India – What's Next?

Modaks, Matolis and Merriment!

12th September 2018Posted in SaffronStays DiariesTagged festival, friends, Ganesh Chaturthi, Getaway, Goa, Goa, Homestays in India, India, Long weekend, long weekend getaways, long weekend trips, merriment, traditional, Traditional Food, weekend getaways in goaLeave a comment

Only a couple of days to go until the most awaited festival of Ganesh Chaturthi and the entire state of Goa seems to have descended into a frenetic whirl.

Chaturthi or Chovoth (as it is commonly known in Goa) commemorates the birthday of Lord Ganesha. The beloved elephant-headed God is instantly recognisable by his generous belly, curved trunk and the sweet in his palm. Celebrations commence on the fourth day of the Bhadrapada month, corresponding to August or September in the Gregorian calendar.

This festival is always a place of unrestrained joy. Most people visit their ancestral homes to come together as a family and take part in the festivities. Celebrations go on for anywhere between two to 21 days. Local artisans spend months painstakingly adding intricate details to the ‘murti’ A priest then offers prayers and invokes ‘life’ into the clay idol before placing it under a matov. This colourful pandal covered in branches of mango, betel-nut, coconut, and bananas is enough to rival any gardener’s paradise. Traditional puja and aarti are performed twice a day and gifts in the form of betel nuts, coconut, mango leaves and varieties of seasonal fruits are offered up to the idol. The women observe a fast as a mark of sacrifice.

Music fills the air and festive beats from the ghumat, cymbals, and traditional drum lift the spirits. They sing hymns, chant mantras and conduct aartis every day. This is a way of showing the Lord Ganesha a respectful time during his visit to each home.

Food and Frolic

But the real star is the food. These delicacies are capable of making one’s mouth water. There’s the ‘pachpalyachi bhaji’ which is a mouthwatering amalgamation of five different leafy vegetables found in abundance during this period. Sweet dishes, particularly modak, known to be Ganesha’s favourite, laddoos and neuvryo are also a major part of the celebration.

The festival of Ganesh Chaturthi holds a special significance in Mapusa, famous for its Temples at Ganeshpuri and Khandola. The temple town of Marcela in Ponda also witnesses a huge rush of visitors during Chaturthi season. The reason – the unique and creative Ganesha idols made by local artists.

On the last day, a parade ringing with the sound of drums and chants of ‘Ganapati Bappa Morya’ makes its way down the streets to the nearest water body. The celebration goes on late into the night with everyone dancing like they’ve forgotten how to stand still. The idol is then immersed into the water from where it is believed Ganesha returns back to his parents – Shiva and Parvati at Mount Kailasha.

As families spread far and wide on account of work, Ganesh Chaturthi becomes an important way to bring them back to their roots. It is a time to celebrate being alive, celebrate the wonders of creation and be one with the community. Since people from other communities also take the opportunity to get away together, SaffronStays offers vacation rental homes so that travelers can be a part of these festivities and spend some quality time with one another.

For bookings contact: book@saffronstays.com | (+91) 8424 040 040

SaffronStays wishes all its patrons a Happy Ganesh Chaturthi!

15 Facts That Make Us Proud To Be Indians

15th August 2017Posted in SaffronStays DiariesTagged Holiday, homestay, independence day, India, Indian flag, Long weekend, long weekend getaways, long weekend trips, trips, Weekend Getaway, weekend holidayLeave a comment

15th August. A red letter day, will continue to be of utmost importance in the history of India. We have completed 70 years of independence and it has not always been a smooth sail. But we have been slowly but steadily making progress.

One of the fastest growing country, India is still sometimes considered as an underdog and is underestimated. So, let’s take a look at these 15 facts that prove otherwise and make us proud to be called an Indian.

Source: Jaago Re

Right To Vote From Day 1 After Independence

India is the largest democracy in the world, and it has the unique distinction of being the only country that gave its citizens the Right to Vote from the very first day after Independence.

2. Third In Claiming World Records

As per the records of The Guinness Book of World Records, after UK and US, India is in the third position in claiming the number of world records each year.

Source: South Report

3. Highest Bailey Bridge In The World

In August 1982, the Indian Army built the world’s highest Bailey Bridge at an altitude of 5602 meters. It is located in the Ladakh valley between the Dras and Suru rivers in the Himalayan mountains.

4. Currency Notes With Braille Features

The Indian currency notes has Braille feature which aid the visually impaired to identify and differentiate between the notes. Mexico, Israel, Canada and Russia are some of the other countries to adopt this feature.

5. Invention Of Sugar Refining

The process of sugar refining was first discovered by India during the Gupta dynasty, around 350AD where they discovered how to crystallize sugar.

Source: nitinenterprises

6. Invention of Chess And Snakes & Ladders

Believed to be originated during the Gupta dynasty, in Eastern India, Chess, in its early form was known as chaturanga in the 6th century.
Snakes & Ladders originated in India, as a part of the dice board games family which included Gyan chauper (Ludo) and pachisi (Parcheesi).

7. Manufacturer of Supercomputers

Supercomputers are computers that have a high level of computing performance in comparison to general computers. And are made, by only three countries in the world, India being one of them besides US and Japan.

8. The First University Of The World Was Established In India

Takshila, is said to be the very first university in the world that started around 700 BC. From all over the world, more than 10,500 students came to study more than 60 subjects.

Source: The Checker News

9. Sushruta, The Father Of Surgery

Sushruta, a physician, made tremendous contributions to the field of plastic and cataract surgery in 6th century BC. Reconstructive surgery techniques were being carried out as early as 800 BC in India. Hence, Sushruta is considered as the Father of Surgery.

Source: America Space

10. The Only Country To Send A Spacecraft To Mars In Its First Attempt

India has joined the elite group of countries that have managed to successfully send a spacecraft to Mars. India became the fourth country to do so, but the very first one to manage it in its very first attempt. Whoopee!

11. Largest Postal Network In The World

India has the largest portal network in the world. And not just that, India also has the highest post office in the world, which is located at a height of 15,500 ft in Hikkim, Himachal Pradesh. And why just stop at the highest point, India has a floating post office too! The Dal lake in Srinagar opened a floating post office in 2011.

Source: The Indian Express

12. The Invincible Indian National Kabaddi Team

The Indian national Kabaddi team of India has won all the Kabaddi World Cups held till now and have been unbeatable. Both the men’s team and women’s team have achieved this awe-inspiring feat. Go India!

13. Origination Of Algebra, Trigonometry And Calculus

Quadratic equations were used by Sridharcharya in the 11th century. While the Greeks and Romans were using 106, the Indians were using numbers as big as 10*53 (i.e 10 to the power of 53), as early as 500 B.C.

Source: chandrayaan-i.com

14. Discovery Of Water On Moon, Zero.

India’s ISRO Chandrayaan – 1, in September, 2009 detected water on Mars for the first time using its Moon Mineralogy Mapper.
In working out the place value system, Aryabhatta discovered zero for the very first time and also invented the number system.

15. India – Wary Of Wars

Although, India is the largest importer of arms, in her last 100000 years of history, India has never invaded any country.

This is just the tip of the iceberg. There are many more facts, like the art of shampooing being discovered in India, the Human calculator – Shakuntala Devi, origin of Yoga, Buddhism, Jainism, Hinduism, Sikhism in India, the largest number of vegetarians in India, etc.

All this, gives us a reason to hold our heads high and be proud to be an Indian. So this Independence Day, let us all pledge, that we will continue to make inroads into making our country even better and greater.

Tips for planning your travel

7th July 2014Posted in Travel InformationTagged Homestays, India, Travel informationLeave a comment

Travelling is as exciting as it is dangerous. Who knows what you will come across, who knows whether you will get a warm bed to sleep in tonight or food in your belly – it’s exciting. With one SSExpress already over and another one underway, we’ve become pros at planning travel.

Your movement from one place to another should be planned, especially when you are on a tight budget and have limited time in hand. So here’s some help in creating the best plan for you.

Where are you going and what do you want from the trip?

It’s easy to decide that you want to travel. The question is where? India is a large country and each state has something unique to offer. Your expectation from the trip is also very important. May be you just want to snooze and unwind; or maybe you want to travel from one place to another and take in a lot of culture and scenery.

At the end of this thought process, you should have a route decided that you want to travel through.

Get a Roof over your Head

One of the main issues of most travellers is finding a place to stay. You have quite a few options from hotels, hostels, inns, homestays and B & B. If you are planning a trip during season time, you should try to book a room in advance. Saffronstays is unique in the way that you can get access to a quaint, local place to stay, plus you can learn about the area’s culture from the host.

Plan the Transport

Before you leave, ensure even your return tickets are booked. This way, no matter what happens (like you’re robbed), you at least have a way to come back. Find out the various ways you can travel to the places you want to visit and what’s the best means of transport over there. Is it better to rent a bike or use the public transport?

What should you Visit?

There is no point of visiting a place, if you are going to laze about in the hotel or homestay room. Get out there and experience things. Every place has interesting things to check out, whether it is the local dam or that national monument. Making small lists saves time when you reach the location. You won’t waste time about finding about the places you need to visit.

No Plan is the Best Plan

At times, the best idea is dive in. No matter how much you plan, you can’t prepare yourself for all the awesome experiences on the trip. Some may even test you. You must be flexible and be prepared to evolve according to the situation.

Lastly, if something has to go wrong, it will. Don’t worry about it! Just go ahead and dive into that trip you wanted to go for.

About the traveller: Tristan Fernandes is currently travelling to the North East of India and has used all of the above tips in planning his travel successfully.