A cup of Assam Tea

 Lazy winter months in New England always transport me to Assam, to my home, sitting with my Dad , who always wore Eri sadar (Eri Shawl). Gone are the days; nevertheless, memories remain. That's how human life is interesting as you learn to live with the memories, celebrate, and sail into the future. While reminiscing about the good old days and my Dad and his Eri shawl, I decided to wear an Eri silk saree for a friend's small get-together. I In the time of COVID-19, small happiness like meeting a friend after a long time always gives so much joy. Here, for her get-together, I wore this black Eri silk saree with a red border and small motifs all over and teamed up with a traditional Assamese necklace called Biri. A drum-shaped pendant (Biri) with black and red stones makes it very interesting and traditional, yet quirky. And my hair is down naturally, and kohl-filled dark eyes and red lips. And last but not least, a red potli and a statement antique bangle rounded the look. ...

 We have just greeted a new year and bid adieu to the holiday season. But the holiday's good, scrumptious food is still in the mind. If you follow my blog, you may know that at this time of year, my home state, as well as many parts of India, celebrates the end of the harvest season, similar to Thanksgiving; we call it Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu. While other parts of India call it Lohri, Pongal, etc. Magh Bihu/Bhogali Bihu is all about celebrating and sharing good food with loved ones. In today's time and period, gathering and sharing food with family is not as easy or safe as it once was, thanks to the omicron variant, but staying home and cooking for your family is always a good idea. As for me, it is not possible to visit my family very often because of the distance, but giving my family a festive or Bihu feel or bringing a bit of home always makes me happy.  A few years ago, I shared the Assamese sesame chicken recipe on my blog, which had a slightly thicker gravy base. To...

  Happy New Year Everyone 2022. Sharing with you a few pics of my neighboring quant and historic little town Simsbury, CT. Rustic, quaint, and full of architectural delight with ample holiday glory. 

  Indian weddings encompass many beautiful ceremonies and traditions. In Assamese culture, Jurun is a pre-wedding ceremony. It usually occurs a day or two before the wedding day, sometimes even on the same day of the wedding. A tradition where the groom’s family, especially women, visit the bride's family to present the wedding trousseau (Mekhela chadar), jewelry, some makeup, and accessories. In my belief, a tradition that welcomes the bride to her new family with gifts, love, and blessings.  On the day of Jurun, Aam Dali godha (A stringed mango leaf) is a tradition and is tied over the door. It is believed that it will ward off all bad energy and bring good luck to the newlyweds. Usually, jurun happens in the morning or before noon. The goom does not accompany the group. Before going to the bride's home, the groom and his family get blessings from the people who gather for the jurun. Another tradition associated with Jurun is filling two small bell metal vases (called l...

 How are you doing? This is Diwali weekend, as Diwali falls on a weekday, many people celebrate on the weekend. In India, every state celebrates it in many different ways. As Diwali is the festival of lights, I always celebrate it as a festival of positivity. It imbues me with a sense of soulful satisfaction, much like lighting Diwali diya's (earthen lamps or candles) in a house filled with light and visibility. Over the last two years, we have yearned for the world to return to normalcy, praying that darkness would end and light would fill our hearts and souls.  And here comes our low-key festival celebration just with my family. I prepared a few Indian sweets and made a festive lunch for my family, by the way, didn't count the calories but memories 😇. For the outfit , I chose a deep coffee-brown Chanderi saree with silver motifs and oink enamel work. I teamed the saree with a hot pink blouse, some pearls, pink lipstick, and dark brown eye makeup. I hope you like this look....

In Vermont , every place is engulfed in its unique beauty and charm. Last year, we visited Woodstock, and if you visit Woodstock, you must add these three places to your list, too. Quechee Gorge and Village - You can take a hot air balloon ride or walk on the bridge to witness this beauty. The deepest gorge in Vermont is 165 feet deep, located on Route 4. You can hike down for more wonderful views.  Just a few minutes away is the Quechee Village, with a lovely set of fruit vendors, maple syrup, candy, and antique shops in Alpaca. One quint place to visit for a bit of everything, and you can walk from one place to another easily, look for souvenirs and things, or just lookarround Driving around Taftsville Covered Bridge - No fall visit to Vermont is complete without visiting a covered bridge. Not just the visit, but if you drive around this beautiful red-colored historic covered bridge, you can see the quintessential raw beauty of Vermont at the onset of the robust fall color...

I often love to escape from my mundane life to somewhere quaint, where I can let myself meld in nature and at the same time with the culture, the food, and this is what I often long for in my monotonous life.  I have visited many places in  Vermont,  but Stowe was on my list for a long time.  As the pandemic halted life for so many of us in several ways, I decided to visit Stowe in the fall.  Even though Stowe is popular with ski goers, the fall beauty of Stowe is unparalleled, as if nature has created its own leisure time. Until I visited Stowe, I could not imagine what it felt like to be in Stowe, as if fall had sprinkled its confetti of color upon all. A little yet charming town with opulent old architectural buildings set against the backdrop of deep green mountains, lined by a hilly river, and beautiful churches, it's simply mesmerizing.  Walk around Stowe Village - One thing is to simply do nothing, but be captivated by the beauty of walking around, o...