November 25, 2022

Who hasn’t heard of the Taj Mahal and who hasn't wanted to visit. I am one who has yearned to visit the Taj Mahal, but has not made it there, yet. I'm so looking forward to seeing it someday. To jump start your interest we have begun this flock with a literary visit to the Taj Mahal.

From: History.com, By: Editors, November 22, 2019

The Taj Mahal is an enormous mausoleum complex commissioned in 1632 by the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan to house the remains of his beloved wife. Constructed over a 20-year period on the southern bank of the Yamuna River in Agra, India, the famed complex is one of the most outstanding examples of Mughal architecture, which combined Indian, Persian and Islamic influences. At its center is the Taj Mahal itself, built of shimmering white marble that seems to change color depending on the daylight. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1983, it remains one of the world’s most celebrated structures and a stunning symbol of India’s rich history.

Photo by Setu Chhaya on Unsplash

From: Atlas Obscura

RELIGIOUS DEVOTION WAS NOT UNCOMMON in ancient times, but tolerance was often much harder to come by. Happily, for curious travelers and religious devotees alike, the caves at Ellora offer a truly exceptional example of both. Covering an area more than 2 kilometers in size, the Ellora Caves are a massive and humbling tribute to faith and medieval-era workmanship in India. In fact, the term “caves” hardly does justice to the 34 Buddhist, Brahmanist and Jainist temples in Ellora, each painstakingly carved out of the mountainside and filled with delicate works of art.

Ellora Caves, Maharashtra, India

There are many gorgeous places in India. I can't wait to get there and see them, and I know you can't either. To see the sunrises and sunsets and the beautiful color, and the intricate architecture, and heritage.

From: Jet Setter, By: Lindsey Olander, March 23, 2020

If ever we were challenged to name a country more diverse than India, we’d have a tough time. Few places, if any, rival the sheer amount of traditions, cuisines, landscapes, and religions found within India’s borders, from the high Himalayas in the north to the desert sands of the west to the palm tree-fringed rivers and islands of the south. Here, 11 awe-inspiring destinations that showcase the beauty and wonder of this vast, complex, and spiritual country.

The Most Beautiful Destinations in India

At one-point Buddhism was shrinking in India, but today it's on an upswing. Let's all give a cheer for the resurgence of this beautiful religion.

From: History.com, By: Editors, July 22, 2020

Buddhism is a faith that was founded by Siddhartha Gautama (“the Buddha”) more than 2,500 years ago in India. With about 470 million followers, scholars consider Buddhism one of the major world religions. Its practice has historically been most prominent in East and Southeast Asia, but its influence is growing in the West. Many Buddhist ideas and philosophies overlap with those of other faiths.

Frank Bienewald / Getty Images

From: Trip Savvy, By: Sharell Cook, May 9, 2019

photograph by Leonid Andronov, Alamy

A neighbor to the Ellora Caves, the Ajanta Caves are more focused on Buddhism.

From: National Geographic, By: Editors, May 13, 2022

Along a horseshoe-shaped cliff above the Waghora River in central India, a cadre of British soldiers set out in 1819 hoping to bag a tiger. Their hunting party stumbled upon something surprising: a network of man-made caves ingeniously and dramatically cut into the rock. The beauty of the stonework was just a hint to what awaited inside those stone halls.

From: Reddit, By: geodwaja

Whoa, here we go, everybody loves a good burger, I can tell you lentils are a good base for a plant-based burger.

From: Go Dairy Free, By: Alisa Fleming, August 30, 2020

When I had a bag of lentils to use up, I turned to one of my favorite vegan authors, Robin Robertson for some suggestions. As expected, Robin had a whole arsenal of lentil recipes that went far beyond your traditional lentil soup or lentil curry. I opted to make her Better Than Bean Burgers (aka these lentil oat burgers) from her Vegan on the Cheap cookbook. I don’t always have buns on hand, so I made veggie burger salads.

Canan Czemmel/Stocksy United

Lentils, such an important source of protein and fiber. I hope you all consider soaking your lentils first and using your soaked lentils in all types of soups. Chicken soup, Indian soups, and Mideastern soups all include lentils. Seems like the lentil is a cornerstone of nutrition just as rice is.

From: healthline, By: Sharon O'Brien, MS, PGDip, December 2, 2021

Lentils are edible seeds from the legume family. They’re well known for their lens shape and sold with or without their outer husks intact. Though they’re a common food staple in countries such as Turkey, Syria, Jordan, Morocco, and Tunisia, the greatest production of lentils nowadays is in Canada (1Trusted Source, 2). This article tells you everything about lentils, their nutrition and benefits, and how to cook them.

From: Food Revolution Network, By: Ocean Robbins, October 5, 2022

If you want to make a healthy, hearty, and hot plant-based dish from scratch in less than 30 minutes, one of your best options is to cook some lentils. Whether you’re a gourmet cook circumnavigating the world in your kitchen, or a back-to-basics master throwing together a classic lentil soup, these tiny pulses can add body and taste to your cooking. Plus, eating more lentils is a great way to contribute to slowing climate change. If you’re looking for ideas or recipes to get more lentils into your life, read on!

You know I have some very close friends who are vegans. These families have children that have never tasted meat, milk or dairy. One of these had the sad experience of their youngest having difficulty in learning to stand and walk, it turns out that they were borderline rickets, because they had not had enough bone building protein in their young life. So, a word of caution if you choose a vegan diet. Seek out high protein alternatives to meat. Here are some ideas for helping your child develop strong bones whether your diet includes meat or is entirely plant based.

From: Happiest Baby, By: Gabrielle McPherson, MS, RDN, LDN

You might think of babies as mini bodybuilders…though they’re far from pumping iron, they make incredible gains during their first year of life! Babies triple their size by 12 months, and that massive amount of growth requires plenty of nutrition (especially from protein).

Here's our Grande Dame of Indian fashion, as a reminder of what's ahead. This week she is off to visit the penguins in the Antarctic. When she gets back we'll be having a deep dive into Indian fashion with her including the significance of the Sari for women and the Neru jacket for men. We'll also be sure to publish pictures of her wonderful family on her return.

Jan Huyghen Van Linschoten’s map of northern India.

Image: Prashant Lahoti/Kalakriti Archives

I love historic maps as they show the world as it once was or was once perceived. Have a look at these early maps that show how the west first saw the Indian subcontinent.

From: Quartz, By: Maria Thomas, April 11, 2018

In the 1580s, the adventurous son of a Dutch innkeeper found himself on a ship sailing from Lisbon to India. Newly employed by the archbishop of Goa, Jan Huygen van Linschoten was headed to the capital of the Estado da India Portuguesa—the Portuguese State of India—from where the European power almost completely controlled trade with the subcontinent. Decades after Vasco da Gama discovered the sea route to the subcontinent, the Portuguese colonial empire kept its navigation intelligence a national secret and reaped the rewards, leaving the British and the Dutch desperate to learn how to traverse the long and treacherous journey themselves. But little did anyone know that the tide would soon turn and it would be van Linschoten who’d spark the beginning of the end of Portuguese hegemony in the East.

From: TourMyIndia.com, By: Arun Joshi, July 6, 2019

India is a beautiful country; it is a spectacular mix of cultures, traditions and landscapes. The country along with several beautiful tourist locations is replete with many offbeat destinations, which are not possible to be explored by riding a car. Therefore, cycling is the best way to explore diverse topography and culture of India. Also, it is the most budget and eco-friendly option as one need not worry about pollution, expenditure or petrol.

photo: Beth Kasser

What do you do after a race? You rest your bike.

I'm sure many of you are recovering from the El Tour de Tucson that happened last Saturday. One interesting fact about the tour that many ask is why isn't it a Sunday race. The reason is that they do not want to interfere with church services. 

Many of you are now contemplating what's your next bicycle race. I'm trying to figure that out myself. For this 100km rider It was my first time on the new course, which I loved. I also want to commend the local police for shepherding us through the course and keeping thigs safe. They were masters at controlling traffic in the busy intersections. I can't thank them enough for a job well done. 

You know it's one thing to ride the course at break neck speed and it’s another to ride multiple hours hoping to beat the cut off time for your race. I'd like to give a big congratulation to those who endured the long miles. It's not always about the ones who won the race, but those who endured their personal challenge and may have even come in last.

We've prominently featured camels in the past few issues, and I've ridden them from Egypt to Mongolia. But, I thought you might enjoy this surprise because it was a surprise to me, we had our own Camel Corps here in the Southwest.

From: The History Bandits

In Quartzsite, Arizona, an odd monument stands just off Highway 95. Erected in 1935, it is inscribed as “the last camp of Hi Jolly.” This marker, crowned with a copper camel, seems out of place in the desert of western Arizona. It stands as a testament to the bizarre experience of a group of strangers brought to the American west in the mid-19th century. These foreign imports, both men and beast, served American expansionism for a time, and then were rejected as something too exotic to be included in the exclusive American frontier.

Mali, an Asian elephant at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, gave birth to twins — which is a rarity in the species. (Rosamond Gifford Zoo)

From: Fox News, By: Cortney Moore, November 11, 2022

A zoo in New York is now home to a pair of rare elephant twins and visitors can finally see the newborn calves in person. Asian elephants Mali and Doc welcomed two male calves on Oct. 24 at the Rosamond Gifford Zoo in Syracuse, New York, according to a zoo press release issued on Thursday, Nov. 10. Elephant twins make up less than 1% of elephant births worldwide, according to the Rosamond Gifford Zoo.

From: Tucson.com, By:Gerald M. Gay, November 22, 2022

With the holiday season in full swing (Happy Thanksgiving, by the way,) there is no better time for planning your December outings. That’s especially true if you enjoy a good light show. The Tucson area will be running up its electric bill in 2022, with multiple events taking place through the end of the year.

So many flockers have asked me if its ok to share this newsletter with a friend and of course it is. You can share the Flock with friends by simply forwarding this email to them. If they like it, all are invited to subscribe by following this link.

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If you are at peace you are living in the present.

-- Lao Tzu

Holualoa Ed Fit Wellness & Culture 2

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