India - Best Places of Interest

January 26, 2017 Events and Festivals, India

Republic Day

26^th January is among the most significant occasion celebrated in India. On 26^th January 1950, the constitution of India was enforced and India achieved its pledge of becoming a totally sovereign, democratic and republic nation.

Many grand events and programs are organized throughout India depicting love and patriotism. Not to forget the most alluring grand celebration in the capital city of India, New Delhi. A massive parade is held which begins from the President’s Palace and walks past the Rajpath and India Gate, terminating at the Red Fort in the Walled City of Old Delhi.

On this day, the sacrifice of the martyrs is remembered for the freedom of the country and the succeeding wars.

PM on Republic day — PM at India Gate on Republic Day
Image credit- विकिमेडिया कॉमन्स

The following are some of the patriotic songs played on Republic Day that remind us and motivate us to remember these great people

Vande Mataram- Vande Mataram is the national song of India. The song was written by Bankim Chandra Chatterjee.

Ae Watan ae watan humko teri kasam– Performance by Lata Mangeshkar, evergreen singer of Bollywood.

Maa Tujhe Salam– Music video by A R Rahman performing Maa Tujhe Salaam. (C) SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT (India) Pvt. Ltd

Mere desh ki dharti– Mere desh ki dharti, sonaa ugale, ugale hiire, moti
The soil of my country gives rise to gold, diamonds, and pearls [metaphor for the agriculture treasures]

Sara jahan se achha -Sare Jahan Se Acha ( सारे जहाँ से अच्छा ) is one of the most popular Patriotic Song. India is a unique place. Fly with these kids and travel India. See the beauty in south, Himalaya & many other places. 26 January Republic Day Song.

Jahan Dal Dal Pe Sone ki Chidya – Performance by Sonu Nigam

Little did anyone know that the original anthem composed by India’s wordsmith Rabindranath Tagore had 4 more verses to it. So stand up and sing the lyrics on-screen

I have compiled this list for Happy Republic Day. Enjoy.

Do share your favorite song in the comment section below and mention it if it is not in the above list.

Happy Republic Day to you all 🙂

January 4, 2017 Events and Festivals, India

The Most Happening Mumbai Events 2017

Mumbai is a hub of activity. It is said that this city never sleeps. That is why; Mumbai nightlife is so happening. Most of the pubs and clubs are open till the dead hours of the night where people can party and chill out. When the other cities are in deep sleep, Mumbai is still awake and enjoying the evening. They do believe in the concept, work hard and party harder.

Mumbai nightlife is something that one would want to experience. Those who live in Mumbai know how cool it is but those who have no idea must get the idea once. Be it any time of the year, the night parties here are always on a roll. But in a festive season, it becomes even more prominent. Especially at this point of time when New Year is just around the corner. The weather has a bit of chill in it and the temperature in soaring high at the party venues. Not only parties, there are several fun and entertainment events that are arranged during this time of the year. If you have no idea on where to spend time and get entertained, here are some options for you.

Sunburn with David Guetta: This event will be held on 13^th January 10 AM onwards and this is organised by the Eventing Club. If you are ready to set the dance floor on fire with the world-famous DJ David Guetta, then this event is something which you cannot give a miss. There will also be some other famous DJs’ like Robin Schulz to support him. You can catch them live and enjoy to the fullest. To get your tickets log into the website and get the details.

Devils Circuit: This event is organised by the same in Mumbai on 29^th January 2017. This is a fun event where sports and entertainment join hands. This event was launched in the year 2012 and there is an event where one can take part in a 5-kilometer-long run with 15 military style obstacles. One can either register in the competitive compartment where there will be competing events and there is a prize at the end. There is a non-competitive ground as well where one can spend the day and enjoy it by watching the other events.

Talent Hunt in Mumbai: If you are game for a talent hunt show than this can be your pick on 27^th March 2017. This event is organised by Dellywood and there will be auditions in all the 29 states of India. One can only register if their age is above 16 years. The entry fee and registration fee is Rs 500 and it starts from 10 in the morning. If you are selected in the first round, then you will get to know about the 2^nd round. The finale will be held either in Delhi or in Mumbai and one need to bring one ID proof and a passport size photograph when they are registering.

These are the things which you can indulge in this year.

Ruby is an avid writer, who writes on a wide range of topics such as Health, Travel, Home Decor, Food, Beauty and much more. She has been writing on these topics for years now.

PIN IT FOR LATER

October 26, 2016 Events and Festivals, India, Weekly photo challenge

Celebrate Diwali – Let Your Light Shine.

Diwali is an ancient Hindu festival which is celebrated every year during autumn. This year Diwali falls on October 30. The celebrations include millions of lights shining on housetops, outside doors, and windows, around temples and other buildings in the communities and countries wherever it is observed. Diwali is a festival of lights- Diyas, lanterns, and serial lights. Celebrating Diwali is impossible without having these items lined up at home, having the bright light fill up the room and bringing a happy glow on people’s faces.

A Diya is a small earthen lamp that is particularly lit on Diwali for ‘pujan’ and decoration purposes. A cotton wick is used in diyas, and oil or ghee serves as the burning fuel. Diyas are plain and colored, big and small, simple and fancy, and so on. The markets are flooded with various types of gifts, decoration, and puja items. The crafted and designer diyas are one of the big attractions in such markets. Diyas embellished with zari, painted patterns, mirrors, etc. are quite enticing by their very appearance.

Here are 5 unique and colorful #diyas for #Diwali

Terracotta Diya- The material is Terracotta and multicolored. The package consists of 4 Diyas and 4 Cotton wick with gold tinsel Swastik borders and purple, yellow, green and red pear-shaped centers.

Exquisite Hand Crafted Festive Decor Crystal Floating Diya (tealight candle holder), clear transparent crystal – Elegant and tastefully decorated floating tealight holder for adding a festive touch to your home. You can either float this in water or use on floor/table, looks great both ways. It enhances the festive look of your home or Puja room. Decorated with colorful and attractive multi-color stones.
It is a must to have in festive seasons. Also, makes a great Gift to your near and dear ones. It is handcrafted to perfection, by the skilled artisans of India.

10 beautiful hand painted Diya candles- It is suitable for Indoor use, on a decorative shelf or in Puja. It is handmade in India.

Swanky home decor LED light Diwali Diyas Shine

Diwali Decoration lights It is multi-coloured LED Colour Changing Tealights- Has On/off Switch at Bottom and is ideal for Pooja decoration in Diwali.

Earthern oil handcrafted Diwali Diyas shine

Colorful Earthen Oil Lamps Hand Crafted Diwali Diya with Studded Stones– You can place Diwali diyas at your doorsteps, windows, balcony or temple for Diwali decoration. Handcrafted out of the finest quality of clay by the skilled endowed artisans of India. Let your world be illuminated by the festive collection of colorful Diwali Diya. They are hand painted with gorgeous colors and would look great incorporated in any home decor theme.

All of the above ‘Diyas’ are available on Amazon. So, shop now for Diwali Hampers- Kaju Katli and Set of 6 Diyas.
The sun does not shine there, nor does the moon and the stars, nor do lightning shine?
All the lights of the world cannot be compared even to a ray of the inner light of the Self.
Merge yourself in this light of lights and enjoy the supreme Deepavali

Celebrate Diwali – Let Your Light Shine.

September 21, 2016 Events and Festivals, India

Social Media Week- Day 5

On 16^th September 2016, I set out to attend Day 5 of Social Media Week. I reached the venue very early.

@HyattRegencyMum Kudos for being a warm #host and wonderfully handled attendee arrangements @SMWMumbai #SMWMumbai pic.twitter.com/OeVGZvJ51N
— HDS Digital (@HDSdigital) September 16, 2016

So, I waited in the Hyatt Lounge. Then after registration, I went to check out what was there for breakfast.

Breakfast at Hyatt Regency- Social Media Week, Mumbai — Breakfast at Hyatt Regency

Smoothies, cakes, pastries, tea, coffee and cookies. The breakfast was simply awesome.

Looking forward to true wanderers!@krishnadorai @Wranglerdenims #wrangleratSMW #smwmumbai pic.twitter.com/e1NOSfGoHw
— nashik 3lectronica (@electronic0253) September 16, 2016

Then I entered Hyatt Regency Ballroom where the session was to begin.

Inside the Regency Ballroom, Hyatt Social Media Week — Inside the Regency Ballroom, Hyatt

The first session was ‘Monetisation of digital content’ by Satya Raghavan

YouTube India content chief Satya Raghavan- Social Media Week, Mumbai — YouTube India content chief Satya Raghavan. Image credit

His question made us ponder on –

If content is king, why doesn’t anybody pay for it?
7 out of 10 watch videos online every month in India.
Creating content that will get money. He gave us the example of Ambuja Cement ad.
He also mentioned how ads were charged differently in different media – YouTube vs Television.
Models of monetization– Buy content, advertising and content acquisition.
He said that Thumbnails in YouTube are effective for better merchandising your content.
He mentioned that ‘Title and description’ are important for content to be found on YouTube. The suggested video link is created alongside as per title and description.

Prahlad Kakkar at Hyatt, Mumbai for Social Media Week — Prahlad Kakkar near the lounge area outside the Regency Ballroom at Hyatt

Marginalising of creativity– This next session was taken by Prahlad Kakkar. Prahlad Kakkar is a leading Indian ad film director, best known for his work on the famous Pepsi TV commercial with Amitabh Bachchan and Sachin Tendulkar. He is Advertising Film Director, for Genesis Film Production, one of India’s oldest and foremost Ad film production houses since its inception in 1977. He recently launched Prahlad Kakkar School of Branding and Entrepreneurship in Mumbai in association with Subhash Ghai’s Whistling Woods International.

Wasn’t it worth attending #SMWMumbai after @PrahladKakar session #SMW16 pic.twitter.com/oaa4Q1jFPl
— Rosh (@TekiRosh) September 16, 2016

Below is a gist to what he spoke about in the session–

The content that is lacklustre will be marginalised.
Social media is voracious. Social media is a penetration of the mind.
Penetrating the mind is forever as compared to penetrating the body.
You need, to be honest about your content. Ask yourself, how honest can you be to yourself?
You need to bring value to the table and not bluff yourself.
You need to handle rejection. If you can handle rejection, then you can handle the world.
If you are not trying because of rejection then you cannot get on in life.
Social media is about opening doors.
Cope with fear
Overcome fears to become an entrepreneur.
You need to look fear in the eye.
Are you capable of lateral thinking?
Truth, originality, and engagement are factors of good content.
Unique content is with passion.
If the content has been picked up from somewhere then it is mediocre.
He gave an example of the Cadbury’s ad which was made 20 years ago but it still has an impact and a repeat value. The spirit of a woman, celebration of Dairy Milk, can be seen in it.
An example of Erikson ad. It opens up a dialogue. Advertising used to be a one-way street in the past, now it is a dialog of meaningful interactions.
Social media has changed lives faster than before.
The older you get, the more marginalised you are.
At workplace or a company, the system needs to change from a manager to a mentor. You need to have more mentors than managers.
Social media is a mirror of society metamorphosing.
Your content should challenge the status quo.
Add value to content where it can be questioned.
If you want repeat value, then be original and truthful.
If your content is predictable and boring, then there will no repeat views.

Crisis Co-operation Insights with Heidi from the USA, Priya from @SamhitaDotOrg and Sonal #SMWMumbai

Understanding crisis management in the age of social media
There are 2 types of people in a disaster- one’s who are affected and one’s offering help.
Technology can make co-ordination easy in every crisis.
Speed and accuracy are vital keys for communication during a crisis.
Community mobilisation is important as local leaders help the message to reach out to the last mile.
Communication and early preparation are necessary during crisis situations.
Every disaster teaches us new things says Priya Naik from Samhita.org.
A great way to form communities is not just engaging but educating. Learn how to learn, how to educate.

Influencer Marketing was a panel discussion. The panel consisted of Adarsh Munjal, Gopa, Pankaj Parihar and Rohit Raj

Panel discussion on Influencer marketing w/ @mad_toothbrush @TheBigBhookad @VasudevaSanjay @gopa @9ankaj #SMWMumbai pic.twitter.com/yI9iU4otcE
— #SMWMumbai (@SMWMumbai) September 16, 2016

Big change in influencer marketing. It’s an old technique, social media influencer is a big change now
#Influencer is a very confusing term according to Adarsh Munjal.
Anybody who influences a consumer’s decision for a product is an influencer.
What makes one a social media influencer? It doesn’t happen overnight. It’s time-consuming.
Being an influencer is all about identifying your interests and then getting into the arena.
Influencers need to know about interest, knowledge and research and then adaptation.
Influencing has to be sustainable over a period of time.
Advocacy is very important from a brand’s point of view.
Customers trust friends & family instead of advertising, & there the influencer marketing comes in the picture.
The long-term approach is required for content and influencer marketing instead of campaign level approach.
Passion is what will make you an influencer.
Influencer Marketing is not only for bigger brands but for every single and local brand too.

Can Social Media replace conventional marketing strategies?– A Panel discussion

Brands need to test out what social media has to say
We are a data-driven organisation says Varun Joshua from Flipkart
Brands need to test out what social media has to say.
Restructuring the organisation and being nimble towards social media marketing is the challenge most brands suffer with.
Data insights and social listening when stitched together create market research a real cohesive story. Data wins.

‘It is good to be good’ by K.V. Sridhar. He is the chief creative officer at SapientNitro.

Nobody believes in advertising these days! Says KV Sridhar.
Marketing is all about understanding people.
We talk to people when we discover there is something in common says, K.V. Sridhar.
It is good to be good- a creative topic; the line that borrows from life. Brands connect with people.
People with a point of view are influencers.
Brands need to have a point of view, a voice and values like human beings.
At a time when we are caught between legal v/s moral creative, that is where brand builds character and its values.
A brand means a product that commands a price premium and connects with emotions.
By creating more experiences and communities, one can build affinity with the customers to build a brand.
Tell stories, engage and take live feedback – the way to increase brand affinity, brand equity via social media!
The way you can articulate an idea today, compared to 20 years back, there’s a sea change. – KV Sridhar
Brands need to behave like human beings. All the softer aspects that make us good humans such as values, compassion, and goodness should be there in a brand- K.V. Sridhar.
Brands need to have integrity, authenticity, credibility and honesty together to tell their story.
At the end of the day, ideas, technology, and data all need to be together.
Choosing the technology and putting emotions together is important.

This session was very informative.

User-generated content: New data, best practices, and concerns, this was a panel discussion.

User generated content brings in personal gratification on social feed.
Inspirational ads of YesFoundation. The backbone of the YesFoundation campaign is user-generated content.
User generated content increases customer loyalty and organic word of mouth marketing.
User generated content is pretty important for a brand.
If you want to facilitate user-generated content then it has to be a long-term strategy, a short-term tactic won’t fetch tangible returns.

Social Media for artists– A panel discussion had Hema Sardesai, Faridoon Shahryar, Soumini Sridhara Paul and Amit Yadav.

The first thing an artist needs is to be recognised as an entertainer and take it high in philosophy.
Hema Sardesai says that she always wanted to give something back to the society, which rewarded her with all the love during her career.
Social media has been a revelation for Faridoon.
Streaming is a good forward approach to music consumption.

The session ended with Hema Sardesai singing.

@HemaSardesaai singing at #SMWMumbai pic.twitter.com/D6jDpg7d4O