Food travel across India is a sinful indulgence in winters. Winter is no exception to the seasonal varieties of Indian food. Indian winter delicacies including sweets and snacks are sure to leave your taste buds restless if you don’t try them out. We at Indian Eagle leafed through the pages of Indian city food guides and handpicked the best delicacies that you must have in India this winter.

Gajar Ka Halwa with Dried Fruits 

Rajasthan is known for not only the best winter holiday tourist destinations but also the best winter delicacies. Gajar Ka Halwa is the most popular sweetmeat that most of the cities in the state of Rajasthan including Jaipur, Udaipur, Bikaner, Mewar, Jaisalmer and Jodhpur offer during winter. Gajar Ka Halwa is a must on the menu of wedding feats in Rajasthan.

Udaipur Food Travel Guide

Nolen Gurer Sandesh & Rosogolla  

Image Credit: flickr.com/photos/micromitra

Traveling to Kolkata in winter? Brush your sweet tooth for platefuls of Nolen Gurer Sandesh and Rosogolla. Kolkata treats the guests to Rosogolla and Sandesh throughout the year. But, the Bengali sweets of nolen gurer flavour (date palm jiggery) are winter specials in Kolkata. Hope, you can’t afford to miss it.

Kolkata Street Food Guide

Stuffed Parathas with Curd  

Be it morning or evening, Delhi is fond of smoking hot Parathas in winter. Delhi specializes in serving Parathas stuffed with filling of different ingredients including spinach, cauliflower, carrot, peas, mashed potato, fenugreek leaves and reddish. Parathas with some pickle, butter and a bowl of curd give the best taste of Delhi that is unique to the North Indian food culture in winter.

Delhi Street Food Guide

Makki Ki Roti & Sarson Ka Saag 

Punjab will treat you to its warm hospitality over a meal of Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti during winter. Though this meal is cooked in the Punjabi kitchens round the year, it keeps the body warm and helps to brave the cold in Punjab during winters. The meal of Sarson Ka Saag and Makki Ki Roti is served with butter, jaggery and onion slices.

Mumbai Street Food Guide

Hot Gulab Jamun with Ice-cream 

Whether you are on diet or a diabetic patient, you cannot resist the temptation of hot Gulab Jamun on wintry nights. Gulab Jamun is a favourite of Indians all over the country. Many people top Gulab Jamuns with vanilla-flavored ice-cream in winter.

Agra Food Travel Guide

Masala Khichdi with Pickle

Masala Khichdi (spicy porridge) is one of the best winter delicacies in India. It is yummy in taste and light on stomach. In winters, this traditional Indian meal is cooked with seasonal vegetables like carrots, beans, peas and cauliflower. A spoonful of ghee is the best add-on to enhance the taste.

Indore Food Travel Guide

Litti with Potato Mash or Brinjal Bharta   

Winter travel to Bihar, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh is an incomplete experience without bites of Litti Chokha. Unique to the traditional food culture of these Indian states, Littis are stuffed balls and served hot with spicy potato mash or brinjal bharta. This snacky delicacy is sure to be found on the Indian street food guide.

Mysore Food Travel Guide

Samosa & Pakora with Chai

In North India, the evenings of winter are warm with platefuls of Samosa and Pakora. Stuffed with the filling of seasonal ingredients, these popular snacks are best served with cups of smoking hot tea. Samaso and Pakora with Chai are part of get-togethers and soirees in North India during winters.

Best Indian Monsoon Delicacies

Mirchi Bajji & Ragda Pattice 

The spicy affair of Hyderabad begins with a plateful of Mirchi Bajji in winters. It is one of the best winter snacks and street foods in South Indian cities including Hyderabad, Chennai, Bengaluru and Mysore. It is served hot with white coconut chutney. Hyderabadis are fond of Ragda Pattice too, in the winter season.

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The Ministry of Tourism India is planning to introduce luxury tourism on the Ganga River from Haridwar to Hooghly. The plan to initiate luxury tourism on water is part of the initiative to rejuvenate the riverfront of major cities including Haridwar, Allahabad, Varanasi, Kanpur, Patna and Kolkata. It is an ambitious venture to build sustainable tourism on international levels.

The Ganga River has been home to major pilgrimage spots, a haven of religious festivals, an inspiration for cultural initiatives and a resource for industries till date. Luxury cruises and floating hotels are going to be attractions of the Ganga River tourism for the first time, in India. The projects, once executed successfully, will generate multiple employment opportunities and impressive revenues for the Government of India.

Luxury river cruise tourism is a western trend that the Ministry of Tourism India is looking to cash in on. Thousands of foreign tourist arrivals to Haridwar, Varanasi and Kolkata happen every year. Short-distance cruise trips on the Ganga River between Varanasi and Patna will be like icing on cake for foreign tourists and NRIs in North India.

River cruise tourism is being designed with aquatic ecosystem and environment in view. Cruises will integrate modern facilities like bio-toilets to ensure sustainability of environment. Another highlight of the riverfront rejuvenation plan is introducing floating hotels. Sound & light and laser shows at Haridwar, Rishikesh and Varanasi will make stay at floating hotels on the river an absolute joy. These shows will introduce tourists to the history, culture and life of these Indian cities.

The riverfront of Rishikesh, Allahabad, Haridwar and Varanasi is mostly frequented for religious ceremonies and festivals including Ganga Dussehra Festival and Ganga Mahotsav Ceremony. The Ministry of Tourism has also proposed to make the information of these religious festivals available to tourists through the use of apps for mobile devices – smartphones and tablets. The information will be disseminated in three Indian languages – Hindi, Bengali and Gujarati, and in a few foreign languages.

The Ministry is also looking to mitigate concerns about such basic facilities as transport and accommodation for tourists in the riverfront cities. The transport systems will be improved. The bed and breakfast accommodation plan will be introduced to these cities. More, the Ministry will approach renowned religious institutions to hold yoga and meditation events on the banks of the Ganga River in order to align luxury tourism, divine tourism and wellness tourism.

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Today is World Environment Day, the day to take initiatives, drive campaigns and make promises to keep the world green for healthy living of the next generation. Green travel is one such a great step taken by most of today’s environment-conscious travelers and trippers. India is the ultimate destination for green travel in Asia. There are many green tourism hubs along the length and breadth of the country. Indian Eagle takes you through different ways of green travel in India.

The skyline of metro cities in India is getting chock-a-block with skyscrapers and flyovers. Environment activists have already started referring to tier I capital cities as concrete jungles. But, a few tier I and tier II Indian cities are blessed with greenery. There are Gandhinagar, Chandigarh, Nagpur, Bangalore, Hyderabad, Guwahati, Bhopal, Pune, Jamshedpur and Thiruvananthapuram. Bangalore, the Silicon Valley of India, is popularly known as the Garden City for its green landscape dotted with gardens, parks and lakes. The cityscape of Gandhinagar on the banks of the Sabarmati River is dotted with 33 lakh trees.

Thiruvananthapuram, the capital of Kerala with backwaters and beaches, is one of the greenest cities in the world. The lush green landscape of Bhopal, the capital of Madhya Pradesh, is dominated by 33 beautiful lakes. The city of lakes is located at the upper edge of the Vindhya mountain range. Built at the foot of the Shivalik mountain range, Chandigarh is known for its Rock Garden and Rose Garden. This union territory of India is not just best planned but the greenest city in the country. Jamshedpur, the Steel City of India in Jharkhand, is meticulously beautified with scenic greenery sprawling over lakes, parks and sanctuaries.

Green travel in India is synonymous with hill stations from Kashmir to Kanyakumari. South Indian hill stations are as green as North Indian hill stations are covered in snow. If you look down while flying over Kerala, it looks like a pool of green waves on the map of South India. It won’t be an exaggeration to call Kerala a state of hill stations considering the great number of hill stations there. Unlike the Himalayan towns and tourist destinations, the hill stations of Kerala and Tamil Nadu like Munnar, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Wayanad, and Idduki brim with green beauty throughout the year.

Darjeeling is the greenest of all hill stations in other states of India. The green belt of Darjeeling mainly consists of tea estates at the foothill of mountains. It becomes greener during monsoon. Mount Abu is the green paradise of Rajasthan in West India. It is an oasis of greenery in the sands of Rajasthan. There is a wildlife sanctuary too. Pachmarhi, the only hill station in Central India, is a laurel of green in the range of Satpura Mountains. Buzzing waterfalls and flower-carpeted meadows make Pachmarhi a must-visit destination for green travel.

The hill stations of Maharashtra are the natural hubs of greenery in monsoon and winter. Most of these green holiday tourist destinations are located between Mumbai and Pune in Maharashtra. Mahabaleshwar, Panchgani, Matheran, Khandala, Amboli, Lonavala and Dapoli are the most popular hills stations, far from the madding crowd. These less-frequented destinations boast of green sightseeing spots, breathtaking sunset points, beautiful lakes and mountains with rolling waves of green. Waterfalls in the Sahyadri Mountain range encircling some of the hill stations look like white streaks on a deep green canvas, from a distance.

If you are a diehard biker, take road trips to travel green in India. There are green routes, long and short, for scenic road trips in the Himalayan and coastal regions of India. A road trip from Mumbai to Goa along the west coast of the country is a journey into the green land. The same is true about the Bangalore to Goa route for road trippers. Road trips from Mumbai to Lonavala, Chennai to Kanyakumari, from Shillong to Cherrapunji, and from Dehradun to Nainital are like dives into a green sea.

If you are looking to travel green by trains, India is one of the best destinations in the world. The mountain railways of India promise a life-enriching green travel experience. A green journey on wheels running through forested areas, coastal regions, mountain terrains and steep plateaus is full of natural bliss. The Kalka Shimla Railway in Himachal Pradesh, the Darjeeling Himalayan Railway in West Bengal, the Nilgiri Mountain Railway in Tamil Nadu, and the Konkan Railway in the Western Ghats are the greenest routes offering the greenest glimpses of nature to green travelers.

Indian Eagle wishes you happy World Environment Day! We would like to conclude with a quote by Barack Obama, the US President: “Only when I saw the Earth from space, in all its ineffable beauty and fragility, did I realize that humankind’s most urgent task is to cherish and preserve it for future generations.”

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Himachal Pradesh, a north Indian state, is the ultimate destination for romance, relaxation and rejuvenation in the Himalayas. It is a gateway to the world of adventure too. The valleys and hill stations of Himachal Pradesh are not just summer retreats but also adventure hotspots. They become camping grounds with ample room for adventure activities from March to September. Those who feel drawn to the enigmatic beauty of the Himalayas fly to India for camping in Himachal. It drives Indian Eagle to list the most popular Himalayan sites for camping.

Chail

Chail is more adventurous than Shimla for camping in the Himalayas. Situated at an altitude of 2,250 meters above the sea level, Chail is only 45 kms away from Shimla. The landscape of this Himalayan camping site is dotted with soaring deodars. Chail is not only known as a hill station with a thick cover of greenery but also famous for the cricket ground that is the highest in the world. This Himalayan destination for camping is a must visit for nature lovers too.

Shimla

Shimla is one of the few Himalayan hill stations where romance and adventure go hand in hand. Shimla, the summer capital of the British Raj and the present capital of Himachal Pradesh, is ideal for camping in North India. The idyllic landscape, rugged terrains and pleasant weather of Shimla fetch hundreds of youngsters for camping and trekking every summer. Shogi, Mashobra, Summwe Hill and Fagu are some of the hot spots for camping in Shimla.

Nahan

Nahan in Solan at an altitude of 932 meters above from the sea level is one of the best summer camping destinations in the Himalayas. Nahan is a picturesque town with clean streets and glimpses of natural beauty hanging all around. Karan Prakash, the King of Solan had laid out the foundation brick of Nahan in 1621. The town boasts a pleasing climate throughout the year. There is a beautiful artificial lake on the camping site in Nahan.

Manali

Manali is a wonderful summer retreat and an adventuresome camping spot. One of the most popular summer tourist destinations in Himachal Pradesh, North India, Manali is a must stop on the National Highway to Leh in Ladakh District. It is one of the few places to find beauty in adventure. Manali is a must-visit summer camping resort town with snowcapped peaks, the meandering Beas River, fruit orchards, lush green landscape, and rolling fields.

Kullu

Kullu is a 40-km long drive from Manali on the way to Leh. A resort holiday destination with snow-covered peaks, Kullu is a favorite of trekkers and campers. It is equally popular for sightseeing and adventure. The season of camping in Kullu spans from April to June and from mid-September to mid-October. Kullu has several trails in the Himalayan range.

Sangla Valley

Sangla Valley is one of the lesser-known camping destinations in the Himalayan region. Situated at an altitude of 2600 meters from the sea level, the valley is towered by the huge Kinner Kailash peak. The zigzag slopes of Sangla Valley are flooded by the beauty of cedar, pine, walnut, apple and apricot trees. The picturesque hamlets with wooden walls make Sangla Valley a remarkable spot for nature photography too.

Dalhousie

Named after its founder, the British Viceroy Lord Dalhousie, Dalhousie is a most popular Himalayan hill station with adventuresome camping spots. Nestled on the western end of Dhauladhar, Dalhousie fetches not only domestic travelers but also foreign tourists. Raw natural beauty of the lush green landscape dotted with pine, cedar and deodar trees is the best bait of Dalhousie to adventurers, photographers and nature lovers. Dalhousie is the only place in Himachal to offer soulful views of the horizon where the sky and earth embrace each other.

Dharamsala

Camping in Dharamsala is an adventure in the lap of nature. Dharamsala, a Himalayan hill station in Himachal Pradesh, offers multiple opportunities for active camping. March to mid-September is the best time camping in Dharamsala.

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Indian sweets are so varied that they outnumber the sweets in any other part of the world. The diversity of Indian festive cultures across different language-speaking regions is reflected by different tastes of numerous sweets. Among the sweets available on ordinary days and made on festive occasions across the country, Laddu is a favorite of every Indian, both in urban areas and the countryside. It is one of the few sweets that the states of India have in common. Indian Eagle takes on the four most popular varieties of Laddu with different flavors.

Motichur ke Laddu

The most popular variety is Motichur ke Laddu that tempts the taste buds of Indians of all age groups. The flavor of this Indian sweet defines the festive ambience of Jaipur on the occasion of Diwali. It is a favorite of the Marwari community. The women in every household of Rajasthan get busy making Motichur Laddu before two weeks of Diwali festival. Motichur ke Laddu is also known as Boondi Laddu. With the migration of businessmen in the Marwari communities from Rajasthan, the recipe of Motichur ke Laddu has been absorbed into the culinary cultures of different regions of India.

Besan ke Laddu

Besan ke Laddu is a most common variety. The making of this type of Laddu is easier than that of Motichur ke Laddu. Though available round the year, Indians sweeten their mouths with bites of Besan ke Laddu during the Ganesh puja festival. It is one of the most delicious culinary offerings made to Lord Ganesh, and other gods on the festive occasions in India. The recipe of this Indian sweet is very simple.

Rava Laddu

If Motichur ke Laddu is the mainstay of Rajasthan and Besan ke Laddu stands for the festivals of North India, Rava Laddu represents the taste of South India. Made from Semolina, sugar and milk, Rava Laddu is a must have for the sweet treatment of tongues after a meal, in Tamil Nadu. The making of this type of laddu is associated with the celebration of Janmashtami in the south.

Churma Laddu

Churma Laddu is another popular variety in India. The making of Churma Laddu is associated with the festive culture of Gujarat and Rajasthan. It is made from wheat flour, milk, sugar and ghee. Nuts and raisins are added to flavor it. It is cooked and eaten in the form of Prasad on religious occasions in the states of India where Ganesh Chaturthi is celebrated.

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Like Dussehra, Sharad Purnima or Full-moon festival is observed in different ways, in different parts of India. It falls on the fifth day following Dussehra. Goddess Lakshmi presides over the festivity in some parts of the country, while Lord Krishna is worshipped in some other parts. Lakshmi is the goddess of wealth and prosperity, and Krishna symbolizes eternal love. According to their traditional culture and beliefs, the regional communities of India celebrate Sharad Purnima in different ways, unique to their identity.

Once Bengalis are blessed with peace due to divine victory over the evil during Durga Puja, they get busy preparing for the worship of Goddess Lakshmi in order to be blessed with prosperity on the full-moon night. This full-moon night which is known as Sharad Purnima all over the country is called Kojagori Purnima in West Bengal. Bengalis reverently call Goddess Lakshmi as Ma Lokkhi. The ritual of decorating the floor with alpana from the entrance to the interior is performed in every house.

Most of the households in Bengal worship Ma Lokkhi by offering flowers, homemade sweets and devotion to the idol of the Goddess sitting on a lotus. Among the homemade sweets, narkel nadu is a special offering to Ma Lokkhi. This festive dessert is made from fine gratings of coconut kernel, mixed with sugar, milk, ghee and dry fruits. Special porridge (called khichuri in Bengali language) is cooked in the kitchens of Bengali households, on the Kojagori Purnima evening.

In India, the state of Odisha or Orissa celebrates Sharad Purnima in two different ways. Some communities worship the Sun and the Moon on this occasion, while Goddess Lakshmi is worshiped on this pious day in some other communities. In Odisha, Sharad Purnima is also known as Kumar Purnima in honor of Kartikeya, the God of war in the Hindu mythology of India. Kartikeya, son of Lord Shiva, is the handsomest god who is worshipped by young girls in hope of getting handsome husbands.

After a holy bath in the morning, the girls cook several various food items to offer to the Sun Gold and adorn their necks with fresh garlands during worship. They keep fasting for the day. They break the day-long fast once the worship of the moon in the evening is over. They sing, dance and play a special game, Puchi, to rejoice in the festivity. The people of Odisha also observe Sharad Purnima as the birthday of Lakshmi. They play dice and some other indoor games to keep awake the whole night.

In north India, Sharad Purnima is popularly known as Raas Purnima. In the Hindu Mythology, there is a story of Raas Purnima from the life of Lord Krishna. According to the story, it is believed that during his human incarnation on earth, Lord Krishna used to play raas (a traditional folk dance) with Gopis, his female admirers in Vrindavan. It was the night of Sharad Purnima when he played maha raas with his beloved Radha and Gopis on the bank of Yamuna River. In different parts of north India, young boys and girls enact Raas Leela on the festive evening.

Do share with India Eagle how you celebrate Sharad Purnima in the USA and Canada. IndianEagle.com, a reliable travel partner of NRIs, offers lowest airfare to India.

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The harmony of different cultures and customs in the social fabric of India is best experienced during Navratri and Dussehra celebrations that take place in every state. The entire country, from Delhi to Mysore and from Gujarat to Bengal, wears a celebratory look and exudes elegant ethnicity. Some states celebrate Durga’s victory over the buffalo demon Mahishasur, while Lord Rama’s triumph over Ravana the King of demons is celebrated in some states. However, victory of the good over the evil is the common purpose of celebrations all over the country. Whichever part of India you visit during the festival, you will find smiling faces, happy minds and devoted souls in common though the way of the festivity is different in different states. Indian Eagle holds a mirror to the different ways of Navratri and Dussehra celebration in 7 best places of India:

Delhi

Delhi observes the Dussehra festival in celebration of Ram’s victory and Ravana’s defeat. The temples of Lord Ram are decorated with flowers and lit with lamps, in every nook and corner of the capital. Religious music and recital of the Ramayana fill the atmosphere. Ram Leela is the main cultural event, held on the festive evenings in the city. The burning of the effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakaran and Meghnad on the last day of the festival is the mainstay of Dussehra celebration in Delhi. This ceremony is followed by an amazing firework.

Gujarat

Experience the festive best of India in Gujarat for nine days of the Navratri festival. Ahmedabad, Surat, Baroda, Gandhinagar and other cities in Gujarat come alive with gusto for celebration through music, dance and food. Gujaratis stick to their age-old culture on nine days of the festivity, no matter how modern they are in the 21st century. Women in lehenga cholis and men in traditional kedias look their best on festive evenings when they gather to perform Garba and Dandiya Rasa, the most popular folk dances of Gujarat. The cultural celebration centers on the worship of Ma Amba, another name of Goddess Shakti. Visit Gujarat to overwhelm your senses with the riot of colors in every nook and corner, during Navratri.

Chhattisgarh

Let’s penetrate into Chhattisgarh and see how the tribal folks of Bastar celebrate the festival. Surprisingly, the celebration spans over as many as 75 days here. Unlike the celebration of Ram’s triumph over Ravana in north India, the natives of Bastar worship Devi Maoli, a local goddess, and her sisters during Navratri . Hundreds of priests join the grand procession which is organized to bring the local deities to the Danteshwari Temple in Jagdalpur. The main attraction of the holy procession is a double-decker chariot or rath. The tribal folks make the 2-ton heavy chariot using traditional tools. The path of the procession between Bastar and Jagdalpur is lit with one thousand lamps by the tourism department of Chhattisgarh.

Varanasi

Navratri brings Varanasi alive with an aura of festivity and spirituality in the blend. For ten days from the beginning of the festival till Dussehra, the city remains a favorite haunt of holy seers and devotees. Ram Leela is an attraction of Navratri celebration in Varanasi. Ram Leela is a dance drama which is performed to enact the lives of Ram, Sita and Lakshman in exile, on a makeshift stage. Though the entire city becomes a Ram Leela ground during Navratri, Ramnagar at a distance of 15 km from the city is famous for this event. The recital of Ramcharitamanas on nine days of the festival is considered a virtue. Devotees hear the recital with single-minded devotion. The way Dussehra is celebrated in Varanasi carries off the bell. The episode of Ram’s reunion with Bharat on return to Ayodhya after his victory over Ravana is commemorated in the Bharat Milaap event on the next day of Dussehra.

Himachal Pradesh

Navratri is not as fabulous a festival as Dussehra is in Himachal Pradesh. Kullu Valley is the epicenter of the celebration for 7 days following Dussehra. In Kullu, the festivity centers on the worship of Lord Raghunath on the fairground of Dhalpur Maidan. The idols of local gods and goddesses are brought to the fairground through a holy procession. The entire valley overflows with the joys of festivity for a week. The celebration comes to an end when a heap of wood and grass is set to fire on the bank of the Beas River, the last day. It symbolizes the burning of Lanka, an event in the Ramayana. However, the worship of Lord Raghunath on Dussehra dates back to the 17th century.

Karnataka

If you are flying to Karnataka this Navratri , you stand a good chance to experience the 400-year-old Dussehra festivity in Mysore. The festival is locally known as Dasara in the city. Mysore springs into activity over the celebration for ten days. The illumination of Mysore Palace with as many as 100,000 lights on the occasion of Dussehra is a rare visual treat that no other city offers. Moreover, catching the procession of richly embellished elephants on the decorated streets of Mysore is an experience of the city’s royalty and ethnic culture. The celebration in this princely city of Karnataka is a roller-coaster ride of gastronomic joy too.

West Bengal

As Goddess Shakti is worshipped as Durga in West Bengal, Navratri festival is known as Durga Puja in this state of India. A brand identity of Bengal, Durga Puja is a 5-day long cultural extravaganza. The capital city Kolkata is the hotbed of festivity. The cityscape is dotted with hundreds of different theme based pandals where the life-size idols of Durga and other family members are worshiped for 5 days. The city skyline is lit with beautiful lightings from twilight till wee hours. Kolkata does not sleep for 5 days as the people begin to hop around pandals in the evening and continue throughout the night. Though the festival ends with the immersion of idols on Maha Dashami, the celebration continues over the ceremony of exchanging warm greetings with near and dear ones, and the sweetening of mouths with bites of Rasogolla.

IndianEagle.com offers the cheapest flight for your trip to the cities of India where Navratri and Dussehra festivals are a must experience.

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India is going to celebrate the 67th year of her Independence this 15th August. Most of the times, we introduce our NRI friends and relatives to the cultural heritage, architectural wonders, literary opulence and age-old legends of incredible India. India is a must visit for not only tourist attractions but also the history of freedom movement against the British Raj. Apart from monuments, caves, forts, waterfalls and hill stations, there are several historic sites which are associated with the events in the chronicle of Indian Independence Movement. On the eve of Independence Day, 15th August, Indian Eagle calls it a duty to connect the young NRIs with the history of India’s freedom struggle, legendary freedom fighters and the states where the torch of nationalism was lit up.

Bengal, as West Bengal is popularly known, enjoys eminence for its immense contribution to Indian Independence Movement. With the Battle of Plassey fought against the British East Indian Company in 1757, the seeds of freedom struggle were sown in the soil of Bengal. It was the first rebellion to have paved the way for national freedom movement across the county. Mangal Pandey, the first martyr in the history of Indian freedom struggle, was a noble son of Bengal. The freedom fighters of the then undivided Bengal (including both West Bengal and Bangladesh) were such revolutionary figures as Netaji Subhash Chandra Bose, Khudiram, Chittaranjan Das, Surya Sen, Prafulla Chaki, Rash Behari Bose, Jatindranath Mukherjee and Matangini Hazra. Bengal was the epicenter of “Quit India” movement in 1942. Rabindranath Tagore who brought the Nobel Prize for literature to Bengal fired up the spirit of the revolutionaries through his patriotic songs and poems: “Where the mind is without fear and the head is held high”. Rammohan Roy, Swami Vivekananda and Kazi Najrul Islam carried the torch of nationalism in British India.

Punjab is known for the martyrdom of Bhagat Singh in the revolution against the British. A firm believer in the Marxist ideologies, he spread the fire of freedom movement throughout the then undivided Punjab. He motivated the youth of Punjab to join the Indian Independence Movement. Bhagat Singh was hanged at the age of 23. The Jallianwala Bagh massacre 1919 in Punjab was one of the deepest wounds inflicted to Mother India. Today, this historical site with a memorial dedicated to the martyrs is a tourist attraction in Punjab. The murder of British Police Officer John Saunders, the greatest of Bhagat Singh’s revolutionary activities, inspired the plot of the Bollywood movie, Rang De Basanti starring Amir Khan in the lead role. Chandra Sekhar Azad and Lala Lajpat Rai are the other noted revolutionary figures of Punjab.

If Bengal was instrumental in active revolution for freedom of the country, Gujarat in the west of India followed the path of non-violence, shown by Mahatma Gandhi, in protest against the British rule. Mahatma Gandhi, one of the most popular nationalists, was the axis of Non-cooperation National Movement all over the country. Some of the epoch-making historic events such as the “Non-cooperation” movement, Civil Disobedience movement “Quit India” movement and “Dandi March” were driven by his principle and leadership. He had initiated the country with the mantra, “Do or Die”. Sardar Vallavbhai Patel, an ardent follower of Gandhiji, is another name associated with the country’s freedom struggle in Gujarat.

The torch of Indian Independence Movement was borne throughout Maharashtra too. Among the freedom fighters of Maharashtra, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Gopal Krishna Ghokhle, Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, Vinoba Bhabe and Dadabhai Naoroji were active nationalists and strong advocates of freedom. It was Bal Gangadhar Tilak who shook the nation with his call for “Swaraj” (self-rule). His voice, “Swaraj is my birthright, and I shall have it”, was echoed all over the country. He was one of the powerful vehicles driving the Boycott Movement and Swadeshi (Nationalist) Movement against the Partition of Bengal in 1905. One of the senior leaders of Indian National Congress, Gopal Krishna Ghokhle was a political mentor to Mahatma Gandhi. He had forced the British rulers of India to allow the educated Indians in the governing and policy making process.

The waves of national freedom movement were not so strong in South India as in the north, east and west of India. A few nationalists from the states – Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh – had jumped on to the freedom struggle. U. Muthuramalingam Thevar, Chakravarti Rajgopalachari, V.O. Chidambaram Pillai, V.S. Srinivasa Sastri and Chempakaraman Pillai are a few mentionable names in this context. However, there were few revolutionary activities in those regions of India.

A visit to the above-mentioned states of India will make you live the bygone years of national freedom movement. It is a pilgrimage to Mother India. India Eagle wishes you Happy Independence Day!

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Are you flying to India this monsoon? Monsoon is the best time to visit India for foodies. If you are a foodie, get ready to be treated with monsoon special culinary delights in different parts of India. Indians are foodies with sweet tooth for snacky delicacies which intensify the joy of monsoons. The Indian monsoon food culture is rich and varied. Every state and every city offers a different taste of Indian monsoon food. However, sips of hot tea and bites of snacks make monsoon travel to India a culinary affairs for foodies. Don’t give a miss to the best bites of monsoon food in India!

North India – Samosas and Pakoras with Chai

In North India, some snacks with cups of tea are a must have as a light meal every now and then. North Indians are famous for their sweet tooth for samosas and pakoras (fried items stuffed with spiced potato mush). Tea of different flavors like masala tea or ginger tea (Adrak wali chai) is a regular intake in mornings and evenings during monsoons. Ginger tea has health benefits. The taste of samosas or pakoras is best complemented with pudine ki chuttney.

Bengal – Alu Chop and Eggroll

Bengalis love to be called foodies. The items in the typical Bengali menu vary from season to season. Fish Curries, Mishti Doi, Sondesh and Rosogolla are the mainstay of food culture in Bengal. What is the culinary offer of this Indian state during monsoons? Alu chops (a fried item stuffed with smashed potato) and eggrolls, a kind of spring roll. Potato mush, the stuffing for alu chops, is flavored with green peas, tomato slices, ginger paste and various spices. These are the best of monsoon treats for taste buds, in Bengal.

READ MORE  Bengali Cuisine & Food Culture

Northeast India – Momos

Many people think that momo is a Chinese dish. They are under the wrong impression. It is actually a native dish of Nepal. The northeast states of India like Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur and others have borrowed the art of cooking this mouth-watering delicacy from Nepal to enrich their own food culture. Momo is available in both categories – veg and non-veg. The veg momos are stuffed with a mixture of boiled vegetables or cheese or both. The non-veg momos are made of chopped meat flavored with chili sauce. This dish is served hot. It is an unforgettable experience of monsoon food culture in the northeast region of India.

READ MORE  Unknown Stories of Indian Food

South India – Bhajis with Tea

The monsoon food culture of South India slightly differs from that of North India. Bhajis with masala tea are the mainstay of South India’s culinary routine, in monsoons. Mysore bhajis in the morning and Onion bhajis in the evening are the monsoon attractions of travel to South India. The locales sharing a plateful of bhajis with some sips of masala tea with their friends is a common sight to behold there.

READ MORE  Best Food to Eat in Mysore

Gujarat – Methu na Gota and Dal Wadas

Monsoon is a crispy and snacky affair in Gujarat. Though people identify Gujarat with Dhokla on the culinary map of the world, Gujaratis’ tryst with such snacks as Corn, Methi na Gota and Dal Wadas get a new lease of life during monsoons. Methu na Gota is made of chickpea batter which dried fenugreeks are mixed up with and are fried golden brown. Guajaratis warm up themselves with hot dal wadas in the rains. This monsoon delicacy tastes well with raw onion slices and fried chillies.

Maharashtra – Pav Bhaji 

Pav Bhaji is the only snack that Maharashtra in general and Mumbai in particular are known for. It is a monsoon bite too. Lined with pav bhaji stalls, Juhu Beach is one of the best places to be in Mumbai during monsoons. Many tourists enjoy themselves over plates of pav bhaji while sitting on the beach and watching rolling waves. Enjoy the splash of rains with bites of pav bhaji while in Mumbai during monsoons.

READ MORE  5 Best Street Foods of Mumbai

Monsoon travel to India is as pleasant as these snacks items. Let these bites make your trip to India memorable. First of all, check cheap airfare deals and book your best flight to India.

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