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.