Tag Archives: Mamallapuram

Pallava Dynasty Comfort Cottages

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Pallava Dynasty Comfort Cottages
37, East Raja Street (See the plan)
Mahãbalipuram- 603 104 Tamil Nadu
Fax : 00 91 – 44 274 42 400
Mobile : 0091 09443169036‎
Price : Room 2200 Rs by day, & suite at 2600 Rs day

Pallava Dynasty Hotel

Pallava Dynasty Hotel

The Director of the “Pallava Dynasty Comfort Cottages” was originally responsible for a stone sculpture (granite) workshop. He first created a wonderful shop in the main street of Mahabalipuram where his production, as well as the best pieces made by friends (granite, marble, copper and bronze) are exposed. A few years ago there he created this friendly hotel, ideally situated in a quiet location in Mamallapuram, close to the beach (6′ feet). The sleek buildings are located in a beautiful tropical garden, ocean of greenery. Comfort, luxury, cleanliness, smiling and competent staff.

All rooms have a personal balcony and are very well furnished

Recent small pool, in the sun

Available Wi-Fi, satellite TV, laundry, hot & cold water 24/24 h, room service.

Here, your spirit and soul will be serene

Email : pallavadynasty@gmail.com

 

The “Pongal”, Arul or with “Tourism Office”…

In Mahābalipuram, you will have the choice between two possibilities to participate in this wonderful celebration, Pongal, one of the most colourful in South India.

Indeed, during your session of Ashtanga Yoga in the month of January you may participate in this rich in colours and music event.

  • The Tourism Office organizes each year for these festivities of Pongal, a visit to a traditional village some km from Mahābalipuram (singing, dancing, puja, etc.).
Pongal in Arul familly

Pongal in Arul familly

  • If you prefer, you can live this event in a traditional Indian family in a small village 4 km from Mahābalipuram, one of our Indian friends “Arul” invites the participants to the session of Ashtanga Yoga to share the Puja ceremony and share the typical Pongal meal.

Masala Dosa (for 2-3 people)

Ingredients:

  • 2 onions
  • 2 tomatoes
  • 2 Green Chile
  • 2 or 3 potatoes
  • Curry leaves
  • Mustard seeds
  • Dal, a handful
  • Turmeric, a pinch
  • Salt

 

 

Preparation:

1 Boil potatoes

 

  1. Cut the vegetables into cubes
  2. Heat oil in a frying pan then add in the order:

a. Mustard
b .Small curry leaves
c .Dal
d. Onion and chilli
e. Tomatoes
f. Turmeric

4.  Cook dosas in a pancake pan
5.  Crush the potatoes by hand and add them to the preparation
6.  Warm all by adding a little water to make a sort of “paste” a bit sticky!

Put preparation on dosa and serve

DOSA(S) :

Dough made from rice and dal powder

Tiruvannamalai, famous pilgrimage destination.

Tiruvannamalai, Annamalaiyar Temple

Tiruvannamalai, Annamalaiyar Temple

Renowned pilgrimage destination, the city is famous for its great temple of Annamalaiyar dating back to the IXth century AD and devoted to Shiva. The city is also well known for the legendary sacred hill of Arunachala, which is a holy place, as well as for the presence of the ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi, considered as one of the most illustrious wise men and Indian mystics of the XXth century.

 

  • The temple is one of the largest in India with a surface area of 10 hectares. It is surrounded by a wall, ornamented by four colossal towers (known as Gopuram) used as the entrance of the sanctuary, and decorated by thousands of sculptures painted rich in colours. The Gopuram have a distinctive architecture dating back to the Chola period in the IXth century. The Eastern Gopura is one of the largest in India; it is 66 meters tall. The room of a thousand pillars is magnificent. The temple is full of life, six rituals are held daily from 5h30 to 10h, there are twelve yearly festivals of which the most famous is the Karthikai Deepam held on the day of full moon between the months of November and December. More than three million pilgrims are present during the celebration. At the top of the hill of Arunachala, there is a giant fire, visible over several kilometres, held in the honour of Shiva.
  • The sacred hill of Arunachala, also called Arunagiri, Annamalai Hill, is one of the five holy shivaït places of South India. Some believe Shiva manifested himself there as a pillar of light. Many Saints and wise men have established themselves on the hill or in the caves, such as Sri Ramana Maharshi who lived there from 1899 to 1916.

“Arunachala is really a holy place. Of all holy places, Arunachala is the holiest. It is the Heart of the world. It is Shiva itself. It is the secret and holy heart of Shiva. In this place, it resides forever under the form of the glorious Arunachala Mount.” Extract from: Sri Arunachala Mahatmyam – Skanda Purana.

At the foot of the sacred hill of Arunachala lies the Ashram of Sri Ramana Maharshi. Ramana Maharshi is one of the greatest wise men and spiritual masters of modern India. He was born on December 1879 and died on April the 14th 1950. He came to transmit the ancient Wisdom of the Advaita-Vedanta under a new, simpler and clearer form. It is based on his personal experience, and he has made accessible to today’s men, the finding of the path of knowledge (Jnana-Marga). According to his teaching, only the Self, the pure conscience, has to be found thanks to the continual question: “Who am I?” “You are That at this precise moment.”

“In the centre of the heart’s cave, in the shape of Me, in the shape of Self, unique and solitary, straight from self to self, the Brahman shines! Enter yourself inside, your thought piercing up to the source, your spirit buried in itself, blow and feel within the collected depths, all of yourself fixed in you and there simply just be!”
Sri Ramana Maharshi 

Tiruvannamalai is located 163 km from Mahabalipuram, 3 hours by car, approximately 5 hours by bus (first go to Chengalpath then change bus to Tiruvannamalai).

Pongal rice (salty)

Ingredients :

  • Peppercorns (+/-1 tablespoons)
  • Cumin (idem)
  • 2 glasses of rice
  • 5 glasses of water
  • Cashew nuts (not many)
  • Special Vanaspati oil (mixture of several oils and condiments)

Preparation :

  1. Heat a little oil in pressure saucepan and add peppercorns and cumin
  2. Add 5 glasses of water
  3. Add 2 glasses of well-washed rice
  4. Cook until 5 whistles in other words until the rice is well cooked
  5. Fry the slightly crushed cashew nuts in a little special oil.
  6. When the rice is cooked, add cashews nuts

Is eaten with the coconut chutney

LEMON RICE

Pressure pot

Ingredients : 

  • Rice (Well washed), 2 glasses
  • Water, 3 cups
  • 1 lemon
  • Dal, one handful
  • Blackgram, one handful
  • 3 dried chilli (red) open them
  • ½ teaspoon turmeric
  • Mustard seeds
  • Curry leaves

Preparation :

  1. Put water and rice in pressure saucepan, cook until you hear a whistling sound, turn off and leave.
  1. Roll the lemon on a hard surface to “get the juice”, cut it in half and press, collect the juice in a bowl. Add a teaspoon of turmeric.
  1. Heat oil in a frying pan, add :
  • Chilli and fry
  • Curry leaves
  • Mustard seeds
  • Dal and the blackgram

Cook for 5 to 10 minutes, and then add

  • The lemon juice and a little water
  • Salt

Turn off under the frying pan

  1. Open pressure pan and mix the cooked rice with the sauce

Coconut rice

Ingredients :

  • 1 glass of rice
  • 1 ½ glass of water
  • 1/3 to ½ of a coconut, cut into small cubes
  • Dal
  • Blackgram
  • 1 onion
  • Curry leaves
  • Mustard seeds
  • 2 dried chillies (red)

 

Preparation :

  1. Put rice and water in pressure saucepan, heat, stop at the first whistle, let cool.
  2. Grind coconut in a blender, adding a little water to have an almost liquid consistency.
  3. Heat oil in frying pan and add in order :
  • Mustard seeds
  • Mustard leaves
  • Dal + blackgram
  • Onion
  • 2 opened chillies
  • Blended coconut

 

 

4.  Add the cooked rice to mixture
5.  Salt

Raïta with yogurt (curd)

Ingredients : 

  • Peeled and grated cucumber 250ml (one cup)
  • Curd (plain yogurt) 250 ml (one cup)
  • Onion 1 (finely cut) 1/4 cup
  • Fresh coriander 1/4 cup
  • Fresh mint 30ml (2 tbsp)
  • Cumin powder 1 ml (1/4 tsp)
  • Salt 1 tsp. tea

Preparation :

  1. In a colander, place the grated cucumber with salt and allow to drain 20 ′. Rinse and drain again.
  2. Cut an onion into very small pieces, finely chop the fresh coriander and fresh mint, mix everything with the yogurt, add a little salt and cumin
  3. Mix the cucumber and the sauce together.

Vegetable sambal (for 2-3 persons)

First part : 

Ingredients :

  • 50 gr of dal
  • 1 onion
  • 1 tomato
  • 1 Chilli
  • 4 to 5 cloves of garlic
  • 1 large glass of water

Put everything into the pressure saucepan, boil, and stop after 3 whistles

Second part :

Ingredients :

  • 1 drumstick
  • 1 Eggplant
  • 1 packet of peas
  • 1 carrot
  • 4/5 beans
  • ½ onion cut into small pieces
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Mustard seeds
  • Sunflower oil
  • Curry leaves
  • puli
  • Sambal powder
  • Turmeric
  • Water
  1. Wash and cut vegetables (into pieces slightly larger than for curries).
  2. Heat sunflower oil in a frying pan and add in order:
  • Mustard seeds
  • Curry leaves
  • ½ cut onion
  • 2 cloves of garlic
  • Washed vegetables
  1. Cook for 5 minutes

Third part : 

  1. Remove all that has been cooked in the pressure saucepan, and KEEP the water
  2. Add a piece of puli to the cooking water
  3. Mix the contents of the pressure saucepan (from which the water has been removed) and add the contents of the frying pan.
  4. Add a little of the cooking water preserved ((not the puli)
  5. Add the turmeric
  6. Add sambal mix (sambal powder 1/2 packet)
  7. Add ½ glass of water to the remaining cooking water and knead the puli inside, then throw the puli away.
  8. Add this water to the rest.
  9. Salt to taste