Traveling

I am hitting the roads again!

This time the roads of Italy. Last few weeks were spent planning and this simple act of planning itself gave immense happiness. Hopefully the tour will be lots of fun and loads of shots.

National Drink of India

National drink of India... It is the famous Chai (tea)!
But those who don't take tea, will vote for the tender coconut water as the national drink of India for sure.


Come summer, and you will find roadsides dotted with tender coconut vendors. Men and women own such small temporary shops. You can see them in action vigorously chopping away the tops of the tender coconuts to quench the thirst of tired travelers. Aerated drinks are available in plenty in the restaurants but you will rarely find one serving tender coconut water. People with most expensive vehicles don't hesitate to halt at such tiny sheds to grab a drink.



Tender coconut water has been labeled the Fluid of Life because of the unique composition of essential components. It has more potassium than banana, low acidity, no fat, no sugar and no cholesterol. Interested in more medicinal properties of this drink, check here.

Definitely the most refreshing way to hydrate and rejuvenate while touring the hot states of India.

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Weavers of Kanchipuram

80% of the population of Kanchipuram depend on one ancient skill for their daily bread. It is hand weaving. They weave silk yarns in to beautiful sarees. Engage a power loom to do the same job and you can easily displace 1000 weavers and snatch their daily bread.



I saw many outlets there in Kanchipuram, most of the houses had a loom in their backyard. The weavers belong to different societies. Raw silk is obtained by the societies from the silkworm farms of Karnataka, they are then dyed and provided to the weavers. It takes almost 35 to 40 days to weave a single saree depending on the complexity of the design. If the same pattern, design is repeated, then the following sarees take just around 10 days. The completed sarees are given to the society back, which makes the sales.


The cost of the sarees depend on the size and complexity of the designs, and the zari used. Zaris are gold and silver threads which are sourced from Gujarat. The shelf life of these sarees are around 15 years, but these zaris can be melted and reused in a new one.

Walk in to any of the outlets of the societies there, you will find them willing to guide you to the looms where weaving is on.

See more of the World at: That's My World