Feb 082014
 
Numaish  For Shopping In Hyderabad

  Numaish: Where Hyderabad Goes Shopping Well, let us go to another Hyderabad tradition i.e. the Numaish or the annual Exhibition is called. Numaish Masnuaat-e-Mulki is an Urdu word meaning Exhibition of Local products. Numaish has been a Hyderabad tradition since 1938.  Like all things in Hyderabad, the folklore related with Numaish is also very interesting and motivating. Some graduates from Osmania University got together with the idea to raise funds for conducting an economic survey of the State. The proposal was put before the then Prime Minister of Hyderabad, Sir Akber Hyderi, and he liked it well to raise the money they [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 082014
 
Maut Ka Kuan: Death Defying Stunts at Numaish

  Maut Ka Kuan: Death Well At Numaish Well like I mentioned earlier I was at Numaish a traditional fair conducted every year in Hyderabad and one the things that totally zapped me was what we call Maut Ka Kuan or the Well of death. Here inside a man-made huge tub, daredevil motorcycle and car stuntmen defy gravity and perform stunts that will put any Bollywood and Hollywood hero to shame. There are no  helmets or net to protect them in case of an accident. But fortunately these guys practice a lot and using a bit of laws of [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 072014
 

My First South Indian Meal on Banana Leaf Although I am a shudh 100% desi, there are so many things that I have never tried in India. But like they say there has to be a first time for everything. So recently I was invited by my friend and philanthropist Ram Babu, who also co-manages the famous Aahaar Kuteer the millet restaurant in Begumpet and is doing a lot of work on satvik ( holisitc) food that can help in a better healthier lifestyle. While eating on a banana leaf is very common in south India especially in Tamil [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 042014
 
Some Technical Issues: Site Hacked and Recovered

  Dear Reader: The site is facing some technical issues. Kindly bear till we sort them out. Thanks desi Traveler Fortunately we are back and the site is functional once again. So here is an update: desi Traveler was hacked and some malicious code was inserted in to word press. The code had more than 50 links to spammy sites. I discovered it accidentally while searching for some information and saw this screen shot with desi traveler showcasing things like Viagra, Cialis, Loans etc. Needless to say I could not understand what is happening as I don’t know much [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 042014
 
Book Review of: The Hunt For Kohinoor by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar

  The Hunt for Kohinoor by Manreet Sodhi Someshwar: Book Review Let us go on a clandestine journey to one of the most inhospitable terrain on earth  the lawless badlands of AFPAK border where law is defined by the guy whose finger is on the trigger of Kalashnikov, and there are more Kalashnikovs in this area than were ever made by the Soviets. Go figure.  Indian thriller writing is now coming of age and The Hunt for Kohinoor is fine examples of an unapologetic, thriller that is written with the  unadulterated aim of raising your hair and makes your [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Feb 012014
 
Travel Khana: Ordering Food in Indian Trains

Ordering your meals for delivery on Trains in India Regular readers of desi Traveler will know that I have rediscovered my love of traveling in the trains. But two biggest challenges remain in train travel To book Tatkal tickets on IRCTC website The food choices on most trains  Though food on Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains is passable if you are traveling once in a while, the food on other trains is totally dependent on your luck and the contractor serving the route.  Most Indians prefer to bring their own food on the trains, but as many train journeys are [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Jan 282014
 
Colors of India: The Homes In Indian Villages & Small Towns

Beautiful Colors of India in Villages and Small Towns Whenever I travel, one of my aims is to click pictures of homes, not houses but homes.  You cannot just walk into anybody’s home and click pictures; you would need to be invisible for that. As I am yet to find my invisibility cloak ala Mr. India, I am just happy clicking pictures of homes from outside.  You see for last many years we have lived in an apartment complex, where you do not have much choice on the color of exterior, but one can play with decorating interiors with [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Jan 212014
 
Showcase on Traveler & Photographer: Saurabh Chatterjee

Meet Saurabh Chatterjee: Traveler and Photographer Dear readers today we will showcase a unique traveler who has crisscrossed India’s remote corners and photographing her wonders with his lens in his own very unique style.  Almost all of us have a dream somewhere buried deep inside us to follow our passions, but few can muster enough courage to embrace dreams and say sayonara to 9-5. Well not Saurabh Chatterjee after a very successful career in IT with some of the top MNCs he decided to chase his two missions in his life – to see INDIA and to make every [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Jan 162014
 
Kite & Fanush Flying on Sakranti

   Kites & Fanush Flying Festival on Sankranti Sankranti also known as Pongal is a major Indian Festival and one of the few Hindu festivals based on the solar calendar. Essentially a harvest festival it is celebrated with great fervor in agrarian communities. In Punjab, it is celebrated a day before Sankranti or Sankranthi in form or Lohri and in south India it is called Sankranti or Pongal depending on the region. Kite flying is a major tradition in India on Sankranti, though in parts of India kites are also flown on 15th of August, to celebrate Indian Independence [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]

Jan 132014
 
Kerala Blog Express

Help me to go to Kerala as part of Kerala Blog Express #KeralaBlogExpress My last trip to God’s own country was many years ago and I  just can’t wait to go there once again. I may get a chance to go there soon if I am one of the top 25 winners participating in the Kerala Blog Express, conducted by Kerala Tourism Department. As part of the contest travel bloggers from around the world are participating in the contest and as a first cut the bloggers with most votes will get a chance to take part in selection round [Continue Reading By Clicking Here…]