What is it: A discovery set (three 10 ml bottles) of the Neela Vermeire Creations fragrances: Mohur, Trayee and Bombay Bling. Three runners up will get sample sets.
How do I get it: For a chance to win, leave a comment telling me anything about India: your favorite Indian food, your favorite Indian perfume, where you've been (or would like to go) in India, whatever! I will send these anywhere in the world, but will not be responsible for any customs-related mishaps.
Be sure to use the “Post a comment” box; do not reply to another comment! All replies to comments will be deleted!
The contest will be open until noon or so on Sunday, and I'll announce the winner on Tuesday.
The fine print: Don't enter the contest unless I have permission to use the email address in your reader account to contact you. If the email address in your reader account is incorrect, you might want to fix it. If you are the winner and you fail to send me your mailing details within a couple weeks, I’ll give your prize away to someone else. Sadly, it sometimes usually takes me a month to mail a package. Reasonable care will be taken in the packaging and mailing of your prize, but if the contents are lost or damaged or fail to please you for any reason whatsoever, I’m sorry but I cannot replace them.
I have not been to India but would love to visit the southern part, around Pondicherry, someday.
Thanks for the contest, Robin!
Favorite Indian snack: idly! Favorite Indian movie star: Shashi Kapoor! Thing I’d like to see most in India: haven’t been there, but it sounds like India just gives you what it wants regardless of what YOU want, and like or not like, there you have it.
Thank you for offering this, very excited!
Thank you for the contest Robin! I love Indian food with its spicy aromas, strong taste, and so much diversity! They have fantastic options for vegetarians, Indian food can never be boring, always surprising .I’d say their food is a mirror of the country, which I would love to visit one day.
My favorite Indian food is the stuff my brother makes! Especially his aloo ghobi and tomato chutney.
Thanks for the contest, Robin. We eat a fair amount of curry here because the kids can help “customize” and prepare it with relative ease thus bettering the odds that they’ll actually eat some. I haven’t much experience with any Indian perfumes, however, though I do hope to change that as I’m always curious to try frags from all around the world. 🙂
I am totally in love with Miller & Bertaux’s India-themed A Quiet Morning. Thanks for the giveaway!
would like to see Taj Mahal – can’t think of an Indian perfume, though.
Thanks, Robin, for this fantastic opportunity!
I’ve not been to India yet, but for many years, I’ve had this idea that I might spend a whole year in the countryside, perhaps by the sea, to just paint, take photographs and just be. My daughter’s in college, so I’m pretty much free to do what I want. I have a friend, who has a house (hut?) in Goa, so I could just go for a week or so to check it out. Just the other day, I was watching a TV show about Kerala and was struck by how happy people seemed. Always smiling.
I had channa masala for dinner. Does that count?
Love Indian food and all things curry, with lamb rogan josh being my favorite dish. Thanks for another fun contest!
Oh nice! I was in India this last fall for work. I didn’t get to see too much (I was working, after all!) but I loved sampling the food, especially the kulfi (a thick Indian ice cream dessert). My California brain couldn’t quite understand that it was still hot outside at 10pm, so a refreshing kulfi really took the edge off.
I would like to go to Kerala in India, my favorite Indian food is samosas.
Thanks for the great bog and thanks for the draw.
I have never been to India, but I do love Indian Food, particular vegetarian food from southern India. One of my favourite dishes is the dosa, which is really just a pancake, but delicious! Thanks for the draw.
Foodwise, I love paratha. I would love to visit India, and am frequently mesmerized by pictures of the Holi festival. So beautiful!
Have never been to India, but love Indian food. Years ago I spent 6 months in the US, where I had my first taste of it. During that stay I would regularly visit my favourite Indian restaurant with a friend. We always ordered the same dishes, that I can still remember to this day.
Wonderful to see a draw for non-USA residents, and thank you for hosting.
What a wonderful opportunity! Thanks, Robin!
My favourite Indian food is Chana Massala, Lamb Biryani or the gorgeous Chicken Tikka my friend Kiran makes. Ooh and mango chutney with fresh poppodums..
I don’t know a lot about Indian food, but I love what I have had of it, especially saag paneer and kheer.
Oh, I love that this isn’t US only, thanks for that Robin!
My favorite Indian food is Chicken Korma, although by the time the recipe I make moves from India to Britain via Jamie Oliver to me here in Canada, I’m sure it’s lost a lot of authenticity. Trying out more authentic Indian recipes is one of my goals, and I’d love to visit someday.
I am half Indian. I have never been there but I still have lots of family in Delhi and Pune. My favorite Indian foods are south Indian dosas – thin, crisp rice flour crepes – and idli (savory lentil and rice cakes) and vada (donut-shaped fritters), all with coconut chutney. Now I want Indian food!
No doubt this is lowbrow, but my favorite is the garnish of pickled turnips that come with every meal at our local Indian restaurant. 🙂 I’m the only customer they have who asks for extra on the side when I order takeout – they don’t even ask for my name anymore.
Thanks for another great giveaway!
I’ve never been to India but am fascinated by it. And I do love Indian cuisine, and as a matter of fact am heading to my favorite Indian restaurant tomorrow for lunch. Am also a lover of incense, esp. the ones made in India.
Thanks for the drawing!
would love to travel to india, and will one day. love the nag champa incense in the blue box,all of the incenses made by ramakrishnananda, and mango lassis. and, of course, yoga and meditation!
Ooh! How exciting!! I also love Samosas, and anything curried – especially lamb. I really don’t think this qualifies as a bona fide Indian fragrance, but seeing as it smells just like Indian rice pudding I am going to go out on a limb and say Cimabue. Thank you so much for this contest, Robin. I’ll be sitting on pin and needles ’till the winners are announced!
Wow, I ordered the sampleset as soon as it was available online and fell in love since. I would LOVE to win the discovery set, especially as my birthday is coming up next week (don’t know if I’m happy about this or not….). A memory of all things India: Indian food made my autistic daughter learn eating food that is blended or mixed as opposed to everything (and I really mean everything) separately on her plate.She now loves really complex tastes.
Oh, god. Naan bread. Like, the apotheosis of bread. I went on South Beach last year so my intake of bread has dropped to pretty much zero, but I still dream of naan from time to time.
Fun, thanks Robin! My husband has been making a variety of curries that he finds recipes for online; we’re having a different curry at least twice a week. I love the smell of all the spices. My kitchen apron smells like the Indian grocery store 🙂
I LOVE all kinds of Indian food, but especially anything with paneer, like matar paneer. Also love baingan bartha and papadum.
Thanks so much for the giveaway!
I’ve never been to India but everytime I see Taj Mahal somewhere in the movie it takes my breath away. I hope to see that place with my own eyes one day.
And I also love indian spices – especially turmeric.
Thank you for this generous international draw!
A few years ago I edited a book about India but I still haven’t made it there myself. Eventually, I will! Until then I have to do with takeaway from Karrysutra, novels by Vikram Chandra, William Dalrymple’s travel books, tea from Assam and Darjeeling, and printed cotton dresses.
Thanks for the opportunity! To my knowledge, I’ve never tasted Indian food, and I know I’ve never been there, so I’m a complete zero as far as commenting today.
I love eating lamb korma curry with naan!
Thanks for the giveaway! I love, love, love making curried kale. Coriander, turmeric, cumin, ginger…mmmm.
I would love to visit India, unfortunately I’ve been there only through some books and cookbooks!
My favorite Indian food is… A beverage! Because I can (and do) prepare it myself, with readily available ingredients: Lassi with mint!
Thank you and Neela Vermeire for this international draw!!!
My favourite Indian food is any kind of dhal. I love the smell of their spices, so rich and warm.
Thank you for this giveaway!
I’m most interested in visiting India’s southern coasts. I’ve heard the cuisine is excellent, and I’d like to travel to Pondicherry, which has an interesting mix of French and Indian cultures. Mangoes always come to mind when I think of India. Thanks for the contest!
(P.S. I live in the US, just in case.)
I would love to visit India one day. I was vegetarian for 14 years and cooked indian food every couple of days. I watch Bollywood movies frequently – when my husband is out of the house. Thank you!
I would love to try samples of these perfumes!!!! I adore Indian breads – nothing better than warm naan!!! I am a huge fan of Mughal miniatures. The Seattle Art Museum had a wonderful show of paintings from Jodhpur. The colors, patterns and intensity of the work were stunning!
Thanks for this great giveaway! I love all Indian food that I have tried thus far….curry with lamb and cauliflower is a top favorite as well as saag paneer. And hopefully once I’ve tried these scents, they will become an India themed love.
The closest we will be getting to India for quite a while is through cooking. We’ve been making mallum (mallung? & is, technically, Sri Lankan & not Indian…) with the pea tendrils that are taking over the garden. Very easy & delicious. Of course, you can’t go wrong with a good curry…
Thanks so much for the draw!
Thank’s for the giveaway, I’m oh so curious about these fragrances. India… How I’s love to go there, and travel for years…To Bombay, to the temples nesr Dehli, to the north, close to the himalayan border… But also to the beaches in the South… The food must be great! And of course, the gardens that inspired Shalimar would be a must.
Something about India that I love? Mira Nair, the director. I’m realizing that she’s made many films I’ve not seen; time to start hunting for them. The odds of my getting to India are small, so I must look for alternatives — my husband’s stories, good food, good colors, good smells.
Naan and samosas are my favorite food in general.
I love the silky saris and all the embroidered textiles, the indian traditional music and the complicated Bharata Natyam dance.
Asking me to pick my favorite Indian food is like asking me to pick my favorite perfume! I was trying to do it for a few minutes, but then I realized, I don’t have to. For a vegetarian, Indian food is heaven. I love all the different bean dishes. And vegetable dishes. And breads. And chutneys (tamarind, fresh coriander and mint, mango, etc.). Okay, fine, everything but the desserts. Instead of a dessert, I will just–please, please, please, I really hope I win this—wear some Mohur or Bombay Bling!
My favorite Indian food are masala dosa!
I lurrrve Indian food (rogan josh…mmm:p) but my favourite India-related facts:1) Shalimar was named after Gardens of Shalimar (loved by Mumtaz Mahal) 2)Samsara was named after the Hindu/Sikh cycle of birth/life/death/rebirth. Needless to say, both are beautiful fragrances. I’d love to visit the Gardens to compare olfactory experiences:)
I love learning about Indian culture from business associates. Someday I hope to take them up on offers to visit their homes. Oh yeah, and I love lamb saag.
What a generous draw! My favorite Indian food is chicken korma-my partner and I actually discovered our mutual love of the same dish on our first date 🙂
What a fun contest! I’ve lucky enough to travel through India twice, once with just my husband and then recently as a trip leader responsible for college students (yikes!). I would happily eat Indian food every day for the rest of my life, there’s nothing like it – butter lentils in Haridwar, homemade chai in Mussoorie, street snacks in Delhi – I would go back in a heartbeat!
We just went to an Indian restaurant last Saturday and I fell in love with a potato dish, that I’m going to attempt to make: Alu (or Aloo) Methi. So delish. And I love Bollywood dances! The Neela perfumes are getting a lot of love.
I love naan bread with chicken tikka as well as samosas and chapatis and curried shrimp…. I now need an Indian food fix!. I would love to visit Jaipur ( the name is so evocative) and New Delhi one day.
Diversity. Aromatic. Colours. Oils. Incense. Ganesha. Aryuvedic.
Nirvana. Ghandi. Yoga. Endless ………. <3
My in-laws! They’re in Kerala.
What a coincidence! I had chicken tikka masala for lunch today at a local Indian restaurant. I also have a soft spot for pappadums.
I love anything curry in Indian Food. Indian curry seems to be the gold standard. Thanks for the draw!!
I actually hope to visit India within the next couple of years. Of course, I would have to visit the Taj Mahal first (I am a sucker for elegant architecture), although I was recently struck by the irony (?) that arguably the most famous landmark of India, a predominantly Hindu country, is actually an Islamic tomb.
I would love to indulge in Indian street food, but for the sake of my overly sensitive stomach, I would probably have to refrain, lest I be chained to a toilet for the duration of my visit. I think it’s just something in Indian spices that doesn’t get along with my intestines. (Haha, am I over-sharing at this point?)
Most of all, I would absolutely have to cap off my trip with a safari tour. It never ceases to amaze me how packed with human, animal, and plant life the Indian subcontinent is. While I can’t say that a harmonic balance exists, that’s all the more reason to get in a trip now rather than later (does that make me sound pessimistic?).
Never been to India, but I do love me some Indian food. There’s a gigantic vegetarian Indian restaurant about 20 minutes south of where I live, and it’s hands-down the best cheap eats around. And I’m not even a vegetarian.
I also recently read a remarkable book: Original Letters from India, by one Eliza Fay. From Amazon: “Eliza Fay’s origins are obscure; she was not beautiful, rich, or outlandishly accomplished. Yet the letters she wrote from her 1779 voyage across the globe captivated E. M. Forster, who arranged for their British publication in 1925.” One reviewer correctly noted that “The Letters put Raiders of the Lost Ark in the category of timid and passive inactivity.”
Thanks for the giveaway, Robin!
What a fabulous draw, Robin, thank you!
The best Indian food I’ve had was at a restaurant in London many years ago. I don’t even remember the name of it but it was a fairly well known one and did not disappoint. I keep remembering that restaurant because even though I try to go to Indian restaurants locally, they never seem to be as good … of course, it could just be the memories of a certain dinner companion at that time. 🙂
I like Indian food but hubby does not so I don’t get to have it very often. I’ve never been to India and doubt I’ll ever ge there so the foods and fragrances and photos will have to suffice. There’s an Indian family that lives across the street but they don’t talk to anyone (I’ve tried). Thanks for the draw. I’d love to try the scents.
I have been known to eat a lot of naan bread, and of course, you have to be thankful for Mysore Sandalwood.
Oh, I love Indian food. Lamb Pasanda is my super favorite, although I have never rejected some nice lamb curry, keema curry and samosas, preferably non-vegetarian!
I’m not sure I have indian perfume, but I’d love to have one.
Thanks so much for having this drawing! I like palak paneer. Or most dishes with cardamom that I’ve tried… I love cardamom. Never been to India myself, but I have a friend from college who studied abroad there for a year to learn Hindi, and she loved it.
Several of my favorite garden plants come from India. One of my gardening holy grails is the Himalayan blue poppy, very difficult to grow in New England but I keep trying. I also love Himalayan impatiens, six foot tall plants with gossamer blossoms in all shades of pink. It’s a rampant weed, but quite beautiful. My favorite Indian perfumes are Neela Vermeire’s. I’d love to win this set.
I love Indian food and it’s so hard to choose just one dish! That’s why I usually go for the buffets. I’ve been exploring the world of dals lately and I found a recipe for a masala dal that sounds wonderful. Will probably try it out this weekend.
You always have such fun questions! I love chutney and curry, with Tandoori chicken and basmati rice being my top favorites. Some of my favorite books are by Amy Carmichael who was a missionary in India in the late 18002, early 1900s. The people and land come alive in her stories. (Her mission is still in operation, and they help children.) “The Good Indian Wife” is another favorite book, and I just saw that the author wrote another book. I would love to visit, but my health prevents it. I will travel through scent, books and food!:-)
I eat at Indian restaurants several times a month, and have too many favorites to name! Haven’t been to India yet but it’s on the list, and like the food, there are too many places I want to see to name. I’ve been planning on buying samples of the NV fragrances but hadn’t gotten to it yet, so I was really excited to see this giveaway — thanks!
Thanks so much for this opportunity! My favourite Indian food is actually a drink: Lassi. Mango Lassi in particular.
I’d love to go to India, especially Rajasthan, to see the forts and to visit the tiger preserves. Love Indian food as well, especially any kind of biryani.
How generous!
My favorite Indian food is green chutney.
I also like those spicy extruded lentil paste snacks,
but I really love pretty much anything Indian
My husband has been cooking a lot of Indian food lately from cookbooks from authors such as Madhur Jaffrey and Raghavan Iyer. They are all so totally delicious! My favorite India-inspired perfumes are of course Neela Vermeire’s, especially Bombay Bling. I would love to win the discovery set. Thanks!
My favourite Indian food is Malay Kofta. Favorite thing to smell is true Champa Attar, sadly, very hard to find anywhere now, due to Indian sandalwood production getting wiped out. I have been to India few times, but I have yet to visit mountain regions, especially Sikkim, and that’s where I would love to travel next.
I love lamb saag, tandoori chicken, warm naan bread, chutney and an invitation to eat at my Indian next-door neighbors’ house!
Thanks for this drawing.
My favorite Indian food is…all of it. I love the spices and the flavors. It’s one of my favorite cuisines. So I will name a few favorite Indian restaurants: Dawat in NYC and Café Spice Namaste in London. And another favorite Indian thing is Indian fiction–the wonderful early work of Salman Rushdie, the glorious books of Vikram Seth and a too-little known stories by Padma Perera, as well as many others. Count me in for the discovery set.
Favorite Indian food is chicken korma–my pick for Indian comfort food. Could probably eat my weight in fresh naan. Would love to see the Taj Mahal.
I’ve never been to India, but I’m looking forward to my first Indian American wedding this summer!
Oh my goodness– what a brilliant prize! I am currently swooning over my sample of Bombay Bling, and would love a chance to have more! Favorite Indian food is Chicken Tikka Masala, but it’s hard to pick; just like with choosing a favorite perfume 😉
I love these fragrances and would love to win the set! Favorite Indian foods include saag, pakoras, vindaloo, paratha, and kheer, but I could go on. I would like to go to Kerala and try the foods and hang out with the nutmeg trees.
A while back, one of my students brought “real” Indian food in for a special lunch for her favorite teachers. All of it was absolutely delicious, and very different from the “Indian” food I’d sampled at restaurants. So my favorite Indian food is NOT the Americanized version! And I’d love to visit India some day, and yes I live in the U.S. and you can use my account e-mail.
mmmmm, Indian food is yum! I especially like the fan favorites Chicken tikka masala (which I have made at home with success a few times) and saag paneer. And Naan! Thanks for the draw dear Robin!
I have not been to India, but my sister-in-law is beginning a job there this summer, and we are talking about going to visit her sometime. We have a friend whose family is from India whose wedding we are attending this summer. We went to his engagement party and were surrounded by his family, the women all in beautiful saris (I would love to dress like that!). And of course the food was wonderful. Thank you for the draw!
I’ve never met a crumb of Indian food that was not delectable. They have elephants and tigers and SARIS. What more could I want? I picked up a used sari for my daughter on evil bay; it’s so incredibly beautiful, I’m prepared to order a dozen and hang them from the rafters. I could send up a cloud of Neela’s perfume, close my eyes, and dream.
I love it all, especially anything spinachy. And my son was conceived *ahem* after a delightful Indian dinner 🙂
I’d love to be entered in the draw.
Favorite Indian food- I love crispy Dosas, and LOVE LOVE Indian street food- my favorite is probably pani puri/gol gappa: fried hollow dough balls- filled with chickpeas/potatoes, tamarind water and mint chutney.
It’s a tie:
1. Shahi Korma
2. Safed Maas
And raisin and cashew naan… oh my goodness, what a feast!
I love all Indian food, the hotter the better (so I’ll say lamb vindaloo). I’ve never been to India, but have always wanted to go.
Please enter me in the draw.
I love palak paneer and fresh naan. That and salted lhassi makes for a very happy me. I don’t, however, want at all to go to India. I don’t like the heat, and I understand much of India is…well, warmer than I like to be! I love the traditional music and dance though. The real classical arts we don’t get to see much of here, unfortunately. (That goes for most if not all of the rest of the world as well, really.)
Wow, what a great draw opportunity. I’ve been really eager to try these.
I’m a real Indo-phile, so it’s hard to pick. How about one of my favorite Indian-born authors: Bharati Mukherjee.
I love Indian food too. A favorite is dosas. Nice draw – thanks for the chance.
LOVE Indian Food! All kinds! (And of course you can contact me, and I still live in the US, etc.)
The Taj Mahal and Samsara are my two favourite India-centric things.
My favorite Indian food was probably the time I went to the Hare Krishnas’ weekly feast (it was free and I was poor). All the chanting and love from the devotee cooks totally elevated the taste of the food even though everyone ate barefoot on the floor from paper plates.
My favorite Indian foods are the desserts, especially kheer and halvah. Thank you for the drawing!
My favorite dish is palak paneer. Yum!
I find that with Indian cuisine, it’s either hit or miss. For me, it’s a definite hit. There’s a Little India by my school, so I sometimes go down and sample some of the food there — yum! Indian tea is also pretty great, and they have some of the best black teas in the world. I’d definitely like to visit sometime.
I love chai, chutney, and raita. Also potatoes cooked in garam massala and paneer with spinach. I used to love curried lamb, but now I don’t eat mammals anymore.
I would love to try these perfumes!
Hot Clay Oven is an Indian Fusion restaurant in the Financial District in New York City. I usually find my way there once a week to have a Rice Bowl with Malai Chicken. It is not spicy at all (my kind of food!) but it is very tasty and fulfilling.
Thank you for the drawing.
Oh wow – this is an amazing giveaway!
I’ve never been to India, but one of my favorite associations has to be this beautifully scented sandalwood fan that my mother used to carry in her purse when I was a small child, no doubt a gift. I love Indian food and work alongside many colleagues and friends who are from Inda. It would be a fantastic place to visit, if I can time the season right. Sadly, I have low tolerance for high heat and humidity….
I usually order chicken makhani, but I love most dishes with that kind of creamy, yogurt sauces. And garlic and onion naan. nom nom nom.
I love vegetarian dishes so I LOOOOVE Indian food. I need to try more but I do love Indian potato dishes like Aloo Ghobi. A potato/califlower dish.
I work with several Indians and they often share home cooked goodies and tell stories about home. When we go out for lunch, they always order for us and its the best dishes in the place. I also recently discovered that One of my new work friends is also a budding perfumista! Thanks for the draw! Ive been wanting to try these.
My favorite Indian food is kheer. And basmati rice. And butter chicken. And pakoras…..oh heck pretty much about everything!!
I love all kinds of Indian food – sag paneer, chicken tikka, navratan korma – but my absolute favorite has to be kheer, the fragrant, creamy cold rice pudding, especially when it’s flavored with cardamom and saffron.
I had enjoyed reading about India even as a little girl, but I got hopelessly hooked on the place as a teenager, when I first read M.M. Kaye’s historical novels set during the 19th century in what is now Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India.
Thanks to the other posters for their book/author recommendations, too!
I would love any of these scents, they’ve been on my wish list for decants.
As for India, I’ve watched many travel shows and I think I’m most interested in Rajasthan.
As for food I always order Palookponeer.I love it!
And yoga!
thanks for the chance!
I love dahi vada. So delicious.
I love the novels of Amitive Gosh, Rohinton Mistry, and Manil Suri.
I would love to see Northern India. My sister’s 3rd husband was from Dehli and he was the most amazing cook.
I love samosas, naan, and just about all the other Indian food I have tried as long as it is not too spicy-hot (my husband laughs at me about that!) I also was quite interested in ancient Indian religions in college. Thank you for the draw!
My richest exposure to Indian culture was on Devon Avenue in Chicago. Wonderful food and amazing window shopping for saris and the like. I sure do miss it. Thanks for the wonderful draw!
If I could eat rasmalai every day, I would know I was in heaven.
Thanks for the draw!
I am addicted to the crispy goodness of Masala Dosas (crispy indian crepes filled with aromatic potatoes), would kill for a cup of chai tea and I do so adore gulab jamun(little round donuts soaked in a sweet sugary syrup)…yummy!
I’m wearing Amouage Memoir Woman in 106 F degrees weather today- which goes really well with warm dry weather by complimenting my day dreams of walking around shopping bazaars in an exotic local such as Northern India! Thanks Robin for a great summer topic and the chance to win!
My favorite Indian perfume is a locally made attar called Muhamaria that brides wear on their wedding day.Saffron jasmine oud and sandalwood-delicious! Thanks for the draw!
I have great memories from a vacation in Goa years ago. I would love to go there again some day!
Okay, I love the colors used in Indian textiles, art, and food. The colors! Fingers crossed, these fragrances are supposed to be great.
I’d love to meet Taj Mahal, the Ganges, and those markets full of crazy and smart monkeys.
I’ve always wanted to visit Kerala. Some good friends of my grandparents are from there and it sounds beautiful. I’m getting hungry from reading all the comments about food!
Indian food: anything with lamb!
Oh, now I’m hungry. Chicken tikka with fresh garlic naan. Mango lassa. Coconut chutney sounds amazing.
My favorite Indian perfume must be Trayee. I am rationing my sample and saving for a full bottle. The others are also beautiful but Trayee sings to me.
I made red lentil dahl for the first time ever yesterday. I thought I followed the recipe correctly, but it turned out I used cardamom when I should have used coriander. Oh, well, it tasted OK anyway.
Favorite Indian food? Must you make me choose? Here in Austin we have such great Indian food. I guess I’ll be boring and say saag paneer, which I do love dearly.
Wow, thanks for the great draw! I live in the U.S. and you may use the e-mail address you have on file for me.
I love Indian food – chicken Makhani (butter chicken) is a favorite, and who doesn’t love naan? My very favorite thing is mango lassi, or anything mango for that matter , so I really want to try that Bombay Bling! 🙂
These scents sound so delightful. Thank you for the giveaway.
My favorite Indian food is Chai tea. I love the taste and scent of it. Yummmm!!!
I have not yet visited India, but flying to Pakistan tomorrow! South Indian food is particularly wonderful, it’s hard to go too wrong with coconut…
I am an Indian expat living in Melbourne, Australia. What I miss the most about India is the people and how community-oriented the society is. You never feel lonely in India! Hope I win this so it brings back memories of India! *fingers crossed*
Oh yeah, I love chai tea, too. But I was going to say yoga. I hope to study Ashtanga yoga in India within the next few years.
I love the spices used in Indian cooking. I’d love to visit a spice market if I ever get a chance to go to India one day.
One of my favorite aspects of Indian culture is…um…Fardeen Khan. Gorgeous actor! An Indian friend and co-worker recently wed and that was a spectacular wedding. The Baraat, a pre-wedding procession where the groom in his finery rides a white horse, and everyone accompanies him in a celebratory fashion, looked exciting.
Thanks for the terrific draw!
Indian food!I love chicken tikka and naan. Chai tea would be a close second for favorite indian food.
any and all indian vegetarian food!!! (or kosher meat and chicken dishes)
i absolutely need and want these three NV creations….pleeeeez!, as much as I need and want indian food :-)))
The 3 nut curry – offered by my favourite Indian restaurant ‘Karma’. Its made with cashew nut, butternut and coconut. If there were no other diners I would lick the bowel out!
The colorful saris women wear, and the spices…
I don’t know the name of the dish, but it is a mixture of potatoes, peas, carrots and a few other vegetables, with a dry sauce that is difficult to describe…….spicy, with fenugreek and curry leaves, and I have no idea what other spices! But it is aromatic and unusual and I was delighted when I accidentally ordered it one evening!
I love nag champa incense, also most indian food!
What a treat to have an international draw – and such a good one too. Thanks Robin. I haven’t been to India, but one of my favourite books is “A Fine Balance”, by Rohinton Mistry. It’s set in India during the time of the Emergency. The characters, and the twists and turns of their lives, are unforgettable. I found the book quite disturbing, since many of the events are hard to read about, but I still think about it, even though I read it years ago.
Absolutely love the naan roti. Would love to visit Taj Mahal someday.
Indian curry of any sorts is always my favorite even though I’m not an Indian. And I must admit I did fancy an Indian girl when I was in uni, but subsequently found out that she’d only consider fellow Indian guys. Well…anyway..
Love curry and chai tea. Never been to India, but sounds like quite an adventure. Fragrances sound great as my favorites tend to be spicy and warm. Thanks for the draw.
I would love to be entered in the draw!
I have always wanted to go to India. My favorite scent that, in my mind, conjures up this place is the discontinued Diptyque scent, L’Autre.
Now I’m hungry just thinking about Indian food! I love saag paneer and chicken tikka in particular, but in general love it all!
Thanks for the draw Robin!
Indian food is my favorite food on earth! I could eat curry every day (though content myself with a few times a week).
I also love Neela, and would be ecstatic with this discovery set 🙂
My favorite Indian food is the dessert galub jamun (hope I spelled that right). Thanks for the drawing!
Awesome giveaway! What I like best is the saag. Why doesn’t my spinach ever taste as good?
“Devanagari”, the name of the Sanskrit and Hindi script, means “writing of the City of the Gods”.
The Neela perfumes sound wonderful.
… It is about one of the loveliest books I have read until now: “In light of India” by Octavio Paz. Even if India is not one of your interests to read about, reading this, you dive in a world of colors, smells, tastes and experiences, which Octavio Paz describes with unique sense. The writer first visited India in 1951 as a diplomat, and again in 1962 as the Mexican ambassador. During his remain in the country (until 1968) traveled through the country where he met interesting people -politicians, artists, writers but also everyday people, and was charmed by the beauty, the history and the culture.
louizkoul@gmail.com
Sandalwood! I was in Bangalore for a wedding, and among the gifts I received (that’s right, the guests leave with half a suitcase of gifts!) was an amazing sandalwood candle. I’ve been looking for a similar scent ever since…
I so love Neela’s perfumes. I plan to replace my black cashmere with Trayee. I have been to over 50 countries, but sadly, not to India. Yet. Thank you!!!
Great, now I feel hungry. Naan and raita, mmmm.
Thanks for the giveaway!
I’m of Indian origin and was born in Bombay, although I never lived there 🙂 I go back to India every year though, to visit family. My favourite Indian food is really anything my mother makes. Channa masala, rajma, dal fry, I’m eternally grateful that I can eat Indian food every day at home! And as for dessert, kulfi, which I make with soaked cashews instead of reduced milk, as I’m vegan, and flavour with saffron, rose, cardamom and pistachios. Even all my non-vegan relatives agree it’s better than the traditional version 🙂
I haven’t been to India – maybe one day. I love… no LOVE Indian food. And drinks. In any Indian restaurant where I eat I order chai if they serve it.
Hm… Where am I eating tonight? 😉
I love Indian curries, the “boring” saag paneer with flavorful jasmine rice and lots of naan. Just had dinner but the thought of aromatic Indian food makes me feel hungry already!
Thanks for the draw.
Thank you for the draw! My favorite Indian cookbook is Dakshin: Vegetarian Cuisine from South Indian, which focuses on food from the Tamil Nadu region. As for particular dishes, I swear by tomato rasam to chase off summer colds, and there are few things I love more in chilly weather than a good sambar with rice and pappadum.
Thanks for the draw Robin!
One of my facebook friends, who is also a photographer, is in India right now, and I’m looking at his pictures of cloth shops – or maybe there are sari shops – and just love all this colorfulness.
I was raised in Soviet Union, and remember as in the time of almost empty shops with ugly clothes sometimes there was a sudden arrival of imported indian clothes in some department store, and my mother would came home (after spending some hour or two staying in the long long line) saying “I’ve bought you an indian skirt!” or “an indian shirt”, and they’re always were pretty and made of fine cotton.
You can use my email address for sure 🙂
A dinner of chicken korma and garlic nan is my idea of bliss…particularly if I’m watching something with Hrithik Roshan and/or Aishwarya Rai while eating it!
(And you may definitely use my email address…particularly if you’re doing so to tell me I won!!)
I would LOVE to visit India someday. In the meantime, the absolutely amazing Indian-style pizza from this adorable little place in the Mission District of San Francisco called Zante’s is my consolation prize. 🙂
Permission to use my email address granted – and thank you for the giveaway! 🙂
I am automatically attracted to perfumes and scents that are Indian or India-inspired.. I love dense, musky orientals and there’s usually a good dose in those!
You have permission to use my email, and as always.. thank you!
My favorite Indian thing is Darjeeling tea… the ‘champagne of teas’!
You have my permission to use any of my contact info 🙂
Favourite indian foods: samosas and pakoras, papadum and naan, rice pudding, and on a healthier note, aloo ghobi.
Other Indian loves: the exquisite fabrics used for saris, authors of the Indian diaspora such as Bharati Mukerjee (Jasmine) and Rohinton Mistry (A Fine Balance).
Favourite perfumes with at least names inspired by India: Shalimar and Samsara.
Thanks for the generous draw opportunity.
I’ll be going to India in a few months – to Calcutta (Kolkata), where my husband’s family lives! My favorite things about India: 1. how lively and festive life is there – never a dull moment, and always a chance to celebrate something! 2. how close friends and family are there. no one is every lonely. 3. getting to wear saris. 4. bollywood dancing! 5. I have many many more but I’ll end here 🙂
Robin, thank you for this! (*rubs hands in glee*)
I adore Indian food – being vegetarian, it is one cuisine that never disappoints. Hands down the best Indian I ever had was a generously portioned thali in a little, very empty restaurant in Belfast, and the baingan bharta (a smokey, spicy eggplant dish) in a Tibetan-Indian restaurant in Toronto.
I studied abroad in India during college and have so many memories of my time there. I do recall a beautiful sambac jasmine oil I bought there as well as the best musk incense I ever smelled. My favorite places were Udaipur and Hampi. So much spirit and magic in that country.
I am very curious about these scents… Thank you for holding this contest!
I live in the U.S. and you are more than welcome to use my email address.
I love Indian food and my favorite Indian actor is Shahrukh Khan, especially in “My Name is Khan”. Thanks for the draw. You have my permission to use the email address in my reader account to contact me if I win.
The best Indian food to be had is at my friends’ house. Pam and Bikram always feed me well.
True story- after a hurricane knocked out the power in the Ft. Lauderdale area, I stayed at their house for a few days. Daughter Simran complains “But I want tandoori chicken!”, us “That’s what a hurricane means sweetheart, no tandoori, eat your PB&J sandwich”.
I ve never been in India and not sure if I ever will get there. But I have one Indian FB friend. It is always interesting to share with him some information about India. I remember documentary movie Calcutta that is must-see for all people interested in knowing an Indian society and its rhytm. Thanks. You have my permission to use the email address in my reader account to contact me if I win.
I’m in love with the sari,it’s so feminine and they come in such vibrant colors. My dream is to visit India wearing a sari, I hope it will come true one day.