Stay in Gurgaon

AM 6.15 – Humbly! It is an unknown hour to me. However, today was different. The duo, a very upbeat  Mahadevan Chidambram and I, the drowsy eyed reluctant early bird, had planned for a short motorbike ride to photograph the recently restored Humayun’s Tomb . The monument that took 9 years to build 400 years ago took 7 years to restore (Wow!) and has been the talk of the town ever since Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurated it on 18th of September 2013. The massive restoration work of Humayun’s Tomb was undertaken by the Aga Khan Trust for Culture & Sir Dorabji Tata Trust, in partnership with Archaeological Survey of India (ASI). It involved a 200,000 man-day effort of craftsmen (including master craftsmen from Uzbekistan) who worked to apply 21,000 square metres of lime plaster, reset 5,400 square metres of sandstone on the terrace and lift 3,700 square metres of stone plinth to reconstruct the collapsed arcade and dome. Around 12 hectares of lawns were replanted, and over 250

On The occassion is Panchami,the first day of Durga Puja. The Managing Committee of DurgaUtsav GK – 2 has warmly invited all WOT Members to come and Celebrate the Pujo with them at the GK 2 Pandal We shall organize a Drum Circle infront of the Idol .Mata ke charno mein ,Oh What a feeling and what an Oppurtunity Accompanying us would be the Dhak Players also in the Pandal . So please do bring your Drums or anyother instrument to make music and entertain almosty 1500 people. The committee has promised us some delicious Bengali Snacks – rolls fish fry cultets devils eggs and cold drinks Sounds real Exciting !!!!!!! DURGA UTSAV .. time to celebrate the Pujos

This town of Mandawa is literally an “open art gallery” and is located in Jhunjhunu district of Rajasthan in India – a part of Shekhawati region. By the odometer Mandawa is exactly 270 km from Hotel Bristol Chowk (Gurgaon 0) on Mehrauli Gurgaon road, Gurgaon. Mandawa was a trading outpost for the ancient caravan routes that stopped here from China and the Middle East. Thakur Nawal Singh, the Rajput ruler of Nawalgarh and Mandawa, built a fort in 1755 to protect the outpost. The township grew around the fort and attracted a large community of traders, who settled here. Today, Mandawa attracts tourists from world over who are left in awe with the frescoes on the Havelis and in the Mandawa Fort (also called Castle Mandawa ) which is a heritage hotel now. Mandawa is well connected with a vast network of roads, most of which are decent. The indecent ones are bone rattlers and will claim your tailbone especially if you are riding a motorcycle which I was. To minimise the damage it is bette

After Amritsar on the 15th August 2013, the fraternity group Bikers in Gurgaon (B.I.G.) Riders added Mandawa as yet another destination accomplished, interestingly on 15 September 2013 – just a month after accomplishing Wagah Border, Amritsar. Five BIGGIES, the name the Bikers in Gurgaon go by …  Saumitra Chaturvedi ,  Mahadevan Chidambaram ,  Rahul Bhatt ,  Mayank Rao  &  Sumit Malhotra  rode more than 550 kms over two days and visited the desert town of Mandawa also called the Land of Havelis in the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan unfazed by the blistering heat, treacherous highways and sands of the desert. The BIGGIES rode on the NH-8 till Behror and then moved on to the state highway towards Narnaul and then onward to Singhana, Chirawa, Jhunjhunu to finally rest for the night at the Paawana Haveli in Mandawa. The town of Mandawa is resplendent with aging and lavish fresco paintings on the walls which makes it look like an “ open art gallery “. Heritage and culture is abound i

The Review Third time lucky; well I don’t think so! Priyanka’s third outing in a Bachchan remake has not gone the way it was intended to! Apoorva Lakhia disappoints big time and that too third time in a row! (After Mumbai Se Aaya Mera Dost and Mission Istanbul). The films insipid plot, below average performances and lackluster direction are solely responsible for this! There is nothing in the movie- no story line, no music and no direction and also Priyanka’s pinky number falls flat on its face along with her frozen chemistry with Ram Charan! The film begins on an unpromising note and only a true film buff would sit through the horror that is unleashed on him in the garb of performances. To start with, Ram Charan fails to impress with his histrionics (were there any? I am still wondering) Priyanka Chopra- what a waste of national award winning talent and less said about Mahi Gill the better because this girl is capable of so much more and I still can’t fathom what made her take on this

Lord Ganesha ( Gana Isha  : Lord of Ganas) is widely worshipped as the god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune and traditionally invoked at the beginning of any new venture or at the start of travel. Ganesha Chaturthi or Vinayak Chaturthi is the Hindu festival celebrated on the birthday (rebirth) of Lord Ganesha, the son of Shiva and Parvati. It is believed that Lord Ganesha bestows his presence on earth for all his devotees during this festival. Ganesh Chaturthi starts with the “Sthapana” (installation) of Lord Ganesh statues in colorfully decorated homes and specially erected temporary structures pandals in localities. Special sweets like Modaks, a dumpling made from rice flour/wheat flour with a stuffing of fresh or dry-grated coconut, jaggery, dry fruits and some other condiments are specially prepared to appease the Lord. Modaks, kheera pad (sugar, khas, coconut) and panchamrit (milk, curds, honey, sugar, ghee) are essential for the first puja. While the festival is very po

The Gurgaon administration Tuesday again banned hookah bars in the district with District Magistrate Shekhar Vidyarthi issuing orders imposing the ban. “Hookah bars are serving tobacco molasses containing nicotine which is injurious to the health of the people, especially college students and youth,” the order said. Taking the health hazards of tobacco and nicotine into account, the operation of hookah bars has been prohibited in the entire district with immediate effect, Vidyarthi said. Those found violating the orders will face strict legal action, he warned. Last time this ban was imposed in the month of June 2013 when District Magistrate P C Meena had ordered ban on Hookah bars in the Gurgaon district. Gurgaon Administration Bans Hookah Bars Again #DistrictMagistrateGurgaon, #HookahBarsGurgaon, #PCMeena, #ShekharVidyarthi