Nisargopchar Ashram - Urlikanchan - Naturopathy

Nisargopchar Ashram is a Naturopathy wellness centre at Urlikanchan some 30 km from Pune, India. It is a place where people come for treaments for various illnesses like Asthma, bronchitis, skin disorders, hypertension, diabetes etc. All these ailments are treated naturally and through diet, yoga and different therapy. It was established by Gandhiji and his principles are followed. It is a very sought after place and people come from faraway places to take advantage of these treatments. Do click on the below link to learn more-
http://www.nisargopcharashram.org/Default.aspx

Doodle 4 Google

I am proud of our young and talented kids and and wish them the very best. Keep it up guys!
Happy Children's Day!!!
http://www.google.co.in/intl/en/doodle4google/vote.html#d=d2-8

Castor Oil - Healing Benefits

I googled for dry skin cure and came across the benefits of using castor oil for all skin problems. It is really an inexpensive remedy and I am going to try this out! Do visit the link for a detailed study.

http://www.chakrapaniayurveda.com/news/sept102.pdf

Diwali - Festival of Lights

Wish you all a very happy and prosperous Diwali!!!

For more info on this festival click below-

http://www.ruchiskitchen.com/festivals/deepceleb.htm

2 States - Chetan Bhagat

I just finished reading this book. A wonderful love story and the author has portrayed the true essence of both the regions through their characters. The observations are very accurate and I really enjoyed the witty stuff too.

For more info and his other books you can visit the below website.

http://www.chetanbhagat.com

Karwa Chauth - Fasting for husband's long life

Today in India ( mostly in the north) married hindu women observe fast from morning to evening without food or water and break their fast after they sight the moon and pray for their husband's well-being and long life. It is a good time to be with the entire family and then feast on special dishes prepared on the occasion. It is a tradition followed for many years and has great significance attached to it.

This site describes the tradition, how to fast and do the pooja and recipes made during the vrat.

http://www.karwachauth.com/

Tender Coconut and other Healthy juices

A very useful website. Talks about Alternative medicine and also healthy juices that you can incorporate in your daily diet.

http://www.medindia.net/alternativemedicine/ayurvedaanddiet/juices/Tender-Coconut-Juice.asp

"One who walks in another's tracks, leaves no footprints."

"Everyone leaves footprints in your memory, but the ones that leave footprints in your heart, are the ones you will truly remember!"

Gandhi - Father of our Nation

It was only appropriate that today's posting would be on Gandhiji.

He said " Give me the spinning-wheel and I will spin the swaraj for India."

http://www.gandhiashram.org.in/

http://www.mkgandhi.org/

Saving Cranes - Sarus Crane

I saw these tall birds in a tv program on the Discovery channel and thought would find more info on them.

They can grow upto 6ft tall and are gracious in their own way and are found in parts of Indian subcontinent, Southeast Asia and Australia. They are monogamus in nature and mate for life thus are considered a good fortune and a symbol of marital bliss.

http://www.savingcranes.org/saruscrane.html

http://www.outlookindia.com/article.aspx?217613

Bollywood Love Story - Oprah Show

Bollywood's hottest couple were on Oprah show. Click below to read more.


http://www.oprah.com/article/oprahshow/20090826-tows-aish-rai-ab-bachchan

Not Giving Up - Inspirationalspark

It is easy to give up, but as they say " When the going gets tough, the tough get going."

When you are feeling low here is a boost that is always welcome.

http://www.inspirationalspark.com/not-giving-up-quotes.html

The Tradition of Rangolis

As the festive season of Diwali is fast approaching, I thought this link would come in use. Here are some design patterns of rangolis. Do try these colorful ones and make it grand!

http://www.diwalifestival.org/the-tradition-of-rangoli.html

http://www.diwalifestival.org/rangoli-patterns.html (Rangoli Patterns)

http://www.diwalifestival.org/diwali-rangoli.html (Rangoli Design)

Games for the Brain

Here are some interesting games which will keep your brain active. Try them!

http://www.gamesforthebrain.com/

http://www.hive-mind.com/mindgames/

Reflective Images - The camera captures light ... Our Mind Captures Images

Reflective Images is a collection of some excellent photographs by Gary D. Tonhouse.

Do visit his gallery for some soothing landscape and some really wild pics and some photo tips!

It is a commercial site.

http://www.reflectiveimages.com/

Raja Ravi Varma - Timeless Paintings

Raja Ravi Varma is considered one of the greatest painters in the history of Indian art. Some of his oil paintings are displayed in Mysore Palace. Here is a website which has a collection of some 120 pics of his original paintings.

http://www.cyberkerala.com/rajaravivarma/index.html

50 best Travel Sites - You Probably Never Heard Of

Visit some of these off the beaten path travel sites before you finalise your travel plans.

It catalogues some 50 travel sites catering to different needs. There is something for everyone and here are a few to sample.

http://www.unusualhotelsoftheworld.com/ - Unique hotels of the world

http://www.sleepinginairports.net/ - The budjet travelers guide to sleeping in airports

http://www.licketytrip.com/ - last minute Vacation rentals

http://www.luggageonline.com/50-travel-sites.cfm - 50 best travel websites

Frommer's Travel Guides - The Best Trip Starts Here!

Here's a website which answers all your travel queries and is very exhaustive and covers from the latest travel deals and tips on how to travel cheap.

http://www.frommers.com/

Paper Dolls - Kirakirahoshi

Here is nice collection of paper dolls from various parts of the world.

Take a look this weekend and try some out.

http://www.flickr.com/photo1s/32551668@N07/

Navratri - Nine nights of prayers and festivities

This time of the year in India, wherever you go, you will find Navratri (NINE NIGHTS) being celebrated in their own unique way. In Gujarat they have Garba (Dance form). All the men and women gather together and dance thru the night and seek blessings of Ambe Mata (Goddess Durga). In Bengal they have Durga pooja and in Southern states they keep Bommai kolu for nine days and invoke Goddess Durga, lakshmi and Saraswati. Family members come together and celebrate this festival and perform pujas and pray for the well being of one and all.

The below link explains at length the navratri kolu tradition and the way to worship the dieties and the correct way of exhibiting the dolls.

http://www.hindu-blog.com/2008/09/marapachi-bommai-kolu-dolls-during.html

Get inspired by the artistic kolam and do try one of them during the festivities!

Click on the below link and get started.

http://kamalamalarkolam.blogspot.com/

Visit London - London's top city guide

One of the sought after destinations for travel is London and I cannot dispute that.

Here's a link which has everything under one roof.

http://www.visitlondon.com/

Manjula's kitchen - Indian Vegetarian Recipes

I would recommend this website if you want to try your hand at making an Indian meal. The website has good video to help the user ( get a good understading of the cooking process) and has good variety from appetizers, beverages, breads, rice, vegetables, chaats etc. It's a boon for new cooks!

http://www.manjulaskitchen.com/

Ramayana retold by C. Rajagopalachari

I was browsing through the website once more and thought I would add the link for Ramayana as well!

http://www.gita-society.com/bhagavad-gita-section3/ramayana.pdf

National Parks of USA

I love traveling and camping and have visited many national parks of US (both east and west coasts) while living there.

My favorites being Zion, Yosemite, Arches and Grand Canyon and Yellow Stone.

It is a totally different experience and each of the 58 NPs are unique and has beautiful sceneries and great wildlife and a real treat for photographers and naturalists.

http://www.nps.gov/index.htm

National Geographic - Supporting Exploration, Education and Conservation Since 1888

I just wanted to give a link to this website ( I know a lot of users will be visiting this) as it is one of my favs.

The amount of knowledge one can gain through NG is unbelievable.

http://www.nationalgeographic.com/

India's water crisis: When the rains fail | The Economist

This article gives a good overview of the water situation in India.

http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=14401149

Incredible India

I am a proud Indian and think that we Indians are very hospitable and would love people to come and visit our country and take back some colorful memories with them. Incase you are thinking of traveling to this part of the globe, here is alink to begin with!

http://www.incredibleindia.org/

Mahabharata retold by C.Rajagopalachari

I came across this website accidentally and got this wonderfuly written Mahabharata story in a very simple form. Makes for a good read for both young and old. Hope you like it!

http://www.gita-society.com/bhagavad-gita-section3/mahabharata.pdf

Top 100 Wonders

Famous Wonders of the World
"Planning to travel and do sightseeing? Browse through the top 100 wonders of the world or navigate through the site to find the best tourist attractions by country & cities. Where will you go next?"

http://famouswonders.com/

Fifty Good Novels

One of my hobbies is reading, and always on the look out for good novels. I searched the web and found these links. I am sure you will find the list useful if you are a booklover like me!

http://www.colchsfc.ac.uk/library/Readinglistenglish.htm

http://www.goodshortnovels.com/our_evolving.html

World of Quotes - Historic Quotes and Proverbs

I came across this website while searching for some proverbs for a project and quickly bookmarked it for future references. Have a look at their collection of quotes and proverbs and their superbly categorised database of cultures from across the globe!

http://www.worldofquotes.com/

Inspirational Movies From Simple Truths

I came across this wonderful website for great gifting ideas. Inspirational movies and books with great graphics and background music. Definitely watch their demo movies!

http://www.simpletruths.com/movies.asp

WHFoods: The World's Healthiest Foods

One more link for diet followers to go a step forward to have a better understanding of foods they are consuming!
http://whfoods.org/foodstoc.php

Organic Foods and More: 30 Days to a Greener, Healthy Diet

I am a big fan of eating healthy and always in search for healthy recipes and cooking ideas to make meals nutritious and like to visit the daily green website for their latest additions. Don't miss this!
Healthy Eating Plan - Healthy Diet Choices - thedailygreen.com: "Organic Foods and More: 30 Days to a Greener, Healthy Diet"

21 Ways to Reduce Your Spending Without Making Your Life Miserable

I often visit this site which shows us to save our hard earned money very simply. Who doesn't love to have more cash in their bank but struggles to always reach the goal. Well, take a look at the link and find out how easy it is!
http://www.thesimpledollar.com/

Charlie Hoehn--Recession-proof Graduate

Got this a article through a friend of mine and I think it is a boon for the freshers who are looking for a job and also guides the jobseekers towards a better future. Do share this with your friends and family and I am sure they will thank you sometime!
http://www.slideshare.net/choehn/recessionproof-graduate-1722966

Imagesbazaar-- Largest collection of Indian images

I have been noticing the promotional ads for this particular website but did not get a chance to visit it. I did it today and was taken in by the quality of the photographs. Their collection is superb and have categorised it neatly and will be very helpful for any projects (School/college etc). The downside is they have a watermark on every image. Check it out!
It is a commercial site.
http://www.imagesbazaar.com/

Springwise - Your daily fix of enterpreneurial ideas

My very first link I want to share with you folks is http://springwise.com . It is truly an inspiring site and will satisfy your desire to start off something on your own. Good luck!

Introduction to the blog

Hi!
My name is Pratibha Udayabhaskar and I am from Mumbai, India. I am a homemaker and I love to read, watch interesting programs on televison and love to be online and learning new things.Here in this space you will find new and interesting websites/posts/articles that I come across during my daily search activity on the web. I hope you may find it useful and informative . The idea here is to learn and share the knowledge gained. Do visit this blog on a regular basis and do spread the word! See you again.