Antidote for winter: A stone basin filled with fragrant plumeria, marigolds and rose petals welcomes visitors to a spa in Cochin. Before massage, a delicious detox tea of holy basil, lemon and honey.
Cold, sleeting rain, cloudy skies, 50 mph gusts of icy wind.
Will winter never end?
Well, never mind. I've got just the cure: A sunny tour of India.
Blue skies, bright flowers, a temple, and markets to die for.
Come along and take a look...
Ganesha, the elephant headed god, is one of the most beloved deities in the Hindu pantheon. He is known as the Remover of Obstacles: Offerings of food and flowers are made to him when starting new projects.
Drifting on a houseboat in the backwaters of Kerala, the chef serves ginger tea and delicious fried bananas, golden with turmeric, dusted with cumin and sugar.
Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, presides over the beautiful Mahalsa temple in Goa. The multi-storied brass lamp pillar has 21 tiers, each of which is lit with 150 flickering oil lamps on festival days.
Artless beauty? A courtyard fountain in Goa is adorned with floating daisies and marigolds.
At Mapusa Market, a flower merchant hemmed in by bright garlands seems lost in a daydream.
The air is pungent with the scents of ground turmeric and chilies at Crawford Market in Mumbai.
Following the trail of garlands to Little India in Singapore...next door, at Kamala Vilas, a breakfast of salted lassi with curry and coriander leaves, and onion rava with coconut chutney awaits.
Comments (1)
Wonderful. This is just what I needed! There's a dreary, gray day outside.
Posted by Maninas | February 12, 2010 6:09 AM
Posted on February 12, 2010 06:09