AZ India

F E E L A T H O M E www.azindiatimes.com PAGE - 26 Apr 2019 1-844-AZINDIA The Vedic Village — A Luxurious Experience By Aripa Paul aripa.paul@gmail.com If you're hotter than me, then that means I'm cooler than you. Like every other muzzy morning, my fingers fumbled to find the frosty screen of my phone. Two seconds of painfully bright light in my sleep drawn eyes later, ta daaa, the date and time flashed on my phone. 28th Feb 2019, 6.00 am. Obviously, that was more than enough to turn my ordinary morning into a remarkable one as I had a flight to catch at 10.45 am. The joy was hard to contain and I, hurriedly, left for the Guwahati airport by 7 in the morning. Fast forward to 9.15 am and I was all through with my security check. My flight was on schedule and I had about an hour in hand before boarding. As I was sit- ting at the lounge area look- ing around and soaking in the humdrum, a sudden gush of mixed feelings washed me over. 1 hour later.... I’m in Kolkata. I had to wait for an annoying 20 odd minutes to collect my luggage at the con- veyor belt and as always it was the last to arrive. Soon after collecting my luggage I began to strut my way towards the exit and the first glance of my favourite city swoll my heart with glee. After soaking in the fervour of the city of joy for a moment, I booked an Uber for the Vedic Village Spa Resort. It took about 30 mins to reach the resort from the airport. The resort is situated in the outskirts of Rajarhat and the drive can be a tad bit exasperating because even Google Maps can mess up with the di- rections here and there. Nevertheless, the ambience of modern village and hospitality on entry certainly makes up for everything else. Located amidst the lap of nature, this boutique resort is a perfect getaway to spend some quality time with your friends and family away from hustle and bustle. As I was here with a bunch of friends, we expected to have a rol- licking time jammed with some fun ac- tivities. The accommodation at Vedic Village is reasonable and offers an intimate bou- tique experience. There are various styles of accommodation available, which can range from studio rooms to duplex cottages to boutique villas with private swim- ming pools. The rooms are clean and spacious and the hospitality is unmatched as the staff go out of their way to make the guests feel at home. If you’re keen to spend a leisurely morn- ing, then I’d suggest you head out to the pool. You can drop by for a quiet morn- ing swim or hit the gym. Spend your days cycling around the sprawling lush green property or you can spend an afternoon reading a book by the lakeside. Adven- turous outdoor activities such as zorbing, segways are available apart from tennis, cricket, and bowling. You can reserve your evenings for strolls in this modern village and explore nearby lakes and gardens and then, perhaps, spend the rest of the even- ing in the bar. Yagna and Bhoomi are the two restaurants here. Yagna is a multi-cuisine restaurant. You can either order anything off the menu or experience their large scrump- tious spread of buffet for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Bhumi, on the other hand, offers exotic dishes and is famous for thalis and authentic Bengali cuisine. We had a 100% hit ratio with all our meals here. The spa is considered one of the best and offers value for money. As the afternoon rolled by and the sun started its descend, we decided to take a walk and explore this gorgeous property. We lost track of time walking around and chatting; the vibe around was wonderfully relaxing. While exploring we stumbled across this temple, now that seemed to call out to me. It seemed a nice thing to do, to stop by and pray a little and say my own thank- yous. The next day, too, was equally enchanting. Funnily enough, we walked around more than we intended to. The weather was perfect as cool breeze rustled through the trees. The crowd around was young and lively. Eve- rything seemed impeccably beautiful and it felt amazing to be there. The two days spent in Ve- dic Village were absolutely magical. The blogger soul in me literally shrieked out to pen down this wonderful staycation as early as pos- sible for I knew I was going back home this time with a bag full of memories. Got Them! An ingenious example of speech and politics occurred some years ago in the United Nations Assembly that brought smile to the world community. A representative from India began: “Before beginning my speech I want to tell you a very very old story about Rishi Kashyap of Kashmir, after whom Kashmir is named. Once he found a beautiful lake, and thought - ” What a good opportunity to have a bath .” He removed his clothes, put them aside on the rock and entered the water. When he got out and wanted to dress, his clothes had vanished. A Pakistani had stolen them!” The Pakistani representative in Assembly jumped up furiously and shout- ed: " what are you talking about? The Pakistanis weren’t there then ". Indian representative smiled and said, “Now that we have made that clear, I’ll begin my speech” And they say Kashmir belongs to them! Wondrous World In 2011, when Photographer Nick Brandt was traveling to shoot photos for a new book on the disappearing wildlife of East Africa, Across the Ravaged Land , photographer Nick Brandt came across a truly astounding place: A natural lake that seemingly turns all sorts of animals into stone. “When I saw those creatures for the first time alongside the lake, I was completely blown away,” says Brandt. “The idea for me, instantly, was to take portraits of them as if they were alive.” The ghastly Lake Natron , in north- ern Tanzania, is a salt lake—meaning that water flows in, but doesn’t flow out, so it can only escape by evapora- tion. Over time, as water evaporates, it leaves behind high concentrations of salt and other minerals, like at the Dead Sea and Utah’s Great Salt Lake. Unlike those other lakes, though, Lake Natron is extremely alkaline, due to high amounts of the chemical natron (a mix of sodium carbonate and baking soda) in the water. The water’s pH has been measured as high as 10.5—nearly as high as ammonia. “It’s so high that it would strip the ink off my Kodak film boxes within a few seconds,” Brandt says.