Reflections on Our Travel to the Motherland - Sightseeing in Aurangabad, Part Two

I wish I could escape to another place and time with all that's going on with the current COVID-19 pandemic. I would travel back in time to when my husband and I were in India last November. We enjoyed traveling to various cities as well as the nice weather.

One of my favorite places was Aurangabad. We saw so many historical sites in two and a half days. In my previous post, I covered the Ajanta caves we visited. In this post, I will cover the Ellora caves.

Overall, I am so glad we picked the Lemon Tree hotel for our stay while we were in Aurangabad. The Lemon Tree Hotel had a warm ambiance, a huge pool, and a nice breakfast spread which included Indian and "American" dishes.

Lemon Tree Hotel, Aurangabad

Our second day in Aurangabad, we explored the Ellora Caves. Although our travel agent said one day would be sufficient for both caves, we decided to take a more relaxing tour and split the caves into 2 days. It was exhausting enough just exploring one set of caves each day. That's our advice to anyone thinking about exploring these caves. 

After an early breakfast on day 2, we headed out to the Ellora caves. We recommend booking a local driver with a car versus going out on your own. The drive to the Ellora caves was not as far as the drive to the Ajanta caves.

The most popular cave (Cave 16) at the Ellora caves is the monolithic Kailasha Temple. We were in awe of the sight and how well preserved it was. Below are some pictures:

Entrance to the monolithic Kailasha Temple

When you enter inside, you can walk around the temple structure

I hope you enjoyed the various views of the Kailasha Temple. We really enjoyed exploring these caves and learning more about the culture.

Before we departed from Aurangabad, we also visited Daulatabad Fort and Bibi ka Maqbara. Stayed tuned for more posts about our trip.

Yogurt - A Probiotics Boost For Your Health!

What do Red Mango, Pinkberry, Yoplait GoGurt, General Mills Natural Valley Yogurt Bars, Chobani, Oiko, Fage have in common? 

All of the above are YOGURT based products. 

Here are some reasons why eating yogurt is good for you:

• It is a good source of probiotic cultures, which are good microorganisms that benefit our digestive system, boost immunity and help the absorption of certain minerals like calcium into our system.
• Yogurt is a good source of protein, calcium, riboflavin, vitamin B6, zinc, and vitamin B12.
• If eating plain yogurt doesn't sound pleasing, then give the following recipes a try. They are all healthy and gluten-free: 

Eggplant Raita (yogurt dip)

Other raitas or yogurt dips to try are Eggplant, Beetroot, LongSquash, Spinach, Tomatoes, Tomato and Onion, Bell Peppers, or Cabbage. 

One of my favorite rice dishes to eat as a child was daddojanam or seasoned yogurt rice. When I was 2 or 3 years old, I used to give her a hard time at mealtime. She used to make this dish, make yogurt and rice balls and feed me while I was playing. She used to sneak some veggies too. I was hooked since then...

Spiced Yogurt Rice (Daddojanam)

My husband loves Dahi Vada. I like it too; it is vada soaked in seasoned yogurt. It tastes so good topped with tamarind chutney, coriander chutney and sev. 

Dahi Vada

Buttermilk is a more liquid version of yogurt. We use buttermilk to make Spinach and Potato Kadhi. It's nice to eat on its own or mixed with rice. 

 Do not be afraid to try new things. Try to incorporate yogurt into your diet. It is better for you in the long run.

Let us know how you enjoy eating yogurt. We would love to hear from you.