Remember last time I mentioned about Sunday Soul Sante at Sunday Soul Sante Photoessay Part 1, I was all Gaga about how quirky and fun loving the crowd is.A few folks must have thought "Oh just another Mela!"

I had promised you then that I would come up with a detailed Photoessay but it slipped off my mind.Oops..Only when I got to know tomorrow is another Sunday Soul Sante,I decided to pen it down.The reason is I wrote is I wouldn't want you to miss the fun.I myself would be joining the fun anytime in the grounds.It's the most happening flea in Bangalore.The buzz is that they are planning to launch in other cities too very very soon.What more do we want than

                                    Music.Masti.Shopping.Flea.Food.Drink.Talent Shows

                         
                                   I ain't abroad,yes buddies this is India @ Sunday Soul Sante

                           Where ordinary is extra-ordinary,where creative genius is on display                                                                                        @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore

                             
                                    Where shopping means getting lost or finding your way
                                                            @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


           
                                                                    Where yellow is mellow
                                                                     @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


                                      
                                                      When Bootiful really mean Booootifool
                                                             @ Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


                                    
                                                Use it up, wear it out, make it do, or do without. 
                                                       Showpieces made of recycled alcohol bottles
                                                               @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


                                                 
                                              Where drinking responsible leads to innovation
                                                       @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


                            
                                     Where people behind these are just like you and me!
                                                       @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore


                                                       
                                                                     And never ends


                                                           
                                                             Celebrate the Tandoor


                                                                   
                                                               Or chat over chaat


                                                                  
                           Whatever it is,that you wish for..whatever is it that you want
                                      is right here in Bangalore for some celebration.


                                     

                                
                                                 Meet Goa Gurl Sunita, a colorful young tarot card reader
                                                                + Fashion Designer,how cool is that!
                                                                        @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore

                            
                                                                   
                                                          How about experiencing the charm of a fairytale,
                                                                       in the world created by us?
                                                                   @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore
                                    
                                                      
                                                             That  flow of Kishfisher and that music!
                                                                     @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore               
                 
                                 

                                                                               See I told you so...
                                                                     @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore 
                                                           
                                                                       
                                                                        How about being just one of them,
                                                                                           for a day..
                                                                       @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore
                               
   
                                                                            It is for the celebration of Gen-X
                                                                            @Sunday Soul Sante,Bangalore

Next blog I take you deeper,a lot more non-girly pictures,and more such stories of the emerging youth,both guys and gals together to create a platform that is viral.

Indians love travelling, but people belonging to its Bengali community love travelling more than the others. - BBC

Bengalis the most widely-travelled people in India - Ibnlive


The moments of nostalgia made my heart flutter.I was standing at the Howrah Railway Station.Prepaid Taxi Line.I didn't know if people who have enrolled online would come,the thoughts kept pondering in my head,what if they don't ? I had a certain Plan B,If they don't I would take a tour of the city or plan a visit to my school once again. Kolkata-The city of travelers is rarely online.Not that I don't know the fact,a part of my life was spent in Kolkata.A part of Schooling and a part of my first Job.While I was still thinking about other Plan B's , the taxi wallah asked me sweetly "Kothai jabe tumi? ",I explained to him my location of stay.Minutes after the taxi started it stopped.Seems like there was another taxi wallah who was thirsty and the Babumoshai - my taxi wallah had some water.This is Kolkata I know,warm welcoming helpful and crazily lazy. This city has the most relaxing vibe,this city can make things wait or even people wait.

The sweetness in "O" is virtually everywhere from the mishti doi to the rosogulla to the moidan to the Esplanade.Reminds me of some of my teachers calling me "Onkita" instead of Ankita..!Gud ol' school days :)

Minutes before the meetup was about to start,I did a quick survey of the venue. Shruti,the owner of the Tea trove was more than helpful.One of my friend,who is a native of Bengal warned me "Ankita try to understand,we prefer local addas to cafes.Why do you think anybody would come?" But people did.They had faith or the same interest.I wouldn't mind conducting a meet up in a local adda or even you can,but first I should know of any popular local adda. Nevertheless,the ambiance added to the value "This was just the place I was looking for!",but what made the wait worth were the travelers,who also are my new friends now.The Tea Trove was also awarded The Telegraph Award of Excellence-2013, in the Category of Tea.










A lot of people ask me why do I conduct meetup?And lot of time I think why did I come all the way from Bangalore to Kolkata ?And then a certain something brings smile back with a reason:Had I not been there,I wouldn't have known that Spiti Valley can be done in 1200 bucks for 5 days trip plan,that Burma is possible for 3000 bucks 5 days,that couch-surfing is catching up these days,that we have a secret new pub in Kolkata,that a Standup Comedian is like you and me,those vagabonds from Spain who have traveled 30 countries,that student who still aspires to travel,that being a native of Mizoram means being part of a beautiful new sunrise everyday,that endless gossip those new friends over a piece of Pizza and Chilled tea was worth the effort.


So far I have conducted three PAN India Travelers Meet : Delhi Bangalore Kolkata.The next meetup is going to be in Mumbai.But the objective is the same.To meet more and more like minded people and learn from them or hear their stories,make them comfortable with each other and travel together in future or stay in touch.To make the process simpler,I have created a Facebook group page "The Great Indian Travelers".As long as you do not promote a commercial activity,you are most welcome in the group.The objective of the group is you can share your own travel plans,ask people if they want to join,or post query about your travel plan.So let's take a quick look at the Traveler's meet,shall we?

  Me with cute Clyde,the official Commonwealth Games Mascot                                    

Welcome to Glasgow's George's Square. Up until the middle ages, this was just an old farmland and this was what was known for strip farming. Later in the years it became a big puddle and people would through rubbish in the puddle. Up until the 1781; The council made a decision that they want to level it. Today it is the center of Glasgow. The transformation from the old to the new is drastic. And so is Glasgow a very inviting destination with plenty to do here and more so to experience. The city is vibrant, dynamic and historical. With the next Commonwealth Games hosted in Glasgow, we do not have a reason to miss the occasion. 

But when you ask me, why should you attend just another Commonwealth Games? I would say simply because it is not going to be just another.

I have been to Scotland twice, and every time I go there I find it surprising. Surprising because contradicting the popular myth of bland and no-colors as we think it would be, Scotland is a vibrant mix of colors and celebration. It has its own charm and both Glasgow and Edinburgh are walk able. While Glasgow is more creatively historical in the way buildings are set up or even pavements and shops, Edinburgh is more like a cosmopolitan city. Best part is they are just connected by about 45 minutes by train. Recently inspired by my travel stories, one of my friends in London, UK decided to explore the land so underestimated and lucky she was to get back those oh-so-beautiful pictures. The food too is special, it has got a taste like no other, and how to forget the whiskies Scotland is famous for.

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 "One Year To Go" Tickets


                           Sir Chris Hoy is the national Champion who has won gold medal in previous
                                Games and is now the Commonwealth Games Ambassador

Initially called the Empire Games, the first games started with 4-5 games in Hamilton Canada .Since then the Commonwealth Games are played every 4 years bridging gaps between the nations, and highlighting the best of every game and stretching the athletes limit. If you remember, the last Commonwealth Games was held in Delhi in 2010, where we had marvelous display of grand athletic genius and celebrations too. The next Commonwealth is going to be held in Glasgow starting from 23rd July to 3rd August.6500 athletes,17 sports and 71 participating nations, this is going to be Scotland's biggest carnival. The cost of tickets for under 16 and over 60 is 7.5 pounds and for the regulars its 15 pounds. The ticketing starts tomorrow and the details are available at:Glasgow 2014 Tickets

The Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 "One Year To Go" Celebrations

I too had my share of fun in the "One Year To Go Commonwealth Games celebration in July". I tried how to cycle in the Chris Hoy Velodrome named after the national cycling champion, Sir Chris Hoy. And lucky I was to be able to do it, even you can. It's open for everyone, but is an incredible experience in itself. Next we went to the Hydro which is also the Commonwealth Games venue. The Hydro is a massive circular dome shaped arena, where some of the sports will take place. We also visited Hampton stadium which is the national stadium of Scotland. They said the level of the ground is up scaled to accommodate some sports- How interesting isn't it? I also met Clyde, the official Commonwealth Games Mascot and he is incredibly Cute. Cuter than I thought. And last but not the least the place is already up with the celebration, so wherever you go, you would either find bagpipers, or gals dancing, or guys singing or the balloons flying or a puppet show even on road. We’ll discuss some other things in the next post but before I take you further, let’s indulge in some sports and pre-celebration galas. Let’s begin with a small snippet video shall we?


I hope you liked my video,if you did I will be awaiting a small token in the form of your sweet comments.Now let's take you to some of the venues and their pictures:

           Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games will have1.5 global audience,15000 volunteers,
                                                17 sports at 40 venues across the city

Along with the sport,the city's culture,architecture and food is stunning.We have discussed some in previous post,but now we are going to experience the quirky,creative and adventurous side of Glasgow,so that if you plan Glasgow next year,you will know what is there to explore.Meanwhile the various tickets links depending on the countries are:

Authorised Glasgow 2014 Ticket Sales Websites

Antigua & Barbuda
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Australia
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Bangladesh
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Barbados
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Botswana
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

British Virgin Islands
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Brunei Darussalam
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Cameroon
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Canada
http://www.executive-trvl.com/commonwealth/

Cook Islands
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Cyprus
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Dominica
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Ghana
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Grenada
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/

Kenya
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Kiribati
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Lesotho
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Malawi
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Malaysia
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Malta
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Mauritius
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Namibia
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Nauru
www.sportsworld.co.uk

New Zealand
http://www.hotevents.co.nz/

Niue
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Pakistan
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Papua New Guinea
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Singapore
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Solomon Islands
www.sportsworld.co.uk

South Africa
http://www.fli-afrika.com

Sri Lanka
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Swaziland
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Tanzania
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

The Gambia
www.kingdomsg.com/glasgow2014

Tuvalu
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Uganda
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Vanuata
www.sportsworld.co.uk

Wales
www.samsmithtravel.com or www.strachansportstravel.com

Zambia
http://www.greatexperiencetravel.co.uk/ or http://worldsportsandhospitality.com/

Chandipur,Orissa - Sea Mirage Like Never Before

Let's start with the most unusual one - Chandipur Beach Orissa

                Chandipur Beach- An Unusual Display of Optical Illusion - Sea Mirage

Imagine a vast expanse of sea,well wait,not sea,but sea,not sea,but sea and suddenly your feet touches the water,and you jump up with joy - Aha! Sea finally.India's only place with an unusual sea mirage,is stunning.At first glance it looks like just another beach destination from the other shore of the beach,and when you start walking your eyes fail to recognize the sea.The sea isn't the sea anymore.It's just sand.Sand till kilometers until you find the original sea.It's like a chase.It's wonderful. I've been there with my friends back in 2006,and I was shocked to see such a place.

The story doesn't end here,when you reach the water,the depth of sea is parallel to the surface of water and the waves are smooth not fiery.It's like an eternal river or a pond with smooth waves,but the feeling is amazing.You can play in the water even dipped till shoulder length.While guys played volleyball in the sea,yes,in the middle of the sea,we chose to be filmed by the local Bengali Channel crew walking in the middle of the sea.When all of us got a little tired,we took a small little table and placed it in the sea.But the waves weren't so strong to move the table.I wish we had some bottles of wine and kebabs to go with it.Unfortunately,I do not have many pictures of the sea.I wasn't a blogger then,and I only used to take out my camera when I felt like.But the perk was our adventure was captured by a local Bengali Channel which was aired at 10:30 pm night.I wonder if I can find it online,I don't even remember the name of the program(Such a pity!).But I remember the excitement my mom had in her eyes,she very dedicatedly used to switch on TV for consecutively 3 days to watch the same.And yes we were there,in our most excited moods to discover the sea which was hesitant to move on..

Chandipur is

Chandipur also known as Chandipur-on-sea, is a small fishing market and community at the confluence of the Budhabalanga River and the sea.You can also do coastal trekking from Chandipur to Digha.

Did you know?
Chandipur came into limelight over two decades back with the launching of ICBM AGNI. Chandipur-on-sea is also the location of the Indian Army's Integrated Test Range (ITR).



Where To Stay : OTDC Pantha nivas / Hotel Shubham

How To Reach: The town of Chandipur does not house a proper railway station, but trains to Chandipur can be taken till the railway station in Balasore. This railway station is quite well connected, with frequent trains to Howrah, Chennai, New Delhi and Bhubaneswar.3 and half hours journey from Howrah station is Balasore by train + auto or taxi from the station to Chandipur.
Important Festival: Golden beach festival is one of the significant festivals in Chandipur. This four-day festival is being celebrated in the month of December

Sighseeting Destination: Sight-seeing destination (Pancha-lingeswar, Buribalam, Nilgiri,bhitarkanika wildlife sanctuary,Simlipal etc) are excellent with an Auto with reasonable price (Rs 700/ or so).

It is often that I think aloud what has been my weakness. The things I drool over and aim to get are of course essentially clothes, accessories, jewellery, cosmetics etc and etc. After all I am a gal and sale makes me go weak in my knees. Guys and Gals its 67% sale going everywhere on Independence day, how does that make you feel ?My choice is not particularly too feminine that I paint my nails, apply paints or mascara or hold a clutch, but on occasions which demand sophistication and presence of mind, I have my style that goes with the real than the reel. I consider myself lucky to be gifted with the art of being tomboyish in my shorts and being sweet and coy in my sari. After all , a travel and adventure blogger need not essentially be just out of the bed; I love fashion. I balance buying to saving. On days when I do not travel I shop. On days when I travel, I save. On days when I do nothing, I earn. I do not follow trends, but my style reflects comfort, comfort that can make me jump without having to pose. It’s more carefree yet subtle. My favorite colors are olive, white and neutral shades though I wear all colors.

Let me confess to you a secret I hardly wear jewellery. Though I admire them and buy a lot; I usually do not wear them unless it's an occasion. I find them to be coming in between my work; the movement around my ear doesn't let me concentrate. I sometimes wear my good old plain gold stud mom gave me, but those are too old and I wish it to change it to something more beautiful. On and off I buy the regular road side Jhumkis,but I hardly wear them. The reason is after wearing them for the while, the real color shows off! After all its not the real metal..

But with age and time, the designs on the brands and jewellery change based on today's idea of modern day women. For example, the recent introduction of Mia in Tanishq is a wonderful range for working women like us, who would rather prefer simplicity than anything else. The commercial emphasizes on the barriers we women have to face in life.



A Team of Tanishq says

"A lot of people have been coming and saying that they have been the victim. Before we made the Tanishq TV Commercial, we researched on what is it that women find as a barrier, the primary reason which we have highlighted in the past in the ostentatious display of femininity, beauty and now we have toned it down, we know you want it to be minimalistic and simplistic

                                                                Photo By Pratidhani Tamang

But barriers are barriers and it takes long time for people to overcome; We actually took this barrier head on and we actually got a lot of response from people on everybody keeps on telling you on what to do  from somebody or the other; It may not be the boss necessarily but just anybody. Is it your birthday today, is there an occasion?Its always linked to some celebration; it’s just not acceptable that you come dressed prettily to office. We have shown lady as the boss, these comments typically comes from men, colleagues who are you friendly who suddenly come and say "what are you wearing yaar, why red, what is the occasion and stuff like that”. 

                                                                 Photo By Pratidhani Tamang

In terms of utility some women have actually said why you can’t give me earrings which also have a Bluetooth device. So technology meets beauty and jewellery in some form and we are working on integration of technology with jewellery. We also have come up with modular jewellery where the pieces can be separated in earrings,or a ring can be made a earrings or vice versa.The current MIA collection is also inspired by nature i.e the fine inner lines of cucumber is infused in one of the designs etc"

                                                               Click here for about me on Tanishq

Do you agree with the commercial?Tell me what makes it so resonating to your life?Have you faced similar discrepancies before?If yes,can your choice of jewellery help

                        Left-Right : Shalini from StylishByNature and Aarohi from ArtbyAarohi  ,
                                                                 Photo By Pratidhani Tamang

Arohi:Very nice ad.A women need to break a lot of barriers to be appreciated by the society for her work alone.What happens most of the time is people look at the exterier experience and don't give a chance.In that sense,jewellery makes you in a way more presentable..


                                                          Me with Saina from Pixel Platters,
                                                              Photo By Pratidhani Tamang

With her statement,and a confident yes,we had a beautiful afternoon all dedicated to the concept MIA had beautifully captured in the TVC.So let's a peek-a-boo on what all we did,the names of the bloggers and also a quick cool session on Bar-tending prepared by Anuj who has won many accolades in Cocktail Making and Bar-tending abroad.



Do they look delicious,well they were...?So let's try learn some of the cocktails with the smooth Jameson whiskey and Pepper Vodka on the rocks!Courtesy Anuj from The Hummingtree.



Why did all of us giggle when we were high..I guess It's the after effect of stunning jewellery,food and drinks.Heavenly.

                                                   Me with Smrithi from Vintage Obsession
                                                      Thank you everyone for dropping by :) 
                                           And a very very very very happy Independence Day