amazon-affiliate-banner1

Sunday 30 December 2012

Computer programmer

                        Mathematics and Technology
chitrannaa.blogspot.in
                                                                       I was basically an arts student. Since my father was a government officer and was on constant transfers to rural areas, I had access only to govt or small colleges which forced me to take up available arts course. I didn't mind as I loved language and literature. But I also had a lot of inclination towards my favorite subject maths. But unfortunately in those days, it was either pure science or arts.
But my craze for maths and technology continued. I strongly consider maths to be the mother of all languages. And its beauty of having only one correct answer had always fascinated me. And for me it had another philosophical trait too. That if you follow the formulas, go in the right path and work correctly, you are sure to get your result right. How apt when we apply it to our lives!......

Life Insurance



History of Life Insurance in India     

Life Insurance in India was nationalized in the year 1956 when a number of private companies were brought under the banner Life Insurance Corporation of India.Till the year 2000 when the insurance sector was privatized it held the monopoly of Life Insurance business in India. It has been most successful Insurance organisation in the world, recording highest number of lives covered, highest number of claims ansettled d lowest ratio of the outstanding claims in the entire world.

How to lose weight with Yoga and Kapalabhati Pranayama

                                       Healthy way of losing weight 
chitrannaa.blogspot.com
The earliest memory of me checking my weight was when I applied for a job at the age of 18. I was 5.2" with a weight of 52 kgs. I had always been conscious of my weight since then, both from the point of looks and health, and have been steadily monitored it. Even after my two pregnancies, I had taken care to get back into shape once the children started growing up. But then suddenly I lost control. Though I was aware that I was putting on weight, as invariably happens once you near forty, I just could not control it. Suddenly one day my weighing machine showed 71 kgs and I panicked.




Never skip breakfast
Then started my rigorous journey of exercises, experiments with diet, trying every trick of the trade, but to no avail. The first thing I did was to skip my breakfast and eat light which proved counterproductive as the early morning empty stomach made me weak and moody and in fact my weight increased.

Walking and Jogging
Then I started walking and jogging. Both my friend Kalpana and myself would set out in the morning at 6 o'clock to Krishna Rao park and jog. Alas! Being very beautiful and attractive ( seriously :-), when we started jogging, we not only had the company of dogs wagging their tails running behind us, but some grandpas also started to accompany us to every corner of the park trying to show off their wrinkled biceps! We were in no mood to pamper and provide free entertainment to these oldies a la Ashok Kumar in Shaukeen and soon did a disappearing act.


Aerobics         
After Ashok Kumar, came Rekha. Yes forever young rekha, a great inspiration to us with her aerobics practiced sexy and lustrous body. Off came Jane Fonda and her DVD, (of course she was an inspiration for REKHA too ) and there started the aerobics dances at home. No doubt it gave some free relaxation and entertainment to my hubby, who would sit behind me with his coffee cup when I practiced in front of TV. It kept me extremely fit and energetic, but weight loss? No sir. Sorry.

Liquid diet          
So it was back to basics again. My father had once narrated, how during his young days, on the advice of some Ayurvedic doctor, had survived on a liquid diet for a month and had lost almost 20 kgs. But there was a hitch. Every morning you have to drink one spoonful of castor oil on an empty stomach which was supposed to cleanse your system. Not only the taste of the castor oil but the failure to attain weight loss has left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Weight loss fads and gimmicks by clinics 
Then came the wonderful advertisement from VLCC, a health clinic which promised an assured weight loss of 5 kgs for 5000 rupees in 10 days. What is 5000 rupees compared to a sculpted body? Off I rushed to their center and was thrilled to bits when I lost 750 grams on the very first day. Yes sir that's how they measured - in grams! I calculated in my mind, if this is the result in a single day, where would I be after 10 days! All my tight dresses pushed at the back of my wardrobe started dancing in front of my eyes. Ha! Only dreams are made of such stuff. What was actually being done in the clinic was, like in a physiotherapy lab, they would connect low voltage wires with pads to our body and make us lie down for 45 minutes. Immediately on coming out they would ask us to urinate and then check weight. Naturally, when your body is heated, the fluids would dry up and the body would lose some weight. After coming home, I drank lots of water and ate one small custard apple and maintained the diet chart they had provided. Next morning I was aghast when the scale tilted to an additional kg. Instead of admitting the shady deal, they had the audacity of admonishing me for eating a custard apple. So the crux of the matter was, had I stopped eating and drinking life long and continued with their ironing, I would have lost a lot of weight. But the better sense prevailed and a bid a hasty retreat.


Yoga - Pranayama - Holistic treatment by Baba Ramdevji
Every cloud has a silver lining. It came in the form of Yoga Guru Baba Ramdevji. One morning when I was surfing through Aastha channel, I came across the live telecast of Yoga Shivir being conducted by Ramdevji where the participants were sharing their experience of losing 5, 10 even 15 kgs of weight. As I was always inclined towards Indian system of medicines, Yoga and Ayurveda, and also impressed by the rhetoric and impressive oratory skills of swamiji, I thought to give it a try as I had nothing to lose except weight! I ritualistically started practicing the yoga and kapalbhati pranayama as propagated by him every day. When I first checked the weight after one month, I could not believe my eyes. The scale which had almost stuck at 71 showed 70. It inspired me so much that every month on the same date I had a steady date with the weighing machine and it never failed me. Each month it was a reduction of a minimum of one kg. After I reached 61, I have been maintaining the weight. I know if I push a little harder I can go down by another 3-4 kgs. Mmm. Will do it soon.
Maharshi Patanjali - The Yoga Sage from India
It is an ancient breathing technique taught by Indian sage Patanjali, a breathing exercise for our internal organs. Just the way we do push ups and bending and stretching exercises for our external body, the pranayama is for the naval and heart centers. It activates the cells, removes toxins and fights obesity in abdominal region and helps digestion and tones down the abdominal muscles.

What is kapalbhati ? 
The method of doing kapalbhati is simple. Just sit in sukhasana or padmasana, any comfortable position, hold your thumb and index finger touching and resting lightly on your knees with palms turned upwards.Sit in a calm erect position closing your eyes. Inhale slowly and exhale forcefully through your nose. This will cause the abdomen to contract and activate the inner organs. Repeat this process in a cycle of ten rounds of ten and gradually increase to a batch of 5 or 10. In the beginning you may stop at frequent intervals but with practice you can do a hundred counts and can go on increasing. Check your weight before starting this regime, do it daily for one month and check the weight. You will definitely lose weight in a most healthy way. But those with high blood pressure or heart disease should not do this.

Advantages of Kapalabhati
The added advantage of kapalbhati pranayama is that not only does it cures the body ailments and drastically reduces the weight scientifically, it is also a great mind healer, making you emotionally strong and at peace with your inner self and also with your surroundings.




The points to remember is that this pranayama should be done on an empty stomach and at your own comfortable pace. Once you gain confidence with your practice, you can increase the duration to 15 to 20 minutes. The results are instantaneous.
So go ahead. Tone up your mind and body with yoga and pranayama. It will remain your friend for life.

Saturday 24 November 2012

plant jokes and gardening humour | How I caught my plant thief | funny anecdotes about my plant thieves


chitrannaa.blogspot.com
This extended festival of lights has always enchanted and enthralled me since childhood. Amma would say " keep some crackers for Tulsi Lagna" and we would obey, eagerly waiting for the D day. I would invariably ask amma whom Tulasi is getting married to and she would smile and say " Damodara i.e Krishna ". Then she would narrate the story. 

This is the story of Vrinda, the daughter of giant named Nemi and the faithful wife of demon Jalandhar. Being born in ocean, Jalandhar claimed supremacy over the ocean and all the treasures churned out  during Samudra Manthan. He declared war over Gods and could not be conquered because of the boon that he would be free from death till his wife Vrinda was chaste. Vishnu, in order to kill Jalandhar, assumes her husband's form and beguiles Vrinda. When she realises this, Vrinda cursed Vishnu to become a stone ( Saligrama ). Vishnu regrets his action and in admiration of her impeccable chastity and piety, transfers her into the sacred Tulasi plant and promises to marry her annually on this day of Kartik month. 



The story is registered in my mind along with the heavenly aroma and the taste of laddige prasada amma would prepare on that day. ( yeah, I will give your the recipe!.)

The Tulasi plant and Parijatha flower connected with our rich culture and vibrant heritage have always remained my favorites.  Parijatha with its divine and pristine beauty and Tulasi with her love for Lord Krishna and with the  her medicinal value have been on the top of my priority list of home plants. It has been my cherished  dream to have a big Parijata tree in my aangan along with rows and rows of Tulasi plant.

Alas!  I always proposed and thieves disposed. On many occasions whenever I chanced upon Tulasi seeds, plants or saplings at resorts, gardens and friends' houses, I would beg or borrow and bring them home. Living in a west facing house, I was always forced  to plant the seeds and saplings  on the compound in planter box.




I would squeal in delight when rows of saplings would take life. But invariably in a week or so, to my chagrin,  my saplings would start disappearing. I had  neighbors who would put up beautiful pots and plants on footpath without any problem and here I was losing every single sapling to these thieves. But like a never- say-die Trivikrama and Bhageeratha I  would go on and on with my efforts and face the same results!


As if this was not enough, I had this " Gow Matha ", always pulling out my little "babies", if by any chance left by those thieves with her long tongue right in front of my eyes, disregarding my shouts and threats. I am really dismayed by their attitude and judgement! I have seen in many areas, besides their huge gardens, these "RICH(?)" people will occupy footpaths with  mini gardens and these "holy cows" sitting by the side of these gardens lazily munching with semi closed lids, never daring to even glance at the plants. Is it fear of "RICH N POWERFUL"? Naah! Methinks she just loves the taste of our little angels,  put up with all the love of our heart and soul !



I would try to deter her with some prickly boundaries. No sir! She would care two hoots for such silly tricks! As a last resort one day I put some big glass pieces as boundaries for my planter boxes. Hey! Don't look so flabbergasted! Genuinely I meant no harm, just wanted my kids to grow! Don't take side with her, she was not as innocent as she looked. I stood there when she  arrived and we both stared at each other. She would look at me and then at the glass boundary and at the plants beyond ! Did I see a glint of amusement, sarcasm or was it an indulgent motherly look  at we selfish human beings  in her eyes? Whatever -  she decided not to pursue and left me alone with my plants since then.

Before I could heave  a sigh of relief and hope that all is well, this extraordinary incident happened.  One evening around 7.30, both myself and my husband Prakash were talking  in the balcony in the first floor. Suddenly Prakash looked down and exclaimed " Look! somebody is lifting your Tulasi pot!" This fellow beat everybody else in the game! Instead of plant, he had lifted the whole pot and before I could come out of my dismay and shout, he just coolly walked off !

I pulled Prakash's hand and dragged him down, pushed him on to  his bike and hopped behind him in my nightie.For 5-10 minutes we had totally lost any trace of him. But soon we could spot him walking in the next cross, holding the pot to his chest. As Prakash drove his bike by his side, I jumped from the bike, ran across and held him by the collar of his jerkin like a Jhansi Ki Rani!
All the anger and frustration towards my unknown thieves came surging as I gave him a sound  piece of my mind. So stunned was he at being caught and at my verbal tirade that he even forgot to close his open mouth. By this time a few passersby had gathered, who were both angry at his misdemeanors  and bemused at my histrionics and  heroism! Like a trophy I carried my Tulasi back home a midst much fanfare from my husband and kids. But since then I have almost given up the hope in the face of such onslaught by these "petty" thieves, and my dream of having my little rows of Tulasi has remained just that... A dream...

One day... May be one day.............






             LADDIGE          ( Groundnut and Hurigadale Laddu )

www.chitrannaa.blogspot.in


This is sych a dekicious and mouth watering dish, hardly time consuming and so easy to make that even beyond this festival, I always prepare it which is relished by my family and friends with delightful glee.




Ingredients :


Roasted and pounded Groundnuts      :    2 cups ( They should be pounded into big pieces,size of hurigadale  )

Hurigadale                                       :    2 cups
Jaggery powder                                :    1 1/2 cups
Ghee                                               :    1  cup                      
Elaichi powder                                  :    1 tea spoon

Preparation           :


In a thick bottomed kadai heat ghee and jaggery powder only till jaggery melts. Remove from the heat. Add elaichi powder, ounded groundnut, hurigadale and mix well. Wait till the heat recedes and then roll into laddoos.


HAPPY UTHANA DWADASHI !



Methi Pulav - Avarekalu and Menthe Soppina Pulao

             
chitrannaa.blogspot.in
Ingredients   :

Basumati Rice                     2     cups
Ghee or Refined oil              2 tablespoons
Avarekalu                           1     cup
Chopped Menthe Soppu       1     bunch
finely chopped onion           2                        
Sugar                                ½     teaspoon
salt to taste




                For Masala  :

Green chillies                            5-6
Pudina( Mint ) leaves              1 cup
Coriander leaves.                     1/2 cup
Ginger                                        1 small piece
Garlic  ( optional )                    2 cloves
Cinnamon                                 1 tiny piece
Elaichi                                        2
Cloves                                        3-4
Turmeric Powder                     1/2 teaspoon
Poppy seeds.                            1 teaspoon







 Preparation :

Wash and drain the Basmati rice before ½ an hour and keep aside.
  • Heat water.
  • Grind all the masala ingredients to a fine paste.
  • In a thick bottomed pan or kadai heat the ghee and saute the finely chopped onion.
  • Add menthe soppu for 2-3 minutes. Then add the masala paste and fry for 4-5 minutes.
  • Next add avarekalu and  the soaked rice and mix well. 
  • To this add 3 cups of hot water. ( Remember, since the rice is already soaked and the pulav tastes well only when the grains are separated, rice and water should be in the ratio of 1 : 1.5 ) 
  • Add salt and sugar and mix well.
  • Shift this to a vessel and cook in a pressure cooker for 4 whistles. 
  • Let the steam go completely and then only open the lid. Mix well and serve with cucumber raita.



Nuchinunde and Sandige Huli recipe | steamed lentil dumplings and huli | dal dumplings | Nucchina unde and Sandige Huli recipe



Nuchinunde and Sandige Huli recipe | steamed lentil dumplings and huli | dal dumplings | Nucchina unde and Sandige Huli recipe





This is a royal dish generally prepared on the occasion of Devara Samaradhane before
wedding and nuchinunde is also prepared on the occasion of Nagara Panchami. There is a wrong notion, rather hesitation to prepare it on other occasions with a feeling that it is a tedious process. Though it can be a little time consuming, with a little advance planning and  preparation one can enjoy this special dish on Sundays and holidays too. Why on a holiday? 
Because the meals would be so sumptuous and filling that one doesn't feel like working after eating this! So go ahead and enjoy! Happy cooking and happier eating!

Prep Time         :  30 Minutes
Cooking Time    : 30 Minutes

Ingredients :

For Nuchinunde  :  
chitrannaa.blogspot.in

1. Chana dal  ( kadale bele )                             2 cups
2. Tur Dal       ( togari bele )                             2 cups
3. Finely chopped sabbasige                             1 bunch
4. Finely chopped menthe soppu  (fenugreek)    1 bunch
5. Finely chopped  Pudina  soppu (mint)            ½ bunch
6. Finely chopped  coriander lea                        ½ bunch
7. Green chillies                                              10 – 15 ( depending on your taste )
8. Hing powder                                                1 teaspoon
9. Haldi powder                                               1 teaspoon
10. Baking soda                                              a pinch
11. Jeera                                                        2 tablespoon
12. Grated coconut 1 cup
13. Salt to taste


You can add 4 finely chopped onions too. Though on festivals I prepare nuchinundes without onions I always use them on Sundays and holidays as they greatly enhance the taste.

For  Huli   :




Monday 12 November 2012

Deepavali.. With Besan Undi, Chakkli and chooda !!!

chitrannaa.blogspot.in
The festival of lights and stars is here again. Lights, sweet and celebration! Lamps painted with colours and decorated with glasses!

But the name deepavali painting  brings back another memory. That of my Amma painting the bathroom before every deepavali with white and clay mud.Then filling the water in HANDE with fresh water and decorating with delicate rangolis and diyas. Not only the  bathroom but the entire house was filled with beautiful intricate rangoli designs and light from the earthen diyas throwing wonderful rhapsody of light on the dark nights. What a wonderful way of celebrating and worshiping the elements!

Saturday 3 November 2012

Spinal Surgery

I am back! After a hiatus of almost one month, back with a better BACK !

Many a friends of mine always used to gush that I am their source of  strength, their inspiration, and their backbone! ( Hey! Promise. I am not joking, but telling this with utmost humility. Please read on!) What an irony! I myself did not have a perfect backbone! verbatim! Instead of sitting pretty and straight, my backbone had twisted a little. It was a manufacturing defect! From its normal ideal curve, a part of the spine  had twisted by 3.3 mm since birth. I used to have back ache since childhood and had accepted it as my alter ego. But three years ago a disk had slipped on the twisted bone.




You know how it is? Like you will be sitting on the ground in a crowded temple or bhajana mandir in sukhasana very close to each other. The person sitting next to you will put her knees on yours. It will be heavy and painful. Either you lift your leg or bear the burden. If you lift  your knee, you will have no place to put it back or else keep back on that person's knee who in turn will do the same to you! You are doomed either way!

Literally I ate tonnes of medicines - allopathic, ayurvedic, homeopathic - got massages, physio and naturopathy, did yoga, Reiki - you name it and I had done it to get a relief from my pain. Then I reached the dead end - a stage of extreme unbearable pain, when I prayed Lord Raghavendra to bless me with a permanent solution. When the pain further aggravated, I knew I had reached the end of the tunnel and there has to be some light at the end. Sure there was - in the form of Dr.Sujay Rao of St.Philomena's - a God unto himself. So confident was he and such a confidence he instilled in me that I 
underwent spinal correction operation on 10 th October. I am on my feet, though on a rest of two months.




I am extremely grateful to my family and friends who stood by me and who put me back on my feet. Thanks to God Almighty for giving me the courage and strength to undergo an operation of 7-8 hours.  


I could not help but  to reproduce the wise  words of a nurse at St.Philomena's who chided and consoled me when on my admission to the ward I had tears in my eyes. She said " Don't cry. If you cry you will have tears in your eyes which will blur your vision and you can't see Him " 

Amen.


  



Tuesday 18 September 2012

NATUROPATHY- NATURE CURE HOSPITAL


chitrannaa.blogspot.in
UJIRE-DHARMASTHALA-SOUTH CANARA-KARNATAKA- INDIA

This is an in depth analysis and guide for the Nature cure hospital at Shantivana - Ujire - Dharmasthala - Karnataka - India.                       

  
Dhanyosmi! This was the overwhelming feeling I had about the noble souls who had envisioned and started this Nature Care Hospital for a holistic treatment. They had a vision, a noble cause and a yearning to serve and guide the society towards a healthy living.

I had first heard about the nature care hospital at        Dharmasthala way back  may be in 2006-2007 when my friend Sujatha from Tumkur, who had been there for treatment narrated her wonderful experiences. She was all praises for the service oriented treatment meted out there. It had always remained at the back of my mind that I should visit the place. In fact just a month back when we programmer friends at the monthly meet were sharing our health and stress woes, we were sort of planning that at least once we should skip this daily mundane and escape to Dharmasthala. I, in my wildest dreams, would not have imagined that exactly one month later when all my colleagues were attending the meeting, I would be here in Dharmasthala indulging in a holistic treatment for the body and soul.  

Yes. That is what it is. I think there is a wrong notion that one should visit this place only when one has health issues or obesity problems. Contrary to this I feel that once one reaches 40, it is a place one must visit ( But of course, there is always heavy demand and one has to book the rooms very well in advance and generally, very healthy persons are not solicited, as they want to address the problems of the patients first.)

The accommodation in Ujire has been made to suits to all pockets and budgets. There is a general ward for Rs.300 per person per day, a special room at Rs.450 per day on twin sharing, Deluxe rooms on twin sharing at Rs.700 per day which has TV and AC. Then there are cottages which cost Rs.1250 per day per person,wherein the  occupants  have the advantage of having some of the massages and food in their rooms. The rent includes the room rent and food charges.For additional treatments they charge a nominal fee which works out to approximately Rs.1000 for a stay of ten days, with two treatments per day.If one needs further treatments like acupuncture, physiotherapy, then it costs about another 50 rupees per day.    

The procedure of admission is quite simple. The rooms can be booked over phone, but well in advance. Immediately on arrival, an in-house doctor will check us,   prescribe further clinical tests needed, if any, gives us a diet scheme depending on our body constitution and health problems. These notes will be recorded on a  card which will be updated everyday by the doctor visiting us. We are supposed to carry this card  for all our treatments, juices and foods.  



Well, talking about food, this could prove the ultimate boon or bane for our stay. Here is the real catch. Those who have a strong will power and self-control over their food habits need not worry. For weak minded, or those who love food        ( then, who would not!? ) this is a strict no-no. We are not supposed to carry any eatables from home. At the entrance gate itself the security will whisk us and take away any eatables found on us. Once we enter inside, other than the food provided by the staff, we will  get ABSOLUTELY NOTHING. Forget tea or coffee, even milk is out of our reach. But if you have some funny bones, you will thoroughly enjoy the sights there at the dining area! 

It will be a sight to watch how people used to indulge in sumptuous meals looking longingly at a hot chapati or a person weighing more than 100 kgs holding his cup of papaya gingerly and take half an hour to eat it or the girls who are officers back home in their towns, but are on juice diet at the centre pouncing on the plates of persons who are allowed rice. 

There are  three varieties of diet foods provided here :  boiled diet, raw diet, and juice. The taste every day for every food remains just the same ( In fact I always wondered how could they prepare it exactly the same way everyday. If you have tasted it for one day, then you have tasted it for all days! ) The boiled diet consists of rice boiled with a little green gram dal, a few vegetables and just a hint of salt and pepper. A few boiled vegetables, which would be cucumber, ash gourd or sorekai – thats it!  - again with a hint of salt and pepper.
You have a choice of soup or buttermilk. Hello don't jump with joy. Soup means the vegetable stock of the above mentioned vegetables and buttermilk without salt or sugar ! Plus a cup of papaya or one apple.
                  

The evening food will be the same type of vegetables with two dry chapatis instead of rice and everything else will remain the same. For raw diet, it is a salad of cucumber or carrot – I would rather not use the word salad because except the cut vegetables, it has no other ingredients – and on occasional lucky days you will find finely chopped apple or pineapple in it. No salt or khara ! And if the doctor thinks that it will be more food for you, they may just prescribe one apple or one cup papaya along with buttermilk or soup. Mind you, if you feel instead of buttermilk let me take soup – sorry madam, you have to get doctor's permission – who will be available in the dining hall - before taking the plate. Once you cross that point, even if you beg, it cannot be changed. Sorry.
And for those less fortunate souls, who are overweight,it is a glass of juice four times a day ! Don't feel so sad, at dinner and lunch time, they will 
keep the juice made from lime and honey and you can have an extra cup or two! Other than that if you complain of tiredness you are advised to drink lots of water. Don't worry, you will get used to it and in extreme situations, doctors are there round the clock to take care !


The food picture looks extremely bleak – is it ?  No that is not the case. If you feel you will not be able to sustain or feel weak, you can approach the doctor      next day who will switch over the diet from raw to boiled or increase the number of chapatis or fruits. But then forget about the weight loss ! But for the fortunate few who need not worry about the weight, there is a choice of ragi ganji at 9 am. and sprouts with cucumber slices at 4 pm, plus a cup of milk at 9 pm. BUT FORGET ABOUT THE TASTE, SALT AND SUGAR AND SPICES! It is the principle of the hospital that not only should you eat SATWIK food, but control your craving for food too.

The daily routine is : getting up at 5 in the morning, go for a walk, yoga and pranayama  from 5.30 to 7 A.M. At 7.30, it is juice – whichever the doctor has prescribed for you , it may be line and honey, carrot, ash gourd or bitter gourd.  Then back to rooms where everybody will sleep for a mud pack on their eyes and tummy for about 20 minutes. Immediately after, rush with your card to the treatment area where you will be given the treatment which your doctor has prescribed for you. 



These treatments any day beat the best of spas' treatment. It includes a variety of water treatment like hip bath, spinal bath, cold or neutral water immersion bath, jet bath, whirlpool.... There are still many more. Or steam bath, sauna, reclining steam bath, oil massage, mud bath, haldi pack... you name it and they have it. Essentially it is back to nature - an idea of treating us with five elements earth, wind, water, fire and the sky. I must never forget the attitude of the staff involved in the treatments. They always have a smile on their lips and a spring in their feet. They are virtuous  to a fault.

Each treatment is given with such a sincerity and dedication that you will feel like you are in the lap of your mother when the personnel share your pain with a sympathetic understanding and rejoice at your relief. 


We were fortunate to be at this place on 15 th August and in the serene atmosphere on a bright and sunny morning we witnessed the flag hoisting and sang the National Anthem with a pride. After the ceremony we were no less than the school children when trays filled with some covers arrived at the venue. There was excitement all around and murmurs of laddoos, chocolates, sweets filled the air. You should have seen the face of all the recipients when they opened the covers and found that there were two dry dates and two tiny pieces of rock sugar in it! What a healthy way of celebration! 
chitrannaa.blogspot.in

Though the entire building is spread over a vast area, a french architect has designed it so well that from every room, hall and window you can view a garden and rain.
If this is the photo of our bathroom window you can very well imagine how the entire building is built. The rooms, treatment and yoga centre are all a midst greens and gardens and throughout your walk from one end to the other, there is proper shelter so that no rain or sun can dampen or hamper your spirits. 

There is a swimming pool, a gym,a hillock to walk and indoor games and library. But library and TV will be available only at free or rest time so that nobody misses the treatments or sessions. The yoga and pranayama are taught with utmost proficiency and personal care. 

There is a personalised treatment and care for every inmate and on the last day we would be given a follow up chart and advice for our treatment and diet back home. That day, we will be given passes to visit Sri Manjunatheshwara Temple which entitles us a direct entry to the sanctum sanctorum.


I have a greatest sense of gratitude towards Dharmadhikari Sri Veerendra Hegde, The Man behind this noble venture and when I had the fortune of meeting him at Dharmasthala, I made an humble request to him to start one such unit in our very own Bangalore. My joy knew no bounds when he informed me that the land has already been purchased on Tumkur road in Bangalore and the treatment centre may come up there soon.Amen!








Sunday 2 September 2012

holige recipe | obbattu recipe | bele obbattu | puran poli karnataka style recipe



chitrannaa.blogspot.com

The Gowri festival  is fast approaching and THE sweet for this festival, of course, is obbattu. I had been following up with my mother,  many of my friends and relatives, and there are as many recipes. And there has always been that confusion over maida or atta, kadle bele or togari bele and akki hittu or kadle kai enne. Now I got the perfect recipe from my friend Padmaja, who over several experiments had arrived at the perfect, healthy and tasty recipe of obbattu. The method is simple and moreover if you have a sweet tooth, you can prepare and keep the hoorana ready in the fridge and make obbattu at a very short notice too. I tried it today and the result was mind blowing. Sure you would love to prepare it and enjoy!

Ingredients :


Maida                                            2  cups
Atta                                              1  cup
Turmeric  powder                           1  tablespoon
Salt                                               1  teaspoon
Groundnut  oil                                1  big cup                                              
Water to mix                                  1 1/2 cups
Kadale bele  (chana dal)                  2  cup
Togari bele  (Tur dal)                      1  cup
Pounded Jaggery (unde bella)          3  cup
Yalakki (Elaichi) pudi                       1  tablespoon

Method  :


  • Mix maida, atta with a tablespoon groundnut oil, salt and water and knead thoroughly. Set aside for 3-4 hours.
  • Separately cook kadale bele(chana dal) with a lot of water and togari bele(Tur dal) with equal quantity of water. 
  • When cools down drain the excessive water.
  • In a thick bottomed kadai, mix dal and jaggery and cook, stirring continuously while monitoring the heat. 
  • Once it is cooked evenly and all the water is absorbed, mix elaichi powder and let it cool.
  • Once it cools, grind to a nice paste. If you are doing the aloo paratha, you know that the consistency of this should be as of the stuffing.
  • Make little balls of the mix (hoorana) and set aside.  
  • Separately make small balls of the atta, roll into small puris and stuff the hoorana and cover like a paratha. 
  • Do this for all the puris and set aside.
  • Now roll the obbattu on a plantain leaf or holige paper dipping the dough in rice flour. 
  • Cook on a tava putting generous quantity of oil. 
  • Lightly cook on both sides.
  • Serve hot with ghee and milk. 
  • The Best way to eat obbattu according to my grandpa is to put hot milk and ghee in a cup, dip hot obbattu into it and eat. 
  • Forget the calories for a day!



Thursday 1 March 2012

Recipes for Kids

                                               
chitrannaa.blogspot.in
Here I have given four recipes for your little darlings :
  • One main course - vegetable frankie - which children love and we are happy because they will be eating a variety of healthy vegetables. 
  • One Sweet : Remember, this hesarittu unde is THE BEST brain tonic. Give one to your child everyday and I bet he/she will score 100 in maths. I myself and both my children are proofs of this!  
  • One chat - Masala kadlepuri (puffed rice) - I am sure this is one chat you would love to give to your child and also fight to share.
  • One dessert - Double ka meetha - This deliciously rich dessert used to be  the favorite of  all the Nawabs. I bet you would be tempted to gobble but remember its richness and calories !
                                DOUBLE KA MEETHA



Ingredients :

Saturday 25 February 2012

BITTER SWEET LIFE

chitrannaa.blogspot.in

We always think that we are living life on our terms, creating and reacting to the situations as we wish and that nothing drastic can happen to us, at least as long as we are careful.How far from truth it can be! He, up there, holds the strings of our lives and decides what should happen and when and pulls the strings and here we will be dancing to His tunes. We, both myself and my husband were quite disciplined in our food habits, exercise régime and were under the impression that we had taken good care of our health.

This myth was shattered one fine(?) day when my husband had unbearable abdominal pain. Of late he had been having it occasionally, which he would diagnose (?) as acidity or gastric conditions and some fasting would solve the problem. But this time the onslaught was so sudden and intense that he started rolling on the floor clutching at his tummy and vomiting in between. It was horrifying to see him in that pathetic condition. When we called his friend Mr.Surendra Hiremath, a dermatologist working at Bangalore Hospital, he asked us to rush to hospital as it appeared to be a case to be referred to a surgeon.
That started it. My husband was taken for x-ray, scanning and other tests and when we were asked to deposit Rs.10000 immediately, we knew that it was going to be a stay for at least 2-3 days. When I called my daughter at home, who was readying the bed for her dad when he returns after the checkup  was full of tears. I assured, albeit falsely that we would be home latest by next day, but ultimately it turned out a long stay of ten days at hospital, during which period my husband was diagnosed as having gallbladder stones, which had inflamed the pancreas. So before removing the gall bladder, the condition of the pancreas had to improve, which took six days, through endoscope the fact that there are no stones in duct had to be ensured, which took another 2 days and finally on 8 th day he was operated upon and we came back home on 10 th day.
But those 10 days had their own funny moments, positive instances, and cherishable memories.
We were both in awe and reassured in the presence of the  gastroenterologist Dr.Praveen, who appeared to be very strict and tough taskmaster but his eyes twinkling through  his glasses would give away his witty humorous nature. When he explained first that gall bladder had to be removed, I asked him what happens next. Straight faced, he replied, “ When you demolish a house, what remains there? A vacant site! That’s what happens here.” Then I asked what if there is unauthorised encroachment, he re-assured that there will be proper fire-wall and fencing and there is no need to worry. But he did warn that burping may continue as long as there is gas in the body, and that he is also having occasional bouts of them, when his wife leaves him but returns after 2-3 days! His best advice was to avoid four types of meals :  marriage, festival, ceremony and griha pravesh and even at home to listen to the lengthy intestine and not two inch tongue ! On another day, after scanning, when I enquired about the size and number of stones, as friends and visitors have been enquiring about  them and I was unaware, he advised “  It is not your bank balance which you need to count or boast of, just ignore it! ”  
After the operation, due to the anesthesia affect, my husband was uttering something inaudible, and though we had trouble in making sense of them, at times we could not control our laughter. As he had been on drips for 8 days, he must have been thinking and dreaming about food and hotels, so once when I asked him if there was any pain, he blurted, ”Dr.Praveen is dancing on a table in Roti Ghar !”

 As it was very important that post operation, all organs take over their respective functions, doctors and nurses were monitoring everything very closely. When I was sitting and chatting with my husband and children on the day after operation, a nurse came and asked my husband whether he could urinate and my husband replied in the affirmative. Already a bemused look was appearing on our children’s  face, then she asked “ How much ? 200ml ”  My husband, a little dismayed, replied “normal”. Then her face cleared as she muttered “oh 300ml . That day we realized the measure of normal urination but could not help giggling when my husband commented “ How do I know? A few drops might have fallen when I get up !”.

 But the best comment came from my children after the operation when they commented that they have learnt so much during those ten days. They together had taken charge of everything: physical, financial and emotional. Before operation even though my son was getting late to work and daughter to her college and their mobile alarm would be ringing, we had to shout several times for them to get up and get ready. Even if one time a day I could not cook their favorite dish, they would fret and fume but here they were, getting up at 5.30, taking care of our pet dog Pogo, managing all the household work  and cooking, taking night shifts at hospital, and still always trying to cheer us up, and insisting that we both eat and sleep properly.

So I realized that it was not what they have learnt during this period - as the life would have given them the responsibility and opportunity to learn things naturally anyway - it was I who have learnt the biggest lesson of my life, that I need not unnecessarily worry and fear about my children’s capacity to learn and manage things but also to adopt to the situations.

 Life is the biggest teacher.
  

Wednesday 25 January 2012

COOKING - A CREATIVE ART


www.chitrannaa.blogspot.in

Cooking is a creative art.. Like a painting, pottery poetry etc, raw materials go into it and a complete product comes out. While cooking one has to give weightage and importance not only to its taste but to its colors, textures, smell and presentation. It can be enjoyed only if it is taken as a pleasure You will get best results only when your heart is involved in it and you are marveled and derive pleasure while it is being created. In fact cooking and love for it is a gift from God.

Though it  is said that we should eat to live and not vice-e-versa, at the other extreme no man can survive without eating. So it is of great importance as to what, when and how we eat. Fortunately for me my mother was a not only a great cook (whose mother is not ?!) but had instilled a great passion in me for cooking from a very tender age. I used to marvel at most complicated cooking, always taking it as a challenge and trying always to be the best. And by God’s grace, my daughter is continuing this lineage and  in fact challenges me at times. Earlier we used to write recipes in bound books or diaries which originally white in colour would turn to yellow over the years. I even now have preserved my first cookbook though its page have turned brittle because it carries the sweet memories when my late mother dictated the recipes and was in fact very proud of my cooking.

This blog is a gift to my daughter and son who have grown so fond of my cooking that at times they even prefer my cooking to restaurant’s food (only a few, not all !). So that they need not have the botheration of writing and finding the notebook.