Anika Choudhary

In India, Varanasi (or Benaras) is famous for its paan and silk. But today, I am going to be talking about paan. Paan is not food, but it is actually a kind of Indian mouth freshner popular in Vietnam, Thailand, Phillipines and India. Paan is made by putting various fillings such as candied fruits, cardamom, roasted coconut etc. in a betel leaf. The leaf is then rolled up and chilled before serving. A person who makes paan is called a paanwalaa.

This path looks very beautiful yet mysterious to me. I think it's very interesting how nature can be so breathtaking, no?  Fun fact about trees: There are more than 60,000 types of trees worldwide.

There are 37+ varieties of lotus and it is the national flower of India. Did you know that lotus is one of the most recognisable symbol of Buddhism meaning the enlightenment. A bloomed lotus symbolises enlightened mind amidst the sufferings of the world. The Tibetan mantra goes: "OM MANI PADME HUM" The lotus also arises from the navel cord of Vishnu from which Lord Brahma originated. The lotus symbolises purity, enlightenment, rebirth and self-regeneration.

This is a statue of Gautam Buddha taken in Sarnath, Varanasi. Gautam Buddha is also known as Buddha (his real name was Siddhartha Gautama). He was born to Suddhodana and Maya in Lumbini Province, Nepal. Although he was born a prince, destiny lead him to become an ascetic. He had attained enlightenment in Bodh Gaya, India under the Mahabodhi tree in Bihar, India and still stands to this day.

How Rishikesh got its name: Som Sharma and Raibhya Rishi had been praying to Lord Vishnu (  Lord Vishnu is one of the three supreme lords in Hindu mythology). Lord Vishnu was pleased by their prayers and came in front of them and said that since both of them had did arduous tapa by having   control over their five senses (sight, smell, sound,.taste and skin), this place will be called Rishikesh ( derived from the Sanskrit word hrisheek  which means senses in English.

A beautiful picture of the purple evening sky with a papaya tree (extreme right), eucalyptus trees (along with a few other trees whose names I do not know) and the moon in the background.

Colorful Diwali lights with the moon and the North Star in the background.