Showing posts with label festivals. Show all posts
Showing posts with label festivals. Show all posts

Sunday, November 3, 2013

|| Shubh Deepavali ||

Yet another Diwali passes by. You know Diwali is around the corner when the air gets a festive tinge. Women in households are busy looking up new recipes for sweet concoctions, shopping for new clothes, rangoli powder, making and painting new diyas - it's ALL happening!

As every year, my inlaws visit us during this time of the year and the children literally bask in the warmth of having their grandparents around. This year MIL and I made cashewnut barfi and wheat-cocoa laddoos alongside the traditional thenkuzhal and ribbon pokodam. 

And of course my gorgeous shiny rangoli this year, a design put together using traditional motifs :) We also got together with a friend after a really long time and spent the evening embracing some old memories and enjoying some warm laughter together. A forgotten story, a shared laugh - that was our Diwali this year!

How was yours? Do share, I'm waiting to hear your stories! :) Better still, write a post and let me know, I'll hop over to read!! :)

From our home to yours.... here's a glimpse of our Diwali this year :)


A mehndi design that I came up with to decorate my palm and feet this year :)


....And some home decoration to add to the festive spirit :)


Monday, April 15, 2013

Happy Vishu to all my dear blog followers!

We had an enjoyable Vishu this year! It was my little Sumedh's first Vishu and every festival that is a first for a baby is extra special. I let him sip on the payasam a little and he loved it! Since Sumedh is still a little baby and I didn't want to take on the load of cooking a full saddhi meal, I made a limited menu. Just sambar, podimas, cucumber-tomato pachadi and payasam. We even managed to get some nice green elais to eat on, to complete the experience!

Samarth enjoyed the meal so much that he has insisted that I should go to Masterchef India because I'll definitely win. Thanks baby! :-)

A few glimpses of our Vishu!








Monday, November 12, 2012

|| Shubh Deepavali ||

எல்லோருக்கும் தீபாவளி நல்ல்வாழ்துக்கள் !!

Wishing all the readers of my blog a very safe, happy and prosperous Deepavali !!

This is the lovely design I made on my palm today :) 

Monday, October 24, 2011

Shubh Deepavali !!

दीपाना दिपितम इती, पा अल्नेना पलितम,आयुर्दायाकम, वाल्नना अर्जितमलययोगेना ईप्सितम इती दीपावली

दीपावली प्रकाश्येता खलु सर्वं!!

The translation runs as:
May the Deepawali (Diwali) take the humanity towards Eternal Light! This light is the physical light created by the earthen Lamp, for seeing around, where I do exist. May it lead me to Eternal flame and to provide me meaningful Long life, the higher Yoga of Supreme realization and grant me the boon of Spiritual illumination!

All the phonemes of the word Deepawali have been explained in the Sanskrit Sloka. The first three lines are the sound structures of the term Deepawali, signifying the quintessence of the effulgence of the clay lamps ,The fourth line of the Shloka is prayer for all.
[Ref: http://sanskritvoice.com/2007/11/08/the-essense-of-deepavali/]

With this beautiful prayer, I hereby herald the beginning of Diwali this year :-) Today is the first day of Diwali and it's Dhanteras, the auspicious day that falls two days before Diwali, when Hindus buy gold/silver or anything to signify wealth/Lakshmi.

First things first though! Shopo Diwali fever is on and I have a secret little wish list :-) 



This one by Varnam stole my heart !! I'm in awe of the beautiful brocade design !!




And this one too from by Mish Mash Design!! The colour combination is so soothing on this one, and though this shade of blue may not be a festive colour, it sure wins my heart!



....and I save my most favourite one for the last



Could there be anything more beautiful than this lamp by The People's Project? It brings back precious memories of my times spent at my grandmother's home and it reminds me of the beautiful antique silver lamps she possessed and I secretly admired !!


Thank you Shopo and ColoursDekor for announcing this contest and I sure hope I am one of the lucky ones!! Shubh Deepavali to one and all !! :)


Thursday, October 6, 2011

Happy Vijayadashmi - Dusshera to all !! :-)

Heralding the festive month of October :)





Wishing one and all lots of happiness and love this festive season!

Saturday, April 16, 2011


Happy Vishu to all the readers of my Blog !! May the nava-varsha bring lots of happiness, love and prosperity!!




Thursday, December 23, 2010

Merry Xmas and a Happy 2011 !!

Wishing all my precious readers a Merry Xmas and a Happy New year 2011. Cheers to a brand new year and bigger commitments :):)

Friday, September 3, 2010

Chinna Chinna padham veythu, kannaa nee vaa :-)

Right from when the festive season kicked off, I had dreamed of building this pandal for my darling Krishna for this year's festival. I am delighted that my decorative efforts paid off :-)


Enjoy these pics from Janmashtami at our home here in Abu Dhabi, this year of 2010








Everything turned out JUST how I had expected it to. Even the eats for neivedhyam tasted perfect, just the way I had imagined it would. Special thanks to Savithri for her mom's Nei Appam recipe, and to my precious Jaya chitthi for her microwave therattipaal recipe.








Sunday, August 1, 2010

Waiting for the bevy of festivals

I can't really explain why; but this year I am totally looking forward to the festival season :-) :-) :-) Even though I celebrate by myself here in Abu Dhabi; in our cosy home - it is still something that I await.

I'm totally awaiting Gokulashtami for a special reason. This year, my inlaws have gifted me a small mini-stage made in oxidized silver for my deities to sit on during the pooja. I also plan to make a small jhoola for my new Vennai-krishna idol :-) And of course the Lord's favourites: Appams, Pal Payasam and Vadai. I also deck up my little boy as a baal-krushna :-)

Moving on, to Ganesh Chaturthi which is always replete with Modaks. I create my Ganesha idol by myself, as has been for the past two years; and last year I had also made a special pedestal for Ganaraya to rest on. Planning to make some paper flower decorations this year; as extra ornaments :)

And then there's Navratri and Diwali. Full of heavy-eats. Hope I can find some low-cal recipes for this year :-P

Happy Festive Season, to all my blog readers :)

Saturday, April 17, 2010

My own designs

These are kolam designs I have created on my recent trip to India...












Inspiring Kolam Designs



The ones above .... the first one by my sister Sandhya; and the second one by Anil - the helperboy at my uncle's home. Fantastic, aren't they?
The ones below have been created by some Iyer women whom I don't know. Kudos to their talent !!


Sunday, February 21, 2010

My manni's Kolam design



It's been created by my sis-in-law .... isn't it beautiful? :)
Check this out....

Wednesday, November 18, 2009

Festive Kolams :)


This one and the below done by me for Samarth's birthday poojai








This one was done by my periamma [aunt]

And this one by me :)

Resurrected

I am back!! I just realized that my last post on this blog was in November 2020! OMG! How have you all been in the third year of the pandemi...