Experiencing An Urban Village At Surajgarh...

With rapid urbanization and the intrusion of technology more or less into our daily lives, we have become screen slaves 24x7. Add to it the woes of work-life balance and you'll have little or absolutely no personal space left.

Now, more than ever, cities have become concrete jungles in the true sense and there is the need for a relaxing escapade from the daily grind. One such escapade with the interesting concept of ‘Urban Village’ - Surajgarh Gurugram - was inaugurated a couple of days back.

Situated on the Golf Course Extension, Gurugram, Surajgarh is spread across a magnanimous area of over fifteen acres, and this heritage village has now been proclaimed open to the general public.

The launch of this unique ‘Village in City’ was attended by the media and residents of Gurugram, Delhi, and Noida. Located in the heart of the city, next to the lush green Golf Course, Surajgarh Gurugram offers an unparalleled glimpse at heritage, traditional Indian delicacies, mesmerizing village beauty, alluring garden areas, soothing fresh air, adventure sports activities and much more for the city dwellers, tourists, and explorers at large.

An amalgamation of cultures of Haryana and Rajasthan reflects in the architecture, rural vehicles at the doorstep and the cordial folk welcome at Surajgarh Gurugram, and brings forth the real forts and villages of India, enriching the quality leisure time spent with family and friends.

The lively and cheerful ambiance of Surajgarh Gurugram is synonymous to a perfect outing destination which is situated just a short drive away from the hassle of a fast-paced life and perilous pollution, adjoining the beautiful golf course of Gurugram.

The major highlights of the opening ceremony included the exquisite folk dance showcased by Rajasthani artistes and beautiful handcrafted decoration by the rural artists beautifying the walls.

Apart from that, there was also puppetry, games, obstacle course, camel and horse rides, and a meal at the in-house Khaan-Paan to enjoy. A breathtaking view of the Aravali hills also complemented the leisurely experience.

 At Khaan-Paan, village style food is slow-cooked on mud baked stoves in the traditional manner by the ladies of Rajasthan.

There is also an ornate brick-walled well to soak in the village belle experience and a duck pond, rabbits, goats, and birds to appreciate being carefree.

On the occasion of the launch, Mr. Anil Yadav, Director, Surajgarh Gurugram, had this to say.

“We are proud to bring India’s picturesque villages and the heart of our colorful nation to Gurugram. Our motive is to preserve and showcase the passive village life in the era of rapid urbanization. Today, when people are reaching farthest corners of the country in search of calm and serene villages, peaceful rural life experiences and a soul-satisfying journey, Surajgarh has brought the fusion of real Indian heritage villages of Rajasthan and Haryana in the mid of the metro city for all those who want a short break from their busy lifestyles and want to enjoy the vibrant culture of ethnic Indian life.”

All in all, a visit to Surajgarh Gurugram ensures a vivid and memorable experience for all patrons. :)

Zip-lining At The Grand Venice...

The Grand Venice Mall is India’s first Venetian theme based mall located in Delhi-NCR, that brings to life a perfect blend of magic, mystery, romance with the architecture of Venice, launched a first-of-its-kind Zipline ride inside a mall and North India’s largest Trampoline Adventure Park this week. 

Apart from the fact that the mall houses a Venice-style water canal right in the middle of its premises where visitors can enjoy a Gondola ride, and the gondolier gives you a nice chitchat about the beautifully built sculptures and installations around like the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Belltower, and other artworks, The Grand Venice has opened doors to people of all ages with the most entertaining, adventurous, and exciting activities. Loaded with recreational attractions, the Trampoline Park presents an unmatched range of games and the Zipline Ride offers a superlative experience for the adventure junkies. 

The highlight of 'Mastiii Zone' is the zip line ride - essentially ziplining provides a unique experience during which you fly down a series of ultra-strong steel cables, attached by a harness and pulley. At Grand Venice, there will be two types of Zipline rides - Zipline & Flying Fox. 

The total length of the ride is 250 meters and it will take three minutes to complete a ride. This is fixed at the height of 80 ft inside the mall and a maximum of five people can take the ride at the same time. The ride is certified for safety and has a three-line safety measure. 

The Trampoline Adventure Park spread in an area of 40,000.sqft. has also been unveiled in the same breath. In this Park, there is more than just Trampolines. Visitors can de-stress with Basketball, Jumping The Pit, bowling and speed running, suitable for people of all age groups. 

Talking about the launch Mr. Satinder Singh Bhasin, Founder, The Grand Venice Mall said, 

“We are thrilled to unveil Zipline Rides and Trampoline Adventure Park in our mall. It has something on offer for everybody! From toddlers to grandparents, we have entertainment options in Trampoline Park that span generations and bring people together. Trampoline Park is an international concept. People in the USA go to these parks to bust their stress. 

The colossal increase in the number of people visiting us has encouraged us to do better and better. We constantly try to provide wholesome family entertainment apart from best of shopping experience to all our customers. Will all these features, today, Grand Venice is not just a Mall but a tourist destination for all age groups. You have activities, fun games, adventure games and rides, 7D projection, House of Dead and multiple activities for one and all. 

We are making sure that consumers get the best experience with ease. Expect a never-ending series of horizon-broadening experience for your entertainment only at the mall along with shopping & food. We want to give our customers the World class experience in our Mall. 

I remember the first time I saw Zip Line Rides in Las Vegas and I thought we should have such adventurous rides In India and now we have it here in our Mall. Not only that, for birthday parties, anniversary parties, school trips, corporate parties and kitty parties, The Grand Venice Mall has the best offers and packages for complete entertainment of one and all.” 

On the whole, The Grand Venice Mall is surely a wholesome recreation hotspot for Noida folks, more so given the launch of these fun rides now. 

Leisure Gaming With Reycreo...

Reycreo, a platform geared to facilitate game discovery and adoption in frontier markets, has been launched recently by U2opia . Reycreo is a Spanish word meaning playground, and thus it has been introduced as a pool of easy-to-play games meant to cater to people of all ages.

Gamers at Reycreo have a provision to immerse themselves into an all – you – can – play offering of over five hundred browser-based bite-size games. This also serves as a simplification to the gaming world wherein the provision to play is available on a single platform on any device.

All the games listed on Reycreo are played online on their website. The platform covers a wide range of categories namely Action, Arcade, Adventure, Puzzles, and Logic. Users can play all the games on any browser anytime without downloading.

A wide range of games can be played on any device, anywhere, any number of times. With multiple language support, time can easily be idled away, provided one has access to mobile data or Wi-Fi connection.

Reycreo is a global platform with audience in South Africa, India, Malaysia, Cameroon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Ivory Coast, Nigeria, Indonesia, Bissau and Kenya. The mobile gaming market has huge potential in the frontier markets.

By 2020, the mobile gaming industry in next three years may grow up to 60%, as per suggestive trends. U2opia is actively signing up strategic partners to introduce downloadable premium games with a specific focus on localized gaming content along with global favorites.

Games listed on Reycreo are HTML5 games, thus promising low data consumption and compatibility with both smart phones and feature phones.

A number of games like Chess, Billiards, Carrom, and Table Tennis were available at the launch for patrons to enjoy as well.

Sumesh Menon, Co-Founder and MD, U2opia Mobile, on the occasion of the launch said,

“With Reycreo, our ambitions are to handhold first-time gamers through the exciting myriad world of game content. We are cognizant of challenges of high-speed bandwidth, handset compatibility and access to payment channels that are in some ways curtailing rapid game adoption. Reycreo is working towards solving for these systematically.”

On the whole, Reycreo emerges as a promising platform for gamers in India, providing an unprecedented variety and an economical price point. 

That's One Delicious Classroom...

Do you recall sneaking in on hunger pangs in the classroom to finish that tiffin before the recess bell? Well, school time brings back a lot of memories and is a synonym for nostalgia. And at The Classroom in Sector 29 Market, it is all about nostalgia paired with culinary goodness.

The Classroom is a school-themed restaurant and brewery spread across four floors and a rooftop. At the entrance, we have the Assembly, followed by a Nursery, KG, and High School on subsequent floors.

A fun fact that the Bar is christened 'रामू काका की Canteen' and the brew tanks run all the way down to the Basement.

The Classroom has also partnered with Comedy Munch for stand-up comedy sessions and the ground floor functions as a co-working space too.

There's also a Play Station on the first floor, with board games, dart board, billiards, and swings. There are lamps made out of books, tables that elicit the English alphabet, and walls that have school-going kids and schoolish terms illustrated.

The menu is also designed like a notebook with intentional spelling mistakes highlighted in red. It's a multi-cuisine spread so patrons are spoilt for choice.

Here's what would be some of the nice dishes to try when at The Classroom...

Beverages: 

Rosy Mam (Ma'am) was a sweet and sour mix of pomegranate seeds topped with rosemary.

Games Period was a flavorful concoction of berries which was tangy on the palate.

Outstanding Kick was just so, with a kick of ginger topped with Cola.

Strawberry Shake was well-prepared, thick and smooth on the palate.

Appetizers: 

Palak Patta Chaat was crisp, bright green spinach leaves with a layering of yogurt, pomegranate, tamarind, and Sev.

Veg Biryani Arancini was served with lettuce, peanut dip, and tomato relish. The rice filling was spot on.

Classroom Maska Chicken (C.M.C) is their signature dish and was a nice winner.

Paper Baked River Sole was served with herbed potato mash, grilled veggies, and the fish was melt-in-mouth.

Main Course: 

Vilayati Pizza is one of the popular pizzas at The Classroom with all-veg toppings.

Mushroom Risotto was creamy and flavorful, with tidbits of the edible fungi.

Sliced Vietnamese Basa with Fried Rice was well-prepared, with the rice complementing the curry.

Desserts: 

Death By Chocolate was Dessert of the Day i.e. Molten Lava Cake with ice cream.

Haji Ali Fruit Cream was done with apple, cherries, and pomegranate.

All in all, The Classroom comes across as a good bet for reliving school memories by means of delicious dishes, with friends. :)