What are some Traditional Indian Garments good for a typical Tamil Reception?

Tamil weddings, like all other Indian weddings are high on pomp and ceremony. These are festive events that are known to be gorgeous and colorful. Therefore it is no surprise that the men and women who attend a wedding would love to look their very best. If you are new to a Tamil wedding reception, then you need to dress up in the traditional style to be a part of this special occasion. Over the years, traditional Tamil clothing has attained global recognition due to the beauty and elegance that is associated with them. The style and motifs used with these clothes have also undergone a great change over the years. Today, anyone who is looking to wear traditional Tamil clothing for a wedding can have a wide range of options to choose from.

When it comes to women, saree or half saree and blouse is the main staple of costume in a Tamil wedding. Although a woman can easily choose from a wide range of sarees that are available online, the most popular ones are of course the heavy Kanchipuram sarees. These are made by using fine gold threads which make them exquisite and beautiful. The sarees are large and give way to extra pallu that is worn around the waist. The style, color, texture and embroidery of these sarees can vary greatly from one piece to another. Different types of materials are used to create these sarees, such as silk, crepe silk, georgette and chiffon. When a Kanchipuram saree is combined with a well matching blouse, it can give rise to a stunning look.

Hand Woven Silk Sarees for Tamil Reception

A half saree typically consists of a dupatta, long skirt and a blouse which can be worn around the body. Usually, these sarees are worn by younger girls and are known for their enhanced comfort. Although the numbers of women wearing these sarees are rare, they can still be seen from time to time. The draping style of a saree can vary from one person to another. Whether a woman wears a saree or a half saree, she needs to combine it with traditional ornaments such as bangles, necklaces and other accessories. Bangles are traditional accessories that are worn particularly by married women. They are also considered to be auspicious and are therefore highly cherished by all women.

For men, the traditional costume in Tamil Nadu has always been shirt, dhoti and angavastra. Although most men in this part of India wear lungi during their daily work and general occasions, they prefer to wear a dhoti during a special occasion like a wedding or a wedding reception. While the traditional color for these garments has always been white, nowadays many men prefer to choose their clothes from other shades as well. The angavastra is a type of long cloth that is draped around shoulders. While at one point of time the angavastra was worn by men instead of the upper garment, nowadays they are mainly kept over a shirt. Many of these clothing items also come with special designs and motifs these days. Although many men prefer to wear western outfits while they attend weddings, the traditional Tamil dress code of shirt, dhoti and angavastra still continues to remain popular.

The traditional Tamil garments for wedding or wedding receptions can be easily purchased from the various online stores that offer extensive stock of these clothes. Many of these online stores also offer great discounts on these clothing items which make it quite affordable to buy them. With more online stores coming up that present traditional Tamil clothing, the popularity of these garments is likely to increase over time.

What are the Best Places in Europe to Visit in Winter?

On any day, Europe is the best destination to travel. No matter where you go, Europe has a lot to offer for your memory kitty. If you want to have a medieval and ancient historical tour, go to Italy or Greece, for an emotional or rather modern war history, go to Germany, Austria etc, to revel the natural beauty, go to Switzerland, for a more fashionable experience, go to France or if you want simply to enjoy the life while on vacation, go to Spain. If you managed to get a leave during Christmas or winter in general, Europe can still be the best bet. Whether you like to enjoy snow and chill or you want a break from the chills you can choose the destination accordingly.

Christmas Markets in Europe

Christmas is undoubtedly the most charming of all festivals. The ambience around you changes and even if you do not belong to the faith, you unknowingly be a part of that merry making. Christmas market is something that you will rarely find anywhere else in the world in such splendour. These are the historic markets that pop up anywhere and everywhere. Shops that look like cottages, selling pretty stuffs that may or may not signify Christmas. Glass balls, ginger breads, mulled wine, sleigh bells, and of course the essence of festivity which is good cheer. If you are planning your Europe trip in and around Christmas, then your destination should be Germany, Austria or Sweden. The Christmas market of Cologne, Munich, Vienna and Stockholm is a treat to eyes and soul. And if you can explore the smaller towns, it will be an experience you will cherish for the rest of your life.

Plan Your European Discovery on Upcoming Winter

Sweden, Iceland and Norway

These three countries are added in the list for one of the most fascinating geographical marvel called aurora borealis or northern lights. These countries remain in the lap of night for several weeks in December and January. You will no get to see sun during this time but the night sky can give you an unforgettable sight. Go to Abisko or Jukkasjarvi in Sweden, Reykjavik in Iceland or Svalbard in Norway, you will see the eccentricity of nature with vibrant colours. There are many other places where these lights are seen, Scotland in UK being one of them, but the magnitude of these lights is surely the highest in these countries.

Adventures and Thrills

Life can be boring without adventures and thrills. So, if you want to enjoy the fun of adventurous sports in snow, head straight to the ski resorts in Jasna in Slovakia, or to the Swiss Alps which is home to the winter sports. There are snowshoe trails, trekking, cross country skiing, snowboarding, snowparks, Winterland and what not. Engelberg, Murren, Lucerne, Gstaad, Crans-Montana, Zermatt and Chateau-d'Oex must be on your itinerary. France too has some of the best ski resorts in Europe. Val Thorens, La Plagne and Alpe de'Huez are the top most resorts of Europe located in the French Alps.

Refuge from Snow and Cold Breeze

If you are from a cold place or dread the extreme winter, go for places that are comparatively warm during this time of the year. Best options would be Italy and Spain. There are places in Italy that witness their share of dusting snow like Venice, Florence and part of Tuscany, but if you move towards coastal area or southern mainlands including Sardinia and Sicily are really comfortable. In Spain, you can enjoy the tropical sun in winter. If you want to see Mediterranean Sea at its best, go to Barcelona, Majorca, Andalucia or Tenerife Islands. Spain is the perfect example of the proverb 'seize the moment'. 

Go Ethnic with Your Handmade Home Decor

If we discuss popular ethnic handmade home décor items, we visualize cushions with mirror work, wall hangings, embroidered table and sofa covers, hand carved mirror or photo frames in copper, fulkari bed cover and so on. Does not these images present a perfect ethnic home décor? Interestingly, all these items that people all over the world rave about are handmade. The intricate thread work may give you an impression of some machine but as a matter of fact, there are families who have dedicated their generations in past and will do in future as well, to these art works. These skillful artisans have inherited the talent as legacy and sometimes are forced to choose this over any other profession. Let us discuss some novelty handmade home décor items that will give your enormous flat in posh locality or a modest home in a small town an ethnic home décor.

Choice of Colours

Colours go a long way when you want to give ethnic Indian flavour to your home décor. So, when you plan makeover, include warm coloured items to your room. We understand that changing the wall colours are not always possible and we are not insisting for it either. But if you incorporate décor items like sofa covers, cushions, wall pieces, and curtains in different shades of red, orange, yellow and brown, your home will look cosy and welcoming.

Indian Handicrafts available online for Home Decoration

Concept of Ethnic Look for a Living Room

Ethnic look will be incomplete without woodwork items. Hand-carved wooden decorative items look very sophisticated and they complement any décor. Similarly the zaffri work also gives an elegant and inviting appearance. But if you don't have them and including them would mean exceeding your budget in leaps and bounds, don't feel disappointed. Get your old wooden furniture and varnish it in glossy finish. Zari work table cover in earthly hues will take your décor to another level. As mentioned before, bright coloured cushion covers with mirror work all over are integral to your handmade ethnic home décor. Similarly, curtains you are using can be embroidered for that extra impression. Don't forget to gather them and tie up with a silk tassel. Rugs and carpets look great in an ethnic themed décor but to be truthful, handmade one would cost a fortune.

Ethnic Home Decor

For the Indian essence in your bedroom, you can put some efforts from your side. Stitch your old silk sarees into curtains. Add zari, gota or appliqué to make it even beautiful. These days you will find different bed sets that are essentially Indian in look. With golden thread work, raw silk patches and even sequins embellished here and there, they make your room mutedly gorgeous. A lampshade with dokra work or stained glass will give it seal of perfection. At the end of this make over session, you won't stop smiling at the final result of your handmade ethnic themed home décor.

Some Essential Items

We all know that Indian handmade art and crafts are high on demand. It will be no short of foolishness not to include them in your home décor. A white and blue ceramic vase at the corner, wooden horse or hand-carved elephant on the glass shelf, hand-carved wooden or black metal jewellery box for your beautiful wooden dresser, soapstone jar of jali work beside your music system, pattachitra wall piece, jute-made lamp shade on the side table with sofa, a brass lamp hanging from the ceiling and the list can go on but you will never fall short for options to make your home sophisticated with ethnic handmade home décor items. However, catch is to maintain the thin line between giving your house an ethnic facelift yet stop right before it becomes your personal museum. 

Divyanka Tripathi is Busy For Her Wedding Ceremony

Divyanka Tripathi of Yeh Hai Muhabbatein fame is a household name today. Her sizzling chemistry with Ruhanika Dhawan aka Ruhi has made her character of Ishi Maa larger than life. Though she has equal chemistry with all her other co workers like Karan Patel, Sumit Sachdeva, Aly Goni, Neena Kulkarni  or Anita Hasnandani Reddy, but the bond she shares with her on-screen daughter outshines everyone else. And little did her fan know that when a new character ACP Abhishek, a friend of Raman Bhalla, her reel life husband was introduced in the serial, a new script was being written elsewhere at a cosmic level. But it so happened that first who met as colleagues were engaged in January 2016 and on July 8, they got married in Bhopal.

Thanks to different social media platforms, celebrities are quite accessible these days. You can know what is going on in their lives, interact with them and virtually be a part of all functions of their life events. Divyanka Tripathi who is almost like a family member of every household though was very busy managing the hectic shooting schedules and preparing for the wedding, kept her fan following updated with everything ongoing preparations. Fans could see her choosing the wedding trousseau, pre wedding photo shoot and exclusive pictures of a wedding which was nothing short of a dream sequence. Some websites have also posted the picture of the wedding cards and not to mention photos of every event from mehendi, sangeet to the wedding and reception. And their first picture as man and the wife surely takes the cream, away. The glow on the face of newlywed bride and groom, their dresses, their jewellery and accessories, the guest list, venue and everything related to this wedding became talk of the tele town for the last few days.

Divyanka Tripathi getting married with Vivek Dahiya 

Different TV programmes and website articles told us the changes made in the script due to the wedding functions. Divyanka and Vivek took a leave of 10 days for the occasion. It was difficult for the team to accommodate the space since Divyanka is the lead and there are rarely episodes where she is not shot. So creative team came up with different ideas like sending her to ICU, Australia or her shots to be taken separately. After all, she is the favourite bahu and mother of TV screen. But all wells that ends well. Everything was sorted out. Both the bride and the groom who are leads in two daily soaps, Yeh Hai Muhabbatein and Kavach worked overtime to wrap up as much as they could before leaving for the wedding which took place in Divyanka's home town and followed by a reception held in Vivek's home town Chandigarh. Divyanka and Vivek could take their time out from their respective shooting schedules to do their shopping, preparations, photo shoots, and talking to their fans about these preparations as well. One look at the wedding and pre wedding pictures and you will understand the precious bond they share.

Prior to this, Divyanka had been in a serious relationship as well but they amicably separated after a long period of courtship. The elegant actress from the small town of Bhopal started her career as an anchor with Akash Vani. Very few people know that this soft looking girl next door actress has a degree in mountaineering and gold medals for rifle shooting as well. The 'sarva-guna-sampanna' bahu of TV serials is no less in her real life as well. And it is for the time to say that how comfortably she fits into this new avatar. 

Ratha Yatra‬: A Grand Celebration of Car Festival in Puri, Odisha

Ratha Yatra also known as Car Festival, this amazing event is observed in the month of Asadha, on the second day of the lunar fortnight that falls during June-July. Commonly famous as Rath Yatra, this occasion is celebrated in the admiration of Lord Jagannath who is considered to be an embodiment of Lord Vishnu. 

On the day of the occasion, the wooden idols of Jagannatha, Balrama and Subhadra are taken out in procession in three chariots to their summer temple for a week. The main chariot is 14 meters high and 10 meters square with 16 wheels. The actual structure of the carts starts two months before the celebration day, on the third day of the bright fortnight of Vaisakha (April-May). 

Famous Car Festival in Puri

Alarnath Temple: The Other Form of Lord Jagannath

Alarnath Temple is located in Brahmagiri which is about 25 kilometers from Puri. It is a special place for the Krishna devotees and a little lesser known tourist destination than the Jagannath Temple. Alarnath temple witnesses gathering of devotees during the Ashadha period which is post Snana Yatra when Lord Jagannath along with family of brother and sister is bathed with holy water. After bathing with lots of water, the Lord and his family is taken ill which is known as the Anasara period. The devotees visit the temple of Alarnath during this Anasara period when they are not allowed into the sick room of the Lord.

According to mythology, Lord Brahma worshipped Lord Vishnu on top of the hill during Satya Yuga. One day Lord Vishnu appeared and told Lord Brahma that he was pleased with the way he prayed and asked him to prepare a four-armed deity of Lord Vishnu holding the shankha, chakra, gada and padma (conch shell, disk, club and lotus) and make a shrine on the hill. The idol was made from black stone and there is another idol of Garuda too. The rulers of Rajasthan actually established the temple here and started worshipping the deity which made the people call the place as Alarnath or Alwarnath.  

Alarnath Temple 

Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu in 1610 A.D. stayed here for 2 weeks during the Anasara period of Lord Jagannath. He claimed that he could find Lord Jagannath in Lord Alarnath and since then it has become a popular belief that Lord Jagannath manifests himself through Lord Alarnath during the Anasara period. Lord Alarnath is served Kheer made from milk and rice during the Anasara period. Idols of Satyabhama and Rukmini can also be found inside the temple of Alarnath. Chaitanya Mahaprabhu is also present inside the temple in idol form. The lake behind the temple is famous for Chandan yatra celebrated every year.