A variety of mixtures can be prepared at home as liquids to cure adults of common ailments and they are called ‘Kashayams’. The ingredients are given in the native names and are available in the country drug shops. 

I have seen the Smiling Buddha on the shelf of almost all gift shops that I visit, when I need to buy a gift for someone. Invariably if I am looking for a gift for a new home or a new office, it always crosses my mind to buy one of those Smiling Buddha statues.  Smiling Buddha has come to represent several beneficial attributes such as happiness, prosperity and contentment. People in East Asia such as China and Japan place the Smiling Buddha statue in their homes and offices in order to attract these attributes into their lives and the same has percolated into our society also.

‘Do not judge a book by its cover’ is an old saying. If one evaluates this saying on its face value, one would say that we should not judge a person by merely what little we know of the individual. But an in-depth understanding of the saying reveals a truth of life.

Human beings have evolved steadily over the course of thousands of generations and the single faculty that has been responsible for this evolution is human intelligence. It has not just changed the way humans live, but has changed and taken charge of most other aspects of planet earth including other life forms.  Human intelligence can be described as the ability of an individual to acquire and apply knowledge.

I have been living the major part of my life in Chennai, India and have had the blessing to visit the beaches of Chennai. The sea breeze has always been a refreshing and rejuvenating experience. I am always fascinated by the vastness of the sea and its all pervading presence is an eternal treat to my eyes.  Today, thanks to my employers I have a panoramic view of the beautiful Bay of Bengal from my desk and I see the waves meeting land like a symphony. 

Human beings are distinctly different not just in respective physical appearances but also how we perceive or react or act towards a particular situation. Our emotional reactions and intellectual comprehension of situations vary from person to person and that enhances the uniqueness of our respective selves. What contributes to this uniqueness in each of us revolves around what thoughts are entertained in our minds, because its the mind of a human being which feeds the fundamentals of our emotional and intellectual making.

Lighthouse is a visual aid to navigation and is a conspicuous structure on land, close to the shore line or in the water. By day, it may be identified by its shape, color and day mark. Generally, it is provided with a powerful light.

Steaming hot idlis soaked in tasty sambar is typically South Indian and this combination reminds Chennaites of no other place than Rathna Café standing in the heart of Triplicane, Chennai.  All those who have been here atleast once, would vouch that they savoured that experience and would love to indulge in the same again. Smelling the aroma of lunch, I entered this old place and met the owner, Rajendra Gupta.

Rathna Café was opened in 1948 by Tiruloknath Gupta.  It originally had about 80 seats in the ground floor, 40 seats in the first floor and later on the air-conditioned wing was added.  Rajendra Gupta bought it from his uncle in the year 2002 and today it has 340 seats in Triplicane, with branches having sprung up in T Nagar, Velachery, inside Tidel Park campus and recently in Triuvanmiyur.

Damini - The artisans of India nestled in a quiet street stocks the most variety of one gram gold Jewellery. This venture was started 8 years ago by Parveen Sikkandar a freelance journalist to give an international platform to skilled artisans who are otherwise ignorant of the consumer market. With over 17 top designers and 28 skilled artisans you can wear something totally above the ordinary.  Upon popular demand this 8 year old export house opened its door to retail last December.