DreamStream

Gokarna – the small temple town of Karnataka is tucked in the picturesque locals of the Karwar coast.  Situated in the Uttara Kannada district, it is the holy abode to Lord Shiva who is known as Mahabaleshwara over here. Gokarna means ‘Cow’s ear’. The legend goes that Lord Shiva emerged from the ear of a cow in this place. At a distance of 583 km from Bangalore, and situated between Gangavali and Agnashini rivers, Gokarna is the second Goa for its tourist attractions and seafood.   Less frequently by tourists till recently, Gokarna was a quiet town with unspoiled & clean beaches. Since the last decade there has been a steady stream of foreign and local tourists visiting this place. It is now commercially well developed with resorts and establishments sprung up to cater to the varied tourist crowd. The main beaches in Gokarna are Gokarna Beach, Main Beach, Kudle Beach, Om Beach, Half moon Beach, Paradise Beach and Nirvana beach. Attractions of Gokarna : ...

Organic foods seem to be the buzz word in recent times. The market has started to gradually catch-up for organic foods with more and more vendors doing high decibel advertising about them. Then, what are organic foods? Are organic foods and natural foods one and the same? Why are organic foods priced at a premium? There are many of us with a deluge of questions and confusions pertaining to organic foods. Here, we make an effort to clear the air with some useful and relevant information on organic foods. What are organic foods ? Organic foods are foods produced without the use of chemical fertilizers, industrial solvents, irradiation or chemical food additives. Also, they need to comply with organic food standards. Are organic food standards same for different countries and across food items ? No, organic food standards vary from country to country. Also, the food standards for all food products are not the same too, as the production and processing varies for each food...

Furniture transforms your home into a fab space. Each piece of furniture has certain features and it depends entirely on what functional aspect you are keen on. Take for example the very essential furniture piece of our living rooms – Sofa. Perhaps, the most indispensible furniture where the entire household prefers to sit and do things – right from working on laptop, watching TV or having a casual chat, sofas are a must. Sofas in addition to their functional utility bring in an element of sophistication to the living area. Wondered, how many styles are there of this quintessential furniture piece? Well, there are over 15 types of them varying in style; each with a distinctive style and element of sophistication. Some of the most popular ones are discussed below. Sectional Sofa : As the name goes is a multi-piece sofa and can be arranged in various configurations. They include fixtures to connect the pieces to keep them from separating. The most common configurations avail...

Well manicured hands could leave a lasting impression as much as the person could do. Manicure – a beauty treatment to your hands and finger nails is as important as your skin or hair. Pamper yourself to a relaxing and rejuvenating treatment for your hands. Today, there are several types of manicures one could indulge in. Check out few popular types of manicure available in the market. Basic Manicure : If you are new to manicure start with basic manicure which involves cleaning, exfoliating, and massaging the hands and fingernails. The nails are filed and shaped, and cuticles are pushed back or trimmed. The options for nail length are square, oval, squoval (a combination of square and oval), or the popular stiletto shape to choose from. French Manicure : The ever-classic French manicure is a style where the fingernail tips are solid white. The rest of the nail, from the cuticle to the white area, will have a pink-tone color applied. This technique ca...

Indian Jewellery – synonyms with variety and intricate designs is greatly influenced by the rich culture and tradition of our country. In a country like ours, where women and jewellery go hand in hand, jewellery has moved beyond from being a mere adornment to way of representing oneself. Indian jewellery is basically divided into three categories – temple Jewellery, spiritual jewellery and bridal jewellery. Temple jewellery was initially the jewellery used to adorn the idols of Gods and Goddesses. It included chunky neckpieces, bangles ornate with precious stones like diamonds, rubies and emeralds, armlets, anklets and nose rings. Later temple jewellery was worn by dancers of Bharathanatyam and Kuchipudi dance forms. Of late the designs of temple jewellery have become so popular that it is a ‘must’ in every bridal jewellery trousseau. Some interesting facts about temple jewellery It is believed that temple jewellery is auspicious and offer good luck. The favourit...

The Indian Sari – an epitome of Indian culture and tradition is a beautiful saga woven in fabric. From Kashmir to Kanyakumari and from Bengal to Gujarat this unstitched garment metamorphasizes into various forms. Also, true to the fact, Indian women cannot get enough of this six-yard wonder. Saris are a must in an Indian bride’s trousseau irrespective of which religion or caste she belongs to. An Indian beauty gets best accentuated in a sari. Come festive season, saris are a ‘must-buy’ on the shopping list of any Indian women. There are several styles of draping a sari. From the Nivi style of draping prevalent in Andhra Pradesh to the Bengali and Oriya style followed in eastern part of India, we do have the Maharsthrian, Kodava and the Malayali style to name a few. Today, the love for this unstitched garment is best visible in the types of saris available in the market, and is a booming business too. Check out a few styles of saris and make your pick for this festival B...

Come weekend and it is the best time to head to places where you could indulge in adventure sports. Are you an adventure enthusiast? Then Bangalore is your heaven. Check out some cool places in and around Bangalore to indulge in trekking and rock climbing, and experience an adrenaline rush like never before. Skandagiri: Skandagiri aka Kalavaarahalli Betta is right next to Nandi Hills. It is famous for night trekking in the moonlight, and enjoy your early morning coffee watching the sunrise among clouds, which is seen in late winters. Weekend nights on the hill top, especially during full moon day could be very chaotic and crowded due to visitors. It takes an average 2 hrs trek. Sivanasamudram: Gaganachukki and Barachukki waterfalls are at Sivanasamudram (aka Sivasamudram) near Malavalli, Mandya district. Both the waterfalls are around 50meters tall on River Kaveri (Cauvery) and are resplendent with gushing water especially during monsoon. Take the Bengaluru - Mysuru...

        Diwali shopping has just begun,                           Buying dresses and gifts are so much fun,                                         Come on kids; bring in your folks,                                                     Lots of Diwali blessings and wishes to invoke. Come Diwali its fun unlimited for kids. Sweet treats, gifts and loads of crackers just keep them on their toes throughout the festival. Little boys adorned with ethnic designer dresses such as kurta pajama and Dhoti kurta effervescent with joy make the most of the festival. On the other hand, little girls look resplendent in Lehengas, Salwar Kameez and Anarkali Suits. All the fun th...

Diwali – the festival of lights it just round the corner. It’s that time of the year when we share sweets and gifts with our near and dears to express our gratefulness to the Almighty for blessing us with wealth and wisdom; however, gifting the suitable gift to your loved ones is no less than a herculean task. Check out a few handy Diwali gift ideas and make the most of it this festival For Men : For all those understanding and super-supportive men, perhaps the most preferable things that they would enjoy having as gifts, would be either gadgets or personal grooming stuff. Here are a few items that you could consider gifting them. Time Pieces/Watches Laptop Leather Wallet Wine glasses, bar tool set, cocktail shakers Scotch Whiskey Golden bracelet Electric shaver (rechargeable) Electronic gadgets Digital camera Digital Photo Frame Video camera/Handy cam iPod/iPhone/iPad PDA / Blackberry For Women : To those beautiful w...

It’s that time of the year when we would start cleaning our homes to ready it for Diwali. Call it ‘ the Diwali house cleaning ritual ’; you would invariably start doing it days in advance.’ Like it or not, you would definitely hate to see a drab looking home during the festival; however, the cleaning spree is easy said than done. Gone are the days, when we had ample time and helping hands to assist us during those rigorous cleaning activities. With more and more nuclear families coming into existence, the lady of the house is left with just one source for her help – the house maid. Despite the personnel challenges and paucity of time, one could still achieve best results by following a few easy tips on cleaning which we would love to call as ‘Smart and Swift Sprucing.’ Take a look at a few simple tips: Start with wardrobes & closets: They need to be your foremost target. Throw away all those old, torn and dull looking clothes. Never get attached to your clothes and sto...

Pray, Eat and Enjoy – Dussehra Dussehra – a festival with different connotations in various parts of India. In Bengal, Dussehra is synonymous with Durga Puja. It marks the triumph of Goddess Durga over the demon Mahishasura – victory of good over evil. Celebration of Durga puja is an elaborate affair in Kolkata. Lavish pandals are setup with artistically depicted murtis of Goddess Durga. Food is a delightful indulgence during this time, with pandals offering variety of dishes to the visitors. It’s indeed a gastronomical journey of sorts. Up North, Dussehra signifies the victory of Lord Rama over Ravana. During those ten days many plays and dramas are performed outdoors known as Ramlila. Large effigies of Ravana, Kumbhakarna and son Meghanad are burnt on bonfires later in the evening. In Kullu valley, Himachal Pradesh, Dussehra is celebrated as ‘Kullu Dussehra’ and marks the beginning of a seven day celebration starting on Vijayadashami. South India – each state has...