Where do you turn when life gets you down? Who do you think is your mentor, your pillar of strength amidst the turmoil? A bona fide Guru! Today India is living in the age of Gurus, they have proliferated like never before. I may sound critical, but I am writing as an observer. I am not a follower of any such guru but my quest for one led me to one such ashram. However I still don’t know if I actually need a guru? Far from the noise of this big city as I walk into this beautifully sculpted ashram I can smell purity, serenity, and peace. Walking past the…

The tree of knowledge, the tree of life and the tree of many benefits is the Peepal tree. Loaded with medicinal benefits and religious sanctity, this tree is here to stay. Recently, the capital city of Uttarakhand, Dehradun, witnessed a fight of survival of a hundred year old Peepal tree. In an attempt to widen the road, administration decided to cut down the tree. Standing tall and healthy just opposite ‘Prabhat Talkies’ as the only tree beside the road on the whole stretch from clock tower to Bindal bridge area. It was on the verge of being assaulted on the only allegation of being an obstruction in smooth flow of…

Some love to flaunt them, some love to walk them. They are no less than a celebrity. They have even walked the red carpet for that matter. But has life been a cakewalk for them? A question that always bothers me about pets. Today, massive urbanization, along with rapid expansion of cities and metropolitan regions and the sprawling growth of high-rise buildings has left little space for us let alone the pets. With multi stories everywhere the growth today is more vertical than horizontal. There is a fight for every inch; there is not enough space for kids to play. Do you think our pets will have enough space to…

Sometimes personal challenges lead to the path, which can have that dramatic and lasting effect on one’s personal development. In life we all face those challenges and learn from them. It’s a kind of reality check, which makes you strong, courageous and self-confident.  Mumbai based freelance wedding photographer Aanchal Dhara Madan took one such personal challenge. While walking on a pleasant rainy day, she got caught with the idea of walking all the way to Pune from Mumbai.  OFFDHOOK speaks to her to know what all are her takeaways from the journey of 169 Kms. ODH – You did what many just think and could not implement it, so what…

It may sound a bit bizarre to talk about an allergy, which occurs from the staple diet of many Indians. But it is the harsh reality, which seems to be growing by each passing day in India. It is the allergy, which creeps up ‘SILENTLY’ on anyone. CELIAC DISEASE or commonly known as Wheat Allergy, is an Immune reaction or sensitivity to gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye, and oats. It is the disease, which occurs globally and has no socio-economic boundaries and can occur at any age to any one starting from a 4-year-old child to a 60 year old person.  CELIAC DISEASE IN INDIA  It is…

Do you love your job or have you been working all these years just for a living? If yes, then I am sure you are in a trap of some conventional Jobs. These are the Jobs, which are chosen by the parents for their kids or say it’s always been their dream. The country where still being a Doctor, Engineer, Bank PO or a Management professional is considered to be a more respectful and monetary job, It is hard to find people believing in unconventional jobs. Though with the career paths taking sharp turns and sudden frightening drops, a lot of people are opting jobs, which most people would not…

  Do you have a sweet tooth? Or maybe the shopkeepers have got their wisdom tooth! What is catching on a trend right now is shopkeepers offering candies in exchange for change.           You go to a store to buy few things and when it’s time to pay, you hand over the cash but the cashier runs out of change. He asks you for change, and if you answer no then you are likely to be awarded with toffees or a stick of chewing gums by the shop owners to make up the shortfall. Well you like it or not they in a way force you to accept it and…

Do you fancy those celebrity figurines? Do you think that those wax statues are just for the celebrities? If yes, then think again because our very own Madam Tussauds is here. We might not be lucky enough to be standing next to our favorite star in the Madame Tussauds museum but certainly can have a replica of our own. A perfect mini-me of yourself is all set to take a place in your living room, all that you have to do is to order one, and making this a reality in India is THE ULTIMATE KOPIE. Aptly, as the name suggests they make human cloned dolls in ceramic. This is…

http://youtu.be/mdC6hoTZdjU When everyone is running in a race of becoming fit and perfectly shaped, these young professionals are taking bicycle as a fitness tool. It is the latest fitness mantra which is gaining trend in the capital city. OFFDHOOK shows you a new fitness gadget and the new style of living a healthy lifestyle. Richa Sharma

In the hours of darkness news gets the final print and with the first ray of the rising sun it enlightens the world. Sipping tea in the morning with a newspaper in hand or watching any news channel surely makes us well run and conversant with the world around us. Being aware with the happenings at 7 am in the morning does make us feel proud. We all are trapped in this web of news and day-by-day this trap is becoming stronger. Any incident in any part of the world reaches our television sets very swiftly and without any delay. This reach has made us all incredibly prompt. We all…