fatimagarg

Shopping is the next favourite thing in Hyderabad after devouring the city's special biriyani and scrumptious cuisine. Here, you can shop to your heart's content from different bazaars which sell myriad items ranging from jewellery to home décor. All you need is a Delhi to Hyderabad flight to visit the city and shop for exquisite souvenirs. Here are the top unique things that you can purchase on your next trip to Hyderabad:   Pearls You might think that pearls are found everywhere. So, what's unique about those found in Hyderabad? Well, it is known as the City of Pearls for a reason. Long ago, the Nizams commanded the traders to bring pearls, mainly from the Arabian Gulf. Today, Hyderabad is famous for not only white pearls but also black, pink, Basra, and rice pearls. Besides simple pearl jewellery, you can find pearls incorporated with other valuable stones in vaddenam (waist belt), hath phool (for the wrist and the fingers), chatai (rings, earrings, and a mat-type chain), rassi (a chain set that looks like a rope), chokers, chand bali (moon-shaped earrings), Tanmani, lacchas, satlads, Kundan sets, and bracelets. You can find lovely pearl jewellery in Charminar Bazaar and Patther Gatti Street pearl shops.  Bidriware This is a unique metalcraft found in Hyderabad. Therefore, it's a must to bag some Bidriware articles after you deboard your Delhi to Hyderabad flight. Bidriware has an intricate 8-stage manufacturing process and originated in Persia. Made from an alloy of zinc and copper, some popular Bidriware artifacts are jewellery boxes, hookahs, candle stands, plates, bowls, ashtrays, and vases. Leaves, flowers, and geometrical designs are commonly featured on them. You can find these artifacts, particularly in Begum Bazaar, Afzal Gunj.  Banjara Embroidery The name of the embroidery is derived from the Banjara group that creates it. You can find Banjara embroidery in pouches, purses, bags, quilts, pillow covers, cushion covers, wall hangings, and letter holders. Being the most vibrant tribe in India, Banjaras reflect their lifestyle and culture through this artwork. Mirrors, shells, beads, and colourful threads are used to make various geometric designs like triangles, squares, and diamonds. You can get Banjara works at the handicraft shops in Laad Bazaar.  Nirmal Paintings and Toys They derive their name from the town of their origin, Nirmal in Telengana. The 14th-century craftsmen of the town are believed to create these paintings. They feature pictures of dancers, nature, and even scenes from the Mahabharata and the Ramayana painted using organic colours from minerals, gum, vegetable dyes, and herbs.  Also called 'Ponki Chekka', Nirmal toys are created using glue, wood, and 'chinta lappam'. The latter is made with boiled tamarind seeds and sawdust followed by a coat of white clay. The craftsmen who produce these toys, also make other articles like boxes, jewellery, plaque, and furniture. You can find Nirmal crafts at the Nirmal Toys Emporium and stores like Golconda Handicrafts in Hyderabad.  You can also shop for Lac bangles, Khada dupattas, Pochampally sarees, silver filigree, and ittar (perfume) as souvenirs to take back home on your Hyderabad to Delhi flight.

We all agree that some of the most irresistible foods are offered by roadside vendors. These are in large varieties with authentic local tastes. Indians are quite fond of street food since they are quickly available, affordable, and incredibly tempting! Chennai, especially, has lots more to offer than just idli, uttapam, and dosa. The vibrant South Indian culture is reflected in the diverse food palate which makes it a foodie’s paradise. There are countless push carts and kiosks at every nook and corner of the city. The dishes here are a great blend of spices and condiments. If you have an upcoming Port Blair to Chennai flight, take some time out to relish the below-mentioned savouries. 1.     Bhajji This is similar to ‘pakoda' which is popular in many parts of the country. They are stuffed with a mix of chopped onions, chillies, coriander leaves, salt, and lemon juice. Get them freshly fried and enjoy them with tangy green and red chutney. Soft and crispy bhajjis on a rainy day are a match made in heaven! You can combine them with tea for a wholesome meal. 2.     Sundal It is a simple delicacy that will leave you wanting more! Boiled chickpeas are mixed with herbs, spices, raw mangoes, asafoetida, and onions and garnished with shredded coconuts. These are typically found near beaches and are highly appetising. They have successfully stood the test of time and are one of the most popular Chennai Street foods. 3.     Puttu Rice grounded, steamed, and shaped in a cylindrical-shaped vessel is called Puttu. It is thoroughly tossed in brown sugar and ghee for the ultimate burst of flavours. This is then sprinkled with crushed coconuts and served hot with palm sugar. Locals usually prefer this as breakfast for a scrumptious start to their day. You may pair Puttu with fish curry too to give a non-vegetarian touch to the meal. 4.     Kuzhi Paniyaram Locally known as Paddu, this is available in both sweet and savoury versions. But it tastes best with sauteed onions and green chillies. Kuzhi is made from black lentils and rice batter. The preparation process is similar to that of idlis. You can pack a few before boarding your Chennai to Portblair flight for your loved ones. Stay worry-free since these can be preserved on long trips easily without the risks of staleness. 5.     Appam Fluffy in the centre and crisp on the edge- a good Appam tastes subtly sweet. It is mainly a bowl-shaped pancake from fermented rice batter and coconut milk. But this dish tastes well only when you eat it piping hot. You will be happy to know that this traditional South Indian food is laden with proteins, vitamins, probiotics, and healthy fat. But it is quite light and spongy that does not overload your stomach. Other iconic dishes to check out are murukku, vada, chaat, podi dosai, jigarthanda, Kothu parotta, and athouk. While the top airlines offer healthy foods on board, save some space in your tummy to be able to eat these lip-smacking street foods. Appam is fluffy and soft which makes them ideal for children.  

Buy now pay later is a promising digital payment method. India’s BNPL market is likely to rise from $3-3.5 billion in 2022 to $45-50 billion by 2026, with users expanding to 80-100 million. It is an instant, no-cost financing option that is incredibly useful for youngsters hard-pressed for money. You can stretch your payments over the next 90 or 180 days and clear the debt with low-cost or interest-free EMIs without worries. It has opened up a world of easy payment possibilities without making a large upfront one.   BNPL comes in handy when you need funds. However, it’s also essential to understand the risks involved. The good news is that there are easy ways to mitigate them. Knowing these beforehand can help you make an informed choice.  Late Fee Payment   Plan your monthly finances by keeping the EMI amount in mind. Else, it could become challenging to manage timely payments. The inability to pay EMIs on time can lead to late fees. Before using the BNPL facility, check the EMIs to ensure that you can comfortably pay the amount. Further, keep an eye on your cash outflows or online expenses so you can clear the dues without impacting your lifestyle.  Impact on CIBIL Score  A financial emergency can delay the EMI payment if you do not have adequate savings. In addition, not repaying the money on time can impact your CIBIL score, which can affect your ability to borrow loans in the future. So, every month, plan the EMI repayment first. It always helps to create an emergency fund. This way, you are less likely to miss EMI payments even if you have a sudden unexpected expense in the month.  Chances of Overspending   BNPL offers easy access to credit between ₹1,000 to ₹ 60,000. All you have to do is download the pay later app on your Android or Apple smartphone. This is quite an appealing offer, but you might spend more than you need to. This may lead to unaffordable EMIs, making it tougher to pay back. The best way out of this is to evaluate your needs and calculate the amount required.  Conclusion  BNPL is mainly used by Gen Z and Millennials, who prefer digital-first solutions. They are always happy to choose the fastest and most convenient option. BNPL falls under this category and can be highly beneficial if you’re disciplined about making timely repayments. This will ensure an interest-free credit facility to shop for your favourite products. While BNPL can be a great advantage, it is good to read the terms and conditions before using this payment method.

Are you about to book a flight ticket? If you want to have an economical booking and comfortable flying experience, you need to avoid certain mistakes when booking a flight ticket. Here are 5 such mistakes and how to rectify them:  Not Researching In-Flight Experience First It's best to research the in-flight experience under your preferred travel classes of a chosen airline before booking an air ticket. The best airlines offer pillows, blankets, and dining even in Economy Class flights. Therefore, you can have complete comfort within your budget and need not buy meals. The top airline also offers a 20% additional legroom under certain travel classes to up your comfort level. Look for these facilities to book a flight with an optimum in-flight experience.  Not Booking Online Booking a flight online saves time and effort. You need not stand in a long queue at the airport to wait for your turn. Everything happens just with internet access on your smartphone or computer. Plus you can keep getting flight updates now and then. Moreover, you can earn rewards and even choose a preferred seat. You also get the freedom to do a dummy booking and finalise it the next day after reviewing it.  Booking through a Third Party Website When booking online, if you visit a third-party website, you can't receive updates like delays and cancellations. Also, you won't receive the same coverage as you'd get from the airline if something happens to the flight. On top of that, you might need to pay extra fees for flight booking on the third-party site. Therefore, always try booking an air ticket directly on the official website of the chosen airline.    Ignoring Follow-Up Notifications Make sure to check the notifications related to your flight after booking it online and doing the web check-in. These follow-up notifications contain details of your e-ticket, e-boarding pass, and other important information. Read them carefully. Then download and print the required documents well in time.  Not Checking any Offers, Rewards, and Discounted Hotel Bookings If you have a membership under a good airline, you can receive reward points. Remember to redeem them for free while booking a flight ticket under the same airline. These rewards may include donating miles to another flight. Also, check out the airline's partnership with credit cards. If you book a flight using one of these credit cards, you may earn some Business class tickets yearly and multiple bonus CV points. Besides, look for the airline's partnership with any reputed company that offers attractive discounts on hotel bookings. So, say, before booking a flight to Goa, you can check out discounted bookings on top hotels in Goa and avail the same. Avail of all these benefits to save money on your air travel.  Remember one thing after booking an air ticket. Keep checking the availability of any other flights of the same airline on the same route. Top airlines allow you to catch an earlier flight scheduled for the same destination if you reach the airport early. Avail of such benefits to fly sooner.

ULIP plans or Unit Linked Investment Plans are investment cum insurance instruments that offer the dual benefit of protection and wealth creation. These are the perfect instruments to create wealth opportunities as well as secure the financial future of your family.   ULIP insurance plans offer these dual benefits by splitting up the premiums paid by the policyholder into protection and investment funds. The part of invested funds is done so in debt or equity funds that creates a long-term investment. ULIP plans are extremely beneficial to individuals seeking a life cover to protect their family in the future while also having an eye out for lucrative investment opportunities. How do they work?  When an individual buys a ULIP plan, part of the premiums paid are utilized as protection to ensure the policyholder while the rest of the amount is invested in shares and bonds. There are fund managers who manage the investment portfolio of policy owners, so they don't have to follow their investments every day.  ULIP insurance plans allow you to switch between different kinds of instruments like debts, equities, etc. This feature has contributed considerably to the success and popularity of ULIP plans. 5 major benefits of investing in ULIP   Being a mix of insurance and investment, a ULIP plan is perfect for those with a risk appetite as well as a desire to secure the future of their family under a single umbrella plan.  Following are the major benefits of buying a ULIP plan:  Dual benefits As aforementioned, ULIP Insurance plans are the best way to protect one's family and earn investment returns. The premiums paid by the policyholder are divided to provide insurance benefits to their dependents and investment in debt or equity instruments in the market. The investment portfolio allows the policy owner to fulfil their financial obligations in the long haul and create a versatile investment package. Flexibility  ULIP plans offer immense flexibility to the policyholder to choose from debt, equity or hybrid funds to invest in, based on their risk appetite and performance of these funds. ULIP funds offer a lot of flexibility to its policyholders, enabling them to switch between funds in total or partially between various market instruments without any extra cost or fee involved. For individuals who keep up with the market dynamics, this is an extremely beneficial feature. Most ULIP plans allow 2 or more switches annually.  Option for liquidation ULIP policyholders have an option to liquidate their policy upon the expiration of the lock-in period. Every ULIP plan has a minimum lock-in period of 3 to 5 years after which, the policy owner can withdraw funds partially or completely from the funds available. Upon a request for a complete withdrawal of funds, the accrued money will be credited to the discontinuance fund. At this point, the insurer will have to pay all the returns of investment to the insured person after subtracting the fee for fund management.  Long-term investment ULIP insurances are long-term investments, offering a life cover and creating income opportunities through investment in the stock market. The funds that are invested across different instruments gets compounded through the tenure of the plan. This makes the lump sum payout considerably more than the amount invested as premiums by the policyholder. For those who have long-term goals like buying a new property, marriage, etc., ULIP plans are the perfect choice for a safe yet reaping policy.    Tax benefits ULIP plans come with major tax benefits for the policyholder. The premium paid towards ULIP insurance plans are completely exempt from any tax under Section 80C of The Income Tax Act, 1961. Additionally, the pay-outs one receives as death or maturity benefits are also eligible for tax rebates under Section 10D of The Income Tax Act, 1961.  These were some of the benefits of ULIP insurance plans which gives more control to the policyholder to manage their investment portfolios while having the peace of mind of financial protection for their loved ones.