With the year of India in Canada officially over - we bring you the new Travel Companion India Blog with new links to travel specialists, tourist spots and the latest news in the world of tourism.
Thursday, March 8, 2012
Friday, August 5, 2011
Samosas in Bangalore
Just read this article on NDTV.com about it being the 'hot' season for samosas in Bangalore. Going to visit Bangalore? Give the Samosa a try - one of India's most famous snack foods with an array of fillings to choose from.
From NDTV.com:
Bangalore: During the holy month of Ramzan, Muslims across the city prefer breaking their fast with spicy samosas, thus shooting the sales to 90,000 pieces per day. And this figure is from Shivaji Nagar area alone. Last year, vendors made a fortune selling samosas in the area and claim that their profits lasted them six months. This year around, the excited men are lining up outside popular mosques in the city.
"Initially, Muslims use to like breaking fast during the month of Ramzan with a dry fruit mix consisting mainly of dates. The samosa trend started about a decade ago and is still going strong today," said Aslam Qureshi, a realtor in the area.
Spicy hotspots
Earlier, the Savera teashop on Broadway Road in Shivaji Nagar and the Mecca tea joint on Richmond Road were the two hot spots where people went to get samosas. Today however, small-time samosa vendors have become the hot favourites.
"Initially, Muslims use to like breaking fast during the month of Ramzan with a dry fruit mix consisting mainly of dates. The samosa trend started about a decade ago and is still going strong today," said Aslam Qureshi, a realtor in the area.
Spicy hotspots
Earlier, the Savera teashop on Broadway Road in Shivaji Nagar and the Mecca tea joint on Richmond Road were the two hot spots where people went to get samosas. Today however, small-time samosa vendors have become the hot favourites.
"People flock here every day for our special samosas. Last year we sold about 30,000 samosas every day of the Ramzan month. This year the sales have shot up dramatically," said Munawar Ahmed, owner of the Savera Hotel and tea shop.
Getting rich fast
In just one month, the turnover of the entire market touches Rs. 1.35 crore with each vendor making several lakhs. "I work as a part time samosa seller in the evening and make around Rs. 30,000 selling samosas for about two hours each day during Ramzan," said Arshad Chowdhury, a construction worker.
Mosque administrators have noticed that these spicy delicacies have bridged the gap between sections of Muslims across the city. "All sections of the Muslim community come together to pray under one roof and then gather outside the 35 mosques in Shivaji Nagar area to munch on samosas with the same spirit of unity," Aslam Qureshi explained.
Tasty bites
Getting rich fast
In just one month, the turnover of the entire market touches Rs. 1.35 crore with each vendor making several lakhs. "I work as a part time samosa seller in the evening and make around Rs. 30,000 selling samosas for about two hours each day during Ramzan," said Arshad Chowdhury, a construction worker.
Mosque administrators have noticed that these spicy delicacies have bridged the gap between sections of Muslims across the city. "All sections of the Muslim community come together to pray under one roof and then gather outside the 35 mosques in Shivaji Nagar area to munch on samosas with the same spirit of unity," Aslam Qureshi explained.
Tasty bites
- Each small vendor stocks up over 3,000 samosas for the evening
- Apart from vegetarian samosas, mutton and beef are hot favourites during Ramzan
- Samosas are priced at Rs. 5 each
- Turnover of the market on the first day of Ramzan was about Rs. 4.5 lakh
Top Ten Indian Tourist Destinations
Even though India has hundreds of tourist attractions, the Top Ten destinations for the past decade seems to be the same:
Goa
Mumbai
Agra
Hyderabad
Mysore
New Delhi
Jaipur
Chennai
Bangalore
Pondicherry
Don't let this list deter you from visiting any of the other States or Union Territories. Check out the link to the Indian Travel Companion:
Goa
Mumbai
Agra
Hyderabad
Mysore
New Delhi
Jaipur
Chennai
Bangalore
Pondicherry
Don't let this list deter you from visiting any of the other States or Union Territories. Check out the link to the Indian Travel Companion:
The second half of the book has details on every State and Union Terrirtory in India, and gives you information on the attractions, shopping and links to government websites.
Visiting India and need some advice or information?
Write to us here on the blog........and we will get back to you as soon as we can. Will put up an email id shortly so that you can email us as well.
Your Travel Companion
The India Blogger
Monday, June 13, 2011
IIFA IN NORTH AMERICA FOR THE FIRST TIME - TORONTO!!
The 12th International Indian Film Awards (IIFA) is like the Oscars of Indian cinema. For the first time, the awards and dance show is being held in North America, and Canada is the privileged host! From June 23rd to June 25th, the two day extravaganza will be held at the Rogers Centre (Awards ceremony) and the Ricoh Coliseum (Music and Fashion) in Toronto, Ontario.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
Indian Premier League - The Worlds largest Sporting Event!!
The 2010 Winners - The Chennai Super Kings!
The Indian Premier League (IPL) Season 4 has begun!! Being played just days after the Cricket World Cup tournament (which India won by the way!!), the IPL T20 has grown to become one of the biggest sporting events of the world. Played every year during the Summer season (April/May), the IPL is watched by cricket lovers world over and is the only tournament played in India with cheerleaders and music bands adding to the already electric atmosphere in the sold out stadiums!
Here is the schedule for the 2011 IPL tournament.
Here is the schedule for the 2011 IPL tournament.
| Date | Local/IST | No. | Match Details | Venue |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 8-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 1st | Chennai Super Kings vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 1st IPL | Chennai |
| 9-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 2nd | Deccan Chargers vs Rajasthan Royals, 2nd IPL | Hyderabad |
| 9-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 3rd | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 3rd IPL | Kochi |
| 10-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 4th | Delhi Daredevils vs Mumbai Indians, 4th IPL | Delhi |
| 10-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 5th | Pune Warriors vs Kings XI Punjab, 5th IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 11-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 6th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Deccan Chargers, 6th IPL | Kolkata |
| 12-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 7th | Rajasthan Royals vs Delhi Daredevils, 7th IPL | Jaipur |
| 12-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 8th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Mumbai Indians, 8th IPL | Bangalore |
| 13-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 9th | Kings XI Punjab vs Chennai Super Kings, 9th IPL | Mohali |
| 13-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 10th | Pune Warriors vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 10th IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 14-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 11th | Deccan Chargers vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 11th IPL | Hyderabad |
| 15-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 12th | Rajasthan Royals vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 12th IPL | Jaipur |
| 15-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 13th | Mumbai Indians vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 13th IPL | Hyderabad |
| 16-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 14th | Chennai Super Kings vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 14th IPL | Chennai |
| 16-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 15th | Deccan Chargers vs Kings XI Punjab, 15th IPL | Hyderabad |
| 17-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 16th | Pune Warriors vs Delhi Daredevils, 16th IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 17-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 17th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Rajasthan Royals, 17th IPL | Kolkata |
| 18-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 18th | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Chennai Super Kings, 18th IPL | Kochi |
| 19-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 19th | Delhi Daredevils vs Deccan Chargers, 19th IPL | Delhi |
| 19-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 20th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Rajasthan Royals, 20th IPL | Bangalore |
| 20-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 21st | Mumbai Indians vs Pune Warriors, 21st IPL | Mumbai |
| 20-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 22nd | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 22nd IPL | Kolkata |
| 21-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 23rd | Kings XI Punjab vs Rajasthan Royals, 23rd IPL | Mohali |
| 22-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 24th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 24th IPL | Kolkata |
| 22-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 25th | Mumbai Indians vs Chennai Super Kings, 25th IPL | Mumbai |
| 23-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 26th | Delhi Daredevils vs Kings XI Punjab, 26th IPL | Delhi |
| 24-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 27th | Deccan Chargers vs Mumbai Indians, 27th IPL | Hyderabad |
| 24-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 28th | Rajasthan Royals vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 28th IPL | Jaipur |
| 25-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 29th | Chennai Super Kings vs Pune Warriors, 29th IPL | Chennai |
| 26-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 30th | Delhi Daredevils vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 30th IPL | Delhi |
| 27-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 31st | Pune Warriors vs Chennai Super Kings, 31st IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 27-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 32nd | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Deccan Chargers, 32nd IPL | Kochi |
| 28-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 33rd | Delhi Daredevils vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 33rd IPL | Delhi |
| 29-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 34th | Rajasthan Royals vs Mumbai Indians, 34th IPL | Jaipur |
| 29-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 35th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Pune Warriors, 35th IPL | Bangalore |
| 30-Apr-11 | 16:00 | 36th | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Delhi Daredevils, 36th IPL | Kochi |
| 30-Apr-11 | 20:00 | 37th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Kings XI Punjab, 37th IPL | Kolkata |
| 1-May-11 | 16:00 | 38th | Rajasthan Royals vs Pune Warriors, 38th IPL | Jaipur |
| 1-May-11 | 20:00 | 39th | Chennai Super Kings vs Deccan Chargers, 39th IPL | Chennai |
| 2-May-11 | 16:00 | 40th | Mumbai Indians vs Kings XI Punjab, 40th IPL | Mumbai |
| 2-May-11 | 20:00 | 41st | Delhi Daredevils vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 41st IPL | Delhi |
| 3-May-11 | 20:00 | 42nd | Deccan Chargers vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 42nd IPL | Hyderabad |
| 4-May-11 | 16:00 | 43rd | Chennai Super Kings vs Rajasthan Royals, 43rd IPL | Chennai |
| 4-May-11 | 20:00 | 44th | Pune Warriors vs Mumbai Indians, 44th IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 5-May-11 | 16:00 | 45th | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 45th IPL | Kochi |
| 5-May-11 | 20:00 | 46th | Deccan Chargers vs Delhi Daredevils, 46th IPL | Hyderabad |
| 6-May-11 | 20:00 | 47th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kings XI Punjab, 47th IPL | Bangalore |
| 7-May-11 | 16:00 | 48th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Chennai Super Kings, 48th IPL | Kolkata |
| 7-May-11 | 20:00 | 49th | Mumbai Indians vs Delhi Daredevils, 49th IPL | Mumbai |
| 8-May-11 | 16:00 | 50th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 50th IPL | Bangalore |
| 8-May-11 | 20:00 | 51st | Kings XI Punjab vs Pune Warriors, 51st IPL | Mohali |
| 9-May-11 | 20:00 | 52nd | Rajasthan Royals vs Chennai Super Kings, 52nd IPL | Jaipur |
| 10-May-11 | 16:00 | 53rd | Deccan Chargers vs Pune Warriors, 53rd IPL | Hyderabad |
| 10-May-11 | 20:00 | 54th | Kings XI Punjab vs Mumbai Indians, 54th IPL | Mohali |
| 11-May-11 | 20:00 | 55th | Rajasthan Royals vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 55th IPL | Jaipur |
| 12-May-11 | 20:00 | 56th | Chennai Super Kings vs Delhi Daredevils, 56th IPL | Chennai |
| 13-May-11 | 20:00 | 57th | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Kings XI Punjab, 57th IPL | Indore |
| 14-May-11 | 16:00 | 58th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 58th IPL | Bangalore |
| 14-May-11 | 20:00 | 59th | Mumbai Indians vs Deccan Chargers, 59th IPL | Mumbai |
| 15-May-11 | 20:00 | 60th | Kings XI Punjab vs Delhi Daredevils, 60th IPL | Dharmasala |
| 15-May-11 | 20:00 | 61st | Kochi Tuskers Kerala vs Rajasthan Royals, 61st IPL | Indore |
| 16-May-11 | 20:00 | 62nd | Pune Warriors vs Deccan Chargers, 62nd IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 17-May-11 | 20:00 | 63rd | Kings XI Punjab vs Royal Challengers Bangalore, 63rd IPL | Dharmasala |
| 18-May-11 | 20:00 | 64th | Chennai Super Kings vs Kochi Tuskers Kerala, 64th IPL | Chennai |
| 19-May-11 | 20:00 | 65th | Pune Warriors vs Kolkata Knight Riders, 65th IPL | Navi Mumbai |
| 20-May-11 | 20:00 | 66th | Mumbai Indians vs Rajasthan Royals, 66th IPL | Mumbai |
| 21-May-11 | 16:00 | 67th | Kings XI Punjab vs Deccan Chargers, 67th IPL | Dharmasala |
| 21-May-11 | 20:00 | 68th | Delhi Daredevils vs Pune Warriors, 68th IPL | Delhi |
| 22-May-11 | 16:00 | 69th | Royal Challengers Bangalore vs Chennai Super Kings, 69th IPL | Bangalore |
| 22-May-11 | 20:00 | 70th | Kolkata Knight Riders vs Mumbai Indians, 70th IPL | Kolkata |
| 24-May-11 | 20:00 | 71st | TBC vs TBC, Qualifier 1 IPL | Mumbai |
| 25-May-11 | 20:00 | 72nd | TBC vs TBC, Eliminator IPL | Mumbai |
| 27-May-11 | 20:00 | 73rd | TBC vs TBC, Qualifier 2 IPL | Chennai |
| 28-May-11 | 20:00 | Final | TBC vs TBC, Final IPL | Chennai |
Friday, April 1, 2011
How do you make one billion people disappear?
Any tourist who happened to be in India last Wednesday, must have been wondering if evacuation orders had been given to over a billion people and where on earth did they all go? Indian streets, stores and restaurants were virtual ghost towns. The reason? The entire country was gripped in Cricket fever as India played against Pakistan in the semi-finals of the Cricket World Cup.
Televisions, on-line streaming videos and radio's relayed the war like match to billions in India and abroad, who watched with families and friends, biting their nails in anticipation of every ball hit and whether it would be a catch or not. Even those not interested in Cricket would have been caught up in the tension, anticipation and cheer of every stroke, run or near miss...just from the energy of those around them. Needless to say, India went on to win the match (followed by the spontaneous cheers of the same billion people and lakhs of rupees worth of crackers burst to celebrate the historic win) and will now play the finals this Saturday against Srilanka in Mumbai.
So come Saturday - India turns Ghost Country once again!
Friday, March 25, 2011
Launch of the India Travel companion 2011
Thursday, March 24, 2011
The Rally of the Himalayas....'Raid de Himalayas'
Did you know that the 'Raid de Himalayas' in India, is the world's highest rally? The grueling circuit through the mountains puts to test the spirit and mettle of motor rallying enthusiasts.
The Raid-de-Himalaya is India's toughest and most demanding motor sport rally. It is open to both car and bike enthusiasts and for professional as well as amateurs. The participants drive through some of the world's highest motorable roads and passes in the Himalayas like Jalori Pass, Rohtang Pass, Kunzum La, Baralacha La, Tanglang La & Khardung La and also through the inhospitable terrains in the Lahual and Spiti valleys in the Ladakh region. Most of the drive is through boulders, snow capped peaks, gushing streams and at times, temperature below -20 degree Celsius. On an average, a participant covers a distance of 300 km every day in this approximately 1800 km and week-long motoring event.
Every year, more and more people participate in the Raid-de-Himalaya, many of them from abroad. In the past couple of years as many as 175+ teams participated in car and bike categories. The 'Raid-de-Himalaya' is the only Indian motor sport event listed on the 'off-road rallies' calendar of FIM (Federation Internationale Motorcyclisme), Geneva, Switzerland. Only 12 international motoring events world-wide are listed in this calendar.
The Raid-de-Himalaya is held in October every year. For more details please take a look at this website:
http://www.raid-de-himalaya.com/
The Raid-de-Himalaya is India's toughest and most demanding motor sport rally. It is open to both car and bike enthusiasts and for professional as well as amateurs. The participants drive through some of the world's highest motorable roads and passes in the Himalayas like Jalori Pass, Rohtang Pass, Kunzum La, Baralacha La, Tanglang La & Khardung La and also through the inhospitable terrains in the Lahual and Spiti valleys in the Ladakh region. Most of the drive is through boulders, snow capped peaks, gushing streams and at times, temperature below -20 degree Celsius. On an average, a participant covers a distance of 300 km every day in this approximately 1800 km and week-long motoring event.
Every year, more and more people participate in the Raid-de-Himalaya, many of them from abroad. In the past couple of years as many as 175+ teams participated in car and bike categories. The 'Raid-de-Himalaya' is the only Indian motor sport event listed on the 'off-road rallies' calendar of FIM (Federation Internationale Motorcyclisme), Geneva, Switzerland. Only 12 international motoring events world-wide are listed in this calendar.
http://www.raid-de-himalaya.com/
The Indian 'Curry'
Common to all parts of India is the famous Indian 'curry'. The word 'curry' basically has come to mean, 'gravy', so ordering a chicken 'curry' in one place will not be the same as the 'curry' of another. The main ingredients of a curry can vary enormously. Curries are made with a different blend of ingredients, combinations of spices, herbs, onions, tomatoes, ginger, garlic, coconut milk etc. They are eaten with either rice or Indian bread called 'rotis' or 'naans'.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Welcome to the Travel Companion India Blog!
Why is this book so special? Different from the usual run of the mill guide books, the travel companion has features on everything from culture, cuisine, religions and the geography of India, to in-depth tourist attractions in every State and Union territory.
From relaxing on a beach, going on a trek, riding an elephant or camel, playing golf, having an ayurvedic massage, visiting monuments, forts and palaces, fishing, bird watching....we could go on and on..but we won't. These are just samples of what you could be doing in India right now!!
From mountains, to deserts, to beaches and back waters, from rain forests and hill stations to rivers and plantations, India really has the best of all worlds, so come and explore this wonderful journey to the exotic land of India..................
To see the book online, please follow the link given on the right side of the blog page. For a hard copy of the book, please email us at info@indigomarketingsolutions.com
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