Pop Up Couture : Funky Fish 3rd Edition

Think of a plush five star banquet, high-end brands and an eclectic theme based decor : that’s Funky Fish for you. After the first two editions of Enchanted Garden and Dream Catcher, this year’s theme was “Patakha Pop”. The brands were a mix of apparel, jewellery, footwear, skincare and sweet treats.

What made this couture event unique was the fact that most of these brands had options for customisation like personalised footwear, chocolates, soaps and food hampers. Also loved that they tried to make it a holistic experience by adding a stall from Tarot Tales. Some of the participating brands were Outhouse Jewellery, September Spring, Weave In India etc.

Enjoy the pictures :

Wedding & Lifestyle Exhibition : Jhalak

“Jhalak” : A Hindi word which means ‘glimpse’, and a glimpse into lifestyle and societal trends is what I get at these expos. This one was held in the plush banquet of hotel Holiday Inn, Jaipur. With the festive season coming up, it was the perfect place to shop for ethnic outfits, jewellery, accessories, shoes and a lot more.

These exhibitions with their colourful textiles, beautiful ornaments and quirky accessories give you a chance to witness the real India that comes alive in her streets. There were shoes with Ajrakh and Kalamkari prints, Meenakari done on fabric jewellery, Phulkari embroidered bags and so many traditional crafts conceived in a contemporary manner.

Exploring India is incomplete without food and this is where these expos should work on. Jaipur has so many traditional delicacies to offer, adding them would make it an amazing experience.

Here are the pictures :

 

Travel : Saturday Night Market, Goa

My favorite way to get to know a culture is by getting lost in the markets of the locals. It is the best way to see how people really live, how they eat and interact, and in what they place value. Goa has two such markets, which are held once every week : Anjuna Flea Market and Saturday Night Market at Baga. While the former has more of authentic Goan stuff (new and old), the latter is an amalgamation of people and crafts from all over the country.

This post covers our experience at the Saturday Night Market, which is a panoply of myriad forms of craft, food and music. There were umpteen stalls selling Tibetan jewellery, jute/straw handbags, Goan spices, Tribal silver ornaments, Beachwear, wooden decor and a whole lot of other stuff. For food lovers, the fare ranged from Tibetan momos and Chinese to authentic Goan delicacies and yes lots and lots of alcohol.

Take shopping as an experience of finding a great product from a treasure trove and you will be enchanted. I loved rummaging through the stuff to find that one perfect piece to carry home as a souvenir. And more than shopping, it was a great way to discover Goa and its people beyond beaches.

Travel Tip : The market is usually very crowded so for commuting prefer two-wheeler over four-wheeler.

Here are the pictures :

 

Wedding & Lifestyle Exhibition : Aspiration 2nd Edition

Aspiration was one of the first lifestyle expos that we covered for the blog. The decor was vibrant and there were a lot of stalls selling some amazing apparel and accessories. I could not resist the temptation and did buy some chic accessories. This year’s expo had an even elaborate decor and a wide variety of participating shops, though most of the stuff was all about the bling with ornamentation and embellishments. Since there is no wedding that i have been invited to in near future, i did not buy anything thankfully 😉

Here are the pictures :

Travel : Artificial Lake & Chairlift, Auli

The artificial lake in Auli is perched at an astounding elevation and is one of the world’s highest man made lakes. It was created to help in providing artificial snow on the ski slopes in event of scanty rainfall. This also helps in extending the skiing season in Auli. The lake is located right next to Clifftop Club  and we did cover some of its pictures in our very first blogpost on Auli.

The snow-clad mountains, skiing slopes and azure-blue water make for the most amazing scenery. The fact that it is a man- made lake does not dampen the magic and beauty of the place in any manner. Nature truly holds the key to our aesthetic, intellectual, cognitive and even spiritual satisfaction.

The rope way connecting Joshimath to Auli is 4 kms long and offers magnificent views of the Himalayan landscape. If you really want to have a rendezvous with nature, the chair lift is the best available option. It starts from near the ITBP base camp and goes up till the lake. The fact that the chair lift is completely open and runs just a few feet above the ground adds to the thrill.

Cable car from Joshimath

Chair Lift

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Pop Up Couture : Funky Fish 2nd Edition

Funky Fish was our very first blogpost on the trend of pop up couture. It is a tad different from regular handicrafts and lifestyle expos. These events are not about promoting regional crafts or artisans, but primarily have designer/high-end labels showcasing their collection to people of a particular city.

Also, it is a pertinent medium for brands which only have an online presence as customers get to understand and feel the vibe of their products. “Enchanted Garden” was the theme of the previous edition of Funky Fish held at Hotel Hilton, Jaipur. This time the theme was “Dreamcatcher” , here are the pictures :

Wedding & Lifestyle Exhibition : Lagan Mandap 2nd Edition

It is very gratifying to cover the new edition of an expo, which you have covered before. It’s like a journey that you have completed as an experience collector and nothing can be more rewarding. As the name suggests, Lagan Mandap is all about the glitz and glamour of wedding shopping. Here’s the link to the previous edition of this blogpost . This time the exhibition was held on a much larger scale with lots of participating stores and beautiful fresh flowers based decor.

One could find everything needed in a wedding under one roof. There were a plethora of semi-precious jewellery stalls, embellished clutches, sarees, Indo-western gowns, lehengas, footwear and a lot more. Also they had some very eclectic gift wrapping and packing stuff, which is a very important part of wedding preparations.

Enjoy the pictures :

Travel : Clifftop Club, Auli

We have done a series of blogposts about Auli – capturing the landscape in both its pre and post snow glory. Head over to the travel category and click on Auli to check all the previous posts. We mentioned about the lodging and boarding options in Auli in the very first blogpost. Uttarakhand government’s GMVNL guest house is a reasonable option and has basic facilities. For luxury seekers, Clifftop Club is the best available option.

About the property : It is located at more than 10000 feet above sea level (second highest resort in the world), making you feel literally at the top of the world. The view from the resort is something that you cannot understand virtually. You need to witness, breathe, experience and feel for yourself. The best part is that Clifftop is located right at the skiing slopes, adding to the thrill.

Dining options : The resort is entirely made of wood, which now has turned rustic owing to the vagaries of the weather. Accommodation choices are either the standard rooms or the suites. There is a single restaurant serving limited but delectable food. It would be unfair to expect multiple dining options at this height and terrain. The main activity is skiing, though I would say it is to soak in the beauty of the place 😃.

Coming to the pricing, it is between ten thousand to fourteen thousand during the peak snow season. The pricing is high compared to the amenities offered but, once you witness the challenges of running the resort in such daunting conditions, it feels justified. Also remember to check the weather prediction before making a booking as snow has become a rare commodity.

Travel Tip – The best way to reach the property is either by your own vehicle or via cable car from Joshimath.

Nature is so totally awesome. It deserves our adoration, our reverence, our applause. Take care of the world around you. Celebrate its resplendence, never take it for granted ❤️❤️

Hidden Treasures : A Lifestyle Show

Being a blogger, I have had the privilege of covering so many wedding and lifestyle expos. Apart from the collection showcased by the participating brands, one thing that really stands out in any such event is the decor. It makes shopping feel like an artistic experience, renders luxury unintimidating and big-brand browsing feels refreshingly fun. Hidden Treasures was one such expo which was held at the  Diggi Palace, Jaipur. The whole outdoor area was done up with white paper lamps, artificial flowers and soft lighting, giving the place a very graceful and dainty vibe.

The exhibition had clothing, shoes, bags, precious & semi-precious jewelry, lifestyle accessories & artifacts, paintings & furniture, organic products & more from all across the nation and overseas. I don’t know which i like best : wearing jewelry or photographing jewelry 🙂 . There was also a live band and some cafes to enjoy in the beautiful settings, making this lifestyle show a perfect experience for all.

Here are the pictures :

 

After The Snow : Auli And Beyond

Head over to the first part of this blogpost here. This post has pictures of the same location after the snowfall, where in everything was engulfed in white. The very fact of snow is such an amazement. There’s just something beautiful about walking in snow that nobody else has walked on. It makes you believe you’re special. Silently, like thoughts that come and go, the snowflakes fall, each one a gem.

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, “Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”

Enjoy the pictures :

Kailash Kher : Musical Night @ JLF – 2018

We gave you a glimpse of the glitterati and the literati attending the Jaipur Literature Festival  , here are the links to the two blogposts – Part 1 and  Part 2. Apart from the sessions at Diggi Palace, A musical night is held every day during the five days of the festival. These happen at Hotel Clarks Amer and the entry charges this year were 600 rupees per person per day. Among the lineup of performers, day one had a performance by Kailasa – Kailash Kher’s music band. It was a great musical fiesta but again like the main event at Diggi Palace, there was too much crowd which was not commensurate with the seating arrangements made at the venue.

Since most people were interested in attending Kailash Kher’s performance, tickets for day one were sold beyond the capacity of the venue. Barring the mismanagement, it was an awesome show. Kailasa is a great band with some very talented artists. Also there was a panoply of mouthwatering delicacies prepared by the Clarks Amer catering team, though there were very limited options for vegetarians 😒.

Here are pictures from the musical night :

Lagan Mandap : Wedding Exhibition

Continuing with our wedding season series, here are certain pictures from another wedding expo – Lagan Mandap held at the SMS convention centre, Jaipur.

Jaipur Literature Festival : Part 2

Here we are with the second set of pictures from the Jaipur Literature Festival – 2018. You can have a look at the first part of this blogpost here. This year’s festival had a centrally located bazaar which had handicrafts, jewellery, apparel etc from various parts of the country. The mode of payment for any product or food item was completely cashless in the entire festival, giving an impetus to digital India.

There was a book store by Full Circle , which had books of all the authors who were participating in the festival. There was a Penguin store selling some quirky books based articles : Think rustic, gilded memo blocks, handmade paper, thread-stitched notebooks, souvenir maps and stationery that is kitschy, vibrant and just plain cool. Such stuff motivates you to write more and type less.

Coming to the food part, there was the special Diggi chai, samosas, kachoris, gol gappas etc. There were food stalls from Subway, Burger Farm, Chayyos, Fat Lulu’s, Fumo Attico and a whole lot of other stuff to try.

Here are the pictures :

Hope you enjoyed our coverage of the Jaipur Literature Festival – 2018, we will soon be doing a collection of memories from the previous editions of the fest ❤️❤️

Travel : ITC Maurya, Delhi

About the property : ITC Maurya needs no introduction. Located in the preeminent diplomatic enclave, it hosts almost all the foreign dignitaries who visit India. Inspired by the grand Mauryan dynasty, this luxury hotel expresses the refined courtliness and majesty resembling this mighty empire. It also reflects the many intriguing facets of the Mauryas and is a tribute to the dynasty. ITC Maurya houses a priceless and exquisite collection of art by Krishen Khanna, M.F. Husain, Tyeb Mehta, Yusuf Arakkal, A R Ramachandran and more.

Dining options : The hotel houses some of the country’s most popular dining destinations like – Bukhara and Dum-Pukht. Unfortunately, both these restaurants were completely reserved for the evening so we did not get a chance to savour the delicacies. Leaving that for the next time 😊

We were there for a weekend getaway as we did not have time for a proper vacation. The aim was to clear our minds and to simply pamper ourselves. The hotel is absolutely flawless when it comes to hospitality and it is a perfect choice for public officials or businessmen who visit Delhi, but not an ideal destination for a staycation or a rejuvenating holiday.

Recommendation : There are a plenty of resorts/hotels available in the similar price range, which are better suited for recreational purposes. ITC Maurya is definitely a premier hotel of the country,  but it is important to have a clarity about our requirements before selecting a place. There’s not an iota of doubt on the facilities offered, but it is located in a such a prime part of Delhi that you can’t expect sprawling gardens or infinity pools.

Here are some pictures from our visit –

The key to life is to make it fun, to a raise a glass to the everyday and to make small moments the most memorable. Do like us on Facebook and follow us on Instagram 🙂

Jaipur Literature Festival : Part 1

Jaipur Literature Festival is undoubtedly the most prolific and the most diversified literary event in the world. I still remember the first edition of the fest in 2008, there were barely a hundred book enthusiasts who attended the fest. Within ten years, the festival has grown by leaps and bounds. The five days of the festival are like immersing in an ocean of books wherein you get a chance to witness so many talented authors and hear their words of wisdom.

There is one thing that I would definitely want to convey to the festival organisers. Over the years, JLF has become more of a glamour parade for people. There is no denying that there’s a great lineup of authors and it requires meticulous planning on the part of the organisers. But the audience attending the festival should have some understanding or appreciation of these literary geniuses.

The festival gives you the option of either a free registration or a delegate registration worth 22000 rupees. There should be something for people who have a serious interest in literature and are okay paying a moderate amount for it, so that they at least get a seat and hassle-free access to the sessions.

Here are pictures from JLF -2018 :