by digitalplus | Oct 15, 2018 | Technology
In today’s era when instant communication has become the order of the day, the dependence of business on social media is the norm. However, in this backdrop it needs to be used thoughtfully and strategically to infuse and spread the information to the target audience in an effective way.
As per Global Survey in Jan’18 it is found that 5.6 million men and 5.6 million women between the age group of 25 to 34 years are active on Facebook in UK, as per statistical reports there were 8.6 million Twitter users in 2012 and it was predicted that there will be 17.1 million twitter users in the United Kingdom by 2018. It was also foretold that Twitter use among the age group of 65 years of age and older will increase by 13.2 percent in 2018. It is forecasted that by 2021, 13.2 million of folks in the UK will use Instagram that embodies 19.2% of the population.
So, in summary these data suggest the significance & penetration of social media in today’s fast paced world. Increasingly social media is the virtual world where we exist, no wonder there are over 3 billion Social Media users around the globe, which is almost half of the global population.
Here are some simple social media tips for small businesses including restaurants:
- Don’t delete negative feedback : On social media everything is exposed and widely available and if ever you receive negative feedback, never ever delete it because pressing the cursor on delete is not the solution instead you should provide resolution to the user, in cases where profanity is used then it is advised to politely pacify the user.
- Let your loyal followers Speak for you : Remember that most of the people who like your organization are liking and following your page and if someone deliberately put filthy remarks then your loyal fan base will surely defend you, so let your supporters pour their dearest love.
- Friendly interaction : Social Media is not all about posting and advertising yourself but it is also about building relations with the customer, forming a liaison that goes on, there should be a sort of personal and human touch whenever you revert to the customer and note that automated reverts are the BIG NO!
- Being Proactive is the Key : Being active does not work in Social Media, you are advised and assumed to be proactive because as soon as you receive message or comment from the client place a revert, reply shouldn’t exceed the time limit of 24 hours.
- Public altercation should be avoided : If an individual comes with a complaint and demonstrates an aggressive behavior try to pacify him, if he doesn’t cool down, try to get on to the private message & make him understand the issue politely, never be rude to the client, not even in the private message, client can even take screenshot of the private message and air it in public, so be careful with your reverts and play smartly with the customer.
- Engaging Posts : Your posts should be fascinating, they should catch the eye balls of every individual. Catchy and hilarious posts always lead to good level of reach and engagement.
- Take feedback seriously : If the same feedback keeps on popping up again and again. Try to look for a proper resolution and answer the complaints in a prudent manner and make it sure that the same issue never take place again.
- Conduct contests : We should keep on running contests like quiz, riddle, etc. on our social media pages, the winner should be selected from the bunch of people who gave right answer and then rewarded appropriately. This will accelerate the engagement level manifolds.
- Choose your content wisely : Whatever content you post on Social media is read by masses in huge numbers and whatever you mention in the copy should make sense, it should be backed with facts and must be engaging, so that the results are fruitful for both organization and customer.
- Play with videos : Gone are the days when content was the King, new age is of Video marketing, now a days videos are taking Centre stage in Social Media, rather than plain content or imagery, one should go for small gifs or videos, that are way more attractive and go viral in no time.
- Boost your content : Promotion of organic content plays a significant role but it is required to be done in a smart way, firstly you have to identify the top performing post and the target audience, once it is done boost the post to get more traffic through target audience.
So, these are handy tips hope you find them useful. Wishing you all the luck to start your Social Media journey, trust us, it’s Cool, if you are a people’s person. If you found this interesting please share and comment this space……….
by digitalplus | Sep 10, 2018 | Technology
Rightly said, “Revenue on table lost at time is lost forever.” If a table is not sold in a restaurant for a certain length of time, the revenue can never be regenerated for that period as that particular time is already gone. It is essential that we make optimum utilization of our resources especially in the service based industry, hence the introduction of a booking system is must to rectify this concern. Now the question stands, what is a booking system?
An online booking system is software used as reservation management in a service based industry. For instance, they allow travel portals to accept bookings online and allow the management to manage their online bookings made by guests directly as well as the admission of manual bookings taken by the staff. Our purpose is to help you understand the booking system a little better by learning how they can help your business, how to choose the system that is right for you and even how to get started.
Here, we will have a candid conversation with Ms. Prasida Suman, an intellectual professional with 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry, with a specialization in Front-of-the-house and reservations for luxury hotels and restaurants, both in India and the UK. Being a hospitality graduate, she has worked in global brands such as Taj Hotels, Radisson and the Ananda Spa in India. Prasida is currently associated with Leeds Red Hot – a multi-cuisine buffet restaurant in Leeds with 300 plus covers, where she has worked for 8 years. Prasida is an extensive reader and avid lover of fictional books who often travels as a means of rejuvenating herself; she also enjoys spending time with her lovely 10 year old daughter.
♦ Hi Prasida, How’s life in Leeds?
I love Leeds and it’s a buzzing and exciting city to live. I and my family enjoy exploring Yorkshire.
♦ Please briefly explain your experience within the hospitality sector to date?
Guest service is my passion and I was lucky to start my adventure with luxury hotel brands in India. I was exposed to meeting and greeting celebrities and handling difficult situations or complaints and I was blessed to learn the management skills with the best in the industry.
♦ The Booking System behaves as a vertebrae to the hospitality industry, how has this unique feature helped you?
Being from the same industry, we think that the online Booking System gives accuracy, 24/7 business, instant confirmation, 100% ownership of customer data and most importantly manages the supply and demand that leads to the optimization of services and smoothens the operations of a business.
♦ According to you, what is the strongest reason why every restaurant should have an automated booking system?
An automated booking system allows for business around the clock, and makes the organization of restaurant management far easier. The booking system’s simple layout makes it accessible for both staff and guests, meaning that bookings can be generated easily and at any time, as opposed to solely by making a phone call during business hours. The automated booking system erases the effect of human error, improves the efficiency of business, lets us understand the real time view of table availability and offers a powerful insight into how to maximize occupancy.
♦ Being a Buffet restaurant with a large volume of business, have you faced any challenges with this system?
On extreme busy days like special occasion of Valentine’s Day, school break or Christmas festive period it is challenging to keep track of the bookings/covers per time slot received and to ensure we inform the concern person from the booking system to block any time slot to avoid over booking.
♦ As we discussed earlier, the booking system helps to manage staffing, proliferate revenue and has become an essential part of the restaurant business. Can you imagine running the restaurant without the booking system?
As business has picked up and more people booking tables at restaurants online than ever before, the booking system has become an essential part of restaurant business. Whilst manual bookings can still be taken by staff in person and on the phone, the booking system provides an easy way to track both manual and online bookings for the restaurant.
♦ Table management becomes much more flexible with a booking system in place. How significant is table management in the booking system for a buffet restaurant, or would you say it is more useful in an A La Carte?
The online booking system makes table management far easier for any restaurant; buffet or A La Carte. Being a buffet, we often have large tables celebrating occasions, and on busy day such as the weekend, the booking system is essential. The online booking system not only means that staff can plan in advance for busy periods but also means that large tables can be managed and separated in times where there will be a high volume of guests.
♦ According to you, how should the Booking System be priced? Should it be priced as per covers sold, or would a fixed price be more convenient? What suits you best at the Buffet in Leeds?
Because of the volume of covers booked it is not feasible for us to consider share of the cover and would prefer a fixed cost. Also for the company which is managing the system is secured because there is a guarantee of a fee to maintain the system and give any technical support. Fixed cost works both ways for the restaurant and the company providing the booking system.
♦ The ability to take payments online is one of the strongest features of the booking system. What is the best way for you to take payments? Online, in person or integrated into the Booking System?
Payments made via the online booking system provide a quick and easy way for both guests and businesses to track the payment of deposits. An automated confirmation receipt is immediately sent to the guest, as well as all the relevant payment information is provided to the restaurant instantly. This system saves time for both the guest making the payment online, as they can do so from the comfort of their own home and also the business as all necessary information is sent via one email.
So, here was our brief conversation with Ms. Prasida Suman, her sui-generis approach and magnetic personality charmed us. Her insight on booking system facilitated us a lot to revive our knowledge and we are sure that for you also it was an interesting read, you can even share it with your friends who hail from hospitality sector as it will be a certain help to them, please let us know your opinion in the comments below.
by digitalplus | Jul 15, 2018 | Food
A dynamic world, dynamic people, dynamic lifestyle! However, is everything at the stake of one’s health? Have we ever thought the cheesy pizza and awesomeness overloaded burger which we enjoy all the time is laden with heaps of calories which is adding on to our flab?
Solution to this is simple and comes with certain diet foods which are healthy and at the same time gratifies our foodie palate.
Here is some healthy food ride which will cajole you for more and more:
Sprouts in Lettuce Cups
Take lentils, soak them overnight, drain out water and let them sprout. Once they are sprouted, add salt and black pepper as per taste, drizzle some honey and add a teaspoon of lemon juice. Mix and serve on the lettuce bed and you are ready with your diet full of protein. You can eat the lettuce too which is a great source of Vitamin A, sodium and potassium.
Advice: Please go for Iceberg lettuce
Mulligatawny: The Indian Soup
India is the ‘Land of Spices’ which is often considered unhealthy however this soup is an exception. This is the national Soup of India prepared with Lentils, coconut milk, Indian spices, ginger, onion, garlic and tomatoes that are slightly cooked and then pureed. This is the best source of proteins with fiber.
Advice: You may enjoy this with boiled rice as it is simply a derivative of an Indian Dal.
Bircher Muesli
Here comes our favorite Muesli however not with milk but it’s Bircher Muesli. Soak Muesli overnight in apple
juice, add yogurt with a lot of nuts & berries and then garnished with strawberries and apricot.
Advice: Serve it chilled for the optimum taste.
Milk Whey
We all know how overrated milk is and how it comes in various alternatives for fitness-lovers, like low fat, skimmed milk, double toned, etc.; however, none of these are as useful as Milk whey. This is a complete protein and is really supportive when eyeing for true proteins as it contains all the essential amino acids.
Advice: You can freshly make it by curdling milk with lemon juice.
Epigamia Greek Smoothie
This is the easiest of all to prepare. Take Epigamia Yoghurt, which is made from Soya milk and is widely available in the market, add some honey if you have sweet tooth and blend it as a thick smoothie. This is very rich in soya protein.
Advice: May add some Soya milk if you prefer to make the consistency thinner.
Egg white Omelet
Albumin is the best quality natural protein available contrary to yolk that is the poorest of the fats in an egg. First of all, segregate egg yolk and white and then as per your choice add finely chopped onions, bell peppers spring onion, tomatoes, black pepper, and salt. Use your fork to thoroughly beat them and then place a pan over flame lightly greased with olive oil to prepare your fluffy egg white omelet.
Advice: Cook this in low flame and as less as possible because proteins should not be cooked much to retain the essential amino acids.
These were certain healthy at the same time lip-smacking options for all you Bon vivant peeps. Here, quoting Ann Wigmore, “The food you eat can be either the safest and most powerful kind of medicine or the slowest form of poison.” So the choice is yours! You can choose whatever you like and mention that in the comments below and do remember this, “To stay healthy you don’t have to eat less, you just have to eat right.”
by digitalplus | Mar 10, 2018 | Travel
Last year, Natasha and I were planning to travel during summer, however, when that was not materialized we thought we would take our vacation to places which are warmer during the winter. We consulted few of our friends to ask for their suggestions and the best one was from our friend Sway, a globetrotter who loves travelling. Sway travels across the world twice every year, and suggested that we should visit Singapore as it was one of his top ten favourite places in the world. He gave a decent idea about the weather which helped us to arrive at the decision that it would be “Destination Singapore”, leading us to work out a 5-day family break to Singapore.
Our visit to Singapore was a memorable experience in many ways, hence why we thought of writing about it in our travel blog. It will surely vivify your spirits and gratify your wanderlust.
DAY 1: We arrived at the famous, world-class Changi Airport of Singapore in the morning at around 9am. Apart from the up-to-date amenities and infrastructure, the usage of plants and greenery added a bit of character to the airport, making it truly special and an out-of- this-world experience. We hired a cab and went straight to our hotel, the V- Lavender, which was at the central part of the city, saving us a lot of local travel time. After a quick bite at one of the local restaurants close to hotel, we crashed into our bed for a quick nap before getting ourselves stretched and relaxed for the evening.
After some tea, it was time to head to our first sightseeing in Singapore, the iconic Marina Bay Sands, one of the most illustrious landmarks of Singapore. The world-famous infinity pool is popular for obvious reasons, and is thronged with people at all times with an underground maze, casino and one of the most expensive restaurants in the world. The Marina Bay Sands is undoubtedly one of the top destinations in Singapore and a must-see for every traveller.
We enjoyed a few cocktails at the rooftop bar and took some amazing evening shots of Singapore before heading towards the Merlion, the signature symbol of the country. The iconic landmark and National embodiment of Singapore is 8.6 m high and weighs about 70tons. Merlion simply means ‘sea lion’, with its head representing Singapore’s original name Singapura, or ‘lion city’ in Malay, whereas its body signifies Singapore’s past as a fishing village when it was hailed as Temasek, meaning ‘sea town’ in Old Javanese. After spending some at the Merlion and walking around we had a relaxing dinner next to the bay, after which we went back to our hotel.
DAY 2: We got up early and got ready for another day. After our morning buffet breakfast at the hotel, we set off on a visit to the famous Universal Studios.
It is the first Hollywood movie theme park in South East Asia, with something to please everyone, from seven different movie themed zones to many captivating attractions, rides, shows and entertainments. It is usually busy with families and adventure-seekers alike, from across the globe. We saw some of the best attractions of Universal Studios, however, it was difficult for us to see the entire studio because of the paucity of time. We would recommend the following few attractions that we found are not to be missed, and which will surely help in setting your priorities when on a strict time schedule.
- New York: Lights, Camera, Action! – Hosted by Steven Spielberg, it is a sound production which displays special effects to imitate a great hurricane about to hit the New York City. There is a high chance you will get wet if you stand at the first row in the middle!
- New York: Sesame Street Spaghetti Space Chase (for kids) – A special attraction for the little ones, where they sit in a carrier and go through a tunnel inspired by Sesame Street.
- Sci Fi: TRANSFORMERS The Ride: The Ultimate 3D Battle – It gives you a feeling as if you are in a transformer robot; which may lead to giddiness and queasiness.
- Sci Fi: Battlestar Galactica: HUMAN vs CYLON – Here, Human acts as the red roller coaster, whereas Cylon acts a blue one. Both have an intense high-speed, so they are worth trying. Items that are loose are not permitted on the ride.
- Ancient Egypt: Revenge of the Mummy – An indoor high speed roller coaster performed in total darkness.
- Ancient Egypt: Treasure Hunters (for kids) – The kids sit in a car and drive around a pool/lake.
- The Lost World: Jurassic Park Rapids Adventure – Here you can do river-rafting with a great current. You will definitely get drenched from this ride! You can keep your articles in the boat or you keep them in lockers, but the lockers at Rapids Adventure are not free, so if you intend to save your money, you can keep your articles at Mummy’s lockers.
The Lost World: Canopy Flyer– This is a medium to high speed overhanging flying vehicle, which is sure to titillate your senses.- The Lost World: Amber Rock Climb– Here you will experience wall-climbing, with a treasure if you reach the top!
- Far Far Away: Shrek 4-D Adventure– Here you will experience a 4D Show of Shrek’s adventure, where you not only see and hear the film but also feel it with “bumps, bounces, air blasts and water spray”.
- Far Far Away: Enchanted Airways– a High-speed rollercoaster, but much smaller in comparison to Human vs Cylon.
- Hollywood: Sesame Street Show– a great musical show by Sesame Street characters.
- Far Far Away: Donkey Live– an exciting show of Donkey’s live performance, it is a show encouraging audience participation where Donkey answers to the actual conversation with MC and the visitor.
- Madagascar: A Crate Adventure– Here you sit in a boat and pass through a tunnel showing scenes with the characters.
There are many other attractions; however, I would recommend these 14, which will offer a delightful and pleasurable experience.
DAY 3: Shopping Day
After having our breakfast we dropped over to the world famous shopping hub, called the Mustafa centre, which is OPEN 24 hours, and is a must-visit for all tourists. The Mustafa centre is situated on Syed Alwi Road in the famous little India area, and really is one of the greatest places for shopping, catering to everyone. It is full with scores of people at all times. Besides a major shopping hub, the Mustafa centre also caters for some other basic needs of the shoppers such as; money exchange, travel, visa services and a rooftop restaurant for the hungry shoppers. Our shopping included electronic items, branded perfumes, gold jewellery, mementoes like Merlion icons for our friends. We were so happy with our shopping that we forgot to eat lunch, and it was around 6pm when our stomachs started grumbling, so we went to a nearby restaurant to have some snacks. After our snacks we went directly to the Night Safari. It is not only the world’s first ever Nocturnal Wildlife Park in the world, but also is one of the most visited tourist crowd-pleasers in Singapore. It contains a great variety of animals, and the staff there were extremely friendly. They displayed an amazing show of different animals and explained their various habits and typical behaviours. We had a first-hand experience of touching a few animals. One of the trainers at the zoo was a linguist; he impressed one and all by his proficiency in many languages. He greeted people in their native languages and we all felt awesome and had a great time. We returned to our hotel, had our dinner and called it a day.
Day 4: We started our day with Chinese food for breakfast; Hakka Noodles, Manchurian Mushroom rice, Schezuan rice and soup, which was a bit unusual for us yet we thoroughly enjoyed it. After having our breakfast we headed towards the next most sought-after tourist destination, Sentosa. Sentosa is a small island lying in the south of Singapore, made famous worldwide for being hailed as Asia’s most sought after Playground. It is one of the most approachable and developed Islands. Sentosa is dotted with many places which have so much to offer for tourists of all ages across the globe, I would recommend the following places if you have limited time to explore the island city of Singapore:
- S.E.A. Aquarium: This is truly an amazing place that is for sure worth visiting. It has a rich collection of about 100,000 marine animals of different varieties, and over 800 species kept in about 49 habitats. They are so enthralling that you will feel as if you, yourself, are a marine creature in their presence.
- The Royal Albatross: This is the only luxury tall ship for cocktails cruises in and around Singapore’s coast and its southern islands. It is a rare 47m, four-masted, 22 sail super yacht, making it the perfect blend of the old conventional sailing and state-of-the-art technology. It has something for all ages, and you can have the best time of your life by dining, wining and cruising together under one roof.
- Singapore Cable Car Sky Network: Experience the best time of your life by boarding in the cable car sky network. It links the two famous destinations, Sentosa and Faber Peak by two cable car lines; Mount Faber Line and Sentosa line.
Mount Faber Line: Fly above the two spots on the most breath-taking highway for some exquisite views. Soar high above the hill from Faber Peak, down via a skyscraper and sweep across the harbour on the Mount Faber Line, before finally touching down in Sentosa Island.
Sentosa Line: Roving over the jungle, sand and sea on the Sentosa line will lead you towards many crowd-pleasers on the island itself. You can select your stop at the Merlion station, Imbiah look-out station and Siloso point-station to relish the sandy beaches, or take a stop at Madame Tussauds, Megazip Adventure Park, Skyline Luge Sentosa, Universal Studios Singapore, S.E.A. Aquarium and lots more.
- Skyline Luge Sentosa (Imbiah): This is one the best tourist spots which draw scores of travellers from across the globe. It was invented in New Zealand about 29 years ago, and it has organised almost 31 Million rides worldwide. It is the first of its kind Luge which is launched in Southeast Asia. It provides two rare kinds of experiences; the Luge and the Skyride.
Luge is a high-thrill ride full of joy and excitement for people of all ages. It is quite a safe means of entertainment. It is a comprisation of a remarkable braking and steering system. You have a lot of choices like, going for a leisurely cruise or racing down the 688 metre Dragon tailor 628 metre Jungle pathway, 1.4 kilometres of joy at all times. The riders can plunge into the two brand new Luge tracks that move in and out through the fascinating forest. They are specially made with hairpin corners, long, straight and breath-taking slopes. All the riders can experience a great time with their family and loved ones when they come down the four tracks (2.6kms in all). The most recently made tracks are the 658 metre long expedition and 638 metre long Kupu Kupu (it means Butterfly in Malay). This wonderful trail gets completed only once you board on the Skyride. The Skyride would give you delightful bird’s eye view of Sentosa Island, Singapore city Skyline and South China Sea.
Night Luge
As the night approaches, you will experience a completely gripping experience at the Luge. All the people who love adventure will experience a thrill and excitement while navigating down each track with wonderful lights. You will have a great time by having a scintillating view of Singapore as the city skyline and harbour are suddenly turned into a brilliant city of lights at night.
NOTE: All the people who are having heart problems, motion sickness, back problems and other physical abnormalities like vertigo, epilepsy and pregnant women are not permitted to take the luge and skyride.
- Wave House Sentosa: It is one of the most popular of all the wave house venues throughout the world. It is a great spot where you can feel the Californian beach lifestyle with high energy levels oozing out via the double flow rider and 10 foot flow barrel wave rides famous throughout the world.
Do enjoy every moment by chilling out to the tunes of the great live music at the wave house Sentosa. You will certainly savour the modern Californian–Asian food at the wave house Sentosa restaurant and bar. You can chill and cool off from the tropical warm atmosphere and have a great time with some of the most charming people on the island at the outdoor Barrel and Rider Beach Bars.
All these are present in the 70,000 square feet tropical beachfront location at Siloso beach, Sentosa.
You may also experience the best time of your life by riding the waves, relaxing with friends and family, savouring the yummy pizzas and cocktails at the outdoor beach, bars or party till the time you like.
Wave House Sentosa is famous for providing the great fusion of entertainment and flow boarding and is for people of all age groups..
Furthermore, I would like to specially mention about the public transport system of Singapore. We travelled to the different places via bus, MRT (Massive Rapid System) and Cabs. All of them provide an extremely fast and convenient means of transport from one place to the other. MRT (Mass Rapid System) is the fastest and the most convenient to travel all over Singapore. Its wide range ensures that most of the prime attractions of Singapore are at a stone’s throw distance from an MRT station.
DAY 5: It was the final day at Singapore when it was time to pack the bags and head back to our homes. It was a nice warm morning and our English breakfast consisted of poached eggs, toast, porridge, fruit juice and milk. This breakfast was special in its terms as we were reflecting on our time spent in Singapore and all the fun we had during our stay.
It was finally the time for us to check out form the hotel and head to the airport for our flight. Singapore is truly a place with a difference and a welcome break from the winters in UK.
by digitalplus | Feb 13, 2018 | Yoga
The word Bhakti is derived from a word ‘’bhaj’’ which means’’ to be attached to God’’.
Bhakti means a continuous, one directional and steady flow of pure love, devotion and adoration for one’s chosen Ideal (Ishtam) (The GODHEAD).The word Yoga is derived from a sanskrit word ‘’yuj’’ which means to combine, connect or join together. Yoga can be be defined as the union of the Jivatman (Individual Self or Finite )with the Paramatman(Universal Self or Infinite). The path of Bhakti or highest devotion is called Bhakti Yoga. It requires complete surrendering of one’s own self at the altar of one’s Chosen, Ideal/Ishtam.
Bhakti yoga is one of the paths for realizing one’s true identity or self realization. Bhakti is a deep and intense devotion for any SAGUNA(definite form) of one’s chosen Ideal/Godhead. There are a no of ways of reaching the ultimate reality. Karma Yoga, Jnana Yoga, Raja Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are the four main types of yoga for realizing one’s true self. Bhakti Yoga is the easiest and best way to reach the absolute reality in present times.Bhakti Yoga is the highest point of pure and intense love for one’s Ishtam(Chosen Ideal) .Bhakti yoga completely erases all the samskaras (mental impressions) related to our karmas (actions ). It also frees its followers from the chain of birth-life-death-rebirth cycle.
Bhakti : Its True Meaning
Sage Narada a devotee of lord Vishnu(his chosen ideal)defines Bhakti as:
- “Sa tvasmin parampremarupa”
Bhakti means true and unconditional love for one’s chosen ideal(God)without any personal desires or external reasons and conditions.
Bhakti is like nectar, which when one drinks ,leads to the experience of permanent bliss.
- “Yallabdhava puman sidhho bhavati amrito bhavati tripto bhavati”
After achieving Bhakti one reaches the state of perfection. The Bhakta(Devotee) attains immortality like God and all its desires are completely fulfilled. Through Bhakti or devotion a Bhakta goes beyond the worldly desires and bondage. It becomes a mere instrument in the hands of God. The Bhakta becomes free from the cycle of birth and death.
Ways of Realizing One’s Self through Bhakti Yoga
Bhakti is not based on any conditional state of mind. It has no pre-conditions or pre-qualifications. There is no specific method or formula for Bhakti Yoga. The only condition required in Bhakti is to surrender all our actions at the feet of God and become egoless.
The path of Bhakti is particularly followed by people having a high emotional quotient. The Bhakta (devotee) is driven mainly by the power of pure love and sees one’s chosen ideal as an Incarnation of love. Prayer,Worship and Ritual are the primary means of Bhakti Yoga. The Bhakta(devotee) completely surrenders itself to it’s chosen ideal. The Bhakta directs and transforms its emotions into unconditional love and devotion. Chanting or Singing the praises of one’s chosen ideal is an important part of Bhakti Yoga. There are five main enemies of one ’s self viz anger, delusion, envy, pride and lust. They have to be given up completely for filling oneself with Bhakti or the extreme devotion towards one’s Chosen Ideal. As the crystals of sugar get dissolved in water and lose its identity completely so is the Bhakta who completely gives up his pride, ego, hatred, ill will and self identity for one’s chosen ideal.
Though Bhakti is endowed with God’s grace, yet it can be cultivated by constantly involving ourselves in various devotional practices. Bhakti brings us closer to God and its grace flows through us.
Types of Bhaktas and Some Famous Bhaktas
There are mainly four types of Bhaktas:
- Ârta (the distressed)
- Jijnâsu(the inquisitive)
- Arthârthee(the desirer of wealth)
- Jnâni(he, who is searching for knowledge of the Absolute)
Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, Kabir, Mira bai, Tulsidas, Raidas, Valmiki, Surdas, Narada,Narsingh Mehta and Bhakta Prahlad are some of the famous devotees of of Bhakti Yoga.All of them were completely filled by extreme love and devotion for their Chosen Ideal.
Navavidha Bhakti or Nine Modes of Bhakti or Devotion
Srimad Bhagwatam(The Fifth Veda or The Mahapurana) talks about Nine forms of Bhakti. If they are cultivated and practiced regularly they will surely take us closer to God. A devotee can choose any of them to attain self realization. The following are the Nine ways involved in Bhakti Yoga:
- Shravanam(hearing of God’s names, divine plays and stories)
- Keertanam( chanting and singing of God’s glories)
- Smaranam(constant remembrance of divine name and divine presence)
- Paada sevanam(serving God’s feet)
- Archanam (worship of God)
- Vandanam(offering obeisance to God)
- Daasyam(serving God as its servant)
- Sakhyam(developing friendship with God)
- Atma nivedanam(total surrender of oneself to God)
A Bhakta or devotee can practice any of these whichever suits its nature.
Conclusion
Love and devotion are regarded as the most noble virtues.
A man without love or devotion is similar to a fish without water or a bird without feathers or a plant without flowers. Bhakti yoga is a culmination of unalloyed love. It provides a way for channelizing one’s pure emotions towards one’s Chosen Ideal to reach our final goal of life: Self realization
Bhakti yoga is the easiest and perhaps the best way of realizing one’s true self for uniting with the divinity while living in this mortal world.
by digitalplus | Feb 9, 2018 | Food
Centuries back bread, cheese and wine was the staple diet in Britain, no wonder best wines , breads and cheese come from Europe; Brexit is a totally different concern but food that flows through the continent is divine, today food is something that satiate our Gourmet habits, we love enjoying good food but now the choice is not confined, we have outgrown ourselves, we enjoy food from around the world– as the world keeps getting smaller and globalization is the buzz, the International dishes are becoming common and readily available at times– being part of the global village we have seen different cuisines and we get crazy when allowed to relish several culinary outcomes but information is must to fix it all in the tummy.
Let’s start with neighbouring nation Italy, the Pizza and Pasta is not all you get there, they have got varieties of food from Burrata (Panna Cotta), Bruschetta, Minestrone Soup (National soup of Italy), Risotto to end number of sauces like Pesto, Arabiata and breads, Ciabata, Focaccia, Garlic bread are some of the famous ones, that are revered by souls here: not to forget Tiramisu, literally means ‘Pick me up’ – when years back Prostitutes use to carry Tiramisu as a sign to ‘pick them up’ from those streets of Italy.
Mexican cuisine is another favourite here, let it be Chilli Con Carne (boiled kidney beans with minced tender lion cooked with Chipotle sauce), Burrito, Quesadillas, Nachos with Salsa or let it be Churros much loved with hot chocolate sauce. Mexican Chillies distinguish this Cuisine from others, Dried ancho, known as Pablano in it’s green avatar– this is King of Mexican Chillies, grown in Central Mexico , ancho has distinctively sweet taste with a tinge of coffee like bitterness to it– Jalapeno (most well-known and called Chipotle in it’s dried form) are some of the major chillies found here.
Chinese cuisine is the specialty, which is loved by many over here, they love Hakka noodles (as Chinese call ‘Hakka’ as ‘their guest’), Sichuan is another famous variety here which goes with both rice as well as noodles, Wontons come with end number of stuffing. Chinese were lactose-intolerant (not now, but centuries back they were, they couldn’t consume milk products, so you will not find any milk by-product in authentic Chinese cuisine, if you do then get cognisant that it is customized as per your needs, Chinese fled from motherland to overseas as it’s not easy to stay in the communist environment for long, the brainy ones revolted or bolted, so they took their cuisine with them, that gave popularity to Chinese food, but the tailor-made food it was, due to unavailability of raw-material or according to the taste of the local masses it was done in indigenous way and thus today somewhere we find sweet Chinese food like American Chopsey, at other places we find spicy Chinese food, so don’t wonder guys it is all in the history.
Indian cuisine is another classical cuisine coming from one of the oldest civilization, food here is diverse as the sub- continent itself is, all the famous Indian breads like the Naan, Tandoori Roti and tandoor(open-oven) done food like Chicken Tikka, Tandoori Chicken, Seekh Kebab are well-regarded here. Chicken Tikka Masala is England’s most popular Indian dish, Butter Chicken, Rogan Josh, Palak Paneer, Chaat all comes from Northern region, while Dosa (pancake), Sambhar (vegetable stew) comes from down-south, you get massive Gujarati food in the west like Dhokla, Undhiyu, Gujrati kadi and so on.
Now, Japanese cuisine is quite prevalent in today’s world, sushi/ sashimi, Miso soup are some of the famous foods in this cuisine. Their specialty is Hitachi and Tapenyaki concepts of cooking, these are the live grill cooking techniques used in this cuisine. People enjoy food from this kind of cooking which is unique in its own way.
Arab is another one of the oldest civilization, so is the Cuisine , over here you get Pita bread with Hummus, that is quite famous, Khubz (Arabic flat bread quite like the Pita that you will find throughout the region, wherever you go), Kefta (grilled dish of ground meat like lamb or beef), Arabic tea and coffee (Al Qahawa or the Arabic coffee is a ritual in itself. It is usually made with the addition of some cardamom, served in small cups without handles and always with dates. If you are eating in a restaurant, it is always served complimentary with the meal) even Shwarma is something that is loved by everyone around.
European Grills are wonderful in themselves, Char grilled octopus, Grilled scallops in olive and garlic, Beef steaks, Pork steaks, Lamb steaks, Grilled prawns are some of the famous ones, for vegetarians as well you have pineapple, that is grilled in open fire, grilled potatoes, mushrooms, tofu, cottage cheese are some of the finest grills available in the market.
If we talk about patisserie, French has already touched the Zenith, they are proud owners of world’s best bakery products and when it comes to desserts, then they are truly die for, let it be Crème Brule commonly known as Caramel Custard, Éclairs, Opera Cake, Tarte tatin, Chocolate mousse, Mango Bavarian, Lemon soufflé and many more which are truly marvelous.
But Food talk is incomplete until and unless Connoisseur meets the Sommelier, i.e., food-wine harmony, which wine goes with what food; like, with Fish fingers or other anti-pasti course basically white wine like Chardonnay & Chablis or light bodied red wine will go, but when talk about Beef steak that’s quite heavy, so we require strong red wine like Shiraz or Cabernet Sauvignon, again with Desserts we require sweet wine so that we can savor taste of both wine as well as food, so one can try Riesling (real sweet wine) that will really settle your palate.
So much food! Isn’t it? I can’t resist any more so creating an appropriate meal for myself, not French classical menu but of course I am starting with an antipasti course, i.e., Chicken tikka and Sushi with garlic, Soya sauce and Wasabi followed by a Soup course, Consommé soup with vegetable juliennes as it is building my appetite to go forward, I love fish so going for Ginger soy steamed fish accompanied with Chardonnay white wine, now I am placing shwarma in my plate wrapped with Pita bread. For main course Penne Pasta with Arabiata sauce, followed with some beef steaks, with Shiraz red wine, for desserts Caramel custard and Tiramisu, as I have sweet tooth, so eating a slice of Opera cake followed by a shot of Americano and as I can see here my platter looks fantastic, now it’s your turn guys, see how the World Food looks in your Plate and you can try whatever you feel like because Food is Gourmand’s Utopia. Wish you all “Bon Appetit”.
