Which is the cleanest village in India?

Mawlynnong is one of the cleanest villages in Asia and is mainly inhabited by the Khasi tribe. This beautiful little village in Meghalaya’s East Khasi Hill district won the title of “Asia’s Cleanest Village” in 2003. But what’s great is that it has maintained this reputation to this day. Located about 90 kilometres from Shillong, this small village is ahead of its time in terms of environmental awareness, adopting a green and community-based approach. Of the 95 households in Mawlynnong, each has a bamboo bin that is used to collect garbage. It is then dumped into septic tanks and used as fertiliser for crops. This charming little village boasts a 100% literacy rate, and most locals speak English without difficulty. India’s cleanest village, Maurinong Village, is also known as God’s Garden for a reason. In 2003, Mawlynnong was awarded the title of “Cleanest Village in Asia” by Discover India. Besides cleanliness, this village has achieved a lot. Whether it’s 100% literacy or women’s empowerment scenarios, the rest of the world can only dream. Mawlynnong has a pleasant climate all year round. Monsoons are the best time of the year to visit the place. During the rainy season, the village and its surroundings become lush and picturesque. Behudiengklam in July, Wangala from September to December, and the Nongklem Dance Festival in October or November are some of the major festivals celebrated in and around Mawlynon village. Mawlynnong’s Living Root Bridge has been designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Bridges over rivers are made by connecting the aerial roots of one solid rubber tree to another. Sky View is a viewpoint and popular attraction at Mawlynnong Village. This observatory is 85 feet tall and made of bamboo. Once you reach the top, you will be overwhelmed by the breathtaking scenery. The village is also on the border of India and Bangladesh, so you can also see the countryside of Bangladesh. The entrance fee is about INR 10 per person. The roar of Mawlynon Falls breaks the silence of the jungle. This is the perfect place to relax and have a nice picnic with your loved ones. The Epiphany Church, a major landmark in Mawlynon Village, is a 100-year-old structure that still retains its old-world charm. The grounds feature patches of greenery and red and orange flowers blooming around them, which have a calming effect. When it comes to food, the best thing about eating at Mawlynnong is that everything is made with organic vegetables. Even meat comes from the birds and animals they breed. Talking about their cuisine, Mawlynon offers a wide range of vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes. Choose from pork cooked with peppers and vegetables, freshly cut smoked banana blossom, jado (a meat and rice-based dish), and thang ling bai (a rich blend of fermented soybeans, bamboo leaves, and local spices).

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Food

How to make One pot healthy Rasam meal?

This yummy one-pot recipe is extremely delicious and a quick recipe. Paired with potato fry or papad is the best combo on a winter afternoon. It is a wise decision for healthy eaters. As there is no compromise in taste and a healthy option. Ingredients Foxtail millet – 1/2 cup Toor dal – 1 tbsp Tomato – 1 (finely chopped) Tamarind – Small lemon size Turmeric Powder – 1/4 tsp Rasam Powder or sambar powder – 1/2 tsp Water – 2.5 cups Salt – as needed Ingredients to temper Ghee – 1 tbsp Mustard seeds – 1/2 tsp Asafoetida / Hing – 1/4 tsp Pepper Cumin Powder – 1 tsp Crushed garlic – 4 cloves Red Chilli – 1 Green Chilli – 1 Curry Leaves – Few Coriander to garnish Method Wash and soak millet for 4 hours and Toor dal for an hour. Heat ghee in a pressure cooker, add mustard seeds, curry leaves and chillies. Add crushed pepper, and cumin followed by garlic and saute. Add the chopped tomatoes and rasam powder. Once the tomatoes are cooked add ½ a cup of tamarind pulp extract. Followed by turmeric powder and salt. Pressure cook for 3 to 4 whistles and wait for the pressure to release. Garnish with coriander and enjoy the delicious and comforting food with potato fry or papad. To try the more authentic version, replace millet with rice and do try this delicious meal. It is so delicious and comforting. This is a go-to meal for working men and women, to not miss out on home-made food.

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Health and Wellness

How to sleep well without stress?

There is no question that stress can have a negative impact on our sleep. Recent studies have shown that even short-term exposure to stressors can lead to disruptions in our sleep patterns, including insomnia and shortened REM sleep. However, the good news is that there are simple ways to reduce your stress levels and help you get a better night’s rest. Read on to learn more! Studies have shown that many people experience poor sleep quality when they are exposed to stressful situations such as illness, job-related issues, or family problems. In fact, long-term exposure to stressful events can actually contribute to the development of chronic sleep disorders like insomnia or sleep apnea. When it comes to managing stress, experts agree that the best way to approach the problem is to break it down into smaller steps and focus on one small task at a time. For example, if you are having trouble sleeping at night, try starting with one little thing that can make the biggest difference – such as the position in which you sleep or the environment in which you spend the last few hours before bed. By focusing on one small step at a time, you will be able to gradually reduce your stress levels and increase your overall sense of well-being. In addition to developing an effective stress management strategy, it is important to pay close attention to the foods that you eat before going to bed. Many people find that eating a large meal before bedtime can increase their levels of stress and anxiety, which can prevent them from getting a good night’s rest. Instead, you should focus on eating smaller meals throughout the day and avoid eating late at night. You should also try to avoid drinking caffeinated beverages and alcohol in the evenings as both of these substances can affect your sleep and lead to further anxiety. Stress hormones like cortisol can increase during periods of stress, and this can interfere with the production of quality sleep. So, what can you do about it? While there is no real way to eliminate these hormones completely, there are certain steps you can take to reduce them. First of all, try to limit the amount of caffeine you consume throughout the day as this can encourage the release of stress hormones. In addition, avoid exercising late at night as this can also cause a surge of adrenaline in the body. Finally, try to relax before bed by practicing meditation or doing some light stretching. Another effective way to manage stress is to practice relaxation techniques on a regular basis. Many people find that they benefit from guided meditation practices as they have been shown to reduce stress and promote a deeper sense of calm in body and mind.

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Trends

How to make your pre-wedding shoots perfect with these simple steps

Simple ways to make your pre-wedding photoshoot unique in the most effective way without burning your pockets. Use fairy lights The most affordable and easily available lights that make a huge difference in the output. The pictures are so lit and make it so dreamy. Using them most effectively would give you amazing creative results and also not repeat the clichéd poses. Use fairy tale gowns The best way to capture the love between the couple with the most dramatic flow touch. These gowns are the trend of the season. Capture the most special moment of your life with these fairy tale gowns. It just makes everything magical, just like we want the pictures to be. You can hire these gowns as they are only for one-time use. Every bride has to experience this special royal feel with her man. Use mirrors Pictures using a framed mirror or bike mirror amid nature with a couple in love would be so perfect. It’s trending right now as it makes for some seriously stunning outcomes! Simple yet significant. Give it a personal touch Use props like a book or musical instrument or bike whichever suits you and your partner that you would relate with something that you are going to cherish all your life is so precious. It could be your bike, car anything that is personally your favourite go-to thing. It brings out your personality in the frame. Keep it more intimate The Romantic setup can be completed with a cozy blanket to snuggle in together and cuddle the love of your life while you get the best frames captured. These pictures are the most special as it so natural and the most essential part of your everyday routine that makes you feel wanted and special. To look back at this memory after a decade would bring tears of joy. Image source: https://www.instagram.com/gownrentals_sapstudiochennai/

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Health and Wellness

Healthy eating over unconscious eating habits

Healthy eaters are usually more interested in the quality of their food than the quantity. They are willing to pay more for healthier and better-tasting food. They are also more likely to cook at home, since they know that this is the best way to control the ingredients and nutrition of their meals. Healthy eaters tend to be more knowledgeable about nutrition and health than the average person. They are aware of the importance of a balanced diet and the dangers of processed foods. They make an effort to eat plenty of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They also limit their intake of unhealthy fats, salt, and sugar. Healthy eaters are usually very disciplined when it comes to eating. They have good habits that help them stay healthy. They make sure to eat regular meals, and they avoid snacking between meals. They also limit their portion sizes so that they don’t overeat. If you are a healthy eater, then you probably already know all of this. But it’s always good to remind yourself of the benefits of eating healthy. Healthy eaters are not only those who are conscious of what they eat but also those who make sure to stay healthy. They know which foods are good for their hearts and which ones to avoid. This helps them stay away from heart disease and other problems. Healthy eaters are very health-conscious. They are aware of the nutrients they are putting into their bodies and make sure to get the proper amounts of each. This can help them stay healthy and avoid many health problems. If you are looking for someone who is excited to be around health-conscious people, then a healthy eater is the perfect choice for you. But being a healthy eater doesn’t have to be boring. There are plenty of ways to eat healthily and still enjoy your food. Here are a few tips: Try new recipes. Just because you’re eating healthy doesn’t mean you can’t experiment with your food. There are plenty of healthy recipes out there that are also delicious. Eat seasonal produce. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are not only fresher and tastier, but they’re also usually more affordable. Make your own meals. Eating out frequently can be costly and unhealthy. Cooking your own meals gives you more control over what you’re eating and can be more economical. Be mindful of portion sizes. It’s easy to overeat, even when you’re eating healthy food. Pay attention to how much you’re eating and make sure you’re not overeating. By following these tips, you can be a healthy eater without being a boring eater. Eating healthy can be delicious and exciting, so don’t be afraid to try new things.

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Destination Travel

Top 5 snow places you must visit in India

Planning for your winter vacation, here are the top 5 snow places you must visit in India, India to experience the snow. Auli Auli is a ski resort and hill station in the Himalayas of Uttarakhand, northern India. January is the best time of the year to visit Auli and experience snowfall which is still a dream for most south Indians. Being the skiing capital of India, it is surrounded by coniferous and oak forests, plus the Nanda Devi and Nar Parvat mountains. Unexplored places with very hardly any tourists. Up to 5 feet of snow on acres of snow fields, clean enough to taste the snow and fresh enough to leave noticeable footprints. Undoubtedly, this is among the top destinations in India to visit in December. Manali Manali is a high-altitude resort town in the Himalayas in Himachal Pradesh, northern India. The ideal time to enjoy snowfall in Manali is from December through February. Manali, with its snow-covered surrounds, transforms into a heaven on earth when temperatures are around zero. Manali receives visitors all year long, however the monsoon season (July to August) is quite low because of landslides and terrain obstructions. It has a reputation as a backpacking center and honeymoon destination in the country. Shimla Shimla is the capital of the state of Himachal Pradesh in northern India, at the foot of the Himalayas. Shimla’s hill town is transformed into a paradise by snowfall, which also makes it possible for residents to engage in adventurous pursuits. Shimla’s attractiveness is heightened by the snowfall that occurs from December to February. In Shimla, the temperature often ranges between -10 C and 120 C. Skiing, snowboarding, ice skating, and sledding are among the exhilarating sports that are perfect to engage in today. Shimla, the former summer capital, is renowned for its fantastical beauty. For those who enjoy the snow, are thrill-seekers, and seek peace, it is a paradise. Gulmarg Gulmarg is a town, hill station, popular skiing destination, and notified area committee in the Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, India. Just after the peak of winter, January and February, is the greatest time to visit Gulmarg for snowfall. It provides an absolutely breath-taking perspective of Harmukh in Ganderbal, Jammu & Kashmir, as well as Nanga Parbat in Gilgit, Pakistan. One can holiday tranquillity since Gulmarg is unaffected by the commotion and bustle of city life, making it one of the top 10 tourist attractions in Kashmir. Nainital Nainital is a Himalayan resort town in the Kumaon region of India’s Uttarakhand state, at an elevation of roughly 2,000m. The snow-covered high peaks take on a more alluring appearance. It is delightful to witness a scene like this unfold in front of your eyes when the Nainital lakes also frequently freeze. You may play in the snow during a Nainital snowstorm, build a snowman by the lake, go on an exhilarating cable ride, and do many other activities. This spectacular hill location transforms into a beautiful scene whenever it snows, with a white sheet covering the entire area.

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Food

How to make Boiled Egg Sandwich

INGREDIENTS 2 eggs, boiled 2 cheese slices 4 slice brown or multigrain bread 75 gm butter or mayonnaise salt to taste Pepper to taste METHOD Dice the boiled eggs. Now, place the bread slices on the chopping board. Apply butter or mayonnaise to each slice. Now, spread the chopped eggs on the two bread slices. Season with salt and pepper Once done, cover these slices with the butter/ mayonnaise spread slices. Grill these sandwiches until they toast perfectly. Wrap these up in silver foil.

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Food

How to make Paneer sandwich

INGREDIENTS 1 onion, medium-sized 1 bell pepper (red, green or yellow), medium-sized 1 tomato, medium-sized 2 cups paneer, grated 4 slices brown or multigrain bread 75 gm butter or mayonnaise salt to taste Pepper to taste METHOD Chop onions, bell peppers and tomatoes. In a bowl, mix the paneer and the chopped vegetables together. You could add some salad dressing to the mix. Remember, this is an optional step. Now, place the bread slices on the chopping board. Apply butter or mayonnaise to each slice. Now, spread the vegetable and paneer mixture on the two bread slices. Season it with salt and pepper. Once done, cover these slices with the butter and mayonnaise spread slices. Grill these sandwiches until they toast perfectly. Wrap these up in silver foil.

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Destination Travel

8 Travel essentials for new mothers

Tensed about your first trip with your newborn(s)? Well, we have your back. Sit back and enjoy our tips on travel essentials recommended for new mothers The thought of travelling with your newborn(s) is a challenging task. This involves thorough planning and execution. To ensure you and your family set out on a perfect trip, it is essential you are travelling with the right travel essentials to make your baby comfortable. Yes, this could be a little daunting for women who have just stepped into motherhood. But the good news is, we have just the perfect list that could be your lifesaver on your next trip. Diapers and wipes Diapers are a very important part of the journey for a baby. Babies tend to pee very often and it is necessary to change their diapers often. If wet diapers are left for a long period of time, it can cause rashes on the babies’ skin. Keep a good number of diapers for the baby’s comfort. Wipes are good for the babies skin and they are helpful in overcoming irritation in the skin Breast pump For new mothers who need to express the milk and feed their little ones, a manual or a portable electric breast pump could be the best option. This will help you comfortably express and store the milk ensuring that the baby never misses on the goodness of mother’s milk. Furthermore, both manual and portable breast pumps are compact-sized with silent operations making them an essential item while travelling. First aid kit New born babies have common health issues. It is good to carry some medicines around with you in case of an emergency. In case, someone harms themselves, a first aid kit will be very helpful and help with their comfort for the journey to go as smoothly as possible. Rash creams are useful for babies as getting rashes from diapers in the long waiting hours or a long journey is very common. Packing a rash cream is a must. Bottle Warmer Another essential item that should not be missed while travelling is a bottle warmer. The bottle warmer is a smart solution allowing mums to warm up milk and baby food conveniently at the right temperature for their little one on the go. Thanks to its ideal heating cycle for both food jars and baby bottles, the warmer preserves the nutrients of milk and food. With easy to operate touch panel, it features a dedicated function for warming up breast milk and comes with defrost setting for thawing any cookedup purees or foods. With its plug-in connector, parents can easily carry it while travelling by car and warm the food or milk at their convenience as and when they need to give it to the baby. Baby Hygiene care Baby grooming is also essential to keep diseases and germs at bay. For babies, a brush comb, earbuds, and nail scissors are important when you are travelling. We also recommend keeping your kiddo’s preferred flavour of toothpaste and toothbrush handy to provide easy protection from extra food they eat while travelling. Car seat If you plan to drive for long hours, it is important that you make sure this journey is comfortable and safe for the baby. We recommend you invest in a car seat designed for babies. These come as extra attachments to the existing car seats. They are designed to ensure safety and comfort. Disposable bags Having a newborn means having a lot of mess to deal with. From dirty napkins to used wipes and diapers, put all the used materials in a different bag to differentiate between the clean stuff and the dirty stuff. While travelling, carrying disposable bags makes it easier for one to dispose of the luggage when not needed Baby Cosmetics Cosmetics products designed for babies are important. One should consider products made from natural ingredients while travelling. Carry a baby lotion which is formulated with high moisturising natural ingredients like almond milk, and murumuru butter which helps to keep baby skin hydrated. Body lotion helps to preserve the natural softness of the skin and deeply hydrates for proper nourishment. Don’t forget to carry a bottle of massage oil. You could opt between olive oil or almond oil. They aid in appropriate nutrient absorption and are beneficial to the skin during winter. INPUTS BY: Rajesh Vohra, CEO, Artsana India (Chicco) in Assistance with Chicco Research Centre

Buying vs Renting - Which is a better option?

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Trends

Buying vs Renting – Which is a better option?

Raghunandan Saraf, Founder, and CEO, of Saraf Furniture, help you decide whether to rent or buy furniture for your home, So you’ve already made the decision to move into a new space. You’ve chosen the ideal location for your property and finished with all the necessary paperwork. What’s the next step? Doing up your home with beautiful and useful furniture and accessories, right? Mind you, furniture these days can cost a bomb. To counter this problem, you could go with the recent and popular trend of renting furniture. The world of renting furniture is much simpler now. At affordable pricing packages, you can walk home with furniture pieces that not only look beautiful but are ergonomic and functional. Before you arrive at your decision, here are some of the most important points that could affect your decision in the aforementioned debate: SPOILT FOR CHOICE Renting furniture can be disappointing at times. You may not always find the furniture that suits your space, style and budget. This could happen because of the vendor’s limited furniture range. In such cases, you might have to work with furniture that is currently available from the vendor. But in case, when you decide to purchase furniture, your choices are endless. You can always set a budget for your furniture depending on the look, style and functionality. You could also either pick furniture sets from a particular brand that could be cost-effective or mix and match furniture pieces across different brands to match your style and budget. IS IT WORTH EVERY PENNY? While the expense of claiming furniture can be fanned out through EMIs, this can gouge one’s funds, particularly with regard to fittings and installations, which have a short life expectancy. Rather than paying heavy EMIs for furniture that might just go out of fashion in the next few years, simple month-to-month rentals or rentals could be an educated choice, monetarily. Unlike other investments such as gold and realty, the value of your furniture will depreciate with each passing year. Remember, the day you choose to sell your furniture, you will end up getting nothing more than an insignificant part of the cash you actually spent on buying it. PLANNING FOR THE FUTURE In the event that you rent furniture and choose to move, you always have the option to return the furniture that you paid for. You no longer have to go through the hassle of moving your furniture to your new home. This option is only viable if you are moving far away and don’t have any desire to relocate to the same city or country. Mind you, you’ll not have anything to show for all the cash you paid over months towards the furniture you are leasing. The world of renting furniture is much simpler now. At affordable pricing packages, you can walk home with furniture pieces that not only look beautiful but are ergonomic and functional And finally, owning your furniture will give you the option of an option moving your furniture to your new residence. From one viewpoint, this implies you will have to pay the packers and movers. However, then again, you will not need to spend more cash buying new furnishings. Assuming you planned well and picked furniture pieces that will stand the test of time and will last you through your several relocations. Buying and renting furniture, both have their fair share of pros and cons. Depending upon one’s personal choice, you make a conscious decision to pick one. INPUTS BY: Raghunandan Saraf, Founder, and CEO, Saraf Furniture

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