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If you're selling a home, you might worry whether you've over-improved your property. In other words, have you upgraded too much to recoup the cost?

If listing your home is in the foreseeable future, it's essential to know which improvements are most likely to pay off when you sell. Here are five home improvement projects known for holding their value.

Let's face it; the first thing we notice when we drive up to a house is its exterior. If the house looks like it was last painted during the Korean War, the lawn is overgrown, and the mailbox appears to have been run over by a moose, it's nearly impossible to see it as a potentially beautiful home.

According to HGTV, exterior improvements recover 90% to 100% of what you pay for them. That makes fresh paint, vinyl siding, an updated front entry, new deck, patio, porch addition, and landscaping safe home upgrades.

If you don't plan to sell for a few years, consider a charming addition like a fountain, lily pond, or stone-paved walkway. That way, you'll have time to enjoy it before putting the house on the market.

Seller tip: Safe and attractive stairs and railings make buyers feel secure and show you're a homeowner who focuses on upkeep.

Living space retains a fair share of value. For example, a family room addition offers an average return at resale of 83%. A basement remodel will recapture a little over 90%, and an attic bedroom conversion provides an average return of nearly 94%.

Seller tip: If you plan to convert an attic, consider adding a bath. Buyers will feel as though they're walking into a suite.

You know all those shows you've seen on television where they've totally gutted and rebuilt a kitchen and bath? If you want a healthy return on investment, you need to forget about those shows. The best return -- and we're talking 98.5% to 102% -- is on minor kitchen and bath remodels. A minor remodel is primarily cosmetic and doesn't rearrange your floor plan. In other words, you're not tearing out a tub so you can install a shower across the room or removing a wall in your kitchen and relocating cabinets. It's about reimagining how each space can look through cosmetic enhancements. For example:

Seller tip: Avoid upgrades that make your home the most expensive in the area. Most homebuyers would rather buy the least expensive home in a fantastic neighborhood than the most expensive property in a so-so neighborhood.

There's nothing particularly exciting about having replacement windows installed, but boy, can they pay for themselves. In some cities, the average homeowner recoups more than they spent on the windows. In others, you'll get close. Here's why: Living in a home with energy-efficient windows can cut down on your utility costs year-round. Even if you recover the average return at resale of 89.6%, you've practically paid for the windows.

Seller tip: Think of windows as an investment. They'll help you keep money in your bank account whether you sell or not.

If you have space and can add a new bathroom, you'll likely recapture around 86.4% of the cost when you sell. If you live in the home long enough to enjoy the extra bath yourself, that's a win/win.

Seller tip: The value is in having another bathroom. Only pay for upgrades like a rainforest shower, heated floors, or a towel-warming rack if you're buying them for your pleasure. Unless you live in a luxury home, you're unlikely to recoup the cost of luxury upgrades.

Ideally, the upgrades you make to your home will both give you enjoyment and make your home stand out from the crowd when it's time to sell. If you're not sure how to finance your home improvements, you have several options. Consider a cash-out refinance, where you refinance your existing mortgage, borrow more than your remaining balance, and get the difference in cash. A cash-out refinance is a good option if you have solid equity in your home plus a strong credit score. Borrowing against your home via a home equity loan or HELOC could also work, and that way, you don't need to apply for a brand-new mortgage.

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5 Home Improvement Projects With the Highest Return on Investment - Motley Fool

Bills left tackle Dion Dawkins has made 50 straight starts, fourth most in the NFL at his position.

The Buffalo Bills bet big on Dion Dawkins this offseason.

Although its been just 10 games since the team gave him a contract extension that could be worth up to $60 million over the next four years, its so far looking like money well spent by General Manager Brandon Beane.

Dawkins has now started 50 straight games at left tackle for the Bills, solidifying one of the offenses key positions. Hes also in his second year as a team captain, which is an honor voted on by his teammates.

Nothing has changed from him getting that deal, wide receiver Cole Beasley said. He still plays as if hes hungry to try and get another deal. He's been doing a good job for us. He's a very vocal guy when we're out there. He keeps us going in the huddle throughout the game, the highs and lows. It's good to have players like that.

Dawkins has been a mainstay at a time of significant shuffling up front. The Bills have used five different starting lineups along the offensive line this season, even though Dawkins and right tackle Daryl Williams have started every game.

Any time one of your brothers goes down ... it's hard, Dawkins said. As an offensive lineman, we have to play as one. Going through routines with the same guys, we kind of know what to expect. When somebody new comes in, it just changes that routine just a little bit. Nothing drastic, but just a little bit, and honestly in this world, just a little bit is kind of a lot. It's always hard, but it's nothing that can't be done. In this league, we know the injury rate is 100%. We deal with it as we go and handle it like pros.

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Dion Dawkins giving the Bills a solid return on investment - Buffalo News

The 16th Amendment to the German Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance entered into effect on October 28, 2020, the third step in the German governments efforts to tighten its foreign direct investment review regime in 2020.

Earlier this year, Germany took action in aggravating its foreign direct investment (FDI) screening regime. First, the German government amended the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinance (Auenwirtschaftsverordnung (AWV) in light of the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic by defining certain infectious diseaserelated businesses as critical infrastructures. Second, the German legislator updated the German Foreign Trade and Payments Act (Auenwirtschaftsgesetz (AWG)), incorporating in particular a consummation prohibition and a gun-jumping regime subject to criminal fines for acquisitions of certain particularly security-relevant businesses, and aligning the AWG with the EU FDI Screening Regulation, which became effective as of 11 October 2020.

The 16th Amendment to the AWV is mostly limited to making the necessary technical changes aligning the government ordinance, i.e., the AWV, with the law, i.e., the AWG. Other than expected and announced previously by the German government, the amendment does not expand the catalogue of critical infrastructures subject to FDI screening, leaving out, in particular, artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, biotechnology, and quantum technology.

These categories were left out of the ordinance in this round not due to changes in policy, but rather due to timing constraints the government faced from the necessary alignment with the EU FDI Screening Regulation, which became effective on October 11, 2020, and the consultation with public stakeholders on the introduction of these categories required under German law. Thus, it can still be expected that these sectors will be included in the next update of the AWV in 2021 once the relevant stakeholders have been consulted.

Once these sectors are included in the catalogue of critical infrastructures of the AWV, acquisitions of at least 10% of the shares or assets of a German-domiciled entity operating in these sectors by a non-EEA investor would be subject to a mandatory filing obligation. We will continue to monitor developments in this respect.

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Germany Further Aligns Foreign Direct Investment Screening Regime with EU Regulation - JD Supra

If youre going to buybitcoin BTCUSD, -2.06%, for heavens sake do it in your individual retirement account.

Im not saying you should or shouldnt buythe digital virtual currency, which is booming once again. Im just saying, if you do decide to buy it, as an investment or a trade, do it in your IRA or some other tax-sheltered account. (A growing number of these let you ownbitcoin).

That way you can ride the latest mania, maybe make a quick profitand not have to pay any tax when you cash out.

The IRS treatsbitcoinas property, meaning any gains you make outside of a sheltered account will count as ordinary income.

Bitcoinhas risen 70% since the start of October and is nearly at record highs. Its more than doubled in price in a year. Ah yes, the boom times are back. Thebitcoinfanatics are reappearing after their three year hibernation. Cryptocurrency experts will soon be cropping up on cable TV, if they arent already.

Traders riding this high risk bandwagon are making out like banditsfor now, anyway.

And then theres Thanksgiving.

It was Thanksgiving three years ago that sent the cryptocurrency mania into orbit. Relatives whod made money frombitcoinpassed on the news to other relatives over the turkey, and explained whatbitcoinwas and how it worked. The other relatives went home and joined in. Bingo.

Bitcointripled in about a month.

Could it happen again this time around? Sure. Why not? Nobody knows.

You could make a quick profit. There again, you could make a quick loss.

But if you want to play and keep down your risks, just play with the houses money.

Its an old Wall Street traders trick, explained to me by an investment analyst years ago early in the dot-com bubble.

Start by buying, say, $1,000 worth ofbitcoin(or $100, or $100,000, or whatever suits your budget). If it rises, and you start to show a profit, buy a bit more. Each time it rises, and your profit grows, buy a bit moreand a bit more

But do not buy if it starts falling. And cash out if it falls to a trigger point you set in advance, such as 20% from the peak price. Be willing to take a loss and walk away.

Ride the train while it keeps going. Just remember to get off before it hurtles over the cliff.

The disastrous end of the last crypto bubble was signaled quite clearly in advance: A front-page article in the New York Times Style section cheering on the bubble, entitled, Everyone Is Getting Hilariously Rich And Youre Not.

That was the peak of the market.Bitcointhen plunged 80%. Other cryptocurrencies collapsed even more.

You can set your watch by these things.

Bitcoinhas been around for over a decade now. Technologists and fanboys say that the software and design behind it is quite brilliant.

But of course that has nothing to do with investing.

Bitcoinis a largely useless asset. I am still waiting for a singlebitcoinfan or expert to explain to me whatbitcoinsare really useful for, other than money laundering. I already have my pick of other, legal currencies and gold. Its quick and easy these days to transfer money online.

Some suggestbitcoincould provide cheap banking services for the poor and unbanked around the world.Goat herders in Turkmenistan will keep their money in cryptocurrencies and manage it on their smartphones.

I will believe it when I see it.

I asked a crypto fanboy the other day what the legal utility ofbitcoinwas. Attestation, he replied. I asked him to explain what he meant, and he sent me a link to an online dictionary.

Attestation: A proof of concept. OK. Big deal. Why would that make it valuable?

Admittedly, cryptocurrencies are excellent for laundering money. If I was in the business of selling illegal drugs, evading taxes, supporting terrorists, or blackmailing local authorities and hospitals with computer viruses, I would love this stuff.

Meanwhile, remember thebitcoinmarket is effectively a Ponzi scheme. Old investors can get paid out only with money from new investors.No, its not the same with stocks and bonds. Bitcoinsgenerate no earnings of their own. They pay no coupons or dividends.

So you may buybitcoinat $18,000 hoping to sell it to someone else at, say, $20,000. Why would that person buy it from you? Theyd be hoping to sell it to someone else for, say, $25,000. And why would that person pay $25,000? Theyd be hoping

You get the picture.

Bitcoin, and the blockchain technology behind it, is apparently fabulous technology. But so what? Without a compelling application its just a very clever bit of tech, like the old joke about the inventor who comes up with an ingenious kitchen appliance that can scramble an egg inside the shell. Yes, its brilliant. But why do I want it?

If I werent writing aboutbitcoin, Id probably be trading it. Never let a bubble go to waste. So maybe you can make money (real money, measured in U.S. dollars or the equivalent). Its high risk. But good luck.

Just remember: Save yourself taxes and headaches by doing it in a tax-sheltered account, like an IRA. Oh, and watch out for the end of the track.

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Why the only place you should invest in bitcoin is in your IRA - MarketWatch

(Bloomberg) -- Some of the worlds biggest investors say its time to position portfolios for an end to the pandemic. That doesnt mean they agree on how best to do it.

One of JP Morgan Asset Management Inc.s recommendations is to buy beaten-down shares of travel companies, airlines and hotels. Fidelity International Ltd.s multi-asset team is increasing holdings in regions such as Europe that are badly hit by the virus, betting theyll get better. Franklin Templeton contends its still too early to move away from places like Asia that have better handled the crisis.

Even as all three firms look beyond surging cases and renewed lockdowns to the prospect of a vaccinated population achieving herd immunity sometime over the next two years, their at times divergent views on how to invest underscore the high stakes for money managers during what could be a pivotal moment for markets. Progress on Covid-19 vaccines this month has already triggered wild shifts in relative performance among industries, countries and stock-market investment styles.

Equity-sector rotation could dominate investor discussion in coming months, said Tai Hui, the chief Asia market strategist at JP Morgan Asset Management. We think investors can look to diversify their allocations to take advantage of potential good news on vaccine development.

Vaccinations in the U.S. will hopefully start in less than three weeks, Moncef Slaoui, the head of the federal governments program to accelerate a vaccine, said on CNN on Nov. 22. That came after Pfizer Inc. and its partner BioNTech SE, and Moderna Inc., said their virus shots are 95% effective. A vaccine developed by the University of Oxford and AstraZeneca Plc prevented a majority of people from getting the disease.

Vaccine Breakthroughs Put Covid Protection Within Reach

An index of global stocks has risen more than 4% since Nov. 9, the day Pfizer first indicated that its vaccine was more than 90% effective. The equity rally is extending even as investors consider hurdles such as ultra-low temperature storage and distribution for some vaccines. U.S. stocks hit fresh peaks on Tuesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average climbing above 30,000 for the first time. Global shares are poised for the best month ever while Asian equities are on track for best gains since 2009 this month.

Story continues

For Salman Ahmed, the London-based head of macro and strategic asset allocation at Fidelity International, its time to become positive on Europe. The firms multi-asset team has turned bullish on the region and thats a major shift, he said. Asia, according to Ahmed, has maximized the market benefits it can get from containing the virus.

Countries which are under a lot of pressure because of the virus stand to gain the most from a credible vaccine, he said. And Europe comes under that category because the virus has been pretty bad.

The shift is already afoot. A measure of European equities is up more than 7% since Nov. 9.

But not everyone is buying into such a rotation. For Stephen Dover, the head of equities at Franklin Templeton, there are still months at a minimum before any vaccine can be widely implemented, and that means Asian stocks are still the place to be.

Vaccine Endgame

Asia may benefit by being able to fully function economically while the West waits for full vaccinations, he said in an interview earlier this month.

Money managers also differ on when the vaccines will lead to a return to normal economies. For Dover, for example, thats most likely to happen in the second half of 2021. But Ross Cameron of Australian money manager Northcape Capital in Tokyo assesses that more than half the worlds population still wont be vaccinated by the end of 2023.

Our sense is markets are way too optimistic on the speed of a global vaccine rollout, Cameron said. It will take a lot of time and dollars.

Cameron said glove makers -- which hes been investing in for more than a decade -- are likely to be a big beneficiary of the virus shots.

Administering the vaccine will itself result in a spike in glove demand to protect the health professionals involved, he said. Glove demand is likely to remain elevated for at least the next two years.

Malaysias Top Glove Corp., the worlds biggest rubber-glove producer, has already more than quadrupled this year, despite slumping Tuesday after its workers caught the virus, forcing authorities to temporarily shutter 28 of its factories.

India, Indonesia

Vaccines working successfully will also benefit stock markets in India and Indonesia, according to Fidelitys Ahmed. India has the worlds second-highest virus caseload while Indonesia has recorded the most infections in Southeast Asia. While Indias benchmark equity gauge has posted a gain in 2020, the Jakarta Composite Index has lost more than 9%.

Evan McCulloch, director of equity research for Franklin Equity Group and the lead portfolio manager of the Franklin Biotechnology Discovery Fund, sums up how the fund managers, despite differences in their strategies, are generally looking beyond new waves of the virus and the return to lockdowns in many countries.

We are long-term investors, he said. We are looking through the rising case numbers and continued economic weakness towards a reopening of the economy enabled by the vaccine.

(Updates market performance in sixth paragraph)

For more articles like this, please visit us at bloomberg.com

Subscribe now to stay ahead with the most trusted business news source.

2020 Bloomberg L.P.

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Global Investing Giants Are Making Their Post-Covid Stock Bets - Yahoo Finance

As investors look to shore up their portfolios for the new year, one of the enduring themes to consider is the ever-growing popularity of environmental, social and governance (ESG) investing. ETF investors can keep riding that wave into with funds like the SPDR S&P 500 ESG ETF (EFIV).

EFIV seeks to provide investment results that, before fees and expenses, correspond generally to the total return performance of an index that provides exposure to securities that meet certain sustainability criteria (criteria related to environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors) while maintaining similar overall industry group weights as the S&P 500 Index.

In seeking to track the performance of the S&P 500 ESG Index (the index), the fund employs a sampling strategy, which means that it is not required to purchase all of the securities represented in the index. Overall, EFIV gives investors:

For the cost-conscious investor, getting exposure to ESG wont come at a high premium with EFIV. Access to the funds only requires a net expense ratio of 0.10%.

The pandemic may have put a stranglehold on the capital markets, especially back in March, but the ESG space was able to mute the effects of the downturn. As such, ESG has been one of the few bright spots in 2020 and should continue shining through to 2021.

Alex Dunnin describes the coronavirus pandemic as a grand real-time experiment on the effectiveness of environmental, social, and governance (ESG) investing, said a Financial Review article. And so far, investment managers who put their funds into companies which follow environmental, social and governance principles have outperformed non-ESG funds as sharemarkets were hit by the impact of the global pandemic, says Dunnin, executive director of research & compliance at finance sector research house Rainmaker.

The EGS sector has passed that test with flying colours, because as we go through this massive shake-up and turmoil, it turns out ESG is a pretty good investment solution for bad times as well as good, says Dunnin.

For more news and information, visitthe ESG Channel.

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ETFs with Heart...and Returns: ESG Investing into 2021 - ETF Trends

Whether it's due to fear of increased coronavirus lockdowns or concern about political volatility in Washington shaking the markets, some investors have increasingly been turning to safe-haven investments like gold. Others have focused on copper stocks as interest in infrastructure projects in the U.S. and China has increased.

With so many choices, what's a metals-minded investors to do? Here are three stocks worth considering: Pretium Resources (NYSE:PVG), Royal Gold (NASDAQ:RGLD), and Southern Copper (NYSE:SCCO).

Image source: Getty Images.

While the price of gold has skyrocketed 24% year to date, shares of Pretium Resources have only inched about 5% higher as of this writing as investors have feared that COVID-19 could hurt the operations at Brucejack in British Columbia, Canada, the company's sole mineral-producing asset. Pretium's stock currently trades at about 7.4 times operating cash flow.

Since the company only began to generate positive cash flow in 2017, it's impossible to compare its current valuation to a five year-average multiple. But it's worth noting that the stock trades at a discount to its 10.2 valuation for 2019.

Image source: Getty Images.

Although investors' concerns have stifled the stock's rise this year, Pretium seems poised to deliver on its 2020 guidance. After producing roughly 259,000 gold ounces in the first three quarters of the year, management is targeting production of about 86,000 ounces in Q4, positioning the company to achieve 2020 guidance of 325,000 to 365,000 ounces, comparable to the gold production of 354,000 ounces it achieved in 2019. That would certainly be a positive considering the challenges which COVID-19 have brought, but it would mean little if it came at an exorbitant cost.

This doesn't appear to be the case, though. Through the first three quarters of 2020, Pretium reported all-in sustaining costs (AISC) of $971 per gold ounce, and it's confident that it will ultimately achieve its 2020 AISC forecast of $960 to $1,120. For some context, Eldorado Gold and Equinox Gold, two peers based on market cap, forecast 2020 AISC per gold ounce of $900 and $1,000, respectively.

Similarly, Pretium has maintained its free cash flow (FCF) outlook for 2020. After generating FCF of $191 million in the first nine months of 2020, the company is confident that it will achieve its full-year FCF forecast: $205 million to $275 million. Should the company achieve the midpoint of its guidance, it would represent an impressive 30% gain over the $184 million that it reported in FCF for 2019.

For investors seeking exposure to mining stocks but who wish to mitigate the risk associated with investment in an individual mining company, Royal Gold, which, has ties to numerous mining companies, represents an excellent option. Unlike mining companies, Royal Gold is a royalty and streaming company.

Developing mining projects is capital-intensive, so mining companies don't always choose to pursue that course alone. Oftentimes, they turn to royalty and streaming companies, which provide up-front capital for the development of projects in exchange for the right to purchase the mined metal at a pre-set price or to receive a percentage of mineral production. By doing this, Royal Gold avoids the associated risks of developing individual projects while gaining the opportunity to prosper from their success.

Image source: Getty Images.

Investing in Royal Gold mitigates the risk of investing in a single company and offers diversity beyond one metal. While gold accounted for 79% of the company's 2020 revenue (its fiscal year ends in June), silver and copper each contributed 9% to the company's top line.

To address the strength of Royal Gold's portfolio and allay concerns over the pandemic, CEO William Heissenbuttel said on the company's fourth-quarter conference call in August: "In addition to a portfolio of 187 assets, 41 of which produced revenue of almost $500 million, our cash overhead remained low, representing about 4% of revenue. It is this combination of revenue diversification and high cash margins that should allow us to withstand the potential uncertainty of future COVID-19 impacts."

Royal Gold achieved annual records for revenue, operating cash flow, and net income in its fiscal 2020 despite the challenges of COVID-19.

Smashing analysts' estimate of $0.86 in first-quarter earnings per share, Royal Gold reported EPS of $1.63 in early November. Nonetheless, the stock is still on the discount rack. Whereas its five-year average operating cash flow multiple is 22.2, shares now trade with that multiple at 19.9.

If you're uninterested in precious metals, consider Southern Copper, a leading global copper producer. Over the past few months, the price of copper has been steadily gaining after plummeting in the spring, and on Nov. 20, it traded at its highest point over the past two years as demand grows in China.

In addition, news of COVID-19 vaccines and the promise of a return to normal that that sparks and messaging from President-elect Joe Biden supporting infrastructure projects have also spurred demand. And with shares of Southern Copper trading at 19.7 times operating cash flow, a bargain considering the five-year average multiple of 20.3, investors can pick up the stock at a discount.

Dividend investors may also be attracted to Southern Copper. The company announced in late October a dividend raise from $0.40 to $0.50 per share, putting the stock's forward dividend yield at 3.5%. Although this applied to shareholders of record as of Nov. 11, the recovering price of copper suggests that the company may report a strong fourth quarter, leaving it well positioned to maintain the $0.50 payout. And it has generated FCF of $1.7 billion over the past 12 months, more than the $1.2 billion that it generated in 2019.

Besides the Tia Maria project, located in Peru, which is estimated to achieve annual copper production of 120,000 metric tons when it commences operations, Southern Copper has a variety of other projects in its pipeline, including El Arco in Mexico and Los Chancas in Peru.

With some analysts forecasting gold to trade as high as $2,300 per ounce in 2021, Pretium Resources and Royal Gold are especially interesting at the moment. But even if gold maintains its current level, both stocks are still lustrous opportunities. Meanwhile, Southern Copper presents investors interested in base metals with an equally compelling option given how well it's been doing and the potential for increased demand.

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Looking to Invest in Mining Stocks? These 3 Could Be Great Buys. - The Motley Fool

A soldier from the Royal Anglian Regiment.

Leon Neal | Getty Images News | Getty Images

LONDON The U.K. has announced the biggest program of investment in British defense since the end of the Cold War.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday told the House of Commons, Britain's lower house of Parliament, that the government will spend an additional 16.5 billion ($21.8 billion) on defense over the next four years. The current budget of the U.K.'s Ministry of Defence is almost 41.5 billion.

"I have taken this decision in the teeth of the pandemic because the defence of the realm must come first," the prime minister said ahead of the announcement, in a statement on Wednesday evening.

"The international situation is more perilous and more intensely competitive than at any time since the Cold War and Britain must be true to our history and stand alongside our allies. To achieve this we need to upgrade our capabilities across the board."

Johnson said this was a chance "to end the era of retreat" and bolster the U.K.'s global influence.

The government said it expected the increased spending, which will go toward investing "in cutting-edge technology," positioning the U.K. "as a global leader in domains such as cyber and space and addressing weaknesses in our defence arsenal that cannot be allowed to continue."

The money will see further investment in military research and development, as well as new areas of defense. Johnson will announce the creation of a new agency dedicated to Artificial Intelligence, a new "National Cyber Force" to protect people from online harm and a new "'Space Command', capable of launching our first rocket in 2022," the government added.

The extra defense spending could create 10,000 extra jobs annually, according to the government. The announcement is on top of a pledge made by the ruling Conservative Party ahead of the 2019 election "to exceed the NATO target of spending 2 percent of GDP (gross domestic product) on defence and increase the budget by at least 0.5 percent above inflation every year of the new Parliament."

Extra spending would "cement the U.K.'s position as the largest defence spender in Europe and the second largest in NATO," it said.

The announcement comes after the Ministry of Defense has pressed for increased investment in recent years. Defense Minister Ben Wallace called the announcement "excellent news for (the Ministry of) Defence, and provides us with the financial certainty we need to modernise, plan for the future and adapt to the threats we face." The extra investment would also secure U.K. jobs and livelihoods, he added.

The government noted Wednesday that the threat from the U.K.'s adversaries has been "evolving since the Cold War" but did not outline who those adversaries are.

"Our traditional defence and deterrence capabilities remain vital, and our Armed Forces work every day to prevent terror reaching the U.K.'s shores. But our enemies are also operating in increasingly sophisticated ways, including in cyberspace, to further their own interests."

Read more here:
UK announces biggest military investment in 30 years - CNBC

In no other culture does faith play out in as colourful and traditional a fashion as in India. In our countrys places of worship, we find rich myths, ancient traditions, cultural touchstones and delicious food that are offered to the Gods and to humans. According to award-winning author and columnist Shoba Narayan, her newest book, Food and Faith: A Pilgrims Journey Through India (HarperCollins Publishers India) began as a food book before it morphed into one on faith.

Food & Faith explores this rich tapestry that is the hallmark of Indian culture. I was humbled and privileged to visit many temples and talk to priests and scholars. Through their stories and through my visits, I discovered how food and faith form a timeless and profound connection.

Hopping across the length and breadth of Indias many places of worship, Narayans new tome delves into the many ways food and belief are intertwined with our identities.

It is 11 am, and the granite floors and pillars offer cool respite from the heat outside. Devotees line up quietly, muttering prayers, hands clasped together fervently. It is a scene familiar to anyone who has visited a temple in India. Swishing saris, the smell of sandal and incense, topless Brahmin priests hurrying between idol and devotee, clanging bells, chanting men and women. For the faithful, Hindu temples inspire devotion, hope and a preternatural peace that descends in spite of the surrounding chaos, as if generations of muttered prayers have muted the soul into peaceful surrender.

The Krishna temple in Udupi is no different. It isnt very crowded on that June morning. My mother and I are pretty much left alone to pray in peace. We walk around the sanctum sanctorum many times and peer at the idol. No hustling priests, no crushing crowds, no furtive glances suggesting a small donation for closer access to the deity. It is just us in quiet communion with the lord.

In one corner, a group of ladies sit in a circle, singing Krishna songs and stringing garlands with lightning fingers. They have separated yellow marigolds from green tulsi leaves, jasmine from tuberose and each woman takes a flower or leaf to string together or alternately. Several string fragrant jasmine flowersJasminum sambac or what we call gundu-malli in South Indiain garlands. In the opposite corner, a visiting group spreads out their tanpuras and dholaks before commencing a spirited Krishna bhajan.

Near the temple tank, one of the hubs of activity, there are men in dhotis bathing, praying and performing rituals. One monk, clad in saffron robes, sits by himself, singing a bhajan that is remarkably soothing.

My mother and I sit leaning against the pillars, listening to bhajan mixing with folk song, breathing in incense mixing with the smells of jasmine and coconut, watching idly the run-off stream of milk and honey and holy water that is used to bathe the idol every morning. After a while, my mother repeats the phrase that countless others say after their communion with God.

Lets go eat.

Hinduism, like many great religions, is about feasting and fasting, praying and, it must be said, eating prasadam. The Udupi temple is part of the famed pilgrims triumvirate of Udupi-Sringeri- Dharmasthala, all of which serve very good food to thronging devotees. Udupis temple food is the best, the faithful tell me. We walk out and turn left to the feeding halls, my mother leading me with the expertise of having spent a lifetime visiting temples.

Indians are funny that way. The elderly in China play mah-jong. American senior citizens go on cruises and play golf. Europeans visit museums, tour wineries and dine at Michelin-star restaurants. Indian elders visit temples. Pilgrimages are a big part of their lives, as I see daily with my septuagenarian aunts and uncles, not to mention my mother. For her latest birthday, I offered my mother the choice between a two-week trip through Europe or a week through interior Maharashtra to visit one of the twelve jyotirlingam shrines to Lord Shiva. She chose Shiva over the Sistine Chapel.

Udupi is part of my mothers regular beat since the Mookambika Temple of Kollur (which happens to be our family deity) is in the same area. She has been visiting the temple twice annually for the past twenty years. En route to her devi, she usually stops to see Krishna.

So we hurry, mom and I, down the corridor, to the feeding area. The Brahmins are fed separately. Upstairs, my mother says.

I wince.

Let me just come right out and say it. Although I grew up in a devout Hindu family, I am uneasy about my religionabout all religions for that matterfor all the usual reasons. Faith gives solace, for sure, but it also inspires guilt. Religion brings people together, but also divides them. It gives peace and causes war; it hurts and heals. Since I come from a fairly traditional, devout, Tamil Brahmin family, I dont express my antipathy very much. Instead I disengage, to the extent that it is possible, in a religious family such as mine.

I follow my mother up the stairs to the separate area where we, as Brahmins, will be fed. What about in the eyes of God, all are equal?, I feel like asking my mother, but she is racing up the stairs.

The hall is huge, and people are sitting cross-legged on the floor. Young, good-looking boys exuding what my mother calls tejas, or radiance, stride through the hall carrying giant containers holding rice, rasam, vegetables, sweets and ghee. We take our places. Banana leaves are placed before us. Then a veritable feast with all the regional delicacies appears. There are spicy pakoras, sweet payasams, brinjal gojjus, jackfruit curry, several chutneys, kosambari salads and a mound of rice in the centre.

A priest walks down the corridor. With his fair skin and a bright red vermilion dot in the centre of his forehead, he looks resplendent in a purple silk dhoti. Behind him are a line of young ascetics. I stretch my upturned palm like the rest of the congregation. The chief priest pours a little holy water into my palm, which I assume is to wash my hand.

Drink it, my mother hisses.

So I do, wondering if the water is safe.

Govinda, says my neighbour, uttering one of the many names of Krishna, this one meaning the one who protects cows. Govinda, I repeat obediently.

Govinda is one of the names of Vishnu. The Vishnu names I know by heart are the twelve that my grandfather used to recite while doing his sandhya vandanam or evening prayer. They are: 1. Keshava: The one with long, matted locks. 2. Narayana: The one who gives refuge. 3. Madhava: The one who gives knowledge. 4. Govinda: The one who knows and cares for cows. 5. Vishnave: The protector in the Divine Trinity. 6. Madhusudhana: The killer of the demon Madhu.

7. Trivikrama: The one who lifted his legs so he could conquerthe three worldsheaven, earth and the underworld. 8. Vamana: An avatar of Vishnu. 9. Shridhara: The beautiful lord of love. 10. Rishikesha: The master of senses. 11. Padmanabha: The one whose navel is shaped like a lotus. 12. Damodhara: The one who had a cord tied around his waist as a child.

Each name has a story behind itof battles fought, demons subdued, benediction given, wisdom dispensed, compassion offered and devotees charmed.

The food is delicious. Barring the jackfruit curry, which must be an acquired taste, I polish it all up. Udupi is justly famous for its rasam, and this one doesnt disappointpiquant with a lovely spicy, lemony flavour. I take a second serving of the rasam, then a third.

A young boy comes and distributes Rs10 bills to all of us as dakshina or fee for eating the meal.

We end the meal as we began it: with holy water poured on our upturned palms.

After I returned from Udupi, I decided to do two things. Both involved denial. Once a fortnight, on Ekadashi (the eleventh day of the waxing and waning fortnight), I would fast. This meant not eating anything and drinking just water through the day. Oh, and napping a lot. I did this for a year regularly, and continue to do it intermittently.

The trick is to make religion an ally instead of rebelling against it. If fasting on Ekadashi gave me good karma, fine. But shedding a few pounds was a more immediate goal.

The second was to eat seasonally, which in todays world meant not eating certain foods, even though they were available in the supermarket because they were wrapped in polythene and were clearly imported from Thailand. Frankly, I am not sure of the benefits of seasonal eating. I am not even sure that the seasonal fruits and vegetables that I consciously choose taste better than the dragon fruit imported from Thailand, the New Zealand apples, Malta oranges or Washington cherries. But if such a practice is good enough for a community that gave rise to one of Hinduisms greatest philosophers and the creators of the iconic masala dosa, it is good enough for me.

So I persistedand still dowith my banana stems, young jackfruit, seasonal greens and tender peas, but only when they are in season, cheaply and abundantly available.

Let me see if this turns me into an enlightened soul. For now, Ill simply settle for a lightened body.

Extracted with permission from Food and Faith: A Pilgrims Journey Through India by Shoba Narayan published by HarperCollins Publishers India.

Continued here:

Hinduism, like many great religions, is about feasting and fasting, praying and eating prasadam - Cond Nast Traveller India

Former MP and Congress leader Vijayashanti, who is all set to join the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), questioned the selective silence of TRS on its friendship with MIM, particularly about MIM legislator Akbaruddin Owaisis comments on the Hindu community.

Municipal Minister K.T. Rama Rao has questioned why such hatred towards Muslims, referring to a party, but why is he not questioning his MIM friends on the unpalatable remarks made against Hindus by Mr. Owaisi, she asked in a statement here.

Why didnt Mr. KTR ask Mr. Owaisi why he hates Hindus so much, Ms. Vijayashanti asked while recalling Mr. Owaisis widely circulated statement that Muslims would bring Hindus to their population strength if they were given 15 minutes of freedom in the country. He made similar ridiculous comments on the Bhagyalakshmi temple under Charminar apart from insulting Hindus respect towards cows, she said.

The former MP pointed out that TRS leaders were very vocal about their friendship with the MIM but are now, trying to distance themselves from it for votes in the GHMC elections.

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KTR should also question Akbar on his hatred towards Hindus: Vijayashanti - The Hindu