Diwali... the festival of lights

Hello my dear readers, yesterday we were celebrating the biggest festival in India, Diwali. Today I want to tell you about this festival, what is the tradition, and how we celebrate it here.
 Diwali or Deepawali is a Hindu festival of lights, celebrated every year in autumn ( October or November).
It is spiritually signifies the victory of lights over darkness, good over evil, hope over despair.
Festival night of Diwali coincides with the darkest, new moon night of the Hindu Lunisolar month Kartika in Bikram Sambat calendar.
Before Diwali, people clean renovate decorate their homes and offices. On Diwali nights people dress new clothes or their best outfit, light up diyas (lamps and candles) inside and outside their home, participate in family prayers, and then it comes firework, later on family feast and exchange of gifts between family members and friends, and because of this Diwali also marks the major shopping period in India. Diwali is a peak buying season for gold and jewellery, for sweets, candy and firework.

The origin of Diwali dates back to ancient time of India. However there are several legends telling the origin of Deepawali.Some people believes it's a celebration of marriage of Lakshmi with Lord Vishnu.
In some states (Bengal) festival is dedicated to worship of Mother Kali (the dark goddess of strength),
or worship to Lord Ganesha, the symbol of auspiciousness and wisdom.

In Jainism, Deepawali has significant to the great event of Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana.
However, out of all this, most of the Hindus across the world celebrate this festival in honor of the return of Lord Rama, his wife Sita and his brother Lakshmana from exile of 14 years, after Rama defeated Ravana.To honor the return of Lord Rama, Sita and Lakshmana and to illuminate their path people lights diyas to celebrate the trumpth of good over evil.

In India's Braj and north central regions the God Krishna is recognized. They celebrate  according to legend of Krishna.
In West and Certain Northern parts of India, Diwali marks the start of new Hindu year.
Diwali for Sikhs, marks the Bandi Chhor Divas, when Guru Har Gobind freed himself and some Hindu Rajahs, from the Gwalior Ford, from the prison of Mughal emperor Jahangir, and arrived  at the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
So as we see the festival has lot of meaning, but all of them are good, positive, so any way people celebrate it with joy and happiness.
In Each legend, myth and story of Diwali lies the significance of the victory of good over evil. And it is with each Diwali and light that illuminates our homes and hearts, that this simple truth finds new reason and hope.From darkness into lights, the light that empowers us to commit ourselves to good deeds, which brings us closer to divinity.

Wish You all Happy Diwali 

Armenia-Music (part 2)

Hello my dear readers, today I want to introduce you the history of Armenian music.
 Armenian folk music is totally different from what we hear now in media. Armenian music roots goes back to the centuries.
Earlier, instruments like a kamancha, has been played by popular travelling musicians called Ashoughs. One of the famous ashough was Sayat-Nova (Harutyun Sayatyan). He was 18th century famous Armenian poet, musician and ashough, who has compositions in number of languages: Armenian Georgian, Azerbaijani and Persian.
Armenian folk music is unity of different  instrumental sounds: duduk, zurna, shvi,  dhol, kanun, qamancha.
Of course not all of those instruments are Armenian, some of them are originally Persian.
Here, I would like to remember about duduk as an originally Armenian musical instrument.

Its a double-reed woodwind flute made of apricot wood. Armenian musicologist  cite evidence of duduk's use as early as 1200 BC, however western scholars believe that it is 1500 years old. The history of Armenian duduk songs dated to the reign of the Armenian king Tigran The Great (95-55 BC). According to ethnomusicologist Dr. Jonathan McCollum "its the only truly Armenian instrument, that's survived through history and  as such is a symbol of Armenian national identity.The most important quality of the duduk is its ability to express the language dialectic and mood of Armenian language, which is often the most challenging quality of duduk player."
The sounds of duduk has become known to wider audience through its use in popular film soundtracks (Gladiator, Syrianna, Blood Diamond).

 When it comes to the classical music, we had huge number of great composers. But here I will mention few of them:   Alexsander Spendiarov, Armen Tigranian, Arno Babajanyan, Aram Khachaturyan who was internationally well known specially for his ballets and the immortal "Sabre Dance" from his "Gayane" ballet.

Nowadays, Armenian new generation is much more involved in classical music, we have a great opera singers, pianists, violinists, composers.
 Armenian religious music remained liturgical until in the end of 19th century, when  Komitas introduced polyphony. From 1899 to 1910 he traveled through Armenian highland and collected more than 3000 folk tunes, many of which he harmonized and transformed.

First Jazz band of Armenia was founded in 1936 by composer Tsolak Vardazaryan. In 1938, composer Artemi Ayvazyan, firstly in USSR founded The Armenian State Jazz Orchestra. Orchestra's first drummer Robert Yolchyan had became a legend of Soviet and Armenian Jazz, successfully developed his own style during the decades and continued to play and gave master-classes until his death in early 2000s.Later on Konstantin Orbelyan organized  estrada quintet of Armenian Radio.
Nowadays there are many Jazz band in Yerevan, which are actively performing high standarts music.

Many Armenian youngsters are also fan of Rock music. And of course they will not be any single Armenian who will not like whole world famous System Of A Down rock band.
Its true,  that this band is founded in United State, but those four guys have Armenian descent (Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, Shavo Odadjian and John Dolmayan).
Even if I am not so much fan of rock music, however the music which this guys are representing, its like a sounds of Armenian soul, it's a history, it's a tragedy. it's more than music. and I don't think that there would be any single Armenian ,who will understand the words of their songs, but will not like it.

There are large number of musicians with Armenian descent living outside of Armenia. 

Here I can't forget Franc-Armenian artist Charles Aznavour, American -Armenian pop artist Cher, rock keyboard legend Derek Sherinian, Armenian -Iranian artist Andy Madadian, Armenian-Iranian jazz and pop legend Vigen Derderian, Armenian-American pianist/keyboardist/composer Danny Bedrosian, violinist Sergey Khachatryan and etc.

Armenian music culture  is very rich, it has and traditional and modern aspects, where everyone can find music of his own character and personality.

Love and Peace 

Potato Paratha

Hello my dear readers, today I will share with you one of the best and famous Indian flatbread recipe, which is called Paratha. This can be stuffed with potato, paneer, cauliflower, or radish. However you can stuff it with another vegetable, whatever you would like. Today I am going to share with you potato Paratha (aloo paratha) recipe.
As we know in Indian cuisine people use "atta" ( whole wheat flour) to make a roti, chapati, naan or puri (those are variety of Indian breads).Most of the atta is milled from  hard wheat variety, which is known also as "durum" wheat. This kind of wheat has high gluten content, which makes the dough more elastic.
But today I am going to make my parathas with normal white flour, because frankly said I like parathas more with white flour, than with atta. It becomes more tasty and soft.
So lets start. For this we will need:

1. 200g flour
2. 2/3 cup of water
3. 4 boiled potatoes
4. 1 onion 
5. salt
6. black pepper powder 
7. chili powder 
8. coriander leaves

First we make our dough. Its a simple dough with water salt and flour.

 It should be non stick dough.

Our dough is ready, now we make stuffing.
We  knead potatoes with cutted onion, coriander, with black pepper powder, chili powder and salt ( add by taste).

So now we take small ball of dough open it slowly and stuff it with potato.

Append frings, make a ball and then slowly open it with rolling pin.

Then fry it on the heated frying pan. When one side is slowly fried change to another side and put some oil on fried surface, and fry it again. Do the same for both side.

Our paratha is ready.

You can have it with curd, or tomato sauce or with whatever you want. 

Have a good Appetite 

Orange Pie

Hello my dear readers today we are going to make orange pie. This recipe I have seen in Russian TV program, later on have tried it in Armenia.  Here in India I have never try it. So today finally decided to bake. Its very easy recipe and very quick, but the result is soft and fragile pie, which will like everyone in your family.
For this recipe we need:

1. 4 eggs
2. 200 gram butter
3. 250 gram flour 
4. 2 tea spoon of baking powder 
5. one cup of sugar
6. one orange 
7. vanilla

First we mix butter and sugar and whisk for sometime.

Then whisk it with mixer and add eggs one by one.

Now leave it the side and lets come to our orange. Grate the peel of the orange with grater.

And then squeeze out the juice (120-150ml) from orange.

Pour the juice to the dough and then also the peel.

In another bowl mix baking powder with flour and with small portions mix it with dough.

In the end add vanilla and shift it to the baking pan.

Don't forget to preheat the oven and pan as well, and slush some butter on surface of pan.
Bake it around 40 minutes under 250 C (try it with toothpick if it's baked).

Our orange pie is ready, you can put anything on the top (cream, chocolate, fruit pudding or whatever you want ) or eat it just like that.
Its very tasty and soft.

Hope you will try it and soon I will hear your comments.


Have a good appetite 

Marriage with foreign Girl

 One month ago I wrote a post for those girls who are planning to get married with Indian boys. Today, I have decided to write a post for those guys( specially Indians) who are planning to marry with foreign girl.
First of all would love to say, dear friends the fact that I got married with Indian, doesn't mean that, whole my family and friends are ready to do the same.
Most of the time I have seen that a boy wants to get married with foreigner just because of attraction, without understanding the responsibilities and consequences.
We are talking about whole life relationship and it's not a joke, it's a huge life long responsibility which only you have to care.
Now lets come to the reality.

Many of Indian guys are ready to get married with foreigners, but how many of their parents are accepting those marriages? Even sometimes after long relationship they still do not accept it and at the end, girl and boy get hurt because of break up.So dear boys understand one thing, if your parents are against to marriage with foreigner, its better do not start any relationship and later on have problems with your feelings and family. Most of the guys are very connected with their families and when family is not agree for those marriages it becomes practically impossible to go against them. But there is a chance to save your love, the thing is that you have to be strong enough to keep your decision and struggle till the time when you will have success.

The role of a man in family is very huge, and believe me many things depends on you.
In every country, even if there is intercultural marriages, girls still need time to adjust in new environment and culture of particular family, which becomes more difficult in case of girl, from foreign origin. Most of the cases conflict occurs in this time period. Boy has to understand that she is not a "robot" but a human being who wants time to get adjust in family with entirely different culture and habits, and it's impossible to imagine how hard it is for her to do so, when she is already in cultural shock and the most crucial part is that the time, which she needs is not given by the boy's family (in most of the cases).This is the time, a boy have to make a balance in between his family and wife, and to defend his wife if needed. Explain his family about difficulties which she forces.
 
The role of man is to protect her wife, support her, be her strength, and try to understand the pressure, which she feels during her first years of marriage.Sometime husband should protect the wife even from his own family.
Try to understand my point and do not take it negative way. The problem is that whatever boy's family expects from the bride and whatever she is able to give in that point of time, its very different.
 Of course if family is able to understand her and accepts whole those problems which she forces in that time, it will be great (and such families also exist), but otherwise it becomes very stressful for her to understand the environment where she lives.

When boy wants to marry girl from different culture and religion, he has to understand that she will need to celebrate whole the religious traditions, and there will always be mixed religious environment at home. There should not be forceful religious changes, until unless she will not do it by her own wish. And it can be the case, when your baby will have your wife's religious view, and there should not be any catastrophic answer, because the baby will grow up in family where is two religions and which one they will accept, no one knows, until the time they grow up and understand the real idea of both religions.

Yeah its possible also that your baby will not care typical names from your country.It can be name also from your wife's nation or even some international names.

Before marriage with foreigner, try to understand that she can not change her dressing sense just after your marriage registration. You are getting married  with someone who has been living with same style at least 20 years. Of course India is not the country, where female can wear every kind of clothes, but the same time, western style is not prohibited here. There are lot of clothes which are not "open", but beautiful. So let's her to adjust herself slowly, and finally not everyone can like and wear Indian traditional clothes.

After marriage do not expect that she will start to liking an indian cuisine and cook everything just from once. Most probably you will need to explain several times, help sometimes, until she will learn how to cook.

And be ready to  have also some different cuisine food, because for sure she will miss her country cuisine and since she is a member of your family she will definitely want to cook her cultural dishes (at least in festival days).

When you go for shopping be ready that she will buy some different stuff, not the one you are use to . It starts from crockery and ends with food.

When you will get married, accept that she will need to go back her country at least once in couple of years. Understand one thing, she will miss her family and culture, and it will be very important for her to visit her motherland.
After all of this, I could not forget the most important: do not expect dowry from her side.

Yeah some  countries have something similar to this, but its not the way as it is in India.Most of the time you will get nothing, but in some cases you can get some gifts, however it will not be with same quantity and volume as it happens during Indian marriages.

After all of this if you are ready for the marriage with foreign girls, I would love to wish you all the best and successful married life.

(Dear readers, those all facts are not taken from my personal experience, many of them I have seen in different families during my stay in India)



Wish you all love and peace

Dragon fruit salad

 Hello my readers, today I am going to share with you one salad recipe, which I have tried in Thailand. Before my flight to back India, I decided to have a some food there in airport. I took some salad, and the taste was so nice and delicate that I hardly control myself to ask a recipe from the waiter who was serving me, since it would have seen impolite. However it has not stopped me to be careful and understand what is there inside the salad, which makes the taste so pleasant.
So later on, I have tried it at my home and my effort was successful, I got the taste which I felt there in Thailand.
So here it is, the recipe of  the most tastiest salad, which I have ever tried.
For this we need:

1. half of the dragon fruit 
2. one orange
3. 3 slices of pineapple 
4. one kiwi
5. one pomegranate
6. coconut flakes 
7. fresh cream

First we will cut half of the dragon fruit and cut it.

Then we cut orange, pineapple, kiwi and in the end we add already separated pomegranate fleshes.

Then we mix it well.

And then we add coconut flakes and fresh cream.

Our salad is ready, we keep it few minutes in to refrigerator and then we serve it.

I hope you will like it, waiting for your comments ...

Dussehra festival in India

Few days ago we were celebrating Dussehra festival in India. This day is public holiday and whole government and private offices are closed. For those, who don't know what about is this festival I have decided to write this post.
Dussehra, is an Indian festival celebrated on the tenth day of Ashvin month according to the Hindu calendar.This festival is also called Vijayadashmi. The day is celebrated to commemorate the killing of Ravana by Lord Rama.
There are lot of mythological tels associated with this day.According to Ramayana, Ravana was killed by Lord Rama, as a revenge against of kidnaping  Goddess Sita. According to Ramayana, Ravana had a sister known as Shoorpanakha, who fell in love with Rama and Lakshmana brothers and wanted to marry one of them. Lakshmana refused to marry her, and Rama was already married to Sita.Shoorpanakha wanted to kill Sita and it has angered Lakshmana and he has cut Shoorpanakha's nose and ears.
Then Ravana has kidnaped Sita to revenge for his sister. Later on, Rama and Lakshmana with the help of God Hanuman, fought and rescued Sita.
In same day, it's  also celebrate the killing of demon Mahishasur by Goddess Durga. And its a same day when Goddess Durga returns to Shiva, after nine days of reunion if her parents.
There is also another series of Hindu stories which plays a role in Dussehra. Its called Mahabharata.
The Pandavas were five brothers, and they were fighting with evil forces. They hid their weapons in Shami tree and went to the exile, and when they came back they found their weapons in the same place. After this they have started to worship Shami tree.
This epic is also commemorated with Dussehra.
Largely the day is celebrates to commemorate the prevalence of good over evil.
In Indian cuture, Dussehra has been celebrated with dances, where whole community met and mixed.Now because of so many influences this tradition is somehow changed but still in some of the places, celebration goes in same way.
Dussehra is the culmination of Navaratri festival.
People in Hindu religion observe Dussehra with special prays and food offering at their homes or in temples.They also hold fairs and effigies of Ravana, which are  burnt in the evening.

 During this day there are many events, like performance of Ramilia (shorter version of epic Ramayana) which basically takes place in Northern India. Large festivals goes on in Mysore, in the state of Karnataka. In same state, people give blessing to their household and work related tools (books, computers).The preparation of special food, like luchi and alur dom in Bengal.

Many Hindus believes that it is lucky to start new project or journey in Dussehra.

One more time I want to wish everyone Happy Dussehra, and hope that with celebration of this festival, people not only burn effigies of Ravana, but also Ravana of their own souls. Lets leave all the negative in that bonfire and be kind and respectful to each other.



Wish You all Love and Peace