Friday, August 31, 2007

Ganesha Is Coming



Ganesha is one of the most worshipped deities in Hinduism. Devotees believe that wherever there is Ganesha, there is success and prosperity. Ganesh Chaturthi is an important festival honouring Ganesha and is celebrated for 10 days.

Thursday, August 30, 2007

Wednesday, August 29, 2007

Gold Cab



Mumbai Gold Cab (P) Ltd. launches a fleet of yellow taxis in Mumbai to be leased to taxi drivers. The fleet of taxis is divided into three segments according to the type of vehicle
- basic (Maruti Esteem, Tata Indigo and Hyundai Accent)
- medium (Mitsubishi Lancer)
- luxury (Toyota Corolla)
For every 1.5 km distance covered, the tariff would be Rs. 15 (basic), Rs. 19 (medium) and Rs. 24 (luxury) as compared to the blue cool cab which charges Rs. 16.50 every 1.5 km and the black and yellow taxi which charges a minimum of Rs. 13.
The cabs will be available on demand through fax, sma, internet and taxi terminals.
The company provides 24 hour service.

This cabbie volunteered to pose in front of his Maruti Esteem cab when I asked permission to photograph his cab.

Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Raksha Bandhan



Happy Raksha Bandhan to all brothers and sisters around the world. Let's celebrate the inseperable bond of love and trust between siblings today.

Monday, August 27, 2007

Jewellery At Nadco



Nadco Shopping Centre is a very popular shopping place at Andheri station. All you see here is fresh stock and the latest jewellery for the festive season.



After Raksha Bandhan comes Ganpati festival, followed by Navratri and then Dassera and Diwali will not be far away.

Sunday, August 26, 2007

Sarees



The saree is the in thing again. Young girls look forward to wearing sarees for weddings, formal functions and also festivals. For a few years, the sari was out of fashion, atleast for the youth. The so-called aunties( married women above 40) were seen wearing sarees. But now there is an exciting range of sarees available in the market. Credit should be given to the Indian designers who have revived the trend, and the sari is very popular today.

Saturday, August 25, 2007

Rakhis



Rakhis are back everywhere in the market, as sisters and brothers are shopping for Raksha Bandhan( which means 'The Bond Of Protection'), which is celebrated on the full moon of the month Shravana, which falls on 28th August this year.

Sweet shops are gearing up for the large supply of sweets, and the markets are full of freshly stocked sarees, salwars and jewellery.

Friday, August 24, 2007

Outside Andheri Station



After the rains stopped, I left mom's place to go to Andheri station to get into a train to reach home. The roads were still wet and the rain did not stop people fromm moving out. It was very crowded even after 9 pm in trains today.

Thursday, August 23, 2007

Wednesday, August 22, 2007

Peacock Flower



The peacock flower tree is mistaken for the Gulmohar tree. The botanical name is 'Caesalpinia Pulcherrima'. We have many of these small trees, about 3 to 4 feet in height already bearing flowers.

Tuesday, August 21, 2007

Mumbai's Cool Cab


Mumbai's 'Cool Cab' is a cool option for travel in the humid and hot climate.

Unlike the black and yellow taxi, they are air-conditioned and blue with a gray top. These taxis are more comfortable than the ordinary taxis. The meters are electronic and you pay the amount displayed on the meter.

Monday, August 20, 2007

Mahila Vastu Bhandar - A Closer Look



A closer look at the merchandise available at Mahila Vastu Bhandar.
Do you have hobby shops in your area?

Sunday, August 19, 2007

Mahila Vastu Bhandar



Mahila Vastu Bhandar -Mahila means Woman, Vastu means Article, Bhandar means Store.
This is a very popular store for hobbyists. From yarn, crochet and knitting needles and books, fur and acrylic for making soft toys, embroidery supplies, name it--they have it all. It is just two blocks away from Shree Krishna Batata Wada shop.
The torans sold here are the best in the city, and sell like hot cakes during Ganpati festival and Diwali.

Saturday, August 18, 2007

Hobby Shop



This is a popular hobby shop in the Dadar market and sells raw material for almost every hobby young girls or women are interested in. Colourful torans for decorating the doorways are very popular, especially during festival time.

Friday, August 17, 2007

Hawkers Fleeing


If you look carefully, this is a pic of the hawkers on the street. They are not selling their goods but fleeing because of the municipal raid in the area. If caught, their goods will be confiscated. Onnce they come to know the municipal officials have left, they all come back to their respective spots to earn a daily living.

Thursday, August 16, 2007

Dadar West Market



The same busy street is a part of the Dadar market, where you can buy almost anything in shops and from hawkers too.

Wednesday, August 15, 2007

Tuesday, August 14, 2007

Busy Street



The street where Shree Krishna food outlet is located is a very busy street of Dadar. The shops are very busy with activity and there are hawkers selling all kinds of goods.
Tomorrow is India's Independence Day and I'll post after the flag hoisting in our complex.

Monday, August 13, 2007

Shree Krishna Batata Wada



Shree Krishna Batata Wada is one of the oldest food outlets in Dadar West.
They not only serve fresh and delicious batata wadas, but also many other snacks like samosas, sabudana wada, many kinds of bhajiyas, misal pav, aloo wadi, medu wada, chaats and bhelpuri, panipuri and dahi puri and cold drinks too.
I remember visiting the place in my college days for hot and spicy batata wadas before going to the evening coaching classes in Dadar.

Sunday, August 12, 2007

Dadar Railway Station



A view of Dadar railway station from the bridge I showed you yesterday. The bridge takes you to Dadar(West) which is a shopping haven for many.

Saturday, August 11, 2007

Dadar Overbridge



This is the Dadar bridge over Dadar station connecting Dadar (East) to Dadar (West).

Friday, August 10, 2007

Traffic Jam



This is a common sight in Mumbai. This is traffic jam at Chembur, on the way to Dadar from Navi Mumbai. Earlier, this was considered normal during rush hours (office hours usually from 8 am to 10.30 am and from 5 pm to 8 pm). But this photo was taken at 3.30 pm.

Automobile sales have gone up in the already overpopulated city and we have to face the consequences.

Thursday, August 09, 2007

Goats



I saw these goats grazing on the empty land in front of the college opposite my house. It was dry land but because of rains, it is grassy now. I also saw donkeys grazing here, but could not take a photo then.

Wednesday, August 08, 2007

Night Wear

This one has been around for years. He sells only pure cotton night suits, with collars for boys and pleated & frilled ones for girls. A night suit here may cost you about Rs. 100 to Rs. 150. That's cheap, isn't it?

Tuesday, August 07, 2007

Jewellery

The jewellery sold on the roadside is not very expensive nor classy, but sometimes you get a rare necklace or a pair of ear-rings thats just right for your outfit.

Monday, August 06, 2007

Bangles


A closer look at the bangles here. Though I don't wear them regularly, I always look out for small sizes that match my 3-year old niece Anshi's traditional dresses. I love the colours and the jingling sound.

Sunday, August 05, 2007

Bangle Seller


This man has been selling different kinds of glass, plastic and metallic colorful bangles in Dadar for over fifteen years now. He was very excited about being photographed for people all over the world to see.

Saturday, August 04, 2007

Fresh Sweet Corn

It's monsoon time in Mumbai and that means lots of corn to eat. Mumbai markets are full of golden corn. I saw this hawker selling them in a basket at the bridge to Dadar(West). Mumbaiites eat corn in many forms-plain roasted with masala and a dash of lime, boiled with lime and masala, soup and corn chat. There are fresh corn stalls in malls too.

Friday, August 03, 2007

Handbags


Colourful handbags were for sale at Dadar when I visited my doctor. They are put up for sale on the pavement by hawkers having no licenses. You can see the big box on the right. That's for putting the bags in and carrying away. The box is very handy when the hawkers have to run with the goods, in case of a municipal raid.
As they have no overhead expenses like the shops, they sell goods very cheap and bargaining is a must if you want a good price.

Thursday, August 02, 2007

Anu's Kitchen


Welcome to Anu's Kitchen. I belong to a Sindhi family, and am married to a Marwari brahmin. My mom-in-law spent a major part of her childhood in Punjab. I live in Mumbai, the capital of Maharashtra. And now, my hubby's sister is married to a Tamil boy. All these factors have influenced my kitchen and my husband has always encouraged me to try something new in the kitchen.
So, I came up with Anu's kitchen.
My first post is Sabudana Khichdi. Do try it out and tell me how you liked it.
Your suggestions are welcome.
Please ask for any Indian recipe and I'll post it for you. If I don't know, I'll research, prepare, take pictures and post the recipe.

Happy Cooking.

Wednesday, August 01, 2007

August Monthly Theme: Typical Breakfast


Sabudana Khichdi is seasoned sago and potato. It is a Maharashtrian breakfast dish and enjoyed with a dash of lime over it. It can be served with coconut-coriander chutney or mango pickle and yogurt.

This is my Krrish's favourite breakfast, and over the last couple of months I've almost mastered it though my khichdi sometimes becomes sticky.

Take a look at what people around the world have for breakfast. These 100 blogs are participating in the August monthly theme: Typical Breakfast

Saint Paul (MN), USA - Bellefonte (PA), USA - Menton, France - Monte Carlo, Monaco - New York City (NY), USA - Tel Aviv, Israel - Hyde, UK - Port Angeles (WA), USA - Mainz, Germany - Stockholm, Sweden - Paderborn, Germany - Singapore, Singapore - Haninge, Sweden - Nottingham, UK - Ampang (Selangor), Malaysia - Manila, Philippines - Boston (MA), USA - Seoul, Korea - Singapore, Singapore - Joplin (MO), USA - Chandler (AZ), USA - Paris, France - Sequim (WA), USA - Greenville (SC), USA - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Boston (MA), USA - Chennai, India - Madison (WI), USA - Baton Rouge (LA), USA - Toulouse, France - Seattle (WA), USA - Mexico (DF), Mexico - La Antigua, Guatemala - Selma (AL), USA - Wassenaar (ZH), Netherlands - Albuquerque (NM), USA - Cleveland (OH), USA - San Diego (CA), USA - Lubbock (TX), USA - Jakarta, Indonesia - Sheki, Azerbaijan - Sydney, Australia - Mumbai, India - Seoul, South Korea - Cottage Grove (MN), USA - Cypress (TX), USA - Saarbrücken, Germany - Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina - New Orleans (LA), USA - Budapest, Hungary - Kyoto, Japan - Tokyo, Japan - Austin (TX), USA - Singapore, Singapore - Villigen, Switzerland - Montréal (QC), Canada - Stayton (OR), USA - Melbourne, Australia - Silver Spring (MD), USA - Moscow, Russia - Springfield (MO), USA - Inverness (IL), usa - Arlington (VA), USA - Cologne (NRW), Germany - Anderson (SC), USA - Oslo, Norway - Saint-Petersburg, Russian Federation - Manila, Philippines - Kajang (Selangor), Malaysia - Maple Ridge (BC), Canada - Bandung (West Java), Indonesia - Stavanger, Norway - Bastia, France - Hong Kong, China - Wailea (HI), USA - St. Louis (MO), USA - Chicago (IL), USA - Rabaul, Papua New Guinea - Sydney, Australia - Bucaramanga (Santander), Colombia - Kansas City (MO), USA - Grenoble, France - Paris, France - Evry, France - Saigon, Vietnam - Prague, Czech Republic - Cape Town, South Africa - Brookville (OH), USA - Brussels, Belgium - San Diego (CA), USA - Wellington, New Zealand - Newcastle (NSW), Australia - Saint Louis (MO), USA - Sharon (CT), USA - Shanghai, China - Zurich, Switzerland - North Bay (ON), Canada - Lyon, France - Naples (FL), USA - Olympia (WA), USA