Shakti Holidays

18/02/2024

This Food Story is about the Moringa tree in our garden. South Indians will vouch for the emotions evoked by the drumstick and its Greens.

https://www.indiabeyondobvious.com/post/muringai-love

This blog post is inspired by the joy shared whenever we harvest drumsticks from our tree.

25/04/2023

Savouring Kalingan style of temple architecture in Bhubaneswar...

23/04/2023

Walking through Netaji s home in Cuttack, Odisha,, I realise the strength of India's foundation. The stories in the photos, letters, certificates and personal articles made me realise how little I knew of Netaji's persona. The most amazing was the map of his escape from the British which also highlighted all the persons who took the risk of assisting his safe passage to Germany.

24/02/2023

Far removed from the mundane, closest to Nature, a journey of self-discovery.....Are you ready?

06/02/2023

Marketing person :"It gives passengers a view of the sky, keeps the car ventilated and lets in sunlight, creating a sense of open space

Indians : Sorry we have other plans

27/01/2023

Inside a local bus in Pondicherry. On the Lawspet/Gorimedu route. After passengers boarded at the main bus stand the driver stopped a few metres outside the bus stand. The bus conductor boarded, a devotional song played in the stereo, incense sticks were lit and shown to the garlanded photos of deities behind the driver's seat and we started off. (You can see the conductor in khakhi at the far end in the picture doing the honours)

This bus trip is bringing back a lot of childhood memories. Of slower times when passengers interacted with each other and with the bus staff with such familiarity.

26/01/2023

There are different shades to India. On this Republic Day our team resolves to bring more colour to the duller aspects of our land through responsible and Immersive India Experiences.

JAI HIND!!!

23/01/2023

A bygone era of grandeur comes alive through stories and discussions......

Join our small group tour to explore the stuff that makes Legends!!!

06/01/2023

All along its path, the Ponni river feeds the people and their amazing crafts. In yesteryears it fed the grandeur of the Chozha dynasty.

Join us on an immersive fun-filled holiday in the towns along the Ponni river and listen to legendary incidents that shaped the Mighty Chozha Empire.

It’s a small group tour, so book your space quickly. Whatsapp 098402 36872

31/12/2022

Thank you 2022, you were really Tour Friendly. We enjoyed our small group adventures in Tamizhnadu and Gujarat, we organised family trips to all parts of India, notably Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Tamizhnadu. And now we are looking forward to spreading our wings into more experiential holidays across the sub-continent in the coming year.

We made efforts to minimise use of plastic during our trips and will look out for more ways to reduce our carbon footprint in the coming year. As you hand the baton to your successor, do put in a good word for us. So that 2023 will be as nice to us as you have been. You will remain close to our hearts, Dear 2022🥰😘😘😘

All izzzzz well only if holidaying happens. It may be a leisure activity, a "non-essential" service. But we know that "not travelling" is having its effects on the most essential parts of our minds. Hence this earnest request to the New Year Santa/Angel/Devi....🙂

10/12/2022

In the past week, we have been learning intricate textile arts from the living looms of Gujarat - the Rebari and Meghwal ladies, the Ajrakh block printers, weavers, Rogan artists and many others. We are touched by the warmth with which the artisans opened their homes to us, hosted delicious lunches and taught us their craft with so much patience.

All of us have returned to our homes today, and are turning the pages in our minds, and reliving our colourful moments. The last page being of our Garba night where we celebrated our bonding over the last week. We, a group of 17 ladies from various parts of India and Muscat will always light up whenever we have a flashback of our Gujarati days.

09/12/2022

Nature always Wows us. The expanse of the salt desert, the Rann of Kutch frees the mind. On a full moon night like this, when the sun goes down and the moon gradually lights up the salted earth in unusual hues, we want to hug Mother Earth for being so beautiful. Our existence becomes more meaningful amidst such a natural wonder.

07/12/2022

Road to the Rann

04/12/2022

Proud moment when the history of our cultural heritage floats in front of us. The bird towers in the many Pols, a family house with a 100 rooms, And the most beautiful and expansive Jumma Masjid.

03/12/2022

Walking through the narrowest and most crowded streets in the Teen Darwaza area, our guests got as desi as can be. After a colourful shopping session we fed ourselves with a sumptuous lunch.
The House of Mangaldas's collecfion of textile treasures succeeded in giving us a prelude for the morrow. .An evening in the home.of.a Mata ni pachedi artist got us to see the skill and expertise of our traditional artisans. Dinner at Vishalla was the best topping for this day. All of us have eaten so much that we are roling around in our cosy hotel rooms with sweet dreams of embroidered fabric..

29/11/2022

Now I can do some quilt talk with the ladies in our Textile Tour - The Living Looms Of Gujarat, Dec 2022

08/11/2022

It is a Wow! moment for us...our textile tour to Gujarat got filled up superfast. Heartening to see the enthusiasm for this thematic journey. And what a wonderful gang of girls have come together.....sure gonna be jolly polly trip to the land of the White Desert.

12/10/2022

Our Camel Cart to the Rann of Kutch is almost full. A wonderful girls group is shaping up, so excited about the textile treat awaiting us in Gujarat. Fabrilicioussss!!!

18/09/2022

Pannu Bhai sits on his camel cart at the gate that leads to the expansive White Rann. The colourful embroidery that adorns his camel was handmade by the ladies in his home. Their nimble fingers wielding a tiny needle, create magical threaded patterns, embellished with mirrors, etc.

Come with us to Gujarat to learn the craft of the Rebaris, Meghwals and others. You will cherish every moment of this textile tour.

16/08/2022

One of our guests in the Kumbakonam Darshan trip summed up her experience...

16/08/2022

If you thought people chose hill stations for a break during this long weekend, look at the crowd climbing the stairs for darshan at Swamimalai. Temples will remain a priority in the space age and beyond. Shraddha and Mandira, our 9 yrs old travel companions rhymed out that temples were places for praying and playing. We did find many children running around the pillars of Darassuram. We are grateful to our ancestors for creating these ancient temples of Tamilnadu.....their architecture, their ambience and the energy they emanate.

15/08/2022

https://www.indiabeyondobvious.com/post/the-travelling-shaktis

Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsav. Turning out to be truly nectar !!! Our Kumbakonam Shaktis are enjoying a new kind of Freedom. They are carving ME time for themselves. Many of them signed up for this Independence Day trip after seeing the number of cultural experiences planned in this group tour. Some of th...

15/08/2022

At the silk looms, weaving rich drapes....and while the ladies we discussing the thread counts with the weaver, this young lady wanted to know why the shuttle looked like a pointed pencil and how they made the design...

15/08/2022

Multi-level beauty, hand made with care by traditional artisans

15/08/2022

Artisans sculpting the Kuthuvilakku at Nachiarkovil village. Some of our guests getting training....

15/08/2022

Happy to be Independent. Proud to be Indian. Wishing you all from Nachiarkovil famous for the Kal Garudar temple. JAI HIND!!!

13/08/2022

After wading through a sea of cars on NH 45, it was refreshing to drive across green carpets of crops and River Cauvery so robust and strong. We reached our restaurant for lunch so late that we were told there was not enough food. Malar went forward inspecting the serving dishes...there was buttermilk and fresh looking okra. And further in there was enough rice, a bit of sambaar, vatralkuzhambu. She told the Service Annan, "We will manage with whatever you have". And we settled at the tables. That Annan was so impressed with her simplicity and resourcefulness....he went on and on about us being kudumba pengal (effective Home Ministers).

And then Radhika wove her magic. Walking around Gangaikondachozhapuram, listening to her introduction to temple building craft in South India, the stories associated with the various sculptures around this temple, and the songs she used to elaborate on some historical incidents, we were transported to a beautiful realm.

13/08/2022

We are on Wheels. Off to Kumbakonam, a small group of girls, enjoying all the wonders that come en route.