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Time of India
05-07-2025
- Time of India
Meghalaya's monsoon marvels: Root bridges, misty peaks & waterfalls
There's something cinematic about a monsoon in the hills, where clouds descend to kiss the treetops, roads move through drenched cliffs, and waterfalls roar louder than ever. Meghalaya, one of India's most enchanting states, offers one of a kind rainy-season escape that feels imaginary and deeply humbling. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Be it one is looking for solitude in the mist or adventure in the rain, this state welcomes you with open arms and overflowing rivers. While some travelers avoid the Northeast during the rains, Meghalaya proves that the monsoon isn't just a season—it's an experience. The region bursts into life from June to September, with dense forests glowing a richer green, waterfalls gurgling down steep rock faces, and rivers flowing like silk ribbons between valleys. Despite the occasional rains, travel here in the monsoon is far from inconvenient. Roads from Guwahati to Shillong remain in good shape, and local hospitality is as warm as ever. Airfare and accommodation are also more affordable too. So if your soul looks for rain-drenched trails, this is your sign to explore Meghalaya in all its rainy-season glory. Cherrapunji's living root bridges Cherrapunji is famous for being one of the wettest places on earth, and in the monsoon, it transforms into a dreamscape. Here, the Khasi tribes have grown living root bridges over centuries that are functional, flexible, and almost unreal. The double-decker root bridge in Nongriat is a must-see, especially when the rain feeds the nearby waterfalls and rivers. Trekking through the lush, rain-soaked forest to reach these marvels is a true immersion in nature and tradition. Shillong the scented city Shillong is just like a monsoon poem. Wrapped in mist and pine-scented air, this hill city offers colonial-era look blended with modern café culture. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Rainy afternoons are perfect for sipping coffee at Trattoria or Dylan's Café, and short drives lead to places like Elephant Falls or Laitlum Canyons. Live music echoes through the night in cosy venues, making Shillong a soft, quiet experience during the rains. Waterfalls that roar louder in the rain Monsoon in Meghalaya is all about waterfalls that are majestic, endless, and alive. Nohkalikai Falls plunges into a turquoise pool with unmatched thrust, while Seven Sisters Falls spreads across a cliff like a silver curtain. Rainbow Falls, hidden deep in the jungle, shows vibrant colours in its mist. Each waterfall gains a fierce beauty during the rains, turning even the simplest roadside view into something breathtaking. Dawki and the Umngot River Even with overcast skies, Dawki holds its magic. The monsoon may pause boating on the crystal-clear Umngot River, but its charm doesn't fade. Cloud banks hang low over lush hills, and the river reflects everything including the trees, boats, even the sky. For those who crave quiet beauty rather than selfies, Dawki in the rains is a peaceful, meditative stop surrounded by raw, untouched nature. Photo: Canva
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Forbes
Where To Eat Near Mount Etna, Picked By Tornatore's Winemaker
people dining and socialising outside in Sicily The villages on the slopes of Mount Etna are full of trattorias and wine bars where Sicilian cooking stays rooted in tradition while evolving with a new generation. Few people know these places better than Angelo di Grazia, winemaker at Tornatore Winery, one of the largest family-run estates on Etna's northern side. The Tornatore family has farmed this volcanic land near Castiglione di Sicilia since the 16th century, growing native grapes like Nerello Mascalese and Carricante across 60 hectares of dramatic terrain. Tornatore Winery Angelo, who trained in Piedmont and spent a decade with I Vigneri di Salvo Foti, now leads both the vineyards and cellar at Tornatore while also co-owning Meridio, a small natural wine project in Sicily. When he's not among the vines, you'll likely find him sitting down to a meal at one of these spots, with a local bottle or an Etna Bianco or Rosso on the table. Tornatore Winemaker Angelo Di Grazia Trattoria Linguagrossa (Linguaglossa) Trattoria Lingua Grossa This cozy trattoria is known for well-loved Sicilian classics served with genuine warmth. Angelo always orders the tartare di manzo, a simple raw beef dish that shows off the quality of local meat. Guests linger over house-made ricotta and wine, then stroll to the nearby Chiesa Madre 'S. Maria delle Grazie' for a view that seals the experience. Vitis Vineria (Randazzo) Vitis Exterior Tucked down a narrow alley, Vitis Vineria serves fresh, local flavors with big personality. Angelo goes for the spaghetti with yellow datterino tomatoes, fried zucchini, and salted ricotta, but the charcuterie, cheese board, and focaccia are also standouts. A rotating list of Etna wines makes it easy to try a bit of everything from the region. Boccaperta (Linguaglossa) Boccaperta is the kind of place winemakers return to again and again for creative dishes and spot-on wine pairings. Owner Rosario always has a bottle that surprises, especially in autumn when mushroom season makes Etna feel a bit like Piedmont. Angelo's go-to is the tagliolini with truffles, the perfect taste of the mountain's forest flavors. La Cantina di Monsignore (Castiglione di Sicilia) This welcoming spot feels like stepping back in time, with dishes rooted in local traditions. Angelo recommends ordering the chestnut-crusted rack of lamb, which showcases the flavors of the season in this part of Sicily. It's the kind of place where good food and old-world charm make you want to stay a while. 4 Archi (Milo) Pistachio Cream Ravioli This rustic osteria keeps everything local, sourcing directly from small producers and cooking only what's in season. Angelo's pick is the arancino stuffed with Aci cabbage, a humble bite that tastes like Etna's countryside. Between the wood-fired pizzas and the deep wine list, it's a place worth coming back to again and again. San Giorgio & Il Drago (Randazzo) This tiny spot on a quiet square in Randazzo keeps the focus on old-school Sicilian recipes done right. Angelo recommends the rich ossobuco, which pairs perfectly with a glass of Etna Rosso. Local cheeses, fresh pasta, and seasonal vegetables round out the menu under the watchful eye of mother Paolina. Il Veneziano di Parco Statella (Randazzo) Set at a rustic countryside hotel surrounded by Etna and the Nebrodi peaks, this restaurant feels like a peaceful hideaway. Angelo loves the wild mushroom soup here, especially when local fungi are in season. The Munforte family serves up a thoughtful tasting menu that celebrates Sicily's forest and farm flavors.
Economic Times
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Economic Times
Bobby Deol and wife, Tanya, never once went out on a date during their fairytale love story. 'We met at parties'
Agencies Bobby and his wife Tanya tied the knot in 1996. Bobby Deol has been blissfully married to Tanya since 1996. While his cinematic portfolio boasts a string of romantic blockbusters, the love story he shares off-screen with Tanya is nothing short of a real-life fairytale. Their tale began unexpectedly when Bobby first spotted Tanya at Trattoria, a well-known café in Mumbai, where she was with her brother and mutual friends. Bobby recognized someone in the group, leading to brief glances and casual meetings, but Tanya didn't pay much attention to him at first, admitting she didn't even bother greeting him since they were strangers. Fate intervened again when the two crossed paths at actor Chunky Panday's Diwali bash. There, they ended up playing cards at the same table. Tanya recalled with a smile how Bobby kept losing to her yet refused to settle his losses with cash. Instead, he cheekily offered to take her out for dinner. Slightly amused and confused, Tanya shrugged it off. But Bobby, clearly smitten, decided to call her—at an absurd hour of the night. Tanya, half-asleep and unaware of who was on the line, simply told him she'd call back. Curious the next day, Tanya asked all her friends if they had tried calling her, but none had. Bobby, who initially thought she was aloof, called again—this time during reasonable hours. That second call turned into a marathon conversation that lasted nearly eight hours. And that night, something two continued speaking over the next week, and Tanya soon found herself falling for the charming movie star. Interestingly, they never went on a formal date—just met at parties and events. One night, after dropping her home, Bobby surprised her by proposing marriage right at her doorstep. Tanya was taken aback but soon shared the news with her mother, since her father was out of town. Her mother and Bobby met shortly after, and within minutes, they connected like old friends. At just 19, Tanya was introduced to Bobby's parents, veteran actor Dharmendra and his wife Prakash Kaur. Though nervous, she was welcomed with warmth, feeling instantly at home in their presence. Six months later, Bobby and Tanya tied the knot in a grand wedding attended by nearly 10,000 guests. Reflecting on their story, Bobby once said in an interview, 'She's my everything. I chased her even when she paid me no attention. I just knew she would fall in love with me.'Deol recently made headlines after opening up in an interview with Instant Bollywood about what he described as an unjust turn of events involving the 2007 romantic hit Jab We Met. According to the actor, he was the driving force behind the film's early development but was ultimately replaced by Shahid Kapoor without fair explanation.'I put in a great deal of work to make that project happen,' Bobby said candidly. 'I reached out to several people and knocked on many doors to bring it together.' He claimed that he was instrumental in introducing the film's producers, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, to the project. While the production house showed keen interest in collaborating with Bobby, they were initially reluctant to work with Imtiaz Ali, the film's then-relatively unknown however, saw promise in Imtiaz and took it upon himself to convince the producers to take a chance on the young filmmaker. 'I strongly believed in Imtiaz's vision and told them he deserved a shot,' he involvement didn't stop there. Bobby even played a part in casting, revealing that he had reached out to Kareena Kapoor Khan for the female lead, using a mutual contact. At first, Kareena was not inclined to accept the role. The team then approached Preity Zinta, who declined as well but mentioned she might be open to it at a later his early efforts and deep investment in the project, Bobby was later cut from the film. The lead role he had hoped to play eventually went to Shahid Kapoor, and the film became a massive success—earning critical acclaim and becoming a cultural Bobby did not dwell on bitterness, his words reflected the disappointment of watching a film he nurtured from the ground up go ahead without him. His revelations shed new light on the behind-the-scenes story of Jab We Met—a film that, according to him, might have looked very different had things gone as originally planned. On the professional front, Bobby Deol will soon appear in Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, and in the Tamil political drama Jana Nayagan.
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
When Bobby Deol's wife Tanya met her in-laws Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur for the FIRST time: 'I was all of 19–really quite nervous'
Bobby Deol and Tanya's romance began at a Mumbai cafe. Bobby pursued Tanya, eventually winning her over. Their connection deepened through late-night conversations. He proposed spontaneously, and she accepted. Tanya met Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur, receiving a warm welcome. Six months later, they had a grand wedding. Bobby considers Tanya his life and everything. Bobby Deol has been happily married to Tanya since 1996, and their real-life love story is nothing short of a Bollywood romance. It all began when Bobby first spotted Tanya at a popular Mumbai café. Fate brought them together a few more times, and Bobby, completely smitten, decided to pursue her. From making phone calls to playfully losing card games just to win her attention, he did it all. The actor eventually confessed his love and proposed while dropping her home one day. Tanya once shared in an interview that she was just 19 when she met Bobby's parents—Dharmendra and Prakash Kaur—and already knew he was the one. A Love Story That Started at a Café In a past conversation with designers Abu Jani and Sandeep Khosla , Tanya recalled how her love story with Bobby began. She revealed that Bobby first noticed her at Trattoria, where she was dining with her brother and mutual friends. Although they crossed paths a few more times afterward, Tanya didn't initially acknowledge him, as she didn't know who he was and didn't think much of it at the time. Following their unexpected encounters at the café, Bobby and Tanya met again at Chunky Panday's Diwali party. Bobby joined her at the card table and kept losing but jokingly avoided paying, suggesting a meal instead. Tanya found his approach amusing and a bit odd. Later, he called her late at night, catching her off guard while she was asleep. Still unaware of who it was, she simply told him she'd call back the next day. Since Bobby had called her landline late at night, Tanya was left puzzled about who it was. The next day, she asked all her friends if any of them had called, but none had. Bobby, meanwhile, assumed she was too snooty to respond. Determined, he called again a week later—this time at a more reasonable hour. That call turned into a conversation that lasted nearly eight hours, marking the true beginning of their love story. Their late-night conversations continued for a week, and during that time, Tanya realized she had fallen in love with the movie star. Their relationship felt like a fairytale—without traditional dates, they simply attended parties together. One night, as Bobby dropped her home, he spontaneously proposed at her doorstep, sealing the beginning of their romantic journey. Tanya first shared the news with her mother, as her father was out of town. When her mom met Bobby, the connection was instant—they clicked within minutes and interacted as if they had known each other for years. Meeting the Deol Family Tanya also recalled meeting Bobby Deol's parents, veteran actor Dharmendra and his wife Prakash Kaur , for the first time. She was just 19 at the time and understandably nervous, but dressed modestly in a salwar-kameez. However, her nerves were quickly eased as they welcomed her warmly and made her feel instantly at home. A Grand Wedding and New Beginnings Six months after their fairytale romance began, Bobby Deol and Tanya tied the knot in a grand wedding celebration attended by nearly 10,000 guests. What started as an intimate affair between the two quickly turned into a full-blown family affair, with the couple playfully admitting they were eventually sidelined in the planning chaos. In an interview with SCREEN, Bobby Deol opened up about his love story with Tanya, saying, "She's my woman, my life, everything. She's the best thing that ever happened to me. I met her, chased her... she was from South Bombay and didn't pay me any attention, but I kept pursuing her. Deep down, I knew she would fall for me. And she did. After two months, we decided to get married, and by then, my parents were eager for me to tie the knot."
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Time of India
Bobby Deol and wife, Tanya, never once went out on a date during their fairytale love story. 'We met at parties'
Bobby Deol has been blissfully married to Tanya since 1996. While his cinematic portfolio boasts a string of romantic blockbusters, the love story he shares off-screen with Tanya is nothing short of a real-life fairytale. Their tale began unexpectedly when Bobby first spotted Tanya at Trattoria, a well-known café in Mumbai, where she was with her brother and mutual friends. Bobby recognized someone in the group, leading to brief glances and casual meetings, but Tanya didn't pay much attention to him at first, admitting she didn't even bother greeting him since they were strangers. Fate intervened again when the two crossed paths at actor Chunky Panday 's Diwali bash. There, they ended up playing cards at the same table. Tanya recalled with a smile how Bobby kept losing to her yet refused to settle his losses with cash. Instead, he cheekily offered to take her out for dinner. Slightly amused and confused, Tanya shrugged it off. But Bobby, clearly smitten, decided to call her—at an absurd hour of the night. Tanya, half-asleep and unaware of who was on the line, simply told him she'd call back. Curious the next day, Tanya asked all her friends if they had tried calling her, but none had. Bobby, who initially thought she was aloof, called again—this time during reasonable hours. That second call turned into a marathon conversation that lasted nearly eight hours. And that night, something shifted. The two continued speaking over the next week, and Tanya soon found herself falling for the charming movie star. Interestingly, they never went on a formal date—just met at parties and events. One night, after dropping her home, Bobby surprised her by proposing marriage right at her doorstep. Tanya was taken aback but soon shared the news with her mother, since her father was out of town. Her mother and Bobby met shortly after, and within minutes, they connected like old friends. At just 19, Tanya was introduced to Bobby's parents, veteran actor Dharmendra and his wife Prakash Kaur. Though nervous, she was welcomed with warmth, feeling instantly at home in their presence. Six months later, Bobby and Tanya tied the knot in a grand wedding attended by nearly 10,000 guests. Reflecting on their story, Bobby once said in an interview, 'She's my everything. I chased her even when she paid me no attention. I just knew she would fall in love with me.' Deol recently made headlines after opening up in an interview with Instant Bollywood about what he described as an unjust turn of events involving the 2007 romantic hit Jab We Met . According to the actor, he was the driving force behind the film's early development but was ultimately replaced by Shahid Kapoor without fair explanation. 'I put in a great deal of work to make that project happen,' Bobby said candidly. 'I reached out to several people and knocked on many doors to bring it together.' He claimed that he was instrumental in introducing the film's producers, Shree Ashtavinayak Cine Vision, to the project. While the production house showed keen interest in collaborating with Bobby, they were initially reluctant to work with Imtiaz Ali, the film's then-relatively unknown director. Bobby, however, saw promise in Imtiaz and took it upon himself to convince the producers to take a chance on the young filmmaker. 'I strongly believed in Imtiaz's vision and told them he deserved a shot,' he added. His involvement didn't stop there. Bobby even played a part in casting, revealing that he had reached out to Kareena Kapoor Khan for the female lead, using a mutual contact. At first, Kareena was not inclined to accept the role. The team then approached Preity Zinta, who declined as well but mentioned she might be open to it at a later stage. Despite his early efforts and deep investment in the project, Bobby was later cut from the film. The lead role he had hoped to play eventually went to Shahid Kapoor, and the film became a massive success—earning critical acclaim and becoming a cultural phenomenon. While Bobby did not dwell on bitterness, his words reflected the disappointment of watching a film he nurtured from the ground up go ahead without him. His revelations shed new light on the behind-the-scenes story of Jab We Met—a film that, according to him, might have looked very different had things gone as originally planned. On the professional front, Bobby Deol will soon appear in Alpha, starring Alia Bhatt and Sharvari Wagh, and in the Tamil political drama Jana Nayagan.
