Month: September 2019

Meera Desai, a Musician from New York, Who Traveled to Ahmedabad To Create Her EP

Published by Samyama

Everyone is searching for that one form of expression which truly makes them feel alive and authentically themselves. For Meera Desai, it was being a singer-songwriter. Raised in New York, she was exposed to different forms of music but it was Indian Classical music that touched her heart. Today she is based in Ahmedabad and is creating music and collaborating with different artists. She has released an EP with 4 beautiful songs and has joined the band, Heat Sink. The band released their EP too, with her as the lead female vocalist and co-songwriter. We caught up with her to chat about her music, new songs and more. Hello Meera! Happy to have you here. Please start us off with a brief bio. My name is Meera Desai, I’m 24, even though no one believes this because I look 17! Right now, I’m based in Ahmedabad, but I was born and raised in Long Island, New York. I grew up singing in choirs and doing mostly western classical vocal but when I was in high …

Chiam Shiu – A Naga YouTuber Based in Mumbai Tells Us About Her Journey

Published by Kumti

The life of a YouTuber is not all glitz and glam as we see it on our screens. There’s a lot that goes behind and Chiam Shiu tells us how. A budding YouTuber, Chiam is based in Mumbai currently but belongs to Dimapur. Her channel focuses on fashion and lifestyle, where she also gives a glimpse of Naga lifestyle to her viewers. Her aim is to ‘keep it real’ and she does that by being honest with who she is on camera. She also works as a freelance model and actor and has acted in Dreamz Unlimited. Let’s get to hear more from her. Hey Chiam, please introduce yourself to our readers! My name is Chiam Shiu. I am 23-years-old and I’m from Khiamniungan and Phom tribe from Dimapur. Currently based in Mumbai, I’m a full-time YouTuber, a freelance fashion model and an actor. As far as my education is concerned, I am a B.Tech graduate in Electrical & Electronics Engineering from National Institute of Technology, Nagaland. What made you start your YouTube channel? Ever …

Recipe of ‘Poosanikai Mor Kootu’ made with Ash-Gourd, Coconut and Yogurt – a Family Recipe From Tamil Nadu, by Preethi Venkatram

Published by Samyama

Saturday is here and we have another exciting family recipe all the way from Tamil Nadu! Contributed by Preethi Venkatram, our dish of the day is called Poosanikai Mor Kootu or Ash gourd, coconut and yoghurt curry. Preethi discovered her talent for cooking when she shifted to North Carolina, USA. She started her blog ‘cookingwithpree’. A mother to 2 kids, she hopes that one day she can pass it on to her children just as her mother and aunt passed on their recipe books to her. Her blog focuses on simple and easy vegetarian recipes with vegan options. She has a knack for experimenting with different cuisines while keeping them healthy. Pree says, “I don’t believe in cooking separately for kids and adults, so all my recipes will be kid-friendly, with no compromise on taste for the adults as well.” Mor Kootu has always been one of Pree’s favourite yoghurt-based recipes from the Tambram cuisine. Her mother paired it with a spicy Vathal Kuzhambu and rice and used white pumpkins as the main ingredient. The …

Pritika Krishnakumar, a Bharatanrityam Dancer Based in Bangalore, Tells Us About Pursuing This Traditional Craft

Published by Samyama

Pritika Krishnakumar is a Bharatanrityam dancer based in Bangalore. Currently training under the acclaimed Radha Kalpa dance company, this graceful dancer knew Bharatanatyam was her passion at the age of 4. On usual days, she is training and honing her craft. She says, “there’s a lot that goes into making a dance performance look effortlessly beautiful. Hours of training and learning. I enjoy the process and hope that people can see through all the hard work.” Know more this flawlessly talented girl journey as we chat with her. Hello Pritika! At Roots and Leisure we value strong cultural connections. So, when we heard about your mastery in a traditional artform, we were very excited to chat with you! Thank you for being here. Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi! My name is Pritika Krishnakumar. I’m a 27-year-old, Bharatanatyam dancer based in Bangalore. I was born and raised in Mumbai and I started training in this classical art when I was just 7. I began under the tutelage of Guru Dr Jayashree Rajagopalan (Vijji Akka), …

Nagaland’s First Food Bike, ‘Fusion Bytez’, is Capturing Our Taste Buds and Our Hearts

Published by Kumti

There’s something about street food that never fails to impress us! Whether it’s the mix of local taste in worldly dishes or a spicy treat on a budget, there’s nothing quite like a good street food stall! While hunting for our next food-joint in Dimapur, we stumbled upon a quirky little food stall called ‘Fusion Bytez’. We say ‘quirky’ because this stall isn’t like any other — it’s Nagaland’s very first food bike! Run by three brothers, the small place serves some amazing food. If you want to take a break from visiting fancy restaurants and enjoy some zingy street food, head to the stretch of City Tower area. Don’t forget to try out their Chicken Drumsticks and Twisted Potatoes! We were thrilled to see three brothers busy catering to the customers. Despite the frenzy rush, we managed to have a quick conversation with one of them. He told us that some of the food stall workers and owners have completed their studies while others are still studying and doing this as a part time …

Anukrti Upadhyay, a Writer from Mumbai, Talks About Her New books, Bhaunri and Daura

Published by Samyama

Anukrti Upadhyay, a writer based in Mumbai, sits and talks to us about her recent English novellas, published by HarperCollins. Her twin books, Daura and Bhaunri, have received acclaim for the fresh storytelling and their ability to transport you into a whole new world in the midst of the Rajasthani desert. Hailing from an academic background, this author has always been around stories, which inspired her to weave her own stories and share them with the world. Currently, she is working on various writing projects and her job simultaneously. We spoke to this inspiring woman about her books and the inspiration about them. Hello Anukrti! It’s exciting to have you here today. Please introduce yourself to our readers. I am Anukrti Upadhyay and I am a writer. I have post-graduate degrees in Management and Literature, and a graduate degree in Law. I also wrote a doctoral thesis in Hindi Literature. Today, I write fiction and poetry in both English and Hindi. A collection of my Hindi short stories, titled Japani Sarai, was published by Rajpal …

Raktim Gautam from Guwahati, a Spoken Word Poet and a Storyteller Carving His Own Way Through Words.

Published by Temsulong

Poetry is pieces of thoughts strung together by experience. Raktim Gautam, a poet from Guwahati, does more than write poetry—he performs them in front of an audience. A spoken word poet, this young literary artist thrives by connecting with the audience, often moving them with his words. He runs Guwahati’s art collective called ‘East India Poets’ and aspires to be a great storyteller just like his grandfather. Join us as we get a glimpse into his life. Welcome, Raktim. It’s exciting to be interviewing a different kind of poet today! Let’s start with a brief introduction. Hello! I’m Raktim Gautam. I’m a 22-year-old, spoken word poet born and brought up in Guwahati, Assam. I’m currently based in Guwahati as well. I run an art collective called East India Poets, wherein I manage an art space called ‘The Komorebi Artroom’. Meanwhile, I am working on a few theatre productions as part of Theatre@Agora. I’m also working as a content creator at a creative digital agency called Right Hemisphere. But I always manage to find the time …

“Pottery Can Teach You a Lot About Life” – Akshaya Salin, Owner of Pottery Studio ‘The Burrow’, From Ahmedabad

Published by Samyama

Akshaya Salin was on her way to become a civil engineer when fate steered her into taking up pottery for her post-grad. She fell in love with how the calming yet exciting process of pottery truly is! Based in Ahmedabad now, she owns a small atelier named ‘The Burrow’ and works her heart out as a full-time ceramic artist. Hey Akshaya! Please introduce yourself to our readers. Hi, I’m Akshaya Salin! I’m 26-years-old and based in Ahmedabad. I’m a Malayali settled in Ahmedabad. I did my undergrad in civil engineering and then moved on to working in environmental education for a bit. During this time I randomly came across pottery and my interest was sparked. I was then led to work on a post-grad course in ceramic and glass design at IICD, Jaipur. This experience officially began my path in ceramic design. I continued my journey by working at Claystation, Bangalore. It’s been a year since I have moved back to Ahmedabad and started my own small atelier ‘The Burrow’. What types of mediums do …

#RECIPE | 5 Recipes from Famous Naga Chef and Owner of ‘Saucy Joes’, Joel Basumatari

Published by Local Foodie

With Saturday, comes the time for exclusive R&L recipes but today, we’ve made it a little more special by sharing 5 recipes with you , straight from the kitchen of the famous Naga chef, Joel Basumatari. Joel is a master of Naga cuisine and has his own line of organic sauces, ‘Saucy Joes’, which are largely made using indigenous items and use no artificial preservatives. These sauces were launched and became a hit at Hornbill Festival ’17. Chef Joel hopes that through them, he can represent the Naga cuisine around the world. He believes that with local cuisines taking on the world, we will be able to create opportunities and jobs for farmers and youths. R&L got a chance to learn the recipes of his signature dishes, which use the unique sauces from Saucy Joes. We’ve got everything from salads to desserts on our blog. Keep scrolling! 1.Squash and Mango Salad Ingredients— 1 medium sized squash cut into julienne 1 small carrot cut into julienne 1 tablespoon of roasted perilla seeds (powdered) 1 tablespoon of …

Kavya Madappa from Bangalore, an Eco-warrior Creating Tree-free Paper at Bluecat paper

Published by Samyama

Kavya Madappa is from a hill station in Karnataka, Coorg. Growing up, she was always surrounded with nature – hills, rivers and fresh air. Her love for nature has inspired many of her ideas and revelations, one of them being Bluecat Paper – a venture that makes and sells tree-less paper. It uses various by-products and textile wastes like linen, flax, hemp, coffee husk, mulberry bark, and banana fiber to make creative products like notebooks, coasters and more. With over 650 products, a few installations and an exhibition in Dubai, she has become an eco-warrior! We were amazed to know about her venture and how she is giving her best to make the world a better place! Scroll down to read our chat with her. Hey Kavya, thank you for taking some time out to chat with us. Please introduce yourself to our readers! Hi! My name is Kavya Madappa, I’m 41-year-old. I live in Bangalore even though I am originally from Coorg, Karnataka. My hometown is known as the Scotland of India, with green …