BolteRaho India, North East, Travel

13 Reasons Why You Should Make Sikkim (INDIA ) Your Next Travel Destination

13 Reasons Why You Should Make Sikkim Your Next Travel Destination

Sikkim- the land of mystique. One of the smallest states in India, Sikkim is a personification of the phrase ‘good things come in small packages’. Enveloped by the Himalayas, this state happens to be the ideal spot for all kinds of people. Nature lovers, adventure enthusiasts, spiritual buffs, everyone.

Here are the reasons why Sikkim should be your next vacation destination.

1. Sikkim is a land of mountains that touch the heavens

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These mountains form a part of the long range – the mighty Himalayas. the Kanchenjunga, the 3rd highest mountain in the world, is situated in the state.

2. It is the least populous state in India

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Hence, small families, happy families. :)

3. It is considered to be one of the best places for meditation

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The most popular monastery visited by the tourists is Rumtek Monastery. This monastery incorporates a proper school to communicate knowledge and teachings if Tibetan Buddhist culture. The most unusual birds are also present inside the monastery complex. It also organizes various festivals, predominantly in the month of July.

4. The state has an enormous variety of flora and fauna

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From tropical to the alpines. Sikkim’s botanical and zoological richness is awe- inspiring, boasting of more than 4000 species of plants and 30% of all the birds found in the Indian sub-continent. The state animal is the Red Panda. 81% of the state comes under the administration of the forest department.

5. Sikkimese cuisine is popular all over India

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Momos, Thukpa, and Wontons, anyone? They make up a part of the Sikkimese cuisine, and is enjoyed by everyone in the country.

6. It has been named India’s cleanest state

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7. The state celebrates the International Flower Festival every year (March to May)

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Sikkim has around 600 species of orchids, 240 species of trees and ferns, 150 varieties of gladioli, 46 types of rhododendrons along with a variety of magnolias and many other foliage plants. The main displays in the flower show are orchids, gladioli, roses, cacti, alpine plants, creepers, climbers, ferns, herbs, etc. There are also seminars and lectures held. Sikkimese cuisine and Yaks are also major attractions during the time.

8. It is a land of adventure

Activities like trekking, river rafting, yak safaris and mountaineering always attract tourists.

9. It is the perfect place for admirers of nature

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Water bodies like the Gurudongmar Lake and the Chhangu Lake are breathtaking. The Gurudongmar lake has a wonderful history attached to it, too.

10. The Tendong Lho Rum Faat Festival is celebrated with grandeur

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Specific to Lepchas, this festival marks the celebration of Tendong Hill. As per Legend, the hill had risen like a horn during a great flood to save the Lepchas. Read more here.

11. Sikkim has been named one of the ‘top visiting regions’ in the world by a leading international travel publication

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And, rightly so. :)

12. The state has 11 official languages

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Nepali, Sikkimese, Lepcha, Tamang, Limbu, Newari, Rai, Gurung, Magar, Sunwar and English.

13. And finally, the friendly people will melt your heart

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The locals of Sikkim are shy, hospitable and very friendly. They’re sure to make you feel at home even when you’re far away from it.

So, what are you waiting for? I’ve already planning to pack my bags for SIKKIM. Maybe I’ll see you there? :)

Suryadipto Sarkar Women " Save & Protect Us "

MINORS, MARRIED WOMEN, EVEN FAMILY MEMBERS NOT SPARED

Saturday, September 27, 2014 – 16:15

Rampur: A woman was allegedly gang-raped by her daughter’s father-in-law and six others at her residence here, police said Saturday.

September 25, 2014 – 14:01

Muzaffarnagar: A 14-year-old girl was raped by a shopkeeper in Sadar Bazar locality under Civil Lines police station here, police said on Thursday.

September 24, 2014 – 15:32

Badaun: A minor dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by three youths when she had gone to fetch water in Civil Lines area here, a senior police officer said Wednesday.

September 24, 2014 – 13:45

Batala: A married woman was allegedly raped at knifepoint by her neighbour in Weela Tejavillage here, police said Wednesday.

September 19, 2014 – 19:58

Jaipur: A 34-year-old woman was allegedly raped by five persons who also robbed her family of Rs 10,000 in cash and other valuables in Vaishali Nagar area here.

Friday, September 19, 2014 – 19:28

New Delhi: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has issued a notice to the West Bengal government over the alleged rape and murder of a scheduled caste girl in Jalpaiguri District.

BolteRaho India, Science & Technology

Incredible Facts About India’s Mars Mission That Will Make You Super Proud INDIAN

10 Incredible Facts About India’s Mars Mission That Will Make You Super Proud INDIAN

Early in the morning, while most of us were probably in our beds, history was created as India’s Mars Orbiter Mission (M.O.M.) successfully entered the orbit of the red planet. The I.S.R.O. pulled off an incredible feat of frugal engineering and helped us join an elite club of space-faring nations to have accomplished this stellar feat.

The internet has been abuzz and congratulations have been pouring in. Here are a few facts about the mission which every Indian would be proud of.

1. India is the first country in the world to have succeeded in putting a probe into Mars’ orbit in the very first attempt.

2. This is, hands down, the most cost effective Mars Mission to have ever been undertaken.

The Mangalyaan Mission cost $ 74 million. The recent Hollywood space adventure movie “Gravity” cost about a $ 100 million to make.

3. On an average, every Indian has probably contributed about Rs. 5 per person towards the mission.

So pat yourselves on the back.

4. At Rs 450 Crore for 780 Million km, the mission cost about Rs 5.77 per km. That is cheaper than what many auto-rickshaws charge in the country.

5. N.A.S.A. took 5 years to complete its “Maven” Mars Orbiter. The I.S.R.O. took just 15 months to complete Mangalyaan.

6. They even managed to make it weigh about 1,350 kilograms. That’s less than your average S.U.V.

7. The odds were stacked against us. Of the 51 Mars missions attempted across the world so far, 21 have failed. But we nailed it.

8. India will join the U.S, Europe and Russia in an elite group of countries to have successfully undertaken a mission to Mars.

9. The success of the mission will solidify India’s reputation as a competent and low cost base for sophisticated engineering.

10. And by the way, this happened. Awesomeness!

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Suryadipto Sarkar Women " Save & Protect Us "

Acid Attacks Against Women on the Rise in Italy

“They use acid because it takes just a tiny dose to corrode and ruin someone’s life. Acid removes the shape of her face. It is a way to cancel her out.”, May 31, 2014, Italy Europe, THE GUARDIAN

1)When Vania Del Col, 31, opened her door to her Vicenza apartment last Thursday, she found two hooded men waiting for her. They forced their way into her home and pushed her to the floor. Then they poured acid from a glass bottle on her, severely burning her arms and buttocks. The assailants also threw acid on a dog in the adjacent yard. Del Col had survived a brutal rape by an ex-boyfriend in 2002 and the man, who served just under four years for that attack, is the primary suspect, though his whereabouts are unknown. In the week before the attack, Del Col’s husband said his wife found four notes in letterbox that said, “You are going to die,” and “Be careful, we know what you are doing.”

2)As horrific as Del Col’s attack might be, the greater tragedy is that it is the third such acid attack against women in Italy in the last month. Two weeks ago, a 36-year-old woman, eight weeks pregnant with twins, was standing in the parking lot of the local health clinic near Milan, ready for her regular prenatal checkup when a masked man drove up on a scooter and threw battery acid in her face. Her twins survived the trauma, but the woman, whose name is listed in police reports as Samanta F., may lose vision in her left eye. The assailant is described as a robust man between 50 and 60 years old, but he has not been found. Neither Samanta nor her fiancé report having been threatened or having any enemies. “For now we don’t know why anyone would do this,” says Luigi Orsi, the investigating magistrate leading the investigation.

3)On April 16, three men forced their way into the Pesaro apartment owned by Lucia Annibali, 35, who works as a lawyer. The men threw acid on her face, blinding her and destroying one of her eyes, and completely disfiguring her face. The men were arrested after a neighbor heard her screams and chased after them. A week later, her ex-boyfriend, Luca Varani, who is also a lawyer, was then arrested for allegedly ordering the attack. He had a wound on his hand that investigators say is consistent with an acid burn, although he maintains that he burned himself with hot coffee.

BolteRaho Food Recipes

Moong Dal Khandvi ” Food Receipe “

A delicious starter made with split yellow gram and curds and tempered with sesame seeds and mustard seeds.

Preparation Time: 10 min., Cooking Time: 6 min., Serves 2.

Ingredients

1/2 cup soaked yellow moong dal (split yellow gram)
1/2 cup curds (dahi)
1 tsp ginger-green chilli paste
1/4 tsp turmeric powder (haldi)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)
salt to taste

For the tempering
1 tsp mustard seeds ( rai / sarson)
1 tsp sesame seeds (til)
1/4 tsp asafoetida (hing)

For the garnish
2 tbsp coriander (dhania)

Method

  1. Drain and grind the moong dal to a very fine paste in a food processor using 1 tablespoon of water.
  2. Combine th moong dal paste, curds, ginger-green chilli paste, turmeric powder, asafoetida and salt and mix very well in a glass bowl. Microwave on high for 7 minutes, stirring in between after every 2 minutes.
  3. Spread the mixture thinly on the back of three 200 mm. (8″) diameter thalis. Allow to cool for five minutes.
  4. Cut the khandvi into 50 mm. (2″) thick strips. Carefully roll up each strip.


How to proceed

  1. For the tempering, heat the oil in a pan and add the mustard seeds.
  2. When they crackle, add the sesame seeds and asafoetida and pour on top of the prepared khandvis.
  3. Serve, garnished with the coriander.

Tips

  1. Saok the moong dal at least 3 to 4 hours before use. A quarter cup of raw moong dal will yield approximately 1/2 cup soaked moong dal.

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Suryadipto Sarkar Women " Save & Protect Us "

LEAVE OUR GIRL CHILDREN ALONE

Sunday, September 14, 2014 – 14:40:

New Delhi: A Delhi court has acquitted a man of the charge of raping a five-year-old girl after the child retracted from her statement.

Additional sessions judge Rajneesh Kumar Gupta freed the man, a resident of Ranjeet Nagar here, saying there was no evidence against him and the victim child deposed in the court that he did not do anything wrong with her.

September 13, 2014 – 23:21:

Faizabad: A seven-year-old girl was allegedly raped and murdered in Bikapur Kotwali police station area of Faizabad district, police said on Saurday.

The girl had gone missing on Thursday evening after she went to attend a birthday party in her neighbourhood, they said.

Her body was found the next day in a pond, they said.

Friday, September 12, 2014 – 23:22

Jaipur: A 15-year-old Dalit girl was allegedly gang-raped by three youths in a bus stand in Hanumangarh district’s Mallisar, police said on Friday.

The incident took place on the night of September 10 and the girl was recovered the bus stand in an unconscious state yesterday morning.

In an FIR filed at Bhadra police station yesterday, the girl’s father alleged that she was lured by Vikas Jat, Jeetu, and one unidentified youth to the bus stand around 10 PM on Wednesday and raped.

BolteRaho Food Recipes

Paneer Tikka

Ingredients

1/2 kg paneer
1 tomato
1 onion
1 capsicum

Marinade for paneer tikka:

1/2 Tbsp cumin seeds
1/2 Tbsp coriander seeds
1 brown cardamom
10 green cardamom
1/2 Tbsp cloves
1/2 Tbsp black pepper
2 star anise 2 pieces
1/2 Tbsp shahee zeera
3 Tbsp ginger-garlic paste
2 tsp turmeric powder
2 tsp red chilli powder
2 tsp coriander powder
Salt
2 tsp kashmiri chilli powder
2 Tbsp refined oil
1/2 lime
1/2 Tbsp dry mango powder
1/2 Tbsp chaat masaala
2 green chilli, chopped
100 gms whisked curd
1/2 Tbsp garam masala
Coriander leaves, chopped
Mint leaves, chopped

Method

Marination for paneer tikka:

Dry roast and pound cumin seeds, coriander seeds, brown cardamom, green cardamom, cloves, black pepper, star anise and shahee zeera in a mortar and pestle.
In a bowl add ginger garlic paste, turmeric powder, red chilli powder, coriander powder, salt, kashmiri chilli powder, refined oil, coriander leaves chopped, mint leaves chopped, lime, dry mango powder, chaat masala, green chilli, whisked curd and hara masala. Mix them all.

For grilling paneer tikka:

In a tray spread some paneer cubes, julienne onion, capsicum and tomatoes.
Mix the masala in the tray. Marinate the paneer cubes.
Skewer the tikkas for roasting.
Now keep the marinated paneer tikkas in the fridge for 45 minutes.
Then grill the tikkas till cooked.
Serve the paneer tikka hot.

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