During the 16^th to the 19^th century, Indian businessmen used to export spices around the world. There was a huge demand of Indian spices in the Europe, Africa and other countries. India was considered a wealthy nation and due to the spices, foreigners started coming to the India for trade purposes. The East India Company’s main motive was not to rule the India, but to do business with Indian businessmen and manufacturers of spices. For the Dutch, Portuguese and French people, the main initiative to visit India was the same.

Indian food is considered the best in the world because of the variety of added spices and delicious cuisines. Spices are used in different forms- chopped, ground, whole, roasted, sautéed, fried and as a topping. Some spices are added before cooking and some are added at last.

Let’s know few spices which are used in Indian cuisines.

Turmeric: Turmeric or Haldi (in Hindi) is a Rhizomatous Herbaceous Perennial Plant of a Ginger family. It needs a temperature of 20°C to 30°C and considerable amount of rain to thrive. The main ingredient in the turmeric is Curcumin which has many medical characteristics and is widely used in the potential treatment of Cancer, Alzheimer’s disease, Diabetes, Allergies and Arthritis. Apart from it, turmeric is widely used as a key ingredient in the Indian cuisines. It adds taste and mild yellow color to the cuisines.

Chili Powder:  Chili powder is the dried form of Chili Pepper. It is mostly used in cooking to add the spiciness in the food. In the India, it is used widely as Indian people love spicy food. Sometimes, chili powder blend is made by adding salt, garlic powder and Cumin. In the Gujarat, chili powder of the Gondal (A small town of Rajkot district) is famous for its Chili powder.

Jeera: Jeera or Cumin Seeds are used in the instigation level of the cooking. It is mostly used in all the Indian cuisines because of its health benefits. It is used in the both forms: Ground and whole form. India also exports Cumin seeds to the European countries especially Britain. It is used as a key ingredient in kormas, curries and different soups. 

Black pepper: Black pepper is mostly cultivated in the south India. However, Vietnam is the world’s largest producer and exporter of black pepper having 34% of market share in the black pepper world market. It is the world’s most traded spices as it is used for medical and culinary purpose. It adds spiciness to food.  It is also used in both forms: whole peppercorns and ground black pepper.

 Cinnamon: Cinnamon is a widely used spice, which is obtained from the bark of different trees. It is called Dal Chini in the Hindi language. In the ancient times, it was used as a gift item due to its high cost and low unavailability. One inscription records the gifts of cinnamon and cassia to the temple of Apollo at Miletus. It adds spiciness and sweetness to different cuisines. It is highly used in the different European cuisines. It is highly used in the items like chocolate, liquors, candies, coffee, tea, apple pie, doughnuts, etc. it was also used as a medicine in the ancient times to cure snack bites, cold cough and kidney troubles.

Cloves: Cloves are used in the Asian, European and African cuisines mostly in the curries, marinades and meats. It is best when combined with Cinnamon, allspice, basil, onion and peppercorns. It has tremendous health benefits. It is natural anthelmintic. It is best for digestion related problems. It is also used in curing cold cough, hiccoughs, kidney diseases, vomiting and diarrhea. The clove oil is used as an ingredient in some toothpaste, purgative tablets, and clovacaine mixture.

In the Hindu culture, wedding is celebrated as just like other festivals like Diwali or Holi. According to Rig-Veda, an ancient Indian Sanskrit scripture, the Hindu marriage procedure is based on the marriage of Surya, the daughter of the Savita (Sun) to the Ashwinikumar. Also, marriage means switching to the first phase of life, i.e. Brahmcharya (Student life) to the second phase of the life, i.e. Grihsthashram (building household and family and children).

In Hindu religion, marriage is a sacred ritual with profound moral and ethical values. It consists of different religious customs which both bride and groom perform with the help of religious man called Pundit (A Brahmin who is well aware of all the rituals of the marriage). The main aim of the religious customs is to tie both bride and groom firmly and live their married life with full of love, care and respect.

In the marriage ceremony, the bride’s family is the hosts and the groom’s family and relatives are guests. Let’s discuss all the wedding rituals one by one and understand the meaning of them.

1-Jaan Agaman: Welcoming the Groom’s family
The Jaan or Baarat, the singing and dancing procession consisting groom’s family and relatives, reaches to the marriage venue, mostly banquet or marriage hall. The bride’s family welcomes them with sweets and aarati, to express their gratitude and happiness.

2-Ponkhnu: Welcoming the Groom
The bride’s mother welcomes the groom by aarati and sweets. Sometimes she stretches the nose of the groom as part of a jest. After the aarati, groom and his family are escorted to the marriage hall.

3-Ganesh Poojan:
According to the Hinduism, before starting any sacred event, prayers to Lord Ganesh is performed to bless the occasion and keep it hurdles-free. Also, a pundit performs customs to get the blessings from the ancestors of the bride and groom.

4-Kanya Aagman (Arrival of the Bride)

Now, it is the time when a priest calls the bride to come to the marriage spot called Mandap, by telling, “Kanya Padhrao Saavdhaan”. The Bride, escorted with their family comes to the Mandap.

5-Kanya Daan (Giving away the Bride)
The bride’s parents perform this ritual. Bride’s father washes the legs of the groom and with the chanting shlokas, hands over his daughter to the groom.

6-Pani Grahan
In this custom, the groom takes the right hand of the bride in his left hand and accepts her as his life partner amidst the chanting of the sacred mantras.

7-Vivah Hawan:
According to the Indian tradition, Agni Deva (God of Fire) is the holy witness of the wedding rituals to symbolize the divine present of the lord during marriage ceremony. A priest lights the sacred fire in the Mandap.

8-Mangal Phere (Circling the Sacred Fire)
In this ritual, the bride and groom walk around the sacred fire seven times and vows to stay with each other in high and low times in the life. After each round, a bride’s brother put rice and grains in the bride’s hands to promise his support in times of need. In the first three rounds, a bride leads the groom and in the next four rounds, a groom leads showing balance and completeness in the life. This ritual is performed by keeping in the mind four aspirations in the life: Dharma (fulfilling the duties to each other), Karma (For the holy deeds), Artha (Prosperity) and Moksha (Salvation).

9-Saptpadi (Taking seven divine steps together)
This ritual is the most meaningful ritual in the marriage ceremony. Here, a bride and the groom take seven sacred steps together and agree to the seven vows. The seven vows are about planning a family together, about showing respect, love and care for each other, about being together for the whole life and achieving salvation together.

10-Mangal-Sutra (the holy thread of commitment)
The groom places Mangal-Sutra on the bride’s neck and applies Sindoor (red vermillion powder considered a symbol of sacredness) on the crown of her forehead. It signifies the bride as a married woman. Afterwards, a bride and the groom, seeks blessings of parents and other elders.

11-Bidaai (Bride goes to the groom’s home)
Finally, the bride leaves for her now “new” home; to the groom’s home. She bids final goodbye to his parents and other relatives. This is a touching moment for the bride and her family and relatives and the atmosphere turns up emotional and tearful.

In India, marriage is considered a holy commitment of not only between the bride and the groom, but for the families between them. Marriage is a grand celebration and an occasion of celebration and joy.

હોટલ વેસ્ટએન્ડ 20 વર્ષના ભવ્યાતિભવ્ય સમયની ઉજવણી કરી રહ્યું છે.
અમો તે સર્વેના આભારી છીએ જેઓએ 20 વર્ષથી સતત અમારો સાથ નિભાવ્યો છે
અને સફળતાના વિવિધ સોપાનો સર કરવામાં અમારા ભાગીદાર બન્યા છે.
અમો અભારી છે તે તમામના જેઓએ અમારી સર્વિસને સરાહી અને અમને બેસ્ટ બનાવ્યા.
અમો આભારી છે તે તમામના જેઓએ અમારી રેસ્ટોરન્ટના ઉત્કૃષ્ઠ સ્વાદને પારખ્યો.
અમો આભારી છે તે તમામના જેઓએ અમારા બેન્કવેટ હોલમાં તેમના પ્રસંગોને ભવ્ય બનાવ્યો છે.
અમો આભારી છે તે તમામના જેઓએ અમારા કોન્ફરન્સ હોલમાં પોતાના બિઝનેસને વેગ આપ્યો છે.
તમામના અમો આભારી છીએ કે જેઓએ આ બે દાયકા સુધી અમારા સહભાગી બની રહ્યા છો.

Holi can be termed as the most awaiting festival in the Gujarat. It is a spring festival and also known as the festival of colors and also festival of love and happiness.

Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival which also famous in non-Hindu communities and also become a symbol of communal harmony in the India. It is celebrated in almost all states of the India and Nepal.  However, it is also celebrated in many countries where Hindu community resides. The Holi festival has also become a spring celebration festival as it comes in the initial days of the spring season.

In India, holi celebration lasts for two days. It starts with Holika bonfire on the 1^st day evening where people gather and circumambulation over the bonfire. According to ancient legend, Holika was the wicked sister of the demon king   HiranyaKashipu who had earned a blessing that made him indestructible. He started believing that he is the God.  However, his own son Prahlad was the devotee of Lord Vishnu. HiranyaKashipu tried all the evil ways to destroy Prahlad, but in vein. Finally, he asked his sister Holika to sit with Prahlad on a pyre. She was wearing a cloak to save herself from the fire. As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and covered Prahlad. Holika burned and Prahlad survived. Later on, Vishnu killed HiranyaKashipu. The Bonfire reminds us the symbolic victory of good over evil.

Next day morning, the atmosphere turned out fully colorful as people play, chase and color each other with dry powder and colored water. Youngsters also roam around the roads carrying water guns and start water-fight. At this day, people can throw colored water on strangers with the favourite quote- Bura na mano, holi he…” (Please don’t mind, its holi…)

In evening after a day full of fun and joy, they visit their relatives and friends and dine together celebrating the festival. This is the national holiday in India.

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