Be yourself; Everyone else is already taken.
— Oscar Wilde.
This is the first post on my new blog. I’m just getting this new blog going, so stay tuned for more. Subscribe below to get notified when I post new updates.
My First Blog Post
Hotel adventures with the stars
HOTEL ADVENTURES WITH THE STARS. “Hotel Adventures” here refer to fun, thrilling, heart- warming & engrossing encounters of the author, L. Aruna Dhir who is a recognized International Hospitality Writer, compiled in the memoir. “The Stars” refer to the celebrities.
We get to relish 27 such incidents/ chapters in this 230+ page Pandora’s box, which are engaging, engrossing, fast paced and definitely tickle our funny bone in the process. The cover is vivid and in peppy colour scheme which is both eye catching and captivating, since we start to recognize the stars on the cover and try to decipher what exactly are they doing. The smiles on everybody’s face on the cover bring forth positivity and build a light, cheerful mood to start with the Book.
As soon as we open the book, we are bombarded with rave reviews by celebrities like Maneka Sanjay Gandhi, Dr. Kiran Bedi, Jackie Shroff and the likes. This builds a huge benchmark for the book to cross over.
The titles of the chapters capture our attention and it lingers as we process what we just read and try to unravel as to what the chapters may hold. If you have any inclination to know the real persona of celebrities majorly Bollywood stars, then this light read will sure elevate your state of mind. I would like to mention, don’t take the chapter titles literally as the meaning becomes more clear after reading the content they hold. There is a twist.
From;
- the handmade candles by Dimple to
- getting to know about Villains like Ranjeet, his real name and the kind of baggage they carry in real life from the professional roles they play to
- Jaggu Dada’s “it’s a matter of perspective” to
- ‘Kapil da jawab nahi’ to
- Khushwant Singh & Scotch to
a lot more interactions the author had with some amazing human beings.
The prologue astounded me, giving a brief summary of the author’s childhood & growing up years
Formal communication to the Vice Chief Of the Army at the age of 9, really?!
On the sad part, I also lost my Pa when I was almost 9. So it reminded me of my loss too.
For me, the witty writing style, the voracious vocabulary stood out the most in the book. Special mention for amazing editing of this manuscript. The Foreword by dear Ruskin Bond was priceless. I totally recommend this read for a light laugh & having a sneak peek into the life of the stars. It felt like listening to the author narrate anecdotes, unfolding waves of nostalgia from her memory bed. Priceless!
#larunadhir #hoteladventureswiththestars #bollywoodnews
LockTheBox in Bengaluru: A Book fair more like a Literary Festival
With the dawn of an early winter already upon it, Bengaluru braces itself for festivities that will extend beyond the New Year celebrations. The garden city which has proudly boasted everything for everyone’s taste will be host to a 17-day-long literary festival in LockTheBox–Reloaded, from the 16th of December 2022 to the 1st of January, 2023.
Having attended its earlier iteration in the city, Lock The Box is a carnival for all the bibliophiles out there, like me. With its upcoming edition already promising to be a much bigger and more worthwhile outing for the brand, book lovers in Bengaluru can rest assured that their literary appetite will be more than just satisfied.
Anyone who enjoys reading will find LockTheBox as the perfect opportunity this December. Genres ranging from adventure, knowledge, classics, love, sci-fi, fantasy, mystery, and crime to autobiographies, young adults, academics, and so much more will be on offer during the festival.
About LockTheBox
By any stretch of the imagination, it was not my first book fair in the city; however, it was one of my best-ever experiences at a literary sale event. I later realized the brand behind LockTheBox has been around for a very long time, and, in fact, it has been a pioneer in the Indian market for buying and selling new as well as used books. Bookchor.com, with its presence across multiple digital platforms, has contributed much to the changing dynamics of the book market in the country.
Since 2017, when LockTheBox marked its presence in the physical realm, Bookchor has welcomed thousands, if not lakhs, of visitors (who have turned into customers).
The LockTheBox literary festival promises to feature the best literature from around the world, as well as a one-of-a-kind collection and the largest selection of books (which is actually true). As customers, they gave us the choice of selecting a customized box of our choosing and need only consider the size and ensure that it fits in the box and closes flat (that is quite literally the only condition).
LockTheBox is a unique concept where you can buy books, as many as you want to, depending on your budget convenience by having on offer 3 exclusive box categories (No points in guessing that, that’s where the name is coming from… Lock the Box) the ‘Odysseus’ Box, the ‘Perseus’ Box, the ‘Hercules’ box.
For someone like me who will always go for the biggest box, i.e., the “Hercules” Box (which costs INR 2999) that accommodates around 30 books the “Odysseus” Box, which costs INR 1199, can accommodate nearly 10 books, and the “Perseus” Box, costing INR 1799 and which can carry around 17 books, are not a bad deal at all.
… 2022 Edition
We can expect more than just books in this edition of LockTheBox. It literally promises to be a literary carnival with fun, food, fans, and more.
With its previous edition, which had already registered a footfall of over 1 million (I can vouch for it; I was there on multiple days…) One can only imagine how many more people will turn up this time around.
Of course, the lineup of a literary feast is so much more savoring when names like Ravinder Singh (You are all I need fame) and Novoneel Chakraborty (That Kiss in the Rain fame) will be there for an exclusive interactive session on the 17th of December.
The book fair, which kicks off on the 16th of December, is happening at Shubh Convention, Puttenahalli, Phase 7, J. P. Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka 560078, every day from 9:00 AM to 10:00 PM. And given the capability of the venue and the Bookchor team, this literary festival will without doubt garner the biggest turn-up of bibliophiles under one roof in the city.
I, along with my friends and family, have already made our plans and are, in fact, eyeing some of our favorite titles.
So, Bengaluru, mark your calendar and pick your time because one of the biggest literary festivals is coming to our city.
SRI DEVI MAHATMYAM FOR KIDS: Glories of the Feminine God in Hinduism
Have you ever wondered, why the present generation of kids are unaware of all the mythological stories, we once loved as kids❓Where has the craze for watching mythological drama gone❓Where has the quality time of bedtime stories of Gods & Godess by grandmothers gone❓
Reading our precious original Vedas & scriptures is not an easy task. That’s where God sent authors with books like Sri Devi Mahatmyam come into the picture. This book is truly a delight, even for adults. The easy language, colourful illustrations, black & white ones for colouring, the questions after every chapter, the ease & smooth flow of narrative with a the systematic layout of the information makes the reading experience so joyful & enlightening. The detailed information provided by the author about Rishi Markandeya, his birth & the origination of the Maha Mrityunjay Mantra gave me goosebumps. I wasn’t aware of the story behind it.
The nine devis, the cycle of karma, the simplified purpose of life, wiping out illusion from the face of reality, the devi mantras, the procedure to celebrate/ worship the devi & the mythological stories made this book a delight to read & absorb. I finished it in one sitting. Reading it today, on the 9th day of the navratras with dushera, the victory of good over evil, tomorrow made the experience even more spiritual & wonderful.
Thankyou @ishwarjoshi for thinking about bringing such a book forth for the kids & beautifully executing it to fruition.Totally recommend.
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SRI DEVI MAHATMYAM FOR KIDS: Glories of the Feminine God in HinduismbyIshwar Joshi AwalgaonkarMaha Rishi Markandeya.
📖 Sourced from many English TRANSLATIONS of the original Sanskrit composition by Maha Rishi Markandeya.
DEVI MAHATMYAM, also known as Chandi Paath or Durga Sapta Shati, contains the glories and origins of Devi. It has a mystical blend of awe inspiring battles combined with deep religious teachings, philosophy & devotion. It is the only Religious text, among all major world religions, which proclaims, worships and glorifies the Supreme power as a Female.
Devi Mahatmyam FOR KIDS is a guidebook to help children start on an amazing spiritual journey of self discovery with Devi – the Feminine Creator of the Universe.
Genre: #children #religion #hinduism___#SRIDEVIMAHATMYAM #religiousbooksforkids
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