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Flannel&Jeans, Mumbai (2026)

02/01/2022

To all our Instafollowers, we wish you all a very Happy 2022.

We are thankful to have each other , our families and friends from near and far who support us through all, our health and our limitless curiosity and passion to explore, learn and grow.

Last week, we decided to set up a theme based installation to set in the mood. The photos in the installation go out to the people we met on our journeys together around the world. Once strangers, they came into our lives and today, hold their unique places in our hearts as we created unforgettable memories together.

There is nothing as powerful and pure as human connection and the love that intercepts through all boundaries to bind us together. So, let us get into the new year with a renewed sense of meaning to life and empathy for all.

16/12/2021

There are three things you need to know about Bengalis (the residents of the state of West Bengal). 1) They are deeply passionate about food, 2) They are always hungry and thinking about food and 3) They are never afraid to explore new foods and culinary experiences. Today, we are going to give you a glimpse of the savory street food of Kolkata.

A quick description of the food pictures in this post.

1️⃣Egg Roll: A flaky flatbread wrap with delicious chicken and egg filings. Bengalis are obsessed about egg rolls and this is one of the most popular evening snacks that Bengalis would indulge in after a hard day's work.

2️⃣Momo: Because of the proximity to Nepal and China, Kolkata street food also embraces the influence by celebrating . Steamed dumpling with meat filling, it is served with soup and a spicy tomato chutney. On winter days, you would find college kids huddled up outside momo stalls and devouring plates of momos.

3️⃣Kochuri Aloo Dom: A breakfast favorite, it is essentially stuffed dough which is fried and served with a spicy potato curry. Bengalis are neither early risers, nor punctual. So, it is a common sight to see Bengalis waking up late for work, skipping breakfast at home, only to enter one of the many food stalls on the way to work and getting a serving of kochuri aloor dom.

4️⃣Phuchka: A very light and crispy hollow ball, stuffed with a delicious potato and chickpea filling and topped with tamarind sauce. Tip: You never eat one or two pieces. When you are going to the phuchka vendor, the expectation is that you will eat 7-10 pieces.

28/11/2021

The best way to experience an Indian city is to embrace the chaos. And Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal fits perfectly into that category.

Kolkata is a colonial city developed by the and then by the British empire. Once the capital city of the British Indian empire, the city thrives and prides itself today on its revolutionary and cultural history. The , the , ; it has garnered quite a few labels.

When you visit today, you will see that much of the old colonial architecture still remains. But what is especially striking are the patterns and emotions in the chaos that the city manifests. Right outside one of the oldest and dignified , you will see hundreds of bookshops lined up next to each other, with their own unique collection of books, students enthusiastically perusing through the books and asking technical questions which curiously the bookshop owners have answers to.

To the corner, you will see old coffee shops where students and professors are drinking sweet milk coffee and biscuits and engaging in deep conversations about politics, sociology and the state of the economy.

Walk down to the next block, and there is the oldest theater in India sitting right at the center of the bustling . While the old theater has lost much of its charm, unfortunately, the bazaar is still thriving with some of the oldest and most passionate merchants and shopaholic Bengalis who can't miss a good deal.

Walk down till the end of the road onto the Main Street and you will feel the revolutionary spirit of the Bengalis throbbing in their veins. The statue of , one of the most celebrated freedom fighters in India stands tall in the middle of the street. All the old newspaper publishing houses are located in this part of the town as well.

We can go on, but you (readers) get the idea. So, welcome to , a very special place where you perceive all the emotions in one frame.

17/11/2021

If you travel to India, spend time around Indian culture, or simply watch Indian movies, it is easy to perceive that the Indian value system is heavily patriarchal. But, you don’t have to dig deep to find that in ancient India, women played an equally powerful and essential role as men, as depicted in Hindu scriptures and mythology.

One of the central stories in the Hindu scriptures goes as follows. Once upon a time, evil, embodied by the demon Mahishasura had received a boon of invisibility from the universe. This meant that no man or god could kill him. Evil was spreading fast as the demon attacked the gods. The gods, tired and helpless, came together to pray that a force be created that re-balances the good and the evil once again. The force that emerged from the prayers is embodied by a goddess, who is referred as Maa Durga. Maa Durga came to power and fought the demon for ten days. On the tenth day, the goddess Durga slayed the demon king, re-balancing once again the forces of nature.

This period of ten days is very auspicious in the Hindu calendar and marks what is known as the Durga Puja. While Durga Puja is observed throughout India in various forms, it is taken to another level in the state of West Bengal.

The entire city lights up, as craftsmen build idols of the goddess Durga, which are brought in every little neighborhood and installed in a “pandal” (a temporary installation of a temple-like structure with bamboo sticks, wood and fabric). For ten days, there is festivity, celebration and communion like nowhere else. People walk from neighborhood to neighborhood wearing their finest clothes to check out Durga installations. There are food stalls everywhere. Artists and craftsmen come together to build some of the most elaborate theme based Durga installations and pandals.

We felt so very grateful that we were able to visit and experience one of the rarest cultural and religious festivals after eighteen years. And, we were so happy to see that neither the traditions, nor the madness had faded away.

09/11/2021

Last year, we started our travel blog flannelandjeans.com as we wrapped up a five month long journey in Central Asia and the Caucasus. While we definitely wanted to travel more frequently, the period of time, starting from March 2020 has proved to be one of the most challenging periods of time for mankind across the globe. Many of the challenges still persist today, as the world fundamentally transforms itself in a reality with a new rulebook.

After a year of building our lives in Vancouver, Canada, this past month, we decided to make a trip back home to our families in India. We spent one whole month in our hometown of Kolkata, located in the eastern part of India. Truth to be told, it had been more than 8 years since we had spent quality time back in our hometown.

We spent time reconnecting with family members, shared old memories and created new ones. We walked through streets and the narrow lanes that we used to when we were children. We ate some of the most delicious locally grown foods brought right to our doors by local farmers and fishermen. We reconnected with the herbs that grow on the soil which our moms prepared potions out of that healed our souls. We chatted with local artisans and craftsmen and realized to what degree the past year and a half wreaked havoc in the lives of people of fewer means.

So, in the next series of our Instagram posts, we will be sharing our stories from one of the lesser explored parts of India. We will share stories of families, festivals, foods, old streets, artists and their crafts and more.

21/09/2021

We believe that our favorite city, Istanbul’s character is built on two pillars; the first is the Bosphorus strait that connects the two continents, and the second are the street cats who play a very important role in shaping the identity of the city and its people.

Street cats are everywhere in Istanbul (and everywhere in Turkey). In fact, cats have been around in Istanbul (once upon a time, Constantinople) for centuries. They have witnessed empires rule and fall. They have seen churches built in one century, and mosques in the next one. They have felt the tremors of the many earthquakes that destroyed and built Istanbul many times over. For all you know, they would know of all the harem’s gossip in the Topkapi palace. Or tell you all about the different flavors and spices in the food and how it changed over time (hopefully for the better).

Till date, street cats play an integral part in shaping the identity of the city and its people. They live in harmony amongst themselves (most of the time) and the people of Istanbul. They are very loved amongst the locals, who take care of them and ensure they are well fed. In return, the street cats offer their gratitude by providing warmth, comfort and laughter to the people. It is a very common sight that street cats snuggle up to you in a coffee shop or in a ferryboat and provide endless amounts of entertainment.

But most importantly, the street cats in Istanbul are often the medium that allows people to take a step back and slow down when needed, think and reconnect once again to the soul of the city and of themselves, as they sip a cup of coffee and stroke the back of cat, while it silently watches the comings and goings of the world.

13/09/2021

When you visit Tbilisi, you absolutely must make it a point to visit the neighborhood of Fabrika. Fabrika has perhaps the most hipster vibe in all of the Caucasus. It is not only home to the famous graffiti art murals of Tbilisi, but also it has some of the rarest craft breweries in Tbilisi. So, even if you are not that into graffiti art, you can certainly walk the streets exploring craft beers and boutique shops. And if you are a little but of a night owl, Fabrika has to offer a great underground music scene as well. Just ask the local people as to what all is playing and they will be more than happy to direct you to the underground concerts.

When we were in Tbilisi, we spent quite a few afternoons walking from our Airbnb on the other side of the Mtkvari river on the way to Fabrika. We would cross bridges and neighborhoods and climb up and down a few slopes on cobbled streets before we would reach Fabrika. We would spend our afternoons exploring the culinary scene in the neighborhood, soak in the rebellious vibes and end our day at a microbrewery sipping on some delicious beers and chatting with the bartenders.

#граффити #старыйтбилиси

08/09/2021

When we were traveling through rural Azerbaijan in 2019, we were amazed at the agricultural prowess of these Caucasus lands. We had travelled from the capital city of 📍Baku to the rural town of 📍Gebele by a bus and we were going to stay in the town for a few days.

Instead of eating at restaurants, what we really wanted to do was immerse ourselves in the local produce, shop at the local bazaars, buy all the fresh fruits and vegetables and eat to our hearts’ content. Only problem: we were staying at a hotel with no personal kitchen.

One morning, we were walking by the Nohur Lake in Gebele, one of the most serene and beautiful corners in the village. And there we saw a few local families who had put out their picnic mats, ready to enjoy time with their families, nature and the food they had prepared.

Thus an idea struck in our minds. In the next one hour, we got in a minivan to get to the local bazaar. We bought ourselves local fruits of the season (that we never tasted before in our lives), fresh bread, yogurt, sor peyniri, homemade jam, honey, all from different merchants in the bazaar. We had a ton of fun chatting up with the curious merchants who had rarely seen foreigners wander in their bazaars, let alone negotiate prices.

We got ourselves our local treasure, went back to the spot by the Nohur Lake and had a hell of a feast all morning and afternoon, as we breathed the fresh Caucasus air and fell more and more in love with the country of Azerbaijan

31/08/2021

In the town of Khiva, located in the heart of the Silk Road in Uzbekistan, a 17 year old boy Babacan (Babajan) and his elder brother own a small wood carving shop inside an ancient museum.

Woodcarving is an ancient art form that dates back since the beginning of human civilization. An art form that requires tremendous precision, focus, imagination and skill, it is a craft that is passed on from generations.

We spoke to Babacan and his brother at length in their small shop in Khiva and they told us that their ancestors and great ancestors were wood carvers in Khiva for as long as they can remember. They showed us examples of their sketches that they take as inspiration to create wood art. They talked through the different functionalities of their tool set. Today, both the brothers build art objects that they sell all over Uzbekistan to locals and tourists. At the same time, they are also heavily involved in monument restoration projects in Khiva.

But most importantly, we were fascinated at the humility and focus that the 17 year old Babacan displayed at pursuing woodcarving not only because he was passionate, but because he fervently believed that it his responsibility and the responsibility of his community to carry forth the craftsmanship of his ancestors.

16/08/2021

One of the reasons why we feel most at home when we are in the Middle Earth (a name we coined for collectively grouping countries in the Middle East, Central Asia and the Caucasus) is because of the deep rooted connection these nations and its people have with everything that grows on the earth, that eventually gets on their plate.

In Middle Earth, feeding is a ritual where everyone in the family participates. People go to the local bazaars and buy fresh produce of the season from local farmers. It is normal to chat up with farmers at the bazaars and ask them questions about their farms. They are deeply connected to each and every ingredient that constitutes their food. Families spend time preparing foods with such fresh ingredients, and they ensure that they impart their knowledge to the younger generation. Hence the essence of the ritual of feeding never gets lost in time.

When we went travelling in Izmir in January 2020, we stumbled upon a family run food heaven called Ayse Bosnak Borekcisi. This place essentially reflects the soul that goes into the food prepared in these parts of the world, with love, purpose and intention. A women-run business, it was founded by Ayse, who immigrated with her family and sister Elmas from Bosnia in the last century. We met with Elmas and chatted at length and ate for hours. Every day the family prepares Bosnian inspired Turkish home cooked food of the season that they bring in batches around 11am. We got to taste some of the most delicious dolmas, stuffed dolmas, assorted and their homemade . The restaurant is full by early afternoon and the food gets over fast. If you want a heartfelt experience of a centuries old culinary journey, and witness the love the people have for their foods, Ayse Bosnak Borekcisi is a must stop shop for your afternoon meal in Izmir.

08/08/2021

Did you know that Azerbaijan is home to the most number of mud volcanoes in the world? Mud volcanoes are closely associated with hydrocarbon and petrochemical deposits underground. Hence crude oil is essentially the lifeblood of the Azerbaijani economy.

Local people call these mud volcanoes yanardağ, in other words, the burning mountains. Gobustan, located about 60 km southwest from the center of Baku is home to some extraordinary landscape filled with mud volcanoes.

It is a day trip from Baku, and you can easily pair your mud volcano journey with a same day visit to the Gobustan National Park, a prehistoric archaeological site containing more than 6000 rock carvings dating back 5000-20000 years ago.

We had gone to Gobustan with a local tour company, but personally we would recommend you either driving there or even taking a cab all the way, as you can better spend your time exploring and soaking in the beauty of this otherworldly landscape.

#Гобустан #путешествие

02/08/2021

Tbilisi🤍

The city of flying public transportation
We are big advocates of using public transportation as often as we can. Whether we are home, or somewhere far away, we always choose to either walk from one place to the other, or use public transportation. There are a few reasons for this choice. First of all, while driving your car requires your full attention a hundred percent of the time (especially when you are stuck in traffic for endless hours), using the public transportation frees your mind to engage in a range of exciting activities.

Secondly, using public transportation allows you to be in connection with your own species- human beings. I know, over the past one year and a half, the pandemic has sent tremors down people’s psychologies on the risks of being in close vicinity amongst other people. But in a world, where the pandemic is no more, we find it so very exciting to ride the public transportation and observe the comings and goings of our own kind, occasionally chatting up with people.

Finally, encouraging people to use public transportation, instead of owning individual vehicles, is fundamentally so much more energy efficient and environmentally sustainable for any city in question.

While all of this makes logical sense, the incentive gets just all the more exciting when your city invests in really cool modes of public transportation. Welcome to Tbilisi, the city of flying public transportation. This particular route connects the city from the top of Narikala hill in Old Tbilisi to the Metekhi neighborhood across the Mtkvari river. The ride offers some gorgeous views of the breathtaking city as you cross the river on the flying tramway. No matter how you are feeling, this ride is surely to energize and inspire you.

Flannel&Jeans

02/01/2022

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