Shikoba Nabajyotisaikia!

We often get reprimanded or punished if we do something wrong. But what if someone said so many good things to you to such an extent that you start feeling sorry and decide to be good thereafter?

That’s exactly what happens in this African tribe!

When someone does something harmful or wrong, the tribesmen take that person to the center of the village where the whole tribe comes and surrounds him. Then for two days, they will say to the person all the good things that he has done. The tribe believes that each human being comes into the world as a good human being. But sometimes, in pursuit of happiness and selfish motives, people make mistakes.

The community sees those mistakes as a cry for help to be good. The tribe unites to reconnect him with his true nature, to remind him who he really is, until he fully remembers the truth of which he had been temporarily disconnected and that is “I am good.” They chant the words “Shikoba Nabajyotisaikia”, NABAJYOTISAIKIA, is a compliment used in South Africa and means: “I respect you, I cherish you. You matter to me.” In response, people say SHIKOBA, which is: “So, I exist for you.” Now isn’t that wonderful?

Why Geese Fly in a “V” Formation

Geese are migratory birds. This means that during winters they fly really long distances. They fly to warmer countries in different continents. But flying takes a lot of energy. They have to keep flapping their wings for generating lift. All this flapping creates an updraft in the air currents around the bird's wingtips.  The “V” formation allows another bird to fly in the area of the air current of the first bird, thus ensuring that the second bird spends less energy.  Simply by locating itself slightly behind and above the first bird, flying long distances is made easier for it.

The concept is similar to cyclists riding behind one another in a bike race to save energy. For geese, spending less energy means flying longer distances. In fact, studies have found that they can increase their range by 70% on long migratory flights. When the lead bird gets tired, it drops back in formation. And another bird moves to the front.

Flying in the V formation also lets the birds keep in visual contact with one another so they're oriented in the right direction. That way, they don't crash into each other or get lost along the way.

Image Credit: tweentribune.com

Science is Fun

Let’s look at some common and not so common words we come across when studying science. You may want to pursue one of these as you grow.

• Behavioral ecologist: A scientist who studies animal behavior in a natural setting.
• Ecology: A branch of biology that deals with the relations of organisms to one another and to their physical surroundings. A scientist who works in this field is called an ecologist.
• Ornithology: The scientific study of birds. Experts who work in this field are known as ornithologists.
• Environmental chemistry: The scientific study of potentially toxic chemicals that may pollute the environment or food supply.  
• Physics: The scientific study of the nature and properties of matter and energy.
• A scientist who works in the field of physics is known as a physicist.

Super Cop from Assam

This is Sanjukta Parashar – the Superintendent of Police (SP) of Assam’s Jorhat District. She is one the few female IPS officers in Assam and a mother to a 2 year old son! She is also today the most feared name amongst militants in the state. 

When she took the UPSC exam, Sanjukta secured the 85th rank (All India) and could have opted for a comfortable desk job. With her Ph.D from Jawaharlal University and her two year old son, it she could have had a cushy career. Instead, she chose a harder path, fighting terror everyday. 

In 2008, she got her new job posting as Assistant Commandant of Makum. Within two hours of her joining the office, she was assigned to move to Udalguri urgently to prevent the situation in the area where ethnic clashes between the Bodo militants and illegal migrants from Bangladeshi had broken out. And since then she has been fighting terror both in the jungles as well as on the streets of Assam.

In May 2015, her team arrested militants responsible for lethal attacks on Army convoys. Along with militants who use the jungle as camouflage, there are also elements that are dangerous - a treacherous terrain with high humidity, sudden torrential rains that suddenly create chest high currents in the river and wild animals. 

And then there are the locals, who play informant to the militants, giving away troop movement information. Despite all this, she has shot down 16 militants and arrested 64 in the last few months, and recovered massive hauls of arms and ammunition. 

Now that’s what we call a Super Cop! Salutes to this fearless and brave lady!!

*Image Credit: indiatimes.com

Why do Roosters crow in the morning?

Cock-a-doodle-do!  Haven’t we heard this familiar sound by roosters at barnyards or villages? For ages, man has relied on the calling of these roosters to start his day. They worked like alarm clocks in olden days and that too with precision. Let’s look at some facts about this ‘ringtone’.

The timing of a roosters’ pre-dawn crowing is controlled by their internal body clock, called a “circadian” clock. It provides an internal sense of the local day-night cycle. So wherever they are, the cock will know it is dawn and give out the call. It is a part of the phenomenon called the ‘Dawn Choruses’, the natural burst of songs that erupts from many birds at daybreak.

Interestingly, the rooster doesn’t crow just to wake people up. It is believed that they shout out to claim charge of the territory.  The chicken world also follows a hierarchy. Usually, the top ranking male makes his first crow in the morning followed by the others. The rank is decided by the physical strength of the bird which he usually assumes after regular cock fights with other roosters. If this top ranking bird is removed from the group, the second ranked rooster will step up and start crowing. Louder the sound, greater the leader. Noisy, isn’t it?

Priest Makes Vatican Model from Lego

Reverend Bob Simon, a pastor at St. Catherine of Siena church in Moscow, Pennsylvania (USA); has made an amazing model of the Vatican from Lego blocks. He spent about 10 months constructing a mini St. Peter's Basilica out of a half-million Legos. His architectural feat includes a Lego Pope on a balcony overlooking the crowd in St. Peter's Square. The square is made up of about 44,000 Lego pieces. They resemble cobblestones.

A colorful cast of Lego characters populates the piazza. There is even a nun with a selfie stick. And a bespectacled figurine of Simon. In all, the display measures 14 feet by 6 feet and weighs about 45 kilos. To create the model, Simon used an image from a book cover as a guide. Besides that, he also watched a ton of Youtube videos for reference. 

At present, the model is on display at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, USA.

Image Credit: tweentribune.com

The Amazing Humming Bird

Have you seen a Humming bird flitting from flower to flower drinking sweet nectar from its long beak? Well, these birds have a long tongue that helps them lap up their meals. Till now, scientists believed that these tongues have thin capillaries through which nectar was believed to flow up by suction method. However, a new study suggests that this may not be the case and instead, the tongues of Humming birds consist of long and thin pumps.

Noted ornithologist Alejandro Rico-Guevara, of the University of Connecticut in Storrs has put forward his study on how the bird’s tongues work. Rico-Guevara and his team propose that the hummingbird tongue is like an elastic micro-pump. Their theory relies on the same tendency of water molecules to grip each other that lets water rise up an open tube. 

In a video show, the birds rarely dip open grooves into nectar. Instead, bird beaks squash the tongue and its grooves flat. When the tongue tip touches nectar, the grooves spring open. That pulls up a column of nectar as the grooves expand. This pulling, or pumping, slurps nectar faster. Hummingbirds do this tongue dipping fast. The tongue forks into fringed halves at the tip. Rico-Guevara says he has clocked 23 licks per second.

To make his own study of the grooves, Rico-Guevara went looking for birds with Kristiina Hurme. She studies bird behavior. The pair coaxed 18 hummingbird species in the forests to sip on camera. The videos showed that the birds’ tongue grooves mostly stayed closed when waiting for nectar. And when tongue met nectar, the fluid moved fast. Interesting way to eat, isn’t it?

Image credit: wikipedia

Rivers Join Hands

On 16^th September the Godavari and Krishna Rivers were formally linked at Ibrahimpatnam Ferry village in Andhra Pradesh.  By this link the waters from Godavari will be channelized towards Krishna River in the neighbouring Krishna district.  From here, water that will come to the Krishna River would be diverted to the parched Rayalaseema region. This will bring cheer to the farmers of the Krishna and Guntur districts in Andhra Pradesh. 

Godavari gets flooded every year and this excess water would go waste into the sea, whereas the delta region of Krishna faces shortage of water for irrigation during June and August. After successfully completing this link project, the government also plans to divert the excess waters to drought prone areas in the state.

Healthy Habits+ Healthy Body = Healthy Mind

The word HYGIENE comes from the Greek goddess of health named "Hygieia."

A healthy mind helps in achieving success in whatever you do. But this is possible only if your body is healthy and the body remains healthy through healthy habits and hygiene. Lets look at some basic hygiene that we can practice and lead a healthy life.

Washing your hands, semlling clean, brushing your teeth, cutting your nails etc are all common practises which you may or may not be aware of. However, there are many children who are not aware of proper toilet sanitation, which must be explained and demonstrated to them at an early age.

• A girl must know to place the toilet seat down when using the toilet.
• A boy must be aware to place the toilet seat up when using the toilet.
• Always wash your hands with soap/handwash after using the toilet.

• One must also be aware of toilet sear covers which are available at any chemist and can be used to cover the toilet seat when dirty and also very useful while travelling.

• A sanitizer is a must! And is available in attractive shapes and colours which you can attach to school bags too!
• Learn to buy your personal belongings at an early age.
• Do not to use other children’s/people’s combs/napkins/brush/towels/clothes and undergarments.

• Learn to say “NO” politely for any personal belonging.
• Make sure the pillow covers/blankets/bedcovers/toilet accessories are clean.
• If you have healthy habits, you will not fall sick as often and will be able to play and study well and your routine would not get disrupted.

ACTIVITY:

Here’s a quick game to play with your parents. Think of all the words that you can, related to HYGIENE and write them down. Ask your parent to write down words that they can think of. Observe how many he/she comes up with, and discuss the others to him/her.

Here is one to start with: FLOSS…

You will surely enjoy learning about Hygiene!

Durga Puja

You must have seen the Durga Puja celebrations last month. Durga Puja - the ceremonial worship of the mother goddess, is one of the most important festivals of India. Apart from being a religious festival for the Hindus, it is also an occasion for reunion and a celebration of traditional culture and customs.

It is believed that Durga emerged from the collective energies of all of the gods, including Bramha, Vishnu and Shiva, to kill the demon Mahishasura who could not be defeated by any god or man. 

Durga is worshipped with extreme enthusiasm during the annual Navratri festival, which marks the beginning of autumn (usually in September or October).  Navratri means "nine nights" in Sanskrit, and on each day of the festival, nine different forms of Shakti or Mother Durga are worshipped.  In West Bengal, this festival occurs primarily on days six through ten of Navratri.  On the tenth day, Durga's victory over evil is celebrated as Vijayadashami or Dussehra. In North India, Dussehra is also celebrated as Rama's victory over the demon Ravana as described in the Ramayana. Durga Puja is also considered the annual visit of Durga and her children to her ancestral home.

The history of Durga Puja goes back to the middle ages, but it did not become popular until the 17th and 18th centuries.  Soon, it gained popularity amongst the masses and was celebrated with pomp. Community or Baroyari ("twelve friends") pujas began to be organized by small groups of people who were excluded from the elite family pujas due to social status.  By the early 20th century, these festivities had evolved into Sarbojanin ("involving all") pujas, in which people from all castes, creeds and religions could participate. Similar to the Ganeshotsav in Maharashtra, these pujas also helped to create a feeling of unity during the struggle for independence.  Over the years, both the idols and the pandals have gotten more and more elaborate with people strongly believing that Ma Durga will arrive and destroy all evil and fill our lives with joy and peace. Let us welcome Ma Durga this Dussehra that falls on …. October.

Spot in a Pot

A hapless leopard’s quest to quench his thirst put him in a pot; literally!

Last month in Rajasthan, a leopard got his head stuck in a metal pot while trying to drink the water in it. Imagine the animal’s plight when it couldn’t get the pot off and wandered aimlessly in fright. 

Finally, the wildlife officials tranquilized the leopard and removed the pot from its head. We are sure the leopard must have thanked them and scurried off in the forest vowing never to put his head in pots again. 

The search for water in a hot climate drives animals towards human civilization and often lands them in trouble.

Suez Canal gets Bigger

In August Egypt announced a major expansion of the new Suez Canal. This new waterway is expected to boost the traffic that passes through the canal. Till now the canal was smaller and could allow only limited number of ships to pass through it. But with the expansion, it now allows ships especially larger vessels to pass through the canal in both directions simultaneously, thus increasing canal traffic and revenue

About Suez Canal
Suez Canal was opened in 1869 after ten years of construction. It is an artificial waterway in Egypt that connects Mediterranean Sea and Red Sea. The canal allows traders and ships to navigate between Europe without having to take a long turn around Africa. It is owned and maintained by Suez Canal Authority of Egypt.
Suez Canal is an important source of revenue for the country. Egypt earns about 5 billion US dollar every year through Suez Canal.

Image credit: Wikimedia.org

Things You Didn’t Know About Gandhiji

We all know Mahatma Gandhi as the man who led our country to freedom. And we all know that on 2^nd October we as a nation celebrate his birthday to honour the sacrifices he made for our country.  But we know little about some smaller and more astonishing facts about his life. The following are a few facts about Gandhiji that are mostly unknown:

Mahatma Gandhi was nominated for the Nobel Peace prize 5 times but was never given the award!

The funeral procession of Gandhiji was 8 kilometers long! He was so loved by people!!

Great Britain, the country against whom he fought for independence, released a stamp honouring him, 21 years after his death!

Gandhiji served in the army during the Zulu War (also called the Boer War) of 1906. He commanded the stretcher-bearer corps, which comprised of Indian volunteers formed to treat the British soldiers injured in this war.

There are 53 major roads (excluding the smaller ones) in India, and 48 roads outside India that are named after him!!

Tuah Helped By His Older Sister

Tuah is a 5 month old baby orangutan at the Hogle Zoo in Utah, USA. He is really tiny at just 14 inches tall and 5 kgs. Tuah was only a few weeks old when his mother died. This posed a big problem for the zoo keepers as baby orangutans spend most of their time on trees clinging onto their mothers. A baby orangutan instinctively clings to his mother's fur. This happens while the mother builds nests and scavenges for food. Tuah couldn't be swaddled and put in a crib like a human baby. 

He needed to hang onto someone, even while sleeping.

That’s when a zoo employee came up with a brilliant idea and used specialized sewing machines and old fleece jackets to make a vest with strips that simulate an orangutan's fur. The animal keepers took turns wearing the vest and crawling in hay. Meanwhile, Tuah held tight to their chests, developing his muscle strength. However, Tuah can't cling to humans forever. That's why his sister Acara who is 10 years old, was trained to look after baby Tuah.

For this, they first taught Acara to be gentle. Then they gave her a stuffed animal. The idea was to teach her how to pick the baby up, hold it and flip it over. The two were introduced when Tuah was 3 months old. For the last month, they have lived together full time.

Acara has adjusted to child-rearing and will retrieve Tuah for animal keepers and carry him between exhibits. She also helps Tuah navigate the ropes and stops him from tripping on toys.

*Image Credit: thespectrum.com

The Story of Bakri Eid

Eid-Ul-Zuha or Bakri Eid as we call it in India is a grand celebration for Muslims. Muslims all over India and outside India celebrate Bakri Eid from the tenth to the twelfth day in the Islamic month of Dhul Hijjah. In the international (Gregorian) calendar, the dates vary from year to year, drifting approximately 11 days earlier each year.

There is a fascinating story behind the significance of Bakri Eid. Once, Allah (God) challenged Prophet Ibrahim. Ibrahim had to prove his faith in Allah who asked him to sacrifice the dearest and nearest one in his life. Ibrahim, who was a devout worshipper of Allah, had to take up the challenge. He decided to sacrifice his son Ismail…who was dearest to him. 

His love towards his son was as strong as his faith in Allah. And with a heavy heart, he put his son on the altar at the mount of Mina near Mecca. It was difficult for him to see his son dying in front of his eyes. He could not imagine slaying his own child but he could not deny the order of God either.

He closed his eyes and raised the sharp sword. Reciting Allah's name he divided the head from the body. He opened his eyes and could not believe his eyes. His son Ismail was standing healthy and hearty in front of him. A dead ram (goat) with his head apart was lying in a pool of blood where his son had been. Ibrahim emerged as a winner as he accepted god's challenge with complete faith. 

Since then people ardently believe in the mercy of Allah. They devotionally sacrifice a ram on Bakri Eid to celebrate Ibrahim’s faith in Allah. That is why on this occasion, prayers are offered and animals are sacrificed to Allah. 

So this year when you celebrate Bakri Eid, remember Ibrahim and his sacrifice. Learn to have faith in God and yes…wish you a Happy Bakri Eid!

How Ganesha Became a Lord

Ganesha is the eldest son of Lord Shiva and his wife, Goddess Parvati. Today, in Hinduism; Ganesha is considered the lord of all living things. But the story of how this boy became a lord is an interesting one. Once, Ganesha and his brother Kartikeya made a bet. They decided to see who would be the first to complete a run around the world. Instead of bolting across the earth like his brother did, Ganesha simply circled around his parents – the sources of life, his world – to win the race. 

There are many stories that explain how Ganesha came to have the head of an elephant. However, we shall save that for some other time. But what we can tell you is that his elephant ears have served him well, the better to hear the needs of is people. 

Ganesha was granted a very special gift to make up for the fact that he had an elephant’s head. His gift was that no one would start a new venture or a puja without seeking his blessings first. Ganesha is also believed to bring goodluck and clear obstacles that trouble his worshippers. 

And like all of us, he also has a sweet tooth. He loves all kinds of mithais...modaks being his favourite. So be sure to offer him lots of sweets this Ganesh Chaturthi!

Things People Do!!

Since it’s a special issue, we thought we would something fun this time. Which is why we have for you 3 of the most weird yet real jobs that people in the world do. It may take a while for you to believe it; but we assure you, these most definitely are real professions!

Ear Cleaners – India

Odd as it sounds, professional ear cleaners can be found all over India, especially in Mumbai. What’s even more surprising is that these cleaners are found on the streets. Yes, it’s true. They usually can be found cleaning ears on some footpath or under a tree. All they use is cotton, a long wooden or metal ear pick, some hydrogen composition and coconut oil. Take a look at the picture here. It should tell you all that you need to know!

*Image Credit: goawaves.com

Oshiya – Japan

This profession is weirder than ear-cleaner. Oshiya in Japanese means a professional pusher. So what exactly does a professional pusher do? Well...he pushes! Seriously. The local trains in parts of Japan are so over-crowded that people cannot get in. So they hire Oshiyas or professional pushers who make sure they are pushed into a compartment on time. Sounds like a funny thing to do, right? But we are sure you’ll get the point to it once you see the photograph. 

*Image Credit: therichest via huffingtonpost.com

Cuidacarro

Cuidacarro means “car watcher”. It’s a profession that’s peculiar to Costa Rica. People here hire a Cuidacarro to watch their cars while they are parked! Yes, you read that right. Car thefts are so common in Costa Rica that people now pay professionals just to make sure that their car isn’t stolen while it’s parked on the road or in a public parking lot!! Cuidacarros charge anything from one dollar to 5 dollars for watching your car for a couple of hours. Bizarre...right?

*Image Credit: scoopwhoop.com

Barbie Hangs Up Her Heels

After more than 50 years in high heels, Barbie finally has some relief for her aching feet. Barbie is finally kicking off her heels! A new version of the iconic doll will now be able to wear flat shoes for the first time in 56 years!!

Mattel, the toy company behind the famous doll, which first made her debut in March 1959, has announced the launch of a new version of the doll which will, for the first time ever, feature adjustable ankles that will allow her to wear either a high heel or a flat.  

The new version of the doll is part of the company's 'Fashionista' range - which will also see the Barbie dolls being made available with eight different skin tones, a choice of 23 hair colors, 22 different hair styles, 14 facial sculpts, and 18 eye colors.

*Image Credit: metro.co.uk

Birthday Card Reused For 40 Years!

Two brothers from New Zealand, Jeff and Ron, have a rather strange birthday tradition – they have been exchanging the same birthday card for over 40 years!

Ever since 1973, Ron and Jeff have swapped the same birthday card back and forth and signing it each time. Around 84 cards were saved by the brothers reusing this one each time.

*Image Credit: kiwikidsnews.co.nz

Longest Tunnel in India

Last month the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) drilled a hole through the final section of the tunnel that is set to be the longest road tunnel in India. Called the Patnitop Tunnel, it connects the Chenani (in Udhampur district) with Nashri (in Ramban district) of the Jammu-Srinagar Highway. The state of the art tunnel measures 9.2 km and will help in avoiding frequent disruptions to traffic due to snowfall and avalanches during winters. 

It is a part of the 286 km four lane highway between the two cities that will help travel comfortably and faster. The construction of Patnitop Tunnel began in May 2011 and is expected to be open for traffic from July 2016.

Image credit: tunnelsonline.info

Celebrating Onam

Source: animaastrologer.com

It’s Onam on the 28^th of this month. Onam is a festival celebrated by Malayalis in Kerala or in any other part of the world to mark the homecoming of the Great King Mahabali. It is also said to mark the harvest season for Kerala. The festival lasts for ten days and is celebrated with a great splendour.

The first day of this ten-day celebration is called Atham and the tenth and the biggest day is called Thiru Onam. The spectacular festival attracts thousands of tourists from across the country and globe. 

Here are the main aspects of the wonderful festival:

Pookkalam
Pookkalam refers to making designs with different types of flowers in front of the gate of one’s house. With each passing day during the Onam festival, a new layer of flowers is added to the Pookalam. At some places Pookalam competitions are held.

Source: en.wikipedia.org

Onasadya
This is the grand meal prepared on the day of Thiru Onam. Onasadya meal is served on a Banana leaf and is a nine course meal having at least four to five vegetables. The number of vegetables in the meal varies from house to house but most of the well off families cooks nine to eleven dishes for the Onasadya. Restaurants offer as many as 30 dishes for the Onasadya.

Onakalikal
This refers to all the games played at the festival of Onam. Talappanthukali which is a game played with a ball is a favourite of the men. They also indulge in Ambeyyal (archery). Women engage themselves in making Pookalam and performing several traditional dances.

Vallamkali Boat Race
Also known as the snake boat race, this is one of the most entertaining events of the Onam festival. Nearly about 100 boatmen compete with each other in a boat riding competition. The boats are decorated beautifully in different patterns. Men and women from across the state come to witness this race.

Elephant Procession
The elephant procession is one of the most awaited events of Onam. The majestic animal is decorated with flowers, ornaments in gold and other metals. The elephant is made to take a round of the entire town of Thrissur where this procession is held. The elephant dances and interacts with people through small gestures.

Folk dances
Other major attractions of the festival include the folk dances performed by the women. Kaikottikali is a clap dance performed on the occasion of Onam. Women performing the dance sing praises of King Mahabali. Women also perform a dance in a circle. This dance form is called Thumbi Thullal.

*Image Credit:

animaastrologer.com

en.wikipedia.org

Croc Takes a Walk

Last month a rather frightening sight occurred on the beaches of Goa. An 11 feet long crocodile was seen strolling along the beach at the north coast of Pernem. It was the first time that a freshwater crocodile had been spotted and photographed on a beach in the state. 

According to wildlife officials, the reptile is suspected to have migrated from the Kumbharjua Canal situated a few kilometres east of Goa’s capital Panjim. The crocodile might have ‘surfed’ more than 180 km through internal rivers and creeks further north, in search of a new habitat or food. Though it didn’t harm anyone, the officials are keeping a close watch to avoid danger.

Ratha Yatra

The Jagannath Puri Ratha Yatra, also known as the Festival of Chariot was held in July in the temple town of Puri in Orissa. The presiding deities of the temple; Lord Jagannath (Krishna), Lord Balabhadra (Balram) and Goddess Subhadra (sister Subhadra) are taken out from the temple interiors in an elaborate procession in their respective chariots to the Gundicha Temple (their aunt’s place). The huge, colourfully decorated chariots are drawn by thousands of devotees. The deities reside here for nine days and are again brought back to their original temples. 

The important aspect of this chariot festival is that this is the only day when devotees who are otherwise not allowed in the temple premises can get to see the deities. During the festival, devotees from all over the world go to Puri with an earnest desire to help pull the Lords' chariots with ropes with the help of other priests.

The chariots are some 45 feet (14 m) high and have beautiful carvings and decorations for the event. These chariots are built anew each year from a particular type of tree. The devotees believe that a touch of the chariot or even the ropes with which these are pulled is bliss and hence throng to Puri from places far and near.

Budding Author

This month 12 year old Vehaan publishes his first book named, “The Amazing Time Machine”. Vehaan is a student of Vidya Valley, Pune. He is an avid reader and his favorite authors are Ruskin Bond, Sudha Murthy and Roald Dahl. Besides reading his other interests are solving Rubiks cubes, quizzing and football.

Vehaan has been enjoying writing from the last 5 years. He writes poetry and short stories, in fact many of his articles and poems have been published in My Paper in the last two years. We wish him all the best for his first book and hope to see his work more often.

About the book

“One day, Richard, an ambitious professor, sets to work on building a time machine to teleport him to the dragon age. He wants to study more about these mystifying creatures.

But disastrous things await him when he is stranded on the wasteland. Can he get past the dragon’s fiery breath and recover his time machine?? Read on…..”

To get in touch with Vehaan; write to vehaanhanda@gmail.com

Kumbh Mela Begins

The year-long festival; a mass Hindu pilgrimage began on 14 July 2015. Also known to be the largest peaceful gathering in the world where Hindus gather to bathe in a sacred river. It is held every third year at one of the four places in India by rotation: Haridwar, Allahabad (Prayag), Nashik and Ujjain. Thus the Kumbh Mela is held at each of these four places every twelfth year.

The Mela began with the traditional ceremony of hoisting of flags and thousands of people taking a holy dip in the Godavari River in Nashik and Trimbakeshwar. This Simhastha Kumbh Mela is held once in 12 years when the Sun and planet Jupiter come together in the zodiac sign Leo in the month of Magha as per the Hindu calendar.

Image credit: desktophdphotos.com

No Flowers in China

Flowers make beautiful gifts don’t they? Yes, you say? Wrong! Not in China.  In China it is considered rude to gift someone flowers for their birthday or wedding. The Chinese associate flowers with death and funerals and hence it is rude to gift them on happy occasions. 

Besides flowers; even clocks, handkerchiefs and straw sandals are all unacceptable gifts. These items are all deemed inappropriate and morbid, and you’ll risk damaging the relationship if you present these gifts for any occasion to someone in China.

Home Remedies for a Rainy Day

It’s that time of the year when there’s water everywhere! And as much as we love the rain for making our world cool and green, you have to admit that it also brings with it a list of ailments. The rainy season is when you get a cold; cough and upset stomach the most. So here are a few home remedies to help you deal with these problems. Try them out and enjoy the rains without worrying about falling ill.

For a Cold and Cough 
Take about 1 1⁄2 cup of water. Add 2-3 cloves, 2-3 pieces of black peppers (whole miri) and a few pieces of lemon grass (just cut a long leaf of lemon grass into 4-5 pieces). Now put this on the gas to boil. Once it starts to boil, add a teaspoon of sugar. Reduce the fl ame and let it simmer for a minute. Then turn off the gas, strain and drink the concoction. Have this at night before going to bed for 5 days, and we guarantee you, your cold and cough will be gone!

For a Stomach Upset
Put half a teaspoon of coffee powder in a mug. To this add half a teaspoon of nutmeg powder and a teaspoon of sugar. Now pour hot water over it. Stir well and drink up. Your loose motions will stop in half an hour. But REMEMBER: you should not have coffee unless you take it for medicinal use. Coffee contains caffeine which can be bad for children’s health if taken too often.

Stomach Ache and Nausea 
Eat half a teaspoon of fennel (saunf). Make sure you chew well. After this have half a glass of warm water. If your stomach ache persists, mix some asafoetida (hing) in water and rub the mixture on your tummy. This will defi nitely drive away the pain!

Sniffer Boys: A magical reading experience

‘Sniffer Boys: Adventure of the Lost Reserve’ was launched on 13th June 2015 at Pagdandi Books Chai Cafe, Baner, Pune. Written by Vivek Gadre, the book catches the fancy of young and adult readers alike. The launch was a lovely event with the author interacting with eager readers and addressing their curiosity.

Published by APK Publishers, the book is a fantasy detective adventure. The story is set in present day Mumbai. Sagar, Manish, Rishi and Gaurav are the Sniffer Boys, a group of young detectives working for the Indian Magic Society. Their job: hunting down illegal magical activities in the city. The story follows their adventure as they try to stop a notorious sorcerer from carrying out his evil diabolical plans. In the hullabaloo of guns, corruption, crime and magic, will they be able to stop him?

The book is available for sale at the following places in Pune: Pagdandi Books Chai Cafe (Baner), The International Book Service (Deccan), Popular Book House (Deccan). It can also be availed on the publishers’ website www.apkpublishers.com

The author, Vivek Gadre can be reached at vngadre93@gmail.com