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A Nomad's Diary - travel tales

5 Things to do when at Chittorgarh..

10 Comments on 5 Things to do when at Chittorgarh..
Chittorgarh Fort
Chittorgarh Fort

A small detour from Udaipur and you land up in brave-heart city of Chittorgarh commonly called as Chittor. The city is worth a valuable visit of yours. It’s a treasure chest of defiant spirit of several men & women to protect their motherland under the leadership of Maharana Pratap.

But before you leave Chittor crosscheck if you have seen & done these 5 must do activities here:

#1. See Rani Padmini’s Palace & hear tales about her beauty:

Rani Roopmati's Palace
Rani Padmini’s Palace

The Chittorgarh fort is the largest fort in India and trust me it is really big.  It takes about one full day to cover all the places in this fort. The significant segment of this fort is Rani Padmini’s palace. It is beautifully designed and still retains the charm that was once reflected by Rani Padmini. She was the princess whose stories of beauties was prevalent in whole country in that era. So much so that Allauddin Khilji, Sultan of Delhi had set the condition in front of the then Raja to spare his city in return of just a glance of Rani Padmini. Todays also there is a large mirror in Rani Padmini’s palace from where the reflection of the lotus pond is visible.

 #2. VIsit Kumbha-Shyam Temple (Meerabai Temple):

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MeeraBai Temple

This temple is known not only for the deity which worshiped here but more so because of the biggest devotee of all times, Meerabai. Open your soul to death defying devotional tales of Meerabai which all took place in this very temple at Chittorgarh. According to one such tale Meerabai had the vision of Lord Krishna in this temple while doing her regular prayers. The temple has a certain purity in its vibe which fills you with immense awe for the sanctum sanctorum and Meerabai.

#3. Song & Light Show:

20130331_200713Its a brilliant initiative by the tourism authorities to remember the valour & sacrifice displayed by the people of this region. With amazing light effects & recorded sound clips in the voice of famous Bollywood actors the show narrates the glorious past, the epic story of Maharana Pratap & the wars – their victories & coups.

#4. Witness the Mahasati Sthal / Jauhar Sthal (place):

Rajputs, who are the natives of this place strongly believe in the principle of ‘Death before Dishonor’. This place is symbolic of the same, as per the historians Rani Padmini had committed Jauhar along with all other women of the fortress to protect themselves from being dishonored by the troops of Alaudinn Khilji. They had jumped in the large fire pits  which led them to death.

#5. Finally get dressed as a Seth/Sethani..the traditional Rajasthani way..

Midst the palaces, temple & ponds, there is a small place where you will find vendors offering you to get dressed in traditional Rajasthani attire and click photographs for memory sake. Its the best thing to unwind, feel beautiful & live for once  – the majestic Rajasthani culture.

Been to Chittorgarh write in to me in the comments below. Your likes and dislikes are welcome!

The Kitchentina - food guide

Baking d Ginger Bread Men Party..

1 Comment on Baking d Ginger Bread Men Party..

final gingerWhile growing up celebrating Christmas was an aromatic extravaganza for me and still it is.. We children would all be looking forward to visit our grandmother’s home. My grandmother being an Anglo-Indian lady would prepare all the traditional Christmas recipes..Kal-Kal, Rose Cookie, Roast, Namkeen, Donuts, Shakkar paare etc. Some of these recipes are fast disappearing from the present traditional Indian style Christmas celebration. (Sadly ‘coz of that I am unable to find some molds and ingredients to prepare these sweets in a city like Delhi.) 🙁 I still remember she had  3-4 huge aluminium containers full of these sweets and savories and not only we, children but even our parents would lovingly have them..

Oh, God! memories.. they are simply priceless and immortal.. Some day I  will try those recipes also. Meanwhile, these days I am busy trying my hands on the modern Christmas Flavors.. So today I tried this really cool recipe and hosted a Ginger Bread Men  party..

The easy, quick and only 5 core ingredients recipe followed by me is as follows:

Time Required: 1.5 Hrs.

Makes: 35-40 cookies depending on size

Ingredients:
150 gms. Whole Wheat Flour
80 gms.   Brown Sugar
50 gms. Margarine (White Butter) or Clarified Butter (Ghee)
1/2  Egg
1/2 Tsp. Baking Powder
A pinch of salt
5 gms. Ginger Powder
A pinch of Cinnamon Powder (Optional)
1/2 Tsp. Golden Syrup (Optional)
Little milk required for dough making

Method:

  • Sift the Whole Wheat Flour, Ginger powder, Baking Powder & salt together in a bowl.
  • Now add the clarified butter into the flour and mix it to a crumble mixture form.
  • After this add the powdered brown sugar and mix well.
  • Then whisk the egg until light & fluffy. Add it to the sugar-flour mixture. Mix until there is a smooth batter.
  • Now add milk just as much as required to make a soft dough that can be rolled out flat later.
  • Take a portion of the dough and roll out medium to thin flat.
  • Cut & give shape to cookies by using a Ginger Bread Man Mould available in market.
  • For baking, set your oven to convection mode and preheat it at 170 Degrees Celsius or 338 Degree Fahrenheit.
  • Lastly, on the cookie tray put a butter paper and have 8-9 to-be baked cookies. It will take around 13 minutes until they are done. After taking out, cool the cookies and add some icing on top for their make-up. 🙂

Here’s a link for the story of the Ginger Bread Man for all the children out there..(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=slidHnMR1yE)Watch it while you eat some of those partying Ginger Bread Man..Enjoy!

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