Month: October 2018

rootsandlesure_aswathykrishna

#FACES | Aswathy Krishna From Kerala Explores The Most Beautiful Tourist Spot In The Forest Hills Of Coorg, Karnataka

“It was a very pleasant morning following a breathtakingly beautiful sunrise in March at the Three Hills Farm House, 30km away from Madikeri City, Coorg. I was sitting with a cup of coffee outside the cottage which was built completely of wood, reading my book and enjoying the lovely view. Surrounded by the cool breeze, dreamy fog, the alluring forest view, those avacado and orange trees and small talks with my companion, the entire experience was an unexpected gift from Mother Nature. It was unforgettable!” “The farm house is situated in a no network zone of the village Bettathur in Karnataka. Coorg is the most beautiful tourist spot in the state and is at the border of Kerala. My ex-colleague, Chandan and I decided to go on an unplanned and sudden trip to get a break from the city life.” “I’m very happy to have found this heavenly place on Earth.” – Aswathy Krishna, Kerala.

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These Wedding Gowns from Kat’s Collection Nagaland Are To Die For! Meet The Founders – Siblings Visituonuo and Kenny Rio

  “On her wedding day, a woman should be certain she has found a dress that makes her feel confident, and above all else, beautiful.” ~ Carolina Herrera With wedding season right around the corner, we’re happy to introduce Kats Collection – a bridal shop in Nagaland owned by sibling duo – Visituonuo and Kenny Rio. With stores in Kohima and Dimpur, their shop offers both ready-to-wear and custom-made bridal gowns. So let’s have a chat to know more about them and their wedding collections. Today we are happy to have with us the sibling duo from Nagaland – Visituonuo and Kenny Rio who are the founders and owners of ‘Kat’s Collection.‘ Successfully catering to the ever-growing wedding market since 2011, they talk to us about their entrepreneurial journey, what got them started and what keeps them going.  Hey guys! Tell us a little about yourselves. We are brother and sister duo Visituonuo Rio (age 28) and Kenny Rio (age 30) from Dimapur, Nagaland. Together, we run our store called Kats Collection which we named after Visi’s pet, Katrin. We started off …

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Born To Be A Music Maker | Meet Soulful and Cheerful Singer-Songwriter and Vocal Coach, Maker Kashung from Manipur

Music is, without a doubt, a huge part of our lives. It teaches, motivates, inspires and instills us with great joy. Maker Kashung from Manipur is someone that comes with a whole bunch passion for music and an unmissable talent for it. A very down to earth person and a spiritual man, read on to know more about this special soul. Today we have the talented musician, Maker Kashung from Manipur sharing all about his musical journey with us. He leaves us with important and inspirational advice on how to grow and work towards achieving even our craziest dreams. Hello Maker, tell us a little about yourself. My name is Maker Kashung and I am from Manipur. I am a singer-songwriter and a vocal coach based in Delhi. I am the frontman of an alternative rock band called Footwings. I’m also presently, the Choir Director of Tangkhul Church in Delhi. Maker Kashung conducting the choir of Tangkhul Church, New Delhi. My life revolves around music – I teach, practice with the church choir and conduct …

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“Travel Does the Heart Good” – Boba Nandeibam from Manipur Talks about His Globetrotting Adventures Across 31 Countries!

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” – Jawaharlal Nehru. Many consider travel to be necessary food for the soul. Whether you visit a new city, a new country or a new continent, it will always be an eye opening experience. Today, we have Boba Nandeibam from Manipur, who is consumed by wanderlust. He shares his travel stories with us and talks about how it helped him through a difficult time in his life and continues to expand his mind and fill his soul. Today, we feature Boba Nandeibam from Manipur and his awesome travel story. He is a travel enthusiast who has been to thirty-one countries… And this is just the start of his globetrotting adventure! Hi Boba! Before we hear about your travel story, introduce yourself. Hello R&L! My name is Boba Nandeibam. I’m from Imphal, Manipur and I’m an entrepreneur and yes, I love to travel the …

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Meet Devika Gurung from Sikkim Who Is Using Her Passion For Arts And Crafts To Empower The Underprivileged Women Of Her Hometown

Some of us go a whole lifetime before we know for sure what our true purpose, passion, and calling in life is. Devika Gurung, from Namthang, Sikkim, is one of the lucky ones who found hers in her 20s. She uses her skills in traditional knitting and weaving, which were passed down to her by her mother and grandmother, to empower underprivileged women in her home state. Let’s delve deeper into the story of this inspiring woman. We had the pleasure of speaking with Devika Gurung, founder of “Fidgety Fingers” – a project that empowers local women in Sikkim by teaching them traditional arts and crafts such as knitting and crochet. Devika shares with us her personal journey in discovering her life’s purpose and the challenges she faced along the way. Conversation with Devika Gurung, founder of ‘Fidgety Fingers’ – a project that empowers women in Sikkim to earn a living through art and crafts R&L: Hi Devika! Please introduce yourself, and tell us more about your journey that led to starting your own venture …

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“Time Stood Still As We Came Across These Beautiful Row of Sunflowers in Langol Peak Garden in Tengnoupal District in Manipur” – Shanmi

“It was a beautiful August afternoon around 3 pm .. here we are enjoying the beautiful landscapes at Langol Peak Garden – located in Tengnoupal district in Manipur. It was only recently opened to the public in 2017. It’s a short hour-and-a-half-long drive from the capital city of Imphal along the Indo-Myanmar road. It is undoubtedly one of the most sought out tourist destinations in Manipur, so I was super thrilled to finally visit the garden with two of my friends that day. The garden is maintained so well by the local folks; it is so clean and refreshing. And as we were walking up to the peak, we were totally mesmerized by the scenic view of the whole area created in part by these beautiful row of sunflowers. We spent a good half an hour just soaking in the beauty, and taking pictures. Behind us, you can also see the tower on top of the peak. Watching the view from up there was another breathtaking experience – you can literally get a good glimpse of the surrounding valley with …

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A Naga Bride Reminisces About Her Wedding Day | A Chat With Cheryl Kevichusa from Nagaland

“Love is Patient, Love is Kind. It always Protects, always Trusts, always Hopes, always Perseveres. Love never Fails.” – (I Corinthians 13: 4, 7-8) For a bride, her wedding day can be one of the most cherished days of her lifetime – surrounded by love and all her loved ones. And then comes the dress and all the bridal wear that accompanies her special day, which makes it even more exciting! Today, we sat down with Cheryl from Nagaland to flip through her wedding album from a year ago (when she tied the knot with her husband Vimeyie in 2017) as she reminisces about her wedding day and all the little details that made her day extra special. We had so much fun talking about her dress, makeup, the wedding theme, and everything in between. With wedding season already here in Nagaland, we hope Cheryl’s story can provide brides-to-be with some much-needed last-minute inspiration. Cheryl Kevichusa, a young English professor from Nagaland, takes us through the fond memories of her gorgeous wedding, including the theme, …

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#Recipe | Quick and Easy Way To Make Manipur’s Favourite Salad Dish “Shingju”

“Shingju” is an all-time favorite salad dish/snack of Manipur. Made with a hearty variety of green vegetables and local spices, it makes for a delicious and healthy accompaniment to your meal, or as a refreshing afternoon or evening snack. Its unique taste is courtesy of the fermented fish which is the main flavor and texture component of this recipe. and of course, king chili, perilla seeds (thoiding in Manipuri), and chickpeas powder also adds their special touch. Shanmi from Imphal shares her version of the famous Manipuri “Shingju.” Our mouths are watering just looking at the photos! Let’s find out how we can whip up some in our kitchens right away! Full recipe below Shingju is a Manipuri salad dish made with easy-to-find ingredients from the kitchen garden – comprising of local vegetables and spices, and fermented fish. Today we learn how to make this popular dish from Manipur. Ingredients: Half a cabbage Green leafy vegetables. Here, we have used the chameleon plant and its roots, onion leaves, pea shoots, wild mint, coriander, etc. 1 cup of …

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Winter Fashion For All Ages | Cosy Up And Take A Cue From These Stylish Local Folks from Kohima

“Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth, for  friendly company and for invigorating conversations beside the fire – it is time for home.” ~ Edith Sitwell Nagaland during the winters is indeed the time of the year when all the towns and villages come alive. Most of the local folks – scattered across the globe flock homewards to celebrate the festive season with their families. Along with the festivities, winters also bring with it the much daunting chills with temperatures already reaching as low as 13° in Kohima (by Oct).In spite of the cold weather, the local folks in Nagaland are in high spirits in anticipation of the upcoming season of celebrations. With the chills already in the air and an ever-growing list of formal gatherings to attend, it’s almost time to get ready for the favorite season of the year – in true Kohima style – with our wardrobes!To help us get started, we reached out to some of our fashionable folks to give us a first taste of the latest fashion …

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#FACES | “The Scene of the Local Boys Playing Against a Serene Backdrop Was a Surreal Moment For Me” – Saqlain Muran, Kashmir

“This photo was taken in Indian administered Kashmir, in a place called Harwan in Srinagar. The time was 6:30 pm. As I tried to capture the beautiful landscape of the mountains with the sunset in the background, I noticed a group of local boys playing volleyball. They were in a paddy field that was converted to a playground. The boys were very engrossed in their match and were thoroughly enjoying the game. Little do they know how lucky they are to be away from the city noises. They are blessed to be in such a peaceful environment surrounded by such unmatched natural beauty. I thought about how Mother Nature never stops playing her role as she gives us the sweet voice of the birds and the leaves rustling in the breeze -all in perfect sync with the happy chatter of the boys. That whole scene felt so surreal .. I tried to capture that emotion I felt through this photograph . .” “The happy chatter of the boys against a breathtaking natural landscape felt so surreal and …