"Dream, Dream, Dream! Conduct these dreams into thoughts, and then transform them into action."
- Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam

February 2017

Sungazers keep family tradition alive in Tamil Nadu

Devendran P belongs to a family of sungazers in Tamil Nadu who have kept alive the family tradition of daily studying the sun and making observations for over a century now. Daily, in the morning darkness, he trudges to the solar observatory situated on the southern hill town of Kodaikanal. Once inside, he opens the windows of the dome by pulling a rope and with the help of a six inch telescope, he photographs the sun and records its daily activity. Devendran is of the opinion that the sun, like other stars has a life of 10 billion years and if we want to know about any small changes, we need to have large amount of data. R. Ramesh, a professor at the Indian Institute of Astrophysics that runs the observatory said that it has a key role in providing a continuous stream of data on the sun and its influence on Earth and surrounding space. He said that some of the discoveries made, based on data obtained in the Kodaikanal observatory, are so fundamental to solar physics that they have contributed significantly to improve techniques used in observatories even today. The library at the observatory contains shelves with volumes of handwritten records and thousands of film plates of the sun. In order to preserve the data collected over the past century, authorities have launched a project to digitise the entire data. The observatory at  Kodaikanal, situated more than 6,562 feet above sea level, offers an ideal weather to study the sun. Devendran's grandfather, Parthasarathy, joined the observatory in 1900. The family has no formal education in astronomy. A visit to the observatory as a child stirred great interest in Devendran and he became a full time sunwatcher. His 23-year-old son, Rajesh has a master's degree in physics and wishes to carry on the family tradition.    

28 Feb 2017
Good News

Delhi based "Indian Accent' rated the best restaurant in India

Delhi restaurant 'Indian Accent' owned by chef Manish Mehrotra has been rated as the best restaurant in India by The World's Best 50. The World's Best 50 is an online website that rates and judges the best restaurant in the world based on food quality, presentation, ambience and other aspects. It's aim is to create a list of world's best restaurants. The academy has over 1000 members who have been selected for their expert opinion about restaurants all over the world. The numero uno restaurant of India, 'Indian Accent' showcases Indian cuisine in a novel way by blending its flavours and traditions with global ingredients and techniques. Chef Mehrotra who is renowned and lauded as the most exciting modern Indian chef says that it is very important to vary textures in your dishes as textures is as important as flavours. Indian Accent was also the only restaurant in India to be featured on the list last year. It has also won many other accolades. In 2016, it was awarded the San Pellegrino Best Restarant Award in India by Asia's 50 Best Restaurants, 2016. Trip Advisor rated it as the best restaurant in India in 2014, 2015 and 2016. It was also at the 30th spot on 'Best Restaurants in Asia' List.    

28 Feb 2017
Good News

Indian folk paintings that survived the vagaries of time

India is a diverse country and its rich cultural heritage makes every Indian proud. One aspect of our culture that never fails to impress us is the different forms paintings unique to each state. Passed on from one generation to another, these paintings are still being practiced in many parts of the country although the number of artisans involved in the art have dwindled. Some have managed to maintain the originality of the paintings while others have incorporated modern colours and techniques in their paintings. These paintings make us nostalgic of by gone era. Some depict images of Gods and Goddess while others remind us of the might and majesticity of kings. Here are some paintings that are awe inspiring. Madhubani: It is one of India's most popular art forms and mainly practiced by women. Even today it exists in the state of Bihar and is characterised by eye catching geometric patterns which depicts images of Gods, flora and fauna. Natural dyes and pigments are used and painting is done with fingers, twigs, brushes, nib pens and match sticks. The paintings are usually a representation of rituals such as birth or marriage, festivals or worship of Gods. Warli: Dating back to 2500 BC, this is one of the oldest art forms of paintings in India and originated by the Warli tribes in the Western Ghats of Maharashtra. This form of painting also uses geometrical shapes to depict daily life activities like fishing, hunting, festivals, dance and more. The unique shapes of humans in the painting - a circle and two triangles - sets it apart. The painting comprises of attractive white coloured figures on red ochre or dark background.  Kalamkari Paintings: Kalamkari paintings literally means 'drawing with pen'. It involves free hand drawing and in paintings where blocks are used, the final details and colourings is done by pen. This form of painting is carried on in Andhra Pradesh and is of two types - Machilipatnam, where block printed art form is used and Srikalahasti which is a free flowing art with pen or fabric. Even today Kalamkari paintings enhance the beauty of saris and ethnic clothing. Tanjore Paintings: Tanjore paintings, are beautiful paintings of Gods, Goddess or saints characterised by the use of gold foil that glitters and gives the painting a grand look. It originated in 1600 AD in South India and was propagated by the Nayakas of Thanjavur. These paintings are usually done on wooden planks and they are used in modern times to decorate walls and are also popular as collectors items for art lovers.  Gond: The Gond style of painting represents bold and vibrant coloured paintings of flora and fauna thus depicting a sense of belonging with nature. This form of painting is practiced by the Gondi tribe in Madhya Pradesh. A closer look reveals that the paintings are mostly made up of dots and lines. Colours are made up of charcoal, cow dung, leaves and coloured soil. These are only a few of the numerous different forms of paintings existing in India. The technique, composition of colours and figures of paintings vary from state to state and give them a distinct identity. The numbers of artists who practice such paintings have come down drastically. Efforts have to be taken to encourage these artisans to preserve this rich art form of India.  

28 Feb 2017
Positive Reads

The Delhi airport terminals to be connected by ‘air train’

Exclusive Metro "air train", for the air passengers to transit from one terminal to another would be provided at Delhi’s  IGI airport soon. Such a facility is available at London, New York, Zurich and Hong Kong international airports. But Delhi is the first Indian airport to get the "air train", as per report appearing in the media. Elaborating on this plan, an official said that in the first phase, new terminals, T3 and T4  will come up in 2020. These will be connected by air train. The project is likely to be hastened due to present volume of traffic. The project is called an automated people mover (APM). Presently, buses are used by passengers for transiting between various terminals. It takes around 45 minutes, which will be reduced considerably when ‘air train’ becomes functional. Delhi International Airport Pvt Ltd (DIAL) will be taking services of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) for the ‘air train’ project technical study and actual costing. The air train route will be 5.5-km-long having 3km underground track and total cost may be up to Rs 2,000 crore. Planning is being done by taking into account the volume of future passenger traffic, which is likely go up to 11 crore passengers per annum.    

28 Feb 2017
Good News

‘Zaika: The Veg Treat’ Joins Zero Food Wastage Bandwagon with Food Dosti

Zaika is an Urdu word. It means ‘sense of taste’. When you step in to ‘Zaika The Veg Treat’ on M.G. road, the soothing ambiance and aroma of mouth-watering food surrounds you. This place doesn’t exactly look like a restaurant. It’s more of a café style; but with more sophisticated and innovative meals. Friendly atmosphere and attentive service make sure that you will have a ‘Zaikedaar’ dining experience for you. ‘My Indian Dream’ talked with Manish Khasgiwala about ‘Zaika’ team’s new innovative adventure. With more than 22 years of experience in food industry, he has many things to talk about. Here is an excerpt from the exclusive interview. ‘Zaika’ is the first brand launched by your team. How is the experience so far? Though this is the first brand we have launched, it is an eventual result of our team putting continuous efforts for over 2 decades. We are operating under our establishment ‘Food Story Hotels Pvt Ltd’. We wanted this to be a new-age and hybrid chain of pure vegetarian restaurants across the country. We have started ‘Zaika’ with only one mission – to serve every customer with healthy vegetarian food by using fresh ingredients in a family-friendly atmosphere. And, I must tell you, even non-vegetarian people are falling in love with the flavor fusions we are offering. Tell us more about the menu and how you are planning to stand out.  We have kept the menu very versatile. We serve modern desi and oriental cuisine with inspiring flavor fusions. We are introducing some creative food dishes with innovative flavors. You can choose from wide range of options and you will not be disappointed. Every dish is prepared with finest ingredients as well as passion. Punekars always love to experiment with different cuisine. Even ‘Maharashtrian Misal’ in our menu will pamper your taste buds like never before. Our healthy mixed sprouts salad is a must try. Balancing health and taste is not always easy. We also offer ‘Kharvas’ in desserts. This is an age-old sweet prepared in rural India. But, we have introduced it in a whole new way. the Arabian delight ‘Busbaousa’ will also surprise you. I can go on and on about every dish we offer; because here our team is preparing food with only one aim in mind – to satisfy your cravings with the amazing taste you have never known before. You have even introduced a banquet hall here. Why? We believe that banquet is just another word for celebrations. Our banquet hall will be perfect destination for your family celebrations or even corporate gatherings. The hall is spacious and has the capacity of up to 120 people. We are offering catering solutions as well as professional event planners to make your events even more cherishing. You will get to know the warmth and spirit of ‘Zaika’ here. You have recently started using ‘Food Dosti’. How is it helping you? I have seen enough of food wastage in my 22 years of food industry experience. I have worked with international brands like Marriot and every restaurant tries very hard not to waste food. But, sometimes it is unavoidable. Our staff makes every dish with so much of passion and attentiveness that it used to frustrate me to look at the food wastage at the end of the day. But, ‘Food Dosti’ now is connecting me with organizations that help restaurants in distributing leftover food among the needy people. And I can proudly say that ‘Zaika’ will no longer have food wastage.  

28 Feb 2017
Star Citizens

ANCIENT CIVILIZATIONS: TOO ADVANCED TO BELIEVE THEY’RE ANCIENT

We today live in brick and mortar houses, have well managed drainage systems and advanced agricultural technologies. If you think that these facilities and the concept of smart cities are things of modern era then you are absolutely wrong. Perplexed, right? Let us know about four major advanced ancient civilizations dated Before Christ that will blow your mind with their knowledge, intelligence, planning and calibre. ANCIENT EGYPT Hailing in 3200 BC, people of this civilization are greatly known for their knowledge in mathematics and architecture. But the thing unknown about them is their exemplary knowledge and skill in field of medicines. As per evidences, they knew about anatomy and ailment to various diseases like malaria and also to injuries. They treated wounds by bandaging them with raw meat. They used opium as a pain killer and linen soaked in honey to stop infections. Surgeons of this era knew how to set broken bones and stitch wounds. These people were also modernised in their thinking and practised gender equality except for slaves. Women of those times enjoyed more rights and opportunities than women of present modern societies. Two prominent women Pharaohs (rulers) of ancient Egypt- Hatshepsut and Cleopatra, are well known for their beauty, intelligence and just rule. ANCIENT IRAQ (MESOPOTAMIA) Mesopotamia is different from other civilizations since it developed city-states. City-states were a group of cities that shared a common culture.The first civilization was called Sumer. It included cities namely Eridu, Uruk, Ur, and Lagash. They were very sound in technology. Many of the concepts we use today have their origins in this civilization.They were the first to use the wheel.  The wagon was a transportation revolution for farming and trade.  They developed a number system based on number 60. This is the reason we have 60 seconds in a minute and 60 minutes in an hour.  They used a 12 month calendar with a 7 day week.  Astronomers studied the stars and mapped the first set of constellations.  Early writers wrote the earliest known literature called the Epic of Gilgamesh, which tells the tale of the struggle between men and the Gods.  They also created architectural structures such as the dome, the column and the arch. Though now only dirt and clay of their architecture remains, archeologists have unearthed many amazing artifacts that project the intelligence of this civilization. ANCIENT INDIA (THE INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION) The then Indus Valley civilization is a part of modern day India and Pakistan. The civilization comprised of two famous cities- Harappa and MohenjoDaro. Various seals have been discovered with 400-600 different impressions on them in the Indus script. Indus Script was the language of the civilization and the language is so difficult that it has not been completely deciphered till date. This makes this civilization even more mysterious. These Indus script symbols have been discovered in Mesopotamia too which show the prevalence of regular trade between these two civilizations. Archeologists have found the remains of cities to be incredibly well planned out.  Historians estimate that each major city could support as many as 80,000 people, so Ancient India was by far the largest early civilization.  The buildings were made from mud-bricks that had been fired in a kiln to make it harder. City planners started by digging water wells and water drainage systems with main roads and small roads laid out in a square grid.  Finally homes were built along the roads, sometimes with multiple stories. This kind of city planning is still followed in modern era. This civilization practiced farming as their major occupation. Some historians believe they have discovered a massive granary nearly 200 feet long to store and dry grains. One of the major architecture of this civilization is the Great Bath. Basically it is a public pool that is over 40 feet long, 20 feet wide and nearly 10 feet deep. This tells us that there maybe palaces or temples, but still, did the civilization have rulers or not is a mystery. ANCIENT CHINA This civilization is mainly known for its fantastic discoveries- printing, gunpowder, paper making and compass. All these were first discovered and used in ancient China. The first observations on solar eclipses and comets were recorded in ancient China. They brought the concept of time by inventing Shadow clocks.  

28 Feb 2017
Positive Reads

CRPF to get robotic devices that will detect IEDs in Maoist areas

There are at least 90,000 CRPF personnel deployed in Maoist areas and with their safety in mind, the CRPF is planning to induct a robotic device which will detect and safely diffuse IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices).  Tests are being conducted on the robot and it will undergo field trials soon.   The CRPF Director-General K Durga Prasad, said the force is in touch with IIT-Mumbai who is developing this robot to know and ascertain the capabilities of the device. The robotic device is a four-wheeled machine that the patrol team can operate with remote control to detect and safely defuse the bomb in a secure environment. Maoists use IEDs and hidden landmines to inflict maximum damage on security forces. This device will thwart their attempts of inflicting harm on the CRPF. The IEDs are usually hidden beneath the ground by the Maoists. For the safety of its personnel, the CRPF is also trying to get some special boots that could save troops from getting hit by IEDs. The boots are at present, being tested at a Hyderabad-based institute. Prasad said that due to the presence of large number of CRPF personnel in the Maoist areas, the rebels are gradually surrendering. The CRPF has been able to inflict great losses on them by penetrating into their hideouts and fortresses. The Naxals are now contained to few pockets only.    

28 Feb 2017
Good News

39 Pakistanis to be released from Indian prisons as goodwill gesture

In a significant move, India has decided to release 39 Pakistani prisoners languishing in its prisons as a goodwill gesture. Out of these prisoners, 21  have completed their prison term and 18 are fishermen. Islamabad had recently released an Indian soldier, Babulal Chavan and expected India to repatriate 33 Pakistanis whose sentences were over. An official source said that prisoners have been identified and with Pakistan confirming their nationality, they will be sent back to their countries on March 1. India had earlier made it clear to Pakistan that it will not consider a full-fledged diplomatic dialogue with it unless they show demonstrable action against their terror groups that target India. With the house arrest of JuD chief Hafiz Saeed, the Centre believes this might be the right time to resume the process of communication. With the retirement of Pakistani army chief, Raheel Sharif, the Nawaz Sharif government has become more open with India. The Indian government also acknowledged and reciprocated this thaw in relation by inviting Pakistan for a South Asia Speakers' Summit in Indore last week and also seeking to promote people-to-people contact by ensuring and sponsoring Indian participation in the Karachi Literature Festival. In fact, after the retirement of Raheel, Nawaz Sharif too had released over 200 Indian fishermen on his birthday on December 25 last year. Then he released Chavan, an Indian soldier who had "inadvertently" crossed over into Pakistan territory. The release of prisoners and fishermen is an important move as that's what Pakistan was looking for to resume the peace process.      

27 Feb 2017
Good News

The amazing comeback of the Indian Rhinoceros

This is a story with a happy ending as when many species are slipping into extinction , the Indian rhinoceros whose numbers had dwindled to as low as 100-200 has made an amazing comeback with its population now standing at around 2,700. The one horned rhinoceros once ranged across the entire north Indian  sub continent and also encompassed Pakistan, Nepal and Bhutan.Over the years its population dwindled and in India, it is now found in Assam, West Bengal and Uttar Pradesh. A major bulk of the population lives in the grasslands of Kaziranga National Park in Assam and smaller numbers live in other parks such as Manas National Park in Uttar Pradesh. It seems that their numbers are exceeding in Kaziranga National Park, more than it could hold as rhinos which are naturally solitary animals are seen here in groups. The Indian rhino, due to its mighty size has very few natural enemies. Its major threat comes from poachers. Even though the rhino population has increased in recent years, it is not completely out of danger. Rhinoceros horns are in great demand in Asian countries , especially in Vietnam. It is used for artistic carving and as a status symbol to show success and wealth. The horns are also believed to cure cancer. they are used in traditional Chinese medicines. Therefore, rhinoceros become easy target for poachers. As rhinoceros are herbivore, the use of land for agriculture and deforestation has led to their reduction in their habitat. The Indian and Nepalese governments have taken major steps towards their conservation with help from the World wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other non governmental organisations. Recently, shoot poachers at sight order was issues at the Kaziranga National Park. This step has been termed illegal and need to be probed as forest guard can shoot anyone whom they suspect to be a poacher. Instead of shooting, they should be bringing the suspects to justice. Rhinoceros is a mega herbivore along with the elephant and hippopotamus and it shapes the habitat it dwells in. It changes the nature of grasslands and selectively eating certain grasses. It also helps in seed dispersal through its faeces. It is an important part of the ecosystem which could change if not for the animal's presence. States like Assam -  where rhinos graze in the open and where these mighty animals are their source of pride and joy- are important for their survival. The state hopes to increase the population of rhinoceros to around 3000 in the next three years and spread the animal over several national parks. With proper conservation steps and awareness, this target can definitely be achieved.

27 Feb 2017
Positive Reads

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