What is the meaning behind the Name Rani ki Vav?

Why were Stepwells built in India?

Kutch – If this word reminds you of only the White Desert then be ready to see the colourful side of the Kutch through the journey of the Crafts of Kutch. Kutch area in Gujarat in India is extremely rich in unique crafts and approximately 20 different types of crafts are practised in Kutch which are extremely unique in the region. Few crafts of Kutch you will find only one family or a maximum of two families who are practising in the entire world. If you are planning to Kutch region to Rann of Kutch or Rann Utsav then exploring the nearby villages of Kutch in Gujarat is an absolute must to explore the crafts of Kutch.

The crafts of the Kutch region will help you to understand the rich culture and history of the place and will give you a sneak peek at the way of living. The area of Kutch will show you the side of Vibrant Gujarat. I got to explore the region of Kutch on my trip with the Ministry of Tourism and Gujarat Tourism.

Before we get into the details of the crafts of the Kutch area, let us understand why the area of Kutch is so rich in various unique crafts.

Crafts of Kutch

History of Kutch Region?

People often ask what are the weekend destinations from Kolkata where one can go. We are always on the lookout for destinations where we can travel from Kolkata over the weekend. With the current situation where people are working remotely the best weekend destinations from Kolkata will be a place where not only you can work but also relax among nature and enjoy after long office hours. If you can travel to destinations from Kolkata with kids and family and where there are fun activities to do with your kid it becomes more exciting.

If you are on the lookout for Weekend destinations fromKolkata then you should visit Ibiza - The Fern Resort & Spa which is approx. 1.5 hours from the heart of Kolkata by Car. It’s the perfect weekend destination from Kolkata to travel with your kids and family where you can stay close to nature and also enjoy various activities which I will be talking about in details in my blog post below.

Ibiza - The Fern Resort & Spa is a luxury resort that has all the modern amenities making it a perfect weekend destination from Kolkata. I recently stayed here on a staycation and I must say I absolutely loved the place.

The Belgadia Palace is a 200 years old palace in Mayurbhanj in Odisha which has opened its heart for travelers. This palace in India will help you to transform to the bygone era and experience Royalty. Staying at the Belgadia palace in Odisha will help you to understand the beautiful art forms of Sabai Grass, Dokra Art and Chhau Dance. The Belgadia Palace in Mayurbhanj is one of the palaces in India which offers boutique homestay. The palace promotes sustainable tourism and engages with local tribal and village community to promote local handicrafts. You will get an insight into the art and crafts of Odisha. This palace in India is just 5 hours drive from Kolkata and situated extremely close to Simlipal National Park.

I got to experience my royal stay at the Belgadia Palace in January 2021. As soon as I entered through the gates of Belgadia Palace, the majestic beauty peeped through the green cover inside the palace premises. Soon I was welcomed by the staff at the Belgadia palace with a smile and open heart. Within 2 minutes I was transformed into the royal and bygone era of the Belgadia Palace. As soon as you enter the Belgadia palace the first thing which will catch your eyes is the monogrammed staircase with the letter M and the walls adorned with trophies of animal heads and horns. One noticeable trophy is the huge skull of a crocodile which was almost 50% of my height ( I am 5’11”) as soon as you start climbing the staircase.

Purulia is one of the most visited places in West Bengal and this Purulia detailed tour guide will provide you with all the details you need to travel to Purulia. Purulia is also known as "Lal Matir Desh" which means land of red soil in Bengali. Purulia greets travelers with lush green meadows & forests, hills, lakes, and its natural beauty along with rich history. Not known to many Purulia has played an important role to carve the history of Bengal. Purulia is also rich in tribal culture and will keep you mesmerized with its rustic beauty.

When to Visit Purulia?

We traveled to Purulia after staying at home for more than 10 months in the month of December. Winters are the best time to visit Purulia. The tourist season starts in November and ends in March/April for Purulia. 

The best time to visit Purulia is from early March when the Palash flowers blooms and Purulia transforms into a different beauty. Purulia is filled with Palash trees and when they bloom the entire land looks reddish in color due to the color of the flower. The trees look as if on fire with their red-colored flowers in full bloom.

A place is defined by the people and while travelling every interaction with the humans of a place defines how we enjoy the place. It is rightly said that “People will forget what you said, might forget what you did for them, but people will never forget how you made them feel” and the people of kerala truly epitomizes it. 

The people of Kerala will go extra mile to ensure you have an amazing travel memories in Kerala. These people might not be connected to travel industry, they are the common people whom you meet everyday on streets.

Human by Nature - My Experiences with the People of Kerala

In 2008, me and my dad decided to go on a road trip of Kerala and this was our first major father-son trip. We were excited and we wanted to ensure that everything was perfect. We had booked hotels, flight tickets, car all by ourselves. We were little skeptical initially about the road trip as we didn’t know what was the condition of the car, how was the driver etc. In those times there was not many online reviews or not sites available through which you can book cars reliablye, so we had to depend on local references through hotel.

We asked lots of questions to the driver (his name was Jayanand) and I still remember what he said. He said “Sir please come to my state. I know you I will see your worried faces when we meet but when we say goodbye I know I will see your happy and smiling faces”.  

That’s spirit of people of Kerala – truly human by nature.

Let me take you on a journey of Kerala and how the people of Kerala made our trip truly special and yes when I was at the airport I had a huge smile on my face.

Chinese in Kolkata represents a unique confluence of food, culture, and language which is a perfect blend of China and India. Chinese in Kolkata or the Chinese Community in Kolkata will remind you of the phrase “Hindi- Chini Bhai Bhai” ( Indians and Chinese are brothers). The Chinese in Kolkata is also called as “Chini” and we also call sugar as Chini. That reminds me to narrate a beautiful and unique history of Chinese in Kolkata.

Chinese in Kolkata has given Kolkata unique Chinese cuisine, leather tanning technology, and lots of spices. There are approximately 2000-2500 Chinese in Kolkata. It’s a vanishing culture as the young generation of the Chinese in Kolkata are moving out to the west. The Chinese in Kolkata adds to the diaspora of the culture of Kolkata.

In this blog post, we will talk about History, Culture, and yes Chinese food, Chinese Restaurants in Kolkata. If you are looking to understand anything about Chinese in Kolkata then read this blog post.

History of Chinese in Kolkata

It is said that the Chinese people first landed in West Bengal. The first recorded Chinese who settled in India was Tong Achew. He was a tea seller who landed in Budge budge in West Bengal first in the year 1780. Mainly he had an export business of tea in Burma (now Myanmar) and Vietnam. Once, while he was sailing for business purposes, unfortunately, his shipwrecked at the shore of river Hoogly, in Bengal.

The official history of the Chinese in Kolkata tell us, Atchew who desirous of quitting a mercantile life would wish to bring with him, on his return from China, wanted to bring many of Chinese who were skilled in husbandry. After getting assurance from the government, Atchew returned his country and again came back in 1781 with 110 Chinese laborers to settle here permanently. He brought Chinese people along with him to work in the sugar factory in Budge Budge. The place is now called as Achipur which was named after Tong Achew. The first Chinese settler in India died soon in the year 1783 and the Chinese people who he brought started migrated to Kolkata from 1804 when his sugar mill was auctioned off. Tong Achew migrated to Budget Budge and he was given 650 Bighas of land for an annual rent of just Rs45.