I would rather have my mind opened by WONDER, than closed by BELIEF.: Depression- The fastest growing monster of today!!...

I would rather have my mind opened by WONDER, than closed by BELIEF.: Depression- The fastest growing monster of today!!...: If we believe what the reports say , we will come to know that  almost 60% of the youth today  is suffering from DEPRESSION. One ma...

JAIPUR: A COMPLETE FOOD DELIGHT!!

Jaipur is a city of royalty, a land which has served rich food to the Kings and queens of the royal family. The imperial kitchens of Rajasthan used to employ 'Khansamas' (the royal cooks) to make the best gastronomy. The Pink city still serves the best delicacies to its residents and tourists. If you are planning a trip to Jaipur, leave your worries aside as the city has myriad number of restaurants. Almost all the restaurants serve every type of cuisine, so you need not to think about what to eat. Jaipur is one of the most remarkable cities of India. This is not only because of its vibrant culture and heritage, but also because of its diverse and mouth watering cuisine. The different kinds of food available in the numerous restaurants will surely answer your question of what/where to eat in Jaipur.Speaking of what/where to eat in Jaipur, you will surely be spoilt for choice. Whether you are looking for authentic Indian food or want to go for the Continental variety, you are sure to get what you want over here.

 

Suvarna Mahal(Rambagh Palace Hotel, Jaipur)

 As in the Hotel where the restaurant is located (Taj Rambagh palace), everything here is just state of the art perfect!From the dining room itself (formerly dining room of the local Maharajah) to the tables with gold plated glasses and cutlery, to the service, absolutely impeccable!Choice of food absolutely amazing, representing all the most famous Indian cuisines. 

Peacock Rooftop Restaurant

With this one, Jaipur surely gets more to offer beyond the terracotta pink and the fine Mahals. For the much addicted ‘Paharganj’ lovers, Peacock Rooftop Restaurant, Jaipur just can't be missed. The restaurant has been running for almost a decade now but remains less explored.Overlooking Hathroi Fort – and most of Jaipur – this multilevel eclectic decor rooftop restaurant takes you away from the city's hush-rush and lets you leap into your own world of thoughts. With an extraordinary peacock canopy epitomizing the roof, custom-made flaked iron junk and bright golden glows, the place surely brings in the feel good factor.

The restaurant interestingly houses two rooftops - sit on the lower roof and share a good travel tale with the hippies, the bag packers and the little less Indians that usually occupy the space. The upper roof brings in a completely different romantic Rajasthani feel with cane chairs and the very own terracota pink walls. The fusion is what makes Peacock a must visit. The restaurant takes this fusion to its menu too. Choose from the Mughlai, Continental and Chinese cuisine all through the day or pick up an interesting breakfast spread if you an early riser. Offering too many food options, the restaurant still manages to keep the authenticity in place.And if food is not on agenda, the place also houses a small hassle free silver shop for you. Girls must peep in for those fancy Rajasthani trinkets and keep the memory intact. If you are alone, pick up a good company from the old classics housed in the mini library. Take a walk around the place to discover the rugged hills, the Fort and the traditional houses that surround the place.

Must try - Afghani Chicken, Classic Margherita Pizza

LE MERIDIAN

The Capri

This restaurant is located at the lobby level of Le Meridian Hotel, offers vast variety of international buffet. This restaurant has a seating capacity of 85 provides an interactive show kitchen. This restaurant serve their customer on round the clock basis with Continental, Mexican, Italian, Indian,Chinese food etc.

Surya Villas
Surya Villas is an authentic fine dining restaurant situated inside the Le Meridian Hotel, with a seating capacity of 70. They are specialized in Traditional Rajput Cuisine.

SOME DELIGHTS SERVED HERE

asta Alfredo – Simply awesome

Nasi Goreng Wok Fried Rice with Prawns 

Niros Restaurant. 

 Niros, Jaipur offers Indian, Continental, Chinese and Mughlai food. This multi-cuisine restaurant was the first to offer Chinese food in Jaipur was back in 1960. The Chinese delicacies that are worth trying include vegetable and baby corn chow chow and the shredded chicken in oyster sauce. You can come over here for a full course meal or go for the snacks only. As far as Indian dishes are concerned, you can try out Paneer butter masala, chicken sheekh kebab, Rajasthani Sula and others. If you want to savor the continental food, then do not forget to order Mushrooms Strognoff and Bay Corn Florentine.House specialties include laal maas (mutton cooked in spicy red gravy) and reshmi kebab (mutton marinated in traditional spices and char grilled). The korma dishes are all prepared in a deliciously creamy cashew-nut-based sauce, while the ever-popular chicken tikka masala is spicier than usual. You certainly won't want for choice: The numbered menu runs right up to 286! 

 The Oberoi Rajvilas,Goner Road, Jaipur

Wrap up your regal Jaipur experience with a wonderfully opulent meal at The Oberoi Rajvilas’ Rajmahal—the décor at this speciality restaurant is almost as lavish as its cuisine. We recommend their four-course dinner—replete with tantalizing curries, biryani and breads, this multi-course meal is literally served on a silver platter.

 CINNAMON, JAI MAHAL PALACE , Civil lines , Jaipur

Located in the Jai Mahal Palace, you’ll find this chic restaurant decorated in soothing jewel tones of lavender and silver. Enjoy Cinnamon’s modern take on traditional Punjabi and Mughlai cuisine—we recommend you bring a loved one for a meal at this romantic restaurant.

 
Samode Haveli, Gangapole, Jaipur

inShare

 The setting of this hotel is tucked away behind the hustle and bustle of Jaipur. It is set around a quadrangle with water gardens which is where you can dine in the evenings out under the stars with an indian musician playing the sitarThe Samode Haveli’s dining hall-style restaurant is a true work of art—marvel at the marble etchings, dramatic arches and brilliant chandeliers from any seat in the house. The house speciality will have you gasping in gastronomic delight—the succulent raan-e-samode (marinated leg of lamb) is so special it must be pre-ordered a day in advance.

Anokhi Café(2nd Floor KK Square, C-11 Prithviraj Road, C-Scheme, Jaipur)

Anokhi Café is located next to its eponymous and well-trodden textile and accessories store. Rest your weary shopping legs and refuel on the delicious locally-grown organic food served here. We recommend capping off your meal with a generous sliver of their scrumptious, freshly-baked carrot cake.Great French Press Coffee. Great, healthy food. Wonderful desserts. Peaceful Ambiance.

Lassiwala, M.I Road,Jaipur

                        

 

Situated on the Mirza Ismail or MI road, it is the oldest and the best Lassi shop in Jaipur. Numerous other shops with same names have sprung up in the area. But nothing beats the original!

Chokhi Dhani Resort(Five Star Ethnic Village Resort)

      

The Chokhi Dhani, Jaipur serves traditional Rajasthani food in a Rajasthani ambiance. The name of Chokhi Dhani comes up whenever Rajasthani food is thought of. The name Chokhi Dhani roughly means the excellent hamlet. As soon as you enter this restaurant you will be welcomed with a bright red tikka, and strewed with flowers. As you enter inside the Chokhi Dhani, you will find young women dancing with pots on their heads, street acrobats with children spinning on poles, young boys dance to folk tunes, camel rides, cotton candy on sticks, hookahs being passed around and a haat (market) selling everything from printed bed covers to silver jewellery and the ubiquitous miniatures. In a nutshell you will get an idea of Rajasthan and its rural life the moment you enter this restaurant. Food is served on the floor here. Before you enter the hut that serves Rajasthani food you have to open your shoes. You will also be greeted on your way. Chairs are also available here. But they are meant for the old and the disabled. In a traditional manner, water is served in clay tumblers.

Barbeque Nation

Grilling your dishes the way you like, prefix menu and dining experience comes with a live grill. It provides a range of sumptuous buffet followed by scrumptious dessert.

The décor is modeled after an European country with lot of woods and exposed brick walls. You would love the rotational main course and variety of starters. It is the best place in town, if you are fond of Barbeques (veg & non veg, both). Excellent service. The individual Grill on your table itself is certainly something to experience. Really hot food especially in winters. The bar is worth appreciating and the ambiance is certainly the best.

Handi Restaurant, M.I.Road, Jaipur

Lal Maas

 

 Proud winner of “Best North Indian Food Restaurant” Handi is constantly winning the heart of not only locals but also the Global Tourists for its tantalizing food and lively ambiance! No trip to Jaipur is complete till food from Handi is experienced.

 This old favorite is opposite the main post office, at the back of Maya Mansions, and offers scrumptious barbeque dishes and Mughlai cuisine in a village atmosphere. In the evenings a deliciously tempting smoky kebab stall sets up at the entrance to the restaurant.The kathi kababs is one of the best delicacies here. The tender and garlicky mutton, the fresh roti along with onions and tomatoes crunched between the teeth are the most popular items here. You can even try the butter chicken, which is marinated first in yoghurt, then baked in a tandoor and cooked in a tomato curry. The Handi meat which mutton cooked in a clay pot is quite popular. You can also have the popular Rajasthani delicacies like Aloo Bharta, Chana Dal Parantha, Churma, Daal Batti, Ghevar, Aloo Mangodi, Bhuna Kukda, Chane Jaiselmer Ke, Gatte Ka Pulao, Jaipur Ki Gajak and many others.

 The Copper Chimney,M.I. Road, Jaipur

 The Copper Chimney restaurant in Jaipur has a long and elaborate menu. It ranges from Continental, Chinese, and Indian selections. The favorite among these is the hot, spicy and scrumptious Indian delicacies. But the delicious continental and Chinese delicacies are also popular among the visitors. So select the delicacy of your choice. It is advisable to avoid some of the odd hybrids such as paneer manchurian where cottage cheese is served in Chinese style. The palak paneer palak paneer that is peas with cheese and the sweet-and-sour lassis are a must taste in this restaurant. You will also love the traditional ‘laal mas’ that is mutton gravy and Rajasthani-style kadai chicken which is cooked in a heavy wok, and with lot of spice.

SHEESHA The taste of flame 

 

 

Sheesha is situated at the roof top of City pearl mall that beats the heat and fatigue of the scorched city Jaipur, and a perfect place for the special evening in pink city. The restaurant is based on the Moroccan theme. It is a place which can appear mystical, exquisite and foreboding all at once. It offers one of the most wonderful frontier cuisine with the taste of flame.Their internationally acclaimed, ex- ITC chef from Lucknow brings you the different taste of flame whose experience has crossed a silver jubilee in making 386 different kinds of only Kababs. They maintain two separate live kitchens for vegetarian and non–vegetarian cooking thereby caring for the sentiments of the people who dine at Sheesha. Their services take minimum ordering time for the full meal course.

The two floors, Rooftop & A/C hall ensures that one will undoubtedly have the taste of flame and a good time. The sofas at the rooftop showcases typical Dastarkhan settings and carefully constructed fine wood work along with copper cutlery gives the perfect interiors and ambiance to make it a place for special evening.

 This is just a list  of few of those many places which one must  not miss to experience while  in Jaipur. I hope it helped  those who are planning a visit to this exotic part of India.

Criticism- take it, eat it and flush it out!!!

Many a times, we come to know that we are being talked about, behind our back.We hear people gossiping/ bitching about us.In my opinion , in order to deal with it, we have to accept  and acknowledge the fact that it's all a part of  life.It's human nature to talk about others and we ,as humans,  enjoy being critical about everyone / everything around  us.

'WHAT YOU THINK ABOUT ME , IS NONE OF MY BUSINESS'. What a powerful message this line conveys, isn't it?? If what I do is right in my opinion, then what   others think about it ,need not bother me a bit. I should be bothered  about my HEART'S  and MIND'S approval to my actions and not whether  others approve of it or not .It's my life and it's only me who knows what is right for me and what ain't. Somebody has very rightly said that 'LEARN TO DISTINGUISH BETWEEN YOUR REPUTATION AND CHARACTER'. Your reputation is what people think about you, while your character is what you REALLY are. Generally reputation is built by what we do to impress others .In a way its good for one to have a good reputation.But if we become obsessed with this REPUTATION term, we might lose  ourselves as a person and gets stressed and burdened  by the thought that WHAT OTHERS THINK ABOUT US. Don't you think  that its the CHARACTER that matters  more than the REPUTATION. To evolve as a better human being, we need to be focused upon building good values and beliefs. People will think what they want, sometimes it will be good and sometimes it will be bad as well. You can't make them think  your way...accept it.Building a god reputation is good to an extent but not to an extent of getting obsessed with it.Don't try to control it , because you just  can't. In a democracy  of 100 people, if 51 out of those 100's choose a person for the post of Prime minister,he will become the prime minister,  irrespective of the 49  votes against him. So, resistance will always be there, human  has a nature to express himself..be it negatively or positively. It's you who has  to decide whether you  gonna let this resistance  ruin you  or  help you evolve as a stronger person.  Rumor are going to be there all around you in many shapes and forms, you have to learn to live and deal with them.

Facts have  it that whenever someone tries to take an initiative, or do something against the league, people/ society /family  are bound to TALK ABOUT IT. They will leave no chance to criticize that person's effort because somewhere or the other they realize that they themselves are not capable of doing what THAT SOMEONE is doing. I recently came across a beautiful quote  that  ' THE FEW WHO DO, ARE THE ENVY OF MANY WHO ONLY WATCH'. People are jealous when they see someone doing better than them and they express this jealousy in different ways and one of the most common methods of doing so is... SPREADING RUMORS, CRITICIZING the  ones who they envy .Always remember that if you find people talking about you, behind your back, it means that your life is definitely more interesting and better than theirs. .It means that you are way ahead of them.So, learn to be  comfortable about criticism and take  it in  your stride.

LIFE BEYOND THE COMFORT ZONE !!

Growth is an essential part of life. We are as good as DEAD when we do not grow. A person who does not grow with time is  like a body who , although is living, but ain't experiencing the real meaning of  life. The farther we run away from our fear, the more it's gonna control our life.And the  harder we try to face it and beat it, the stronger we will become. When we set challenges  or goals for ourselves, we  should first of all try to overcome FEAR,  SELF DOUBT and HESITATION. And when we are able to do all this, we are likely to achieve the set goals and  thus we experience a feeling  of SELF SATISFACTION. And this feeling of SELF SATISFACTION encourages  us to set new goals for ourselves and help us evolve as a better, stronger and a successful person.So, step out of your comfort zone and help yourself evolve as a human being .Always remember that choices made by us today define our tomorrow. Please be careful in making those choices or one day when you are old with no hopes or aspirations left, you would realize that you had your chance to make your life better but you let go of it for nothing.

Life is not for SALE!!!

It is estimated that 1.2 million children are  being trafficked every year. Trafficking of children means the recruitment, transportation, transfer, harboring, or receipt of children for the purpose of exploitation. i.e prostitution, forced labor or slavery, removal of organs, trafficking for early marriage, and recruitment as child soldiers. Human beings are not for sale, children are not for sale..Please take a stand against  it.

Nature at its devastating worst!

This picture was taken ½ a second before tsunami hit Sumatra Island in the year  2004, tsunami that killed 170,000 people. It was found saved in a digital camera, 1 ½ years after the disaster. The person who took this picture is not alive today , but we can see the horrifying wrath of nature.

why do women cry this much??

A little boy asked his mother, "Why are you crying?" "Because I'm a woman," she ...told him.

"I don't understand," he said.
 His Mom just hugged him and said, "And you never will."

Later the little boy asked his father, "Why does mother seem to cry for no reason?"
"All women cry for no reason," was all his dad could say.

The little boy grew up and became a man, still wondering why women cry.
Finally he put in a call to God. When God got on the phone, he asked, "God, why do women cry so easily?"
God said, "When I made the woman she had to be special.

I made her shoulders strong enough to carry the weight of the world, yet gentle enough to give comfort.
I gave her an inner strength to endure childbirth and the rejection that many times comes from her children.

I gave her a hardness that allows her to keep going when everyone else gives up, and take care of her family through sickness and fatigue without complaining.

I gave her the sensitivity to love her children under any and all circumstances, even when her child has hurt her very badly.
I gave her strength to carry her husband through his faults and fashioned her from his rib to protect his heart.

I gave her wisdom to know that a good husband never hurts his wife, but sometimes tests her strengths and her resolve to stand beside him unfalteringly.
And finally, I gave her a tear to shed. This is hers exclusively to use whenever it is needed."

"You see my son," said God, "the beauty of a woman is not in the clothes she wears, the figure that she carries, or the way she combs her hair.

The beauty of a woman must be seen in her eyes, because that is the doorway to her heart - the place where love resides." ♥ ♥

Depression- The fastest growing monster of today!!!

If we believe what the reports say , we will come to know that  almost 60% of the youth today  is suffering from DEPRESSION. One may wonder why is it all happening?? The answer is clear and simple, people today want to achieve  a lot in  much less time. It  is really amazing that  a few years back what people used  to achieve by the age of fifty or say sixty,  the youth today  manages to achieve it by the age of thirty or may be even earlier. Ofcourse it signifies  DEVELOPMENT , TALENT and POTENTIAL. But my question is, even after  achieving everything that we want, why don't we end up feeling HAPPY??? Why are people today becoming more and more RESTLESS, more and more STRESSED . The more they achieve, the farther they tend to go from the term called INNER PEACE. We lack the patience to hear or bear anything .   The outcome  too is  not hidden from anyone today. We can see a lot many families breaking up, relations are being badly affected, people hesitating in  expressing themselves , people getting suppressed , nuclear families fastly taking place of the joint family culture.


It is very true that everything changes with time .Every generation contributes  something to the betterment of the society and the culture. Today when everybody seems to be busy running in the race of success, shouldn't one stop for a while and think whether the destination that  one is heading to, is  really  going to be worthwhile? Achieving everything  at the cost of one's health, happiness and peace  does not appear to be a sensible deal, does it??? At the end of the day, what one really needs  is PEACE OF MIND.And if we do not get it after putting  in this much, then there is seriously something wrong in our approach.And changing the situation is obviously in our hands only.  One should not forget that what we are getting today is much much more than what we used to get a few years back.The resources that we have today to help us reach our goal, are far batter than what we people had in the past, but still people are critical  .Impatience  is the root cause of all this . Nobody wants to stop and wait for anything today.Everybody wants instant results , but one should never forget that PATIENCE ALWAYS PAYS OFF WELL.The problems are only going to get  worse with age, nothing's gonna change unless we change our attitude towards life. I am not saying that one  shouldn't be competitive in today's race  and that one need not prove oneself in today's competitive world. Ofcourse we have to match up to the competition level but at the same time one has to learn to be patient. For once, stop competing with the world and try competing with yourself. Connect to yourself,  connect to your soul and  try knowing yourself better,Set small targets for yourself , share it with your friends , seek their help in achieving these targets, take time out from your busy schedule and meditate:) talk to yourself and you will find a way to inner peace for sure:)

BE PATIENT, BE PERSISTENT !!

Human today, seems to be losing patience  in the hustle and bustle of life .Nobody wants to WAIT  today, be it  the career that they are following   or their relationships and even the achievements that they aspire for.One should not be in such a hurry that  your IDENTITY itself gets lost behind in the race of  life  .It's very important to have PATIENCE  in life which seems to be missing somewhere in today's perspective .

If we analyse today's scenario, we would find that everything today is easily available  just at the clicks on the keyboard..just one click and we get the required   cash from the bank, want to convey something to a person living at the other corner of the world?? a few clicks and your email is right in front of the receiver's eyes.So, when everything has become so EASY , it's but natural for us to think that even SUCCESS can be achieved  AT AN INSTANT. 

I still remember a proverb that I learnt in my school days saying that   ROME WAS NOT BUILT IN A DAY. May be at that  time..I could not understand its meaning.But today  , I know what it has been trying to indicate . We have to accept and understand that whatever worthwhile has been achieved so far, did not happen overnight.It took continuous  persistent efforts .Success, as everybody says, is not a miracle..it's rather a PROCESS.One should never forget the law of SOWING AND REAPING. To develop muscles like JOHN ABRAHIM or to have a figure like KAREENA KAPOOR( these are just examples:D, your role models  may differ ofcourse :D) you need to  burn  your sweat for months or may be  for years, in the gym. You are probably  a fool or innocent ( in a decent language)   if  you believe advertisements which claim you such fitness in JUST TEN DAYS  or may  be less than that . A river is able to cut .the rocks and make its way  not because it is strong but because  it has been CONSISTENT .So, it's very necessary to be focused and persistent.

I have seen  many people giving their " 120%"  into their jobs and expecting  an instant  outcome of their hard work .And if things don't happen as they expect them to, they become IMPATIENT , AGGRESSIVE , IMPULSIVE, and finally switch over to some other job and the  process goes on and on. Frustration keeps increasing and eventually they end up getting nothing. And the result is that a sense of FAILURE starts creeping in , self confidence is lost and eventually the person confines to his\ her shell.   I would only say one thing that give TIME to YOURSELF, give TIME to LIFE  and  most importantly   give TIME to TIME :) 

Have a look at this one as well! Isnt it alarming enough??

A little inside view to a 'section' of today's youth!

I certainly think that the youth in India, just tries to emulate the west.And in their attempt of imitating the west, they end up reaching actually nowhere.They are  constantly getting attracted towards foreign culture , which  is not wrong , but following something blindly and just because every other  person of their age is doing the same, is totally lame.I am not putting every single youngster into this category that i am talking about, there's just a section of today's youth that seems to be distracted .I have seen youngsters doing a great job and bringing laurels to their family as well as the country. I expect from the readers that they do not misinterpret  my views  that i have expressed here,they certainly can vary from others and i know that they certainly will. The side that i am trying to portray here  happens to be at a shade darker. 

 As it is said  that even CHEATING requires  the use  of BRAIN,the youth of today should also  try to understand that just listening to   hardcore metal and attending rock concerts and imitating western fashion ; is not what development is all about.There is much more to it. Again I totally agree  that all this   happens to be a personal choice of the  individual , but involving  oneself in inhumane acts sometimes  or defaming   the NOT SO UPDATED section of the society and labeling them as  rural backward fools  can not be acceptable. Is  MUSIC and CLOTHES is what development is all about??Youth is expected to contribute  much more to the development of their country, which i  am sorry to say ,they fail to do.We see numerous rock bands and rock stars springing up these days, but how many  of them do we see actively and unconditionally contributing to their country's politics?  I think it's high time that they resolve to step out of their COMFORT ZONE  and  try to BRING A CHANGE .

When it comes to blaming the system , then they( are seen ahead of all, protesting and marching through out the country but how many of them actually do SOMETHING. And the very few young faces that we see in politics today, be it at the state level or the university level, they all fall a prey to the dirty money game eventually  , putting the country's future at stake. It has been always been said that youth  is the future of a nation .But when the  future  itself seems to be sleeping  . how can the nation expected to  be awakened or how can one take it  to the soaring heights  of development.

p.s.  The ideas expressed here are totally  mine and I , in no way, intend to impose them on anyone . If you happen to think differently, I  respect your opinion  and expect the same from others .