Park Has Also Other Adventure Like Zip Lines, Dessert Bike, Aqua Ball etc. The Park Was Value For Money. The Restaurant Was Very Average. Snow Makes It A Good Experience – Though Real Snow Is Real Snow.

  • Midnight Hunger? Try Manek Chowk !

    Midnight Hunger? Try Manek Chowk !

    Manek Chowk is one of the most popular places of Ahmedabad. It is famous for its night food stalls, which give the place a unique energy and vibrancy. The place is crowded from late evening to early morning. The place to be for the midnight hunger !

    Manek Chowk is an open square in the heart of old Ahmedabad. It is a jewellery and vegetable market in the day time. However, its night food stalls have made it really famous. It is one of the must have experiences of Ahmedabad.

    I have been the guide to many tourist and gypsy souls visiting Ahmedabad. I often take them to Manek Chowk in the midnight. I tell my friends to treat this as a unique experience – it is not good or bad – it is a different experience.

    Try the following things:
    1. Gwalior Dosa @ Balan Dosa Centre – This is very soft dose. Actually this is butter with dosa. Extra layers of butter make it tasty and soft.
    2. Tez Dosa @ Balan Dosa Centre – The Tez is a bigger hit than Ajay Devgan’s Tezz. A spicy treat after the buttery Gwalior Dosa.
    3. Ferarri Sandwich – Pineapple and sandwich but cheese layer replaces the bread layer. Different !
    4. Cadbury Pineapple Sandwich – Another Manek Chowk experience! Some think it is a dessert. But it is a starter actually !
    5. Hyderabadi Biryani
    6. Pav Bhaji
    7. Kulfi @ Asharfi – The must have dessert.

    People can try HajmaHajam (digestive freshener), Farsan, Pani Puri, Ragda Pattice, Chat Items and Pizza as well.

    A week at Manek Chowk converts your 8 packs into single pack !