Porbandar: Birthplaces of Sudama & Gandhi

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn India, Places of WorshipLeave a comment

Porbandar is a coastal city on the seashore between Dwarka and Somnath, where the River Asmavati meets the ocean. The city of Porbandar derives its name from ‘Porai’ and ‘Bandar’, which refers to the harbour of Porai, the local Goddess. The discovery of ancient jetties along the Porbandar creek signifies the importance of Porbandar as an active centre of maritime activities in the past. The Indian mythology says its the birthplace of Sudaama (Friend of Lord Krishna). It is best known for being the birthplace of Mahatma Gandhi.

Dwaraka: Capital of Lord Krishna’s Kingdom

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn India, Places of WorshipLeave a comment

Located on the west coast of Gujarat, Dwarka is known as Lord Krishna’s abode. Dwarka, the holy land surrounded with the legends of Lord Krishna, is a significant pilgrimage site for the Hindus. The city lies in the westernmost part of India. Dwaraka (also known as Dvaravati, both names meaning "the many-gated city" in Sanskrit. Dwarka is one of the foremost Chardhams, four sacred Hindu pilgrimage sites, and is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven most ancient religious cities in the country.

Triveni Sangam in Prayagraj

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Culture, India, Nature & Wildlife, Rituals & TraditionsLeave a comment

In Hindu tradition Triveni Sangam is the "confluence" of three rivers. Sangam is the Sanskrit word for confluence. The point of confluence is a sacred place for Hindus. A bath here is said to wash away all of one's sins and free one from the cycle of rebirth. One such Triveni Sangam, in Prayagraj (Allahabad) has two physical rivers Ganges, Yamuna, and the invisible or mythic Saraswati River. The site is in Prayag (Allahabad).

Bhaarbhunja: Healthy Street Food

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Indian Food, Street foodLeave a comment

Bhaarbhunja [parched grain] is cooked usually using short grain parboiled rice, grams or chickpeas, groundnuts. Rice, grams, groundnuts are roasted in a huge wok-like vessel called karahi with hot sand. A karahi is a type of thick, circular, and deep cooking pot (similar in shape to a wok) used in South Asian cuisine. The word has been coined from bhaar, which means stove and bhunja means gram or chickpeas.

Maha Kumbh Mela: In Search of the Divine Nectar

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Ashrams & Spiritual Places, Celebration, Cultural Heritage, India1 Comment

Kumbh derives its name from the immortal Pot of Nectar, which the Demigods (Devtas) and Demons (Asuras) fought over, described in ancient Vedic scriptures known as the Puranas. It is these Vedic literatures that have stood the test of time, out of which the tradition has evolved into the one that the world now knows as The Kumbh Mela or The Kumbha Mela. The festival is one of the largest peaceful gatherings in the world, and considered as the “world’s largest congregation of religious pilgrims”.

First Night Duty Experience in Hospital

On By Judhajit RoychoudhuryIn SerendipityLeave a comment

It was just another evening when Dhananjay sir came to my room last evening quite tired from his surgery posting and said that he was quite upset for the plans for the night. Then suddenly something struck my mind and I asked him whether I could join him on his night duty as the next day was our holiday. I didn’t expect that but he accepted my proposal wholeheartedly and even promised me to teach things also. This was my first night experience at the emergency of hospital. It was thrilling for me as I could encounter some live cases there and learned a lot.

Karma Puja: Sacred Festival to Celebrate Nature

On By Indrajit Roy ChoudhuryIn Celebration, Folk art & culture, India, Rituals & Traditions14 Comments

The Karma Puja is a festival of agriculture and is very sacred to the indigenous peoples in the Indian states of Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and Assam. Tribes like Baiga, Oraon, Binjhwari, Munda, Majhwar, Ho, Khortha, Korba, Santhal, Nagpuri and many more tribal communities celebrate this festival.