Ride the bicycle rickshaw – India’s sustainable transport

The bicycle rickshaw is a widely used in many Asian countries for short distance travel, especially in eco sensitive areas and cities. The mode of transport is similar to carts pulled by horses; the sole difference being here is that the muscular animal is replaced by usually impecunious men whose impoverished condition has forced them to look for a physically strenuous job for some extra money. In India the rickshaw pullers are often people who have moved to urban areas to look for some extra money due to failure of income from their agricultural labour jobs. The lure is off course only the money they can make though the task is more physically demanding. The strenuous work of pulling the passengers in the cart, especially when they are going uphill takes its toll on the health of the rickshaw pullers who finally end up spending their earning on hospitals and medications.

Traveler’s diarrhea in India and how to prevent it

If you are traveling to India then you have to take certain precautions. India is not the cleanest countries of the world – in fact far from it. Most international tourists to India might suffer from something called Traveler’s Diarrhea (TD).  According to the “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention” up to 70% of travelers will suffer from it.

International Yoga Day: Simple yoga techniques for travellers

Yoga is huge in India. You think of an ailment and there is a yoga posture for it. But that does mean that you have to do yoga just because you are ill – you just do it. The main aim of yoga is to become one with God by doing exercises related to the Hindu Samkhya philosophy (one of the six systems of doctrine held by the Hindus You can read more about it in my book – Hinduism Made Easy: Hindu Religion, Philosophy and Concepts).  It was in the 1980s that yoga became popular as a system of physical exercises across the Western world. In recent years, yoga has become extremely popular in India thanks to one man called Baba Ramdev. He actually single-handedly made some yoga postures (mentioned below) a household name.

How to travel in Mumbai

Mumbai is one of the most populous cities in India. Travelling in the heavy traffic all the time is a headache to many people living here. Therefore, choosing the right mode of transport at right time in day is very important. So Let’s take a look at how to travel in Mumbai.

Trains are one of the best ways to travel within the city as they are speedy. Only drawback about it is, they are too rushy during peak hours i.e. from morning 7.30am to 11am and then from 6pm to 10pm.

Gateway of India in Mumbai

Mumbai is the city of workaholics. The song “Dauda Dauda Bhaga Bhaga Sa” perfectly fits Mumbai. Everyone seems in a kind of rush and the city never stops, no matter what. But whenever I think of Mumbai I have this image of Gateway of India. Mumbai’s most famous monument is the most popular monument in Mumbai. Here are more places to visit in Mumbai. It was built as a triumphal arch to commemorate the visit of King George V and Queen Mary in 1911. The design was sanctioned in 1913 and it was completed only in 1924. When the British Raj ended in 1947, the last of the British ships left from here. Now this monument has become a symbol of the city and attracts hordes of local as well as International tourists.

You must drink lassi to cool you down in India

If you are travelling in India at this time of the year then one of the many things that I recommend doing in India is drinking the popular Indian drink the “Lassi”. The lassi is something like a milk shake or a smoothie with yogurt, milk, water and exotic spices. Sometimes fruit is also added to it. The typical lassi is very popular in the summer months and often served in clay pots called “Kullhad” or steel glasses. Lassi is made by mixing yogurt, milk, water and the other ingredients and giving it a good churn. Watch the video below to see how lassi is made!

Greeting Hindi words and phrases for those travelling to India

Here are some more Hindi words, phrases and sentences for those travelling to India. The ones I have included this time is greeting words which you can use with someone in North India. You should be able to use some Hindi in many parts of South India as well except states of Tamil Nadu and Kerala. For more Hindi travel words and phrases, please read this post.