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Nzan Kikon, A Counselling Psychologist and Writer, Talks About His Book ‘The Starry Night’

Published by Neha Fernandez

A dreamer, who believes in making the world a better place, Nzan Kikon has much to offer through his work. When he isn’t busy reading, you can find him pursuing his profession as a counselling psychologist. We chatted with him as he launches his book, ‘The Starry Night’, a book based on family drama with a psychological theme on living with mental illness, family bond, forgiveness, second chance.  Nzan Kikon Tell us a little bit about who you are, where are you from, and what you have been up to? Hi, my name is Nzan Kikon, and I’m 31 years old, residing in Kohima, Nagaland. I am a dreamer who believes in making the world a better place, for those who are here today, and those who will be replacing us. I am also a Science enthusiast, where I believe that embracement of Science will propel us to a time where we can only dream of now. I am also an avid book lover, with my ultimate goal to build my own library at some …

#FACES | Introducing Sustainable Library to The School Children of Manipur With Nikita Barton

Published by Neha Fernandez

“I’m Nikita Barton, an educator, working with NGOs and Social Groups to promote education in rural villages. For this particular project, I travelled to Puichi in Manipur, to set up a ‘sustainable library’, with books donated by various well-wishers. While it was my job to train the local teachers to encourage students to read, and run the up-keep of the library, I couldn’t help myself sitting down with the school children themselves, and introduce them to a book or two. Their eagerness to learn something new is definitely contagious. Not to mention, the joy on their faces when they find something interesting the book and ask you questions about it. It is truly an enchanting and life-changing experience to see children so young, begin their journey as book lovers.”

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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 …

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 …

‘Books Are Our Favorite Companions’ – Malvika and Mallika, Founders Of ‘The Reading Twins’ From Mumbai

Published by Samyama

Hailing from Mumbai, twins Malvika and Mallika Mahidhar, share a great passion for reading and writing. Malvika is a teacher, while Mallika is pursuing law and the two also run their passion project called ‘The Reading Twins’. Their blog is a personal journal of everything they read and also a heaven for book lovers. Growing up in a house full of books, they’ve been reading books all their lives. Reading is their primary place of comfort. Grab a cup of coffee as we have an intriguing conversation with these two fascinating women! Hello, Malvika and Mallika! We are excited to have you. Tell us a little bit about yourself. Malvika: I am Malvika. I’m currently a faculty member at a design college in Mumbai. I’m also a writer and am currently working on my first manuscript! Apart from that, I am a self-taught watercolor and acrylic artist.   Mallika: I am Mallika, a reader and a lawyer who loves postcards, clouds and cats. What inspired you two to start your own book blog? We always wanted …

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#RECIPE | Desi-Manipuri Fusion Chicken Curry ‘Yen Thongba’ by Robinson Ningombam

Published by Temsulong

Yen thongba is a chicken curry dish from Manipur brought to us by one of our readers, Robinson Ningombam, who has put his own spin on the traditional Meitei recipe. He says, “It is one of my favourite recipes as it involves a fusion of both desi spices and traditional Manipuri ingredients. Whenever I am in Delhi, I cook this chicken curry. It isn’t as tasty as the one I make in Manipur because the ingredients I get in the city is different from the organic ingredients I get back at home. Nevertheless, I am always reminded of home whenever I cook it, even though I am miles away. All my friends, including my non-north east friends, really like this particular style of chicken. “ It’s a great story of how food-cultures from different parts of India are blended into one and we are able to come together to share something yummy. Enjoy!  Cooking Yen Thongba, with potatoes and spring onions.   Ingredients— 700 g country chicken. Washed and Chopped (young organic chicken is highly …

Meet Karuna Mira Sah, A Glaciologist In Training and A Rock Climber, From Nainital

Published by Samyama

Karuna Mira Sah, a 23-year-old from Nainital, has chosen a rare yet exciting path in life. She’s training to be a glaciologist, and is also a rock and ice climber and a passionate photographer. It was her love and deep-rooted connection with the mountains that led her to this path in life. Her college allowed her to study and discover remote areas across the world, and all exposes her to some breathtakingly picturesque views! She recently graduated in Earth Sciences from the US and plans to do her Masters and research in Glaciology. Her expeditions have taught her much about life and further inspired her to work for environment issues. We chatted with this charming young woman in detail. Tap on the link in bio and below to give it a read!    Hello Karuna, thank you for chatting with us! Please introduce yourself to our readers.  Hey! I’m Karuna, an aspiring glaciologist, a mountain climber and most of all, a nature lover. I grew up in Nainital, Uttarakhand. I have been hiking with my …

Introducing ‘MY TOP 5’ – An All New Segment Where You Share Your Favorites!

Published by Roots & Leisure

Hello there! The Roots & Leisure community is growing every day, thanks to our amazing readers. We receive a ton of interesting DMs and emails from our followers about stories and people they would like to feature on the platform. So, to further grow our community, connect with more people and share engaging stories, we’re launching all-new segments on R&L. Exciting, right? We think so too!    Introducing our first segment MYTOP5, where we share a list of 5 things that our readers are loving. We all have favourites – brands we like, movies we can’t stop watching or even local musicians we are loving. MYTOP5 is where you get to share these top 5 favourites of yours with the world! It could be anything from your top 5 books to your top 5 coffee brands that deliver pan-India. On the 15th of every month, we’ll share our favourite MYTOP5 lists from our contributors – which means more interesting features and topics to explore! To start contributing, visit our My Top 5 submissions page. Let’s …

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FACES | “My Name is Sendu Lepcha and I am Flying Back Home Like a Bird” – By Ekzella Bista

Published by Kumti

I’m a 24 year-old German-Indian, residing in Sikkim. Currently, I work for the government but I’m very passionate about taking photographs of things that happen around me. Most of the pictures I take are not about me but about the people around me. I love to chat with people after I take their photographs, and listen to their stories. This inspires me in many ways. Here’s a photograph of a young boy who I came across one fine day. As I was talking to him, he said, “My name is Sendu Lepcha and I am flying back home after my school like a bird. I’m 9-years-old and my mom has a shop where she sells momo. My mama said I lost my dad when I was 6-years-old. My dad lost his life when he was working with the woods in the village. When I grow up, I want to become a footballer like Messi”. ~ Ekzella Bista A young boy happily running home after school to his mother | Photographed by Ekzella Bista

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Prakrithi Pradhan Goes For a Picnic With Her Friend to Make the Most of Spring Season at Saramsa Garden, Sikkim

Published by Shanmi

“It was the festival of Holi and we were grateful to get time-off from work. My friends and I haven’t seen each other for long ever since we started working, so we planned a picnic in the Saramsa Garden. The best thing about spring is the weather is neither too hot nor too cold, which was just perfect to chill outdoor. It is the prettiest season with colorful flowers in full bloom! That day, the place was pretty crowded comparing to other days since it was a national holiday. Nevertheless, it was fun to watch people dancing and playing with colors! The most memorable moment about the day was the conversations we had about what was new in our lives, over some snacks. Because of our busy schedules, we don’t get to see each other often. So, there was a lot to talk about, a lot to catch up on!” ~ Prakrithi Pradhan from Sikkim Prakriti Pradhan and her friend making the most of Spring season in Saramsa Garden, Sikkim