Kangra Devi, important Shakti Peeth of Godess Sati

It was evening when we started from Jwala Ji. Kangra Devi is some 60 km away from Jwala ji. It took us about an hour or so to reach Kangra Devi. It was getting dark on the way.   Our plan was to visit the Kangra Devi Temple on the same night.

But due to being dark and a bit late, we decided to first get an accommodation and then visit the temple. All the hotels were booked it being a long weekend we could manage to take a budget accommodation in hotel Mayur. Although the price was less but room was comfortable and bathroom was perfectly clean and all amenities were there except Wi-Fi. That night we could not do darshan as it was already 9pm by the time we settled and the temple closes at 9pm. To our great surprise, it started raining and there was lightning and thunder storms as well. So, we planned to visit the temple early in the morning.  Next morning, we headed towards the temple and took an auto rikshaw till complex from car parking

It was a nice view that there was not much crowd so we could stand nicely inside the temple and did Darshan then we moved around the temple. A big Kali Mata idol was a magnificent one and I was amazed to see it.

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Nidhi KM

Jwala Ji, a place for ever lit seven jyots, inextinguishable flames

It was around 5.30pm when we reached Jwala Ji from Chintpurni Mata. It was a drive of maximum one hour. The route to Jwala Ji was very nice and full of greenery. The weather was also very nice.
[caption id="attachment_10828" align="alignnone" width="669"] On the way to Jwala Ji[/caption]
After parking our car at the stand, we took an auto. Auto dropped us near the Jwala Ji Bhavan complex. We reached the complex in next two minutes. There was huge rush so, it took us some time to reach the main temple.
[caption id="attachment_10830" align="alignnone" width="669"] Jwala Ji entrance[/caption][caption id="attachment_10831" align="alignnone" width="669"] Temple[/caption]
In the main temple, before I saw anything, I could feel the hot floor. The floor was warm enough to be able to stand barefeet. There are seven jyotis/ flames in that main temple. The very first jyot we saw was oozing out of the rock and continuously flowing upwards. That is called the Main jyot. It is thin but long jyot. It took me some time to identify it. 

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Nidhi KM

Authentic Punjabi delicacies @ Kitchen 95, Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

The name kitchen 95 is intriguing! I was curious to experience the food at the restaurant. We had dinner and breakfast both at Kitchen 95,  Hyatt Regency. The ambiance was great! It was a huge restaurant serving multi-cuisine.
[caption id="attachment_10815" align="alignnone" width="669"] Kitchen 95[/caption]

Ambiance of Kitchen 95

The restaurant was shining bright in combination with the floor, furniture and walls. First section of the restaurant was dedicated to deserts on both on the left and right side of the restaurant. Following the dessert counter was a live kitchen dedicated to Oriental cuisine and one could get a preparation done for pasta or anything at the live kitchen.  Tables were adequately spaced out so that guests could have their own space.

Food

In the evening, snacks included noodles, roasted paneer, chilli potatoes, nonvegetarian snacks like malai tikka, roasted chicken, pizza both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. Kids relished pizza. Special pasta was prepared for them and both of them loved it. Main course had Oriental cuisine and traditional Indian like Dal makhani , shahi paneer , corn palak and more. Dal Makhani and Paneer lababdar were my favourite Punjabi dishes. I was actually waiting to taste them in Punjab. Dal makhani satiated my taste buds totally. It was irresistible! Since long, I hadn't had Dal Makhani of this flavour, texture and aroma! Simply loved it.


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Nidhi KM

Five Tips for accessing your money abroad...by Ivy Oliver

Everyone wants a seamless travel. Money is the last thing that one wants to bother about. One has to be careful in money matters specially in foreign land. Wondering how you’ll handle your money abroad while being at peace! Thankfully, there are plenty of tried and tested tips to keep your mind at ease when considering your budget.

Here are just a few tips to make accessing your money abroad a whole lot easier

 

Convert before you go

https://flic.kr/p/qP4wzf
It’s arguably the best way to go about accessing your money abroad – consider converting it before you even go. Exchange rates are usually always much better on the high street at home than they are both in the airport or abroad, as these vendors seize the opportunity to charge more when they know you need the money the most.

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Divine experience at Mata Chintpurni temple

It took us some three hours to reach from Ludhiana to Mata Chintpurni Temple. It was a pleasant drive with perfect smooth roads and monsoon season, greenery all around! We saw birds enjoying. How three hours passed, we did not even realize.

Our experience of Mata Chintpurni temple

Upon reaching there, we learnt that it being a long weekend there is a huge rush on the roads and there is a big line of pilgrims. So, we parked our vehicle on the side and and took a mini van. Way to the temple is very green! It was as if we were transported to the forest world where the path is muddy and uneven and as if we were moving in a safari! We all loved the way and greenery. We got a very nice feeling of visiting the temple. People out there are really helpful. There is a big market for shopping. Shopping can be of Prasad, items of worship like Dias, agarbattis, chunnis and Chhatra for Mata rani and many other things. One can even buy related clothes. One can easily spend 2-3 hours exploring the market, taste sweets.
The van driver dropped us at the Bhavan complex. There was a big waiting. It took us some two hours to do the Darshan. When our turn came, it was a quick quick darshan. Photography was not allowed inside so we could take photographs of the complex of the Bhawan.
[caption id="attachment_10799" align="alignnone" width="669"] Mata Chintpurni temple[/caption]
We were very happy to do the darshan with four of us together. We loved the aura and everyone was shouting Jai Matadi Di! Jai Mata di and it was the full euphoria around. The atmosphere was such that you get engrossed in the divinity of Mata Chintpurni. We could manage to get our space in the big crowd but it was worth visiting the temple. There was a feeling of contentment when we did Darshan.

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Nidhi KM

Hotel Review- Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

Hyatt Regency Ludhiana is centrally located at Firozpur road. It is next to the mall and around Ghumar Mandi. So, travellers can have easy access to shopping both for branded and non branded items. When we reached there, it was already 5pm. As we entered the property, we were welcomed by flavoured water which was very refreshing!
[caption id="attachment_10780" align="alignnone" width="669"] Lobby at Hyatt Regency Ludhiana[/caption]

Ambiance of Hyatt Regency Ludhiana

There was few seating arrangement in the lobby and reception to the left. Stairs to the right lead up to the restaurant Kitchen 95. I will be separately reviewing the restaurant Kitchen 95.

Opposite to the restaurant was a little kids play area. We could see bean bags there and a little colourful fence to attract kids. There was another restaurant Tanur by the side which was nicely done up. Its an Indian cuisine restaurant. I loved its ambiance which was exquisite and unique.

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[caption id="attachment_10782" align="alignnone" width="669"] Restaurant Tanur[/caption]

Our religious trip from Ludhiana till Chamunda Devi

We had planned our religious trip from Ludhiana till Chamunda Devi. It was indeed a fantastic trip. I am glad it came out well.
We first started from Delhi at 3pm after completing our tasks for the day. We had planned our trip in such a way that we get to rest overnight in Ludhiana while going and coming back. One has an option to halt at Chandigarh also, but since we had our friends and relatives in Ludhiana, we chose the same for our halts.

We reached. Ludhiana around 9pm with three halts on the way. Next morning we started at 10am and reached Chintpurni Mata around 1pm. It being a long weekend, there was huge rush. Since there was parking problem and roads being rough, we decided to park our vehicle on a stand and hired a mini van till Bhawan complex. After Darshan, we moved ahead for another one and a half hours towards Jwala Ji.


There also, we took an auto till Bhawan complex and returned. We had parked our car at the stand. It was a very comfortable journey. By the time we started from Jwala Ji, it was already 5.30 pm. We then started for Kangra Devi and it was quite dark when we reached Kangra. On the way, we saw the confluence of two rivers- Bener river and Majhi river.

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Nidhi KM

Chef Emiliano Di Stefano rejoins Prego , Westin Gurgaon

Prego is one of the famous Italian restaurant in Gurgaon. Its the 'go to' restaurant !!  With good ambiance and service, Prego keeps its bar always high. I went to this restaurant to interact with Chef Emiliano Di Stefano who has rejoined as the Expat Italian Chef De Cuisine at The Westin Gurgaon.
Chef Emiliano has got this own Italian style of preparing and presenting dishes. Chef has got a strong hold on Italian cuisine and knows Indian palette well. Chef's immense experience combined with his passion helps him curate dishes suiting guests preferences. Chef had turned Prego as number one Italian restaurant in Gurgaon and now brings back richer understanding of authentic Italian cuisine. 
[caption id="attachment_10748" align="alignnone" width="669"] Viharin.com-Chef Emiliano Di Stefano[/caption]
I had Bel focaccia Asparagus which had bell peppers, zucchini cheese, rocolla leaves, cherry tomatoes, mozzarella cheese. These were stuffed in the base made of flour and yeast. The disdh was healthy and fresh due to presence of such vegetables. The cheese was appropriately used. Then I had asparagus soup. It was lip smacking. I loved the colour, texture and taste of the soup. Presence of crispy pistachios made it more healthy and delectable. Soul was soothing on the stomach and satiated my taste buds.

Then I had Gnocchi Di Ricotta E Ruclla Alla Sorrentina. It was irresistible and I relished it. It had crunchy vegetables, spaghetti Bronte pistachio pesto. I specially liked eggplant roasted thins.

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Nidhi KM

Celebrate Independence Day @ Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi

This Independence Day being a long weekend time, staycations are trending.  People simply want to get pampered and taken care of. When the pampering is done by experts and well known like experts from Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, its an icing on the cake!
[caption id="attachment_10733" align="alignnone" width="440"] Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel[/caption]

The Independence Day Staycation package at Shangri-La’s - Eros Hotel, New Delhi

Complimentary buffet breakfast at TAMRA
24-hour complimentary Wi-Fi and Internet access
15% discount on food and soft beverage across all the outlets
15% discount at CHI, The Spa
Early check-in, at 10am, and late check-out, until 4pm, subject to availability
A maximum of 2 children (under the age 6) eat free at TAMRA

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Tijara Fort, Alwar- Rajasthan a royal affair

As you know India is full of palaces and forts. Each fort has a tale to tell. I alwats get fascinated by forts, palaces and the lifestyle of people in those eras. Tijara Fort is of 19th century and the name itself gives an idea of carvings and beautifully designed interiors!
[caption id="attachment_10711" align="alignnone" width="750"] Tijara Fort (all photos credits - Vikrant Kapur)[/caption]

Tijara Fort was built by Maharaja Balwant Singh with the expertise from Kabul and Delhi architects. The fort is on the hilltop in Alwar. There is a touch of both Rajput and Afghan style construction and interiors. Being on the hilltop, views from windows are stunning!
[caption id="attachment_10712" align="alignnone" width="749"]

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Symmetrical corridor[/caption]

At this junction of my life, I am quite interested in religious tourism. Since a few days back, we were planning to visit Mcleod Ganj. Recently I learnt that there are four famous temples enroute Ludhiana to Mcleod Ganj. This recent knowledge of mine made me eager to first hand witness these temples about which I have been hearing since my childhood days. These famous temples are Chintapurni, Kangra Devi, Jwala ji and Chamunda Devi.
[caption id="attachment_10699" align="alignnone" width="417"] Chamunda Devi temple amongst temples enroute Ludhiana to McLeod Ganj[/caption]
One can easily take two days to visit all the temples. Each temple has its own significance of existence as per Hindu Mythology. So, here you go...

Famous Goddess temples enroute Ludhiana to Mcleod Ganj , Himachal Pradesh

Chintapurni Temple
Significance of Chintapurni temple. This temple is in Una district of Himachal Pradesh is it is interpreted as the severed headed of Sati fell here when Lord Vishnu severed the burning body of Sati into 51 pieces so that Lord Shiva would calm down and stop his Tandav dance. The pieces were scattered over various places in the Indian subcontinent. It is one of the most important 51 Shakti Peeth ( origin of divine power). This temple is 127 km away from Ludhiana
Kangra Devi
Kangra Devi is the spot where when Vishnu divided the body of Satti into 51 parts with his chakra Sati's left breast fell at this spot. It is said that the original temple was built by Pandavas at the time of MahaBharat.
Kangra Devi is about 80 km away from Chintapurni. It takes about one hour and 45 minutes to reach

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Lead yourself to be affliction free this Independence Day @ Atmantan Wellnes Resort

Offlate, there is a new wave to become healthy. Internet is full of images of healthy food, tips to become healthier, exercises, nutrition, how much to sleep, yoga, need of fresh air and so much more! Come a long weekend, everyone wants to rush out of towns and cities to destress and rejuvenate.

Atmantan Wellness Resort

I got to know about this wellness centre in Pune amidst Sahyadri mountains near Mulshi lake! Atmantan wellness centre is the luxurious wellness resort that helps you to become healthier. You are assessed for your health and then guided through lifestyle, exercises, therapies and nutrition. The authorities tell you about the resonance of mind, body and soul with nature and nutrition. 

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Five must experience waterfalls of India that would refresh you

India is a beautiful country bestowed with mountains, hills, rivers, lakes, seas, desserts, forests and more! Every time I visit any part of India, I always feel the insufficiency of time. I am a nature lover. So, wherever we see a spring or a little fall, we stop by to experience the same. These little springs and falls are very refreshing specially if they fall on the way. Waterfalls are nature's gift to earth to enjoy the tiny droplets and the spectacular views around it. I have been crazy about waterfalls since childhood. Waterfalls in India provide stunning views and refreshing aura. I am listing below few waterfalls of India that are a must experience. 

Must experience waterfalls of India

Whenever we went to Mussoorie, we loved going to Kempty falls. Kempty falls is a huge waterfall that lures tourists visiting Mussoorie. It is a must visit when in Mussoorie. There are many stairs from the road to reach the falls but all the effort is worth once you are at falls. There are entertainment areas, food joints at the falls to spednd a full day.
[caption id="attachment_10681" align="alignnone" width="669"] Kempty falls[/caption]
Doodhsagar falls in Goa is a delight to eyes. The vast spread and milky waters makes it a perfect place to spend hours at length.

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Nidhi KM