#MaxFreshMove - Big Shot of Freshness!

Braaaaazeeeeeel…la, la, la, lalala la…the speakers blared.

‘Which stupid DJ still keeps Brazil in his music list’! Rohan smirked inwardly, ‘or are Vengaboys making a comeback?!?’ He couldn’t be sure but the music surely had started to annoy him now. He gave his wife Ameya a quick look to check if she too had noticed the DJ’s hopeless shenanigans on the console, but she seemed occupied accepting presents from the guests.

Rohan’s wedding reception party was on. It was supposed to be a zesty event with his close friends and family enjoying good food and vibrant music and celebrating his big day of happiness. But from where Rohan stood, it looked like the ‘good’ oil rich food was dulling the guests’ senses and the ugly blare of Braaazeeel was acting like an insult to injury, making them stick to their sofas in bored monotony. It was only the kids who seemed to display some enthusiasm and were happily showcasing their groovy moves on the dance floor. The seemingly endless re-runs of screechy pop songs of the years gone by were keeping them entertained.

This was not how Rohan had imagined his special day. The best banquet hall was booked for the event, with one of the best DJs from the city hired to ensure the guests had a rocking time. But right now the ambiance seemed quite contrary to what Rohan had envisaged.

Just as he was ruing the choice of DJ for the event, the music stopped abruptly. For a second Rohan thought it was some issue with the DJ's equipment, and almost heaved a sigh of relief. But then also quickly realised that music going off this abruptly at a social event looked odd and so just as he was about to enquire what was wrong, a beautiful voice lit up the hall with its brightness! A frenzy to WOWs filled up the hall, followed by many compliments for the yet unknown singer! Before the singer guessing game could start, a the spotlight came on right on the singer's face and it was none other than the immensely talented and spunky Anushka Manchanda!

Photo courtesy

And lo and behold! There was another show-stopper accompanying her - the very popular south Indian film star Allu Arjun, who was now taking over the dance floor amidst much excitement amongst the guests! Wow! this was like magic! 'How in heaven are they here, in this party?' wondered Rohan, joining the guests gathered around the dance floor. Anushka was belting out her hugely popular 'Dance Basanti' number while Allu Arjun was grooving to Anushka's tune! And the guests who looked ready to doze off just a while ago now seemed to in high spirits. While many were flaunting their dance moves alongside Arjun, those with two left feet preferred to admire his stylish dance instead.

Photo courtesy

Anushka and Arjun, both were absolute live-wire on stage, freshening up the mood of the party with their high energy performances! The entertainment quotient of the party had just hit the roof, and Rohan could not thank his stars enough. It was only later that he came to know that Arjun and Anushka were both guests at the hotel and had randomly peeped inside the banquet hall to discover a boring party on, and had decided to put up an impromptu performance! Seeing the guests rocking to Anushka and Arjun power packed performance, both Rohan and Ameya instinctively knew this was the best wedding gift they could have asked for!

I am blogging for #MaxFreshMove activity at BlogAdda.com. Are you?

#ComeCloser to Radiant Skin

The Indian beauty market today is populated with a huge variety of cosmetic products that claim to be helping us in enhancing our beauty. From lightening our skin tone, to removing acne to tackling fine lines and wrinkles, these cosmetics have a solution for all our big and small skin issues. However many beauty obsessed amongst us fail to notice or rather chose to ignore the adverse side effects of these products on our skin.

Time and again we read about reports on how harsh chemicals in the day-to-day cosmetic products like face washes and shampoos do more harm to our skin than good. Still we continuing using such products lured in by their glamorous packaging and exotic smells, disregarding the harm they can do. In our family, we always make it a point to avoid chemically loaded products as much as possible. There is a lot of attention paid to buying organic stuff, right from fruits and vegetables to even simple beauty products like bathing soap, face creams and moisturisers.

When it comes to skin care, we have never had to look beyond Vicco. We have been using the Vicco Turmeric Cream for as long as I can remember and thanks to its ayurvedic base, I never had to worry about the products leaving any side effects. Every time I read about cosmetics rich in parabens and other harmful chemicals, my trust in Vicco goes a notch higher. Vicco turmeric cream not just takes care of skin issues like black heads and acne, but also helps cure skin rashes and allergies. And it is for this good reason that this cream continues its stronghold in the market.

One big reason behind my trust in the Vicco Turmeric cream is the fact that its composition has an ayurvedic base plus it contains turmeric, and like most Indian women rooted in tradition, I am a firm believer in the magical properties of turmeric. Turmeric is a treasure trove of benefits - from curing many illnesses to taking care of your beauty needs, turmeric's uses are seemingly endless. And since we are talking beauty, and here some turmeric based tips that can make you skin smooth and radiant.

1. Turmeric helps reduce skin tanning and pigmentation - apply a mixture of turmeric powder and lemon on the affected area and leave for 20-30 minutes and then rinse it off with cold water.
2. Regular use of paste of turmeric and gram-flour can help get rid of stretch marks.
3. Turmeric can provide quick relief in case of burns, thanks to its antiseptic properties.
4. Turmeric is an excellent ex-foliating agent - mix gram flour, turmeric and a little milk and prepare a fine paste. Apply it on body and leave it on till it dries off, and then rinse it off with lukewarm water.
5. To get rid of acne scars, apply a mixture of turmeric and lemon on the marks, and leave it on for 15-20 minutes.

Try out these simple turmeric tips regularly and rest assured within a month you will notice a fresh glow on your skin.

Family - The Greatest Gift

Online real estate platform housing.com has been creating quite a buzz recently, thanks to its heart-warming Look Up series of advertisement campaigns. The campaigns are heart-warming for they talk about family and togetherness, and underline the importance of inclusiveness and optimism. Most importantly, these campaigns are focussing on the significant role a positive attitude can play in making this world a better place to live. And it is interesting to see that these campaigns are inspiring people to share their Look Up stories – stories of grit and determination, tales of love and laughter, and accounts of family bonding. Housing.com’s most recent Look Up theme is togetherness, and the stories of togetherness that people are sharing are not just tugging at my heartstrings, but are also inspiring me to share my story of togetherness.

I celebrated my birthday in the second week of this month, and for the first time in last so many years, everyone in the family was together to celebrate my special day. Not that birthday celebrations excite me at this age, but the fact that my husband and all my children were with me after so long, filled my heart with immense happiness and gratitude. More often than not I am bogged down by some sundry pain or the other. Joint pains, backache, exhaustion - some ailment or the other keeps demoralising me, as a result of which I am hugely dependent on medicines. But the birthday week was different; I could feel spring in my steps and went about the household chores as if my body had never known any pain. Such was the effect of the pleasant vibes at home.

The easy banter at the dining table, with everyone sharing jokes and random experiences, the silly family jokes - everything was music to my ears that had become extremely fed up of the monotonous silence that reigned inside the house when the kids were away. It was as if their presence was now breathing life back into the boring four walls. Everything seemed aglow with love and warmth, and rings of laughter decked up every corner of the house. Later in the evening, extended family members' surprise visit to wish me turned out to be the icing on my marvellous birthday cake. Everyone came bearing good wishes, gifts and flowers and the birthday revelry went on till late in the night.

Presence of my family, all my loved ones, together with me on my special day, what else could I have asked for from God. I hope and pray that he keeps making all our birthdays similarly beautiful and fulfilling. May there always be love and laughter in our lives. May the presence of our loved ones keep filling our homes with happiness, for it's our loved ones, our families that fill our lives with love and warmth and give us the strength and motivation to face life's challenges head-on.

Photo courtesy: All Things Family

Shri Mangeshi Temple, Goa

Hello dear readers, I am back with some more Goa photos. And featured here today is yet another iconic temple - the very popular Shri Mangeshi temple, located in Mangeshi village in, Ponda, Goa. This temple is dedicated to Lord Mangesh, an incarnation of Lord Shiva and is one of the most visited temples in Goa.

The Shri Mangeshi Temple complex also has shrines dedicated to Goddess Parvati. During big Hindu festivals like Dusshera and Diwali, the temple is all decked up and special pujas are conducted. So the next time you are in Goa, make sure you visit this beautiful temple and seek the blessings of Shri Mangesh.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church

Today I am back with photos of yet another iconic monument - Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church, located in Goa's capital Panaji. The bright white colour of this church dazzles in the sunlight, making it a sight to behold. 

This church was built by the Portuguese in 1541, as a chapel for the Portuguese sailors. Later as the population of the area grew, in 1609 the chapel was replaced by this larger church. Every year of the 8th of March, Festival of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception is celebrated here, during which the church is decked up in colourful lights.

The Dancing Stars!

Dear friends and readers, I am back with some photos from the Kila Raipur games, also known as the Rural Olympics. During the games, every nook and corner of the stadium that hosts the games was full of sights to capture. From sportsmen to incredibly talented village simpletons, everyone was out there displaying their special skills on the ground.

And amidst this all were these delightfully dressed animals, entertaining the crowds with their dancing skills. It was fun to stand there in the crowd and watch both the horse and the camel do their masters bidding, not missing even a single drum beat. 

Butter Sculpture at Gyuto Monastery

Friends and readers, here are a couple of photos of the butter sculptures I talked about in my last post - Prayers and Peace. Butter sculpture making is an ancient Tibetan Buddhist tradition and are made as an offering to Lord Buddha. Tibetan monks use yak butter and other pigments to create intricate butter sculptures depicting stories about Lord Buddha. Now-a-days sculptures based on important world issues are also made and displayed at Buddhist monasteries.

These sculptures are made by hand, and to prevent the butter from melting, the monks keep dipping their hands in cold water while modelling the butter. Isn't it incredible how religious devotion inspires and motivates us to ignore physical discomfiture for the love of God.