Yamuna Swells Its Banks

A river in spate, the angry and overflowing Yamuna is now touching the foundation of the Taj Mahal, providing thousands of visitors to the 'Symbol of Love' a rare spectacle — "just the way the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had wanted it to look." Heritage lover Sudhir Gupta said: "If the emperor had been alive and looking at the Taj from his confines in the fort he would have been mighty pleased, for that is how he had wanted it to look."

The river has bridged the gap between the foundation of the Taj and the main stream which had been distanced by an artificial park. "The original conceptual framework of the Taj Mahal considered Yamuna as an integral part and not as a separate entity. Water of the river should flow touching the rear foundation of the monument to keep the structure in good health," said Mughal historian R. Nath. IANS

An exile Buddhist monk walks though a flooded Tibetan market close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Early Wednesday, the water level in the Yamuna crossed 495 feet, submerging large parts of the controversial Taj Corridor project. AP

People use a boat to move around a flooded area close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Not just Taj Mahal, other monuments like the Agra Fort, Etmaduddaula, Chini ka Roza and Mehtab Bagh along the banks of the river are drawing huge crowds as well. AP

A Tibetan exile wades through a flooded monastery close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. While most people are happy with the state of the river, those living in low-lying areas are naturally alarmed and praying for an early relief. AP

A man takes photographs outside a monastery at a flooded Tibetan market close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Swollen river Yamuna has washed away boundary pillars demarcating districts of Uttar Pradesh from Harayana, officials said here. AP

Yamuna river in New Delhi. The boundary pillars and fix points in eleven districts of the two states have been washed away with the river Yamuna flowing above danger mark, they said. AP

A flood-affected resident wades through floodwaters in a slum near the river Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Civil defense persons sit near the bank of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi. AP

A man watches the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Locals looks at the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Residents of the inundated Tibetan locality near ISBT carry a pup as they move to safer places after water from the overflowing Yamuna floods the area, in New Delhi on Saturday. AP

A man wades through a flooded lane caused by the rising waters of the Yamuna river at the Tibetan market in New Delhi. The river water level breached the danger mark again this monsoon season due to incessant rains in the capital and surrounding areas. AFP

A flood-affected family camps near the rising River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

A flood-affected woman sits near the rising River Yamuna in New Delhi. The River Yamuna continued to flow above the danger mark in Delhi, affecting normal life. AP

Children from a flood-affected family camping on higher ground walk near the swelling River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Read full history - Yamuna Swells Its Banks

Yamuna Swells Its Banks

A river in spate, the angry and overflowing Yamuna is now touching the foundation of the Taj Mahal, providing thousands of visitors to the 'Symbol of Love' a rare spectacle — "just the way the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan had wanted it to look." Heritage lover Sudhir Gupta said: "If the emperor had been alive and looking at the Taj from his confines in the fort he would have been mighty pleased, for that is how he had wanted it to look."

The river has bridged the gap between the foundation of the Taj and the main stream which had been distanced by an artificial park. "The original conceptual framework of the Taj Mahal considered Yamuna as an integral part and not as a separate entity. Water of the river should flow touching the rear foundation of the monument to keep the structure in good health," said Mughal historian R. Nath. IANS

An exile Buddhist monk walks though a flooded Tibetan market close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Early Wednesday, the water level in the Yamuna crossed 495 feet, submerging large parts of the controversial Taj Corridor project. AP

People use a boat to move around a flooded area close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Not just Taj Mahal, other monuments like the Agra Fort, Etmaduddaula, Chini ka Roza and Mehtab Bagh along the banks of the river are drawing huge crowds as well. AP

A Tibetan exile wades through a flooded monastery close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. While most people are happy with the state of the river, those living in low-lying areas are naturally alarmed and praying for an early relief. AP

A man takes photographs outside a monastery at a flooded Tibetan market close to the Yamuna river in New Delhi. Swollen river Yamuna has washed away boundary pillars demarcating districts of Uttar Pradesh from Harayana, officials said here. AP

Yamuna river in New Delhi. The boundary pillars and fix points in eleven districts of the two states have been washed away with the river Yamuna flowing above danger mark, they said. AP

A flood-affected resident wades through floodwaters in a slum near the river Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Civil defense persons sit near the bank of the river Yamuna, in New Delhi. AP

A man watches the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Locals looks at the rising water level of the River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Residents of the inundated Tibetan locality near ISBT carry a pup as they move to safer places after water from the overflowing Yamuna floods the area, in New Delhi on Saturday. AP

A man wades through a flooded lane caused by the rising waters of the Yamuna river at the Tibetan market in New Delhi. The river water level breached the danger mark again this monsoon season due to incessant rains in the capital and surrounding areas. AFP

A flood-affected family camps near the rising River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

A flood-affected woman sits near the rising River Yamuna in New Delhi. The River Yamuna continued to flow above the danger mark in Delhi, affecting normal life. AP

Children from a flood-affected family camping on higher ground walk near the swelling River Yamuna in New Delhi. AP

Read full history - Yamuna Swells Its Banks

Northeast India Delicacies: Pora Haah

The cuisine from Northeast India is traditionally considered to be one of the healthiest in the world as the ingredients used are always local and very fresh.

Also, like traditional Japanese food, people here hardly use any oil while cooking, a fact that is responsible for the superb skin people from the region usually have.

Spices are minimal in the upper states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya and while Assam has largely been influenced by Bengali cuisine, it has picked up the subtle nuances of the region.

Pora Haah
(burnt/roasted duck)

Pora” means “burnt” and “haah” is Assamese for duck. This duck is roasted whole and the stuffing has some distinct Indian touches, like green chillies and coriander leaves.

Ingredients
1 medium sized duck — whole, with skin
1 egg, beaten
4 slices of bread
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
Juice of 1 large lime
½ tsp black pepper
1½ tsp white vinegar
3 green chillies, chopped
1 small bunch coriander leaves, chopped fine
2 stalks spring onions, chopped fine
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ cup oil; Salt to taste

Method
Remove the giblets from the duck, wash and cut them in tiny pieces. Rub salt and lime juice over the duck, inside as well as outside and refrigerate for 15 minutes to half an hour.
Mix the potatoes with the bread, crumble and add all ingredients other than the egg and giblets to it. Add half of the oil to this mixture. Add the beaten egg to the mixture along with the giblets. Mix well. Remove the duck from the fridge and stuff the mixture inside the duck and tie up the legs and wings crosswise so the stuffing doesn’t escape. Rub the rest of the oil on the duck.

Roast the duck on an open charcoal fire for at least 30 minutes turning occasionally or roast it in an oven for 40 minutes at 180°C covered with an aluminium foil. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes. Baste the duck with oil frequently while it is being roasted. Serve with baked potatoes and bread.

Fried Tender Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo shoots are abundantly available in most hilly areas that have good rainfall and while we are used to bamboo shoots in Chinese food, its usage is more or less unknown in mainstream North or South Indian cuisine. The best bamboo shoots come in the market during monsoons but one can get the tinned variety at supermarkets.

Ingredients
1 foot-long tender bamboo shoot
2 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
4 dried red chillies
4 tbsp oil; 2 tsp baking soda; Salt

Method
Scrape off the outer covering of the bamboo shoot, cut into small pieces and rinse thoroughly under running water. Mix the shoots with the baking soda and keep aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the methi seeds and red chillies.

Stir and fry till the chillies darken. Add the bamboo shoots and cook on a low flame till the shoots are dry. Add 3 tbsp of water and stir fry for another minute. Serve as a side dish with chapatis or rice.

Read full history - Northeast India Delicacies: Pora Haah

Northeast India Delicacies: Pora Haah

The cuisine from Northeast India is traditionally considered to be one of the healthiest in the world as the ingredients used are always local and very fresh.

Also, like traditional Japanese food, people here hardly use any oil while cooking, a fact that is responsible for the superb skin people from the region usually have.

Spices are minimal in the upper states of Mizoram, Nagaland, Manipur and Meghalaya and while Assam has largely been influenced by Bengali cuisine, it has picked up the subtle nuances of the region.

Pora Haah
(burnt/roasted duck)

Pora” means “burnt” and “haah” is Assamese for duck. This duck is roasted whole and the stuffing has some distinct Indian touches, like green chillies and coriander leaves.

Ingredients
1 medium sized duck — whole, with skin
1 egg, beaten
4 slices of bread
1 onion, chopped
1 potato, cubed
Juice of 1 large lime
½ tsp black pepper
1½ tsp white vinegar
3 green chillies, chopped
1 small bunch coriander leaves, chopped fine
2 stalks spring onions, chopped fine
½ tsp red chilli powder
½ cup oil; Salt to taste

Method
Remove the giblets from the duck, wash and cut them in tiny pieces. Rub salt and lime juice over the duck, inside as well as outside and refrigerate for 15 minutes to half an hour.
Mix the potatoes with the bread, crumble and add all ingredients other than the egg and giblets to it. Add half of the oil to this mixture. Add the beaten egg to the mixture along with the giblets. Mix well. Remove the duck from the fridge and stuff the mixture inside the duck and tie up the legs and wings crosswise so the stuffing doesn’t escape. Rub the rest of the oil on the duck.

Roast the duck on an open charcoal fire for at least 30 minutes turning occasionally or roast it in an oven for 40 minutes at 180°C covered with an aluminium foil. Remove the foil for the last 10 minutes. Baste the duck with oil frequently while it is being roasted. Serve with baked potatoes and bread.

Fried Tender Bamboo Shoots

Bamboo shoots are abundantly available in most hilly areas that have good rainfall and while we are used to bamboo shoots in Chinese food, its usage is more or less unknown in mainstream North or South Indian cuisine. The best bamboo shoots come in the market during monsoons but one can get the tinned variety at supermarkets.

Ingredients
1 foot-long tender bamboo shoot
2 tsp fenugreek (methi) seeds
4 dried red chillies
4 tbsp oil; 2 tsp baking soda; Salt

Method
Scrape off the outer covering of the bamboo shoot, cut into small pieces and rinse thoroughly under running water. Mix the shoots with the baking soda and keep aside. Heat the oil in a frying pan and add the methi seeds and red chillies.

Stir and fry till the chillies darken. Add the bamboo shoots and cook on a low flame till the shoots are dry. Add 3 tbsp of water and stir fry for another minute. Serve as a side dish with chapatis or rice.

Read full history - Northeast India Delicacies: Pora Haah

Living And Breathing Manipuri Dance

In conversation with Warda Rihab

The dance form Manipuri, is now quite popular among urban Bangladeshis. The dance form is ritually practiced by the Manipuri community in India (Manipur state) and Bangladesh (Sylhet region). Rabindranath Tagore popularised this dance form among urban Bengalis. The form developed its own regulations and nuances. It originated as a religious dance form and the experience of it remains spiritual. Like other dance forms, Manipuri, too, narrates stories -- traditionally focusing on Radha and Krishna. The “Ras Lila' is often the central theme. The dance is accompanied by cymbals (kartal or manjira), double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mridang) and sankirtan.

Among contemporary Bangladeshi dancers who have studied this dance style, Warda Rihab has carved a niche for herself. Her initial training started at Chhayanaut. Rihab trained under seasoned Manipuri dancers Sharmila Banerjee, Tamanna Rahman and Belayet Hossain. After completing her BBA and MBA from Dhaka University, she attained a scholarship from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) in 2006 and went to Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata to do her honours in Manipuri dance. She is currently doing her MA in Manipuri dance and also training under Smt. Kalavati Devi and Smt. Bimbavati Devi at Manipuri Nartanalay, Kolkata. Manipuri Nartanalay was founded by the legendary Guru Bipin Singh. Besides her extensive training in dancing, she has also taken lessons in pung and Than Ta (Manipuri martial art) from Ojha Ranjeet and Ojha Thoiba Singh.


Warda Rihab

Rihab's talents have been recognised by the numerous awards she has been showered with. These include Dr. Hrinmoy Banerjee Memorial Award, Guru Moisnam Amubi Singh Award, Shikriti Shommanona Award (conferred by Bangladesh Mohila Parishad), Sangeet Bibhakar Award and many more.

After her production, “Hey Ananta Punya” (an adaptation of Tagore's “Notir Puja”), Rihab is now working on the dance-drama, “Bodhidrom” under Shadhona's banner. She plans to introduce Charya Nritya through the dance-drama. Charya Nritya is an ancient Buddhist dance form that has been virtually unknown outside the circles of those who perform it. This ceremonial dance dates back over 1000 years. Priests in Kathmandu perform the dance as part of their esoteric meditation practices, ceremonies, and rituals.

It has now become a trend for dancers to set up their own schools, and Rihab is no exception. “I have started a dance school along with two other gifted dancers, Amit Chowdhury and Arpita Shome. We decided to call the school 'Dhriti'. With our expertise in different dance forms, we are eager to train young, aspiring dancers. However, our intention is not to just teach, but rather to work with young dancers, and to encourage them to take dance seriously,” Rihab says.

“Many feel that dedication to dance will lead to no significant achievement. I consider this state of mind as a social issue in Bangladesh. I've been overseas, and I have seen how it works. Interested individuals abroad get a chance to carry out researches and open doors to further enhancements, while we lack behind due to restraints. Based on this, people make assumptions that there is no future for dance, and we end up shutting the door to our emerging talents. We want to change this mindset,” she adds.

Rihab also opened a shop called 'Shalonkara', which offers jewellery, costumes, namely everything related to dance. About the shop, the dancer says, “Initially I started it to make dance materials, costumes, books etc accessible to all. But now I am looking forward to expand it and provide the interested individuals with research materials.”

Other than working on “Bodhidrom”, Warda Rihab has plans to perform “Hey Ananta Punya” once again for expatriates living in Bangladesh, as a greater audience has appreciated it, both at home and in Kolkata, the Uday Shankar Festival being one of them.

Read full history - Living And Breathing Manipuri Dance

Living And Breathing Manipuri Dance

In conversation with Warda Rihab

The dance form Manipuri, is now quite popular among urban Bangladeshis. The dance form is ritually practiced by the Manipuri community in India (Manipur state) and Bangladesh (Sylhet region). Rabindranath Tagore popularised this dance form among urban Bengalis. The form developed its own regulations and nuances. It originated as a religious dance form and the experience of it remains spiritual. Like other dance forms, Manipuri, too, narrates stories -- traditionally focusing on Radha and Krishna. The “Ras Lila' is often the central theme. The dance is accompanied by cymbals (kartal or manjira), double-headed drum (pung or Manipuri mridang) and sankirtan.

Among contemporary Bangladeshi dancers who have studied this dance style, Warda Rihab has carved a niche for herself. Her initial training started at Chhayanaut. Rihab trained under seasoned Manipuri dancers Sharmila Banerjee, Tamanna Rahman and Belayet Hossain. After completing her BBA and MBA from Dhaka University, she attained a scholarship from ICCR (Indian Council for Cultural Relations) in 2006 and went to Rabindra Bharati University in Kolkata to do her honours in Manipuri dance. She is currently doing her MA in Manipuri dance and also training under Smt. Kalavati Devi and Smt. Bimbavati Devi at Manipuri Nartanalay, Kolkata. Manipuri Nartanalay was founded by the legendary Guru Bipin Singh. Besides her extensive training in dancing, she has also taken lessons in pung and Than Ta (Manipuri martial art) from Ojha Ranjeet and Ojha Thoiba Singh.


Warda Rihab

Rihab's talents have been recognised by the numerous awards she has been showered with. These include Dr. Hrinmoy Banerjee Memorial Award, Guru Moisnam Amubi Singh Award, Shikriti Shommanona Award (conferred by Bangladesh Mohila Parishad), Sangeet Bibhakar Award and many more.

After her production, “Hey Ananta Punya” (an adaptation of Tagore's “Notir Puja”), Rihab is now working on the dance-drama, “Bodhidrom” under Shadhona's banner. She plans to introduce Charya Nritya through the dance-drama. Charya Nritya is an ancient Buddhist dance form that has been virtually unknown outside the circles of those who perform it. This ceremonial dance dates back over 1000 years. Priests in Kathmandu perform the dance as part of their esoteric meditation practices, ceremonies, and rituals.

It has now become a trend for dancers to set up their own schools, and Rihab is no exception. “I have started a dance school along with two other gifted dancers, Amit Chowdhury and Arpita Shome. We decided to call the school 'Dhriti'. With our expertise in different dance forms, we are eager to train young, aspiring dancers. However, our intention is not to just teach, but rather to work with young dancers, and to encourage them to take dance seriously,” Rihab says.

“Many feel that dedication to dance will lead to no significant achievement. I consider this state of mind as a social issue in Bangladesh. I've been overseas, and I have seen how it works. Interested individuals abroad get a chance to carry out researches and open doors to further enhancements, while we lack behind due to restraints. Based on this, people make assumptions that there is no future for dance, and we end up shutting the door to our emerging talents. We want to change this mindset,” she adds.

Rihab also opened a shop called 'Shalonkara', which offers jewellery, costumes, namely everything related to dance. About the shop, the dancer says, “Initially I started it to make dance materials, costumes, books etc accessible to all. But now I am looking forward to expand it and provide the interested individuals with research materials.”

Other than working on “Bodhidrom”, Warda Rihab has plans to perform “Hey Ananta Punya” once again for expatriates living in Bangladesh, as a greater audience has appreciated it, both at home and in Kolkata, the Uday Shankar Festival being one of them.

Read full history - Living And Breathing Manipuri Dance

Miss Universe Body Paint Photos Slammed By Fox News

Fox411 has slammed Miss Universe, saying the competition has "sunk to a new low" after some contestants posed topless for a promotional photo shoot. As Courtney Friel exclaims, they "even used body paint like the Playboy Bunnies!" Check out Fox's report below and see what Miss USA Rima Fakih had to say about the pics. Here's some of the photos: Miss Trinidad & Tobago:

Story continues below

Miss USA:

Read full history - Miss Universe Body Paint Photos Slammed By Fox News

Miss Universe Body Paint Photos Slammed By Fox News

Fox411 has slammed Miss Universe, saying the competition has "sunk to a new low" after some contestants posed topless for a promotional photo shoot. As Courtney Friel exclaims, they "even used body paint like the Playboy Bunnies!" Check out Fox's report below and see what Miss USA Rima Fakih had to say about the pics. Here's some of the photos: Miss Trinidad & Tobago:

Story continues below

Miss USA:

Read full history - Miss Universe Body Paint Photos Slammed By Fox News

These Indian Women Travel Solo, But Safe in Northeast India

Speaking to intrepid young women, Anisha Ralhan finds out how they feel about travelling solo in a country not exactly known for chivalry and gender-equality. While they spell out their flamboyant experiences in great vivid anecdotes, they also share their advice for those who want to make a go of it on their own.

The woman of today doesn't define freedom merely in terms of freedom from male subjugation or being relieved from household chores. Family planning can wait and sabbaticals from work come easy. She is no longer hesitant to step out of her abode on her terms and is going places, literally speaking.

Carrying her heart in her backpack and pepper spray in her pocket, she is chasing the winds to newer, unconventional destinations all by herself or in (the notoriously coined) girl-gangs.

Like 25-year-old Shikha Trivedi, who lives with a travel bug inside of her. Hailing from North India, she opted to study in Bangalore because she wanted to experience a new place, outside the comforts of her native city. If this was not enough, she joined a production house in Mumbai, thinking that shooting assignments would take her places she had always dreamed of. It didn't turn out as dreamy as she anticipated so six months later, she quit the daily rut of a desk job and walked into a travel magazine.

Today, she's covered almost three-fourths of the country with a zest that invariably overpowers her fears. "I started travelling solo in 2006. My first trip was to Gokarna, near Goa. It was a weekend trip just to test the waters -- whether I can ably travel alone," reminisces Trivedi.

There was no stopping this gypsy. She then backpacked in Andhra Pradesh for about 15 days, followed by her first big trip to the North East. Touring that part of the country for two months, she encountered a lot of foreigners who she says were astounded at the sight of an Indian woman backpacker.

And Trivedi is certainly not alone -- today's women, in their 20s and early 30s, are taking up their interests with great seriousness. Young, energetic and financially independent, their community is growing by leaps and bounds. So what drives them to their passion?

"I've always been a travel freak and started venturing out alone when it became difficult to set out with the family. As time passed, academics took priority and we wouldn't travel at all. I realised this period would last longer, because I had siblings who were also to go through the same study cycle and we wouldn't be travelling in those years", says 24-year-old stockbroker Anupreet Dhody.

By 2008, she was determined to set out to a new place every month. So in 2009 she took a sabbatical for about four months and travelled the length and breadth of the country with two of her female friends.

Interestingly, Dhody's idea was to exclusively visit places that were off the radar and villages where transport was still a luxury. Inclined towards social activism, she wanted to see how deep and effective NGOs are in these inaccessible places.

Travelling to the heart of villages has proved beyond memorable for her. "I remember once we were to visit a village a few hundred kilometres from Pune. They had just one bus going there every two days and we missed it. Our alternative was to wait another two days or travel in a garbage truck. We chose the latter," she giggles.

On another occasion, the three friends landed up in Assam and were told that there was a state-wide bandh. They had already set up an appointment with someone who was about 30 kilometres away from where they were staying. There was no mode of transport available except bicycles, so they started cycling and finally made it there much later than expected. "It was an amazing experience," says Dhody.

Image: Anupreet Dhody on one of her many leisure trips

'I find South India to be infinitely safer than the North'

While discovering their wanderlust, these women observe that India has finally opened up to the idea of female travellers and is taking it in the right spirit.

"Indians have readily recognised and realised that females of Indian origin and background or otherwise have a certain level of security and comfort needs which have to be catered to. I would say that India is more than safe for solo women travellers of any age group or background, because I find locals on the whole very friendly, pro-tourists and supremely hospitable," explains Sajani Mrinali Dutta, a consultant with Technopak Advisors, based out of Delhi.

Her solo travelogue bears imprints of Amritsar, Chandigarh, Ranikhett, Nainital and Rishikesh. She has also travelled in all-girl groups to Bangalore, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar and Kochi.

Dhody seconds this observation -- she finds the people to be very warm.

"Doors are always open to you. Even if they don't know where their next meal is coming from, they will never shy away from playing host to you in their home. Having travelled to Singapore where I felt extremely safe at any hour of the day, I did not feel the same warmth I felt in India, " she says.

The increasing number of women travellers can be obtained from tour planners. Uttam Singh, owner of Mayur Travels in New Delhi, says that he sells travel packages to approximately 30 ladies every month.

The winter and spring seasons witness a rise in foreign female travellers, but Indian women predominantly travel solo or in girl-gangs all through the year. "Their community is ever-expanding," Singh states, flaunting a diary full of happy female customers' remarks.

"Short trips to Agra , Rishikesh, Haridwar and Varanasi are extremely popular, while hillstation packages in Himachal and Uttarakhand sell like hot cakes," he adds.

Experienced women travellers seem to have the same opinion on the safest destinations for them. They find southern states to be far more female-friendly in comparison to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana up north.

"I find South India to be infinitely safer than the North. While in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, people don't care if you are travelling alone -- but in the North, there's no way you can escape their odd glances. You'll either be overwhelmed by a 'damsel in distress' response to your situation or just plain annoyed by overfriendly uncles invading your privacy," quips Mohita Nagpal, a 23-year old student.

Preeti Dua, a Delhi-based copywriter finds Pondicherry (in Tamil Nadu), Kerala and Bangalore to be the safest havens for female travellers. She also adds Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh to her list of favourites, as they are relatively safe.

"India can be as safe as it can be unsafe," reckons Trivedi. "But one of the things I've noticed among people is that while they are very open and courteous to foreign women backpackers, they look at me with a hint of suspicion. I am usually asked a lot of questions -- where am I from, what do I do, why am I travelling? I used to be defiant initially and tell them that I was travelling because I wanted to. This didn't go down very well with most of them."

The price Trivedi paid can be measured in terms of the trouble she underwent trying to find accommodation if she revealed her true purpose as leisure travelling, especially in cities. She recalled an incident in Hyderabad where she was denied a room in several hotels and finally found refuge in Gandhi Ashram, that too after she lied that she was in town for work.

"I have noticed that people in smaller towns and villages are more cooperative and warmer than people in the city," she adds.

Image: Sajani Mrinali Dutta in a village in Rajasthan

'A few behavioural practices can save you from prying eyes'

Travelling solo is clearly gutsy and adventurous, but it's a route for the bravehearts. It's always advisable that you undertake your journey in groups of two or more.

Harbouring a passion for travel, Sumitra Senapaty launched a club -- Women On Wanderlust (WOW) -- exclusively for solo women travellers from across the globe and diverse walks of life.

According to Senapaty, the number of married women travelling without their husbands in girl-gangs is at an alltime high.

The Bangalore-based group offers exciting packages for women who like travelling but reject the idea of doing it alone, allowing them to share the cost of hotel rooms and local guides. WOW has extensively toured Leh, Ladakh, Gokarna Karnataka, Corbett National Park and Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh).

Neck-deep in fun, it doesn't mean that they drop their guard entirely. Travelling solo or in groups, women cannot afford to ignore their safety. They take adequate safety measures and believe in travelling smart.

"I avoid the business of travelling late at night. As soon as I get to my destination, I equip myself with emergency numbers of the place I am staying at, the local police, hospital etc. And while travelling in taxis I always take note of the number and check if the person is authorised to drive," says 22-year-old journalist Anukampa Gupta by way of safety tips, based on rich expeditions to Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttrakhand and Pondicherry.

"Choosing the right lodge is imperative," adds Senapaty. "Please plan your night-stays in decent places."

"While safety is of prime importance, a few behavioural practices can save you from prying eyes," feels Dutta."Don't act like a star; designer-shades, iPods and shrill voices should be left at home. Don't prattle in English non-stop and wear appropriate, humble clothes. Also, travel light -- carrying lipstick on a trek would be as foolish as carrying gym shoes on a business trip."

And most importantly, always keep someone back home posted daily about your arrivals and departures to and from various towns and cities.

Here's a list of ten safety tips based on input from travel agents, local guides and experienced trotters:

• Read up well on the place you wish to visit, especially the crime rate, because when you are travelling you must take calculated risks.
• Attire is very important. Dress up according to the sensibilities of the place. Some places are more conservative than others, so try becoming a part of the crowd.
• Always remain alert when travelling by public transport, at the beach and in restaurants. Be wary of stalkers and other suspicious people
• Leave behind your detailed itinerary comprising of names, addresses and telephone numbers of every place you will be staying, a copy of your ticket, passport etc at home.
• Look, act and move as though you know where you're going and what you're doing. The key is to look confident to avoid unwanted attention.
• Always be equipped with pepper spray, a Swiss knife or chilly powder for self-defence in emergencies.
• It is advisable not to disclose your accommodation details and that you are alone to anyone you meet on your journeys.
• In local trains, some cars are reserved only for women. It is advised that you to travel in those.
• Avoid smoking or drinking in public to keep curious onlookers at bay.
• Do not venture out in the dark unless it's absolutely necessary.

Read full history - These Indian Women Travel Solo, But Safe in Northeast India

These Indian Women Travel Solo, But Safe in Northeast India

Speaking to intrepid young women, Anisha Ralhan finds out how they feel about travelling solo in a country not exactly known for chivalry and gender-equality. While they spell out their flamboyant experiences in great vivid anecdotes, they also share their advice for those who want to make a go of it on their own.

The woman of today doesn't define freedom merely in terms of freedom from male subjugation or being relieved from household chores. Family planning can wait and sabbaticals from work come easy. She is no longer hesitant to step out of her abode on her terms and is going places, literally speaking.

Carrying her heart in her backpack and pepper spray in her pocket, she is chasing the winds to newer, unconventional destinations all by herself or in (the notoriously coined) girl-gangs.

Like 25-year-old Shikha Trivedi, who lives with a travel bug inside of her. Hailing from North India, she opted to study in Bangalore because she wanted to experience a new place, outside the comforts of her native city. If this was not enough, she joined a production house in Mumbai, thinking that shooting assignments would take her places she had always dreamed of. It didn't turn out as dreamy as she anticipated so six months later, she quit the daily rut of a desk job and walked into a travel magazine.

Today, she's covered almost three-fourths of the country with a zest that invariably overpowers her fears. "I started travelling solo in 2006. My first trip was to Gokarna, near Goa. It was a weekend trip just to test the waters -- whether I can ably travel alone," reminisces Trivedi.

There was no stopping this gypsy. She then backpacked in Andhra Pradesh for about 15 days, followed by her first big trip to the North East. Touring that part of the country for two months, she encountered a lot of foreigners who she says were astounded at the sight of an Indian woman backpacker.

And Trivedi is certainly not alone -- today's women, in their 20s and early 30s, are taking up their interests with great seriousness. Young, energetic and financially independent, their community is growing by leaps and bounds. So what drives them to their passion?

"I've always been a travel freak and started venturing out alone when it became difficult to set out with the family. As time passed, academics took priority and we wouldn't travel at all. I realised this period would last longer, because I had siblings who were also to go through the same study cycle and we wouldn't be travelling in those years", says 24-year-old stockbroker Anupreet Dhody.

By 2008, she was determined to set out to a new place every month. So in 2009 she took a sabbatical for about four months and travelled the length and breadth of the country with two of her female friends.

Interestingly, Dhody's idea was to exclusively visit places that were off the radar and villages where transport was still a luxury. Inclined towards social activism, she wanted to see how deep and effective NGOs are in these inaccessible places.

Travelling to the heart of villages has proved beyond memorable for her. "I remember once we were to visit a village a few hundred kilometres from Pune. They had just one bus going there every two days and we missed it. Our alternative was to wait another two days or travel in a garbage truck. We chose the latter," she giggles.

On another occasion, the three friends landed up in Assam and were told that there was a state-wide bandh. They had already set up an appointment with someone who was about 30 kilometres away from where they were staying. There was no mode of transport available except bicycles, so they started cycling and finally made it there much later than expected. "It was an amazing experience," says Dhody.

Image: Anupreet Dhody on one of her many leisure trips

'I find South India to be infinitely safer than the North'

While discovering their wanderlust, these women observe that India has finally opened up to the idea of female travellers and is taking it in the right spirit.

"Indians have readily recognised and realised that females of Indian origin and background or otherwise have a certain level of security and comfort needs which have to be catered to. I would say that India is more than safe for solo women travellers of any age group or background, because I find locals on the whole very friendly, pro-tourists and supremely hospitable," explains Sajani Mrinali Dutta, a consultant with Technopak Advisors, based out of Delhi.

Her solo travelogue bears imprints of Amritsar, Chandigarh, Ranikhett, Nainital and Rishikesh. She has also travelled in all-girl groups to Bangalore, Ooty, Kodaikanal, Munnar and Kochi.

Dhody seconds this observation -- she finds the people to be very warm.

"Doors are always open to you. Even if they don't know where their next meal is coming from, they will never shy away from playing host to you in their home. Having travelled to Singapore where I felt extremely safe at any hour of the day, I did not feel the same warmth I felt in India, " she says.

The increasing number of women travellers can be obtained from tour planners. Uttam Singh, owner of Mayur Travels in New Delhi, says that he sells travel packages to approximately 30 ladies every month.

The winter and spring seasons witness a rise in foreign female travellers, but Indian women predominantly travel solo or in girl-gangs all through the year. "Their community is ever-expanding," Singh states, flaunting a diary full of happy female customers' remarks.

"Short trips to Agra , Rishikesh, Haridwar and Varanasi are extremely popular, while hillstation packages in Himachal and Uttarakhand sell like hot cakes," he adds.

Experienced women travellers seem to have the same opinion on the safest destinations for them. They find southern states to be far more female-friendly in comparison to Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Haryana up north.

"I find South India to be infinitely safer than the North. While in Kerala and Tamil Nadu, people don't care if you are travelling alone -- but in the North, there's no way you can escape their odd glances. You'll either be overwhelmed by a 'damsel in distress' response to your situation or just plain annoyed by overfriendly uncles invading your privacy," quips Mohita Nagpal, a 23-year old student.

Preeti Dua, a Delhi-based copywriter finds Pondicherry (in Tamil Nadu), Kerala and Bangalore to be the safest havens for female travellers. She also adds Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh to her list of favourites, as they are relatively safe.

"India can be as safe as it can be unsafe," reckons Trivedi. "But one of the things I've noticed among people is that while they are very open and courteous to foreign women backpackers, they look at me with a hint of suspicion. I am usually asked a lot of questions -- where am I from, what do I do, why am I travelling? I used to be defiant initially and tell them that I was travelling because I wanted to. This didn't go down very well with most of them."

The price Trivedi paid can be measured in terms of the trouble she underwent trying to find accommodation if she revealed her true purpose as leisure travelling, especially in cities. She recalled an incident in Hyderabad where she was denied a room in several hotels and finally found refuge in Gandhi Ashram, that too after she lied that she was in town for work.

"I have noticed that people in smaller towns and villages are more cooperative and warmer than people in the city," she adds.

Image: Sajani Mrinali Dutta in a village in Rajasthan

'A few behavioural practices can save you from prying eyes'

Travelling solo is clearly gutsy and adventurous, but it's a route for the bravehearts. It's always advisable that you undertake your journey in groups of two or more.

Harbouring a passion for travel, Sumitra Senapaty launched a club -- Women On Wanderlust (WOW) -- exclusively for solo women travellers from across the globe and diverse walks of life.

According to Senapaty, the number of married women travelling without their husbands in girl-gangs is at an alltime high.

The Bangalore-based group offers exciting packages for women who like travelling but reject the idea of doing it alone, allowing them to share the cost of hotel rooms and local guides. WOW has extensively toured Leh, Ladakh, Gokarna Karnataka, Corbett National Park and Bandhavgarh (Madhya Pradesh).

Neck-deep in fun, it doesn't mean that they drop their guard entirely. Travelling solo or in groups, women cannot afford to ignore their safety. They take adequate safety measures and believe in travelling smart.

"I avoid the business of travelling late at night. As soon as I get to my destination, I equip myself with emergency numbers of the place I am staying at, the local police, hospital etc. And while travelling in taxis I always take note of the number and check if the person is authorised to drive," says 22-year-old journalist Anukampa Gupta by way of safety tips, based on rich expeditions to Rajasthan, Assam, Meghalaya, Uttrakhand and Pondicherry.

"Choosing the right lodge is imperative," adds Senapaty. "Please plan your night-stays in decent places."

"While safety is of prime importance, a few behavioural practices can save you from prying eyes," feels Dutta."Don't act like a star; designer-shades, iPods and shrill voices should be left at home. Don't prattle in English non-stop and wear appropriate, humble clothes. Also, travel light -- carrying lipstick on a trek would be as foolish as carrying gym shoes on a business trip."

And most importantly, always keep someone back home posted daily about your arrivals and departures to and from various towns and cities.

Here's a list of ten safety tips based on input from travel agents, local guides and experienced trotters:

• Read up well on the place you wish to visit, especially the crime rate, because when you are travelling you must take calculated risks.
• Attire is very important. Dress up according to the sensibilities of the place. Some places are more conservative than others, so try becoming a part of the crowd.
• Always remain alert when travelling by public transport, at the beach and in restaurants. Be wary of stalkers and other suspicious people
• Leave behind your detailed itinerary comprising of names, addresses and telephone numbers of every place you will be staying, a copy of your ticket, passport etc at home.
• Look, act and move as though you know where you're going and what you're doing. The key is to look confident to avoid unwanted attention.
• Always be equipped with pepper spray, a Swiss knife or chilly powder for self-defence in emergencies.
• It is advisable not to disclose your accommodation details and that you are alone to anyone you meet on your journeys.
• In local trains, some cars are reserved only for women. It is advised that you to travel in those.
• Avoid smoking or drinking in public to keep curious onlookers at bay.
• Do not venture out in the dark unless it's absolutely necessary.

Read full history - These Indian Women Travel Solo, But Safe in Northeast India

Flaming Hot Naga Chillies

By Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Flaming hot Naga chilli

The Naga chilli has a wonderfully fruity flavour.But to taste it,you have to survive its incendiary spice ...

Ever since the Naga chilli scorched its way to world fame as the hottest chilli in the world,dethroning the selectively bred Red Savina, it has been the hot favourite of cooks and foodies.

But there's much more to the Naga chilli,also known as the Naga jolokia and Raja mirch,than its heat.I had the good fortune to discover the Naga chilli when a friend and fellow food writer,Theyie Keditsu,presented me with 12 chillies.

This fiery number,however,first caught my eye when I was interviewing Chef Vivek Singh of London's Cinnamon Club restaurant a couple of years ago.He was in the news for having created the world's hottest curry.A curry so hot that diners were asked to sign a disclaimer before daring to sample it.

That curry contained six Naga chillies along with other hot peppers.

Naga chillies clock in at over one million units on the Scoville scale (the measurement of spicy heat).That's more than double the spice quotient of the Red Savina pepper,100 times spicier than jalapeno pepper and 20 times hotter than cayenne pepper.

The only thing hotter is pepper spray that's used as a weapon in chemical warfare and used to fend of assailants.Which is probably why India's military is set to harness the Naga chilli's firepower to combat terrorists,immobilise criminals and quell riots.

When Theyie,who is Naga,delivered her precious gift to me,I just looked at my treasured bounty at first.What a riot of colour. Who can forget the glorious colours,from lemon yellow to raging orange,deep to almost fluorescent green,and every imaginable shade of red from glowing auburn to flaming crimson... If only we could make a salad of these beautiful chillies,but it would be a killer since a single chilli can season a full pot of curry,I thought.

I needed to get an idea of its intrinsic taste,so I decided to taste a tiny bit.Slicing the tiniest corner of the tail end of one of the chillies (the most potent bit of a chilli is towards the head,where the seeds are located) released a distinctly viscous,sweet scent that gave way to a sharp grassy after-note as the tiny sliver reached my tongue.

Heat is the natural defence mechanism of chillies,in fact almost all spices.So it was but natural that this little thing would hurt me back.But once the pain of the heat had flared away on my tongue,I was left with a far deeper flavour that was sweet,juicy and savoury all at once.It was well worth the pain.

The fruity flavours suggested that the chilli would do well in a sweet-spicy chutney.So I concocted an apple and Naga chilli chutney and had Theyie taste it.Her eyes widened and a smile appeared,along with a purr of delight.

Theyie explained,as she dug into the chutney with a spoon as if it was an ice-cream,that in Nagaland the chilli is taken very seriously.Mostly eaten in chutneys or preserved as pickles,the chilli's formidable heat is always the highlight of dishes to which it is added.Priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 a kg,the chilli is expensive by local standards.

It's a matter of prestige to offer dishes containing Naga chillies,and hosts make sure guests know what they're eating.So my chutney was cheeky after all,as it allowed chilli connoisseurs like Theyie to rediscover the flavour of the pepper that is often overpowered by its heat.

Now I needed to preserve the rest of my chillies so I could savour them for longer.First I sliced one chilli and dropped the pieces into a glass jar. Then I heated 250 ml of rice bran oil till it was hot,but not smoking,and poured it over the sliced chilli.Since the aroma of the Naga chilli is quite overwhelming, I could already smell the whiff rising from the oil.

I discovered its real aroma when I opened the bottle a few days later.Sitting on my shelf,the oil had turned a pale orangey-red and absorbed the fragrance and heat of the chilli,becoming a great condiment in itself.Fruity,spicy and delicious,it was great to drizzle over soups,add to salad dressings and dress grilled meat.

I got almost similar results from dunking one of the chillies into vinegar.It worked beautifully in tandem with my Naga chilli oil and as a pre-cooking marinade for meats.

The vinegar also gave me the idea of a Naga chilli vodka. And since good ideas should never be ignored,I sliced up two chillies and tossed them into a bottle of vodka.

They are doing well there if the last whiff I got of them is anything to go by.I am looking forward to deliciously warm winter tipples this year.

To focus on heat as the sole merit of the Naga chilli is to do it an enormous disservice.But then,one must be clueless about an ingredient to widen the scope of its use.

Read full history - Flaming Hot Naga Chillies

Flaming Hot Naga Chillies

By Rushina Munshaw Ghildiyal

Flaming hot Naga chilli

The Naga chilli has a wonderfully fruity flavour.But to taste it,you have to survive its incendiary spice ...

Ever since the Naga chilli scorched its way to world fame as the hottest chilli in the world,dethroning the selectively bred Red Savina, it has been the hot favourite of cooks and foodies.

But there's much more to the Naga chilli,also known as the Naga jolokia and Raja mirch,than its heat.I had the good fortune to discover the Naga chilli when a friend and fellow food writer,Theyie Keditsu,presented me with 12 chillies.

This fiery number,however,first caught my eye when I was interviewing Chef Vivek Singh of London's Cinnamon Club restaurant a couple of years ago.He was in the news for having created the world's hottest curry.A curry so hot that diners were asked to sign a disclaimer before daring to sample it.

That curry contained six Naga chillies along with other hot peppers.

Naga chillies clock in at over one million units on the Scoville scale (the measurement of spicy heat).That's more than double the spice quotient of the Red Savina pepper,100 times spicier than jalapeno pepper and 20 times hotter than cayenne pepper.

The only thing hotter is pepper spray that's used as a weapon in chemical warfare and used to fend of assailants.Which is probably why India's military is set to harness the Naga chilli's firepower to combat terrorists,immobilise criminals and quell riots.

When Theyie,who is Naga,delivered her precious gift to me,I just looked at my treasured bounty at first.What a riot of colour. Who can forget the glorious colours,from lemon yellow to raging orange,deep to almost fluorescent green,and every imaginable shade of red from glowing auburn to flaming crimson... If only we could make a salad of these beautiful chillies,but it would be a killer since a single chilli can season a full pot of curry,I thought.

I needed to get an idea of its intrinsic taste,so I decided to taste a tiny bit.Slicing the tiniest corner of the tail end of one of the chillies (the most potent bit of a chilli is towards the head,where the seeds are located) released a distinctly viscous,sweet scent that gave way to a sharp grassy after-note as the tiny sliver reached my tongue.

Heat is the natural defence mechanism of chillies,in fact almost all spices.So it was but natural that this little thing would hurt me back.But once the pain of the heat had flared away on my tongue,I was left with a far deeper flavour that was sweet,juicy and savoury all at once.It was well worth the pain.

The fruity flavours suggested that the chilli would do well in a sweet-spicy chutney.So I concocted an apple and Naga chilli chutney and had Theyie taste it.Her eyes widened and a smile appeared,along with a purr of delight.

Theyie explained,as she dug into the chutney with a spoon as if it was an ice-cream,that in Nagaland the chilli is taken very seriously.Mostly eaten in chutneys or preserved as pickles,the chilli's formidable heat is always the highlight of dishes to which it is added.Priced between Rs 1,000 and Rs 1,500 a kg,the chilli is expensive by local standards.

It's a matter of prestige to offer dishes containing Naga chillies,and hosts make sure guests know what they're eating.So my chutney was cheeky after all,as it allowed chilli connoisseurs like Theyie to rediscover the flavour of the pepper that is often overpowered by its heat.

Now I needed to preserve the rest of my chillies so I could savour them for longer.First I sliced one chilli and dropped the pieces into a glass jar. Then I heated 250 ml of rice bran oil till it was hot,but not smoking,and poured it over the sliced chilli.Since the aroma of the Naga chilli is quite overwhelming, I could already smell the whiff rising from the oil.

I discovered its real aroma when I opened the bottle a few days later.Sitting on my shelf,the oil had turned a pale orangey-red and absorbed the fragrance and heat of the chilli,becoming a great condiment in itself.Fruity,spicy and delicious,it was great to drizzle over soups,add to salad dressings and dress grilled meat.

I got almost similar results from dunking one of the chillies into vinegar.It worked beautifully in tandem with my Naga chilli oil and as a pre-cooking marinade for meats.

The vinegar also gave me the idea of a Naga chilli vodka. And since good ideas should never be ignored,I sliced up two chillies and tossed them into a bottle of vodka.

They are doing well there if the last whiff I got of them is anything to go by.I am looking forward to deliciously warm winter tipples this year.

To focus on heat as the sole merit of the Naga chilli is to do it an enormous disservice.But then,one must be clueless about an ingredient to widen the scope of its use.

Read full history - Flaming Hot Naga Chillies

Orgasm Just by Thinking: Is it Medically Possible?

By Aina Hunter

Barbara Carrellas says she can think herself into orgasm. (Personal Photo)

(CBS) Is it possible to bring yourself to orgasm just by thinking?

Barbara Carrellas more than thinks so. She says she knows so, since she's been "thinking herself off" for more than twenty years.

It's a technique she learned in the late 1980's, when she was managing off-Broadway plays in New York. It was the height of the AIDS crisis, which hit the theater community particularly hard. She saw friends get sick and die on a  regular basis.

Carrellas says that she wanted to explore alternative ways of being sexual. She went to an informal workshop to learn how to orgasm using nothing but her mind.

"I wasn't embarrassed," says Carrellas, who knew most of the other participants from a support group for people with AIDS and the friends of people with the virus. "I was just afraid that I wouldn't get it and everyone else would."

But "get it" she did, and she is now a true believer. "I really like solo sex," she tells CBS News. "I am not partner-fixated. Society has an extremely limited view of what sexuality is."

Carrellas is featured in a new "Strange Sex" series on TLC, but her brand of sexual pleasure may not be as strange as one might think. Researchers at Rutgers University have been studying the mind-body-sex connection, and have found that there seems to be documented evidence of Carrellas' claims. They put her in an MRI, had her "think off" and found that the parts of her brain that should light up when she climaxes did just that.

The idea of thinking yourself to orgasm is not new. In the early 1970's, the Masters and Johnson research team documented the strong connection between sexuality and thought.

The connection is particularly strong in women, says Dr. Ian Kerner, author and sex therapist. "The brain is the most powerful sex organ," he says. Men, he adds, have a much harder time making themselves climax without any touch whatsoever, but there are documented cases in women.

"I would encourage people to try to use breath work, concentration and fantasy, but more to enhance their sex life, and less as a means to an end," says Kerner. That's because most people will find themselves frustrated, because most people won't be able to go as far as Carrellas, he says.

Carrellas, who prefers the gentler term "breath and energy orgasm," has a different opinion.

"Anyone can learn this," she says. You just have to un-teach yourself what you've probably absorbed all your life," she explains. It starts with our first experiences touching ourselves as kids.

"When we are young, we learn the 'quiet and quick' rule - so that we don't get caught. And the only way to climax that way is to hold your breath." But actually, she says, one can experience much richer, much more satisfying orgasms by breathing deeply, which is one of the techniques she uses to "think off."

Carrellas, who is in a relationship, doesn't use breath and energy to the exclusion of traditional sex. "My definition of what sex is has expanded so that genital sex is just one part of the repertoire," she says. Anyway, she says, you can think off with a partner. One way is to hold hands, maintain eye contact, and breathe together, fully clothed.

"It can be quite mind-blowing," she says. Carrellas not only practices this at home, she guest lectures at colleges. "I want young people to have more safer-sex options," she says.

Want to see for yourself how it's done? Carrellas will be featured on TLC this Sunday as part of their "Strange Sex" series. The thinking orgasms start at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Read full history - Orgasm Just by Thinking: Is it Medically Possible?

Orgasm Just by Thinking: Is it Medically Possible?

By Aina Hunter

Barbara Carrellas says she can think herself into orgasm. (Personal Photo)

(CBS) Is it possible to bring yourself to orgasm just by thinking?

Barbara Carrellas more than thinks so. She says she knows so, since she's been "thinking herself off" for more than twenty years.

It's a technique she learned in the late 1980's, when she was managing off-Broadway plays in New York. It was the height of the AIDS crisis, which hit the theater community particularly hard. She saw friends get sick and die on a  regular basis.

Carrellas says that she wanted to explore alternative ways of being sexual. She went to an informal workshop to learn how to orgasm using nothing but her mind.

"I wasn't embarrassed," says Carrellas, who knew most of the other participants from a support group for people with AIDS and the friends of people with the virus. "I was just afraid that I wouldn't get it and everyone else would."

But "get it" she did, and she is now a true believer. "I really like solo sex," she tells CBS News. "I am not partner-fixated. Society has an extremely limited view of what sexuality is."

Carrellas is featured in a new "Strange Sex" series on TLC, but her brand of sexual pleasure may not be as strange as one might think. Researchers at Rutgers University have been studying the mind-body-sex connection, and have found that there seems to be documented evidence of Carrellas' claims. They put her in an MRI, had her "think off" and found that the parts of her brain that should light up when she climaxes did just that.

The idea of thinking yourself to orgasm is not new. In the early 1970's, the Masters and Johnson research team documented the strong connection between sexuality and thought.

The connection is particularly strong in women, says Dr. Ian Kerner, author and sex therapist. "The brain is the most powerful sex organ," he says. Men, he adds, have a much harder time making themselves climax without any touch whatsoever, but there are documented cases in women.

"I would encourage people to try to use breath work, concentration and fantasy, but more to enhance their sex life, and less as a means to an end," says Kerner. That's because most people will find themselves frustrated, because most people won't be able to go as far as Carrellas, he says.

Carrellas, who prefers the gentler term "breath and energy orgasm," has a different opinion.

"Anyone can learn this," she says. You just have to un-teach yourself what you've probably absorbed all your life," she explains. It starts with our first experiences touching ourselves as kids.

"When we are young, we learn the 'quiet and quick' rule - so that we don't get caught. And the only way to climax that way is to hold your breath." But actually, she says, one can experience much richer, much more satisfying orgasms by breathing deeply, which is one of the techniques she uses to "think off."

Carrellas, who is in a relationship, doesn't use breath and energy to the exclusion of traditional sex. "My definition of what sex is has expanded so that genital sex is just one part of the repertoire," she says. Anyway, she says, you can think off with a partner. One way is to hold hands, maintain eye contact, and breathe together, fully clothed.

"It can be quite mind-blowing," she says. Carrellas not only practices this at home, she guest lectures at colleges. "I want young people to have more safer-sex options," she says.

Want to see for yourself how it's done? Carrellas will be featured on TLC this Sunday as part of their "Strange Sex" series. The thinking orgasms start at 10:30 p.m. EST.

Read full history - Orgasm Just by Thinking: Is it Medically Possible?

Cherrapunji: Rooted in The Land

One of the several living root bridges on the outskirts of Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. The bridges are built from the roots of rubber trees and get stronger as they grow older. Photolibrary.com

Besides being the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunji in India's north-east is home to a series of unique bridges, strange tapestries of live tree roots woven by indigenous tribes. Jini Reddy explores these marvels of bioengineering

The hike down to the Khasi village of Nongthymmai at the bottom of a forested gorge isn’t for the fainthearted. It starts with a dizzyingly steep descent down stone steps. “How many steps?” I ask Peter, my guide. “Two thousand,” he says. I don’t think he’s joking.

Jelly-knees and mild vertigo aside, it’s worth the effort. Cherrapunji is one of those places with a whiff of the mythical about it, and not just because of its record rainfall. This part of Meghalaya, a green, wet, little-visited state in India’s north-east (sandwiched between Bangladesh and Assam) is home to the Khasi, a tribe of Mon-Khmer origin, and the Khasi villages dotted among the hills and valleys outside Cherrapunji’s town centre offer a glimpse of the subcontinent far removed from the usual tourist trail.

In lieu of shrines, saris and incense, there are churches (thanks to the arrival of Welsh missionaries in the 19th century, the tribe is predominantly Catholic), the jansiem, a toga-like outfit worn by the women, and – most intriguing of all – the mysterious living root bridges. These ethereal bridges look as though they’ve sprung from Middle Earth, and exist nowhere else in the world. They are little-known outside the state (certainly the Delhi-ites on my flight over had never heard of them) and are the invention of the Khasi.

The Khasi, or rather their forefathers, needing a means to cross the many rivers and streams in their midst, came up with the idea of training the roots of the indigenous Ficus elastica (rubber tree) along hollowed-out trunks of betel palm and bamboo across riverbanks. These roots then anchor into the soil and create the base of the bridge. Others are woven together to make handrails and supports.

You need the patience of a Zen master to create a living-root bridge – it takes a quarter of a century or so before it’s usable, but when it is, it can last for hundreds of years. Impressive, when you consider that not a single nut, bolt, or man-made material is used. Today, there are about a half a dozen of the bioengineering marvels, with more in the works.
The bridges were first “discovered” nine years ago by Denis Rayen, an ex-banker from Madurai who runs the Cherrapunji Holiday Resort with his Khasi wife Carmela. Around 17 kilometres from the main town, and a kilometre or so above sea level, theirs is the only place to stay within walking distance of the bridges. The guest house is in a beautiful spot overlooking the Bangladeshi plains and the surrounding ridges and valleys – valleys within which are hidden the fabled flyovers. “I was exploring hiking routes with some villagers when I stumbled upon them. I took some photographs, did some research on the internet – and realised that they were pretty unique,” says Denis. “Ordinary bridges would rot under the relentless onslaught of the rain, but the living root bridges just get stronger as they get older.”

Keen to encourage eco-tourism as a means of generating income for the Khasi, he has launched an earnest one-man, and somewhat eccentric, ad campaign: the winding road up here (it’s the last leg of a six-hour drive from the airport in Guwahati, over the border in Assam) is dotted with boulders he has doused with yellow paint, and which extol the pleasures – the treks, the bridges, the waterfalls – to come. More memorable still are the homilies to the weather: “Romance the rain!” declares one. “Keep your head in the clouds – feet firmly on the ground,” exhorts another.

If you go

The flight A return flight on Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com) from Abu Dhabi to Delhi, with connecting flights to Guwahati on JetLite or Jet Airways Konnect, costs from US$710 (Dh2,608) including taxes

The trip A six-day tour to the living-root bridges with Travel the Unknown
(www.traveltheuknown.com; 00 44 845 053 0352 ) costs $750 (Dh2,755) per person. The price includes transport, guides, a driver, accommodation, all meals, activities, entrance fees to various sites and a helicopter ride from Shillong to Guwahati

Undoubtedly, these are a cheering sight when one drives up in the midst of a torrential downpour or eerie mist – but under the clear, cloudless blue sky I’ve arrived, it’s all a bit surreal. In the wettest place on earth, it turns out, there is a dry season – from November to February, and I have arrived on the cusp of it.

Things get even more surreal on the 10km hike the next morning, which I’m told will lead me to the 200-year-old double-decker living root bridge, the most photogenic of all the bridges. Ten minutes down those vertiginous steps and I’m sweating profusely. Still, this is paradise: on either side of us are a tangle of mango, tapioca and pineapple trees, coffee plants, orchids, hibiscus flowers, clouds of butterflies and, in the distance, frothy waterfalls tumbling from cliff walls.

Birds – about 200 or so species have been spotted in these parts – flit about the treetops. There’s also a barber perched mid-step, cutting the hair of a young boy. He smiles and waves his comb in greeting. On a pilgrimage to a magical Tolkienesque bridge I may be, but for the Khasi it’s business as usual.
Nongthymmai, on the valley floor, starts where the infernal steps end. Through the small village of betel palm growers I traipse, grateful to be on flat ground. The farmers, Peter explains, eke out a living selling the leaves and nuts of the tree in local markets. Paan, a chewy parcel of betel nut and lime wrapped in a betel leaf, is a popular stimulant in India (and elsewhere in Asia), one that stains teeth a vampiric red. It’s an acquired taste though – as I learn when I’m offered one – bitter and fiery.

Leaving the village behind, we tread carefully across slippery moss-covered boulders and enter kaleidoscopic vales of butterflies, the latter pure enchantment. Then I nearly tread on the tail of a fat brown snake, which briefly dampens my enthusiasm for our venture. We cross fast-flowing streams on rickety suspension bridges – sadly it’s not all living-root bridges here – until at last, we approach the next village, Nongriet, and the famous bridge.

The photographs don’t do it justice. It’s an almost mind-bendingly complex tapestry of thick, gnarled roots on two levels, nature harnessed to human ingenuity – but it looks more like a bridge for hobbits. Or is it?
“It can bear the weight of 50 villagers,” says Peter. Alas, there’s not even one to test it, so I do the honours. I tread gingerly across the top level, which spans 21 metres, and then the slightly shorter bottom one, being careful not to get my foot stuck in a stray, toughened root. Thankfully it doesn’t give way.

After a bout of enthusiastic bridge-crossing, I settle down to lunch – jadoh, a sort of pork biryani (the Khasi, it seems, are fond of their pork) – and then take a dip in the adjacent rock pool. Idly I wonder why the Khasi built the bridge on two levels. To guard against monsoon rains? Human traffic jams? No, says Denis, shrugging his shoulders, on our return to the guest house late that afternoon. “They just felt like it.”

Indeed, the canny Khasi, cottoning on to the fact that they have a unique tourist attraction in their midst, are now embarking on an enthusiastic programme of living-root bridge-building. “There’s even a triple decker bridge in the works,” chuckles my host. The mind boggles.

Read full history - Cherrapunji: Rooted in The Land

Cherrapunji: Rooted in The Land

One of the several living root bridges on the outskirts of Cherrapunji, Meghalaya. The bridges are built from the roots of rubber trees and get stronger as they grow older. Photolibrary.com

Besides being the wettest place on earth, Cherrapunji in India's north-east is home to a series of unique bridges, strange tapestries of live tree roots woven by indigenous tribes. Jini Reddy explores these marvels of bioengineering

The hike down to the Khasi village of Nongthymmai at the bottom of a forested gorge isn’t for the fainthearted. It starts with a dizzyingly steep descent down stone steps. “How many steps?” I ask Peter, my guide. “Two thousand,” he says. I don’t think he’s joking.

Jelly-knees and mild vertigo aside, it’s worth the effort. Cherrapunji is one of those places with a whiff of the mythical about it, and not just because of its record rainfall. This part of Meghalaya, a green, wet, little-visited state in India’s north-east (sandwiched between Bangladesh and Assam) is home to the Khasi, a tribe of Mon-Khmer origin, and the Khasi villages dotted among the hills and valleys outside Cherrapunji’s town centre offer a glimpse of the subcontinent far removed from the usual tourist trail.

In lieu of shrines, saris and incense, there are churches (thanks to the arrival of Welsh missionaries in the 19th century, the tribe is predominantly Catholic), the jansiem, a toga-like outfit worn by the women, and – most intriguing of all – the mysterious living root bridges. These ethereal bridges look as though they’ve sprung from Middle Earth, and exist nowhere else in the world. They are little-known outside the state (certainly the Delhi-ites on my flight over had never heard of them) and are the invention of the Khasi.

The Khasi, or rather their forefathers, needing a means to cross the many rivers and streams in their midst, came up with the idea of training the roots of the indigenous Ficus elastica (rubber tree) along hollowed-out trunks of betel palm and bamboo across riverbanks. These roots then anchor into the soil and create the base of the bridge. Others are woven together to make handrails and supports.

You need the patience of a Zen master to create a living-root bridge – it takes a quarter of a century or so before it’s usable, but when it is, it can last for hundreds of years. Impressive, when you consider that not a single nut, bolt, or man-made material is used. Today, there are about a half a dozen of the bioengineering marvels, with more in the works.
The bridges were first “discovered” nine years ago by Denis Rayen, an ex-banker from Madurai who runs the Cherrapunji Holiday Resort with his Khasi wife Carmela. Around 17 kilometres from the main town, and a kilometre or so above sea level, theirs is the only place to stay within walking distance of the bridges. The guest house is in a beautiful spot overlooking the Bangladeshi plains and the surrounding ridges and valleys – valleys within which are hidden the fabled flyovers. “I was exploring hiking routes with some villagers when I stumbled upon them. I took some photographs, did some research on the internet – and realised that they were pretty unique,” says Denis. “Ordinary bridges would rot under the relentless onslaught of the rain, but the living root bridges just get stronger as they get older.”

Keen to encourage eco-tourism as a means of generating income for the Khasi, he has launched an earnest one-man, and somewhat eccentric, ad campaign: the winding road up here (it’s the last leg of a six-hour drive from the airport in Guwahati, over the border in Assam) is dotted with boulders he has doused with yellow paint, and which extol the pleasures – the treks, the bridges, the waterfalls – to come. More memorable still are the homilies to the weather: “Romance the rain!” declares one. “Keep your head in the clouds – feet firmly on the ground,” exhorts another.

If you go

The flight A return flight on Jet Airways (www.jetairways.com) from Abu Dhabi to Delhi, with connecting flights to Guwahati on JetLite or Jet Airways Konnect, costs from US$710 (Dh2,608) including taxes

The trip A six-day tour to the living-root bridges with Travel the Unknown
(www.traveltheuknown.com; 00 44 845 053 0352 ) costs $750 (Dh2,755) per person. The price includes transport, guides, a driver, accommodation, all meals, activities, entrance fees to various sites and a helicopter ride from Shillong to Guwahati

Undoubtedly, these are a cheering sight when one drives up in the midst of a torrential downpour or eerie mist – but under the clear, cloudless blue sky I’ve arrived, it’s all a bit surreal. In the wettest place on earth, it turns out, there is a dry season – from November to February, and I have arrived on the cusp of it.

Things get even more surreal on the 10km hike the next morning, which I’m told will lead me to the 200-year-old double-decker living root bridge, the most photogenic of all the bridges. Ten minutes down those vertiginous steps and I’m sweating profusely. Still, this is paradise: on either side of us are a tangle of mango, tapioca and pineapple trees, coffee plants, orchids, hibiscus flowers, clouds of butterflies and, in the distance, frothy waterfalls tumbling from cliff walls.

Birds – about 200 or so species have been spotted in these parts – flit about the treetops. There’s also a barber perched mid-step, cutting the hair of a young boy. He smiles and waves his comb in greeting. On a pilgrimage to a magical Tolkienesque bridge I may be, but for the Khasi it’s business as usual.
Nongthymmai, on the valley floor, starts where the infernal steps end. Through the small village of betel palm growers I traipse, grateful to be on flat ground. The farmers, Peter explains, eke out a living selling the leaves and nuts of the tree in local markets. Paan, a chewy parcel of betel nut and lime wrapped in a betel leaf, is a popular stimulant in India (and elsewhere in Asia), one that stains teeth a vampiric red. It’s an acquired taste though – as I learn when I’m offered one – bitter and fiery.

Leaving the village behind, we tread carefully across slippery moss-covered boulders and enter kaleidoscopic vales of butterflies, the latter pure enchantment. Then I nearly tread on the tail of a fat brown snake, which briefly dampens my enthusiasm for our venture. We cross fast-flowing streams on rickety suspension bridges – sadly it’s not all living-root bridges here – until at last, we approach the next village, Nongriet, and the famous bridge.

The photographs don’t do it justice. It’s an almost mind-bendingly complex tapestry of thick, gnarled roots on two levels, nature harnessed to human ingenuity – but it looks more like a bridge for hobbits. Or is it?
“It can bear the weight of 50 villagers,” says Peter. Alas, there’s not even one to test it, so I do the honours. I tread gingerly across the top level, which spans 21 metres, and then the slightly shorter bottom one, being careful not to get my foot stuck in a stray, toughened root. Thankfully it doesn’t give way.

After a bout of enthusiastic bridge-crossing, I settle down to lunch – jadoh, a sort of pork biryani (the Khasi, it seems, are fond of their pork) – and then take a dip in the adjacent rock pool. Idly I wonder why the Khasi built the bridge on two levels. To guard against monsoon rains? Human traffic jams? No, says Denis, shrugging his shoulders, on our return to the guest house late that afternoon. “They just felt like it.”

Indeed, the canny Khasi, cottoning on to the fact that they have a unique tourist attraction in their midst, are now embarking on an enthusiastic programme of living-root bridge-building. “There’s even a triple decker bridge in the works,” chuckles my host. The mind boggles.

Read full history - Cherrapunji: Rooted in The Land