Tag Archives: Festivals

Happy New Year!!!

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What a fantastic start to the New Year. I hope this continues. S and I were in London. I’ve always loved fire work displays and I cannot think of one better than the New Year’s eve fireworks from the London Eye. We were there some years ago but were not placed strategically so the view wasn’t too good. But this time round, we made it a point to get to one of the viewing areas by 7 and were rewarded by securing a place just in front of the Eye on Victoria Embankment. The wait was loooonggg and tiring but once the DJ started playing his tunes, the last two hours passed off quickly. We had slept little the previous night and the 5 hours wait did not help…but once the fireworks display began…it was like a dream. We were so close that I felt the lights and the fireworks were just for us. So bright, so colourful, so full of life!!! It was just amazing!!! One of the best experiences of my life. The display itself was for 10 minutes but DJ Nihal had some awesome tunes if one wanted to shake their booty a li’l 😉 What was more tiring than the 5 hour standing was going back home. All the tube stations around Westminster were closed so we had to walk to Victoria tube station which is about 1.5 miles and took us about 40 mins. There were thousands and thousands of people trying to get home and the queue at Victoria was atleast 1/4th of a mile. S and I were lucky enough to get a bus to Vauxhall station and once we got there, the journey back to the hotel was pretty smooth. It was 3.30 AM by the time we got back and after a quick chat with folks back home and went to bed.

So if any of you plan to be at the London Eye for next year’s new year celebrations, here are some pointers which could be helpful:

  1. Victoria Embankment is the best place to view the fireworks.
  2. Get there by atleast 8 but if you want the best viewing area for you and your family, get there by 6.30 or 7. You might think this is a bit too early but let me tell you this, S and I were there by 7 and it was already filling up. We were lucky to be standing where we did.
  3. Carry a couple of hand held fold-able chairs. There will be lot of standing and even if you want to sit on the footpath, it’s not really comfortable. Your bum starts to ache after a while 😀
  4. Get lots of water and food.
  5. While going back to your destinations, try and catch a bus and get off at any tube station outside the borough of Westminster….Green Park, Vuaxhall, Pimplico are some of the tube stations that were open. Do not go to Victoria unless you are fine with queuing for at least an hour or more.
  6. Last but not the least, charge up your cameras ‘cuz what you will see will be the most amazing thing and you wound’t want to miss a single shot!!!

A Very Happy Diwali To All My Readers :)

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Diwali or Deepawali tops the list of my favourite festivals…closely followed by Holi. Coming from an inter-religious family, we’ve always preferred festivals which did not involve elaborate pujas or regular visits to temples or mosques. Diwali is something we enjoy immensely as a family. The street I live is transformed into this beautiful diya-lit area over night welcoming happiness and prosperity. Families come out and burn firecrackers and there’s also underlying competition as to who’s burns the longest ladi 😉

Celebrating Diwali away from family is pathetic but I try to make the most of it…and this time it will be by watching Om Shanti Om and going out with S 😀

I hope all you guys have a fantastic and a safe Diwali with your family and friends.

Please remember, support our traditional diya makers. They need us.

Today is AP Formation Day

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November 1st is Andhra Pradesh formation day. So here goes a crash course in history about the state I hail from.

Andhra Pradesh,  is the fourth largest state in India by area. It is also called the ‘Rice Bowl of India’ for the extensive area involved in farming. Hyderabad is the capital of Andhra Pradesh. The state is divided into three regions, Telangana, Costa and Rayalseema. After India gained Independence from the British Empire, the Nizam of Hyderabad wanted Hyderabad to remain under his power but was later forced to give up arms and become a part of India. I am especially proud since my grand parents were involved in the struggle to fight against the Nizam and were also imprisoned for their actions.

Andhra Pradesh was the first state to be formed on the basis of language due to the efforts of Amarajeevi Potti Sriramulu.

On 1st November 1956, Andhra State merged with the Telangana region of Hyderabad State to form the state of Andhra Pradesh, which would be mainly Telugu-speaking. Hyderabad, the former capital of the Hyderabad State, was made the capital of the new state Andhra Pradesh.

Be proud of your heritage, Be proud of where you’ve come from and Never forget what our ancestors did for us.

Telugu Talli

maa telugu talliki mallepoodanDa
maa kanna talliki mangaLaaratulu
kaDupulO bangaaru, kanuchoopulO karuNa
chirunavvulO sirulu doralinchu maa talli
maa telugu … gala galaa gOdaari kadali pOtunTaenu
bira biraa kRshNamma paruguliDutunTaenu
bangaaru panTalE panDutaayi
muripaala mutyaalu doralutaayi
maa telugu …amaraavateenagari apuroopa Silpaalu
tyaagayya gontulO taaraaDu naadaalu
tikkayya kalamulO tiyyandanaalu
nityamai nikhilamai nilichiyunDEdaakarudramma bhujaSakti, mallamma patibhakti
timmarusu dheeyukti, kRshNaraayala keerti
maa chevula ringumani maaru mrOgEdaaka
nee paaTalE paaDutaam, nee aaTalE aaDutaam
jai telugutalli, jai telugu talli!

PS: Please…no separate telangana etc etc…We are all Andhrites….Let’s live together. Divide and Rule was the motto of Britishers…They have been kicked out but why are we still following in their foot steps?