Wednesday, September 11, 2013
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
PET Pandal is a Dazzle !
This year's Ganpati pandal simply dazzles ! It reflects the lights so superbly ! It also signifies the hard work & creativity of Ms Pithawala ,Ms Harsha Punjabi,many collegians,& others who slogged nights away to get that look ...of the pandal that is !
The Gajanana idols in the dazzling pandal.
The Ganpati pandal is a green effort.Pet bottles have been used to get that shimmering effect & it shows ! The pet bottles were cut out.The bottoms of the bottles were used to make the roof of the pandal.The rest of the bottles (with the bottoms cut out ) were hung together vertically to make the three walls of the pandal.
On the boundary walls of the two sides of pandal,broken pieces of compact discs have been stuck up.The result is shiny rainbow hues, on the edges of the two sides !
There are two windows -one on each side...right & left side.The windows have flowers cut out from bottoms of green bottles.There are colourful bangles suspended horizontally below the flowery bottoms.
The landscaped garden.
Landscaped patches of green on both sides of Gajanana idols add to the beauty of the pandal.Tyres have been painted in yellows,red,orange,pink & blue .Painted bottles in colours of yellow & red hold up glass tops on which pet bottles hold virtual flowers & leaves in myriad shades !
A large pet bottle with its top is lying horizontally.It has a slit on the top, wherein coins & notes can be dropped as dakshina. The cash collection can be viewed anytime nah all the time , as the pet bottle is transparent ! Wishing, that our government takes a cue & goes in for transparency !
The Hundi
A large pet bottle with its conical top cut out doubles up as a flower basket for the puja at the Ganpati pandal. The red tops of the pet bottles have been stuck together on a plastic sheet to make a platform on which puja paraphernelia is kept.Discarded cloth pieces are stitched together to make a thick quilt on which the priest can sit to chant prayers . Every detail has been thought of & every item has been recycled ! Actually upcycled ! Upcycling is making use of waste & transforming it into useful & environmental friendly product !
The tops make up the puja paraphernelia platform
Thermocoal glasses form igloo roof & green top flowers
Plastic is a great pollutant & as this PET pandal has shown , plastic can be used creatively & how !
The Ganpati pandal is a green effort.Pet bottles have been used to get that shimmering effect & it shows ! The pet bottles were cut out.The bottoms of the bottles were used to make the roof of the pandal.The rest of the bottles (with the bottoms cut out ) were hung together vertically to make the three walls of the pandal.
On the boundary walls of the two sides of pandal,broken pieces of compact discs have been stuck up.The result is shiny rainbow hues, on the edges of the two sides !
There are two windows -one on each side...right & left side.The windows have flowers cut out from bottoms of green bottles.There are colourful bangles suspended horizontally below the flowery bottoms.
Landscaped patches of green on both sides of Gajanana idols add to the beauty of the pandal.Tyres have been painted in yellows,red,orange,pink & blue .Painted bottles in colours of yellow & red hold up glass tops on which pet bottles hold virtual flowers & leaves in myriad shades !
A large pet bottle with its top is lying horizontally.It has a slit on the top, wherein coins & notes can be dropped as dakshina. The cash collection can be viewed anytime nah all the time , as the pet bottle is transparent ! Wishing, that our government takes a cue & goes in for transparency !
A large pet bottle with its conical top cut out doubles up as a flower basket for the puja at the Ganpati pandal. The red tops of the pet bottles have been stuck together on a plastic sheet to make a platform on which puja paraphernelia is kept.Discarded cloth pieces are stitched together to make a thick quilt on which the priest can sit to chant prayers . Every detail has been thought of & every item has been recycled ! Actually upcycled ! Upcycling is making use of waste & transforming it into useful & environmental friendly product !
A square chandelier is hung just in the middle of the roof.It is made from pet bottles.Top conical portions of pet bottles have been cut & stuck together & hung upside down.Bottoms of some more pet bottles have been cut in floral patterns & hung upside down to make for hanging chandeliers ! When the light falls through these hanging chandeliers,it gives a cascading effect ! Two of such hanging chandeliers make for perfect symmetry !
Hanging chandelier
Plastic spoons with their handles removed have been stuck on all sides of a large pet bottle whose top conical part has been cut out.The result is a lamp shade in the centre of which is hung a bulb.The effect of the light through this lamp shade is dazzling ! Two such lamp shades hang from the roof...one on each side.
Spoons on Pet bottle make a lamp shade
The spoon handles have been stuck into thermacoal balls .The handles are pointing outwards from a golden coloured thermacoal balls hanging from the pandal roof ...one on each side of the Ganesh idols.
On the roof just at the pandal entrance,igloo shaped decor can be seen.It is made from thermacoal glasses stuck together ! Five such shapes on the roof add to the beauty of the pandal ! At the entrance ,is hanging a jhalar & it is bang in the middle of the entrance ! It is an inverted plastic basket with plastic knives,spoons all hanging through the basket !
The jhalar @the Pandal entrance.
The whole pandal is bathed in a blue light...the colour has a calming effect.Moreover as everything is plastic ,the effect is scintillating ! Particularly,in the night ,the pandal looks stunning !
Plastic is a great pollutant & as this PET pandal has shown , plastic can be used creatively & how !
Kudos to all who made this pandal ...as eco friendly as it can be ! The best part is that, even when it rains,no damage will be done as this upcycled pandal is rain proof ! Lord Lambhodara himself, has inspired the makers towards this Plastic Eco friendly Trendy pandal ! This work is so inspiring -trust this will inspire all to make the best out of waste ! This will assist in reducing pollution & thereby clean up the environment.Moreover, a thing of beauty such as this Pandal is a source of joy !
Saturday, September 7, 2013
Friday, September 6, 2013
Canola Oil meet with BlogAdda
BlogAdda arranged a Canola Cook Out Event at Mumbai.I was eager to attend this event as this would be ideal for a foodie like me who is always on the lookout for health & nutrition.The invitation by BlogAdda stated that cardiologist Dr Ashish Contractor,nutritionist Naini Setalvad & MasterChef Ajay Chopra would be present ! I wouldn't miss this event for anything !
So ,I registered & BlogAdda confirmed my presence with a phone call.I attended & had a fabulous time !
I landed at the Four Seasons hotel at Worli,Mumbai & was directed towards the library room wherein the Cook Out Event was scheduled .I entered the place to see a few food bloggers who were introducing them selves.It was a long table & chairs were arranged across the table.I took one & was soon seated.Within seconds,my neighbours introduced themselves & asked about my blogs,etc.We began chatting about our recipes,our followers( if any ? ! ),our other blogs etc.
Very soon ,the event began with Mr Bruce Jowett ,Vice President -Market Development,Canola Council of Canada talking about the Canola oil.He informed us that Canola oil is one of the healthiest oils as it is low in saturated fats,high in monounsaturated fats,,high in omega 3 fat & is a source of Omega -6 fat as well.We were told that Canola oil is absolutely odourless with a neutral taste.Hence ,it can blend easily with any type of cooking.This means it can suit all palates !Moreover ,Canola oil has a high smoke point.Ideal oil for Indian cooking.Mr Jowett revealed that Canada is the biggest exporter of Canola oil.
Canola oil is derived from seeds of canola plants.Canola plants have been developed from rapeseed plants by doing away with certain undesired characteristics of rapeseed..Canola seeds are similar to poppy seeds & brown to black in colour. The canola seeds yield about 44 % oil.The plants have pods which contain canola seeds which are crushed to get the canola oil.
Dr. Ashish Contractor,Head ,Preventive Cradiology at The Asian Heart Institute, spoke about the wide spread prevalance of heart diseases in India.Canola oil being healthier can change that.The doctor informed us that more women die of heart disease than men ! If women changed to Canola oil as it is neutral ,has high smoking point & odourless ,it will do wonders for the health of the whole family ! He said that part from genetics ,the causes for heart diseases are blood pressure,diabetes,high cholestrol,smoking & not excercisng.
Nutritionist Naini Setlavad was the next person who gave tips on nutrition.She said that she has switched over to Canola oil .No one in her home is aware that the cooking oil has been changed ! This is a fact.She said that fat is essential in any dish & hence it is better to eat a better oil to live healthy .With Canola oil,less oil is the norm as little as 1.5 tablespoons of Canola oil per day is enough to decrease coronary heart disease risk per person !
Bread was passed around to be eaten with Canola oil so as to prove that Canola oil was indeed neutral in taste .We all broke bread with Canola oil. Believe me ...it is indeed neutral .Moreover ,I think ,I can just dip bread in Canola oil & eat it just like that without any other accompaniment !
Dr Ashish Contractor & MasterChef Ajay Chopra @ the event.
Next MasterChef Ajay Chopra dished up some yummy recipes.He heated canola oil with some herbs....Kashmiri red chillies,Thailand basil & rosemary.I smelled the oils & they all smelled divine ! Next ,he invited the cardiologist to assist him in cooking up Indian dishes like Kothimbir vadis,Chocolate samosas & Green peas gujiyas.All oozing with SIN that is oil...deep fried.This was done as MasterChef Ajay Chopra wanted to demonstrate that Canola oil is an extremely low absorb oil. All attendees started clicking pictures of the two men cooking ( most probably to show the snaps at home so that their better haves would make a beginning in cooking !).
Pradnya was the winner of the most innovative recipe using Canola oil. MasterChef Ajay Chopra inquired from her about the ingredients of her winning cranberry cake recipe. Pradnya was thrilled to be the winner & it showed as she received a huge hamper of Canola oil !
Snacks by the MasterChef for us !
Next ,we broke for high tea...there were snacks created by MasterChef Ajay Chopra like Gujiyas,Kothimbir vadis,et al,.There were vegetable sandwiches....the size was enough to satiate our tummies ! Next came yummy desserts & then coffee or tea as per choice !
Our goody bag !
Our hunger pangs gone ,we bid adieu to the event .Each of us was gifted a goody bag containing a spatula,a measuring cup,a pen drive,a pen ,an apron & a recipe book ! We headed home enriched with nuggets of information on cooking ,health,nutrition ,lifestyle etal ! In short,an awesome event !
So ,I registered & BlogAdda confirmed my presence with a phone call.I attended & had a fabulous time !
I landed at the Four Seasons hotel at Worli,Mumbai & was directed towards the library room wherein the Cook Out Event was scheduled .I entered the place to see a few food bloggers who were introducing them selves.It was a long table & chairs were arranged across the table.I took one & was soon seated.Within seconds,my neighbours introduced themselves & asked about my blogs,etc.We began chatting about our recipes,our followers( if any ? ! ),our other blogs etc.
Very soon ,the event began with Mr Bruce Jowett ,Vice President -Market Development,Canola Council of Canada talking about the Canola oil.He informed us that Canola oil is one of the healthiest oils as it is low in saturated fats,high in monounsaturated fats,,high in omega 3 fat & is a source of Omega -6 fat as well.We were told that Canola oil is absolutely odourless with a neutral taste.Hence ,it can blend easily with any type of cooking.This means it can suit all palates !Moreover ,Canola oil has a high smoke point.Ideal oil for Indian cooking.Mr Jowett revealed that Canada is the biggest exporter of Canola oil.
Canola oil is derived from seeds of canola plants.Canola plants have been developed from rapeseed plants by doing away with certain undesired characteristics of rapeseed..Canola seeds are similar to poppy seeds & brown to black in colour. The canola seeds yield about 44 % oil.The plants have pods which contain canola seeds which are crushed to get the canola oil.
Dr. Ashish Contractor,Head ,Preventive Cradiology at The Asian Heart Institute, spoke about the wide spread prevalance of heart diseases in India.Canola oil being healthier can change that.The doctor informed us that more women die of heart disease than men ! If women changed to Canola oil as it is neutral ,has high smoking point & odourless ,it will do wonders for the health of the whole family ! He said that part from genetics ,the causes for heart diseases are blood pressure,diabetes,high cholestrol,smoking & not excercisng.
Nutritionist Naini Setlavad was the next person who gave tips on nutrition.She said that she has switched over to Canola oil .No one in her home is aware that the cooking oil has been changed ! This is a fact.She said that fat is essential in any dish & hence it is better to eat a better oil to live healthy .With Canola oil,less oil is the norm as little as 1.5 tablespoons of Canola oil per day is enough to decrease coronary heart disease risk per person !
Bread was passed around to be eaten with Canola oil so as to prove that Canola oil was indeed neutral in taste .We all broke bread with Canola oil. Believe me ...it is indeed neutral .Moreover ,I think ,I can just dip bread in Canola oil & eat it just like that without any other accompaniment !
Next MasterChef Ajay Chopra dished up some yummy recipes.He heated canola oil with some herbs....Kashmiri red chillies,Thailand basil & rosemary.I smelled the oils & they all smelled divine ! Next ,he invited the cardiologist to assist him in cooking up Indian dishes like Kothimbir vadis,Chocolate samosas & Green peas gujiyas.All oozing with SIN that is oil...deep fried.This was done as MasterChef Ajay Chopra wanted to demonstrate that Canola oil is an extremely low absorb oil. All attendees started clicking pictures of the two men cooking ( most probably to show the snaps at home so that their better haves would make a beginning in cooking !).
Pradnya was the winner of the most innovative recipe using Canola oil. MasterChef Ajay Chopra inquired from her about the ingredients of her winning cranberry cake recipe. Pradnya was thrilled to be the winner & it showed as she received a huge hamper of Canola oil !
Next ,we broke for high tea...there were snacks created by MasterChef Ajay Chopra like Gujiyas,Kothimbir vadis,et al,.There were vegetable sandwiches....the size was enough to satiate our tummies ! Next came yummy desserts & then coffee or tea as per choice !
Our hunger pangs gone ,we bid adieu to the event .Each of us was gifted a goody bag containing a spatula,a measuring cup,a pen drive,a pen ,an apron & a recipe book ! We headed home enriched with nuggets of information on cooking ,health,nutrition ,lifestyle etal ! In short,an awesome event !
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