Dramatic Dance Kadhakali

Kadhakali is a highly stylized classical Indian dance-drama is followed in the state of kerala. Kathakali is the classical dance-drama of Kerala, South India, which dates from the 17th century and is rooted in Hindu mythology. Kathakali has a unique combination of literature, music, painting, acting and dance.

Preparation of Rawa Dosai

Ingredients:

2 cups semolina (sooji, rava)
1/2 cup rice (chawal) flour
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp asafoetida
salt (namak) to taste
1 inch ginger (adrak)
4 green chillies
10-12 curry leaves (kari patta)
1/4 cup coconut (narial) (scraped)
12 cashewnuts
2 tblsp peppercorns
1 tsp cumin seeds
2 tblsp vegetable fat (ghee)
refined oil (tel) to fry

How to make rava dosai:

• Blend rava, rice flour and buttermilk to make a thin batter, add asafoetida and required salt. Stand the batter for at least 6 hours.
• Wash and finely chop the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Chop the coconut and cashew nut into very small bits.
• Crush the peppercorns and cumin seeds. Heat the ghee and roast peppercorn and cumin seeds in it and add to the batter.
• Mix the chopped greens, coconut and cashew into the batter. Stir well.
• Grease a non-stick tawa, smear little oil. Pour a ladle full of the batter and spread by swirling the tava.
• Pour a tablespoon oil around and on the dosa.
• Cook till it is crisp and golden in color. Remove and serve hot.

Preparation Of Rava Iddli

Ingredients:
1 cup wheat sooji/rava (medium thick)
1/2 tea spn mustard seeds
1/2 tea spn grated and crushed ginger
2-3 finely chopped green chilies
1 tea spn chana daal
1/4 tea spn soda
3/4 cup grated carrot
1 tbl spn cashews(optional)
2-3 strands of coriander leaves
2 tbl spn grated coconut(fresh or frozen)
1 cup yogurt/curd
1-2 tbl spn oil
Salt
Method:
Roast sooji till a nice aroma comes out.
Heat oil and add mustard seeds. When they start popping, add ginger, green chilies, chana daal and fry for sometime. Switch off the heat and immediately add sooji, mix well.
Add salt, soda, carrot, coriander leaves, coconut, yogurt/curd and mix well. Leave it for around 30mins.
Grease an idli stand. Keep half cashew and then put the mixture on top (so that when the idlis are removed, the cashews can be seen on the top). Steam for around 12-15mins.
Serve hot.
Serves : 2
Preparation time : 30mins (excluding standing time)

The Great Lord Rama

RamaTamil: ராமர் Ramar; or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism,and a king of Ayodhya in Hindu scriptures. Rama was born in Suryavansha (Ikshvaku Vansh) later known as Raghuvnsha after king Raghu. Based on Puranic genealogy, Rama is believed by Hindus to have lived in the second Yuga called Treta Yuga, before Krishna who was born towards the end of Dwapara Yuga. Rama is traditionally considered to have appeared in the last quarter of Treta Yuga.
Rama is one of the many popular figures and deities in Hinduism, specifically Vaishnavism and Vaishnava religious scriptures in South and Southeast Asia.In Ayodhya, the Indian city believed to be the birthplace of Rama, he is also worshipped as an infant or Rama Lalla. Most of the details of Rama's life come from the Ramayana, one of the two great epics of India.Born as the eldest son of Kausalya and Dasharatha, king of Ayodhya, Rama is referred to within Hinduism as Maryada Purushottama,literally the Perfect Man or Lord of Self-Control or Lord of Virtue. Rama is the husband of Sita, whom Hindus consider to be an Avatar of Lakshmi and the embodiment of perfect womanhood.
Rama's life and journey is one of perfect adherence to dharma despite harsh tests of life and time. He is pictured as the ideal man and the perfect human. For the sake of his father's honour, Rama abandons his claim to Kosala's throne to serve an exile of fourteen years in the forest. His wife Sita and brother Lakshmana, unable to live without Rama, decide to join him, and all three spend the fourteen years in exile together. While in exile, Sita is kidnapped by Ravana, the Rakshasa (Asura) monarch of Lanka. After a long and arduous search that tests his personal strength and virtue, Rama fights a colossal war against Ravana's armies. In a war of powerful and magical beings, greatly destructive weaponry and battles, Rama slays Ravana in battle and liberates his wife. Having completed his exile, Rama returns to be crowned king in Ayodhya (the capital of his kingdom) and eventually becomes emperor, rules with happiness, peace, prosperity and justice a period known as Rama Rajya.

Raja Raja Cholan

Rajaraja Chola was born as the third child of Parantaka Sundara Chola and Vanavan Maha Devi of the Velir Malayaman dynasty. After a long apprenticeship of an heir apparent, he ascended the throne after the death of Madurandhagan Chola. During the lifetime of his father Sundara Chola, Arulmozhi had carved a name for himself by his exploits in the battles against the Sinhala and Pandyan armies. Sundara Chola’s eldest son and heir apparent Aditya II was assassinated under unclear circumstances.madurandhaghan, as the only child of Gandar Adityar, wanted the Chola throne as he felt it was his birthright. After the death of Aditya II, madurandhagan forced Sundara Chola to declare him as their apparent ahead of Arulmozhi.The Thiruvalangadu copper-plate inscriptions say:

"…Though his subjects…entreated Arulmozhi Varman, he…did not desire the kingdom for himself even inwardly ".

This was to say that Raja Raja was very much legally elected through the kind of democratic process followed by Cholas as seen in their Uttiramerur inscription. No other interpretation of the same is correct. Another example of such a process is selection to Pallava throne of Sri Nandi Varman II. In as much as it could very much be possible that the king rejected the offer in order to continue to devote time and energy to build the resources to realise the Cholan military objectives. The assertion seems to be very much true as we see right from the beginning how the king was involved in the Cholan expeditions and also the organised structure of their military. Madhurandhagan made a compromise with Sundara Chola that Madhurandhagan will be succeeded by Arulmozhi and not his own son.