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10 Must Visit Food Streets Of India
India as a country enjoys huge diversity in every aspect, be it in terms of languages, communities, religions, looks of people, geographical terrains, weather conditions, and so on. In such a diverse country it was but natural to have a great diversity of cuisines too. As a result of the diversity of races, communities and religion, the impact of geographical advantages and restrictions and prolonged exposure to various external influences over many centuries, the various regions of the country has been able to develop a unique culinary portfolio. As such there is nothing like Indian Cuisine in general, it is a group of cuisines coming together, viz., South Indian cuisine, Punjabi cuisine, Rajathani cuisine, Goan cuisine, Kashmiri cuisine, Bengali Cuisine, Maharashtrian cuisine and so on. A great way to explore this diverse food portfolio is to visit the local street food markets while visiting different towns and cities across the country. These street food markets are heaven for foodies. They have a character of their own and you are ready to give up the idea of dining in a upmarket restaurant in order to grab that experience of eating amidst all that chaos and being a part of that character for a while.
Darjelling: The Foodies' Paradise
Darjeeling, also known as the Queen of Hills, has a colonial past. Back in the days when Calcutta used to be the capital of the British Raj, Darjeeling happened to be the most coveted hill station for the Gora Sahibs and the Mems. It was only an overnight train from Calcutta, followed by a 12-hour journey on the toy train from Siliguri. Even to date, the place is covered with buildings of the colonial era, which are now occupied by government offices.
A gastronomical trip to Kashmir
Kashmiri cuisine has been influenced by the cuisines of the Mughals, the Arabs and the local style of cooking of the Kashmiri pundits. While most of the signature delicacies of the region are non-vegetarian, there are many interesting vegetarian dishes to try as well. In the non-vegetarian dishes, mutton, chicken or fish is the main ingredient. There is abundant use of spices like cardamom, fennel, ginger, cinnamon, cloves and saffron giving the food not only exquisite taste but also rich aroma. In this article we bring to our readers 16 ‘must try’ items from Kashmiri cuisine.
Goan Curries: SEVEN CURRIES TO TRY WHEN YOU'RE IN GOA
Admit it, Goan cuisine is comfort food in itself, hitting all the right notes, while simultaneously bringing all the essential nutrition to the table!
FENI: Goa's Magic Concoction
Come March and every corner of Goa is teeming with the sweet aroma of ripe Cashew apples. Goans get ready to not only roast the cashew nut, but also to brew Goa’s favourite elixirs - Urrack and Feni. While Urrack has a very short shelf life, Feni can be stored and aged for up to 10 years! Just like wine, the more you age the Feni, the pricier it gets. A delicious drink replete with fruity, pungent and earthy aromas, Feni gets at least half of Goa’s population reminiscing nostalgically. It is an emotion stronger than wine or whiskey and it has us and many tourists, swooning over its unbeatable goodness in all its myriad flavours!
Luxury travel In The Deccan Odyssey
Experiences sometimes crystalize into key memories that we can dig into and extract a handful of happiness from - as many times as we wish. And I can close my eyes anytime and let the Deccan Odyssey slide show play.
Dream DESTINATION FOR EVERY BIKER
The sky-high mountain passes of Ladakh, accompanied by the barren landscape, the picturesque views composed of lakes and mountains, and the deserted roads beckon bikers for the experience of a lifetime. It indeed is a dream destination for every biker.
Caravan trip-On the road with a pet
Amit Singh aka Desi Tourist is a travel vlogger who recently made a long caravan trip with his pet pug Popu. The trip was not only rejuvenating because it came after months of staying home during the lockdown, it was also one of realisations about the relation between humans and their best friend – dogs. Team Touriosity loved this idea of a caravan trip, as well as travel with a pet. So we interviewed Amit for an insight into his unique experience. Following are excerpts from the interview:
7 Indian Prisons One Can Visit As A Tourist
If you are looking for a fun-filled vacation, this is not an article to please you. This is for those who like to experiment with new and unique experiences. Spending time behind bars in a dark prison cell, wearing a jail uniform made of khaki and having the basic jail food there, may be a nightmare for most, but adventure enthusiasts are increasingly being drawn to prison tourism of this kind globally. India too has caught up to the race and today there are a few prisons in India which are tourist attractions for various reasons. While some are famous historically, others have interesting museums and yet others provide pay and stay facilities. One does not really need to commit a crime to experience these prisons nor a bail for release.
PRISON TOURS as part of Dark Tourism
One of the first signs of the beginning of understanding is the wish to die. This life appears unbearable, another unattainable. One is no longer ashamed of wanting to die; one asks to be moved from the old cell, which one hates, to a new one, which one will only in time come to hate. In this there is also a residue of belief that during the move the master will chance to come along the corridor, look at the prisoner and say: “This man is not to be locked up again, he is to come with me.” – Franz Kafka in Blue Octavo Notebooks.
THE KILLING FIELDS
CHOEUNG EK Site of a former orchard and mass grave of victims of the Khmer Rouge (killed between 1975 and 1979) near Phnom Penh, Cambodia
Bengal's Biggest Carnival
The Durga Puja is like the Carnival of Bengal. People wait and plan for an entire year for these few days of the festival. But this year’s Durga Puja has been different. With almost no pandal hopping, restricted crowding, limited fanfare, this annual festival was celebrated sans the quintessential pomp and gaiety. Nevertheless, the theme of one particular Durga Puja in Kolkata managed to capture the attention of people worldwide with its heartwarming message and decor. Abhirup Ghosh has beautifully captured the unique decor and a close-up shot of the much talked about idol of Goddess Durga as a migrant mother from Barisha Club, Behala and shared his experience of talking with the organisers and designers of the pandal and the artist of the idol. TOURISIOTY hails the creativity and humanitarian approach of this Puja Committee in addressing one of the burning problems of the current times. We are happy to share this exclusive coverage.
Latpanchari A desire to Get lost
Forming part of the Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary, Latpanchar is a veritable paradise for bird watchers. Located at an altitude of 5000 ft above the sea level on the foothills of the Eastern Himalayas, Latpanchar is a newfound hidden gem of Bengal. This travelogue by Alok Ganguly brings to our readers his experience and is accompanied by beautiful captures. The article also provides detailed information for those who would like to set foot in this place.
How to celebrate Durga pooja as Bengalis do
In this cover story, Abhirup Ghosh has beautifully captured the true spirit of Durga Puja in the state of Bengal both through his pen and the camera. He has perfectly elucidated the key elements of the annual festivities of the Bengali Community and elaborated on the individual rituals during these festival days. From idol-making to idol-immersion, there’s every detail in the article.
Born In The Perusian Highlands Incan Civilisation
The Inca civilization flourished in ancient Peru between 1400 and 1533 AD. Their historical origins are difficult to trace, as they left no written records. Their history is known from the oral tradition that has been preserved through the generations by official ‘memorizers’.
The cradle of civilisations- Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia, a region in southwest Asia, is often claimed to have hosted the beginning of the human civilisation on earth. The geography and climatic conditions here were conducive to development of the civilisation. Many important inventions were made during this time, including written language, maps, mathematics, the concept of time and things like the brick, plough, wheels, chariots and boats, pottery and textile mills. Accordingly the region is often called the ‘Cradle of Civilisations’ as a lot of what the human race on the earth has today was born here.
The beginning of the sub-continent INDUS VALLEY CIVILISATION
The ancient Indus Valley Civilization, also often called the Harappan Civilisation, grew up in the fertile flood plains of the Indus River spanning across Pakistan, Afghanistan and India. While Mesopotamian civilisation is generally believed to be the oldest one, new studies reveal that the Indus Valley civilisation pre-dates it, and that it is 7,500 – 8,000 years old to be precise.
Of architectural glory and much more Roman Civilisation
Ancient Rome grew from a small village on the bank of Italy’s Tiber River into an empire that at its peak comprised most of continental Europe, Britain, much of western Asia, northern Africa and the Mediterranean islands. Among the many legacies of Roman dominance are the widespread use of the Romance languages (Italian, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Romanian) all derived from Latin, the modern Western alphabet, the calendar and the emergence of Christianity as a major world religion.
Lesser Known PYRAMIDS from the Mayan Civilisation
The Mayan civilisation was a Mesoamerican civilisation that grew up in the tropical lowlands of today’s Guatemala and ultimately reached the countries of Belize and parts of Mexico, Honduras and El Salvador. It spread across the timeline of 2000 BC to 900 AD, reaching the peak of its power in the sixth century AD when the Maya population is said to have reached a strength of 20,00,000.
The Golden period of Iran under the PERSIAN CIVILISATION
Persia or the modern-day Iran is one of the oldest inhabited regions in the world with archaeological evidence claiming this to be dating back 1,00,000 years. The Neanderthals are believed to have had seasonal settlements here starting from the Paleolithic through the Neolithic and Chalcolithic Ages. We are however focusing on civilisations and not sporadic settlements. The Aryans migrated here in the early 3rd millennium BC and in course of time the region came to be known as Ariana (and then Iran) – the land of the Aryans.
The Story of Mummies, Pyramids & more - EGYPTIAN CIVILISATION
The river valley of Nile began to be settled around 5500 BC and two distinct kingdoms grew up; they are referred to as the Upper Egypt and the Lower Egypt (known locally as Ineduhedj). Around 3200 BC, the two kingdoms were unified under one ruler, King Narmer (also called Menes), and this is widely regarded as the beginning of the Egyptian civilization. For close to 3000 years, till its conquest by Alexander the Great in 332 BC, the ancient Egyptian civilization was the predominant civilization in the Mediterranean world.
Tracing the ancient Arab World Nabatacan Civilisation
The Nabataeans were an ancient Arab tribe who inhabited northern Arabia and the southern Levant. During the fourth century BC the Nabataeans lived as nomads in tents, loathed wine and did not have any interest in agriculture, but by the second century, they developed into an organized society, a distinct civilisation and political entity. They settled mostly in the city of Raqmu, which is now known as Petra, and is a city in Jordan. From there they expanded their territory to the Horan and Levant and finally announced Bosra as their capital.
An important of the Americans AXTEC
One of the most important civilizations of the Americas was the Aztec Civilisation. The Aztecs, also called the Mexica, were not native to Mexico and belonged to a tribe called the Chichimeca. They are believed to have immigrated from the mythical land of Aztlan in the North to central Mexico during the pre-Columibian Mesoamerican period after a great drought ravaged their land. Within a couple of centuries they settled on the Valley of Mexico and established their capital at Tenochtitlán in the middle of the Lake Texcoco in 1325 AD. While to begin with this place in the middle of a lake was not quite impressive as a capital, but the patron deity, Huitzilopochtli, is said to have given directions on where to set up the capital. Based on these directions Tenochtitlán was chosen.
A civilisation that birthed democracy ANCIENT GREECE
It would probably not be wrong to say that the history of ancient Greece is as old as time. During the late Paleolithic era the region was already settled and agriculture was being done. The evidence recovered at Petralona and Franchthi Caves, two of the oldest human habitations in the world, prove this beyond doubt.
The Sacred Land Of Tibet
Tibet is an autonomous region that is still considered a part of China internationally. It is located on the high Tibetan Plateau on the northern side of the Himalayas.
The breakaway self-proclaimed Republic of Artsakh
The Republic of Artsakh is probably the most ‘unheard of’ micro-nation. But it has been in existence for quite some time, only that it got a new name. The region was previously called Nagorno-Karabakh Republic and it does not exist on the world map.
Life During Lockdown
A lot has changed in all our lives over the past five months. People all over the world have adopted many things as part of ‘a new normal’. In the March 2020, April 2020 and May 2020 issues, all of which where themed on Virtual Tourism, we at Touriosity tried to keep our readers hopeful about the world opening up to travel and tourism again soon. We continue to be positive and while we have discontinued our ‘Virtual Tourism’ issues since the June 2020 onwards, in this July 2020 issue we thought of bringing to our readers glimpses of the World as it is today, of the new normal, of social distancing and of remaining mostly indoors. Our regular columnist, Spanish watercolour artist Joaquin Gonzalez Dorao sent us these beautiful illustrations about life during the lockdown, and life in the times of COVID-19 pandemic.
SAITA
This is the journal of the trip I did to Salta (Argentina). It doesn't intend to be a complete guide of the place, but an extract of my personal impressions in this unique place.
A Country inside a city: Republic of Uzupis
The Republic of Uzupis, with a population 7,000, including 1,000 artists, is a self-declared micro-nation within the boundaries of Vilnius, the capital city of Lithuania. Although it has not been recognized internationally as an independent republic, yet the city authorities, probably with a view to enjoying the benefits arising from this in the form of tourism earnings, do not interfere with the self-proclaimed independent status of this area falling within its municipal limits.
Must-Visit Places During Winter
Yuki-no-Otani Snow Corridor, Toyama, Japan