Renowned Ganpati Mandals of Mumbai

Hello Everyone.

Today I am very excited because So-Saree features its first male guest post contributor.

Paras Masurekar is a friend of mine whose passion for photography shows on his Facebook wall. But this time, the pictures on his Facebook wall caught my attention because they featured pictures of as many as 100 Ganpati Pandals. Phew..can you believe that?

So I asked him if he would like to share his pictures with So-Saree's readers, and he said Yes.

But guess what, along with the pictures, he typed down a few lines about his love for Bappa and photography along with noteworthy peculiarities of some of the Ganpatis.

The Bappa Series will be divided into three parts.

The First One - Renowned Ganpati Mandals of Mumbai
The Second One - The Gorgeous Ganpatis in and around Mumbai

The Second One - Eco Friendly Ganpatis of Mumbai

Hope you enjoy it as much I enjoyed compiling these posts.

Over to you Paras...

The renowned mandals of Mumbai are a must watch during Ganeshtosav.

Both the GSB ganapatis (King Circle & Wadala) are the richest ones in Mumbai. The King Circle idol has gold worth almost 22 crores & had taken a insurance of 260 crores this year for the festival !

The Khetwadicha Raja - Khambata lane Ganesha idol this year was 27 feet tall !

Girgaoncha Maharaja of Akheel Mugbhat S.G.M. had a 21 feet idol made from clay (Shaduchi maati) and therefore is the biggest eco-friendly idol !

The small yet beautiful Ganesha idol of Keshavji Naik Chawl in Girgaon is the 1st sarvajanik ganeshotsav mandal of Mumbai and is in its 122nd year now !

The mandals of Lalbaug & Parel have their own reputations which almost everyone is familiar with.

Other than that...some famous and beautiful Ganeshas.

What I wore at Sula Vineyards

So apart from the halt at Sula Vineyards, another good thing that happened that day was husband willingly agreed to click my pics without any complaints or whining, and I was one happy person.

So let's see how a happy person who also happens to be down with fever look in pictures.
Another advantage of cropping my face from the pictures...No matter what..You guys will never see my dark circles. Now how cool is that!!!

Dress: Limeroad.com, Belt and shoes: Colaba Causeway, Accesories: Here and there

So-Saree at Sula Vineyards

Me and husband had planned a trip to Nasik during the 4th of July weekend. The intention was to attend an event in a nearby resort, but unfortunately husband and I were taking turns to fall sick during the two night stay we had planned.

Just like unfortunate events happen without notice, so do good events.
On our way back home, we made a halt at Sula Vineyards and took a tour of the vineyards and the winery.
Me and husband being the boring kinds, do not drink wine and hence skipped it from our itinerary.
This saved us a few bucks which I promise to invest wisely in my wardrobe. ;)
The tour was precise and informative and I recommend each one to visit this place at least once.

This is the machine that is used to crush the grapes and separates the skin and seeds from the grape pulp.

The grape juice is stored in these huge aluminum containers at very low temperatures for months allowing it to ferment.

The final step: The fermented wine is stored in these barrels made from Oak tree wood for it to age which gives it a distinct flavor. Each of these barrels are imported and cost a bomb.

The Wine Tasting Session. Obviously we are missing.

The vineyards

How gorgeous is this installation!

So-Saree Readers Speak - Ishita

Hey Everyone..we are back with another Reader Post and trust me this is slowly becoming my favourite section on So-Saree.

I mean a little praise and compliments didn't hurt anyone.
So I say..bring it on.

If you wish to feature yourself in this section, please email me you post and pictures on sosareee@gmail.com.

Moving on, today's reader is Ishita Somaiya.

 I am really not a Saree lover, flaunting a Saree is a huge task for me. I guess I look more bulky in Saree due to my excess weight. Still no matter what, I had to wear a Saree at my best friend's wedding because that was a deal between us..Thanks to my stars, I didn't trip somewhere while walking in a saree ;) :P
And I guess I managed the Saree thing pretty well ;). Sharing few pictures I took at my best friend's wedding!!

I am completely in love with So-Saree as it covers an array of topics right from fashion, accessories, food and travel. Aditi you are doing a marvelous job by writing about different topics on your blog and inspiring people. I look forward to the easiest and quickest recipes that you post, they are too yummilicious to resist..My most loved section is the nail-art one, the designs are incredible and fantastic. 

Thank you for featuring me here :) It was a real pleasure !!!!

Keep rocking and Keep blogging!!!!

Looking forward to read many more lovely posts!!!!!

Thank you Ishita, for your kind words..and let me tell you...

You look gorgeous and elegant in this saree. Hope you embrace saree from now on.

Keep reading So-Saree.

The Mardaani Event...courtesy Blogadda

You already saw what I wore at the Mardaani Screening..now let me share some pics of the Meet with you.
This is also the first time, I am sharing my uncropped pics with you on the blog. :)

First of all I would like to thank Blogadda for the #Mardaani contest.
It was a fantastic initiative to bring stories of real life Mardaanis to the forefront.

I read many of the entries and was so impressed and inspired by most of them.

Four Bloggers from India were selected as Winners who got to a attend a special screening of the Movie Mardaani at Yash Raj Studios and meet Rani Mukherjee.

Keyur Seta From Mumbai
Shankar Bhattacharya From Kolkata
Rahul Prabhakar from Delhi and of course
Aditi Ganatra from Mumbai
Made the cut. :)

The Movie was a hard hitting one with lots of action and drama.
I was completely engrossed during the entire movie, and the lack of songs just made it even more impactful.
You feel sad and even scared to see the sorry state of girls who are kidnapped for sex trafficking and realize it is like a sinking hole from which you can never escape.
Rani is Terrific. She is the Hero of the movie. This has to be her best performance till date.
Tahir Raj Bhasin as the ruthless and gory mastermind behind the sex trafficking racket delivers a stellar performance in his second movie.
All in all, I loved it and I highly recommend seeing it atleast once.

After the movie, we gorged on some delicious Maharashtrian delicacies like Kothimbir Wadi, Sabudana Wada, Misal Pav, Batata Wada and Sheera served at the YRF Studio. I wonder what inspired them to set up a Maharashtrian spread; but whatever the reason, we loved it to too much.
Then came the moment, when the Queen Bee of Bollywood, Rani walked in to meet and greet the Winning bloggers as well as some Twitter and Facebook contest winners.
Dressed in an oversized Pink Kurti she looked elegant and pretty.

And for those friends and readers who wanted me to find out, if she looked pregnant or not..?
Please note ...she did not. She looked quite lean and fit in person, however in the pictures she does appear a bit big. But there are definitely no signs of a tummy yet.

We got a chance to ask her a few questions and then click pictures with her.
Even though she met us for only a few minutes, the entire event was a memorable one, and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves.

It was awesome meeting all the bloggers along with the Blogadda Team ..as it is always a pleasure to meet like minded people over food and movies.
So Blogadda if you are listening...Keep the blogger meets coming...! ;)

Now lets move on to the fun part...The pictures..!

The Ganesh Mandir at the entrance of the YRF Studio.

The Winning Bloggers-L-R: Shankar, Keyur, Me and Rahul

The Queen Enters...

The signature 'Rani' Smile

Selfie with Rani...Thanks to the Selfie Guru - Rahul.

The Moment.. I will cherish for life.

V for Victory..!

I also want to make a special mention of Keyur Seta for sitting beside me without complains for the entire duration of the movie, while I kept screeching and screening whenever a violent and bloody scene came up on the screen. Keyur...You are a good man and I salute your patience. :)

Until we meet next time...keep rocking guys.

What I wore at the #Mardaani Screening

Hey Everyone...I am sure you have already seen pics of me and the other fabulous bloggers who got a chance to meet Rani Mukherjee at a special screening of the film Mardaani at Yash Raj Studios.

But I wanted to document what I wore for this event and so the post. I had decided I would wear a black sheer saree that I absolutely adore, but I changed my plans on the last day.
Because I thought it was better to choose Function over Fashion for this event.
So I decided to put together a functional outfit that is not only comfortable but also stylish.

Black Trousers for the formal element, added in a polka dot top for some fun, a double strand pearl necklace for elegance and red lips for some glamor.

Top: Macy's, Trousers: Shoppers Stop, Pearl Necklace: Local Shop in Mumbai

Ooh...And I forgot to take pics of the bag, so cropped this from a group pic.
Don't be too jealous, it's borrowed from my sister...but someday, I promise.. I will steal it. ;)

Nail Colours used: Sally Hansen's Black Out, White On and Clear Polish. Also used Nail Art stickers.

I also flaunted this monochrome nail art, which I attempted after a long hiatus.

Let me know what you think of this look.

India Circus by Krsna Mehta: Review

I admit I was in love with their site even before I was approached to do a review for Krsna Mehta's Fabulous Venture India Circus.
Inspired By India with a contemporary Krsna Mehta Twist is how I see India Circus.

Home Decor, personal accessories to fashion apparel, India Circus has it all.

When my India Circus package arrived for review..my excitement knew no bounds. Many of my blogger friends had reviewed their products and were all praises for them.

I had ordered the:

1)Owl Howl Mug
2)Funky Transport Ladies Zipper Wallet
3)India Vibrant Jhola Bag

The Owl Howl Mug:

When I saw this mug on their website, I had to order it. Something to do with my owl fetish. :)
So I decided to add it to my owl collection.

Top: Howrah Bridge, Owl Necklace: Romwe.com, Owl Bracelet: Colaba Causeway

The Mug is of a really good quality. I love the fact how the inside of the mug is colored pink. Loved the colors and detailing.

The Funky Transport Ladies Zipper Wallet

I was on a lookout for a wallet for the longest time. And when I saw this wallet, it was love at first sight. Compact, handy yet spacious with a burst of colors. What's not to like in it?

The India Vibrant Jhola Bag

Dress: Limeroad.com, Hat and Accessories: Local shop in Mumbai, Footwear: Crocs

This bag takes me to Goa. The crazy yet Indian colors and motifs make it even more interesting with the added glamor of silver straps.

But the thing that makes it a "Winner" is its size. This bag can accommodate all your belongings, and for girls like me who like to carry their world with them, its is nothing but a boon.

You can stuff your cosmetics, water bottle, umbrellas, glares and still have space left.

My Verdict:

• The packaging is impeccable. I have never seen such proficiency in packaging elsewhere.
• The quality of the goods at India Circus is outstanding. Even the minutest details are taken care of and that too in style.
• With the kind of service and quality you get, the pricing is perfect.
• The website is user friendly and is so stylishly designed.
  
  All in all...I loved India Circus and wouldn't mind shopping here again and again. 
  Have you shopped from India Circus yet?
  
  Tip: If you like something on their site, order it now, because their stuff goes out of stock in a jiffy.