The mystery...the charm..the beauty...the passion....It's all in Delhi....

Delhi, the proud capital city that holds India’s head high is home to various fairs and festivals. Delhi, the city of dreams, is where every Indian wants to settle. The beauty and the endless opportunities of the place is what attracts the masses. The Qutab Minar, Redfort, the romantic beauty of the millennium- the Taj Mahal, the Raj Bhavan and all things monumental as well as beautiful adds glory to the capital city.

Apart from being the political hub of India, Delhi also possess galleries, museums, bustling markets, awesome eat-outs, active arts clubs and all things nice.

Delhi is a combination of 2 cities – the Old Delhi and the New Delhi. In the old Delhi, you could see the typical havelis and narrow roads while the New Delhi has been a contribution of the British architecture. Delhi in its culmination is a whole new world altogether.

Delhi is home to many events that attract tourists from across the country. The diversity and the variety of these fairs are commendable. The Itra Mela or the Sugandhi Mela is all set to be on air this weekend from the 25^th to 27^th March, 11 am to 9 pm at Dilli Haat, Pitampura. The first of its kind, an initiative by the Delhi Tourism & Transportation Development Corporation Ltd. (DTTDC), the fair will also have a presentation of Aroma therapy, quiz contests on Itra, live demonstration of Rose water distillation and presentation of perfumes in traditional bottles. There will also be practical demonstration of Kuppimaking, teaching of Agarbatti and Dhoobatti making and various other competitions.

The key idea of DTTDC is to highlight the ancient and rich heritage of India in the field of natural perfumes and essential oils. Visitors can experience the fragrance and can buy also itra, perfumes, sugandhi and essential oils & allied products. Visitors can reach the venue easily by Delhi Metro or can drive to the place via outer ring road and ring road of Delhi.

These small yet significant Melas make our culture so special. The emphasis given to them, the unity achieved during the assembling of people and various other things makes each and every Mela in our country unique and memorable. Be part of this unforgettable event this weekend. For more information, visit The Other Home or email us at support@theotherhome.com.

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Make this Holi a ‘Barsana’ Special

Mohe Tu Rang De Basanti….Rang De….. It is that time of the year when the VIBGYOR colors dazzle the air, shrieks of joy fills the atmosphere ,when folks greet each other with colored water and mouth watering sweets. Holi, popularly known as the festival of colors is celebrated in March announcing the arrival of spring. This year Holi will be celebrated during 7th and 8th March, 2012.

Holi, irrespective of caste or creed is an opportunity for people to get together and have some fun. Bonfires are lit and people dance around it. The pot with butter hung from a distance from the ground is broken as a team game. People climb on top of each other, forming a specific pattern like that of a human ladder to reach the pot. Variety of sweet dishes are made like the Puran Poli, Gujiya, Dahi Bhalle, Kanji Vade, Bhang ke Pakore, Malpua and much more.

History of holi

The origin of the festival of Holi dates back to the Puranas. Prahlad was punished by his father for worshipping Lord Vishnu. So he was taken to the fire by demoness Holika who ultimately got killed while Prahlad escaped miraculously. The burning of Holika symbolizes the destruction of evil and all things bad. So during Holi people cleanse their homes by burning what they feel is bad for them. Another story goes by the concept of Lord Krishna teasing Gopikas by throwing colors at them. Yet another story is that of Kamadeva getting reunited with his wife Rati spiritually after Lord Shiva cursed him into death.

Lathmar Holi

Different parts of the country celebrate Holi in their own ways. The most interesting of the different celebrations is the one in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh. The famous Lath Mar Holi is their way of celebrating it. The women and men indulge themselves in a wonderful interactive game; the women beat the men with sticks while the men taunt them. The audience encourages this and has great fun watching this. In Mathura and Vrindavan, there are special pujas on this occasion. In Delhi also the festival is celebrated with zeal and zest.

Hola Mohalla is the Holi that is celebrated by the Sikh community. Started by the tenth Guru Gobind Singh, Hola Mohalla displays the military power of the Sikhs. The three day festival mocks battles and has a variety of competitions that involves in the get together of the community. Display of swordsmanship and horse riding marks the famous procession which happens at Anandpur Sahib inPunjab, a day after the Holi.

Enjoy this season’s Holi like never before. Feel the water splash across your face, try ‘pichkarying’ your friend and dress in colors like never before. We at The Other Home want to make your experience memorable by arranging comfortable and safe stay for you and your family. Choose from numerous homestay options in Delhi, Punjab and Uttarakhand. For more details call us at +91-11-65028027.

If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.

Bed & Breakfast Scheme: Should Govt. fix the room tariff

After getting huge response in many cities of the world, Bed & Breakfast Scheme was introduced in Delhi too. Read on to know in detail about the B&B Scheme in Delhi.

What is a Bed & Breakfast Scheme?

Before discussing any further on the Bed & Breakfast Scheme in India, it is important to know what exactly is this scheme all about? “Incredible India Bed and Breakfast (B&B) Establishments” is launched in 2008 to provide a comfortable and clean place to stay for domestic and foreign tourists in India. The aim is to provide the tourists all the home like facilities in the Indian metros. It will be given to foreign tourists by making them stay in an Indian family that will make them experience the real India. As the name suggests, Bed & Breakfast facilities in India will provide everything from bed to breakfast to the tourists.Bed & Breakfast facilities in India is largely categorized in two categories, including, silver and gold.

Main Objective of the B&B Scheme:

It is important to know about the main objective of launching the Bed & Breakfast Scheme in India. The first and foremost objective is to provide clean and affordable home like accommodation facilities to the tourists arriving in India. It is a scheme that aims to give the foreign tourists an opportunity to feel the customs and experience the traditions of the country. Foreign tourists will get the chance to relish the traditional Indian cuisine during their stay with an Indian family.

Homestay in Delhi , Tej Abode

The Bed and Breakfast Establishments will be regularly inspected and assessed by the Regional Classification Committee on terms of the services that are offered by them. It has been declared that these establishments once approved by the Ministry of Tourism will duly get publicized. Not only this, a proper directory mentioning about such establishments will be published so as to help the foreign tourists coming to India for opting the right B&B establishment for them.

Preventing Chandigarh B&B Scheme Failure in Delhi

An important factor to consider while launching the B&B scheme in Delhi is to take proper precautions so as to prevent what happened in Chandigarh. A similar B&B scheme was launched in Chandigarh some time back but now the contracts of all the 25 homes that were registered have been cancelled. It was observed that operators violated the bylaws and accommodated about 30 guests in their home’s basements and made them park their cars in streets creating nuisance for the neighbors.

The Estate, New Delhi

Perhaps, the only solid solution to prevent such a happening in Delhi’s B&B scheme would be that the government should fix the room tariff. Strict guidelines should be declared beforehand so as to prevent such a happening in Delhi. As per the government’s plan, in the silver category of Delhi’s B&B scheme, Rs.3000 will be charged as application fees and the fees is Rs. 5000 for the gold category.

To sum it up we can say that, Bed & Breakfast Scheme in Delhi can be a hit provided government is strict in its norms and rules and leaves no scope for any corruption.

If you want to be notified next time, subscribe to the RSS feed or say hello via Twitter @theotherhome. You can plan your dream holiday with us, visit The Other Home.